A man does not always choose what his guardian angel intends.
-Saint Thomas Aquinas
***
It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.
-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, "Seek That Which Is Above"
****
The best portion of a good man's life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.
-William Wordsworth
****
The one original transcendent Shakti, the Mother stands above all the worlds and bears in her eternal consciousness the Supreme Divine. Alone, she harbors the absolute Power and the ineffable Presence; containing or calling the Truths that have to be manifested, she brings them down from the Mystery in which they were hidden into the light of her infinite consciousness and gives them a form of force in her omnipotent power and her boundless life and a body in the universe.
-Sri Aurobindo
***
Do not regard yourself as infamous or weak.
Reflect upon your aspirations, O noble one.
No matter what your station be,
keep searching.
For this pursuit is a blessed course.
This quest removes all impediments to God.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
***
For some years now, students have not been getting to the root of the aim of Zen, instead taking the verbal teachings of Buddhas and Zen masters to be the ultimate rule. That is like ignoring a hundred thousand pure clear oceans and only focusing attention on a single bubble.
-Ying-an
Quote
He who bend to himself a joy,
Doth the winged life destroy.
But he who kisses a joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise.
-William Blake
****
We call this time Advent because it reminds us of what comes from God for the creation of his kingdom on earth.
-C.F. Blumhardt
***
Whatever you are, be a good one.
-Abraham Lincoln
***
The body is false,
And so are its fears,
Heaven and hell, freedom and bondage.
It is all invention.
What can they matter to me?
I am awareness itself.
-Ashtavakra Gita 2:20
***
There are two kinds of speeches and two kinds of silences. Speech is either truth or a falsification, and silence is either fruition or heedlessness. If one speaks the truth, his words are better than his silence, but he who invents falsifications, his silence is better than his speech.
-Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
***
From pure behavior comes self-power, which frees a man from (many) dangers; pure conduct, like a ladder, enables us to climb to heaven.
-Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King
***
Doth the winged life destroy.
But he who kisses a joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise.
-William Blake
****
We call this time Advent because it reminds us of what comes from God for the creation of his kingdom on earth.
-C.F. Blumhardt
***
Whatever you are, be a good one.
-Abraham Lincoln
***
The body is false,
And so are its fears,
Heaven and hell, freedom and bondage.
It is all invention.
What can they matter to me?
I am awareness itself.
-Ashtavakra Gita 2:20
***
There are two kinds of speeches and two kinds of silences. Speech is either truth or a falsification, and silence is either fruition or heedlessness. If one speaks the truth, his words are better than his silence, but he who invents falsifications, his silence is better than his speech.
-Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
***
From pure behavior comes self-power, which frees a man from (many) dangers; pure conduct, like a ladder, enables us to climb to heaven.
-Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King
***
Life is a constant Advent season: We are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill.
-Connections
***
If you are good, be better.
-Anonymous
***
Better than a gift given with a joyous heart
Are sweet words spoken with a cheerful smile.
-Tirukkural 92
***
When you purify your hearts just as you purify your raiment, union with God will follow. You cannot become a Sufi by merely wearing coarse woolen shirts and following strict ritual, pretending to be pious while inside your hearts you bear malice and avarice. A real Sufi has attained a state of perfection on the inside. If you sincerely seek union with God, then seek Him inside your hearts and leave the world alone.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, “Fayuz E Yazdani”
***
That very seeing does not see
Itself at all.
How can something that cannot see itself
See another?
-Nagarjuna
***
"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."
– Phillips Brooks
***
"Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection. Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same."
– Lois McMaster Bujold
-Connections
***
If you are good, be better.
-Anonymous
***
Better than a gift given with a joyous heart
Are sweet words spoken with a cheerful smile.
-Tirukkural 92
***
When you purify your hearts just as you purify your raiment, union with God will follow. You cannot become a Sufi by merely wearing coarse woolen shirts and following strict ritual, pretending to be pious while inside your hearts you bear malice and avarice. A real Sufi has attained a state of perfection on the inside. If you sincerely seek union with God, then seek Him inside your hearts and leave the world alone.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, “Fayuz E Yazdani”
***
That very seeing does not see
Itself at all.
How can something that cannot see itself
See another?
-Nagarjuna
***
"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."
– Phillips Brooks
***
"Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection. Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same."
– Lois McMaster Bujold
The right time to show your good character is when you are pestered by somebody weaker than you.
-Buddha
***
Evil is, good or truth misplaced.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1933
***
How many are the creatures that carry not their own sustenance? It is Allah who feeds (both) them and you: for He hears and knows (all things).
-Qur'an, Al-'Ankabut, Surah 29:60
***
Look at children. Of course they may quarrel, but generally speaking they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do. Most adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use of an education if they show a big smile while hiding negative feelings deep inside? Children don’t usually act in such a manner. If they feel angry with someone, they express it, and then it is finished. They can still play with that person the following day.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Imagine All The People"
***
"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
***
"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."
– Vincent van Gogh
-Buddha
***
Evil is, good or truth misplaced.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1933
***
How many are the creatures that carry not their own sustenance? It is Allah who feeds (both) them and you: for He hears and knows (all things).
-Qur'an, Al-'Ankabut, Surah 29:60
***
Look at children. Of course they may quarrel, but generally speaking they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do. Most adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use of an education if they show a big smile while hiding negative feelings deep inside? Children don’t usually act in such a manner. If they feel angry with someone, they express it, and then it is finished. They can still play with that person the following day.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Imagine All The People"
***
"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
***
"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."
– Vincent van Gogh
Angels are usually invisible to the human eye, but not to the human heart.
-Janice T. Connell,
Angel Power
***
Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience.
-Connections
***
The fool tries to control his mind.
How can he ever succeed?
