Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
-Margaret Lee Runbeck
***
It is better for my enemy to see good in me than for me to see evil in him.
- Yiddish proverb
***
Brahman cannot be realized by those
Who are subject to greed, fear, and anger.
Brahman cannot be realized by those
Who are subject to the pride of name and fame
Or to the vanity of scholarship.
Brahman cannot be realized by those
Who are enmeshed in life's duality.
But to all those who pierce this duality,
Whose hearts are given to the Lord of Love,
He gives himself through his infinite grace,
He gives himself through his infinite grace.
-Tejabindu Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
Let’s not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God.
-Henri Nouwen
***
A name is imposed on what is thought to be a thing or a state and this divides it from other things and other states. But when you pursue what lies behind the name, you find a greater and greater subtlety that has no divisions. Atoms of dust are not really atoms of dust but are merely called that. In the same way, a world is not a world but is merely called that.
-Visuddhi Magga
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Worship the Merciful, feed the hungry, and spread peace. You shall then enter Paradise in peace.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Abd’Allah bin Amr
***
If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.
-Morris West
Quote
-
Guest
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
***
Let a man set his heart only on doing the will of God and he is instantly free...
-A.W. Tozer
***
Abandoning malicious speech, he abstains from malicious speech; he does not repeat elsewhere what he has heard here in order to divide (those people) from these, nor does he repeat to these people what he has heard elsewhere in order to divide (these people) from those; thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of friendships, who enjoys concord, rejoices in concord, delights in concord, a speaker of words that promote concord.
-Majjhima Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Free from self-will, aggressiveness, arrogance, anger and the lust to possess people or things, he is at peace with himself and others and enters into the unitive state. United with Brahman, ever joyful, beyond the reach of desire and sorrow, he has equal regard for every living creature and attains supreme devotion to me. By loving me he comes to know me truly; then he knows my glory and enters into my boundless being. All his acts are performed in my service, and through my grace he wins eternal life.
-Bhagavad Gita 18:53-56
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Contemplate the wonders of creation, the Divine dimension of their being, not as a dim configuration that is presented to you from a distance, but as the reality in which you live.
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
***
Sometimes in order to help He makes us cry.
Happy the eye that sheds tears for His sake.
Fortunate the heart that burns for His sake.
Laughter always follows tears.
Blessed are those who understand.
Life blossoms wherever water flows.
Where tears are shed divine mercy is shown.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-Thich Nhat Hanh
***
Let a man set his heart only on doing the will of God and he is instantly free...
-A.W. Tozer
***
Abandoning malicious speech, he abstains from malicious speech; he does not repeat elsewhere what he has heard here in order to divide (those people) from these, nor does he repeat to these people what he has heard elsewhere in order to divide (these people) from those; thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of friendships, who enjoys concord, rejoices in concord, delights in concord, a speaker of words that promote concord.
-Majjhima Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Free from self-will, aggressiveness, arrogance, anger and the lust to possess people or things, he is at peace with himself and others and enters into the unitive state. United with Brahman, ever joyful, beyond the reach of desire and sorrow, he has equal regard for every living creature and attains supreme devotion to me. By loving me he comes to know me truly; then he knows my glory and enters into my boundless being. All his acts are performed in my service, and through my grace he wins eternal life.
-Bhagavad Gita 18:53-56
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Contemplate the wonders of creation, the Divine dimension of their being, not as a dim configuration that is presented to you from a distance, but as the reality in which you live.
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
***
Sometimes in order to help He makes us cry.
Happy the eye that sheds tears for His sake.
Fortunate the heart that burns for His sake.
Laughter always follows tears.
Blessed are those who understand.
Life blossoms wherever water flows.
Where tears are shed divine mercy is shown.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks.
-Charles Dickens
***
Do not despise any person, and do not consider anything impossible, for there is no person who does not have an hour and no thing that does not have its place.
- Pirkei Avot 4:3
***
It is not in the gifts He received but in the virtues He practiced that Christ is our model.
-Jean N. Grou
***
Abandoning harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech, he speaks such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, and lovable, as go to the heart, are courteous, desired by many and agreeable to many.
-Majjhima-Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,
***
Do not strut proudly on account of your good deeds. Do not let pride waylay you. When you deem yourself holier than others, know that you have fallen into grave error because in your pride you believed yourself equal to God.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Futhul Ghaib"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-Charles Dickens
***
Do not despise any person, and do not consider anything impossible, for there is no person who does not have an hour and no thing that does not have its place.
- Pirkei Avot 4:3
***
It is not in the gifts He received but in the virtues He practiced that Christ is our model.
-Jean N. Grou
***
Abandoning harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech, he speaks such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, and lovable, as go to the heart, are courteous, desired by many and agreeable to many.
-Majjhima-Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,
***
Do not strut proudly on account of your good deeds. Do not let pride waylay you. When you deem yourself holier than others, know that you have fallen into grave error because in your pride you believed yourself equal to God.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Futhul Ghaib"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar.
-Robert Brault
***
He who has no desires has no sorrow, but where there is desire
There will be ever-increasing sorrows.
When desire, sorrow's sorrow, dies away,
Undying bliss prevails even here on earth.
It is the nature of desire never to be fulfilled, but he who utterly
Gives it up realizes eternal fulfillment at that very moment.
-Tirukkural 37: 368-370
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!
-Max Lucado
***
Don't sacrifice your own welfare
for that of another,
no matter how great.
Realizing your own true welfare,
be intent on just that.
