Chasing after words, pursuing phrases, when will you ever be done?
You run yourself ragged amassing knowledge, becoming widely informed. Self-nature is empty and illuminating, so let things take care of themselves. There is nothing else I have to pass on. - Bankei
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The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten.
The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to. - Chuang Tzu May your eye go to the sun, your life’s breath to the wind.
Go to the sky or earth, as is your nature; or go to the waters if that is your fate. Take root in the plants with all your limbs. -Rig Veda You have done well
In the contest of madness. You were brave in that holy war. You have all the honourable wounds Of one who has tried to find love. ~ Hafiz Studying texts and stiff meditation
can make you lose your Original Mind. A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure. Dusk rain on the river, the moon peeking in and out of the clouds; Elegant beyond words, he chants his songs night after night. ~ Ikkyu The Master doesn't try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful. The ordinary man keeps reaching for power; thus he never has enough. The Master does nothing, yet he leaves nothing undone. The ordinary man is always doing things, yet many more are left to be done. The kind man does something, yet something remains undone. The just man does something, and leaves many things to be done. The moral man does something, and when no one responds he rolls up his sleeves and uses force. When the Tao is lost, there is goodness. When goodness is lost, there is morality. When morality is lost, there is ritual. Ritual is the husk of true faith, the beginning of chaos. Therefore the Master concerns himself with the depths and not the surface, with the fruit and not the flower. He has no will of his own. He dwells in reality, and lets all illusions go. ~ Lao Tzu 'Tao Te Ching' One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, "A piece of truth."
"Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?" his attendant asked. "No," Mara replied. "Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it." The lotus flower
Is unstained by mud; This single dewdrop, Just as it is, manifests the real body of truth. - Ikkyu The sun in my eyes,
the sky my face, my breath the wind, mountains and rivers turn out to be me. - Sasaki Doppo You have no idea how hard I've looked
for a gift to bring You. Nothing seemed right. What's the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the ocean. Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient. It's no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these. So I've brought you a mirror. Look at yourself and remember me. ~Rumi Shiva dances,
Krishna loves, Buddha teaches and Rumi writes, Sun whirls, Sea smiles, Ahura knows and Yazata does, Wind moves, Moon lights Mary cares and Jesus walks Earth has a secret and evolves Sage sees no self and (s)he shines - Yazdan Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world. -Lao Tzu, [Tao Te Ching] Once you stop clinging and let things be, you’ll be free.. You’ll transform everything And you’ll be at peace wherever you are.
~Bodhidharma “ Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasam-Buddhassa “ ; “ Buddham Saranam Gaccham i“ ; " Dhammam Saranam Gaccham i“ ; “ Samgham Saranam Gaccham i“
“ Not To Do Any Evil “ ; “ To Cultivate Good “ ; “ To Purify One’s Mind “ ; ( This Is The Teaching Of Buddhas ) “ Though One Should Live A Hundred Years, Without Wisdom And Control ; Yet Better , Indeed , Is The Single Day’s Life Of One Who Is Wise And Meditative “. ( Dhammapada ; Chapter 111. ) “ “ Some Are Born In The Womb ( i.e. human abode ); The Evil Doers Are Born In The Hell ; The Well-Doing Go To Heaven ; The Undefiled Ones ( Arahantas ) Become Extinct ( i.e. pass away in to NABBANA ) “ ( Dhammapada ; Chapter 126. ) “ “ It Is Difficult To Be Born As A Man ; Hard Is The Life Of Morals ; Hard Is The Hearing Of The SUBLIME TRUTH; RARE Is The APPEARANCE OF THE AWAKENED ONES ( BUDDHAS.) “ ( Dhammapada ; Chapter 182. ) “When the mind runs after the wandering senses,
then it carries away one’s understanding, as the wind carries away a ship on the waters. Therefore the wisdom of him whose senses are withdrawn from the objects of the senses stands firm” -Bhagavad Gita In love, nothing exists between heart and heart. Speech is born out of longing, True description from the real taste. The one who tastes, knows; the one who explains, lies. How can you describe the true form of Something In whose presence you are blotted out? And in whose being you still exist? And who lives as a sign for your journey? ~Rabia al-Basri (Female Sufi Mystic)
The man of Tao acts without impediment,
He harms no other being by his actions, Yet he does not know himself to be kind and gentle. He does not struggle to make money And he does not make a virtue of poverty. He goes without relying on others, And does not pride himself on walking alone. The man of Tao remains unknown. Perfect virtue produces nothing. No Self is True Self. And the greatest man is nobody. ~ Chuang Tzu “Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don’t accept praise or gain or anything else. If you let go a little you a will have a little peace; if you let go a lot you will have a lot of peace; if you let go completely you will have complete peace.”
