Topic: Buddhist sayings

[Firestarter]

Wow!  Maybe he was a closet Buddhist? 

I dont know. Some have tried to say Einsten was an atheist, but I dont think thats the case. He had a jewish heritage from what I remember. I think he was just a brilliant scientific man who didnt buy into the hype of gods and devils and stupid things. He dealt with facts and theories moreso than that, and he saw that Buddhism was about the same things. Like even the Dalai Lama likes to read a lot of scientific books and study what he can on them. and another thing was in a documentary on him, he likes to take things apart, like computers and clocks to see how they work. Anyway, it would be interesting to know 'more' why Einstein felt that way, he never really elaborated entirely his reasons cause maybe it was more personal for him. Maybe thats really the best way to go, spirituality should be personal, and also, perhaps he spoke very little on it to not influence others too strongly on what may have been 'right and wrong' per a religion, too.

[erik]

Once, two monks from two monasteries met and discussed how their paths were progressing. One monk said that their monastery had mastered a skill of writing Buddha's name in the sky. The other monk said that that was a truly magnificent accomplishment and that in their monastery they had only learned to eat when they wanted to and sleep when they wanted to.

[Firestarter]

Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much
as your own unguarded thoughts.


~Buddha

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Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.

~Sutta Nipata

[Firestarter]

Do not pursue the past.
Do not lose yourself in the future.
The past no longer is.
The future has not yet come.
Looking deeply at life as it is.
In the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom.
We must be diligent today.
To wait until tomorrow is too late.
Death comes unexpectedly.
How can we bargain with it?
The sage calls a person who knows how to dwell in mindfulness night and day,
'one who knows the better way to live alone.'

~Bhaddekaratta Sutta

[Firestarter]

If we are not empty, we become a block of matter.
We cannot breathe, we cannot think.
To be empty means to be alive, to breathe in and to breathe out.
We cannot be alive if we are not empty.
Emptiness is impermanence, it is change.
We should not complain about impermanence,
because without impermanence, nothing is possible.

~Thich Nhat Hanh 

 

[erik]

Death, impermanence, things that go wrong, laughter, colour, autumn leaves, light sparkling in puddles, cars breaking down, relationships ending, falling in love - all are the play of existence, the movement and change that is reality. It is only experienced as unsatisfactory when we try to stop movement and change, or see movement and change as painful. Once we have a real understanding of the cause of our experience of samsara as unsatisfactory, we can engage with it in a light-hearted manner. We play with our life experience, rather than feeling like a victim of our circumstances.

[Firestarter]

"All mankind is His shrine
Seek Him hence forward in the good and wise
In happy thoughts and blissful emotions,
In kind words and sublime serenity.
And in the rapture of the living deed,
There seek Him if you would not seek in vain,
There is the struggle for justice and right,
In the sacrifice of self for all
In the joy and calm repose of the heart,
Yes, and for ever in the human mind ;
Made better, and more beauteuns by this work."

[Firestarter]

October 5, 2009
Setting the Tone
Starting Your Day Well
The choices you make upon waking can have a profound impact on your day. If, still drowsy, you hit the ground running, rushing to prepare yourself to face your worldly obligations, you will likely feel fatigued and overwhelmed for most of your day. A leisurely and relaxing morning, on the other hand, can energize and excite you, as well as give you the courage to meet the challenges waiting for you. By beginning your day in a focused and centered fashion, you make it your own. You set the tone of your expectations and choose the mood you will use to respond to your circumstances. A gentle, reflective, and thoughtful morning will prepare you to create a gentle, conscious, and thoughtful day.

The simplest way to eliminate the rush from your morning routine is to rise earlier. Getting children into routines and getting themselves ready as much as possible will also give you more time. Though this may seem like a hardship at first, you will soon grow to love the extra minutes or hours that afford you an opportunity to really enjoy watching the sun come up or connect with your loved ones before you go in your separate directions. There are many more ways you can constructively use the time you gain. A mere half-hour of introspection in which you examine your goals, thank the universe for the richness in your life, and contemplate the blessings you will receive this day can lift your spirit and help you formulate lasting positive expectations. Likewise, you can solidify your day’s intention through spoken affirmations or the words you record in a journal. Or, if you want little more than to enjoy your day, devote a portion of your personal time to activities that bot! h ground and delight you, such as meditation, yoga, chanting, singing, reading, or listening to music. If you feel, however, that there is little room for change in your start-of-the- day routine, try to make each activity you engage in upon waking a ritual in its own right. The time you spend everyday savoring a soothing cup of tea or washing away tension in a hot shower can serve as a potent reminder of the need to care for yourself no matter what the hour.

Your morning is yours and should reflect not only your practical needs but also the needs of your soul. When you center yourself at the start of your day, you will likely find it easier to remain centered during subsequent work, play, and downtime because the overall sense of serenity you create through your choices will stay with you throughout the day.


~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~

By the Daily Om.

[Firestarter]

October 7, 2009
Divergent Directions
Coping with People You Dislike

As much as most of us wish we could exist in harmony with the people we encounter throughout our lives, there will always be individuals we dislike. Some simply rub us the wrong way while others strike us as deliberately unaware. We may judge others as too mean or abrasive for us to interact with them comfortably. Yet no person should be deemed a villain because their beliefs, opinions, mannerisms, and mode of being are not compatible with your own. You need not embrace the rough traits they have chosen to embody. There may be times in which the best course of action involves distancing yourself from someone you dislike. But circumstances may require that you spend time in the company of individuals who awaken your aversion. In such cases, you can ease your discomfort by showing your foe loving compassion while examining your feelings carefully.

The reasons we dislike some individuals are often complex and, at first, indecipherable. Often, we are automatically averse to people who are different because they compel us to question our values, spirituality, culture, and ideologies, threatening to undermine our self-assurance. Realistically, however, those you dislike have no power to weaken your life’s foundations. In fact, your aversion to specific individuals may actually be your response to your fear that specific qualities you see in them also exist within you. Their presence may force you to face internal issues you would rather not confront. If you meet someone who inspired an intense, largely negative response in you, ask yourself why your reaction is so laden with powerful emotions. Remember that you control your feelings and, if necessary, you can minimize this individual’s impact on your well-being by choosing how you will respond to them.

Though you may not have an immediate breakthrough, your willingness to consider your dislike rationally can help you better understand the root of your feelings. Your aversion to certain individuals may not wane over time, yet the comprehension you gain through reflection can help you interact with them sympathetically, benevolently, and with a greater degree of kindness. There is nothing wrong with recognizing that you are incompatible with some people. You may never achieve a shared harmony with those you dislike, but you can nonetheless learn to modulate your reactions to these individuals and, ultimately, to coexist peacefully with them.

[Firestarter]

[Firestarter]

I havent done these in awhile, so im gonna do a stream of buddhist sayings from a book I have of daily reflections. Good for the soul.

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For whatever a man thinks about continually, to that his mind becomes inclined by force of habit.

[Firestarter]

Who passion and hate and
ignorance have left,
him they call one who has made
the self become.
who is Brahma-become
truth finder,
an awakened one, who's passed by
fear and dread,
one who has abandoned
everything.

[Firestarter]

As a mountain peak is inaccessible,
so is nirvana inaccessible to all
passions. As no seed can grow on a
mountain peak, so the seeds of all
the passions cannot grow in nirvana.

[Firestarter]

It is not death; it is not life I cherish.
I bide my time, a servant waiting for
his wage. It is not death; it is not life
I cherish. I bide my time in
mindfulness and wisdom steeped.