the best things in life aren't things
Posts tagged Buddhism
24 Hours To Die
Feb 3rd
Raj asked Buddha, “Reverend Sir, how come my mind wanders around to forbidden places and yours does not?” “Sir, how come I do back-biting and you don’t?” “Sir, how come I don’t have compassion for others, while you have?” All the questions that Raj asked were of similar nature.
Buddha replied, “Raj, your questions are good, but it seems to me that in 24 hours from now you will die.”
Raj got up and started getting ready to go.
Buddha asked, “Raj, what happened? You came with such vitality now you are totally dismayed.”
Raj said, “Sir, my mother told me that your words are true and are to be held in high esteem. So please let me go so that I may meet my family members, friends and others before I die.”
Buddha said, “But there are still 24 hours. Sit, we will talk more.”
Raj said, “Reverend Sir, please let me go. I must meet my people before I die.”
So Raj left and went home. Met his mother and started crying. The word spread. His friends came; other family members came; neighbors came. Everyone was crying with Raj. Time flew.
Raj was busy either crying or counting the hours. When only 3 hours were left, he pulled up a cot and lay down. Although the Death had not yet arrived, poor Raj was kind of dead.
When only an hour was left, Buddha walked in.
Buddha said to Raj, “Raj, why are you lying down on the cot with your closed eyes. Death is still an hour away. And an hour is 60 minutes long. That’s a lot of time. Get up, let us talk.”
Raj: “Sir, what is it now that you want to talk? Just let me die peacefully.”
Buddha: “Raj, there is still time and our talk will get over before the ‘ordained’ time.”
Raj: “Okay, Sir . . . say what you have to say.”
Buddha: “In the past 24 hours, did you curse anyone?”
Raj: “How could I curse anyone? I was all the time thinking about death.”
Buddha: “In the past 24 hours, did you think or wish ill for anyone?”
Raj: “How could I do that? I was all the time thinking about death.”
Buddha: “In the past 24 hours, did you steal?”
Raj: “Sir, how can you even ask that? I was all the time thinking about death.”
Finally the Buddha said, “Raj, I don’t know who has to die and who has to live. But understanding the ultimate truth — i.e. death — can be very enlightening. All the questions you posed to me have been answered by yourself because of the awareness of death that you experienced during the past 24 hours. The difference between me and you is that you were aware of death for the past 24 hours, I have been aware for the past 24 years.”
A pledge..
Oct 16th
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.
Buddhas for Burning
Jul 22nd
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)
Why Lazarus laughed
Jul 20th
On the phenomenal plane we seek pleasure and the avoidance of pain. On the noumenal plane we know the absence of both – which is Bliss.
Wei Wu Wei
Rules for living
Jun 9th
Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Spend some time alone every day.
Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the earth.
Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.His Holiness The Dalai Lama
