31 December, 2013

Wishes for the New Year



30 December, 2013

Tommorrow never comes by Leo Duse

  Photocredit: vishnu108.deviantart.com

Images of past arise
Thoughts of future die
Tomorrow, yesterday 
always now they say.
Bodies, ticking seconds
Illusions beckon
The Luminous essence
Exists in our presence
Ocean deep, vast as sky
Minus all that is an I
Phenomena a speck of dust
All but one turn to rust
In an atom a universe
Impossible to disperse
In each body trillion worlds
Ever waiting to unfold
Beyond infinite time creation
The road to lasting illumination

Leo Duse 
Book of Poems (Copyright)

29 December, 2013

On the essence of emptiness

Photocredit:www.brigidmarlin.com via Google
images

“There is a sphere where there is neither earth 
nor water nor heat nor air, for it is beyond the 
field of matter; nor is it the sphere of infinite 
space, or consciousness, for it is beyond the 
field of mind. There is not the condition of 
nothingness, neither is there the state of this 
world or another world, nor sun nor moon. 
This is the uncreated. This condition I call
neither arising nor passing away, neither
 dying nor being born. It is without form 
and without change. It is the eternal, 
which never originates and never passes 
away. To find it is the end of sorrow.” 

Udana Sutta

28 December, 2013

Alone And Drinking Under The Moon: Li Po

Amongst the flowers I 
am alone with my pot of wine 
drinking by myself; then lifting 
my cup I asked the moon 
to drink with me, its reflection 
and mine in the wine cup, just 
the three of us; then I sigh 
for the moon cannot drink, 
and my shadow goes emptily along 
with me never saying a word; 
with no other friends here, I can 
but use these two for company; 
in the time of happiness, I 
too must be happy with all 
around me; I sit and sing 
and it is as if the moon 
accompanies me; then if I 
dance, it is my shadow that 
dances along with me; while 
still not drunk, I am glad 
to make the moon and my shadow 
into friends, but then when 
I have drunk too much, we 
all part; yet these are 
friends I can always count on 
these who have no emotion 
whatsoever; I hope that one day 
we three will meet again, 
deep in the Milky Way. 

Li Po

26 December, 2013

Trirukkural wisdom...

“Not killing is the first and foremost good. 
The virtue of not lying comes next.” 

Tirukkural 

25 December, 2013

On infinity...

“As great as the infinite space beyond is the 
space within the lotus of the heart. Both 
heaven and earth are contained in that inner 
space, both fire and air, sun and moon, 
lightning and stars. Whether we know it in 
this world or know it not, everything is 
contained in that inner space.” 

Chandogya Upanishad

24 December, 2013

Special Birthday Wishes

Special Birthday Wishes for Dr Yucci Maria Orsini
25 December 2013
I would like to take this opportunity to wish a very Happy Birthday to Dr. Yucci Maria Orsini one of the many wonderful and ardent supporters of this initiative, in Italy. Dr Yucci (Phd.Ret.) has had a distinguished university language teaching career and has always been a pragmatic educator with infinite patience and wisdom. In addition to university teaching she also taught music extensively to the Japanese community in South Africa where she lived with her family for many years.I thank her so much for the seeds of kindness and wisdom that have inspired and blossomed within me over time.
 May you have a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MUCH LOVE from Sukhothai! 

23 December, 2013

On Being awake...

“He is not asleep. He is not awake. 
He never closes his eyes or opens them. 
Wherever he is, 
he is beyond everything. 
He is free. And the man who is free 
always lives in his heart. 
His heart is always pure. Whatever happens,
he is free of all desires.” 

Ashtavakra Gita

22 December, 2013

Equanimity...bliss!

“The master goes about his business with
perfect equanimity. He is happy when he
sits, Happy when he talks and eats, 
Happy asleep, Happy coming and going. 
Because he knows his own nature, 
He does what he has to without feeling
ruffled like ordinary people. Smooth and
shining like the surface of a vast lake. 
His sorrows are at an end.” 

Ashtavakra Gita

20 December, 2013

On friendship...

“It is harmful to make a multitude of foes, 
But it is ten times worse to give up the friendship 
of the worthy.” 

Tirukkural 

19 December, 2013

"Teaching"...

“When one teaches, two learn.” 

Robert Half


On light...

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the 
candle or the mirror that reflects it.” 