Mastery always comes naturally
To the man who is wise
And who loves himself.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:41
***
Winds are the heralds of Allah's mercy, though they bear both compassion and chastisement. So implore Allah for their aid, and seek refuge in Him from their destructive power.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
Compassion is the willingness to play in the field of dreams even though you are awake.
-Matthew Flickstein, "Swallowing the River Ganges"
****
-Janice T. Connell,
Angel Power
***
Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience.
-Connections
***
The fool tries to control his mind.
How can he ever succeed?
Mastery always comes naturally
To the man who is wise
And who loves himself.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:41
***
Winds are the heralds of Allah's mercy, though they bear both compassion and chastisement. So implore Allah for their aid, and seek refuge in Him from their destructive power.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Abu Hurairah
***
Compassion is the willingness to play in the field of dreams even though you are awake.
-Matthew Flickstein, "Swallowing the River Ganges"
****
Advent is the perfect time to clear and prepare the Way. Advent is a winter training camp for those who desire peace.
-Edward Hays
***
You are unique. Just like everyone else.
-Anonymous
***
As a heavily laden cart creaks as it moves along, the body groans under its burden when a person is about to die. When the body grows weak through old age or illness, the Self separates himself as a mango or fig or banyan fruit frees itself from the stalk, and returns the way he came to begin another life.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
***
Do not treat people with contempt, nor walk insolently on the earth. Allah does not love the arrogant or the self-conceited boaster. Be modest in your bearing and subdue your voice, for the most unpleasant of voices is the braying of the ass.
-Luqman 31:18-19
***
Greed, I say, is a great flood; it is a whirlpool sucking one down, a constant yearning, seeking a hold, continually in movement; difficult to cross is the morass of sensual desire. A sage does not deviate from truth, a brahmana stands on firm ground; renouncing all, he is truly called 'calmed.'
-Sutta Nipata
-Edward Hays
***
You are unique. Just like everyone else.
-Anonymous
***
As a heavily laden cart creaks as it moves along, the body groans under its burden when a person is about to die. When the body grows weak through old age or illness, the Self separates himself as a mango or fig or banyan fruit frees itself from the stalk, and returns the way he came to begin another life.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
***
Do not treat people with contempt, nor walk insolently on the earth. Allah does not love the arrogant or the self-conceited boaster. Be modest in your bearing and subdue your voice, for the most unpleasant of voices is the braying of the ass.
-Luqman 31:18-19
***
Greed, I say, is a great flood; it is a whirlpool sucking one down, a constant yearning, seeking a hold, continually in movement; difficult to cross is the morass of sensual desire. A sage does not deviate from truth, a brahmana stands on firm ground; renouncing all, he is truly called 'calmed.'
-Sutta Nipata
[T]he whole of our life must be an 'advent,' a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ.
-John Paul II
***
The grand essentials for happiness are: something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
-Chalmers
***
Knowledge born of the finest discrimination takes us to the farthest shore. It is intuitive, omniscient, and beyond all divisions of time and space.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 3:54
***
Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse,
And the mountains as pegs?
And (have We not) created you in pairs,
And made your sleep for rest,
And made the night as a covering,
And made the day as a means of subsistence?
And (have We not) built over you the seven firmaments,
And placed (therein) a Light of Splendour?
-Qur'an, An-Nab, Surah 78:6-13
***
Here, from within my heart, I make the vow to shun all evil – to achieve the good. From deep within my heart I seek my refuge.
-Buddha
***
-John Paul II
***
The grand essentials for happiness are: something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
-Chalmers
***
Knowledge born of the finest discrimination takes us to the farthest shore. It is intuitive, omniscient, and beyond all divisions of time and space.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 3:54
***
Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse,
And the mountains as pegs?
And (have We not) created you in pairs,
And made your sleep for rest,
And made the night as a covering,
And made the day as a means of subsistence?
And (have We not) built over you the seven firmaments,
And placed (therein) a Light of Splendour?
-Qur'an, An-Nab, Surah 78:6-13
***
Here, from within my heart, I make the vow to shun all evil – to achieve the good. From deep within my heart I seek my refuge.
-Buddha
***
May this Advent season be a time for bringing hope, transformation and fulfillment into the Advent of our lives.
-Connections
***
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
-Philo
***
Love is all important and its own reward.
-Tamil proverb
***
I am the Word of God living through His Essence. I am the Food of the soul, the Spirit of purity. I am the Fountain of the Water of Life. I deliver the lovers of God from death. If your greed had not raised such a stench, God would have poured a remedy of water on your graves. I accept the warning of the Sage; I will not allow my heart to be sickened by ridicule.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
If we train our breathing, we can control our emotions--that is, we can cope with the happiness and pain in our lives. We should practice until we feel this; our practice is not complete until we can see this clearly.
-Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, "Mindfulness with Breathing"
-Connections
***
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
-Philo
***
Love is all important and its own reward.
-Tamil proverb
***
I am the Word of God living through His Essence. I am the Food of the soul, the Spirit of purity. I am the Fountain of the Water of Life. I deliver the lovers of God from death. If your greed had not raised such a stench, God would have poured a remedy of water on your graves. I accept the warning of the Sage; I will not allow my heart to be sickened by ridicule.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
If we train our breathing, we can control our emotions--that is, we can cope with the happiness and pain in our lives. We should practice until we feel this; our practice is not complete until we can see this clearly.
-Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, "Mindfulness with Breathing"
Angels are beings of dazzling, sometimes blinding light, suggesting that their home is in heaven in the bright, resplendent presence of God. Something of God has rubbed onto them.
-Gary Kinnaman,
"Angels Dark and Light"
****
Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion; it is like a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.
-Billy Graham
***
The greatest carver does the least cutting.
-Tao Te Ching
***
AUM has three sounds. Those who meditate on A
Come back to earth, led by the Rig Veda,
To lead a pure life, full of faith and love.
Those who meditate on the first two sounds,
A and U, led by the Yajur Veda,
Go to the lunar world, full of pleasure,
From which they come back cloyed to earth again.
But those who meditate on A, U, and M
Are led by the Sama chants to the sun,
Where freed from sin, as a snake sheds its skin,
They see the supreme Lord, who lives in all.
-Prashna Upanishad
***
If you have no eyes, do not walk blindly;
take a staff in your hand.
If you have no staff of insight,
do not walk without a guide.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
If you remove (from conduct) the purpose of the mind, the bodily act is but as rotten wood; wherefore, regulate the mind, and then the body will spontaneously go right.
-Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King
-Gary Kinnaman,
"Angels Dark and Light"
****
Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion; it is like a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.
-Billy Graham
***
The greatest carver does the least cutting.
-Tao Te Ching
***
AUM has three sounds. Those who meditate on A
Come back to earth, led by the Rig Veda,
To lead a pure life, full of faith and love.
Those who meditate on the first two sounds,
A and U, led by the Yajur Veda,
Go to the lunar world, full of pleasure,
From which they come back cloyed to earth again.
But those who meditate on A, U, and M
Are led by the Sama chants to the sun,
Where freed from sin, as a snake sheds its skin,
They see the supreme Lord, who lives in all.
-Prashna Upanishad
***
If you have no eyes, do not walk blindly;
take a staff in your hand.
If you have no staff of insight,
do not walk without a guide.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
If you remove (from conduct) the purpose of the mind, the bodily act is but as rotten wood; wherefore, regulate the mind, and then the body will spontaneously go right.
-Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King
Happiness grows at our own firesides, and is not to be picked in strangers' gardens.
-Douglas Jerrould
****
Striving and craving,
For pleasure or prosperity,
These are your enemies,
Springing up to destroy you
From the presumptions of virtue.
Let them all go.
Hold on to nothing.
-Ashtavakra Gita 10:1
***
Do not be ruled by lust; seek freedom by following the righteous. Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. Remain patient in adversity to attain peace, for adversity is the threshold to freedom. Those who cannot persevere are held back from the doors of Mercy.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani
***
Not by silence
does someone confused
& unknowing
turn into a sage.
but whoever--wise,
as if holding the scales,
taking the excellent--
rejects evil deeds;
he is a sage,
that's how he's a sage.
Whoever can weigh
both sides of the world:
that's how he's called a sage.
-Dhammapada, 19, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
****
-Douglas Jerrould
****
Striving and craving,
For pleasure or prosperity,
These are your enemies,
Springing up to destroy you
From the presumptions of virtue.
Let them all go.
Hold on to nothing.
-Ashtavakra Gita 10:1
***
Do not be ruled by lust; seek freedom by following the righteous. Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. Remain patient in adversity to attain peace, for adversity is the threshold to freedom. Those who cannot persevere are held back from the doors of Mercy.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani
***
Not by silence
does someone confused
& unknowing
turn into a sage.
but whoever--wise,
as if holding the scales,
taking the excellent--
rejects evil deeds;
he is a sage,
that's how he's a sage.
Whoever can weigh
both sides of the world:
that's how he's called a sage.
-Dhammapada, 19, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
****
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.
-Matthew 12:33 (Revised Standard Version)
***
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing—that's why we recommend it daily.
-Zig Ziglar
***
Glory lies in the attempt to reach one's goal and not in reaching it.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1942
***
Abraham said, "Peace be with you! I shall implore forgiveness of my Lord for you, for He has been gracious to me."
-Qur'an, Maryam, Surah 19:47
***
-Matthew 12:33 (Revised Standard Version)
***
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing—that's why we recommend it daily.
-Zig Ziglar
***
Glory lies in the attempt to reach one's goal and not in reaching it.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1942
***
Abraham said, "Peace be with you! I shall implore forgiveness of my Lord for you, for He has been gracious to me."
-Qur'an, Maryam, Surah 19:47
***
I would like to greet you Salegrah Mubarak with the following verses of Ginan 'Aaj Anand Pamiya Manke Satgur Sreviya re lol'.
aaj aana(n)d paameaa man,
ke sat-gur sireveaa re lol........................................1
'Today we have found joy in our hearts, through the worship of the True Guide, o!
tame sirevo sat-gur nur,
ke gur anavar dhannee re lol......................................4
'Worship the True Guide, the Light, for the Guide is the Glorious Lord.
tame maano 'alee avataar,
ke to phal paamaso re lol........................................13
'Accept Ali as the true manifestation, and you will gain your reward.
to paap piraachhat thaase dur,
ke padamee paamaso re lol........................................14
'Your sins and faults will be removed, and you will attain high station.'
****
To everyone of us there must come a time when the whole universe will be found to have been a dream, when we find the soul is infinitely better than the surroundings. It is only a question of time, and time is nothing in the infinite.
-Sai Baba
***
A true Muslim is the one who does not defame or abuse others; but the truly righteous becomes a refuge for humankind, their lives and their properties.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as narrated by Abd'Allah bin Amr
***
Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice (of religious ritual). Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results (of one's actions), because there follows immediate peace.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:12
aaj aana(n)d paameaa man,
ke sat-gur sireveaa re lol........................................1
'Today we have found joy in our hearts, through the worship of the True Guide, o!
tame sirevo sat-gur nur,
ke gur anavar dhannee re lol......................................4
'Worship the True Guide, the Light, for the Guide is the Glorious Lord.
tame maano 'alee avataar,
ke to phal paamaso re lol........................................13
'Accept Ali as the true manifestation, and you will gain your reward.
to paap piraachhat thaase dur,
ke padamee paamaso re lol........................................14
'Your sins and faults will be removed, and you will attain high station.'
****
To everyone of us there must come a time when the whole universe will be found to have been a dream, when we find the soul is infinitely better than the surroundings. It is only a question of time, and time is nothing in the infinite.
-Sai Baba
***
A true Muslim is the one who does not defame or abuse others; but the truly righteous becomes a refuge for humankind, their lives and their properties.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as narrated by Abd'Allah bin Amr
***
Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice (of religious ritual). Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results (of one's actions), because there follows immediate peace.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:12
Angelic assistance is part of God's universal plan of salvation...Angels...are like God's agents in the field. He purposely uses them to introduce images, tendencies, and desires that lead us to do what is right and good.
-Mary Drahos,
"Angels of God, Guardians Dear"
****
Forgiveness is the final form of love.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
***
If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you’re going to be cockeyed today.
-Anonymous
***
He has no staff nor tuft nor sacred thread.
He faces heat and cold, pleasure and pain,
Honor and dishonor with equal calm.
He is not affected by calumny,
Pride, jealousy, status, joy or sorrow,
Greed, anger, or infatuation,
Excitement, egoism, or other goads;
For [the illuminated man] knows he is neither body nor mind.
-Paramahamsa Upanishad
***
Do not seek sustenance from people. God is the real Provider. If He wills a certain person to be the means of your livelihood, do not consider that person to be in control of your destiny. Have faith and be certain in the knowledge that your daily bread does not depend upon any mortal, but upon God who created all.
-Al-Hajwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
***
If you want to avoid experiencing reversal, just cut off dualism; then measurements cannot govern you. You are neither Buddha nor sentient being; you are not near or far, not high or low, not equal or even, not going or coming.
-Pai-chang
***
Faith is a pipeline. It can flow in health, in terms of water or oxygen, or it can be filled with poison. What values do you pour through there?
-Robert Schuller
***
Don’t postpone joy.
-Bumper Sticker
-Mary Drahos,
"Angels of God, Guardians Dear"
****
Forgiveness is the final form of love.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
***
If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you’re going to be cockeyed today.
-Anonymous
***
He has no staff nor tuft nor sacred thread.
He faces heat and cold, pleasure and pain,
Honor and dishonor with equal calm.
He is not affected by calumny,
Pride, jealousy, status, joy or sorrow,
Greed, anger, or infatuation,
Excitement, egoism, or other goads;
For [the illuminated man] knows he is neither body nor mind.
-Paramahamsa Upanishad
***
Do not seek sustenance from people. God is the real Provider. If He wills a certain person to be the means of your livelihood, do not consider that person to be in control of your destiny. Have faith and be certain in the knowledge that your daily bread does not depend upon any mortal, but upon God who created all.
-Al-Hajwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
***
If you want to avoid experiencing reversal, just cut off dualism; then measurements cannot govern you. You are neither Buddha nor sentient being; you are not near or far, not high or low, not equal or even, not going or coming.
-Pai-chang
***
Faith is a pipeline. It can flow in health, in terms of water or oxygen, or it can be filled with poison. What values do you pour through there?
-Robert Schuller
***
Don’t postpone joy.
-Bumper Sticker
God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart.
-June Masters Bacher
***
He who postpones the hour of living rightly is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses.
-Horace
***
The light of Brahman flashes in lightning;
The light of Brahman flashes in our eyes.
It is the power of Brahman that makes
The mind to think, desire, and will.
Therefore
Use this power to meditate on Brahman.
He is the inmost Self of everyone;
He alone is worthy of all our love.
Meditate upon him in all. Those who
Meditate upon him are dear to all.
-Kena Upanishad
***
We have sent you an apostle who belongs to your own nation. He will recite our revelations and purify you of sin. He will explain to you the book which we have dictated to him; he will make you wise, teaching you things of which at present you know nothing. Remember me, and I shall remember you. Give thanks to me, and I shall never reject you.’
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:151-152
***
Monks, there are these three roots of evil. What three?
Lust is a root of evil, hate is a root of evil, delusion is a root of evil. These are the three roots of evil.
-Itivuttaka
-June Masters Bacher
***
He who postpones the hour of living rightly is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses.
-Horace
***
The light of Brahman flashes in lightning;
The light of Brahman flashes in our eyes.
It is the power of Brahman that makes
The mind to think, desire, and will.
Therefore
Use this power to meditate on Brahman.
He is the inmost Self of everyone;
He alone is worthy of all our love.
Meditate upon him in all. Those who
Meditate upon him are dear to all.
-Kena Upanishad
***
We have sent you an apostle who belongs to your own nation. He will recite our revelations and purify you of sin. He will explain to you the book which we have dictated to him; he will make you wise, teaching you things of which at present you know nothing. Remember me, and I shall remember you. Give thanks to me, and I shall never reject you.’
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:151-152
***
Monks, there are these three roots of evil. What three?
Lust is a root of evil, hate is a root of evil, delusion is a root of evil. These are the three roots of evil.
-Itivuttaka
Let's approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush.
-Unknown
***
All kids are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others.
-Michael Carr
***
Dissolving the mind,
Or the highest meditation,
The world and all its works,
Life or death,
What are they to me?
I sit in my own radiance.
Why talk of wisdom,
The three ends of life,
Or oneness?
Why talk of these!
Now I live in my heart.
-Ashtavakra Gita 19:7-8
***
An angel is like an arrow of light cutting through the dark.
-Karen Goldman,
"The Angel Book"
-Unknown
***
All kids are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others.
-Michael Carr
***
Dissolving the mind,
Or the highest meditation,
The world and all its works,
Life or death,
What are they to me?
I sit in my own radiance.
Why talk of wisdom,
The three ends of life,
Or oneness?
Why talk of these!
Now I live in my heart.
-Ashtavakra Gita 19:7-8
***
An angel is like an arrow of light cutting through the dark.
-Karen Goldman,
"The Angel Book"
Children are natural mimics--they act like their parents in spite of every effort to teach them good manners.
