Quotes
In the face of terror...
December 02, 2008 12:12 AM
“Nonviolence
does not mean that we remain indifferent to a
problem. On the contrary, it is important to be fully
engaged. However, we must behave in a way that does
not benefit us alone. We must not harm the interests
of others. Nonviolence therefore is not merely the
absence of violence. It involves a sense of
compassion and caring. It is almost the manifestation
of compassion. I strongly believe that we must
promote such a concept of nonviolence at the level of
the family as well as at the national and
international levels. Each individual has the ability
to contribute to such compassionate nonviolence.”
- An Open Heart; Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- An Open Heart; Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
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Bridge the Gap
June 23, 2008 10:07 PM
“So I
would propose a very simple practice to you, the
practice of mindful breathing: "Breathing--I know
that I am breathing in; breathing--I know that I am
breathing out." If you do that with a little
concentration, then you will be able to really be
there, because in our daily life our mind and our
body are rarely together. Our body might be there,
but our mind is somewhere else. Maybe you are lost in
regrets about the past, maybe in worries about the
future, or else you are preoccupied with your plans,
with anger or with jealousy. And so your mind is not
really there with your body.
Between the mind and the body, there is something that can serve as a bridge. The moment you begin to practice mindful breathing, your body and your mind begin to come together with one another. It takes only 10 to 20 seconds to accomplish this miracle called oneness of body and mind. With mindful breathing, you can bring body and mind together in the present moment, and every one of us can do it, even a child. - Thich Nhat Hahn
Between the mind and the body, there is something that can serve as a bridge. The moment you begin to practice mindful breathing, your body and your mind begin to come together with one another. It takes only 10 to 20 seconds to accomplish this miracle called oneness of body and mind. With mindful breathing, you can bring body and mind together in the present moment, and every one of us can do it, even a child. - Thich Nhat Hahn
Value
June 15, 2008 03:00 PM
Planning...
June 11, 2008 12:02 AM
There is
nothing wrong with planning for the future. But too
often, we expend all our energy focusing on a future
that never materializes.
“People in the West are always getting ready to live.” - Chinese Proverb
The future is made up of only one element -- the present. The only way to prepare for the future is to take care of the present.
“People in the West are always getting ready to live.” - Chinese Proverb
The future is made up of only one element -- the present. The only way to prepare for the future is to take care of the present.
Renounce your Attachment
June 10, 2008 12:07 AM
There is a
misconception that to be a Buddhist, one must
renounce all that is worldly. I disagree. It is the
unsatiable desire - the attachment - that we must
renounce.
Usually, after you’ve obtained the object of your desire - your desire does not end - it simply shifts to the next object. You will always find yourself unsatisfied and in search of something new. I think Aitken Roshi put it best:
“Renunciation is not getting rid of the things of this world, but accepting that they pass away.” - Robert Aitken Roshi
Usually, after you’ve obtained the object of your desire - your desire does not end - it simply shifts to the next object. You will always find yourself unsatisfied and in search of something new. I think Aitken Roshi put it best:
“Renunciation is not getting rid of the things of this world, but accepting that they pass away.” - Robert Aitken Roshi
Coal
June 05, 2008 12:22 AM
I am
May 22, 2008 10:41 PM
I am not my
body, mind, thoughts, beliefs, or actions. For these
do not exist if you are not there to perceive them.
There is no "I" that is separate from everything or
anything else.
"No thought, no action, no movement, total stillness: only thus can one manifest the true nature and law of things from within and unconsciously, and at last become one with heaven and earth." - Lao Tzu
"No thought, no action, no movement, total stillness: only thus can one manifest the true nature and law of things from within and unconsciously, and at last become one with heaven and earth." - Lao Tzu
Belief
May 20, 2008 11:41 PM
"Do not believe in
anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is
spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found
in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of
your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been
handed down for generations.
But after observation and analysis, when you find
that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to
the good and benefit of one and all,
then accept it and live up to
it."
- The Buddha
Thank you to those of you have written me and inspired my return to this blog.
Just Don't Steal
December 12, 2007 11:39 PM
While
reading The Kite
Runner by
Khaled Hosseini, I came across a conversation
between a father and son regarding sin. While I
have no intention of analyzing the merits of the
father's viewpoint, I wanted to share this
passage:
"There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft.
...
When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal a wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.
...
There is no act more wretched than stealing."
"There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft.
...
When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal a wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.
...
There is no act more wretched than stealing."
Love Actually
December 11, 2007 12:38 PM
“Whenever
I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think
about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General
opinion's starting to make out that we live in a
world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It
seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not
particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always
there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters,
husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old
friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far
as I know none of the phone calls from the people on
board were messages of hate or revenge - they were
all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a
sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually ... is
all around.” - from the film Love
Actually.
Do Not Respond To Anger
October 24, 2006 01:24 AM
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
God
October 21, 2006 01:17 AM
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.”
Find Your Hut
October 18, 2006 07:28 PM
What Do You Think?
October 17, 2006 07:24 PM
Lessons for Monday Morning
June 18, 2006 07:21 PM
"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.