All human beings, young or old, man or woman, regardless of race, language or religion, nationality or beliefs have two abilities.
When faced with agreeable, pleasant people, situations or things, we can get happy, joyful, at ease, calm and do nice stuffs, say nice words. That's easy. We all can do that.
When faced with disagreeable, unpleasant people, situations or things, we can get unhappy, sad, frustrated, angry, and may do crazy stuffs, say angry words. That's also easy. We all can do that too.
These are the two abilities that all unenlightened beings have. Conversely, it is true as well. If you can only react in this two ways, then you are probably unenlightened. But don't fret about it, 'cos you are like the rest of us 99.9999999999999999999999% sentient beings.
But wait. There is a third ability we can have.
When faced with the agreeable … or disagreeable … we can still have inner peace and happiness. This inner peace and happiness is somewhat different from the happiness above. The happiness above is based on getting what we want. This is worldly happiness. Losing what we want brings unhappiness. This is worldly suffering. Both are intertwined, like two . . . → Read More: The two abilities we all have, and a third we can have.
Facebook page "Say Yes to Religious Harmony" http://goo.gl/4Mabw
We request the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony to make a stand on this.
This page is for people of all faiths (Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism*) and people with no religion.
Recently Campus Crusade for Christ has made some insensitive and seditious promotional materials against Buddhism & Islam. We call upon the Presidential Council of Religious Harmony to issue a strong statement against such acts of abuse from one religion to another.
Like this page if you believe in Religious Harmony and respect for all faiths and practices.
Let the voice of the silent moderate majority be heard!
Facebook page "Say Yes to Religious Harmony" http://goo.gl/4Mabw
Say Yes to Religious Harmony today! Go to the facebook link above, Click Like, Share with your friends, share your interfaith experiences and thoughts on the page! Religious Peace and Harmony is a reality! Do your part! Note: These are the ten religions recognised by the government in Singapore.
In an experiment conducted by Washing Post [1] back in 2007, they explore questions such as
"Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn't you? What's the moral mathematics of the moment? "
Will one of the U.S.'s greatest violinists be noticed in a D.C. Metro stop during rush hour? Joshua Bell [2] experimented for Gene Weingarten's story in The Washington Post: http://wpo.st/-vP (Video by John W. Poole)
Video after the break.
Do we truly see things as they are? How coloured are we by the external environment and our inner preconception?
Do we see the goodness in our friends or do we judge influenced by the above factors?
When we study in school, do we learn the most from the teacher regardless of the environment and our perception of him? Or do we blame it on the teacher when we fail?
I just read a couple of different blogs and forum postings on the latest of "Christians vs Buddhism" religious knock-out matches. Actually, for the most part, it is "Christians vs ________" 'cos we Buddhits were not invited to the match, so it is mostly some of these evangelical Christians doing a one-man boxing match, on their rounds of spreading Fear-Uncertainty-Doubt, to borrow a term from the tech industry where I came from before donning the robes.
This turn, it is the Christian Crusade for Christ (CCC) NUS chapter, who put up a denigrating poster on Buddhism and Thailand, and one on Islam. Click the images below for a bigger clearer picture.
According to Rubati (Dominic Foo), author of "Logic of Faith", he is "offended for Singaporean Buddhists".
From Logic of Faith, Rubati writes
"I am offended that the NBS would insult Buddhists in NUS and Singapore by insinuating that they are so insecure about their faith and joy in Buddha that they would have to resort to censorship to answer this slanderous attack by . . . → Read More: Freedom … …
The Singapore Buddhist Federation is giving out Bursary Awards to students in primary schools, secondary schools, ITEs, JCs and CIs (Centralised Institutes).
The aim of this award is to aid students in their studies and encourage them to strive for excellence in their academic path.
If you are a student of this category, apply today!
8 Precepts Meditation Retreat 7th April Sat 2012 (In English) @ Metta Welfare Association (Simei) conducted by Venerable Kanugolle Rathanasara Sign up today!
