31 January, 2014

On the present moment


“The present moment is changing so fast that we
often do not notice its existence at all. Every moment 
of mind is like a series of pictures passing through a 
projector. Some of the pictures come from sense 
impressions. Others come from memories of past 
experiences or from fantasies of the future. 
Mindfulness helps us freeze the frame so
that we can become aware of our 
sensations and experiences as they are, 
without the distorting coloration of socially 
conditioned responses or habitual reactions.” 

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, 
"Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness"

29 January, 2014

Origin of Suffering...


“What, now is the Noble Truth of the Origin 
of Suffering? It is craving, which gives rise to 
fresh rebirth, and, bound up with pleasure 
and lust, now here, now there, finds ever
fresh delight. But where does this craving 
arise and take root? Wherever in the 
world there are delightful and 
pleasurable things, there this craving 
rises and takes root. Eye, ear, 
nose, tongue, body and mind are 
delightful and pleasurable: there
 this craving arises and takes root.” 


The Four Noble Truths 
(from Samyutta Nikaya, 
translated by Nyanatiloka)   

28 January, 2014

Nagarjuna...


“Without hope of reward Provide help to others. 
Bear suffering alone, And share your pleasures
with beggars.” 

Nagarjuna, "Precious Garland"

27 January, 2014

Heart Sutra

Heart Sutra...one of the many beautiful and deeply meaningful Sutras. Just hearing it inspires an opening of the heart and eventually leads to greater wisdom. This is freely available on You Tube!


26 January, 2014

Sounds good to me...

“Any action is often better than no action, especially if you have
 been stuck in an unhappy situation for a long time. If it is a mistake, 
at least you learn something, in which case it's no longer a mistake. 
If you remain stuck, you learn nothing.”

Eckhart Tolle

25 January, 2014

Mind discipline...

“To offer service to the gods, to the good, to the wise, 
and to your spiritual teacher; purity, honesty, continence, 
and nonviolence: these are the disciplines of the body. 
To offer soothing words, to speak truly, kindly, and helpfully, 
and to study the scriptures: these are the disciplines of speech. 
Calmness, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity: 
these are the disciplines of the mind.” 

Bhagavad Gita 


24 January, 2014

Value of Virtue

Via Google images

“Virtue yields heaven's honor and earth's wealth. 
What is there then that is more fruitful for a man? 
There is nothing more rewarding than virtue, 
Nor anything more ruinous than its neglect.” 

Tirukkural

23 January, 2014

Wisdom & Knowledge

“Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. 
One helps you make a living, 
the other helps you make a life.” 

Sandra Carey

22 January, 2014

Tree of virtue...


Photo credit: rebloggy.com via tumblr

“Patience is the sprouting of religion, firmness its root, 
good conduct is the flower, the enlightened heart the 
boughs and branches, wisdom supreme the entire tree, 
the "transcendent law" the fruit, its shade protects 
all living things. Say then! Why would you cut it down?” 

Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan

21 January, 2014

Virtues...

“Penance is that goodness which refrains from killing. 
Perfection is that goodness which refuses to tell others' faults. 
Humility is the strength of the strong and the weapon 
with which the wise conquer their foes.” 

Tirukkural

20 January, 2014

On giving and receiving...

Photo credit: RMRTP

“In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a 
great deal more than we give, and that it is only with 
gratitude that life becomes rich.” 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

18 January, 2014

On the present moment


“If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. 
As soon as you honor the present moment, unhappiness 
and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and 
ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, 
whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, 

care, and love - even the most simple action.”

Eckhart Tolle

17 January, 2014

On Vibrations and us...


Photo credit: classroomclipart.com

"A belief is nothing more than a chronic pattern of thought, 
and you have the ability—if you try even a little bit—to 
begin a new pattern, to tell a new story, to achieve a 
different vibration, to change your point of attraction. 
The Law of Attraction is responding to your vibration, 
and you can easily change your vibrational point of 
attraction by visualizing the lifestyle you desire and 
holding your attention upon those images until you 
begin to feel relief, which will indicate that a true 
vibrational shift has occurred".

Abraham (Esther Hicks)
Excerpted from the book - Money and the Law of Attraction

14 January, 2014

A reflection...

“There must be more to life than 
having everything.” 

Maurice Sendak

13 January, 2014

Presence..

“All negativity is caused by an accumulation of 
psychological time and denial of the present. 
Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all 
forms of fear - are caused by too much future,
and not enough presence. 
Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, 
bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are 
caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”

Eckhart Tolle

11 January, 2014

Gratitude...

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy;
they are the  charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” 

Marcel Proust

09 January, 2014

The Drop Of Wisdom That Changes Everything: Julian Colgan

It takes only one moment of cutting through mara's influence
to see for oneself how there is so much more to life
than we can imagine or expect to happen,
for one drop of wisdom changes everything.

At once confident and apprehensive of what one has gained
through silent meditation and other contemplative practices,
concentrating on who one is will lead to concentrating on the element 
of space, for space is the only element of creation that can accommodate 
the vastness of who one is.

Merry without reason and without profit of any kind,
happiness is as ongoing as space is unending.
Being universal and open enough for anything to happen,
whatever comes one's way does not disturb one in the slightest,
for what is true within the mind is unshakeable.

Taking to the space within one's own space as a refuge
from the turmoil of the age, no age, no death, and no sickness
is the condition of the unconditioned nature of the mind.

Having little to say due to seeing everything in its primordial brilliance at once,
Buddhas are everywhere, but are often unseen.

By Julian Colgan (Copyright)
Awake to Buddhahood

08 January, 2014

Universe 'n us!

"You are not IN the Universe, you ARE the Universe, 
an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, 
but a focal point where the Universe is becoming 
conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle."


Eckhart Tolle

07 January, 2014

Rumi insight...


Photo credit: Kodo Drummers

“When clutches of the "self" break away, they clap
their hands and break into dance as their imperfections 
fade away. The musicians within strike the tambourine, 
and the seas burst into foam at their ecstasy.” 

Rumi: "The Life and Thought of Rumi"

05 January, 2014

Light and darkenss

“Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary 
opportunity for the light to burn brighter. ” 

Bono

04 January, 2014

Trees

I think that I shall never see 
A poem lovely as a tree. 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; 

A tree that looks at God all day, 
And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 

A tree that may in summer wear 
A nest of robins in her hair; 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 
Who intimately lives with rain. 

Poems are made by fools like me, 
But only God can make a tree. 

Joyce Kilmer

03 January, 2014

Easy ?

“It is hard to be born as a human being and hard to 
live the life of one. It is even harder to hear of the 
path and harder still to awake, to rise, and to follow. 
Yet the teaching is simple: "Cease to do evil, learn to 
do good. And purify your mind."” 

Dhammapada

02 January, 2014

On awareness...

“If the body lasted till the end of time, 
Or vanished today, What would you win or lose? 
You are pure awareness.” 

Ashtavakra Gita