é™æ€è¯ Readings For Silent Reflection
-
-
The truth of the nature of mind and body is impermanent, suffering and uncontrolled.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the heart is contented, one should maintain that contentment. -
Accepting karma
With joy and an open mind, we should accept the scripts we have written for ourselves.
Buddha emphasized the core Law of Kamma: Moral Efficacy of any Action!
He said: Kamma should be known and understood:
The cause by which kamma comes into play should be known.
The diversity in kamma should be known.
The result of kamma should be known.
The ending of kamma should be known.
The way of practice for the ending of kamma should be known.
Thus it has been said. In reference to what was it said?
Intention, I tell you, is kamma.
Intending, one makes kamma by way of body, speech, and mind.
And what is the cause by which kamma comes into play?
Contact is the cause by which kamma comes into play.
And what is the diversity in kamma?
There is kamma to be experienced in hell,
kamma to be experienced in the realm of the various animals,
kamma to be experienced in the realm of the hungry ghosts,
kamma to be experienced in this human world,
kamma to be experienced in the world of the divine devas.
This is called the diversity in kamma. -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The auspiciousness of the mind is the most important.
If one's mind is inauspicious ... even though one has many sacred objects, they are meaningless.
The most auspiciousness of the mind is to be mindful of Buddhas and Pusas at all times. -
-
å�ƒç´ ä¸�怕沒有力氣，最有力的大åƒ�也å�ƒç´ 的。
You may afraid that being vegetarian will not have enough strength.
Don't worry, the strongest animal (elephants) is also vegetarian. -
Be mindful of how you spend your time.
Don't waste it interacting with people that criticize you.
Just improve yourself.
Spend your time wisely in cultivating and practicing the Dharma. -
-
Even if you lack all faith, simply to seat yourself before a [Buddha] image, hold a rosary [prayer beads] and take up a sutra book is to perform a virtuous act, however perfunctory; even seated on your meditation chair [or cushion] with distracted mind, you will sink into meditation before you know it. Phenomena and their inner essence are intrinsically one. If outward actions conform, inner realization will naturally follow. Do not decry a lack of faith – such [so-called by some] ‘empty gestures’ in fact deserve our reverence.
-Stonepeace
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are always our worst enemies,
by giving in to our inner enmity,
while our outer ‘enemies’
only ‘help’ to remind us of this.
– Stonepeace | Books
There was a priest with a very hot temper.
As a hackberry tree grew beside his hut,
others called him ‘the hackberry priest’.
Much offended by this, he cut the tree down.
As the stump was left,
others called him ‘the stump priest’.
Much more offended by this, he dug the stump out.
As a large hole that filled with water was left,
others called him ‘the ditch priest‘…
The tree, stump, ditch and others
were never really at fault,
just being the way they were.
Seeing irritation as external,
he can never find or eradicate it,
as it originates from his temper.
The more he externalises the problem,
the more he feeds his temper,
the more frustrated he becomes.
[The hackberry anecdote was recorded in ‘Essays In Idleness’
(Tsurezuregusa: 徒然�: Scribbles In Vain) by Yoshida Kenko]
We are always our best friends,
by growing more of our inner loving-kindness,
while our outer friends
only help to remind us of this. -
-
-
-
-
Karma is not fatalistic or predetermined. Karma means our ability to create and to change. It is creative because we can determine how and why we act. We can change. The future is in our hands, and in the hands of our heart.
-
-
A friend of mine was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew nearer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean.
As my friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had washed up on the beach, and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the water.
My friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said. "Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing."
"I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it's low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they'll die up here from lack of oxygen."
"I understand," my friend replied, "but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don't you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?"
The local native smiled, bent down and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, "Made a difference to that one!" -
-
