Buddha said that we should be a lamp unto ourselves. In other words, listen to advice but make up your own mind. Only you can walk the path. The teacher cannot walk it for you or know precisely what you need to make it a successful journey.
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Contemplating the clear moon
Reflecting a mind empty as [...]
The best kind of happiness is the one that comes from kindness and generosity. In order to receive inner peace, we must give. Those that are not generous are miserly in terms of inner joy.
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All beings by nature are Buddha,
as ice by nature is water;
apart from water there is no ice,
apart from beings no Buddha.
- [...]
It can be most difficult to eliminate the superficial and worldly cravings and attachments we have forged throughout the years. That is why diligent practice and study is needed to keep reinforcing the wise new behaviors we seek to embrace.
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The whole purpose of religion
is to facilitate love and compassion, patience,
tolerance, humility, forgiveness.
The Dalai Lama
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The [...]
You do not need another book, another sage, another place to meditate in peace, or another trinket to gather dust. You have enough already. Seek within to discover what brings true peace.
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On life’s journey
Faith is nourishment,
Virtuous deeds are a shelter,
Wisdom is the light by day and
Right mindfulness is the protection by night.
If a man [...]
Try as you might, things will always change. That is the Way of things. You can either go with it or run from it. Even if you try to run from it, there is nowhere to go. You cannot escape it. It is the only constant. If one understands and accepts this teaching, the path [...]
What do things like society and religion try to do? They are trying to control your mind and thus your life. They wish to tell you what to think, what to do, how you should act. Often, we find ourselves at odds with their ideas. We feel pressured to conform. Know that instead of conforming, [...]
In order to have wisdom, we must rid ourselves of all self-serving tendencies and characteristics. Prior perceptions, or impressions that fostered a materialistic and sensual based lifestyle must be forsaken.
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We pray for our life of tomorrow,
Ephemeral life though it be;
This is the habit of our mind
That passed away yesterday.
- Ikkyu
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Meditation is not about going off [...]
Withdraw attention from the externals. Cultivate meditative contemplation and peace within. Peace is not found in the outside world, but from within.
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Earth, mountains, rivers – hidden in this nothingness.
In this nothingness – earth, mountains, rivers revealed.
Spring flowers, winter snows:
There’s no being or non-being, nor denial itself.
- Saisho (circa 1490)
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Why should we meditate? Meditation calms [...]
Those who seek fame and fortune lack self assuredness. There is no mountain greater than another. It is all illusion. The body is made up of bones, blood, flesh. We are all the same in that regard. What the mind is made up of it entirely up to us. We can believe ourselves to be [...]
Pleasures that result from a sensual nature can lead to suffering because they have a beginning and an ending. The wise refrain from chasing after them, instead seeking pleasure and peace within.
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Why is it? Because:
All phenomena are like a dream, an illusion,
a bubble, a shadow,
like dew and lightning.
Thus should you meditate on them.
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The Diamond [...]