Insight # 132

One who has read any of the good books completely, understood and continuously practiced what’s in them, has no necessity to pick up lines, sayings, quotes and verses to convert or impose their religion onto others. God has done his homework well in creating us …

Insight # 131

Poverty often distorts the real intention of praying ...

Insight # 130

Of all the things we do in life, the most meaningful ones irrespective of result, are those our hearts want us to ...

Insight # 129

The ignorant, having limited choices is forced to make his bed and lie on it. The foolish expects others to make it and the wise choose to make his own. Blaming fate, Karma or anything else is just an excuse ...

Insight # 128

There are passions, disires, urges and wants (not needs) in life that one should not procrastinate to fulfill, such as Charity and Community Service ...

Insight # 127

In life, there's always a conflict between things you like and dislike including physical aging which is inevitable. To most this is suffering. However, the battle (originates, fought and won or lost) is only in your mind ...

Insight # 126

Suffering is inevitable. Understanding and good management of the causes of suffering are solutions. If you think by believing in salvation you can take the short cut, you could be mistaken. Salvation is the destination not the path …

Insight # 125

By and large, people who frequent fortune telling and spend heavily on lotteries are purely to fulfill their "wants", whereas those with dire "needs" cannot afford to ...

Insight # 124

If anything one does that does not come from a pure or sincere heart, the result will usually be undesirable, stressful or even painful, no matter how hard one tries to justify it ...

Insight # 123

In life, one has to have the wisdom of not taking things for granted. It is one of the major sources of disappointment and we normally don't realize it ...

Insight # 122

It is not uncommon in a work environment that most have the ability to learn but not the chance to, because those who are suppose to teach refuse to do so. On the other hand, it is easier to reduce ignorance but far more difficult to rectify the attitude of not wanting to learn ...

Insight # 121

You don't have to be proud to receive, or boast about the number of birthday well-wishes you receive. It simply represents the people whose lives you have meaningfully touched, such that they have specially chosen you to be their friend. As years goes by, these friends become more genuine and those who have hidden agendas will eventually fade away. And if the number continues to increase in spite of those who have moved on, it means that you have lived life ...

Insight # 120

Most of us have come across fruit trees that have sturdy trunks and branches (health), exuberant foliage (wealth) and beautiful canopies (appearances) but do not bear fruit (barren). Are our lives just like that … empty? We may share any one or two of the features, if not all. Fortunately, the difference is that we have the ability to develop the wisdom to choose. But are we using it correctly? Only we can individually answer that …

Insight # 119

If one can truly appreciate the suffering of others with genuine sympathy and the willingness to help them in whatever way possible, one is already on the path to the realization of inner peace and happiness ...

Insight # 118

One can be what one wants to be, with a strong will. However, with wisdom, one may not want to become what one can become ... 

Insight # 117

Look back to reflect and learn from your deeds. Look now to understand and accept your progress and look forward to reaffirm and follow the Path ... Happy Wesak Day!

Insight # 116

It is not the establishment one works for but the people in it that one works with. Many don't or won't want to see the big picture and will not change for others but expect others to change for them. They forget that how they treat others will determine how others treat them eventually and so? They blame the lack of teamwork ...

Insight # 115

A true master if you ever find one, only shows you the path, points to that direction and perhaps throws in a few examples. The rest is up to you ...

Insight # 114

Often it is easy to give advice to others who have problems relating to their attitude and ego but not so easy to accept advice of others when one's has such problems ...

Insight # 113

In life, each time you succeed it will be foolish to think that you have achieved it singlehandedly. It is others including your competitors who have allowed you to do it. So thank them by sharing ... 

Insight # 112

If we look back at our lives and break them into blocks of 3-5 years, we will see that each teaches us a lesson. There could be some we want to totally forget but it is wise to treat them as building blocks for there is always hope in our hearts for a better future. Only time will tell ... 

Insight # 111

If you only work for money, you'll always be chasing money. If you continuously learn, hone and use your work skills with a positive attitude, money will chase you ... 

