As I awoke this morning I was reincarnated, just like yesterday, the day before that and the preceding 21,391 days. That’s the perspective of “me”, the Reform Buddhist, or Liberal Buddhist – maybe better: the Progressive Buddhist. Sort of like the members of Reform Judaism and the Protestants, just with less magic.
Continue reading “Fact-based Buddhism”The Semantics of Clickbait
Producers of clickbait deserve credit for one thing; a keen awareness of misleading vocabulary. They don’t care that beneath the sensationalised and misleading headlines that they spew across social media and online news sites is vapid drivel that instantly bores the audience. No. All they care about is the volume of clicks. Clicks are kings. Nothing else matters.
Continue reading “The Semantics of Clickbait”A Topo Ultraventure
BOOMZ! In the same instant I realised I had tripped, I had to accept that this was going to be a very hard landing. Running downhill on a rocky section of the MacRitchie Reservoir trail, it came down to just hoping that the body parts absorbing the brunt of the impact would not suffer catastrophic damage.
Continue reading “A Topo Ultraventure”2020: saved by books
Every time I turn to a page with the heading, “Chapter 11” I sort of snigger, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Continue reading “2020: saved by books”Things I learned today
Impermanence applies to everything. I am very stupid, at times, except for when I am very wise, before becoming stupid again.
Continue reading “Things I learned today”Newsletter Number Whatever
BIG things have happened since the last newsletter.
Continue reading “Newsletter Number Whatever”Don’t worry, it already happened.
Or it didn’t, as the case may be.
Continue reading “Don’t worry, it already happened.”Self, minimalized
For something that is not meant to exist, reducing self to a minimalized size might be the most an aspiring Buddhist can hope for.
Continue reading “Self, minimalized”The beautiful tears
At first I mistook the song as Angie, but it was Wild Horses.
The song almost made me cry. One song that always brings tears is Step Out by Jose Gonzalez. It’s not the lyrics or the music, but rather the entirety of the piece combined with the passion of Walter Mitty, pursuing his goal, and achieving it.
Continue reading “The beautiful tears”The Covidiot
As I walked down the road a stranger approached me, extended his hand, and asked, “Hey, how are you?”
My previously relaxed right hand quickly curled up into a clenched fist as my arm moved behind my back, resting against my lower spine.
Without missing a beat, my walk continued.
This is 21 July 2020. Globally 14,703,293 people have tested positive for Covid-19. 609,887 have died. Here in Singapore, as soon as you step into the public space you must don a mask. Hand sanitiser dispensers are everywhere.
And he thinks I am going to shake his hand?
Sometimes, it is difficult to remain optimistic regarding the destiny of the human species.
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