All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.
All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?
He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.
It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.
No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.
All quotes from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quo…
I am not truly a Buddhist. But I believe that, more than any other spiritual leader, Siddhartha Gautama understood the roots of suffering, and of conflict, and offered a path to enlightenment that is attainable by anyone of any religion who chooses to follow his teachings. It is not an easy path to follow. It involves a lot of self-work: meditation on one’s own deepest bad impulses and conscious striving to overcome those impulses, combined with compassion for the suffering of those who would hurt you, whether verbally or physically.
I consider it the most difficult religion to follow, especially for those who come from Judeo/Christian/Islamic traditions, where the ego is emphasized, and “an eye for an eye” is still being practiced gleefully.
I think that anger and hatred actually cause more harm to us than to the person responsible for our problem.
Imagine that your neighbor hates you and is always creating problems for you. If you lose your temper and develop hatred toward him, your digestion is harmed, your sound sleep goes, and you have to start to use tranquilizers and sleeping pills…. Then your neighbor is really happy. Without having inflicted any physical harm, he has fulfilled his wish!
If, in spite of his injustices, you remain calm, happy, and peaceful, your health remains strong, you continue to be joyful, and more friends come visit you. Your life becomes more successful….You must not consider tolerance and patience to be signs of weakness. I consider them signs of strength.
When we are faced with an enemy, a person or group of people wishing us harm, we can view this as an opportunity to develop patience and tolerance. We need these qualities; they are useful to us. And the only occasion we have to develop them is when we are challenged by an enemy. So, from this point of view, our enemy is our guru, our teacher. Irrespective of their motivation, from our point of view enemies are very beneficial, a blessing.
–The Dalai Lama, An Open Heart
Nonattachment, equanimity in the face of adversity, compassion for all beings: these are extremely difficult to develop. Nevertheless, they are attributes worth striving to attain. IMHO.
Peace.
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This is a very difficult time for us all. Meditation works wonders. So does contemplation.
…for these words of wisdom. …and peace.
If we skip the part where we say what we are willing to say and then decide we are no longer going to be held accountable for anything beyond that, the circle is broken and straight up bullshit becomes the answer.
I would ask all of us to take the time to reflect, put together the words that best represent us as individuals and place those words into the record.
Disappointment for the receiver of a message is when the question they asked is ignored, talked around, or simply dismissed by those that could or DO reply.
Thank you, Youffraita. I hope I added to your message, and if not….
Just tell me to eat a rock! 😉
Thanks for posting them Youffraita. Peace back at ya.
It happens to all of us. It comes in a flash and needs to go by just as fast. Recognize it and let it go. Resentment is an anger that’s held on to. It’s not allowed to pass quickly. It’s retained. Resentment – to re-feel – needs nurturing. If a resentment goes untended for too long it becomes forgotten. If it gets remembered it needs to be rekindled to a “healthy” state. Resentments are akin to insects caught in amber. The anger gets trapped and held and the resin/resentment hardens around it. Polish it now and then to keep it bright. Put it on the mantle and take it down now and then to re-feel the anger that gave it life.
Or just learn that anger happens and it can leave as quickly as it comes. Let it go. Life is too short to spend any time on nurturing resentments. What a waste!
but I wanted to tell you I stopped by here a couple times today when I needed a break. Thanks for your center of calm Youffraita.
Peace.
home of the Emerald Buddha. This is in Vientiane, Laos.
with a note on karma:
Buddhism teaches the very simple truths that most of our suffering comes from our own actions as we struggle against the reality of our own nature and environment and that the consequences of what we do, good and bad, come back to us.
In Buddhism the equivalent word for a sin is a demerit. The net sum of your good deeds and bad deeds is your karma. When you die, as long as your karma nets out merit side, then in your next life you will end up a little higher on the “food chain” so to speak. So in Buddhism there are no consequences for a single “deed”. All that matters are the sum of your deeds. That is your karma. While still living, good karma will bring you luck and bad karma will bring you bad luck. In Thai Buddhism, going to the temple or giving money to your parents are serious merit-earning deeds.
and from a few hundred miles to the east, in Viet Nam, comes this – found in the closing verses of
A Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du (1765 – 1820)
as translated by Huyen Sanh Thong
In the West we say – I’ve changed my mind.
In the East we say – I’ve had a change of heart.
An exremely gracious way to start the morning.
Be well, and be at peace.
in Kyoto.
Navigate around the site. If any of you (Mishima?) ever get to Kyoto, let me know and I’ll get you there (it’s pretty easy to find, a block off on Shirakawa-dori). If I happen to be in Japan at the time, I’d be honored to visit along with you.
Mu . . .