Without intending it
the flower attracts the butterfly Without intending it the butterfly seeks out the flower When the flower opens, the butterfly comes When the butterfly comes, the flower opens I'm the same I may not know other people And they may not know me But without knowing one another We naturally follow the universal law - Ryokan The words we use for the Creator are a reflect of ourselves. If we think of God as fear and shame, we are scared and have something to be ashamed of.. But if we see love, compassion and kindness, it is because we possess these qualities.
~ Shams Tabrizi With this new realization, Siddhartha bathed in the river Niranjana near Bodhagaya, in state of Bihar in Northern India. Determined Siddhartha, then, sat in meditation on a grass mat under a Banyan tree and practiced one-pointed focused meditation. He continued this practice until he attained bodhi (Enlightenment or Knowledge) at the age of 35. His inner heart radiated with the light of spiritual Knowledge (brahma-jnana). He realized the Truth and experienced Inner Peace (Shanti). This experience is known as "the Great Realization or Enlightenment" (Buddhahood). From that point on Siddhartha was known as Lord Buddha and Tathagata (literally, "thus gone like that"). Having attained Buddhahood, the all knowing state, Siddhartha Gautama spoke these words:
"I have run through a course of many births looking for the maker of this dwelling (body) and have not found him. Painful is birth again and again. Now you are seen, O Builder of the house (body), you will not build the house again. All your rafters are broken, your ridgepole is destroyed, the mind, set on the attainment of nirvana (enlightenment,) has attained the extinction of desires." (Dhammapada, Jaravaggo: 8-9) Lord Buddha explained that the word "Buddha" means to be filled with unbounded knowledge as vast as the infinite space. He further said, "I Gautama have attained this state and if you try wholeheartedly you also can attain this state." The Early Teachings of the Buddha After his great enlightenment (Nirvana), Siddhartha, now called the Buddha, proceeded to share the path to Nirvana with others. He gave his first sermon, "Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Law," in Rishi Pattam of Sarnath, near the city of Banaras in northeastern India. In response to this, five men became his disciples. During the remaining 45 years of his life he spread his message to all, from kings to poor alike, by traveling through neighboring states, such as Avadha, and Bihar. Most of his teaching took place in the state of Bihar and Ayodhya. In his first sermon, the Buddha taught: "Mendicants should avoid these two extremes: First, avoid sensual pleasures and second, refrain from pain-inflicting austerities. Avoiding these two extremes I have found the Middle Way. This path leads to knowledge and truth. Also this is the bestower of Peace (shanti)." Prasenajit, the king of Koshel kingdom, Bimbsara, the king of Magadha, and Ajatshatru accepted this message and became the disciples of Lord Buddha. The Buddha established a community of his mendicant disciples. He gave his congregation of mendicants this three-fold proclamation: "I take refuge in dharma; I take refuge in Buddha; I take refuge in Sangha (the community of monks)." In the time of the Buddha, Sanskrit was the established language of sacrament, therefore the word dharma is used; however, in later times, Pali and Prakrit became the languages of the common people and the Sanskrit word dharma became dhamma in the Pali language. In accord with Lord Mahavira of Jain dharma, Buddha was also a great proponent of non-violence. He was always eager to sacrifice his own life for the sake of protecting the life of other beings. He once said to a king: "If you think you will attain heaven by sacrificing some helpless animal, then you should be able to find the greater reward by sacrificing a human being. Oh, King! Cut the shackles of that animal, and free the animal! Instead, sacrifice me. I ask you, will it not be, that you will acquire a greater merit through human sacrifice?" The king was shocked. Many years had passed after Buddha had left Kapilvastu. His father, King, Shudhodhana, became anxious after not seeing or heard from his son for such a long time. He was eager to meet with him and sent many letters through various channels in order contact him. Finally, the king sent Buddha's childhood friend, Kalaudai, as an ambassador to carry a letter to him. When Kalaudai reached Buddha, he himself undertook the vow of a mendicant as a follower of Buddha and never returned to the king. After six months had passed, Kalaudai finally gave the letter to Buddha and told him the news of his father. The Compassionate Buddha and his entourage set out for Kapilvastu on the day of full moon in the month of March, which is considered an auspicious time to travel. The whole city of Kapilvastu was overjoyed by the return of the prince, who was now the great Buddha. After meeting with his ascetic son, the King became overwhelmed with emotions. He escorted his son to the palace along with his followers. All the townspeople came to see the great Buddha, but his wife Yashodhara could not gather the courage to see this sight — her husband as an ascetic. After persuasion by his father Buddha proceeded toward the inner quarters of the palace of Yashodhra. She came to meet him, and overwhelmed with emotions, fell at her Lord's feet. Lord Buddha soon left the palace and the kingdom of King Shudhodhana. As the time passed both Yashodhra and the King were initiated into the Dhamma (the Path) by the Buddha. The Buddha's step-brother Nanda was to be consecrated as the heir of the kingdom after the king Sudhodhana. But Nanda became