-Dhammapada 166
***
The master continued, "If you put oil, pepper, garlic and onion in a cauldron, and merely add water, you have not made a stew. The basis for a stew is meat; the other ingredients are optional. Similarly, spiritual progress depends on detaching yourself from material posessions; other virtuous practices are optional."
-Nizam al-Din, "Fawa'id al-Fu'ad"
From "366 Readings From Islam
***
-Robert Brault
***
He who has no desires has no sorrow, but where there is desire
There will be ever-increasing sorrows.
When desire, sorrow's sorrow, dies away,
Undying bliss prevails even here on earth.
It is the nature of desire never to be fulfilled, but he who utterly
Gives it up realizes eternal fulfillment at that very moment.
-Tirukkural 37: 368-370
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!
-Max Lucado
***
Don't sacrifice your own welfare
for that of another,
no matter how great.
Realizing your own true welfare,
be intent on just that.
-Dhammapada 166
***
The master continued, "If you put oil, pepper, garlic and onion in a cauldron, and merely add water, you have not made a stew. The basis for a stew is meat; the other ingredients are optional. Similarly, spiritual progress depends on detaching yourself from material posessions; other virtuous practices are optional."
-Nizam al-Din, "Fawa'id al-Fu'ad"
From "366 Readings From Islam
***
-
Guest
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
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
The spiritual path ruins the body, but subsequently restores it to health. It ruins the house to reveal the treasure, and with that treasure it builds better than before.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know.
-William Saroyan
***
As butter lies hidden within milk,
The Self is hidden in the hearts of all.
Churn the mind through meditation on it;
Light your fire through meditation on it:
The Self, all whole, all peace, all certitude.
-Amritabindu Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
-Bhagavad Gita 18:65-66
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
The spiritual path ruins the body, but subsequently restores it to health. It ruins the house to reveal the treasure, and with that treasure it builds better than before.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know.
-William Saroyan
***
As butter lies hidden within milk,
The Self is hidden in the hearts of all.
Churn the mind through meditation on it;
Light your fire through meditation on it:
The Self, all whole, all peace, all certitude.
-Amritabindu Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
-
Guest
Forgiveness means giving up all hope of a better past.
-Landrum Bolling
***
The ideal of man is to be a revelation himself, clearly to recognize himself as a manifestation of God.
- Baal Shem Tov
***
Comprehending and acquiring self-control
confers upon one the esteem of wise men.
More imposing than a mountain is the greatness of a man who,
steadfast in domestic life, has mastered self-control.
-Tirukkural 13: 123-124
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.
-St. Augustine
***
As in a pile of rubbish
cast by the side of a highway
a lotus might grow
clean-smelling
pleasing the heart,
so in the midst of the rubbish-like,
people run-of-the-mill & blind,
there dazzles with discernment
the disciple of the Rightly
Self Awakened One.
-Dhammapada, 4, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Lord! I seek refuge in You
from adversities, weaknesses, indolence,
cowardice, avarice, indebtedness,
and being victimized by the populace.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Anas bin Malik
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
-Landrum Bolling
***
The ideal of man is to be a revelation himself, clearly to recognize himself as a manifestation of God.
- Baal Shem Tov
***
Comprehending and acquiring self-control
confers upon one the esteem of wise men.
More imposing than a mountain is the greatness of a man who,
steadfast in domestic life, has mastered self-control.
-Tirukkural 13: 123-124
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.
-St. Augustine
***
As in a pile of rubbish
cast by the side of a highway
a lotus might grow
clean-smelling
pleasing the heart,
so in the midst of the rubbish-like,
people run-of-the-mill & blind,
there dazzles with discernment
the disciple of the Rightly
Self Awakened One.
-Dhammapada, 4, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Lord! I seek refuge in You
from adversities, weaknesses, indolence,
cowardice, avarice, indebtedness,
and being victimized by the populace.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Anas bin Malik
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
-
Guest
To have no occasion for lying does not yet mean to be honest.
- Arthur Schnitzler (Austrian playwright, 1862-1931)
***
As a person acts, so he becomes in life. Those who do good become good; those who do harm become bad. Good deeds make one pure; bad deeds make one impure. So we are said to be what our desire is. As our desire is, so is our will. As our will is, so are our acts. As we act, so we become.
-Bihadaranyaka Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
Forgiveness creates an obligation for which there are no exceptions allowed.
-Giovanni Papini, "The Life of Christ"
***
All those of compassion should encourage their minds to think: "Every living being, whether born from the womb or born in any other way, whether they have perception or none, we should bring toward the boundless freedom of liberation. And when this vast and immeasurable number of beings has been liberated, we must not believe that any being has been liberated!" Why is this? It is because no compassionate person who is truly compassionate holds to the idea of a self, a being, or a separate individual.
-Diamond Sutra
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
- Arthur Schnitzler (Austrian playwright, 1862-1931)
***
As a person acts, so he becomes in life. Those who do good become good; those who do harm become bad. Good deeds make one pure; bad deeds make one impure. So we are said to be what our desire is. As our desire is, so is our will. As our will is, so are our acts. As we act, so we become.
-Bihadaranyaka Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
Forgiveness creates an obligation for which there are no exceptions allowed.
-Giovanni Papini, "The Life of Christ"
***
All those of compassion should encourage their minds to think: "Every living being, whether born from the womb or born in any other way, whether they have perception or none, we should bring toward the boundless freedom of liberation. And when this vast and immeasurable number of beings has been liberated, we must not believe that any being has been liberated!" Why is this? It is because no compassionate person who is truly compassionate holds to the idea of a self, a being, or a separate individual.
