Back from temple

Just came back from the temple. Hope you all don't mind me talking a little about religion and my luck for next year.

Was told (by the deity?) that my luck won't turn for the better until June.
Sigh, I'm really tired already, still have to go through this torturous time for another 6 months.

Studies-wise, I was given some very practical advice. He said that I can't concentrate and forces myself to study when I can't absorb anymore, and advices me not to 读死书。Translated into English, it means something along the lines of "don't just memorize your material". But the overall meaning of his advice I feel that he's trying to tell me that it's very dependent on me.

Listened a lot to my father and aunt in the car talking about Taoism and Buddhism. I've always been interested in these 2 seemingly similar yet different religions, but for us it's really overlapping and both are one. I don't know if it matters whether I subscribe exclusively to one or the other, but perhaps it really don't, at least to me. Have always wanted to learn more about the praying practices of both Taoism and Buddhism and the reasonings behind them. This want stems from 2 sources - one, my own interest, two, the fear that these religions would die out with the older generation. There is so much learned, discovered and gathered over the years, centuries, that to lose all of this within a few decades would be a pity.

Tonight, my elders said something that made me ponder - does education really affect our views of religion to such an extent that it's detrimental? So that our belief has lessened, simply because we are very much trained to be like scientists, to only believe what we can see and proof. And simply because we do not experience certain things, because we cannot see certain things, we both unconsciously and consciously decide that they do not exist? Or if we believe that they exist, this "scientist" mindset has perhaps strongly reduced the belief?

The above is written with the idea of deities from Taoism and Buddhism in mind. I don't know how is it for the other religions simply because I do not understand them and I do not wish to generalize my feelings and thoughts about the educated who supposedly belong to Taoism or Buddhism, to all of the other educated in other religions. Also because I have the general idea that it is fairly common for people over several age groups, education level, ethnicities and religious beliefs to doubt the existence of deities in Taoism and Buddhism.

See how I lumped both Taoism and Buddhism together? I admit I don't quite differentiate between them because my family don't really differentiate between the two. I'm also one of those who hold doubts about the existence of deities. After listening to the talk of my elders tonight, however, some of that doubts might already be erased.

From the beginning, I may have expressed belief that religion is a purely subjective idea. Perhaps along the way I might have started expressing disbelief. However, whatever happens or have happened, I know I could never be an Atheist.

Meditation

From Wulfe's blog,

Paraphrased from a National Geographic documentary, "Light at the Edge of the World" about Buddhism in Tibet. Here specifically talking about meditation.

"Meditating is about being still. And suddenly you realise that a whole lot of thoughts rush into your mind. Thoughts of the past, thoughts of the future... just everything except what is happening at the moment.

But these thoughts did not just come into your mind because it has become still, they have always been there all the time; below the surface. It is when you have become still that you finally notice them.

The mind is like a butterfly. It flits onto a flower, stays a moment and then goes away again. Nobody really knows why. Bring it back gently again. Control it.

But don't think that controlling your mind means a loss of freedom. Imagine a sailor on the sea. If he was just drifting along with the current, would you call that freedom? Only when he takes control of the helm and directs the boat, can he go where he wants. That then, is freedom."

At another part of the program, this was said:

"Imagine the mind as a calm lake and thoughts as the buffeting wind that whips up the waves. Control your thoughts, and still the lake. Be calm"

At the end he asks,

We are so proud of our science and our education; but for all we have learnt, we do not know more than people who live in the mountains. Why do we confuse knowledge with wisdom? I wonder.

Is knowledge equals to wisdom? What is wisdom without knowledge, though? What is knowledge? What is wisdom?
If you have a First class honours degree, a PhD, a Masters, do you really think you are wise? Do you know the meaning of life outside academia and work?

Nothing much, just thinking about stuff.

Wonder how meditation is like.