Insight # 110

Many of us believe that there is a Heaven as well as a Hell. However, there are more versions of Heaven than of Hell. That's why religion sales persons using "You will burn in Hell if you don't (do this or that) ..." as the main selling point of their sales pitch are less successful in meeting their sales targets than their counter parts. Such is the nature of the human mindset ...

Insight # 109

"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" but today they think they have shatter-proof glass until they meet someone shooting amour-piercing bullets. Back to the same old story, they never learn ...

Insight # 108

Most people who pray, believe that "prayer alone" will earn them blessings and perhaps a place in heaven. True or false? Both can apply depending on how one looks at it. It could be false if they have been doing good deeds with good intentions and true if they have not; not the other way round. So, think again, which side are you on? ...

Insight # 107

It is not unusual that some people's reluctance to change for the better inhibits others around them to do so. Without realizing it, they complain why some people don't change ...

Insight # 106

Simply put, one can hear of, read about, be shown or given a bicycle, but one can only fully understand and realize it's purpose and value when one rides it oneself. Such is also the path of enlightenment ...

Insight # 105

People who take the more difficult paths in their career with positive outlook and attitude fare better than those taking the easy, provided they don't succumb to greed and their ego ... 

Insight # 104

In life, all of us chop wood, carry water and sweep floors. We may change temples or move to a higher position but we have to continue doing the same things if we want to be the abbot ...

Insight # 103

The intelligent and wise do not procrastinate or waste valuable time in deciding what to do. They already have an idea by either observing the results of others who have done it or learnt from their past mistakes ...

Insight # 102

I usually wonder why some people "never" learn. Being not so smart is acceptable, but being egoistic with an attitude? Well ... no comments ...

Insight # 101

Once a while, each of us goes through an ego bashing which is not a matter of life or death but we sink into some emotional disturbance. It just shows how fragile our egos are depending on the intensity of the depression. In fact, we should take that as a wake-up call, learn and profit from it rather than do something stupid, make wrong decisions or retaliate unwittingly ... 

Insight # 100

We are born with an almost limitless storage space, a sophisticated operating system and a complex circuitry capable of independent thought and action. Everyone knows that but yet, only a few can make good and proper use of them ...

Insight # 99

Education today - most parents who send their children to school are unable to teach them how to learn, and few teachers can teach the children how to acquire and use knowledge. So, most children learn the hard and expensive way or never learn at all ...

Insight # 98

Very few people, if any, can honestly say that they have no worries. To some, the decision to let go itself is a source of worry. So, some smart fellows decided to make money by teaching others to stop worrying even though they are not free from worry. Therefore, the bottom line is; the intensity of our worry is what we should be worrying about ...

Insight # 97

We are what the knowledge we put into our minds or frontiers we place on our thoughts. Anything beyond that is just conjecture. What we don't know or not sure of, we tend to replace it with "I believe". Using logic and deductions to prove or explain something, relies on the fundamentals or base information we use. However, whether the starting points of the debate are correct or wrong, they are also dependent on the knowledge and frontiers in our minds. Such is Science vs Religion ...

Insight # 96

Simply put, there are many things we want to do that can be easily done than said. If only, we seriously make up our minds to do and not just talk about them ...

Insight # 95

Trying to justify what's been done, whether good, bad or neither good nor bad, is often a sheer waste of time. The result will clearly provide the answer sooner or later. Preparing for the consequences is a more wiser thing to do ...

Insight # 94

After spending a significant part of my life on community service, I realized that those who care for me without any vested interests are, but a handful. So, when you care for someone or others, you will be part of their handful too ...

Insight # 93

On cause and effect, a good relationship is when someone keeps on reminding you of your "bad" past, keeps on harping on why you are suffering now and keeps on nagging that if you don't change you will continue suffering ... you may get enlightened at a faster rate ...

Insight # 92

Often, we tell others off that nothing is free and yet we expect free things ourselves ...

