Daily quotes

[NikolaiI]

"We know we have a lot of capacity (in our culture) to develop the
intellect, to develop skills, you know, technical skills; but we
don't think we can change our hearts at all. We think, 'Well, I was
born with that amount of anger, that amount of love, that amount of
generosity, this amount of jealousy, this amount of depression. What
to do?' We're not really given many techniques. We don't go to
courses, you know - how to get rid of depression, like this, you
know. We seem to think, 'This is the way I am. This is the way I am
made.' And so we sort of think we have to make the most of it.

"But the Buddhist idea is that absolutely we have to make the most of
it, but it's not fixed in space . . . The implication of the [idea of
karma] is that I can change. I can learn to develop even more my
love, my kindness, my compassion. It hasn't got a lid on it, you
know? Buddha says we can develop it infinitely to degrees that we
would think are insane, if we've heard some of the examples; and that
we can get rid of jealousy, anger, fear, or depression - which is
almost a shocking idea for us."

~ Ven. Robina Courtin, excerpt from "Changing the Mind"
Broadcast Live at Women at Wisdom Lectures, San Francisco, CA
September 3, 2002

[NikolaiI]

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This then, is the human problem; there is a price to
be paid for every increase in consciousness. We
cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being
more sensitive to pain.

~Alan Watts

[NikolaiI]

In order to be successful in your quest for Freedom, it is imperative
that you unconditionally abandon every idea that you have about
Enlightenment. As long as you think that Enlightenment is something that
can be understood by the mind, the cycle of blindly perpetuating your own
ignorance will never cease.

from "Enlightenment is a Secret" By Andrew Cohen

[NikolaiI]

Good are friends when need arises;
good is contentment with just what one has;
good is merit when life is at an end,
and good is the abandoning of all suffering.

Dhammapada 331

[NikolaiI]

As a human being related to all living beings we must first be
related to ourselves. We cannot understand, love and welcome
others without first knowing and loving ourselves.

~Jean Klein
'Who am I?'

[NikolaiI]

May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.
May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering.
May they never be separated from the supreme happiness without suffering.
May they remain in the boundless equanimity free from both attachment and hatred ,
knowing the equality of all that lives.
The Four Immeasurables, Traditional Tibetan Buddhist Prayer

[NikolaiI]

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You and I and everything in the universe
exist as a part of the endless flow of God's Love.
Realizing this, we recognize that all creation
is bound together with the same benevolence.
To harmonize with life is to come into accord
with that part of God which flows through all things.
To foster and protect all life
is both our mission and our prayer.

~ Morehei Ueshiba

[NikolaiI]

"Now we realise the reason why these qualities (Metta and Karuna) are called beautiful qualities, why they are divine qualities, because they help us to do something about our own suffering and they help us to do something about the suffering of others. And here again, as with loving-kindness, when you develop this quality of Karuna and when you can see that whatever help you have given is having the desired effect, you can be very happy about it. And when you can see that you can do something about your own suffering this can develop lots of self-confidence, and you can be happy that you have found a way to work with your suffering and have also found a way to eradicate the suffering of others."
http://www.godwin-home-page.net/Livi.../Basics-03.htm
From: The Basics of Buddhist Meditation
by Godwin Samararatne
Talks in Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong
Day 3: 9th October 1998

[NikolaiI]

"Brahma Vihara. This is the place of the divine heart, the divine
dwelling place, of care. So it's interesting. . . Sometimes we have
this Western perspective and conditioning on 'God' [Brahma] that is a
judging, condemning God. From this perspective the Buddha is saying,
you know, 'You want to know what God is like? Compassionate; loving
and kind and friendly; appreciative of joy, of your own happiness and
the happiness of others; and equanimous, understanding the balance,
understanding that which we have power over and that which we don't
have power over. Understanding powerlessness. . . So curious, from
such a different perspective than what most of us think of as 'God.'

"But this is one way to think about what [is] the Buddhist
perspective on 'God'? The Buddha is saying that the Brahma Vihara,
the 'God Realm,' the 'God Home,' is that of being compassionate. That
place of being divine is that place of being friendly and kind,
loving and kind, towards your experience, towards others, other
beings."

~ Noah Levine, "The Four Brahma Viharas," Seattle Insight Meditation
Society

[NikolaiI]

Fill the brain with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.
-Swami Vivekananda

[NikolaiI]

This life is a hard fact; work through it boldly, though it may be adamantine; no matter, the soul is stronger.
-Swami Vivekananda

[NikolaiI]

Someone asked Amma, "Why should one follow the spiritual path?"

Amma replied, "This is like the seed asking, "Why should I go beneath the soil, sprout and grow upward?"

[cafolini]

Someone asked Amma, "Why should one follow the spiritual path?"

Amma replied, "This is like the seed asking, "Why should I go beneath the soil, sprout and grow upward?"

I find Amma's response extremely naive and irrelevant. It is impossible to link the meaning of spirit to the scientific parameters of seed growth and development. And the seed does not seek going underneath the soil through any motivational means.

[NikolaiI]

'The vast majority of men are atheists. I am glad that, in modern times, another class of atheists has come into existence in the Western world — I mean the materialists. They are sincere atheists. They are better than the religious atheists, who are insincere, who fight and talk about religion, and yet do not want it, never try to realise it, never try to understand it. Remember the words of Christ: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." These words are literally true, not figures or fiction. They were the outflow of the heart's blood of one of the greatest sons of God who have ever come to this world of ours; words which came as the fruit of realisation, from a man who had felt and realised God himself; who had spoken with God, lived with God, a hundred times more intensely than you or I see this building. Who wants God? That is the question. Do you think that all this mass of people in the world want God, and cannot get Him? That cannot be. What want is there without its object outside? Man wants to breathe, and there is air for him to breathe. Man wants to eat, and there is food to eat. What creates these desires? The existence of external things. It was the light that made the eyes; it was the sound that made the ears. So every desire in human beings has been created by something which already existed outside. This desire for perfection, for reaching the goal and getting beyond nature, how can it be there, until something has created it and drilled it into the soul of man, and makes it live there? He, therefore, in whom this desire is awakened, will reach the goal. We want everything but God. This is not religion that you see all around you. My lady has furniture in her parlour, from all over the world, and now it is the fashion to have something Japanese; so she buys a vase and puts it in her room. Such is religion with the vast majority; they have all sorts of things for enjoyment, and unless they add a little flavour of religion, life is not all right, because society would criticise them. Society expects it; so they must have some religion. This is the present state of religion in the world.

'A disciple went to his master and said to him, "Sir, I want religion." The master looked at the young man, and did not speak, but only smiled. The young man came every day, and insisted that he wanted religion. But the old man knew better than the young man. One day, when it was very hot, he asked the young man to go to the river with him and take a plunge. The young man plunged in, and the old man followed him and held the young man down under the water by force. After the young man had struggled for a while, he let him go and asked him what he wanted most while he was under the water. "A breath of air", the disciple answered. "Do you want God in that way? If you do, you will get Him in a moment," said the master. Until you have that thirst, that desire, you cannot get religion, however you may struggle with your intellect, or your books, or your forms. Until that thirst is awakened in you, you are no better than any atheist; only the atheist is sincere, and you are not.'

-Swami Vivekananda

[usman.khawar]

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate".

Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture in order to try him; and We made him hearing and seeing.
Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and shackles and a blaze.

Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of Kafur.
A spring of which the [righteous] servants of Allah will drink; making it flow in unstinted abundance.
They fulfill vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread.
And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,
[Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah . We wish not from you reward or gratitude.
Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful."
So Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness
And will reward them for what they patiently endured a garden( paradise whose width is more than the width and length of earth and skies) and silk [garments].
Reclining therein on raised thrones. They will not see therein any [burning] sun or [freezing] cold.
And near above them are its shades, and its [fruit] to be picked will be lowered in compliance.
And there will be circulated among them vessels of silver and goblets of crystal,
Crystal-clear [made] from silver of which they have determined the measure.
And they will be given to drink there of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Zanjabil,-

A fountain within Paradise named Salsabeel.
There will circulate among them young boys made eternal. When you see them, you would think them scattered pearls.
And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and Magnificent dominion.
Upon the inhabitants will be green garments of fine silk and brocade. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.
"Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated."
Indeed, it is We who have sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Qur'an progressively.
So be patient for the decision of your Lord and do not obey from among them a sinner or ungrateful [disbeliever].
And mention(Remember/celebrate) the name of your Lord morning and evening.
And during the night prostrate to Him and exalt Him a long [part of the] night.
Indeed, these [disbelievers] love the immediate (worldly life) and leave behind them a grave Day.
We have created them and strengthened their forms, and when We will, We can change their likenesses with [complete] alteration.
Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.
And you do not will except that Allah wills. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers - He has prepared for them a painful punishment.