Edith Wharton

18 December, 2013

On phenomena...

“No matter how bad a state of mind you may get into, 
if you keep strong and hold out, eventually the floating 
clouds must vanish and the withering wind must cease.” 

Dogen

17 December, 2013

Universe within...

“Therefore it is said that the whole universe is just 
an illusion, unless you immediately realize the vehicle of
truth and attain the mystic path all at once, forgetting 
all about subject and object, arriving at basic unminding, 
seeing through worldly troubles, understanding gangs 
of devils. If you effectively understand this, it will make 
you happy for life. If you still don't understand, 
its just because you yourselves 
are avoiding it.”

Hui-lin

16 December, 2013

Dhammapada wisdom!

“Be quick in doing what's admirable. Restrain your mind from what's evil. 
When you're slow in making merit, evil delights the mind.”

Dhammapada,  (translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu). 

15 December, 2013

Life In A Love

Escape me? 
Never...
Beloved! 
While I am I, and you are you, 
So long as the world contains us both, 
Me the loving and you the loth 
While the one eludes, must the other pursue. 
My life is a fault at last, I fear: 
It seems too much like a fate, indeed! 
Though I do my best I shall scarce succeed. 
But what if I fail of my purpose here? 
It is but to keep the nerves at strain, 
To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall, 
And, baffled, get up and begin again,--- 
So the chace takes up one's life ' that's all. 
While, look but once from your farthest bound 
At me so deep in the dust and dark, 
No sooner the old hope goes to ground 
Than a new one, straight to the self-same mark, 
I shape me... 
Ever 
Removed! 

Robert Browning

13 December, 2013

Common threads in Wisdom...

“Arjuna, those who eat too much or eat too little, who
sleep too much or sleep too little, will not succeed
in meditation. But those who are temperate in eating and
sleeping, work and recreation, will come to the end
of sorrow through meditation. Through constant effort
they learn to withdraw the mind from selfish 
cravings and absorb it in the Self. Thus they
attain the state of union.” 

Bhagavad Gita

12 December, 2013

The Sign Of No Sign by Julian Colgan

Reducing everything down to consciousness,
what else is there to do but to be conscious.

To be conscious is to be aware of 
the infinite buddha nature that masquerades as
an ordinary and somewhat blunt mind.

Attributing many signs and sayings to
a purely historical buddha,
the real buddha is you as you are.

Attached to the signs and sayings of
a far and distant past, the dharma is no longer
valid if it becomes another source of attachment.

Attaching yourself to the buddha is not the goal
of accomplishment because the goal of a buddha
is to no longer have to have goals.

Consciously above all designations and not having
any one religion to care for,
liberation cannot be formatted into a set code
of conduct or into a series of religious formalities.

Those who think that it can or that it should have
not realized what the infinite buddha nature is.

Too close to notice and too far away to quickly care,
thoughts are mirrors of the Ultimate Reality
and desires are generators of unlimited aspirational prayers.

Thinking and desiring as a Buddha, compose
your own narrations of nirvana.

Expecting no sign or saying from the 
far and distant past to confirm this,
the Buddha is when you are completely at ease
with all that permeates every wheel of time.

Samsara spinning out of time and nirvana coming closer
to mind, find what is always there while looking
in the mirror of self contemplation.

Racing towards nothing that is in sight,
what is spectacular is never out of sight.

Liberated or in turmoil,
the mind is the same.

Sameness being equal, equalize yourself
in the infinite Buddha nature once and for all.

By Julian Colgan (Copyright)
Awake to Buddhahood
emptinessofmind.blogspot.com

10 December, 2013

Precious Garland...

“Considering the harm others do to you
As created by your former deeds, 
do not anger. Act such that further
suffering will not be created 
And your own faults will disappear.” 

Nagarjuna, "Precious Garland"


09 December, 2013

On direct experience...


“A king asked a sage to explain the Truth. In response
the sage asked the king how he would convey the
taste of a mango to someone who had never
eaten anything sweet. No matter how hard
the king tried, he could not adequately 
describe the flavor of the fruit, and, in frustration, 
he demanded of the sage "Tell me then, how would 
you describe it?" The sage picked up a mango and 
handed it to the king saying "This is very sweet.
Try eating it!"” 

Hindu Wisdom

08 December, 2013

On hard work...

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: 
some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, 
and some don't turn up at all.” 

