the best things in life aren't things
Buddhism
A pledge..
I am a Pagan and I dedicate myself to channeling the Spiritual energy of my inner self to help and to heal others and myself.
I know that I am part of the Whole of nature. May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in balance.
May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity. May I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, culture and ways differ from my own.
May I use my psychic powers wisely and never use it for aggression or for malevolent purposes.
May I never use it to curtail the free will of others.
May I always remember that I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positivity in my life.
May I always take responsibility for my actions be they conscious or unconscious.
May I always act in honorable ways, being honest with myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have undertaken to the best of my abilities.
May I always remember that whatever is sent out returns magnified to the sender. The forces of Karma will move swiftly to remind me of my spiritual commitments when I have begun to falter from them. May I use this Karmic feedback to remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity or negativity. May the force of my inner Spirit eliminate all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positive light. May my inner light shine so strongly that malevolence can not even enter my realm of existence.
May I continually grow in wisdom and understanding. May I see every problem that I face, as an opportunity to learn and grow and to develop spiritually.
May I act out of love for other beings on this planet — to other human, plants, animals, mineral, elementals, spirits or other entities.
May I ever be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit.
May I always channel love and light through my being. May my inner Spirit, rather than my Ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings and actions.
So Mote It Be.
Why are you unhappy?
Because 99.9 per cent
Of everything you think,
And of everything you do,
Is for yourself —
And there isn’t one.— Ask The Awakened
The ripest fruit falls by itself
China is said to have more proverbs than anywhere else on Earth. The orgins of some are lost in the mists of time. Others appear to be related to comments by Confucius and other ancient sages. Some also appear elsewhere, such as in the form of Zen sayings extant in Japan. Most of those below are in the rendering of Chinese Proverbs from Olden Times, Peter Pauper Press, Mt. Vernon, N.Y. , 1956. Those marked with stars are proverbs that appear in the above book, but the form given here is my own rendering or a rendering or translation that I have come across elsewhere.
Victor Daniels, 5-23-05
More here
Buddhas for Burning
3 years ago
in Buddhism
I think we have understood that dogmas in a world of constant mutation are necessarily false? And since we know that everything we formulate in words, that is, seen dualistically, is inevitably deformed, we can readily understand that all doctrines, religious, philosophical, scientific, cannot represent more than a reflection of truth.
Men and women who seek doctrines, study them, endeavour to follow them, are impeding their own progress. The Masters, from the Buddha down, in their frequent condemnation of ‘discoursing’ have made that clear, and in declaring that there must be no attachment to, or identification with, the Dharma itself (or any dharma), that even the teaching of the Buddha himself must be discarded, have left no room for doubt on that score.
Doctrines, scriptures, sutras, essays, are not to be regarded as systems to be followed. They merely contribute to understanding. They should be for us a source of stimulation, and nothing more.
We must create each his own dharma, understanding, and may use those of others to help us to that end; they have no other value for us. Adopted, rather than used as a stimulus, they are a hindrance. As the Zen master stated to the monk whom he found studying a sutra, ‘Do not let the sutra upset you – upset the sutra yourself instead.’ Some Masters expressed themselves more forcibly, as when they recommended that Buddhas (statues of) were for burning and on a cold day used one as firewood, and in advising, ‘If you meet the Buddha, turn aside and look the other way.’ Such statements shock the sense of reverence inculcated by the devotional religions, but their meaning, their aim, their importance, are evident.
(© RKP, 1960)