Is being positive the highest form of cultivation?

"Note that all dualistic concepts and emotions – even positive ones such as caring, compassion, and wishing others well – are accompanied by grasping at ‘self’. So although positive emotions are good, they still fall short of perfection, which is the primordial wisdom beyond dualistic thinking and emotional sensations. Grasping at positive qualities is nonetheless a stepping-stone to perfection, helping us eventually to loosen the grip of grasping at ‘self’ and to experience sensations of peace and joy. So, transforming from negative to positive, and then from positive to perfection, is the ideal way to move toward buddhahood, or full perfection."

~ Tulku Thondup

Commentary by Jerome:

Today I met a friend who was feeling troubled by her relationship problems. She tried to reaffirm herself positively but felt that this does not resolve the underlying issue. Still she was not feeling happy.

Indeed, being positive is good but not the best. Why is this so? By being positive, one may bring himself out of negative emotions and possibly depression. However, this merely diverts one's attention to another object and covers up the underlying cause of the problem. The true solution is to let go of the underlying grasping (aka attachment to the relationship).

By being positive, there is still "grasping" on to the positive object, which can be any of the 6 sense objects (taste, smell, touch, sights, sounds and thoughts). For instance, one may see a beautiful flower and think: "What a beautiful flower!" This emotion that arises can surely brighten your day but it still involve dualistic thinking (good and bad) and the arising of attachment to the object. In the highest cultivation, we should loosen this grip on ourselves and external objects. We see an object and no thought arises. We feel a soft toy and no thought arises. We rest in a peaceful state, a joyful and natural state that is free from any form of attachment to the 6 sense objects. Please do not mistake this as indifference! It is a clarity of the mind and the ability to see these objects in their natural state (Some people call this emptiness. Empty of secondary thoughts and conceptions. Empty of discriminative thoughts.) These sense objects are fundamentally not good or bad but it is the person experiencing it who labels them. When brought to perfection in this practice we can attain the highest form of cultivation.

References:

Nyingma Masters - https://www.facebook.com/NyingmaMasters/photos/a.664868596951329.1073741828.661664957271693/1022904541147731/?type=3&theater

Screening for Prostate Cancer. What do you need to know?

Article written by Dr Jerome.

What is Prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is the third most common cancer among men. Prostate cancer is rare in men under the age of 50 years. The risk is greater in those with a family history. Prostate cancers range from slow growing to aggressive cancers. Slow growing cancers are common and may not cause any symptoms or shorten life. Most men with prostate cancer will not die from it.

Who should be screened?

Men between 50 and 75 years of age with estimated life expectancy of more than 10 years, may be offered screening for prostate cancer. High-risk men, such as African-American men and men with strong family history of prostate cancer ( 1 or more first-degree relatives diagnosed before age 65 years), may be offered screening at an earlier age. Screening should not be offered to men less than 50 years. It should also not be done on men with life expectancy less than 10-15 years because testing and treatment is unlikely to be beneficial.

What is prostate surface antigen (PSA) and how it can be used as a screening test ?

PSA is a substance made by the prostate gland. The PSA test is a blood test measuring the level of PSA in the blood. A raised PSA can be an early indication of prostate cancer. Hence, it is called a tumour marker. About 2/3 of men with raised PSA level will not have prostate cancer. The higher the PSA level, the more likely it is to be cancer. There is no conclusive evidence that PSA screening in asymptomatic men will improve the mortality of men with prostate cancer.

Tumor markers are useful once a patient has a diagnosis of cancer and is used to aid in prognosis, management and monitoring of recurrence or response to therapy.

What are the pitfalls of PSA test?

PSA test is not a perfect test. It would be easy to assume that if the test is positive, one is more likely to have cancer. But there are other conditions which can cause a rise in PSA, for example, prostate enlargement, prostatitis, urinary infection. Hence, this may cause unnecessary mental stress and anxiety over the possibility of having cancer.

Similarly, when the PSA test is negative, prostate cancer can still be present. This can be seen in patients taking medications for enlarged prostate or hair loss.

How often do we do PSA screening?

In general, PSA screening is done on an annual basis. However, this screening may be performed once every 2 years in low risk men with baseline PSA less than 1.0ng/mL

When you receive the PSA results, what are the follow up actions?

If the PSA is elevated, a prostate biopsy is required to determine if cancer is present. Prostate biopsy is generally safe. However, there is a small risk of complications such as bleeding and urinary tract infections. Approximately 2/3 of men who have a biopsy will not have prostate cancer.

If the PSA is normal or low, reassurance can be given but bearing in mind that patients taking medications for enlarged prostate or hair loss can have artificially low levels of PSA. PSA screening can be continued on an annual basis.

References:

Cancer Screening. MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines 2010.


Disclaimer: This article provides general advice for the public. Please seek official advice from your primary physician.

What is the best gift for your children?

"As parents, we should not demand that our children be in a certain occupation; instead, we should cultivate their positive qualities, such as patience, adaptability, resilience, loving-kindness, empathy, judgement and leadership. This way, no matter which time period they are in, which countries they go to, they can easily adapt, become successful and have a good life."

- Master Jin Bodhi 

As extracted from Puti website - Walking towards Master Jin

Commentary by Jerome:

I was walking by a coffee shop when I saw a mother scolding her son loudly, "Stop playing and do your homework now! I want you to finish your homework in 15 minutes! Otherwise I am going to slap you!"

Many Asian families impose high demands on their children to achieve academic success, as many hope that in doing so, their children will end up in prestigious occupations such as doctors, lawyers, economists and politicians. They define success as having a stable job with high salary. 

Many parents send children to tuition every weekend; where in some cases the children may be reluctant, or in other cases it is unnecessary as they already have good grades. Many parents also deny their children of fun and opportunities to explore their passions and talents as they believed it is impractical. Some have music talent while others enjoy art, but unfortunately they will never be developed further. 

Parents do not understand that cultivating positive qualities such as patience, adaptability, loving-kindness and leadership are much more important than studying, having good grades and a high paying job. An individual in a prestigious and highly paid job may not be happy at work and life and may develop depression because he is not doing something that he wants to do deep inside. 

If you truly wish your child the best and want them to be happy, cultivate positive qualities in your him/ her instead. In this way, they can be adaptable and successful in whichever occupation they are in.

More information available at:
1) Official Bodhi Meditation Website 
http://puti.org
http://putihome.org

Health Tips: High Fiber Diet

What is fiber? 

Fiber is a substance that is mostly found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Most fiber passes through your body without being digested.

There are 2 kinds of fiber. The first type of fiber is "soluble fiber" and is found in fruits, oats, barley, beans, and peas. The second type of fiber is "insoluble fiber," and is found in wheat, rye, and other grains. Both kinds of fiber that you eat are called "dietary fiber."

Why is taking fiber important?

Fiber can help to prevent  constipation, hemorrhoids and diarrhea.

Getting enough fiber can also help lower your risk of getting heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

How much fiber do I need? 

The recommended amount of fiber is 20 to 35 grams a day. Check out the nutrition facts on food labels to find out the dietary fiber content in your food.

What are the types of food with fiber?
Generally, cereals, fruits, vegetables contain fiber.

Foods with a lot of fiber include prunes, apples, oranges, bananas, peas, green beans, kidney beans, cooked oatmeal, almonds, peanuts, and whole-wheat bread.

What are the side effects of fiber? 

When you start eating more fiber, you may have constipation, stomach bloating, colic or cramps. To prevent this, add fiber to your diet slowly.

Credits: UptoDate

What is the best book for Buddhism? A food for thought

Article written by Don and edited by Jerome:

The other day I was at Kinokuniya Bookstore browsing the Buddhist books section, when I overheard a Caucasian guy lamenting. He was asking around for a suitable starting point to read about Buddhism, a topic he was not familiar with. He said he picked up a little from the internet, and would like to have a primer of some sort. His dilemma was, there were too many different types of Buddhist books, which one should he pick?

My immediate reaction was to help him - as this was a great chance to propagate the Dhamma! It's not every day that you get a chance to guide someone who was willing to learn more about Buddhism.

However, I paused.

I realised that I had no clue which book, resource or internet website was the most suitable to recommend someone totally new to Buddhism!

The books that are too 'light' (e.g. more about lifestyle and Buddhism in everyday life) may not draw him to look at the deeper aspects of the Dhamma.

The books that are too 'heavy' (e.g. about meditation, Kamma, the Suttas) may bore him, or turn him off the topic altogether as he won't be able to relate to them at such an early stage.

Also, I haven't read all of the books on the shelf (not that I really want to!) so I can't say for sure which author has provided the right mix of light and heavy to guide a beginner on the path. I have also not browsed a website that can offer this mix.

So I didn't approach him in the end.

It was a missed opportunity, but I believe that it would be better to miss this, than to guide someone down the wrong path.

That got me thinking about what I would do the next time if I were to get such an opportunity again. With some time to reflect and do research, I should be able to come up with a good answer, yes?

It turns out that there is no simple good answer on a book to read.

Books are good literature resources, but they are at best just as a medium of instruction for true cultivation in Buddhism. 

Once, there was a man who asked his friend, "Where is the moon?" The second man pointed at the moon with his finger. We cannot grab the man's finger and say that his finger is the moon! Similarly, books (akin to the man's finger) are just a guide to true cultivation (akin to the moon) and cannot be the sole source of information. In fact, true cultivation is beyond theoretical concepts, rationale and thinking. With the help of an experienced teacher, we can enter the meditative state of concentration, insight and emptiness, and verify the truth of Buddhism teachings.

Why are books merely literature resources and at best a medium of instruction?

Firstly, the words on a page are subject to the reader's interpretation. The author may have one intention, but a reader can understand it in a totally different way. If the work is a translation of another language (like many of the Tibetan works on the shelf, translated to English), the problem compounds with the translators' interpretations.

Secondly, any questions arising from reading has no recourse to the author on the spot. The reader has to depend on himself or someone accessible nearby to discuss on difficult points. And this is again subjected to individual interpretation.

I'll be bold now and make a definitive statement: For someone starting out in Buddhism and sincerely would like to learn more about it, there is no substitute for finding a good teacher (preferably meditation teacher) to guide one's first steps.

Books, websites or videos are good in sparking one's interest to find out more, but only through interacting with someone more knowledgeable than you will you truly know what you don't know, and where to go next in your development.

So for those of you who want to find a good teacher, I highly recommend my own teacher's course, which he conducts twice a year - visit www.basicbuddhism.org for the timings and details.

If I could turn back time and meet this guy again at the bookstore, what would I do differently?

I think that this time around, I would invite him to have a cup of coffee, to chat about his views and hopefully strengthen his interest in finding out more about Buddhism.

This may be a little ambitious, but it will be worth the effort.

If any of you would like to have a chat over coffee, just drop me a note. I'll try my best to make the time for you!


References:
1) Basic Buddhism Course and Basic Meditation Course  - http://www.basicbuddhism.org/

What Is the Purpose of Life?

We should know that the purpose of a car is not to burn fuel but for transportation. Burning fuel is just a car’s way of living - it moves things while consuming gasoline. Likewise, the purpose of man is not just eating, drinking and having fun. Eating and drinking are how man can sustain life, never the ultimate goal of mankind.

What then is man’s ultimate goal in life? Those having no faith can never find the answer. However, as Buddhists, our goal is to use the opportunity we have in this life to practice the Dharma diligently so as to be better equipped to benefit all sentient beings.

Credits:

Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro

www.facebook.com/NyingmaMasters/