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Words Of Wisdom {Page Twenty}
There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. ~John Andrew Holmes~
If you desire to attain enlightenment, you should steadily walk the Way with a resolute heart, with courage, and be fearless in whatever environment you many happen to be. Destroy every evil influence that you may come across; for thus you shall reach the goal. ~Sutra of Forty Two Chapters~
We gossip about others because we are not sufficiently interested in the process of our own thinking and our own action. ~J. Krishnamurti~
If a man be gracious to strangers, it shows that he is a citizen of the world, and his heart is no island, cut off from other islands, but a continent that joins them. ~Francis Bacon~
People cling to their worldly possessions and selfish passions so blindly as to sacrifice their own lives for them. They are like a child who tries to eat a little honey smeared on the edge of a knife. The amount is by no means sufficient to appease his appetite, and he runs the risk of wounding his tongue. ~Sutra of Forty Two Chapters~
Your actions in life set your course and determine the destination of your travels. Your reactions in life create the climate in which you travel. ~Beth Johnson~
Love of leisure is as natural as morning sun. I accept the fruits born of my past. Today, I amble through the lacquer-tree garden And return to the joy Chuang Tze felt.
The ancient sage was no proud official. He avoided the warp and weave of the world And held only a trifling position, casually regarded, Like an old person sauntering among twigs of trees. ~Wang Wei~
Pain is inevitable, suffering is not. ~Bhante Henepola Gunaratana~
Since ancient times, spiritual masters of all traditions have pointed to the Now as the key to the spiritual dimension. ~Eckhart Tolle~
Those who are following the Way should behave like a piece of timber which is drifting along a stream. If the log is neither held by the banks, nor seized by people, nor obstructed by gods, nor kept in the whirlpool, nor itself goes to decay, I assure you that this log will finally reach the ocean. If monks walking on the Way are neither tempted by the passions, nor led astray by some evil influences, but steadily pursue their course for Nirvana, I assure you that these monks will finally attain enlightenment. ~Sutra of Forty Two Chapters~
Passions grow from the will The will grows from thought and imagination: When both are calmed, There is neither sensualism nor transmigration. ~Sutra of Forty Two Chapters~
The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality. ~John Quincy Adams~
A man named Liu Shiyu asked Yangshan, 'May I hear the principle of attaining mind?' Yangshan said, 'If you want to attain mind, then there's no mind that can be attained. It is this unattainable mind that is known as truth.' ~Zen's Chinese Heritage~
People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within. ~Elizabeth Kubler-Ross~
While meditating I sit quietly and rest in the nature of mind; I don't question or doubt whether I am in the "correct" state or not. There is no effort, only rich understanding, wakefulness, and unshakable certainty. When I am in the nature of mind, the ordinary mind is no longer there. There is no need to sustain or confirm a sense of being: I simply am. ~Sogyal Rinpoche~
From the passions arise worry, And from worry arises fear. Away with the passions, and no fear, No worry.
~Sutra of Forty Two Chapters~
There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. ~Hindu proverb~
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~Carl Bard~
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. ~Carl Jung~
We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we could know how seldom they do. ~Olin Miller~
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. ~Buddha~
Virtue means doing the right thing, in relation to the right person, at the right time, to the right extent, in the right manner, and for the right purpose. Thus, to give money away is quite a simple task, but for the act to be virtuous, the donor must give to the right person, for the right purpose, in the right amount, in the right manner, and at the right time. ~Aristotle~
We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we could know how seldom they do. ~Olin Miller~
When mind and Buddha are both observed, that is seeing; when mind and Buddha are both forgotten, that is stopping. Once concentration and insight are balanced, what mind is not Buddha, what Buddha not mind? Mind and Buddha being thus, then myriad situations, myriad conditions, are all meditation. ~Ts'ao-t'ang~
Who would have expected that the Self nature is fundamentally Complete in itself? Who would have expected that the Self nature is fundamentally Immutable? Who would have expected that the Self nature can create all things? ~Altar Sutra~
I have found that the greatest help in meeting any problem with decency and self-respect and whatever courage is demanded, is to know where you yourself stand. That is, to have in words what you believe and are acting from.