deeply impressed by the sacred teachings of the Buddha, and in the middle of the celebrations of his consecration and wedding ceremony, he decided to be initiated by the Lord Buddha. That very day he chose the life of a mendicant, instead of that of a sovereign king. Yashodhra, gripped with love for her husband, desired that if Buddha would stay in Kapilvastu a little longer so that she would be able to see him more often. One day as Buddha turned back from the kingdom after begging for alms Yashodhra sent Rahul, her son, to see the Buddha, his father. Rahul uttered the words his mother had instructed and asked: "Dear father, give me my inheritance rights". In response, when the Buddha returned to his ashram he told his disciple Sariputra to give Rahul the honor of renunciation. Thus at a very young age, Rahul became a renunciate and a part of the community. The King was very distraught when he heard about this. At that time there was a sanyasi (renunciate) named Sanjaya who was residing with his disciples in Rajgraha. Two of his disciples were Sariputra and Modgalyayna, both sincere students who were always engaged in spiritual practices. When they heard about the essential truths and knowledge taught by the Buddha, they quickly became his disciples. Buddha proclaimed: "These two will be my chief and most trusted disciples." In time the Buddha's words came true. Devadatta and Ananda, cousins of the Buddha, also became his disciples. At the age of sixty the Buddha appointed Ananda as his chief attendant. Ananda remained in Lord Buddha's service wholeheartedly until Buddha's passing away from this material world. Towards the Setting Sun (End of Buddha's Life) Buddha continued to teach the path to ultimate freedom which is achieved by following the truth, practicing nonviolence, and maintaining purity of conduct. He gave understanding to people with regard to purity of the self and the Inner Light. In 483 B.C.E., at the age of 80, while in Kushinagar (in the Gorakhpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh), the Buddha left his physical body and attained Mahparanirvana (Great Freedom). In the last moments of his life he gave final words to his disciples: "O Mendicants! Be a lamp to thyself and take refuge in yourself Be your own support and make Dharma (the path of the Buddha) your lamp, taking refuge in it." Doctrines of Buddhism When we look at the fundamental doctrines of Buddhism we can see that they were derived from the prevailing Sankhya darshana (Sakhya Philosophy) and the latter Upanishads. This is validated by the reference from Lokamanaya Balgangadar Tilak, a religious leader and great scholar of Indian philosophy: "This has been established indisputably that just as Jain Dharma, so also Buddha Dharma is a son of the Vedic Dharma. As a son, after taking his inheritance from his father follows his individual path, in the same way the Buddha Dharma separated from the Vedic Dharma. In other words, Buddhism is not a stranger or foreign to Vedic Dharma. Moreover, it is a branch arising out of the prevalent Brahman-Dharma." The essentials of the teachings of Buddha Dharma are understanding the nature of the self and the purity in action, conduct, and thought. The Buddha declares: "Abandonment of all evil deeds and sins, accumulation of all meritorious deeds, and purification of the mind and conduct is the discipline of Buddha." The Buddha emphasized that the middle path is the most desirable path. To have pure conduct one must avoid both of the extreme paths: intense austerities and sensual pleasures. The Buddha condemned violent acts such as animal sacrifices. He also protested against needless rituals, the self-claimed superiority of the pundits (priest class) and brahmins, and the inequity of the caste system. He advocated a path that was pure, simple and based on the principles of moral conduct. The Buddha taught that by treading this path people can attain freedom and go beyond the cycle of birth and death (samsara). Lord Buddha and his Path of Four Noble Truths 1. In this world there is suffering. 2. This suffering has a cause. 3. There is a way (cure) to become free from suffering. 4. The Eight-fold path is prescribed to attain freedom. In order to escape the cycle of death and birth and the suffering of the world a person should follow the Eight fold path. This Eightfold path is as follows: 1. Right view 2. Right intent 3. Right speech 4. Right conduct 5. Right livelihood 6. Right effort 7. Right vigilance (Mindfulness) 8. Right Samadhi (Concentration) The Essence of Buddha's Teaching is as Follows: 1. Do not criticize others. Do not speak ill of others. 2. Do not commit any kind of violence. 3. Control yourself by choosing right moral conduct. 4. Eat in moderation. 5. Live in solitude. 6. Yoke the mind to meditation (Yoga). - Swami SantSevi Ji Maharaj you must rise above
the gloomy clouds covering the mountaintop otherwise, how will you ever see the brightness? ~ Ryokan People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes. All is a miracle. - Thich Nhat Hanh
If you bake bread with the wheat that grows on my grave
you'll become drunk with joy and even the oven will recite ecstatic poems. If you come to pay your respects even my gravestone will invite you to dance so don't come without your drum. Don't be sad. You have come to Gods feast. Even death cannot stop my yearning for the sweet kiss of my love. Tear my shroud and wear it as a shirt, the door will open and you'll hear the music of your soul fill the air. I am created from the ecstasy of love and when I die, my essence will be released like the scent of crushed rose petals. My soul wants to leap and join the towering soul of Shams. -Rumi |
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