Insight # 91

In most Effective Communication courses, the "gurus" will not tell you that silence (just shutting up) is a powerful tool to prevent spread of ineffective communication or miscommunication because they can't make you pay for nothing ...

Insight # 90

After watching the movie "About Time" I realised why we are created without the ability to turn the clock backwards to correct the errors or to perfect our lives. We are supposed to acquire the wisdom through learning from our mistakes to lead a happy, if not a perfect life. The Creator didn't want to take the chance since we have insatiable "wants" ...

Insight # 89

Count your blessings and not that of others for you would not know the price they paid for them, which you may not be able to afford. There are also many who would readily trade their blessings for yours …

Insight # 88

Chinese New Year's Day 310114. On this auspicious day, I feel it makes more sense if I PRAYED for everyone to have happiness, good health and prosperity for the year and WISH myself the same instead. Afterall, all things go and come around. So, why should I only pray for myself and only wish others? …

Insight # 87

When the intention (mind) and willingness (heart) are pure there can be unlimited merits to gain in both the acts of giving and receiving. In giving we gain and in receiving we allow others the opportunity to gain (by giving), thus creating the flow of goodness which in fact is an act of sharing. All the religions teach us this but somehow, it is thwarted by the greed factor in our human nature …

Insight # 86

Each time I come across someone making elaborate and expensive offerings, to beg and pray for financial and material help especially during the Chinese New Year season, I can't help but feel amused. The saying, "God helps those who help themselves" comes to mind and with the right objective, understanding and some wisdom one can get more tangible results and some savings too ...

Insight # 85

Occasionally, in the making of important decisions, there are 4 “persons” in us involved. One will say “yes”, one will say “no” and one will say neither “yes” nor “no”. You, the 4th person will then have to decide which to choose or go for a compromise. But, if you decide to let go, then it is only one – you. Since we usually can't or won't, we have developed complex exercises such as; contemplation, meditation, praying for, thinking about, mulling or sleeping over it and last but not least, “wait and see” and if nothing happens after a while, changes to “might as well forget it!” which we could have easily done earlier by simply letting go ...

Insight # 84

It is important that we close all our encounters or relationships, whether brief or extended on a positive note. They give the last images of us before the next contact. If they are positive, people will remember us for the good times spent, be more forgiving for our wrongs and look forward to be with us again. But, if they are negative, people tend to remember us more for our wrongs than rights and are less forgiving. They may even tell others what sort of a person we are. That's why some people have fewer or no friends …

Insight # 83

Once upon a time there was a person who lived in a sickly village where everybody spits as a way of life. One day he moved to a city and learnt that spitting is hazardous and can cause suffering. Not only did he stopped spitting, he returned to the village to share his knowledge. This simple story is but an illustration of an awakening to help others. In life, we have many of such expediences but may not the will to positively do anything about them ...

Insight # 82

Strictly, there should be no such thing as "To each its own". It is because of this, that we have so much conflict in the world today. Only a few can accept and practice universal love at a level that will benefit others ...

Insight # 81

Being insightful can sometimes be complex and baffling. The moment you think you know everything, you may decide to stop learning but the moment you think you don't, is realizing how dumb you have been ...

Insight # 80

On new year greetings - first, convince yourself that the coming year will be a good if not better year. Then, try to convince everyone you know or meet that it will be so and not to unduly worry about the challenges ahead. For one thing, if everyone around you maintains a positive attitude, the environment stays positive and less stressful. Logic? Simple, in reality together we make up the environment ...

Insight # 79

When one is alive everything matters - wealth, reputation, position, etc, and when one dies nothing matters, not even whether one is buried standing to save space. So, what's the big deal? Unless one believes in after-life or karma ... if one does, what's the reason to believe in these? To have a better next life where the cycle starts again? To go to heaven and live a happy ever after life? Think again, but don't waste time opening a can of worms and join the never ending debate that has been raging since the beginning of mankind ...