~William Faulkner~
The Self cannot be pierced by weapons or burned by fire; water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it. The Self cannot be pierced or burned, made wet or dry. It is everlasting and infinite, standing on the motionless foundations of eternity. The Self is unmanifested, beyond all thought, beyond all change. Knowing this, you should not grieve. ~Bhagavad Gita~
Beauty, truth, friendship, love, creation � these are the great values of life. We can't prove them, or explain them, yet they are the most stable things in our lives. ~Jesse Herman Holmes~
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet. ~James Oppenheim~
Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him. ~Epictetus~
When something seems wrong in your life, the only way to have resolution with it is to let it go. Trying to make it right keeps it wrong. ~Beth Johnson~
When your original reason For studying Zen is not right, You wind up having labored Without accomplishment. This is why ancients used To urge people to study Zen As if they were on the brink of death. ~Yuan wu~
Just let things be in their own way and there will be neither coming nor going. Obey the nature of things (your own nature), and you will walk freely and undisturbed. ~Sosan~
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault~
Our original mind includes everything within itself. It is always rich and sufficient within itself. You should not lose your self- sufficient state of mind. This does not mean a closed mind, but actually an empty mind and a ready mind. If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few. ~Shunryu Suzuki~
I think laughter may be a form of courage. As humans we sometimes stand tall and look into the sun and laugh, and I think we are never more brave than when we do that.
~Linda Ellerbee~
Over the course of centuries, Zen has branched out into different schools With individual methods, But the purpose is still the same- To point directly to the human mind. ~Yuan wu~
If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances. ~Julia Sorel~
The spiritual path is breaking that shell and unfolding that heart.�
To love truly is not to love others more, or to love yourself more, or even to love God more, but to love Life more ~ to love the life of the heart, more than the life of the shell~�
The greatest act of love is to do what you dare not do, to say what you dare not say, to think what you dare not think, to feel what you dare not feel.�
The greatest act of wisdom is to live without easy answers, or even without answers at all, in order to live with more heart. ~Anitra L. Freeman~
The more you know yourself, the more clarity there is. Self-knowledge has no end - you don't come to an achievement, you don't come to a conclusion. It is an endless river. ~J. Krishnamurti~
Mahaprajnaparamita is a Sanskrit Word which means "the great Wisdom which enables one to reach The other shore." This should Be performed by the mind and has Nothing to do with verbal Repetition. Verbal repetition without using The mind is like an illusion, A transformation, dew and Lightning; but verbal repetition Coupled with use of the mind, Will ensure a union of mind and mouth. ~Altar Sutra~
Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. ~Marcel Morin~
There is no greater mystery than this, that we keep seeking reality though in fact we are reality. We think that there is something hiding our reality and that it must be destroyed before reality is gained. How ridiculous! A day will dawn when you will laugh at all your past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now. ~Ramana Maharshi~
Enlightenment is a rare combination of innocence and intelligence, having words for expression and, at the same time, being very silent. In that state, the mind is fully in the present moment. Whatever is necessary is revealed to you in such a natural and spontaneous way, you just sit and the song of the nature flows through you. ~Sri Sri Ravishankar~
Zen requires opening the mind And losing all false cognition And false views. When nothing hangs on your mind And you have passed through clearly, Then you are ready for refinement. ~Yuan wu~
This universe, which is the same for all, has not been made by any God or man, but it has always been, is, and will be - an ever living fire, kindling itself by regular measures and going out by regular measures. The phases of fire are craving and satiety. The sun is new each day. ~Heraclitus~
What does Maha mean? Maha means great. The capacity of the mind Is broad and great, like space; It has no boundaries; It is neither square nor round Neither great nor small; Neither blue nor yellow; Neither long nor short; Neither anger nor joy; Neither right nor wrong; It has neither head nor tail. All Buddha lands are like space. The wondrous nature of all is Fundamentally void and does Not contain a single thing. ~Altar Sutra~
To be yourself gives you all that you need to feel fulfilled, all that can make your life meaningful, significant. Just being yourself and growing according to your nature will bring the fulfillment of your destiny. ~Osho~
When a buddha appears in the world And expounds various teachings According to people's inclinations, All of the teachings are expedients, Just for the purpose of breaking through Obsessions, doubts, intellectual interpretations, And egocentric ideas. If there were no such false consciousness And false views, there would be no need For buddhas to appear And expound so many teachings. ~Yuan wu~
Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don't know how to laugh either. ~Golda Meir~
Be always honest and clear with whatever/whoever you face in your life. By expressing yourself simply and clearly whenever needed the mirror of your being will always remain clean. Dusting off our being is a daily meditation. ~Nhasti~
It is proper to doubt. Do not be led by holy scriptures, or by mere logic or inference, or by appearances, or by the authority of religious leaders. But when you realize that something is unwholesome an bad for you, give it up. And when you realize that something is wholesome and good for you, do it. ~Buddha~
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. ~English proverb~
In those who attain Zen, mental machinations disappear, vision and action are forgotten, and there are no subjective views. Zen adepts just remain free, and are imperceptible to anyone, either would-be supporters or would-be antagonists. They walk on the bottom of the deepest ocean, uncontaminated, with free minds, acting normally, indistinguishable from the average person. ~Yuan wu~
Through spirit I see that all are suspended, Through spirit I know that all are conveyed, Flesh suspended by soul, Soul depending on air, Air suspended from atmosphere. From the depth come crops, From the womb comes a child.
