2006
Do Not Respond To Anger
I man
once cursed the Buddha to his face. The Buddha only
smiled. The man became even more incensed and asked,
"Why don't you respond?" The Buddha replied, "If
someone refuses a gift, it must be taken back by the
one who offered it." The Buddha then recited this
verse:
"For those with no anger,
how can anger arise?
When you practice deep looking and master yourself,
you dwell in peace, freedom, and safety.
The one who offends another after being offended by him,
harms himself and harms the other.
When you feel hurt, but do not hurt the other,
you are truly victorious.
Your practice and your victory benefit both of you.
When you understand the roots of anger in yourself and in the other,
your mind will enjoy true peace, joy, and lightness.
You become the doctor who heals himself and heals the other.
If you don't understand,
you will think not getting angry to be the act of a fool."
Source: Teachings on Love, by Thich Nhat Hahn from The Sutra of 42 Chapters, Taisho 784
"For those with no anger,
how can anger arise?
When you practice deep looking and master yourself,
you dwell in peace, freedom, and safety.
The one who offends another after being offended by him,
harms himself and harms the other.
When you feel hurt, but do not hurt the other,
you are truly victorious.
Your practice and your victory benefit both of you.
When you understand the roots of anger in yourself and in the other,
your mind will enjoy true peace, joy, and lightness.
You become the doctor who heals himself and heals the other.
If you don't understand,
you will think not getting angry to be the act of a fool."
Source: Teachings on Love, by Thich Nhat Hahn from The Sutra of 42 Chapters, Taisho 784
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Mindfulness Training #5
October 23, 2006 01:20 AM Filed in: Wealth | Mindfulness
Trainings
God
A man
once asked the Buddha, “Is there a God?”
The Buddha replied, “If you were shot by a poison arrow, and a doctor was summoned to extract it, what would you do? Would you ask such questions as who shot the arrow, from which tribe did he come, who made the arrow, who made the poison, etc., or would you have the doctor immediately pull out the arrow?
The man replied, “Of course, I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible.”
The Buddha concluded, “That is wise o’ disciple, for the task before us is the solving of life’s problems; when that is complete, you may still ask the questions you put before, if you so desire.”
The Buddha replied, “If you were shot by a poison arrow, and a doctor was summoned to extract it, what would you do? Would you ask such questions as who shot the arrow, from which tribe did he come, who made the arrow, who made the poison, etc., or would you have the doctor immediately pull out the arrow?
The man replied, “Of course, I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible.”
The Buddha concluded, “That is wise o’ disciple, for the task before us is the solving of life’s problems; when that is complete, you may still ask the questions you put before, if you so desire.”
How do you feel?
October 20, 2006 01:06 AM Filed in: Feelings
The water
in the ocean is ubiquitous and steady. The wave
crashing the shore is temporary and
fluctuating.
A wave rises and then falls. But the wave is nothing more than water.
You may feel sad or depressed. But like the wave, this feeling will rise and then fall. It is not who you are. The next time you are overcome with sadness or fear, find comfort in knowing that you are the water, and not the wave.
A wave rises and then falls. But the wave is nothing more than water.
You may feel sad or depressed. But like the wave, this feeling will rise and then fall. It is not who you are. The next time you are overcome with sadness or fear, find comfort in knowing that you are the water, and not the wave.
Perspective
October 19, 2006 01:03 AM Filed in: Engaged
Buddhism
I am not discounting that we as humans can have emotion. However, we must maintain some perspective -- that is the practice of mindfulness. The next time you think you have a problem, think of this child's hunger. A child's hunger is an injustice we all live with. We eat well and then complain about the taste or temperature of the food. Everytime we fail to see all of the things around us that should make us happy, we insult this child. We have shelter, food, clothing, family, and friends. Even if you only have one or two of these things, you're better off than the child in this picture.
Count your blessings, be happy, and do your best to correct the failures of humanity. Next time, instead of buying Starbucks, spend your money here: http://www.children.org (Children International)
Lessons for Monday Morning
June 18, 2006 07:21 PM Filed in: Quotes | Meaning of
Life
"The best
things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils,
light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at
your hand, the path of right just before you.
Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life." --Robert Louis Stevenson
Be well and enjoy this present moment.
Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life." --Robert Louis Stevenson
Be well and enjoy this present moment.
Alone Time
June 11, 2006 07:18 PM Filed in: Practice
In the
United States, and perhaps the world, it is my
observation that people, and men especially, do not
do a good job of creating space and time to be alone.
It is important, whether one is buddhist or not, to
set aside at least 20 minutes a day without a
television, radio, or any contact with others. It can
be a walk alone, a sit in the park, etc. Being alone
allows one to relive stress, clear one's mind, and be
truly present.
Just Exist
June 10, 2006 08:00 PM Filed in: Practice
Practicing Mindfulness
June 10, 2006 07:00 PM Filed in: Musing
Have you
ever watched a baseball game mindfully? It is an
incredible experience. Having practiced it for the
first time, I saw deeply the wondrous things around
me.
The fresh-cut, green grass. The bright lights under the moonlit sky. The smiling faces of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren. Families spending time together; with no one in a rush and no clock to stop the game.
In the game itself I saw competition in a new way. Is competition negative? Does it produce negative feelings because one wins and one loses? The answer depends on the point of view of each person and their state of mind. In competition, the winner experiences the thrill of victory and the loser suffers the agony of defeat. However, if one is to look deeply, they will see that the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat inter-are. The winner and the loser inter-are. The winner cannot understand the ecstasy of victory if he has never experienced the feeling of loss. If one is not attached and does not crave the thrill of victory or abhor the defeat, that person can see the moment for what it truly is. Competition is wonderful. It pushes us to do better. It is human. It requires mindful living for it to be experienced as the miracle it is.
The fresh-cut, green grass. The bright lights under the moonlit sky. The smiling faces of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren. Families spending time together; with no one in a rush and no clock to stop the game.
In the game itself I saw competition in a new way. Is competition negative? Does it produce negative feelings because one wins and one loses? The answer depends on the point of view of each person and their state of mind. In competition, the winner experiences the thrill of victory and the loser suffers the agony of defeat. However, if one is to look deeply, they will see that the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat inter-are. The winner and the loser inter-are. The winner cannot understand the ecstasy of victory if he has never experienced the feeling of loss. If one is not attached and does not crave the thrill of victory or abhor the defeat, that person can see the moment for what it truly is. Competition is wonderful. It pushes us to do better. It is human. It requires mindful living for it to be experienced as the miracle it is.
Transform Negative Feelings
June 08, 2006 07:00 PM Filed in: Feelings
People
are often taught to breathe in deep, and breathe out
all the stress and negative energy.
However, the Buddha taught that we should breathe in all the negative stimuli around us. Be mindful of the negative and harmful speech, media, actions, and circumstances around you. Breathe in all that is truly present in your universe.
Then transform the negative feelings into something positive. Use a person's negative speech as a mindfullness bell to remind yourself how you do not want to act.
When you breathe out, breathe out the positive feelings that you have cultivated within you. It seems selfish to breathe out stress for others to breathe in? Transform that stress into peace and breathe out a feeling of calm for others to receive.
However, the Buddha taught that we should breathe in all the negative stimuli around us. Be mindful of the negative and harmful speech, media, actions, and circumstances around you. Breathe in all that is truly present in your universe.
Then transform the negative feelings into something positive. Use a person's negative speech as a mindfullness bell to remind yourself how you do not want to act.
When you breathe out, breathe out the positive feelings that you have cultivated within you. It seems selfish to breathe out stress for others to breathe in? Transform that stress into peace and breathe out a feeling of calm for others to receive.