Hendy's Blog
Multitasking makes you less productive
Multitasking makes you less productive - take tenIn a recent study, a group of Microsoft workers took, on average, 15 minutes to return to serious mental tasks, like writing reports or computer code, after responding to incoming e-mail or instant messages. They strayed off to reply to other messages or browse news, sports or entertainment Web sites.
In zen, it's called single-minded. Multitasking: screwing up several things at the same time :)Labels: productivity, programming, spiritual
God, FSM, and IPU
don't you think a lot of people in the world are believing in absurd thing like God, the creator of the universe?
they have their absurd argument to prove that God (what i mean by God with capital G is the creator God, as in Abrahamic religion) exists.
example for my childhood: "look at the trees, the animals, the world. those are the proof that God exists." being a little child i am, i believed that.
but now, i question all those concepts. i began doing so in my univ year. having access to the net and buddhism books. originally, i picked up buddhism thinking that it's like what my parents do, praying to the buddha and chinese gods. i just wanted to know, who are those gods, why do we pray to them, and how to pray to them. i didn't know anything about it.
but i was so surprised at what buddhism teach. i thought it is a praying to gods religion, just like other religions i know. hell, it's totally different. the basic concept and all are just so different. and it works like science. experience it and prove it, then you'll know. this is the closest to the ideal religion for me. closest, because i still have my doubt on buddhism. doubt is good though. "Dubium sapientiae initium", that's according to Descartes.
back to the topic.
why do many people still believe in this absurd things? it is as absurd as the
Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) and
Invisible Pink Unicorn (IPU).
let's see, according to FSM belief:
"An invisible and undetectable Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe, starting with a mountain, trees and a midgid." essentially the same as 7 days universe creation thing.
"All evidence pointing toward evolution was intentionally planted by the Flying Spaghetti Monster." for those who don't believe in evolution. btw, this argument is really used by the intelligent design supporter.
"Pastafarian heaven includes at least one beer volcano and one stripper factory." yeah, the heaven of all men. if those "holy" books were written in this age, that's more or less how heaven will be described. i want beautiful babes in heaven too.
and according to IPU, whose goddess is paradoxically both invisible and pink (hahaha..):
"Invisible Pink Unicorns are beings of great spiritual power. We know this because they are capable of being invisible and pink at the same time. Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them." --Steve Eley
direct quote from Wikipedia:
"It is common when discussing the Invisible Pink Unicorn to point out that because she is invisible, no one can prove she does not exist. This is a parody of similar theistic claims about God, i.e. that because God is omnipresent, inability to detect him does not reduce his believability. The IPU serves as a parodic demonstration that utilising a lack of evidence as proof of a deity's nature is ultimately absurd; that by this logic the IPU is just as credible as God."
and how about the
$1,000,000 challenge from BoingBoing.net: "We are willing to pay any individual $1,000,000 if they can produce empirical evidence which proves that Jesus is not the son of the Flying Spaghetti Monster." prove that if you can.
so, after all of these, do you still think the same? do you think you belief is as absurd as these 2 parody religions? think about it, carefully...
if you think it is absurd, welcome to a new world. a world of self discovery.
Labels: spiritual
The Meaning of Real Prosperity
Here is a traditional story, followed by a hopefully "enlightening" extension... A rich man invited Zen Master Sengai to pen him some calligraphy, hoping he can offer good wishes, which may be treasured from generation to generation for the continued prosperity of his family. Agreeable, Sengai brushed the following - "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies." Seeing this, the man flared up in anger, "I asked you respectfully to write something beneficial to my family's happiness! How could you make such a disrespectful joke?" Sengai explained, "But there was no joke intended. Life is impermanent. If your son should die before you, you would grieve tremendously. And if your grandson were to depart before you and your son, both of you would be shattered. If your family passes away as listed, it will be the 'natural' course of life. This, I consider to be real prosperity."
Here is a fictitious appendix to the story... The same man asked another Zen Master to pen the same words, so as to create another copy for his family, saying it represented a wish for the continuation of family prosperity. The Master was however, not told of his dialogue with Sengai. Just as agreeable, the master wrote "Grandson dies, son dies, father dies." Seeing this, the man once again flared up, "How dare you curse my family! How could you reverse these words of wisdom?" He then explained at length to the Master as to why Sengai wrote those words. The Master listened patiently. Finally finishing, the man exclaimed in exaspersation, "How could you make such a disrespectful joke?"
The Master replied, "But there was no joke intended... If it is such that your son or grandson should die before you, and that you are able to accept it graciously as also part of the 'natural' course of life, then this, I consider as real prosperity - which is to be spiritually prosperous, despite the lack of worldly prosperity. Whatever happens in your family, happens naturally as the play of karma. To demand the world to always function exactly as you wish is to be foolish, and this will only cause yourself unnecessary suffering. The wise abide undisturbed in the midst of unexpected or inevitable changes, while the unwise are swirled about by changes. The Buddha taught us that true prosperity is Enlightenment - the attainment of freedom from desires and delusions; it is not the attachment to any deluded desires. As surprised as "enlightened", the man calmly tore up the two masterpieces, bowing in repentant reverence. -
Shen Shi'anLabels: spiritual
about death
i've been reminded about death so much these days.
i read 2 articles about cancer patient. one still struggling (with little hope, but keep on fighting), the other one has died (choosing to live the best of the rest of his life).
the first is still young and has so much to live for.
the other is a successful business man, at his peak, half a century old.
the first one is a sad, touching story. just how you wish she can live on. but you know, this is reality. it's not always what you want. the fact is, most of the time, it is not what you want. that's what i realized in a hard way, though surely i've already known it.
realization.
whatever you know, you don't really know it until you realize it.
yeah, sure i hope she can win over the battle. that's what i've always hoped for someone dear. that one day, everything will just turn back into what it were before. a happy ending.
nope, that's not the ending. not the happy one. it's the one ended in tears, and a little guilt for not being around, for not being able to help, or being reluctant to help?
struck me hard it did. and i did learn about a lot of things (though mostly are not realized yet)
the other is something that i can say a happy ending. realizing that his life is just a few months left, he felt it's just the right time to live life to the fullest. it's the perfect chance given to him. to spend time with his wife and his children, which probably he talked to less than to his colleagues. to say sorry, thank you, and good bye to everyone. and so it goes.
these 2 people certainly have different approach to their trouble. one turned it into the best part of his life, the other turned it into a great struggle.
it's true that one shouldn't just give up. but it's even better if one can turn their unfavorable situation into favorable. that's really the best.
but for young people, that might not be the case. they have so much to live for. it's very hard to let go. that's why they'll just choose to fight it.
what will i do if i were in that situation? i'm totally unprepared, really. with no one that i can share my burden with.. ah, i'll probably just prepary my mind for the worst, the last breath. i'll just get into religion, ask a lot of questions to some monks. practise meditation.. recite mantra..
sounds like last minute preparation? yeah, this is the current spiritual level i'm at. so sad.
it surely will be different 10, 20, 30 years from now.
funny that men live as if tomorrow will always come.
those that realize (not
know) that death is always around the corner will surely be a better man.
Labels: spiritual
Four Immeasurable Kinds of Love
maitri (friendliness or loving-kindness) and mudita (appreciative joy): the love that offers joy
karuna (compassion): the love that transforms suffering
upeksha (equanimity): the love that is not attached and preserves freedom
Happy Valentine!
Labels: spiritual
All possibility covered
The Buddha taught:"When, Kalamas, this noble disciple has thusmade his mind free of enmity, free of ill will, uncorrupted and pure,he has won Four Assurances in this very life."The First Assurance he has won is this:'If there is another world, and if good and bad deeds bear fruit and yield results,it is possible that with the breakup of the body, after death,I shall arise in a good destination, in a heavenly world.'"The Second Assurance he has won is this:'If there is no other world, and if good and bad deeds do not bear fruit and yield results,still right here, in this very life,I live happily, free of enmity and ill will.'"The Third Assurance he has won is this:'Suppose evil befalls the evil-doer.Then, as I do not intend evil for anyone,how can suffering afflict me, one who does no evil deed?'"The Fourth Assurance he has won is this:'Suppose evil does not befall the evil-doer.Then right here, I see myself purified in both respects.'[because I do no evil, and because no evil (ie. suffering) will befall me] - Kalama Suttathis is so special of buddhism that you can't find in other religions.
you can doubt you own teacher, religion, or whatever.. then experience the truth yourself. not being fed by other people's mouth or some "holy" books.
even the buddha himself said, "
If there is no other world, and if good and bad deeds do not bear fruit and yield results," which is against his own teaching. what if that's the case? then don't worry. he said: "
still right here, in this very life, I live happily, free of enmity and ill will."
is there any other religions that teach like that? did other religion founders ever said: "if there is no [insert their god or basic teaching here], then..."
Labels: spiritual
All I know is that I know nothing
"All I know is that I know nothing""Wisdom is knowing how little we know"~Socrates (470 B.C. - 399 B.C.)
The Buddha had said similar meaning phrase before Socrates did.
"Those who know themselves to be stupid are really the wise ones. The stupid are those who think they are wise."~Buddha (c.563 - c.483 BC)
I've just realised that their life time almost interlapsed.
Labels: spiritual
student & master
A saying goes like this:
When the student is ready, the master appears.
Labels: spiritual
Some quote
"Not knowing the reason you are here is the reason you are here.
This is our fundamental ignorance."
taken from a newsletter:
thedailyenlightenment.comLabels: spiritual