Valentinos
(as quoted by Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies)
"What you think upon grows. Whatever you allow to occupy your mind you magnify in your life. Whether the subject of your thought be good or bad, the law works and the condition grows. Any subject that you keep out of your mind tends to diminish in your life, because what you do not use atrophies. The more you think of grievances, the more such trials you will continue to receive; the more you think of the good fortune you have had, the more good fortune will come to you." ~Emmet Fox~
Meditation is just being delighted in your own presence; meditation is a delight in your own being. ~Osho~
The voidness of the universe Is capable of containing all Things of various forms and shapes, Such as the sun, moon, stars, Mountains, rivers, the great earth, Springs, streams, mountain torrents, Plants, trees and woods, Good and bad people, Good and bad things, Heavens and hells, All the great oceans. All these are in the void. The voidness of worldly people Is also like it. ~Altar Sutra~
Our problems, both those we experience externally such as wars, crime and violence and those we experience internally as emotional and psychological suffering will not be solved until we address this underlying neglect of our inner dimension. That is why the great movements of the last hundred years and more--democracy, liberalism, socialism, and Communism--have all failed to deliver the universal benefits they were supposed to provide, despite many wonderful ideas. A revolution is called for, certainly, but not a political, an economic, or a technical revolution. We have had enough experience of these during the past century to know that a purely external approach will not suffice. What I propose is a spiritual revolution.
~The Dalai Lama~
It is not the worship of a person that is crucial, but the steadiness and depth of your devotion to the task. Life itself is the Supreme Guru; be attentive to its lessons and obedient to its commands. When you personalize their source, you have an outer Guru; when you take them from life directly, the Guru is within. ~Nisargadatta Maharaj~
Though they liberate their minds directly and develop to this state, they still are unwilling to dwell there. They sense the slightest thing as mountainous; anything that seems to cause obstruction they immediately push away. ~Yuan wu~
Your true nature is not lost in moments of delusion, nor is it gained at the moment of enlightenment. It was never born and can never die. It shines through the whole universe, filling emptiness, one with emptiness. It is without time or space, and has no passions, no people, and no buddhas; it contains not the smallest hairbreadth of anything that exists objectively; it depends on nothing and is attached to nothing. It is all-pervading, radiant beauty: absolute reality, self-existent and uncreated. How then can you doubt that the Buddha has no mouth to speak with and nothing to teach, or that the truth is learned without learning, for who is there to learn? It is a jewel beyond all price. ~Huang-po~
It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test. ~Elbert Hubbard~
A man approached the Blessed One and wanted to have all his philosophical questions answered before he would practice.
In response, the Buddha said, "It is as if a man had been wounded by a poisoned arrow and when attended to by a physician were to say, 'I will not allow you to remove this arrow until I have learned the caste, the age, the occupation, the birthplace, and the motivation of the person who wounded me.' That man would die before having learned all this. In exactly the same way, anyone who should say, 'I will not follow the teaching of the Blessed One until the Blessed One has explained all the multiform truths of the world'-that person would die before the Buddha had explained all this."
~From the Majjhima Nikaya~
Meditation is something that is not contrived, organized. Meditation IS. It begins with the first step, which is to be free of all your psychological hurts, accumulated fears, anxiety, loneliness, despair, sorrow. That is the foundation, that is the first step, and the first step is the last step. ~J. Krishnamurti~
Study the living word of Zen, not the dead word. When you attain understanding of the living word, you never forget it. When you attain understanding of the dead word, you can't even save yourself. ~Yuan wu~
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