Sam Ewing

07 December, 2013

On the vastness of consciousness...

"The realm of consciousness
is much vaster than thought can grasp. 
When you no longer believe everything you think, 
you step out of thought and see clearly that the 
thinker is not who you are."

Eckart Tolle

06 December, 2013

On Mindful attention...

“Just as the footprints of any creature that walks 
the earth can be placed in the elephants footprint, 
which is the largest of all: even so mindful 
attention is the one quality that ensures ease 
of mind at all times. Mindful attention causes
beneficial thoughts that have not yet arisen to 
arise. It also causes harmful thoughts that 
have already arisen to vanish. In the one who is 
mindful, the good that is to be will be realized.” 

Anguttara Nikay

05 December, 2013

On The Nature Of Emptiness by Julian Colgan

Emptiness cannot be realized
because there is nothing to realize
that is beyond your own diamond forged mind.

Emptiness cannot be seen
because there is nothing that is intrinsically
representative of formless formlessness.

Emptiness cannot be defined
because the nature of defining something
means that there is something that can be defined.

The middle way is not the middle way
when there is a mind to divide and label
something that appears to be extreme as being extreme.

The lotus is empty of a buddha
when the Buddha renounces his or her Buddha nature.

By saying that a buddha is a buddha,
Buddhahood is lost.

Though losing something is empty of meaning,
making senses of emptiness is a meaningless task.

Working for what does not exist,
what does exist is beyond the mountain range of nirvana.

Sitting in a lotus position,
what you are sitting on
is sitting in you.

Every time an argument is made,
a counter argument is nowhere to be heard.

Seeing a rainbow encircled around your mind,
the rainbow of benedictions
is always there because there is nothing there.

Reading many sutras,
the only sutra that is never read
is the sutra of spontaneous 
relinquishments of all destructive desires.

Never looking into future or past lives,
the eternity of buddhahood
rings as clear as a silver bell
when placed in a high location or atmosphere.

Nirvana being a stream
and samsara a bridge,
not one step is needed to cross
that bridge of illusory apparitions.

Already there without being there,
the nature of emptiness is no better than samsara,
for samsara points the way to what is in need
of being seen as empty.

Neither found in the dharma or in the sangha,
emptiness is the perception of non-perception.

That which is eternal is always changing
and that which is stable is always fading.

Governed by the karma of no karma,
set yourself free of needless worries.

Anxious over what does not exist,
what does exist is the union
of a particular nature with no particular nature.

A simple and complex puzzle,
the mind is all there is to know.

by Julian Colgan (Copyright)
Awake to Buddhahood
http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca/

03 December, 2013

On the Master...

"Feeling the living presence of Buddha, of Padmasambhava, of your master, 
and simply opening your heart and mind to the embodiment of truth, 
really does bless and transform your mind. As you invoke Buddha, your own 
Buddha nature is inspired to awaken and blossom,
as naturally as a flower in sunlight."

Sogyal Rinpoche

02 December, 2013

Freedom...

“You have no caste. No duties bind you. 
Formless and free, Beyond the reach of the senses, 
The witness of all things. So be happy! ” 

Ashtavakra Gita 

30 November, 2013

An Arhat's Dream By Julian Colgan

Climbing the ever winding
steps of Mt.Sumeru,
this arhat's dream
is to develop the vision
where everyone is my good master.

Climbing out of my lotus flower encasing,
this arhat's dream
is to conquer the world
of conditioned reactions.

Climbing out of my former 
mind and livelihood,
this arhat's dream
is to arise to the occasion
whenever that occasion does arise.

Climbing out of my prior 
engagements with others,
this arhat's dream
is to create a new mental space
where everyone can feel comfortable in.

Climbing out of the
world's anxieties and affairs,
this arhat's dream
is to chant and meditate with
the bodhisattvas of ancient antiquity.

Climbing the musical scale
of a compassionate heart,
this arhat's dream
is to sing the pure buddha dharma
to all who abide in the nothingness of space
and in the grounded qualities of the earth.

Arriving at this arhat's dream,
the lotus flower of this buddha's mind
sprinkles forth the essential extract
of a purified nature; which is
the state of bodhichitta.

Generating the stage of world enlightenment
for all sentient beings, may everyone
become a perfected buddha
who is a master of this arhat's dream.

By Julain Colgan (Copyright)
Awake to Buddhahood
http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca/

29 November, 2013

Faithfulness...

“An intimate of any strength will never listen to faults said of friends; 
and on the day a friend offends, he is content to keep silent. 
The world cherishes faithful men who never forsake 
old friendships, worn by time but unbroken. ” 

Tirukkural 


28 November, 2013

On worrying...

'Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.'

Eckhart Tolle

27 November, 2013

On inner light!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. 
We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? 
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so other 
people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other 
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence 
automatically liberates others."

Marianne Williamson 

26 November, 2013

On trouble...

“Our freedom is not in being saved troubles, but is the freedom to take 
trouble for our own good, and make the trouble an element in our joy.” 

Rabindranath Tagore

25 November, 2013

Zen wisdom


“Many people are afraid to empty their minds lest they may plunge into the Void. 
They do not know that their own Mind is the Void. The ignorant eschew 
phenomena but not thought; the wise eschew thought but not phenomena.” 

Huang Po, Zen Teaching of Huang Po

22 November, 2013

Meditation..

“Meditation is running into reality. It does not insulate you from
the pain of life.
It allows you to delve so deeply into life and all its aspects 
that you pierce the pain barrier and go beyond suffering.” 

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana 
"Mindfulness in Plain English"

21 November, 2013

On art and beauty...

“To me art in order to be truly great must, like the beauty of Nature,
 be universal in its appeal. It must be simple in its presentation 
and direct in its expression, like the language of Nature.” 

Mahatma Gandhi, 1931

20 November, 2013

Bhagavad Gita...

“It is not those who lack energy or refrain from action, 
but those who work without expectation of reward who 
attain the goal of meditation. Theirs is true renunciation.” 

Bhagavad Gita 

19 November, 2013

Generation Of Bhodichitta

Ho! Mesmerized by the sheer variety of perceptions, which
are like the illusory reflections of the moon in water,
Beings wander endlessly astray in samsara’s vicious cycle.
In order that they may find comfort and ease in the luminosity
and all-pervading space of the true nature of their minds,
I generate the immeasurable love, compassion, joy and equanimity
of the awakened mind, the heart of Bodhicitta.

JIKMÉ LINGPA

18 November, 2013

On pleasure...

'Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, 

whereas joy arises from within.'



Eckhart Tolle



17 November, 2013

Tolle quote: A new Earth


Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful
for the evolution of your consciousness. 
How do you know this is the experience you need?
Because this is the experience you are having
 at this moment.

Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth





15 November, 2013

On Self Knowledge

“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

14 November, 2013

The Rainbow In My Life by Julian Colgan

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
takes great joy in liberating
sluggish mentalities from the great selfishness
of a severely watered down conception of being.

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
commits to their vow to be
a healing herb for the sick and wounded
and to be a tree of compassion for
those who have been burned by
the scorching rays of overly heated individuals.

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
deflects the impurity that is samsaric sorrow
from reaching more and more defenseless 
and innocent new born children;
knowing that the future depends upon
the health and sanity of mature growing adults.

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
cannot stand the treasonous actions
of corporations who are too lustfully stupid
to know the difference between harmony and deliberate disharmony.

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
shows goods deeds and motivations
to be better than the opposite route of
criminal behavior as it morphs into pledging allegiance
to a number of flags and badges which are soaked in the blood
of past generations, present generations and future generations of bodhisattvas.

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
recognizes mara as their own unbridled and reckless minds.
Habituated to slide between the pros and cons of mindfulness,
there is only virtue and merit in learning how to
comfortably sit on the mind's disruptiveness
as a sage glides on the winds as if it were second nature.

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
loves the dharma as an ultimate guide to
navigating the ocean of suffering
which stems from unregulated desires
and uncertainty in being able to overcome
the influences of one's own deep seated desire to desire.

The rainbow in my life is anyone who
prepares for their own enlightenment
as the sun takes on its own effulgence
or as the sky looks so pure just by being so open and wide.

The rainbow in my life
is our own mind transformed
from a rock like immovable state
to a gushing and free flowing state of awakening. 

Julian Colgan (Copyright)
Emptinessofmind.blogspot/ca
Awake to Buddhahood

13 November, 2013

The importance of compassion...

“Without good motivation, science and technology, 
instead of helping, bring more fear and threaten global destruction. 
Compassionate thought is very important for humankind.” 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama