Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
-Corrie ten Boom
***
God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.
-Izaak Walton
***
If given with love, a handful is sufficient.
-Telugu proverb
***
There is a key for everything, and the key to Paradise is to love the poor.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Ibn Umar
***
A head of gray hairs
Doesn't mean one's an elder.
Advanced in years,
One's called an old fool.
But one in whom there is
Truth, restraint,
Rectitude, gentleness,
Self-control--
He's called an elder,
His impurities disgorged,
Enlightened.
-Dhammpada, 19, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Quote
The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'
-Billy Graham
***
The more a man knows, the more he forgives.
-Confucius
***
Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.
-Mohandas Gandhi
***
Consider the way for ordinary people. They should believe in the unity of God. They should expel from their minds all ideas of other gods, or other beings which are similar to God; they should know that God has no equals. Yet equally they should realize there are spiritual forces which are opposed to God. They should trust God, and fear all that are opposed to him.
-Junayd, “Tawhid”
***
If we single-pointedly practice great compassion, then, with little effort, we will be able to gain all other virtues.
-Geshe Namgyal Wangchen, "Awakening the Mind"
***
-Billy Graham
***
The more a man knows, the more he forgives.
-Confucius
***
Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.
-Mohandas Gandhi
***
Consider the way for ordinary people. They should believe in the unity of God. They should expel from their minds all ideas of other gods, or other beings which are similar to God; they should know that God has no equals. Yet equally they should realize there are spiritual forces which are opposed to God. They should trust God, and fear all that are opposed to him.
-Junayd, “Tawhid”
***
If we single-pointedly practice great compassion, then, with little effort, we will be able to gain all other virtues.
-Geshe Namgyal Wangchen, "Awakening the Mind"
***
[G]iving shelter or food to anyone who asks for it, or needs it, is giving it to Christ.
-Dorothy Day
***
Now I have given up
The body and the world,
I have a special gift.
I see the infinite Self.
As a wave,
Seething and foaming,
Is only water.
So all creation, Streaming out of the Self,
Is only the Self.
-Ashtavakra Gita
***
Peace be with you, for you persevered steadfastly. How blessed is the final abode.
-Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd, Surah 13:24
***
-Dorothy Day
***
Now I have given up
The body and the world,
I have a special gift.
I see the infinite Self.
As a wave,
Seething and foaming,
Is only water.
So all creation, Streaming out of the Self,
Is only the Self.
-Ashtavakra Gita
***
Peace be with you, for you persevered steadfastly. How blessed is the final abode.
-Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd, Surah 13:24
***
Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.
-Mark 14:36 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Be your own hero, it's cheaper than a movie ticket.
-Doug Horton
***
Sri Krishna: With your mind intent on me, Arjuna, discipline yourself with the practice of yoga. Depend on me completely. Listen, and I will dispel all your doubts; you will come to know me fully and be united with me.
I will give you both jnana and vijnana. When both these are realized, there is nothing more you need to know.
-Bhaghavad Gita 7:1-2
Excerpted from The Bhagavad
***
How transcendent and immaculate is God! He has neither place, nor time, nor beginning, nor temporal continuity, nor posterior eternity, nor temporal priority, nor terminal end, and yet all the while, He is neither occupied wit, nor seeks succor from, that which He has brought into being. Nonetheless, He is just in all affairs wherein His commandments are issued to people.
-Shibli in Sarraj Tusi: "Kitab al-luma"
***
Conquer anger
with lack of anger;
bad, with good;
stinginess, with generosity;
a liar, with truth.
-Dhammapada, 17, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
-Mark 14:36 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Be your own hero, it's cheaper than a movie ticket.
-Doug Horton
***
Sri Krishna: With your mind intent on me, Arjuna, discipline yourself with the practice of yoga. Depend on me completely. Listen, and I will dispel all your doubts; you will come to know me fully and be united with me.
I will give you both jnana and vijnana. When both these are realized, there is nothing more you need to know.
-Bhaghavad Gita 7:1-2
Excerpted from The Bhagavad
***
How transcendent and immaculate is God! He has neither place, nor time, nor beginning, nor temporal continuity, nor posterior eternity, nor temporal priority, nor terminal end, and yet all the while, He is neither occupied wit, nor seeks succor from, that which He has brought into being. Nonetheless, He is just in all affairs wherein His commandments are issued to people.
-Shibli in Sarraj Tusi: "Kitab al-luma"
***
Conquer anger
with lack of anger;
bad, with good;
stinginess, with generosity;
a liar, with truth.
-Dhammapada, 17, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Compassion and justice are companions, not choices.
-William Sloane Coffin
***
One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.
-Sophocles
***
The milk of cows of any hue is white.
The sages say that wisdom is the milk
And the sacred scriptures are the cows.
-Amritabindu Upanishad
***
In the valley, on the mountain, I beheld only God.
In hardship I saw Him by my side.
In ease and well-being I beheld only God.
Like a candle I melted in His flame.
Amid the sparks of the flames,
I beheld only God.
-Baba Kuhi of Shiraz, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
Hidden in the mystery of consciousness, the mind, incorporeal, flies alone far away. Those who set their mind on harmony become free from the bonds of death.
-Buddha
***
-William Sloane Coffin
***
One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.
-Sophocles
***
The milk of cows of any hue is white.
The sages say that wisdom is the milk
And the sacred scriptures are the cows.
-Amritabindu Upanishad
***
In the valley, on the mountain, I beheld only God.
In hardship I saw Him by my side.
In ease and well-being I beheld only God.
Like a candle I melted in His flame.
Amid the sparks of the flames,
I beheld only God.
-Baba Kuhi of Shiraz, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
Hidden in the mystery of consciousness, the mind, incorporeal, flies alone far away. Those who set their mind on harmony become free from the bonds of death.
-Buddha
***
It is more important to remember God than it is to remember to breathe.
-St. Gregory of Nazianzus
***
The virtue of angels is that they cannot deteriorate; their flaw is that they cannot improve. Humanity's flaw is that we can deteriorate; but our virtue is that we can improve.
-Hasidic saying
***
Friendship that insists upon agreement on all matters is not worth the name. Friendship to be real must ever sustain the weight of honest differences, however sharp they be.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
All creatures on earth will pass away. But the face of your Lord will endure forever, in all majesty and glory. Which of the Lord’s blessings would you deny? All who dwell in the heavens and on the earth, look to God for help. Each day God engages himself on some new task. Which of the Lord’s blessings would you deny?
-Qur'an, Ar-Rahman, Surah 55:26-30
***
I believe there is an important distinction to be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with belief in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another--an aspect of which is acceptance of some form of meta-physical or philosophical reality, including perhaps an idea of heaven or hell. Connected with this are religious teachings or dogma, ritual, prayers and so on. Spirituality I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit--such as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
-St. Gregory of Nazianzus
***
The virtue of angels is that they cannot deteriorate; their flaw is that they cannot improve. Humanity's flaw is that we can deteriorate; but our virtue is that we can improve.
-Hasidic saying
***
Friendship that insists upon agreement on all matters is not worth the name. Friendship to be real must ever sustain the weight of honest differences, however sharp they be.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
All creatures on earth will pass away. But the face of your Lord will endure forever, in all majesty and glory. Which of the Lord’s blessings would you deny? All who dwell in the heavens and on the earth, look to God for help. Each day God engages himself on some new task. Which of the Lord’s blessings would you deny?
-Qur'an, Ar-Rahman, Surah 55:26-30
***
I believe there is an important distinction to be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with belief in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another--an aspect of which is acceptance of some form of meta-physical or philosophical reality, including perhaps an idea of heaven or hell. Connected with this are religious teachings or dogma, ritual, prayers and so on. Spirituality I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit--such as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Rabbi Michal once said to his sons: “my life was blessed, because I never needed anything until I had it."
-Chasidic, 18th century
***
As a crystal reflects objects that are nearby,
So does the face reflect what is foremost in the heart.
What is more perceptive than the face? For whether the heart
Is angry or glad, it is the face that expresses it first.
-Tirukkural 71:706-707
***
Those who steadily seek absolution shall find that the Lord eases their way out of every difficulty, providing for them from unimaginable bounty.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Abd'Allah ibn Abbas
***
"You tell me to stand still, but I am not walking," he shouted, "whereas you who are walking say you are still. How is it that you are standing still but I am not?"
The Buddha turned round. "My legs move but my mind is still," he said. "Your legs are still but your mind moves all the time in a fire of anger, hatred, and feverish desire. Therefore, I am still but you are not."
-Majjhima Nikaya
***
-Chasidic, 18th century
***
As a crystal reflects objects that are nearby,
So does the face reflect what is foremost in the heart.
What is more perceptive than the face? For whether the heart
Is angry or glad, it is the face that expresses it first.
-Tirukkural 71:706-707
***
Those who steadily seek absolution shall find that the Lord eases their way out of every difficulty, providing for them from unimaginable bounty.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Abd'Allah ibn Abbas
***
"You tell me to stand still, but I am not walking," he shouted, "whereas you who are walking say you are still. How is it that you are standing still but I am not?"
The Buddha turned round. "My legs move but my mind is still," he said. "Your legs are still but your mind moves all the time in a fire of anger, hatred, and feverish desire. Therefore, I am still but you are not."
-Majjhima Nikaya
***
We cannot love God unless we love each other.
-Dorothy Day
***
Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.
-Andrew Jackson
***
Amid distractions,
He is undistracted.
In meditation,
He does not meditate.
Foolish,
He is not a fool.
Knowing everything,
He knows nothing.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:97
***
Have faith in God the Omnipotent,
the Eternal, the First and the Last,
who grants life and determines death.
He bestows bounty,
and only He can restore crushed hopes.
Have faith, do not lose hope, wait patiently.
