HAPPY NEW YEAR

State of mind...

“If the perfection of generosity were the alleviation of the world's poverty, then since beings are still starving now in what manner did the previous Buddhas perfect it? The perfection of generosity is said to be the thought to give all beings everything, together with the fruit of such a thought. Hence it is simply a state of mind.”

Shantideva

"Bodhicaryavatara"

Rekindled light...

Artist: Kirk Reinert

At times our own Light goes out and is rekindled 

by a Spark from another person. Each of us has 

cause to think with deep Gratitude of those who 

have Lighted the Flame Within Us…

Albert Schweitzer

On the existence of angels...

Artist unknown...

“Maybe they need to conform to our ideas 

in order to be, in order to exist. Maybe our 

believing in them and conceiving of them 

gives [angels] existence.” 

Rickie Lee Jones

On falling...

“When we fall on the ground it hurts us, 

but we also need to rely on the ground to get back up.” 

Kathleen McDonald

"How to Meditate"

Devas...

“The reason we bring holly and ivy into the house 

[in December] is to invite the devas into the warmth 

of our homes. By inviting the devas indoors we are 

ensuring that they will still be here to help 

us out during the next growing season.” 

Margaret Neylon

The life we live...

“True religion is the life we live, not the creed we profess.” 

J.F. Wright

Dhammapada

“You should do the work yourself, 

for Buddhas only teach the way.” 

Dhammapada

Craving...

“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

translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

On Duality...

“What is meant by nonduality, Mahatmi? It means that light and shade, long and short, black and white, can only be experienced in relation to each other; light is not independent of shade, nor black of white. There are no opposites, only relationships. In the same way, nirvana and the ordinary world of suffering are not two things but related to each other. There is no nirvana except where the world of suffering is; there is no world of suffering apart from nirvana. For existence is not mutually exclusive.”

Lankavatara Sutra

Awaken...

“The dharma that is taught and the dharma
that is experienced are descriptions of
how to live, how to use your life to wake 

you up rather than put you to sleep. ” 

Pema Chödrön

"Wisdom of No Escape"

On Liberation...

“Liberation cannot be achieved except through perceiving the identity of the individual spirit with the Universal Spirit. Atman and Brahman are identical. Their essence is pure Consciousness.”

Sankara

Water of Being....

“Listen to the sound of water. Listen to the water running through chasms and rocks. It is the minor streams that make a loud noise; the great waters flow silently. The hollow resounds and the full is still. Foolishness is like a half-filled pot; the wise man is a lake full of water.” Sutta Nipata

Conscience...

“The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his 

willingness to sacrifice something today for future 

generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” 

G. Nelson

Koan...

“Birth is an expression complete this moment. Death is an expression complete this moment. They are like winter and spring. You do not call winter the beginning of spring, nor summer the end of spring.”

Genjo Koan

Buddhadasa Bhikkhu...

 

“In Buddhism, the essential meaning of the word "study" is the unceasing, dedicated observation and investigation of whatever arises in the mind, be it pleasant or unpleasant. Only those familiar with the observation of the mind can really understand Dharma.”

Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

"Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree"

On Grasping...

“A student asked: "For all the different people who have come to listen to your words, please tell us about the way you have found and known." The Buddha answered: "When you take things it is because of a thirst, a clinging, and a grasping. You should lose that and lose it altogether, above, below, around, and within. It makes no difference what it is you are grasping. When you grasp, you are losing your freedom. Realize this and grasp at nothing. Then you will cease being a creature of attachment, tied to the powers of death."”

Sutta Nipata

On giving...

“The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose. ” 

Hadia Bejar

Angels...

“Never give up, never despair! Your angel is 

always close by, 

willing to gently place its hand 

under your elbow and lead you forward.” 

Margaret Neylon

Self control...

“You can’t ever get everything you want. It is impossible. Luckily, there is another option: You can learn to control your mind, to step outside of this endless cycle of desire and aversion. You can learn not to want what you want, to recognize desires but not be controlled by them.”

Bhanta Henepola Gunaratana

"Mindfulness in Plain English"

The joy of silence...

“When a man knows the solitude of silence, 

and feels the joy of quietness, he is then 

free from fear and he feels the joy 

of the dharma. ” 

Buddha

On ego and love...

“What is commonly called "falling in love" is in most cases an intensification of egoic wanting and needing. You become addicted to another person, or rather to your image of that person. It has nothing to do with true love, which contains no wanting whatsoever.”

Eckhart Tolle

The foundations...

“Such human qualities as morality, compassion, decency, wisdom and so forth have been the foundations of all civilizations. These qualities must be cultivated and sustained through systematic moral education in a conductive social environment, so that a more humane world may emerge.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

On success...

“The first and most important step toward 

success is the feeling that we can succeed.” 

Nelson Boswell