-Diamond Sutra
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
-
Guest
I have no particular taste for post-mortem immortality. I am immortal now, while I am gloriously alive.
- Rabbi Joel Blau, "My Uncertain God," 1924
***
Closing their eyes, steadying their breathing, and focusing their attention on the center of spiritual consciousness, the wise master their senses, mind, and intellect through meditation. Self-realization is their only goal. Freed from selfish desire, fear, and anger, they live in freedom always. Knowing me as the friend of all creatures, the Lord of the universe, the end of all offerings and all spiritual disciplines, they attain eternal peace.
-Bhagavad Gita 5:27-29
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
[The] defilements are like a cat. If you feed it, it will keep coming around. Stop feeding it, and eventually it will not bother to come around anymore.
-Ajahn Chah, "Still Forest Pool"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
Blessed was the hour that you saw me. I was dead and you gave me a new life. You sought me like a mother; I shunned you like a fool. Happy is he who espies Your face, O you whom pure spirits praise. How I reproached you with many silly words.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
There may be more to learn from climbing the same mountain a hundred times than by climbing a hundred different mountains.
-Richard Nelson
- Rabbi Joel Blau, "My Uncertain God," 1924
***
Closing their eyes, steadying their breathing, and focusing their attention on the center of spiritual consciousness, the wise master their senses, mind, and intellect through meditation. Self-realization is their only goal. Freed from selfish desire, fear, and anger, they live in freedom always. Knowing me as the friend of all creatures, the Lord of the universe, the end of all offerings and all spiritual disciplines, they attain eternal peace.
-Bhagavad Gita 5:27-29
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
[The] defilements are like a cat. If you feed it, it will keep coming around. Stop feeding it, and eventually it will not bother to come around anymore.
-Ajahn Chah, "Still Forest Pool"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
Blessed was the hour that you saw me. I was dead and you gave me a new life. You sought me like a mother; I shunned you like a fool. Happy is he who espies Your face, O you whom pure spirits praise. How I reproached you with many silly words.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
There may be more to learn from climbing the same mountain a hundred times than by climbing a hundred different mountains.
-Richard Nelson
-
Guest
Speech is a God-given boon peculiar to man, and must not be employed for that which is degrading.
- Moses Maimonides, "Guide for the Perplexed"
***
Someone who practices only bhakti yoga is like a blind man who cannot see where to go, and in his enthusiasm wanders off in the wrong direction. Someone who practices only gnana yoga, on the other hand, is like a lame man who can see the distant destination but, because his knowldge remains only theoretical, makes no progress towards it. However, if the love and energy of the bhakta is combined with the wisdom and discrimination of the gnani, seekers are sure to reach their destination.
-Hindu teaching story
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus,"
***
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can bring peace to others.
-Thomas à Kempis
***
As long as you have not realized the great principle that permeates all, it is essential that speech and action should support each other. Do not hold to the intellectual understanding of others; turn the light of awareness back to the root, and it is not there at all.
-Pao-chih
From "The Pocket Zen Reader," edited by Thomas Cleary, 1999.
***
How numerous Your favors bestowed upon me, favors of gifts and grace and assistance. Your love is now my only desire and my ultimate bliss.
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
- Moses Maimonides, "Guide for the Perplexed"
***
Someone who practices only bhakti yoga is like a blind man who cannot see where to go, and in his enthusiasm wanders off in the wrong direction. Someone who practices only gnana yoga, on the other hand, is like a lame man who can see the distant destination but, because his knowldge remains only theoretical, makes no progress towards it. However, if the love and energy of the bhakta is combined with the wisdom and discrimination of the gnani, seekers are sure to reach their destination.
-Hindu teaching story
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus,"
***
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can bring peace to others.
-Thomas à Kempis
***
As long as you have not realized the great principle that permeates all, it is essential that speech and action should support each other. Do not hold to the intellectual understanding of others; turn the light of awareness back to the root, and it is not there at all.
-Pao-chih
From "The Pocket Zen Reader," edited by Thomas Cleary, 1999.
***
How numerous Your favors bestowed upon me, favors of gifts and grace and assistance. Your love is now my only desire and my ultimate bliss.
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
It is the lot of man to suffer, it is also his fortune to forget.
- Benjamin Disraeli, "Vivian Grey"
***
From evil springs forth more evil.
Therefore, evil is to be feared even more than fire.
To commit no wrong, even against one's enemies,
Is said to be supreme wisdom.
-Tirukkural 21:202-203
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
If we want a love message to be heard, it has to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.
-Mother Teresa
***
Even as rain breaks through an ill-thatched house,
So lust breaks through an ill-trained mind.
Even as rain breaks not through a well-thatched house,
So lust breaks not through a well-trained mind.
-Dhammapada 13-14
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
A Kind word with forgiveness is preferred over charity followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:263
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
- Benjamin Disraeli, "Vivian Grey"
***
From evil springs forth more evil.
Therefore, evil is to be feared even more than fire.
To commit no wrong, even against one's enemies,
Is said to be supreme wisdom.
-Tirukkural 21:202-203
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
If we want a love message to be heard, it has to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.
-Mother Teresa
***
Even as rain breaks through an ill-thatched house,
So lust breaks through an ill-trained mind.
Even as rain breaks not through a well-thatched house,
So lust breaks not through a well-trained mind.
-Dhammapada 13-14
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
A Kind word with forgiveness is preferred over charity followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:263
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
Even if you be otherwise perfect, you fail without humility.
- Talmud: Kalla Rabbati
***
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
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
A questioner asked the Buddha: "I would like to know about the state of peace, the state of solitude and of quiet detachment. How does a person become calm, independent, and not wanting to grasp at anything?"
"A person does this," replied the Buddha, "by eradicating the delusion of 'I am.' By being alert and attentive, he begins to let go of cravings as they arise. But whatever he begins to accomplish, he should beware of inner pride. He must avoid thinking of himself as better than another, or worse or equal, for that is all comparison and emphasizes the self.
"The person should look for peace within and not depend on it in any other place. For when a person is quiet within, the self cannot be found. There are no waves in the depths of the ocean, it is still and unbroken. It is the same with the peaceful person. He is still, without any longing to grasp. He has let go the foundations of self and no longer builds up pride and desire."
-Sutta Nipata
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
I belong to God, as has often been shown; yet I also belong to myself. He becomes himself through me. I live in him, and I live in myself. I have two aspects, he and I, divine and human. But he is not I, and I am not he. My actions are the theatre in which he expresses himself; to him I am a vessel.
-Ibn Arabi, “Fusus al-hikam”
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
- Talmud: Kalla Rabbati
***
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
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
A questioner asked the Buddha: "I would like to know about the state of peace, the state of solitude and of quiet detachment. How does a person become calm, independent, and not wanting to grasp at anything?"
"A person does this," replied the Buddha, "by eradicating the delusion of 'I am.' By being alert and attentive, he begins to let go of cravings as they arise. But whatever he begins to accomplish, he should beware of inner pride. He must avoid thinking of himself as better than another, or worse or equal, for that is all comparison and emphasizes the self.
"The person should look for peace within and not depend on it in any other place. For when a person is quiet within, the self cannot be found. There are no waves in the depths of the ocean, it is still and unbroken. It is the same with the peaceful person. He is still, without any longing to grasp. He has let go the foundations of self and no longer builds up pride and desire."
-Sutta Nipata
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
I belong to God, as has often been shown; yet I also belong to myself. He becomes himself through me. I live in him, and I live in myself. I have two aspects, he and I, divine and human. But he is not I, and I am not he. My actions are the theatre in which he expresses himself; to him I am a vessel.
-Ibn Arabi, “Fusus al-hikam”
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
-
Guest
Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.
-Winston Churchill
***
Imagined woes pain none the less.
- Heine, "City of Lucca"
***
The infinite joy of touching Brahman is easily attained by those who are free from the burden of evil and established within themselves. They see the Self in every creature and all creation in the Self. With consciousness unified through meditation, they see everything with an equal eye.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:28-29
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
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
***
Body impermanent like spring mist;
mind insubstantial like empty sky;
thoughts unestablished like breezes in space.
Think about these three points over and over.
-Adept Godrakpa, "Hermit of Go Cliffs"
***
During prayer I give myself over to the Lord
and delight myself in zealous worship.
The window of my soul opens wide
and the Book of God comes to view
To fill my house with grace and light.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.
-Ruth E. Renkel
-Winston Churchill
***
Imagined woes pain none the less.
- Heine, "City of Lucca"
***
The infinite joy of touching Brahman is easily attained by those who are free from the burden of evil and established within themselves. They see the Self in every creature and all creation in the Self. With consciousness unified through meditation, they see everything with an equal eye.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:28-29
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
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
***
Body impermanent like spring mist;
mind insubstantial like empty sky;
thoughts unestablished like breezes in space.
Think about these three points over and over.
-Adept Godrakpa, "Hermit of Go Cliffs"
***
During prayer I give myself over to the Lord
and delight myself in zealous worship.
The window of my soul opens wide
and the Book of God comes to view
To fill my house with grace and light.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.
-Ruth E. Renkel
-
Guest
-
Guest
Domestic life is rightly called virtue. The monastic path,
rightly lived beyond blame, is likewise good.
He who rightly pursues the householder's life here on Earth
will be rightfully placed among the Gods there in Heaven.
-Tirukkural 5:49-50
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
The winds of God are always blowing, but you must set the sails.
-Unknown
***
Encircled with craving,
people hop 'round & around
like a rabbit caught in a snare.
Tied with fetters & bonds
they go on to suffering,
again & again, for long.
Encircled with craving,
people hop 'round & around
like a rabbit caught in a snare.
So a monk
should dispel craving,
should aspire to dispassion
for himself.
-Dhammapada, 24, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
All the beasts that roam on the earth and all the birds that soar through the air are but communities like your own. We have omitted nothing from the Book. Before their Lord they shall all be gathered in the end.
-Qur'an, Al-An'am, Surah 6:38
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
rightly lived beyond blame, is likewise good.
He who rightly pursues the householder's life here on Earth
will be rightfully placed among the Gods there in Heaven.
-Tirukkural 5:49-50
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
The winds of God are always blowing, but you must set the sails.
-Unknown
***
Encircled with craving,
people hop 'round & around
like a rabbit caught in a snare.
Tied with fetters & bonds
they go on to suffering,
again & again, for long.
Encircled with craving,
people hop 'round & around
like a rabbit caught in a snare.
So a monk
should dispel craving,
should aspire to dispassion
for himself.
-Dhammapada, 24, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
All the beasts that roam on the earth and all the birds that soar through the air are but communities like your own. We have omitted nothing from the Book. Before their Lord they shall all be gathered in the end.
-Qur'an, Al-An'am, Surah 6:38
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
-
Guest
If only truth and justice were the rule, there would be no need for mercy.
- Mendele, "Di Kliatshe"
***
All the delightful things of the world--sweet sounds, lovely forms, all the pleasant tastes and touches and thoughts--these are all agreed to bring happiness if they are not grasped and possessed.
