In Mahayana Buddhism, there is the school called Consciousness Only (唯識）As the Four Noble Truths say, if there is no such thing as a self, then what this self sees must be imaginary or unreal. Nevertheless, the self looks like the most critical part in our life. How should we handle what we see? What … Continue reading Consciousness Only
Tag: #Contemplation
The Kingdom of God is Within Us
One of the obsessions we humans have ever possessed since the birth of self-consciousness is our search for God. Where is He? How can we find Him? From religions to philosophies, even various theories of modern cosmology, we are never tired of this search. The irony, however, is that because of self-consciousness, we had lost … Continue reading The Kingdom of God is Within Us
Schrödinger’s Cat
Schrödinger's cat is one of the well-known thought experiments to explain the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. In the extreme microscopic scale, we can no longer observe things in the manner that Newtonian physics works. Observing things in the quantum level, what we see would be no longer distinctive between particles and waves. As commonly … Continue reading Schrödinger’s Cat
The Eye of Detachment
Noh (能) is one of the traditional theater plays in the fourteen century’s Japan. It liberally means talent or skill in this Chinese character. But it implies a lot more in-depth. One of the key figures in this tradition is Zeami (世阿弥: 1363-1443). He was a Noh actor; at the same time, created playwrights and … Continue reading The Eye of Detachment
The Five Precepts
In Buddhism, there are five precepts that people are supposed to observe. There are a lot more for monks and serious practitioners. But in general, these five precepts could be the basis. There are various ways of sayings from the ancient Pali canons to Sanskrit versions to Chinese ones, and more. In English, we could … Continue reading The Five Precepts
Like Water, Like a Rock
The Noble Eightfold Path can be divided into three divisions. The first division covers the right view and right resolve, which could be how we see the world and ourselves. The second is for the right speech, right action, and right livelihood, which could be our applications for ethical virtues. And the third is for … Continue reading Like Water, Like a Rock
Doubting Thomas, the Apostle
Among miracles in the all Gospels, the resurrection should be the most significant event, especially of both Lazarus and Jesus. As the foundation of Christianity, the implication is transcending death and life beyond spacetime toward non-boundary, called eternal life. It is a glimpse of the eternity, manifested in our dualistic spacetime. It's so paradoxical and … Continue reading Doubting Thomas, the Apostle