-Unknown
***
Even a sinner becomes holy when he worships me alone with firm resolve. Quickly his soul conforms to dharma and he attains to boundless peace. Never forget this, Arjuna: no one who is devoted to me will ever come to harm.
-Bhagavad Gita 9:30-31
***
I made peace with all the people in the world, resolving never to wage war on anyone, and I waged war against my self and have never since made peace with it.
-Kharaqani in Attar: Tadhkirat
***
Detach from all mental objects, stop all thoughts: do not let either good or bad thoughts enter your thinking, do not keep either Buddhist teachings or worldly phenomena in mind.
-Huai-t'ang
-Unknown
***
Even a sinner becomes holy when he worships me alone with firm resolve. Quickly his soul conforms to dharma and he attains to boundless peace. Never forget this, Arjuna: no one who is devoted to me will ever come to harm.
-Bhagavad Gita 9:30-31
***
I made peace with all the people in the world, resolving never to wage war on anyone, and I waged war against my self and have never since made peace with it.
-Kharaqani in Attar: Tadhkirat
***
Detach from all mental objects, stop all thoughts: do not let either good or bad thoughts enter your thinking, do not keep either Buddhist teachings or worldly phenomena in mind.
-Huai-t'ang
Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
-Norman Vincent Peale
***
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.
-Dodie Smith
***
Abdullah, Muhammad's father, died while Amina was pregnant.
Muhammad was born in the year of the elephant. Amina sent a message to Muhammad's paternal grandfather to inform him of the birth, inviting him to come and look at the baby. When the grandfather arrived, Amina told him of the voice she had heard while she was pregnant. The grandfather took the baby to the Kaba, the shrine in the centre of Mecca, and gave thanks to God for this gift.
-Ibn Ishaq, "The Life of Muhammad"
***
Even though he has no learning, if a man but listens to the learned
That will be his staff of strength in adversity.
Words from the lips of upright men
Are like a steadying staff in a slippery place.
-Tirukkural 42:414-415
***
Like a mirage in the springtime, the mind is found bewildered; animals imagine water but there is no reality to it.
There is here nothing but thought construction, it is like an image in the air; when they thus understand all, there is nothing to know.
-adapted from the Lankavatara Sutra, translated by D.T. Suzuki
-Norman Vincent Peale
***
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.
-Dodie Smith
***
Abdullah, Muhammad's father, died while Amina was pregnant.
Muhammad was born in the year of the elephant. Amina sent a message to Muhammad's paternal grandfather to inform him of the birth, inviting him to come and look at the baby. When the grandfather arrived, Amina told him of the voice she had heard while she was pregnant. The grandfather took the baby to the Kaba, the shrine in the centre of Mecca, and gave thanks to God for this gift.
-Ibn Ishaq, "The Life of Muhammad"
***
Even though he has no learning, if a man but listens to the learned
That will be his staff of strength in adversity.
Words from the lips of upright men
Are like a steadying staff in a slippery place.
-Tirukkural 42:414-415
***
Like a mirage in the springtime, the mind is found bewildered; animals imagine water but there is no reality to it.
There is here nothing but thought construction, it is like an image in the air; when they thus understand all, there is nothing to know.
-adapted from the Lankavatara Sutra, translated by D.T. Suzuki
Angels are the channel of our ever-present connection with God, whose mission is to guide us on our spiritual path.
-Ambika Wauters,
The Angelic Year
***
This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ.
-Frank McKibben
***
Every gift, though it be small, is in reality great if given with affection.
-Pindar
***
In nature there is fundamental unity running through all the diversity we see about us. Religions are given to mankind so as to accelerate the process of realization of fundamental unity.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
It is God who raised an apostle from the inhabitants of Mecca, to recite to them his revelations, to purify them, to make them wise, and to explain the Scriptures to them—and thereby save them from the gross errors into which they have fallen. Such is the grace of God; he bestows his grace on whom he leases, and his grace is infinite.
-Qur'an, Al-Jumu'ah, Surah 62:2,4
***
If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience and understanding.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
-Ambika Wauters,
The Angelic Year
***
This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ.
-Frank McKibben
***
Every gift, though it be small, is in reality great if given with affection.
-Pindar
***
In nature there is fundamental unity running through all the diversity we see about us. Religions are given to mankind so as to accelerate the process of realization of fundamental unity.
-Mahatma Gandhi
***
It is God who raised an apostle from the inhabitants of Mecca, to recite to them his revelations, to purify them, to make them wise, and to explain the Scriptures to them—and thereby save them from the gross errors into which they have fallen. Such is the grace of God; he bestows his grace on whom he leases, and his grace is infinite.
-Qur'an, Al-Jumu'ah, Surah 62:2,4
***
If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience and understanding.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
***
For many of us, sadly, the spirit of Christmas is "hurry." And yet...the hour comes when the rushing ends and...Christmas itself is eternal.
-Burton Hills
***
Every time we open our mouths, men look into our minds.
-Anonymous
***
Spend in the name of Allah and do not hold back lest Allah withhold His blessings from you.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Asma bint Abu Bakr al-Saddiq
***
"That which moves about in joy in the dreaming state is the Self, fearless and deathless. That is Brahman, the supreme."
-Chandogya Upanishad
***
Half the spiritual life consists in remembering what we are up against and where we are going.
-Ayya Khema, "When the Iron Eagle Flies"
***
"To keep your character intact you cannot stoop to filthy acts. It makes it easier to stoop the next time."
– Katharine Hepburn
-Burton Hills
***
Every time we open our mouths, men look into our minds.
-Anonymous
***
Spend in the name of Allah and do not hold back lest Allah withhold His blessings from you.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Asma bint Abu Bakr al-Saddiq
***
"That which moves about in joy in the dreaming state is the Self, fearless and deathless. That is Brahman, the supreme."
-Chandogya Upanishad
***
Half the spiritual life consists in remembering what we are up against and where we are going.
-Ayya Khema, "When the Iron Eagle Flies"
***
"To keep your character intact you cannot stoop to filthy acts. It makes it easier to stoop the next time."
– Katharine Hepburn
Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money....Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives.
-Pope Benedict XVI
***
If it were not for the last minute, nothing would get done.
-Anonymous
***
[The Master] is blessed.
He understands the nature of the Self.
His mind is no longer thirsty.
He is the same under all conditions,
Whatever he sees or hears,
Or smells or touches or tastes.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:65
***
"In your seeing," he said, "there should be only the seeing. In your hearing, nothing but the hearing; in your smelling, tasting, and touching, nothing but smelling, tasting, and touching; in your thinking, nothing but the thought."
-Khuddaka Nikaya
***
-Pope Benedict XVI
***
If it were not for the last minute, nothing would get done.
-Anonymous
***
[The Master] is blessed.
He understands the nature of the Self.
His mind is no longer thirsty.
He is the same under all conditions,
Whatever he sees or hears,
Or smells or touches or tastes.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:65
***
"In your seeing," he said, "there should be only the seeing. In your hearing, nothing but the hearing; in your smelling, tasting, and touching, nothing but smelling, tasting, and touching; in your thinking, nothing but the thought."
-Khuddaka Nikaya
***
Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas...To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!"
-Henri J. M. Nouwen
****
Some pursue happiness, others create it.
-Anonymous
****
Make the pilgrimage, visiting the sacred house, for God's sake. But if you are prevented from making the pilgrimage, send such an offering as you can afford.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:196
****
Do not disparage men who appear small, for there are those,
Seemingly insignificant, who are like the linchpin of a mighty chariot.
-Tirukkural 67:667
***
First of all, do not predefine understanding, and do not make a principle of non-understanding.
-Ying-an
-Henri J. M. Nouwen
****
Some pursue happiness, others create it.
-Anonymous
****
Make the pilgrimage, visiting the sacred house, for God's sake. But if you are prevented from making the pilgrimage, send such an offering as you can afford.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:196
****
Do not disparage men who appear small, for there are those,
Seemingly insignificant, who are like the linchpin of a mighty chariot.
-Tirukkural 67:667
***
First of all, do not predefine understanding, and do not make a principle of non-understanding.
-Ying-an
O Father may that Holy Star
Grow every year more bright,
And send its glorious beams afar
To fill the world with light.
-William Cullen Bryant
***
If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.
-Buddha
***
Doubt is a precipice on the way to God. Blessed is he who is freed from its bonds. He who fares without any doubt, adhere to his footprints if you do not know the way. Cleave to the footprints of the deer and advance with care that you may reach the musk-gland. By means of such trekking, even if you walk on fire, you will reach the luminous peak.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Be aware of me always, adore me, make every act an offering to me, and you shall come to me; this I promise; for you are dear to me. Abandon all supports and look to me for protection. I shall purify you from the sins of the past; do not grieve.
-Bhagavad Gita 18:65-66
***
Ch'eng-t'ien was asked, "How should I apply my mind twenty-four hours a day?" He replied, "When chickens are cold, they roost in trees; when ducks are cold, they plunge into water." The questioner said, "Then I don’t need cultivated realization, and won't pursue Buddhahood or Zen mastery." Ch’eng-t'ien responded, "You've saved half my effort."
From "The Pocket Zen Reader," edited by Thomas Cleary, 1999. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.
Grow every year more bright,
And send its glorious beams afar
To fill the world with light.
-William Cullen Bryant
***
If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.
-Buddha
***
Doubt is a precipice on the way to God. Blessed is he who is freed from its bonds. He who fares without any doubt, adhere to his footprints if you do not know the way. Cleave to the footprints of the deer and advance with care that you may reach the musk-gland. By means of such trekking, even if you walk on fire, you will reach the luminous peak.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Be aware of me always, adore me, make every act an offering to me, and you shall come to me; this I promise; for you are dear to me. Abandon all supports and look to me for protection. I shall purify you from the sins of the past; do not grieve.
-Bhagavad Gita 18:65-66
***
Ch'eng-t'ien was asked, "How should I apply my mind twenty-four hours a day?" He replied, "When chickens are cold, they roost in trees; when ducks are cold, they plunge into water." The questioner said, "Then I don’t need cultivated realization, and won't pursue Buddhahood or Zen mastery." Ch’eng-t'ien responded, "You've saved half my effort."
From "The Pocket Zen Reader," edited by Thomas Cleary, 1999. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.
This is what the Lord asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.
-Micah 6:8
***
“Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.”
George Iles
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
Vaclav Havel
***
Prayer is an instrument through which novices find their path to God. Thus ablution symbolizes repentance; the Qibla*, a spiritual guide; standing in prayer becomes self-mortification; the recitation of the Qur’an, inner meditation; bowing the head, humility; prostration, self-knowledge; profession of faith, intimacy; and salutation becomes detachment from the world and bondage of stations.
*Qibla: The point toward which Muslims turn to pray, which is the Ka'ba, or house of God, in the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
-Al-Hujwiri, “The Kashf al-Mahjub”
***
"That which makes the eye see but cannot be
Seen by the eye, that is the Self indeed.
This Self is not someone other than you."
-Kena Upanishad
***
Even a strong wind is empty by nature.
Even a great wave is just ocean itself.
Even thick southern clouds are insubstantial as sky.
Even the dense mind is naturally birthless.
-Milarepa, "Drinking The Fountain Stream"
-Micah 6:8
***
“Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.”
George Iles
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
Vaclav Havel
***
Prayer is an instrument through which novices find their path to God. Thus ablution symbolizes repentance; the Qibla*, a spiritual guide; standing in prayer becomes self-mortification; the recitation of the Qur’an, inner meditation; bowing the head, humility; prostration, self-knowledge; profession of faith, intimacy; and salutation becomes detachment from the world and bondage of stations.
*Qibla: The point toward which Muslims turn to pray, which is the Ka'ba, or house of God, in the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
-Al-Hujwiri, “The Kashf al-Mahjub”
***
"That which makes the eye see but cannot be
Seen by the eye, that is the Self indeed.
This Self is not someone other than you."
-Kena Upanishad
***
Even a strong wind is empty by nature.
Even a great wave is just ocean itself.
Even thick southern clouds are insubstantial as sky.
Even the dense mind is naturally birthless.
-Milarepa, "Drinking The Fountain Stream"
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet.
-Anonymous
***
"When a spiritual guest enters the house,
Like a bright flame, he must be received well,
With water to wash his feet. Far from wise
Are those who are not hospitable
To such a guest. They will lose all their hopes,
The religious merit they have acquired,
Their sons and their cattle."
-Katha Upanishad
****
When Muhammad reached the Grand Mosque, most of the population was at the entrance, eager to look at him. As he went in, he threw the end of his cloak over his left shoulder, leaving his right arm free. He declared, "May God have mercy on the man who today shows the people he is strong." Then he walked round the Kaba, kissing each side, and finally kissing the black stone. After a short pause he trotted round the Kaba three times, and walked around it a further three times.
-Ibn Ishaq, "The Life of Muhammad"
***
Crush your sense of self-allure
like an autumn lily in the hand.
Nurture only the path to peace
--Unbinding--
as taught by the One Well Gone.
-Dhammapada, 20, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
-Anonymous
***
"When a spiritual guest enters the house,
Like a bright flame, he must be received well,
With water to wash his feet. Far from wise
Are those who are not hospitable
To such a guest. They will lose all their hopes,
The religious merit they have acquired,
Their sons and their cattle."
-Katha Upanishad
****
When Muhammad reached the Grand Mosque, most of the population was at the entrance, eager to look at him. As he went in, he threw the end of his cloak over his left shoulder, leaving his right arm free. He declared, "May God have mercy on the man who today shows the people he is strong." Then he walked round the Kaba, kissing each side, and finally kissing the black stone. After a short pause he trotted round the Kaba three times, and walked around it a further three times.
-Ibn Ishaq, "The Life of Muhammad"
***
Crush your sense of self-allure
like an autumn lily in the hand.
Nurture only the path to peace
--Unbinding--
as taught by the One Well Gone.
-Dhammapada, 20, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
When Christ entered our world, he didn't come to brighten our Decembers, but to transform our lives.
-Rich Miller
***
Good and evil do not befall men without reason. Heaven sends them happiness or misery according to their conduct.
-Confucius
***
Each one prays to God according to his own light.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1930
***
'We shall guide you onto the smoothest path. Then invite the people of Mecca to follow that path-if they will listen.' Those who honour God, will accept the invitations; but wicked sinners will refuse it. Wicked sinners will be cast into the raging fire, where they will neither live nor die. Happy are those who purify themselves of sin, who remember the name of the Lord, and who pray to him.
-Qur'an, Al-A'la, Surah 87:8-15
***
General standards of human rights apply to the people of all countries because, regardless of their cultural background, all humans share an inherent yearning for freedom, equality and dignity. Democracy and respect for fundamental human rights are as important to Africans and Asians as they are to Europeans and Americans.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Harvard International Review," 1995
-Rich Miller
***
Good and evil do not befall men without reason. Heaven sends them happiness or misery according to their conduct.
-Confucius
***
Each one prays to God according to his own light.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1930
***
'We shall guide you onto the smoothest path. Then invite the people of Mecca to follow that path-if they will listen.' Those who honour God, will accept the invitations; but wicked sinners will refuse it. Wicked sinners will be cast into the raging fire, where they will neither live nor die. Happy are those who purify themselves of sin, who remember the name of the Lord, and who pray to him.
-Qur'an, Al-A'la, Surah 87:8-15
***
General standards of human rights apply to the people of all countries because, regardless of their cultural background, all humans share an inherent yearning for freedom, equality and dignity. Democracy and respect for fundamental human rights are as important to Africans and Asians as they are to Europeans and Americans.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Harvard International Review," 1995
May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem this night fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do.
-Rev. Richard J. Fairchild
***
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
-Aristotle
***
Allah tries his chosen people through many hardships, but those who persevere through adversity, surrendering themselves before the will of Allah, shall be blessed with a superb reward.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Anas bin Malik
***
By this invocation of peace may peace bring peace!
With this peace the dreadful I now appease,
with this peace the cruel I now appease,
with this peace all evil I now appease,
so that peace may prevail, happiness prevail!
May everything for us be peaceful!
-Athara Veda
From "Teachings
***
Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride.
-Sutta Nipata
-Rev. Richard J. Fairchild
***
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
-Aristotle
***
Allah tries his chosen people through many hardships, but those who persevere through adversity, surrendering themselves before the will of Allah, shall be blessed with a superb reward.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Anas bin Malik
***
By this invocation of peace may peace bring peace!
With this peace the dreadful I now appease,
with this peace the cruel I now appease,
with this peace all evil I now appease,
so that peace may prevail, happiness prevail!
May everything for us be peaceful!
-Athara Veda
From "Teachings
***
Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride.
-Sutta Nipata
The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it.
-Frederick Buechner, "Listening to Your Life"
***
[Some people] have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.
-A.H. Maslow
***
A Sufi was once engaged in prayer, when his cell caught fire. He did not stop praying for one moment. Afterwards, people asked him about this. He replied: ‘The divine fire held my attention, so I could not attend to the fire in my cell.’
-Qushayri, "Risalah"
***
Freedom is that triumphant state of consciousness that is beyond the influence of desire. The mind ceases to thirst for anything it has seen or heard of; even what is promised in the scriptures.
And supreme freedom is that complete liberation from the world of change that comes of knowing the unbound Self.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1:15-16
***
Consider movement stationary
and the stationary in motion,
both movement and rest disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist
Oneness itself cannot exist.
To this ultimate finality
no law or description applies.
-Seng-tsan, "Verses on the Faith Mind"
***
-Frederick Buechner, "Listening to Your Life"
***
[Some people] have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.
-A.H. Maslow
***
A Sufi was once engaged in prayer, when his cell caught fire. He did not stop praying for one moment. Afterwards, people asked him about this. He replied: ‘The divine fire held my attention, so I could not attend to the fire in my cell.’
-Qushayri, "Risalah"
***
Freedom is that triumphant state of consciousness that is beyond the influence of desire. The mind ceases to thirst for anything it has seen or heard of; even what is promised in the scriptures.
And supreme freedom is that complete liberation from the world of change that comes of knowing the unbound Self.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1:15-16
***
Consider movement stationary
and the stationary in motion,
both movement and rest disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist
Oneness itself cannot exist.
To this ultimate finality
no law or description applies.
-Seng-tsan, "Verses on the Faith Mind"
***
Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers!
-William Culbertson
***
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.
***
Recite then as much of the Qur'an as you can with ease, because He knows that some among you are sick, others must travel in search of His bounty, and others still have to struggle in His cause. Recite then only that which is easy for you, establish worship and give in alms, thus offering Allah a generous loan. Whatever good you send before yourselves, you shall find a richer reward with Allah.
-Qur'an, Al-Muzzammil, Surah 73:20
***
From him come the scriptures, chants, and prayers,
Religious rites and sacrificial gifts;
From him come work, time, and givers of gifts,
And all things under the sun and moon.
From him come the gods of the natural world,
Men, beasts, and birds, and food to nourish them;
From him come all spiritual disciplines,
Meditation, truth, faith, and purity.
-Mundaka Upanishad
***
Enlightenment is a way of saying that all things are seen in their intrinsic empty nature, their Suchness, their ungraspable wonder. Names or words are merely incidental, but that state which sees no division, no duality, is enlightenment.
-Prajnaparamita
From "Buddha Speaks
-William Culbertson
***
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.
***
Recite then as much of the Qur'an as you can with ease, because He knows that some among you are sick, others must travel in search of His bounty, and others still have to struggle in His cause. Recite then only that which is easy for you, establish worship and give in alms, thus offering Allah a generous loan. Whatever good you send before yourselves, you shall find a richer reward with Allah.
-Qur'an, Al-Muzzammil, Surah 73:20
***
From him come the scriptures, chants, and prayers,
Religious rites and sacrificial gifts;
From him come work, time, and givers of gifts,
And all things under the sun and moon.
From him come the gods of the natural world,
Men, beasts, and birds, and food to nourish them;
From him come all spiritual disciplines,
Meditation, truth, faith, and purity.
-Mundaka Upanishad
***
Enlightenment is a way of saying that all things are seen in their intrinsic empty nature, their Suchness, their ungraspable wonder. Names or words are merely incidental, but that state which sees no division, no duality, is enlightenment.
-Prajnaparamita
From "Buddha Speaks
[Y]ou can get hope in the smallest good act, in the smallest kind word, in the smallest gesture that is for your good, you know. Hope is all around us.
-Thelma Wells
****
What I am doing today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
-Unknown (submitted by blacat)
***
"You begin saving the world by saving one person at a time."
- Charles Bukowski
***
Have faith, my Child, have faith.
Do not be bewildered.
For you are beyond all things,
The heart of all knowing.
You are the Self.
You are God.
-Ashtavakra Gita 15:8
***
Enlightened by right views, we call forth the buddha within us.
When our nature is dominated by the poisonous elements
We are said to be possessed by Mara;
But when right views eliminate from our mind these poisonous elements
Mara will be transformed into a real buddha.
-The Sutra of Hui-Neng
From "Teachings of the
***
-Thelma Wells
****
What I am doing today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
-Unknown (submitted by blacat)
***
"You begin saving the world by saving one person at a time."
- Charles Bukowski
***
Have faith, my Child, have faith.
Do not be bewildered.
For you are beyond all things,
The heart of all knowing.
You are the Self.
You are God.
-Ashtavakra Gita 15:8
***
Enlightened by right views, we call forth the buddha within us.
When our nature is dominated by the poisonous elements
We are said to be possessed by Mara;
But when right views eliminate from our mind these poisonous elements
Mara will be transformed into a real buddha.
-The Sutra of Hui-Neng
From "Teachings of the
***
The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.
-G.K. Chesterton
***
When you are reluctant to change, think of the beauty of autumn.
-submitted by vbbrown
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As a man abandons worn-out clothes and acquires new ones, so when the body is worn out a new one is acquired by the Self, who lives within.
-Bhagavad Gita 2: 22
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Describing his awakening, the Buddha said: "Coming to be, coming to be! Ceasing to be, ceasing to be! At that thought, monks, there arose in me a vision of things not before called to mind. Knowledge arose--such is form, such is the coming to be of form, such is its passing away. Recognition arose--such is its coming to be, such is its passing away. And the state of abiding in the understanding of arising and passing away--that too arose."
-Samyutta Nikaya
-G.K. Chesterton
***
When you are reluctant to change, think of the beauty of autumn.
-submitted by vbbrown
***
As a man abandons worn-out clothes and acquires new ones, so when the body is worn out a new one is acquired by the Self, who lives within.
-Bhagavad Gita 2: 22
***
Describing his awakening, the Buddha said: "Coming to be, coming to be! Ceasing to be, ceasing to be! At that thought, monks, there arose in me a vision of things not before called to mind. Knowledge arose--such is form, such is the coming to be of form, such is its passing away. Recognition arose--such is its coming to be, such is its passing away. And the state of abiding in the understanding of arising and passing away--that too arose."
-Samyutta Nikaya