But if you regard them merely as pleasures for your own use and satisfaction and do not see them as passing wonders, they will bring suffering.
-Sutta Nipata
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Once a person asked the Prophet, "What is true faith?"
The Prophet replied, "When your good endeavors bring you pleasure and your transgressions cause you anguish, you know that you are a person of faith."
-Reported by Abu Umamah
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
-Proverbs 17:2
- Mendele, "Di Kliatshe"
***
All the delightful things of the world--sweet sounds, lovely forms, all the pleasant tastes and touches and thoughts--these are all agreed to bring happiness if they are not grasped and possessed.
But if you regard them merely as pleasures for your own use and satisfaction and do not see them as passing wonders, they will bring suffering.
-Sutta Nipata
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Once a person asked the Prophet, "What is true faith?"
The Prophet replied, "When your good endeavors bring you pleasure and your transgressions cause you anguish, you know that you are a person of faith."
-Reported by Abu Umamah
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
-Proverbs 17:2
-
Guest
In love is found the secret of divine unity.
- Zohar, Exodus
***
Hypocritical, proud, and arrogant, living in delusion and clinging to deluded ideas, insatiable in their desires, they pursue their unclean ends. Although burdened with fears that end only with death, they still maintain with complete assurance, "Gratification of lust is the highest that life can offer."
-Bhagavad Gita 16:10-11
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
God created suffering and heartache, so that joy might be known as their opposite. Hidden things become manifest through their opposites. But God has no opposite; so he remains hidden. Light is known as the opposite of darkness. But God's light has no opposite. Thus we cannot know him through our eyes.
-Rumi, "Masnavi"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
One man with courage makes a majority.
-Andrew Jackson (submitted by joynagpal)
***
Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.
-St. John Chrysostom
- Zohar, Exodus
***
Hypocritical, proud, and arrogant, living in delusion and clinging to deluded ideas, insatiable in their desires, they pursue their unclean ends. Although burdened with fears that end only with death, they still maintain with complete assurance, "Gratification of lust is the highest that life can offer."
-Bhagavad Gita 16:10-11
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
God created suffering and heartache, so that joy might be known as their opposite. Hidden things become manifest through their opposites. But God has no opposite; so he remains hidden. Light is known as the opposite of darkness. But God's light has no opposite. Thus we cannot know him through our eyes.
-Rumi, "Masnavi"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
One man with courage makes a majority.
-Andrew Jackson (submitted by joynagpal)
***
Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.
-St. John Chrysostom
-
Guest
The thing that matters is not what you bear, but how you bear it.
-Seneca
***
Don't think about ideas such as bondage and liberation, simply abandon all craving and through wisdom and dispassion bring about the cessation of the mind. Even if the wish "may I be liberated" arises, the mind will come back to life.
-Maharamayana
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus," edited by Timothy Freke
***
Pain is never permanent.
-St. Teresa of Avila
***
A gold Buddha can't get through a furnace, a wood Buddha can't get through a fire, and a clay Buddha can't get through water. The real Buddha sits within: enlightenment, nirvana, suchness, and Buddha-nature are all clothes sticking to the body.
-Chao-chou
From "The Pocket Zen Reader,"
***
Bereft of life, bereft of knowledge,
bereft of power and will,
how shall I describe my state?
For I do not exist, only He exists.
I am deaf; the bearer is He.
I am blind; the seer is He.
I am mute; the orator is He.
I do not exist; only He exists.
-Shah Kamal, "Islamic Sufism"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
-Seneca
***
Don't think about ideas such as bondage and liberation, simply abandon all craving and through wisdom and dispassion bring about the cessation of the mind. Even if the wish "may I be liberated" arises, the mind will come back to life.
-Maharamayana
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus," edited by Timothy Freke
***
Pain is never permanent.
-St. Teresa of Avila
***
A gold Buddha can't get through a furnace, a wood Buddha can't get through a fire, and a clay Buddha can't get through water. The real Buddha sits within: enlightenment, nirvana, suchness, and Buddha-nature are all clothes sticking to the body.
-Chao-chou
From "The Pocket Zen Reader,"
***
Bereft of life, bereft of knowledge,
bereft of power and will,
how shall I describe my state?
For I do not exist, only He exists.
I am deaf; the bearer is He.
I am blind; the seer is He.
I am mute; the orator is He.
I do not exist; only He exists.
-Shah Kamal, "Islamic Sufism"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
-
Guest
If his countenance is harsh and access to him is hard,
A man's wealth, however vast, might as well belong to a demon.
If he is unkind and speaks cruelly,
A man's lofty wealth cannot last long--it ends right there.
Virulent language and overly severe punishment,
Like a keen file, grind down a king's conquering powers.
-Tirukkural 57: 565-567
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
We do not rejoice at the punishment meted out to an enemy; we have been taught by the holy laws to have human sympathy.
- Philo, "Flaccus"
***
The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become—the more we realize that everything in life is a gift.
-Brennan Manning, "The Ragamuffin Gospel"
***
Don't associate with bad friends.
Don't associate with the low.
Associate with admirable friends.
Associate with the best.
-Dhammapada 78, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Allah shall certainly reward those who believe in their Lord and all His messengers and do not make any distinction between them. Allah is the Most Compassionate, the Merciful.
-Qur'an, An-Nisa, Surah 4:152
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
A man's wealth, however vast, might as well belong to a demon.
If he is unkind and speaks cruelly,
A man's lofty wealth cannot last long--it ends right there.
Virulent language and overly severe punishment,
Like a keen file, grind down a king's conquering powers.
-Tirukkural 57: 565-567
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
We do not rejoice at the punishment meted out to an enemy; we have been taught by the holy laws to have human sympathy.
- Philo, "Flaccus"
***
The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become—the more we realize that everything in life is a gift.
-Brennan Manning, "The Ragamuffin Gospel"
***
Don't associate with bad friends.
Don't associate with the low.
Associate with admirable friends.
Associate with the best.
-Dhammapada 78, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Allah shall certainly reward those who believe in their Lord and all His messengers and do not make any distinction between them. Allah is the Most Compassionate, the Merciful.
-Qur'an, An-Nisa, Surah 4:152
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
-
Guest
If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator.
-W. Beran Wolfe
***
But a man without desires is a lion.
When the senses see him,
It is they who take flight!
They run away like elephants,
As quietly as they can.
As if they cannot escape,
They serve him like slaves.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:46
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Theology: that madness gone systematic which tries to crowd God's fulness into a formula and a system!
- Rabbi Joel Blau, "My Uncertain God," Menorah Journal, 1924
***
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
-Matthew 6:33 (Revised Standard Version)
***
A questioner asked the Buddha:
"Life seems a tangle--
An inner tangle and an outer tangle.
This generation is hopelessly tangled up.
And so I ask the Buddha this question:
Who will succeed in disentangling this tangle?"
The Buddha replied:
"When a wise one, thoughtful and good,
Develops a greater consciousness,
He will understand the tangle.
As a truth follower, ardent and wise,
He will succeed in disentangling the tangle."
-Samyutta Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Some people asked a Sufi master, "Which is better, courage or generosity?" The Sufi master replied, "Those who are generous, have no need for courage."
-Sadi, "Gulistan"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between political parties either--but right through every human heart.
-Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn
-W. Beran Wolfe
***
But a man without desires is a lion.
When the senses see him,
It is they who take flight!
They run away like elephants,
As quietly as they can.
As if they cannot escape,
They serve him like slaves.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:46
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Theology: that madness gone systematic which tries to crowd God's fulness into a formula and a system!
- Rabbi Joel Blau, "My Uncertain God," Menorah Journal, 1924
***
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
-Matthew 6:33 (Revised Standard Version)
***
A questioner asked the Buddha:
"Life seems a tangle--
An inner tangle and an outer tangle.
This generation is hopelessly tangled up.
And so I ask the Buddha this question:
Who will succeed in disentangling this tangle?"
The Buddha replied:
"When a wise one, thoughtful and good,
Develops a greater consciousness,
He will understand the tangle.
As a truth follower, ardent and wise,
He will succeed in disentangling the tangle."
-Samyutta Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Some people asked a Sufi master, "Which is better, courage or generosity?" The Sufi master replied, "Those who are generous, have no need for courage."
-Sadi, "Gulistan"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between political parties either--but right through every human heart.
-Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn
-
Guest
The greater part of our happiness depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.
-Martha Washington
***
God will pardon: that's His business.
- Heinrich Heine, on his death-bed, 1856
***
Without mistakes there is no forgiving. Without forgiving there is no love.
-Mother Teresa
***
Happy the man who freed himself from his "self" and united himself with the Infinite. When you sought refuge in the Qur'an of God, you mingled yourself with the essence of the prophets. The Qur'an is a narrative of the states of the prophets who glory in the blessed ocean of His majesty.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-Martha Washington
***
God will pardon: that's His business.
- Heinrich Heine, on his death-bed, 1856
***
Without mistakes there is no forgiving. Without forgiving there is no love.
-Mother Teresa
***
Happy the man who freed himself from his "self" and united himself with the Infinite. When you sought refuge in the Qur'an of God, you mingled yourself with the essence of the prophets. The Qur'an is a narrative of the states of the prophets who glory in the blessed ocean of His majesty.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day.
-Alexander Woollcott
***
To be intelligent is to be open-minded, active-memoried, and persistently experimental.
- Leo Stein, "Journey into the Self"
***
Can any lock keep love confined within,
When the loving heart's tiny tears escape and confess it?
The unloving belong only to themselves,
But the loving belong to others to their very bones.
-Tirukkural 8:71-72
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
A man long absent
comes home safe from afar.
His kin, his friends, his companions,
delight in his return.
In just the same way,
when you've done good
& gone from this world
to the world beyond,
your good deeds receive you--
as kin, someone dear
come home.
-Dhammapada, 16, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn.
-Unknown
-Alexander Woollcott
***
To be intelligent is to be open-minded, active-memoried, and persistently experimental.
- Leo Stein, "Journey into the Self"
***
Can any lock keep love confined within,
When the loving heart's tiny tears escape and confess it?
The unloving belong only to themselves,
But the loving belong to others to their very bones.
-Tirukkural 8:71-72
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
A man long absent
comes home safe from afar.
His kin, his friends, his companions,
delight in his return.
In just the same way,
when you've done good
& gone from this world
to the world beyond,
your good deeds receive you--
as kin, someone dear
come home.
-Dhammapada, 16, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn.
-Unknown
Nothing makes you like other human beings so much as doing things for them.
-Zora Neale Hurston
***
Good fortune--remember it's fickle; misfortune--remember it'll pass.
- Ibn Gabirol, "Mibhar HaPeninim"
***
Sakuladayi the Wanderer asked the Buddha: "What is the past and what is the future?"
"Let the past be," answered the Buddha, "and forget the future. I will teach you that which is now."
When this condition is, that condition comes to be,
With the arising of this, that arises,
When this is not here, that does not come into existence,
With the ceasing of this, that too ceases.