He indeed will create a way
to deliver you from your hardships.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani"
***
Although you may understand the explanations, if you are still suffering because of problems, you clearly do not understand the true nature of your mind, your body, and your senses.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Transforming Problems Into Happiness"
-Dorothy Day
***
Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.
-Andrew Jackson
***
Amid distractions,
He is undistracted.
In meditation,
He does not meditate.
Foolish,
He is not a fool.
Knowing everything,
He knows nothing.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:97
***
Have faith in God the Omnipotent,
the Eternal, the First and the Last,
who grants life and determines death.
He bestows bounty,
and only He can restore crushed hopes.
Have faith, do not lose hope, wait patiently.
He indeed will create a way
to deliver you from your hardships.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani"
***
Although you may understand the explanations, if you are still suffering because of problems, you clearly do not understand the true nature of your mind, your body, and your senses.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Transforming Problems Into Happiness"
The school of Christ is the school of love. In the last day, when the general examination takes place...Love will be the whole syllabus.
-St. Robert Bellarmine
***
He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
-Benjamin Franklin
***
God is really all-pervading, above the mind, without features, imperishable, and infinite. How can such a one be worshipped? That is why, out of compassion for his creatures, He takes the form of the guru. The guru is the supreme God enclosed in human skin. He walks the earth, concealed, bestowing grace on his disciples.
-Kularnava Tantra
***
Allah wishes to lighten your burdens, for man was created weak.
-Qu'ran, An-Nisa, Surah 4:28
***
Cut through five,
let go of five,
& develop five about all.
A monk gone past five attachments
is said to have crossed the flood.
Practice jhana, monk,
and don't be heedless.
Don't take your mind roaming
in sensual strands.
Don't swallow--heedless--
the ball of iron aflame.
Don't burn & complain: 'This is pain.'
-Dhammpada, 25, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
-St. Robert Bellarmine
***
He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
-Benjamin Franklin
***
God is really all-pervading, above the mind, without features, imperishable, and infinite. How can such a one be worshipped? That is why, out of compassion for his creatures, He takes the form of the guru. The guru is the supreme God enclosed in human skin. He walks the earth, concealed, bestowing grace on his disciples.
-Kularnava Tantra
***
Allah wishes to lighten your burdens, for man was created weak.
-Qu'ran, An-Nisa, Surah 4:28
***
Cut through five,
let go of five,
& develop five about all.
A monk gone past five attachments
is said to have crossed the flood.
Practice jhana, monk,
and don't be heedless.
Don't take your mind roaming
in sensual strands.
Don't swallow--heedless--
the ball of iron aflame.
Don't burn & complain: 'This is pain.'
-Dhammpada, 25, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon.
-Jimmy Carter
***
Inches make champions.
-Vince Lombardi
***
In dark night live those for whom
The world without alone is real; in night
Darker still, for whom the world within
Alone is real. The first leads to a life
Of action, the second to a life of meditation.
But those who combine action with meditation
Cross the sea of death through action
And enter into immortality
Through the practice of meditation.
So have we heard from the wise.
-Isha Upanishad
From The Upanishads
***
Every prophet to the world came alone,
within him carrying a hundred unseen worlds.
The cosmos was charmed by his depth
and folded itself into his modest frame.
The foolish thought he was lonely and weak.
With the King as his companion,
how is he weak?
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
[P]assion is the cause of blindness, of not seeing, of not knowing, of loss of insight: it is joined with vexation, it does not conduce to Nibbâna.
-Anguttara-Nikâya
-Jimmy Carter
***
Inches make champions.
-Vince Lombardi
***
In dark night live those for whom
The world without alone is real; in night
Darker still, for whom the world within
Alone is real. The first leads to a life
Of action, the second to a life of meditation.
But those who combine action with meditation
Cross the sea of death through action
And enter into immortality
Through the practice of meditation.
So have we heard from the wise.
-Isha Upanishad
From The Upanishads
***
Every prophet to the world came alone,
within him carrying a hundred unseen worlds.
The cosmos was charmed by his depth
and folded itself into his modest frame.
The foolish thought he was lonely and weak.
With the King as his companion,
how is he weak?
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
[P]assion is the cause of blindness, of not seeing, of not knowing, of loss of insight: it is joined with vexation, it does not conduce to Nibbâna.
-Anguttara-Nikâya
Since I began to love, love has never forsaken me. It has ever grown to its own fullness within my innermost heart.
-St. Catherine of Genoa
****
The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show.
-Unknown
***
My nature is light,
Nothing but light.
When the world arises
I alone am shining.
-Ashtavakra Gita 2:8
***
If you devote yourself to God in this world, He will admit you among His chosen servants in the hereafter. Such devotion, however, demands sacrifice and self-denial, the two instruments that make union with God possible.
-Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
***
-St. Catherine of Genoa
****
The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show.
-Unknown
***
My nature is light,
Nothing but light.
When the world arises
I alone am shining.
-Ashtavakra Gita 2:8
***
If you devote yourself to God in this world, He will admit you among His chosen servants in the hereafter. Such devotion, however, demands sacrifice and self-denial, the two instruments that make union with God possible.
-Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
***
Because of God's grace, failure is never final.
-from a church sign
***
Speak when you're angry, and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret.
-Lawrence J. Peter
****
Nachiketa learned from the kind of death
The whole discipline of meditation.
Freeing himself from all separateness,
He won immortality in Brahman.
So blessed is everyone who knows the Self!
OM shanti shanti shanti
-Katha Upanishad
***
Lord, the night is gone. The dawn has lighted the sky. How I long to know if You accepted or rejected my prayers. Comfort me, Lord, for only you can comfort this state of mine. You gave me life and nurtured me; Yours is all the praise. If You would ever drive me away from Your door, I would never abandon it for the sake of Your love, which I carry in my heart.
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
Don't cling to anything and don't reject anything. Let come what comes, and accomodate yourself to that, whatever it is. If good mental images arise, that is fine. If bad mental images arise, that is fine, too. Look on all of it as equal, and make yourself comfortable with whatever happens. Don't fight with what you experience, just observe it all mindfully.
-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
***
-from a church sign
***
Speak when you're angry, and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret.
-Lawrence J. Peter
****
Nachiketa learned from the kind of death
The whole discipline of meditation.
Freeing himself from all separateness,
He won immortality in Brahman.
So blessed is everyone who knows the Self!
OM shanti shanti shanti
-Katha Upanishad
***
Lord, the night is gone. The dawn has lighted the sky. How I long to know if You accepted or rejected my prayers. Comfort me, Lord, for only you can comfort this state of mine. You gave me life and nurtured me; Yours is all the praise. If You would ever drive me away from Your door, I would never abandon it for the sake of Your love, which I carry in my heart.
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
Don't cling to anything and don't reject anything. Let come what comes, and accomodate yourself to that, whatever it is. If good mental images arise, that is fine. If bad mental images arise, that is fine, too. Look on all of it as equal, and make yourself comfortable with whatever happens. Don't fight with what you experience, just observe it all mindfully.
-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
***
[The] process of surrender--this movement full speed astern--is repentance.
-C.S. Lewis
***
For fast acting relief, try slowing down.
-Lily Tomlin
***
As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, keep it.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
Blessed is He Who made constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light; and it is He Who made the Night and the Day to follow each other: for such as have the will to celebrate His praises or to show their gratitude.
-Qur'an, The Criterion, Surah 25:61-62
***
As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
-C.S. Lewis
***
For fast acting relief, try slowing down.
-Lily Tomlin
***
As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, keep it.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
Blessed is He Who made constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light; and it is He Who made the Night and the Day to follow each other: for such as have the will to celebrate His praises or to show their gratitude.
-Qur'an, The Criterion, Surah 25:61-62
***
As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
The soul is a muscle, and it needs to be exercised a little every day. Say a morning prayer just to say something.
-Catherine Hicks
***
When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.
-Elie Wiesel
***
If you want to be a true doer of divine works, your first aim must be to be totally free from all desire and self-regarding ego. All your life must be an offering and a sacrifice to the Supreme; your only object in action shall be to serve, to receive, to fulfill, to become a manifesting instrument of the Divine Shakti in her works. You must grow in the divine consciousness till there is no difference between your will and hers, no motive except her impulsion in you, no action that is not her conscious action in you and through you.
-Sri Aurobindo
***
The best charity is followed by contentment, so begin with those related to you.
-The Prophet Muhammed (SAW), as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
Before enlightenment,
I chopped wood and carried water.
After enlightenment,
I chopped wood and carried water.
-Zen saying
-Catherine Hicks
***
When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.
-Elie Wiesel
***
If you want to be a true doer of divine works, your first aim must be to be totally free from all desire and self-regarding ego. All your life must be an offering and a sacrifice to the Supreme; your only object in action shall be to serve, to receive, to fulfill, to become a manifesting instrument of the Divine Shakti in her works. You must grow in the divine consciousness till there is no difference between your will and hers, no motive except her impulsion in you, no action that is not her conscious action in you and through you.
-Sri Aurobindo
***
The best charity is followed by contentment, so begin with those related to you.
-The Prophet Muhammed (SAW), as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
Before enlightenment,
I chopped wood and carried water.
After enlightenment,
I chopped wood and carried water.
-Zen saying
Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
-Helen Keller
***
Forgiveness is having the courage to take down the walls that we think are there to protect us.
-Suztes40
***
Live in the world like an ant. The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth, sugar and sand. Be an ant and take the sugar.
-Ramakrishna
***
In the name of God,
Most gracious most merciful;
Praise be to God,
The cherisher and sustainer of the worlds;
Most gracious, most merciful;
Master of the day of judgment.
Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.
-Sura Fateha (1:1-5)
***
Clearly, buddha-dharma is not practiced for one's own sake, and even less for the sake of fame and profit. Just for the sake of buddha-dharma you should practice it.
All buddhas' compassion and sympathy for sentient beings are neither for their own sake nor for the sake of others. It is just the nature of buddha-dharma.
-Dogen, "Moon in a Dewdrop"
***
Show hospitality to strangers for, by doing that, some have entertained angels unawares.
-Hebrews 13:2
-Helen Keller
***
Forgiveness is having the courage to take down the walls that we think are there to protect us.
-Suztes40
***
Live in the world like an ant. The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth, sugar and sand. Be an ant and take the sugar.
-Ramakrishna
***
In the name of God,
Most gracious most merciful;
Praise be to God,
The cherisher and sustainer of the worlds;
Most gracious, most merciful;
Master of the day of judgment.
Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.
-Sura Fateha (1:1-5)
***
Clearly, buddha-dharma is not practiced for one's own sake, and even less for the sake of fame and profit. Just for the sake of buddha-dharma you should practice it.
All buddhas' compassion and sympathy for sentient beings are neither for their own sake nor for the sake of others. It is just the nature of buddha-dharma.
-Dogen, "Moon in a Dewdrop"
***
Show hospitality to strangers for, by doing that, some have entertained angels unawares.
-Hebrews 13:2
[M]y faith is part of the morality of who I am.
-Deborah Norville
****
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.
-Ovid
***
Oh my heart! The Supreme Spirit, the Great Master, is near you. Wake up! Wake up! Run to the feet of your Beloved, for your Lord is here. You have slept for untold ages, this morning will you not awake?
-Kabir
***
Establish worship at sunset until the darkness of the night and recite the Qur'an at dawn, for the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed by all that is holy.
-Qur'an, Al-Isra, Surah 17:78
***
Free from anger,
duties observed,
principled, with no overbearing pride,
trained, a 'last-body':
he's what I call
a brahmin.
Like water on a lotus leaf,
a mustard seed on the tip of an awl,
he doesn't adhere to sensual pleasures:
he's what I call
a brahmin.
-Dhammapada, 26, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
-Deborah Norville
****
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.
-Ovid
***
Oh my heart! The Supreme Spirit, the Great Master, is near you. Wake up! Wake up! Run to the feet of your Beloved, for your Lord is here. You have slept for untold ages, this morning will you not awake?
-Kabir
***
Establish worship at sunset until the darkness of the night and recite the Qur'an at dawn, for the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed by all that is holy.
-Qur'an, Al-Isra, Surah 17:78
***
Free from anger,
duties observed,
principled, with no overbearing pride,
trained, a 'last-body':
he's what I call
a brahmin.
Like water on a lotus leaf,
a mustard seed on the tip of an awl,
he doesn't adhere to sensual pleasures:
he's what I call
a brahmin.
-Dhammapada, 26, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
The root of joy is gratefulness...It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.
-Brother David Steindl-Rast
***
We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
-Marianne Williamson
***
The mind becomes clear and serene when
the qualities of the heart are cultivated:
friendliness toward the joyful,
compassion toward the suffering,
happiness toward the pure,
and impartiality toward the impure.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1:33
****
We honored man by the gift of free will.
Half of him is honeybee, the other half snake.
True believers are stores of honey.
Stores of poison are those who do not believe.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Everything is as it is. It has no name other than the name we give it. It is we who call it something; we give it a value. We say this thing is good or it's bad, but in itself, the thing is only as it is. It's not absolute; it's just as it is. People are just as they are.
-Ajahn Sumedho, "The Mind and the Way"
***
-Brother David Steindl-Rast
***
We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
-Marianne Williamson
***
The mind becomes clear and serene when
the qualities of the heart are cultivated:
friendliness toward the joyful,
compassion toward the suffering,
happiness toward the pure,
and impartiality toward the impure.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1:33
****
We honored man by the gift of free will.
Half of him is honeybee, the other half snake.
True believers are stores of honey.
Stores of poison are those who do not believe.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Everything is as it is. It has no name other than the name we give it. It is we who call it something; we give it a value. We say this thing is good or it's bad, but in itself, the thing is only as it is. It's not absolute; it's just as it is. People are just as they are.
-Ajahn Sumedho, "The Mind and the Way"
***
An attitude of gratitude creates blessings.
-Sir John Templeton
***
There is more to life than increasing its speed.
-Gandhi (submitted by ystonehiker)
***
Lord, have mercy on our souls and allow us to follow Your commandments. O Most Compassionate One, do not allow our hearts to err after being guided aright.
-From the prayer book "Al-Hizbul-A'zam"
***
Get rid of the tendency
to judge yourself
above, below, or
equal to others.
A nun who has self-possession
and integrity
will find the peace that nourishes
and never causes surfeit.
-Therigatha, translated by Susan Murcott
***
Gratitude is our most direct line to God and the angels. If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for. The more we seek gratitude, the more reason the angels will give us for gratitude and joy to exist in our lives.
-Terry Lynn Taylor,
"Angel Days"
-Sir John Templeton
***
There is more to life than increasing its speed.
-Gandhi (submitted by ystonehiker)
***
Lord, have mercy on our souls and allow us to follow Your commandments. O Most Compassionate One, do not allow our hearts to err after being guided aright.
-From the prayer book "Al-Hizbul-A'zam"
***
Get rid of the tendency
to judge yourself
above, below, or
equal to others.
A nun who has self-possession
and integrity
will find the peace that nourishes
and never causes surfeit.
-Therigatha, translated by Susan Murcott
***
Gratitude is our most direct line to God and the angels. If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for. The more we seek gratitude, the more reason the angels will give us for gratitude and joy to exist in our lives.
-Terry Lynn Taylor,
"Angel Days"
I shall wake up with a song of gratitude in my heart.
I will thank the angels for the miraculous process of life that I notice vibrating all around me.
I am glad to be alive, I feel blessed by the angels each day.
I am honored to be a human at this crucial time in the history of humanity.
Thank you God.
-Terry Lynn Taylor,
"Angel Days"
****
Cultivate a thankful spirit! It will be to thee a perpetual feast.
-J.R. MacDuff
****
Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.
-Anonymous
****
The real love is to love them that hate you, to love your neighbor even though you distrust him.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
When God brought you out of your mother's womb, you were empty of knowledge. But he gave you eyes and ears and hearts, in order that you may give thanks to him.
-Qur'an, An-Nahl, Surah 16:78
***
I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we may succeed in building a better world through human understanding and love, and that in doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
I will thank the angels for the miraculous process of life that I notice vibrating all around me.
I am glad to be alive, I feel blessed by the angels each day.
I am honored to be a human at this crucial time in the history of humanity.
Thank you God.
-Terry Lynn Taylor,
"Angel Days"
****
Cultivate a thankful spirit! It will be to thee a perpetual feast.
-J.R. MacDuff
****
Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.
-Anonymous
****
The real love is to love them that hate you, to love your neighbor even though you distrust him.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
When God brought you out of your mother's womb, you were empty of knowledge. But he gave you eyes and ears and hearts, in order that you may give thanks to him.
-Qur'an, An-Nahl, Surah 16:78
***
I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we may succeed in building a better world through human understanding and love, and that in doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
If the only prayer you say in your life is 'thank you,' that would suffice.
-Meister Eckhart
***
Without heroes, we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.
-Bernard Malamud
***
Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence?
-Sai Baba
***
Gratitude for the abundance you have received is the best insurance that the abundance will continue.
-Prophet Muhammad
***
As soon as you get some sense of contact, you want to be teachers of others. This is a big mistake.
-Ta-sui
***
Among purifying forces I am the wind; among warriors, Rama. Of water creatures I am the crocodile, and of rivers I am the Ganges.
I am the beginning, middle, and end of creation. Of all the sciences I am the science of Self-knowledge, and I am logic in those who debate.
-Bhagavad Gita 10:31-32
***
Although wishing to be rid of misery,
They run toward misery itself.
Although wishing to have happiness,
Like an enemy they ignorantly destroy it.
-Santideva, "Bodhicaryavatara"
-Meister Eckhart
***
Without heroes, we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.
-Bernard Malamud
***
Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence?
-Sai Baba
***
Gratitude for the abundance you have received is the best insurance that the abundance will continue.
-Prophet Muhammad
***
As soon as you get some sense of contact, you want to be teachers of others. This is a big mistake.
-Ta-sui
***
Among purifying forces I am the wind; among warriors, Rama. Of water creatures I am the crocodile, and of rivers I am the Ganges.
I am the beginning, middle, and end of creation. Of all the sciences I am the science of Self-knowledge, and I am logic in those who debate.
-Bhagavad Gita 10:31-32
***
Although wishing to be rid of misery,
They run toward misery itself.
Although wishing to have happiness,
Like an enemy they ignorantly destroy it.
-Santideva, "Bodhicaryavatara"
Being involved in my faith allowed me to really appreciate life.... My faith also reminded me that I have a purpose here.
-Beverley Mitchell
***
I am too blessed to be stressed!
-Anonymous
***
It is true the body is perishable, but
within it dwells the imperishable Self. This
body is subject to pleasure and pain; no one
who identifies with the body can escape from
pleasure and pain. But those who know they
are not the body pass beyond pleasure and
pain to live in abiding joy.
-Chandogya Upanishad
***
O you who believe! Partake of the good things that We have provided for you, and render thanks to Allah if it is He whom you worship.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:172
***
Forever on Thanksgiving Day
The heart will find the pathway home.
-Wilbur D. Nesbit
-Beverley Mitchell
***
I am too blessed to be stressed!
-Anonymous
***
It is true the body is perishable, but
within it dwells the imperishable Self. This
body is subject to pleasure and pain; no one
who identifies with the body can escape from
pleasure and pain. But those who know they
are not the body pass beyond pleasure and
pain to live in abiding joy.
-Chandogya Upanishad
***
O you who believe! Partake of the good things that We have provided for you, and render thanks to Allah if it is He whom you worship.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:172
***
Forever on Thanksgiving Day
The heart will find the pathway home.
-Wilbur D. Nesbit
Don't just pray because it's a habit. Talk. Have a conversation.
-Blair Underwood
***
If you are going through hell...keep going.
-Winston Churchill (submitted by gypsy_soul)
***
Bound to his body,
The seeker insists on striving
Or on sitting still.
But I no longer suppose
The body is mine,
Or is not mine.
And I am happy.
-Ashtavakra Gita 13:4
***
Beware! Do not let avarice waylay you!
Do not let greed tear you up by the roots!
For as you sleep,
the stench of your spurious deeds
is thundering on the azure sky.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
However innumerable beings are, I vow to save them.
-One of the Four Vows of the Bodhisattva
***
-Blair Underwood
***
If you are going through hell...keep going.
-Winston Churchill (submitted by gypsy_soul)
***
Bound to his body,
The seeker insists on striving
Or on sitting still.
But I no longer suppose
The body is mine,
Or is not mine.
And I am happy.
-Ashtavakra Gita 13:4
***
Beware! Do not let avarice waylay you!
Do not let greed tear you up by the roots!
For as you sleep,
the stench of your spurious deeds
is thundering on the azure sky.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
However innumerable beings are, I vow to save them.
-One of the Four Vows of the Bodhisattva
***
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
-Luke 12:32 (Revised Standard Version)
***
My mind is a garden. My thoughts are the seeds. My harvest will be either flower or weeds.
-Mel Weldon (submitted by mmellow)
***
Know him to be the supreme God of gods,
From whom all the worlds draw their breath of life
And who rules every creature from within.
May he be worshipped by everyone!
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
***
Good humor and character is manifested in a cheerful face, generous giving, and not imposing one's problems on others.
-Hasan Al-Basri in Nurbakhsh: Hasan Basri, 174
***
I declare that the overcoming of clinging to the impurities of the world is possible for a person who knows and sees but not for a person who does not know or see. In the person who knows and sees, the dustless and stainless Eye of Truth arises. Seeing the truth, he sees things as they are. Seeing the truth, the eye is born, knowledge is born, wisdom is born, science is born, and light is born.
-Samyutta Nikaya
-Luke 12:32 (Revised Standard Version)
***
My mind is a garden. My thoughts are the seeds. My harvest will be either flower or weeds.
-Mel Weldon (submitted by mmellow)
***
Know him to be the supreme God of gods,
From whom all the worlds draw their breath of life
And who rules every creature from within.
May he be worshipped by everyone!
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
***
Good humor and character is manifested in a cheerful face, generous giving, and not imposing one's problems on others.
-Hasan Al-Basri in Nurbakhsh: Hasan Basri, 174
***
I declare that the overcoming of clinging to the impurities of the world is possible for a person who knows and sees but not for a person who does not know or see. In the person who knows and sees, the dustless and stainless Eye of Truth arises. Seeing the truth, he sees things as they are. Seeing the truth, the eye is born, knowledge is born, wisdom is born, science is born, and light is born.
-Samyutta Nikaya
As I keep singing a song in my heart, every day I get up with peace and hope and love and joy because I know it could be so much worse.
-Thelma Wells
***
The whole worth of a kind deed is in the love that
inspires it.
-The Talmud
***
Like oil in sesame seeds, like butter
In cream, like water in springs, like fire
In firesticks, so dwells the Lord of Love,
The Self, in the very depths of consciousness.
Realize him through truth and meditation.
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
***
I never hear the call of prayer without remembering the trumpet blare on the Day of Resurrection. I never see the snow without remembering the fluttering scrolls of deeds being handed out. I never see a swarm of locusts without remembering the assembly on the Day of Judgment.
-Rabia, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
I observe the Buddha's treasury of light producing all oceans of lights: Whether sage or ordinary mortal, animate or inanimate being, none are not endowed with this body of light and openly demonstrating the function of this light. Root and branches are completely included, withdrawal and expansiveness are uninhibited, self-help and helping others are inexhaustible.
-Liao-an
-Thelma Wells
***
The whole worth of a kind deed is in the love that
inspires it.
-The Talmud
***
Like oil in sesame seeds, like butter
In cream, like water in springs, like fire
In firesticks, so dwells the Lord of Love,
The Self, in the very depths of consciousness.
Realize him through truth and meditation.
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
***
I never hear the call of prayer without remembering the trumpet blare on the Day of Resurrection. I never see the snow without remembering the fluttering scrolls of deeds being handed out. I never see a swarm of locusts without remembering the assembly on the Day of Judgment.
-Rabia, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
I observe the Buddha's treasury of light producing all oceans of lights: Whether sage or ordinary mortal, animate or inanimate being, none are not endowed with this body of light and openly demonstrating the function of this light. Root and branches are completely included, withdrawal and expansiveness are uninhibited, self-help and helping others are inexhaustible.
-Liao-an
Today imagine that you can see the angels walking beside everyone you meet. See how your perception of people, and of life, changes when you recognize that everyone has an angel!
-Margaret Neylon
***
Compassion means that if I see my friend and my enemy in equal need, I shall help both equally.
-Mechtild of Magdeburg
***
Envy can be a positive motivator. Let it inspire you to work harder for what you want.
-Robert Bringle
***
"Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power."
– Alfred Tennyson
"There ain't nothing from the outside can lick any of us."
– Margaret Mitchell
-Margaret Neylon
***
Compassion means that if I see my friend and my enemy in equal need, I shall help both equally.
-Mechtild of Magdeburg
***
Envy can be a positive motivator. Let it inspire you to work harder for what you want.
-Robert Bringle
***
"Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power."
– Alfred Tennyson
"There ain't nothing from the outside can lick any of us."
– Margaret Mitchell
For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.
-Rainer Maria Rilke
***
You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a fine spirit of hope of achievement. You are here to enrich the world and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.
-Woodrow Wilson (Submitted by Foxygranny81050)
***
People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.
-Ramakrishna
***
The best among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it to others.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Uthman bin Affan
***
I often see students who are narrow-minded, who gain a little bit in a limited context, with a limited perspective, and consider this enough, immediately insisting on stopping and resting. Eating their fill and sleeping, not taking care of anything at all, they consider themselves lively, but they are destitute ghosts.
-Hui-k'ung
-Rainer Maria Rilke
***
You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a fine spirit of hope of achievement. You are here to enrich the world and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.
-Woodrow Wilson (Submitted by Foxygranny81050)
***
People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.
-Ramakrishna
***
The best among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it to others.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Uthman bin Affan
***
I often see students who are narrow-minded, who gain a little bit in a limited context, with a limited perspective, and consider this enough, immediately insisting on stopping and resting. Eating their fill and sleeping, not taking care of anything at all, they consider themselves lively, but they are destitute ghosts.
-Hui-k'ung
God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable than an empire can rise without His aid?
-Benjamin Franklin
****
Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter.
-Bono
***
That devotee who looks upon friend and foe with equal regard, who is not buoyed up by praise nor cast down by blame, alike in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, free from selfish attachments, the same in honor and dishonor, quiet, ever full, in harmony everywhere, firm in faith--such a one is dear to me.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:18-19
***
My Lord, my desire in this world is to remember You above all other things of this world and the next and, out of all who are in that world, to be the one to meet with You alone. However, this is what I say: "Your will be done."
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
Do not underestimate your ability.
-Geshe Chekawa, "In Advice From a Spiritual Friend"
***
-Benjamin Franklin
****
Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter.
-Bono
***
That devotee who looks upon friend and foe with equal regard, who is not buoyed up by praise nor cast down by blame, alike in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, free from selfish attachments, the same in honor and dishonor, quiet, ever full, in harmony everywhere, firm in faith--such a one is dear to me.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:18-19
***
My Lord, my desire in this world is to remember You above all other things of this world and the next and, out of all who are in that world, to be the one to meet with You alone. However, this is what I say: "Your will be done."
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
***
Do not underestimate your ability.
-Geshe Chekawa, "In Advice From a Spiritual Friend"
***
An angel can illuminate the darkest path.
-Kathryn Schein
***
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
-John 12:25 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
-Sallust
***
Since the seed does not contain anything other than the seed, even the flowers and the fruits are of the same nature as the seed: the substance of the seed is the substance of subsequent effects, too. Even so, the homogenous mass of cosmic consciousness does not give rise to anything other than what it is in essence. When this truth is realized, duality ceases.
-Yoga Vasishtha
***
Right up until the moment of death your hearts are absorbed by material gain. But you will soon understand; yes, before long you will understand. Indeed, if you knew the truth with certainty, you would perceive the fire of hell; you would see it with your own eyes. On the day of judgment you will be questioned about all your pleasures.
-Qur'an, At-Takathur, Surah 102:1-8
***
Seeing matter itself as emptiness produces great wisdom so one does not dwell in birth and death; seeing emptiness as equivalent to matter produces great compassion so one does not dwell in nirvana.
-Yun-feng
***
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
– Ursula K. Le Guin
-Kathryn Schein
***
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
-John 12:25 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
-Sallust
***
Since the seed does not contain anything other than the seed, even the flowers and the fruits are of the same nature as the seed: the substance of the seed is the substance of subsequent effects, too. Even so, the homogenous mass of cosmic consciousness does not give rise to anything other than what it is in essence. When this truth is realized, duality ceases.
-Yoga Vasishtha
***
Right up until the moment of death your hearts are absorbed by material gain. But you will soon understand; yes, before long you will understand. Indeed, if you knew the truth with certainty, you would perceive the fire of hell; you would see it with your own eyes. On the day of judgment you will be questioned about all your pleasures.
-Qur'an, At-Takathur, Surah 102:1-8
***
Seeing matter itself as emptiness produces great wisdom so one does not dwell in birth and death; seeing emptiness as equivalent to matter produces great compassion so one does not dwell in nirvana.
-Yun-feng
***
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
– Ursula K. Le Guin