Actually, i have no teacher. LOL. I dun intend to dwell into the deeper studies, just the basic. IMO, Buddhism is like a formula. It's up to you how you use this formula and apply it. It's not like a typical God-based religion, where they emphasie to tell you what u can do and what you cannot. It's like, give a man fish, he'll eat for one meal. Teach him how to fish and he'll have the knowledge to support himself.

Just to share... when i was younger...during my 20's,  was looking for some answer...after studying different religious books for sometime, one night, while i was about to sleep, thinking about all this Buddhism thingy, suddenly i have like an experience where all the jigsaw puzzles fit into places...i can't explain it...mini-enlightment perhaps?? LOL. Anyway, from that day onwards. I simply know Buddhism is the path.

It doesn't happens overnight....it might takes many lifetime for one to be ready to finally leave all desires behind....I know i am not ready this lifetime. It can wait. No hurry.

Those who rojak Buddhist and Christian cannot make up their damn mind... lolol

the main point is to retrain your mind to think in a way where it becomes less selfish.

*plugs his teacher here*

http://www.kechara.com/publications/public...nment-for-sale/

how to deal with temple politics 101: the official buddhist way where everyone wins.

If you could do it for your makan why not do it for Dharma? Same techniques, different motivations, different outcome. If you tahan politics in a temple you will be able to find Dharma. Consider the effort and the struggles an offering to the Buddhas.
you dont need temple politics if you're living alone in a cave somewhere in india or a forest somewhere in pahang. it's because you NEED the help of others in order to survive these days. Since you need their help it makes no sense to avoid them. Also, a community of practitioners is very important to help you practice the Dharma and so that you wont burn off due to lack of support.

wanna REALLY avoid politics? be a duthangga monk or go for solitary 12 year retreats where you wont be meeting another human in a cave for the next 12 years. tada no politics.

politics existed since the Buddha's time but i didint hear the Buddha go "okay we dont need temples already. everyone practice alone. no poltics. no sangha." but is that the case? hmm.

he just let it happen because it's part of human nature.

we're in samsara dearie, everything in samsara is 'complicated' in reality but just that we choose not to see that aspect of it.

if there is noself then where is the self that faces with all the poltics? if you attained noself isnt it even easier to face politics because those people cant hurt you; since the 'self' dosent exist? wouldnt it make sense to be part of it as well?

.... you believe sun wukong exist???

IMHO there are two definition of fate

1) the pre planned path by super beings
2) coincidence

the sifu exists...but the monkey does not..

what about destiny then?