-Majjhima Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
God's answers are wiser than our prayers.
-Unknown
***
When one of you plants a tree, the fruits of which all creatures enjoy, let it be written as charity.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Anas bin Malik
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-Zora Neale Hurston
***
Good fortune--remember it's fickle; misfortune--remember it'll pass.
- Ibn Gabirol, "Mibhar HaPeninim"
***
Sakuladayi the Wanderer asked the Buddha: "What is the past and what is the future?"
"Let the past be," answered the Buddha, "and forget the future. I will teach you that which is now."
When this condition is, that condition comes to be,
With the arising of this, that arises,
When this is not here, that does not come into existence,
With the ceasing of this, that too ceases.
-Majjhima Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
God's answers are wiser than our prayers.
-Unknown
***
When one of you plants a tree, the fruits of which all creatures enjoy, let it be written as charity.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Anas bin Malik
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
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
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
***
Though in thought we range throughout the world,
We'll nowhere find a thing more dear than self.
So, since others hold the self so dear,
He who loves himself should injure none.
-Samyutta Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
As God has made the Qibla manifest, abandon your search. Hark, turn away from all futile search, now that the House has come to view. If you forget this Qibla for one moment, you will be overcome by the qibla of desires.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
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
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
***
Though in thought we range throughout the world,
We'll nowhere find a thing more dear than self.
So, since others hold the self so dear,
He who loves himself should injure none.
-Samyutta Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
As God has made the Qibla manifest, abandon your search. Hark, turn away from all futile search, now that the House has come to view. If you forget this Qibla for one moment, you will be overcome by the qibla of desires.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
But if you know you are the Self, the Lord of Life, you will be free from suffering; the supreme source of light; the supreme source of love. You will transcend duality and live in a state of Oneness.
-Mundaka Upanishad
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus,"
***
We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.
-Oswald Chambers
***
Teaching nowadays can hardly be compared with the wise ones of old; there is the name without the reality. Who among latter-day students knows they are turning away from awakening and getting mixed up in objects?
-P'u-an
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
Two groups of people seek proximity of God, those who revere Him publicly and are held in high regard by the sacred law, and those who do not display their devotion. Secure in the knowledge that God alone bestows all that is good or bad in this world, they choose Him as their companion and are delivered of want. The former because of their own need remain veiled from divine guidance, while the latter transcend through selflessness.
-Abu'l-Sari Mansur bin Ammar
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.
-Elbert Hubbard
-Mundaka Upanishad
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus,"
***
We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.
-Oswald Chambers
***
Teaching nowadays can hardly be compared with the wise ones of old; there is the name without the reality. Who among latter-day students knows they are turning away from awakening and getting mixed up in objects?
-P'u-an
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
Two groups of people seek proximity of God, those who revere Him publicly and are held in high regard by the sacred law, and those who do not display their devotion. Secure in the knowledge that God alone bestows all that is good or bad in this world, they choose Him as their companion and are delivered of want. The former because of their own need remain veiled from divine guidance, while the latter transcend through selflessness.
-Abu'l-Sari Mansur bin Ammar
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.
-Elbert Hubbard
Forget anger toward all who have offended you,
For from anger springs a multitude of wrongs.
The face's smile and the heart's joy are slain by anger.
Does there exist a greater enemy than one's own anger?
-Tirukkural 31: 303-304
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Charity. To love human beings in so far as they are nothing. That is to love them as God does.
-Simone Weil
***
At the time for initiative
he takes no initiative.
Young, strong, but lethargic,
the resolves of his heart
exhausted,
the lazy, lethargic one
loses the path
to discernment.
-Dhammapada 280, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
For from anger springs a multitude of wrongs.
The face's smile and the heart's joy are slain by anger.
Does there exist a greater enemy than one's own anger?
-Tirukkural 31: 303-304
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Charity. To love human beings in so far as they are nothing. That is to love them as God does.
-Simone Weil
***
At the time for initiative
he takes no initiative.
Young, strong, but lethargic,
the resolves of his heart
exhausted,
the lazy, lethargic one
loses the path
to discernment.
-Dhammapada 280, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
-
Guest
He has no desires.
He has cast off his chains.
He walks on air.
He is free,
Tumbling like a leaf in the wind,
From life to life.
He has gone beyond the world,
Beyond joy and sorrow.
His mind is always cool.
He lives as if he had no body.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:21-22
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Subhuti asked: "What does buddha mean?"
The Buddha answered: "Buddha is reality. One who thoroughly comprehends all the factors of existence is a buddha."
-Prajnaparamita
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
God is constantly becoming; and by his becoming I become. Thus my being becomes his being; I am transformed in his image. In a certain respect I seek refuge from him in him.
-Ibn Arabi, "Fusus al-hikam"
From "366 Readings From Islam
***
Speak when you're angry, and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret.
-Lawrence J. Peter
He has cast off his chains.
He walks on air.
He is free,
Tumbling like a leaf in the wind,
From life to life.
He has gone beyond the world,
Beyond joy and sorrow.
His mind is always cool.
He lives as if he had no body.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:21-22
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Subhuti asked: "What does buddha mean?"
The Buddha answered: "Buddha is reality. One who thoroughly comprehends all the factors of existence is a buddha."
-Prajnaparamita
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
God is constantly becoming; and by his becoming I become. Thus my being becomes his being; I am transformed in his image. In a certain respect I seek refuge from him in him.
-Ibn Arabi, "Fusus al-hikam"
From "366 Readings From Islam
***
Speak when you're angry, and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret.
-Lawrence J. Peter
-
Guest
Every righteous man has an Eden for himself.
- Eleazar b. Menahem, Leviticus Rabbah
***
He who is free from selfish attachments, who has mastered himself and his passions, attains the supreme perfection of freedom from action.
-Bhagavad Gita 18:49
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Our problems are opportunities to discover God’s solutions.
-Unknown
***
People must realize that even with all these comforts, all this money and a GNP that increases every year, they are still not happy. They need to understand that the real culprits are our unceasing desires. Our wants have no end.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Imagine All the People"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001.
***
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"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
-Hannah More
***
Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave.
-Rainer Maria Rilke
- Eleazar b. Menahem, Leviticus Rabbah
***
He who is free from selfish attachments, who has mastered himself and his passions, attains the supreme perfection of freedom from action.
-Bhagavad Gita 18:49
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Our problems are opportunities to discover God’s solutions.
-Unknown
***
People must realize that even with all these comforts, all this money and a GNP that increases every year, they are still not happy. They need to understand that the real culprits are our unceasing desires. Our wants have no end.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Imagine All the People"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001.
***
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"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
-Hannah More
***
Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave.
-Rainer Maria Rilke
-
Guest
Though a man live a thousand years, yet at his demise it seems to him as though he had lived but an hour.
- Zohar
***
He who has amassed great wealth but does not enjoy it
is reckoned as dead, like his unused heap.
Believing wealth is everything, yet giving away nothing,
the miser himself will be possessed by a miserable birth.
-Tirukkural 101:1001-1002
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
To take up the cross of Christ is no great action done once for all; it consists in the continual practice of small duties which are distasteful to us.
***
Delight in heedfulness.
Watch over your own mind.
Lift yourself up
from the hard-going way,
like a tusker sunk in the mud.
-Dhammapada, 327, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Bear with what they say, and remember Our servant David who was endowed with incredible might and always turned to Us in repentance. Behold, We compelled the mountains to join him in praise of their Lord in the morning and evening, and the birds in all their assemblies were also obedient to him. We made his kingdom strong and endowed him with wisdom and astute judgment.
-Qur'an, Suad, Surah 38:17-21
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
The proverb warns that 'You should not bite the hand that feeds you.' But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself.
-Thomas Szasz
- Zohar
***
He who has amassed great wealth but does not enjoy it
is reckoned as dead, like his unused heap.
Believing wealth is everything, yet giving away nothing,
the miser himself will be possessed by a miserable birth.
-Tirukkural 101:1001-1002
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
To take up the cross of Christ is no great action done once for all; it consists in the continual practice of small duties which are distasteful to us.
***
Delight in heedfulness.
Watch over your own mind.
Lift yourself up
from the hard-going way,
like a tusker sunk in the mud.
-Dhammapada, 327, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Bear with what they say, and remember Our servant David who was endowed with incredible might and always turned to Us in repentance. Behold, We compelled the mountains to join him in praise of their Lord in the morning and evening, and the birds in all their assemblies were also obedient to him. We made his kingdom strong and endowed him with wisdom and astute judgment.
-Qur'an, Suad, Surah 38:17-21
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
The proverb warns that 'You should not bite the hand that feeds you.' But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself.
-Thomas Szasz
-
Guest
AUM stands for the supreme Reality.
It is a symbol for what was, what is,
And what shall be. AUM represents also
What lies beyond past, present, and future.
-Mandukya Upanishad
From "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics
***
The Buddha was invited by a Brahman to have a meal in his house. But when he arrived, the Brahman greeted him strangely, with a torrent of abuse.
Politely, the Buddha asked, “Do visitors come to your home, good Brahman?”
“Yes.”
“What preparations do you make for them?”
“We get ready a great feast.”
”What happens if they don’t arrive?”
“Then we gladly eat it ourselves.”
“Well, Brahman, you’ve invited me for a meal and you’ve entertained me with hard words. I want nothing from your preparation. So please take it back and eat it yourselves.”
“Never retaliate in kind,” the Buddha told his followers. “Hatred does not come to an end through hatred but can only cease through generosity.”
-Jataka Tale
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
The will of God is never exactly what you expect it to be. It may seem to be much worse, but in the end it's going to be a lot better and a lot bigger.
-Elisabeth Elliot
***
When a person wakes up in the early hours of dawn, an angel proclaims, "Glorify the Lord, Most Holy!"
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Al-Zubayr bin al-Awwam
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
It is a symbol for what was, what is,
And what shall be. AUM represents also
What lies beyond past, present, and future.
-Mandukya Upanishad
From "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics
***
The Buddha was invited by a Brahman to have a meal in his house. But when he arrived, the Brahman greeted him strangely, with a torrent of abuse.
Politely, the Buddha asked, “Do visitors come to your home, good Brahman?”
“Yes.”
“What preparations do you make for them?”
“We get ready a great feast.”
”What happens if they don’t arrive?”
“Then we gladly eat it ourselves.”
“Well, Brahman, you’ve invited me for a meal and you’ve entertained me with hard words. I want nothing from your preparation. So please take it back and eat it yourselves.”
“Never retaliate in kind,” the Buddha told his followers. “Hatred does not come to an end through hatred but can only cease through generosity.”
-Jataka Tale
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
The will of God is never exactly what you expect it to be. It may seem to be much worse, but in the end it's going to be a lot better and a lot bigger.
-Elisabeth Elliot
***
When a person wakes up in the early hours of dawn, an angel proclaims, "Glorify the Lord, Most Holy!"
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Al-Zubayr bin al-Awwam
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed