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  Dharma Quotes...

  Post your dharma quotes to inspire other members on their journey toward
  "enlightenment!"

  C2 started this discussion 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  C2 (edited)

  What is Meditation?

  "To meditate is not to empty the mind and gape at things in a trancelike stupor. Nothing significant will ever
  be revealed by staring blankly at an object long and hard enough...To meditate is to probe with intense
  sensitivity each glimmer of color, each cadence of sound, each touch of another's hand, each fumbling word
  that tries to utter what cannot be said." -- Stephen Batchelor, from "Buddhism Without Beliefs"

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  show 6 replies

  • 

    leegee 

    "To foster inner-awareness, intropspection and reasoning is more efficient than meditation and prayer." -- His Holiness The Dalai Lama, The Path To Tranquility

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    C2 

    "Having come to an understanding of all the ramifications of the fundamental nature--its displays,
    encompassing quality, pervasiveness, and extension--you reach the decisive experience of the
    true nature of phenomena that is immediately present, a supreme and inexpressible state that is
    nothing in and of itself, an unrestricted state of resting in the fundamental nature beyond ordinary consciousness. Hold this to be the most excellent key point--to practice with intense and unflagging exertion until you attain supreme timeless awareness, which is total omniscience."

    From, "Buddhahood Without Meditation: A Visionary Account Known As Refining One's Perception
    (Nang-jang)" by, Dudjom Lingpa
    "It should be remembered, however, that to benefit fully from the "Nang-jang," one must receive
    empowerment, oral transmission, and teachings from a qualified Dzogchhen master."

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    Marconi (edited)

    Hi Cole. I saw your Taoist icon over on Better than Starbucks and followed you here.
    I practice a meditation called Knowledge as given by Prem Rawat, and have done for 38 years. I have to observe that there is a lot of senseless talk about the process of meditation, like this:

    "To meditate is to probe with intense
    sensitivity each glimmer of color, each cadence of sound, each touch of another's hand, each fumbling word that tries to utter what cannot be said."

    ...all of which seems to be quite the opposite of what happens in meditation...that advice is really misleading.

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    C2 (edited)

    With all due respect to the quoted gentleman who has I'm sure a beloved following, what he is
    describing is more of a kind of attention-bearing, moment to moment, mindful state of awareness.
    However, he was a former Tibetan monk and was also trained in Zen meditation techniques.
    You are right, this quotation, taken out of context is misleading. I will be more discriminating with my future postings. Thank you for your reply. Om Tat Sat Om.

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    Marconi 

    Jai Sat Chit Anand, brother. Yes, the 'mindful awareness ' attitude is obviously an advance on unmindful ignorance, [ and there might be a profitable inquiry here in the relation of Buddhist 'mindfulness' with western phenomenology...] but I wonder how many lifetimes have been wasted in these zen monasteries! As i said, there is a lot of mindless blather knocking around this topic.

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    C2 (edited)

    Thank you, Marconi.

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  C2 

  Training the Heart

  "Often we hear the adage, 'Follow your heart'...The heart is not only driven by love, kindness and compassion; it is also driven by desire, greed and anger. We need to train the heart, not simply follow it."
  -- Joseph Goldstein, from "A Heart Full of Peace"

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  C2 

  True Bodhichitta

  "In the beginning we should have a clear, overall view of the path, so that we know what we are aiming at in our practice and can recognize the level we have reached. Then, as we practice regularly, we may experi- ence profound changes in our minds, but these experiences only occur when we are concentrating in ses- sions of meditation. Later, after meditating for a long time, we find that these experiences occur spontane- ously when we encounter particular circumstances, without our needing to concentrate in meditation."
  "Take the example of bodhicitta. After we have meditated on bodhicitta for a while, a change occurs in our
  minds, but only when we are actually thinking of bodhicitta. This is what is called fabricated experience. It is
  not the bodhichitta of a real Bodhisattva. As we maintain progress, however, we reach a point where the
  mere sight of an animal or bird causes the thought to well up from the depth of our hearts--When will I ever
  attain enlightenment for this being? This is what we call a natural experience, and at this point true bodhi-
  chitta has taken root in us." -- Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, from "For the Benefit of All
  Beings: A Commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva" (formerly, "A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night")

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  leegee 

  "Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen. To know that the mind is empty is to see the Buddha. The Buddhas of the ten directions" have no mind. To see no mind is to see the Buddha.

  "To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity. To transcend motion and stillness is the highest meditation. Mortals keep moving, and Arhats stay still." But the highest meditation surpasses both that of mortals and that of Arhats. People who reach such understanding free themselves from all appearances without effort ..."

  -- Bodhidharma, "The Wake-up Sermon" (trans. Red Pine)
  -- http://freedharma.com/text/Bodhidharma/bodhidharma_wake-up_sermon/Pine_Red/1.html

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  show 3 replies

  • 

    C2 

    "To find a buddha, you have to see your nature. Whoever sees his nature is a buddha. If you
    don't see your nature, invoking buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts
    are all useless. Invoking buddhas results in good karma, reciting sutras results in a good memory;
    keeping precepts results in a good rebirth, and making offerings results in future blessings--but
    no buddha." --from, "The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma," 'Bloodstream Sermon' Trans. Red Pine
    (Bill Porter) He currently lives in Port Townsend, WA, USA

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    Marconi 

    "invoking buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts
    are all useless. " This I like...

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    leegee 

    Me too. A fuller quote may make someone else laugh too:
    “To find a buddha, you have to see your nature. Whoever sees his nature is a buddha. If you don’t see your nature, invoking buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts are all useless. Invoking buddhas results in good karma, reciting sutras results in a good memory; keeping precepts results in a good rebirth, and making offerings results in future blessings–but no buddha.”

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  C2 (edited)

  Quotes from John Daido Loori of Zen Mountain Monastery on Case 107 of Master Dogen's "Mana Shobogenzo"...
  "Yun-men said, 'When light does not penetrate fully, there are two types of sickness. One is that facing objects it is still not clear if there is something before you. The other is that even having understood the emptiness of all things, in a subtle way there is still something that seems like an object, this is also the case where light has not fully penetrated. There are also 2 types of sickness regarding the dharma body. One is that even having reached the dharma body, one abides at the margins of the dharma body because attachments to the self-view still persist. The other is that even having penetrated it, one cannot let go of having penetrated it. You should examine this state carefully and see what kind of freedom you're really breathing, as this kind of freedom is also a sickness.'
  Yun-men's first illness is about not really having arrived yet. His second illness is having arrived, but not being sure that you have. His third affliction is knowing that you have arrived, and the forth affliction is having arrived and not being able to leave. Therefore, when moving outwardly, do not pursue ramifications. When moving inwardly, do not abide in a trance. In this way you will naturally pass through Yun-men's sickness."

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  leegee 

  Can't recall from where these come, but I use them a lot at the moment:

  All bar one of the monks run to the hills when the marauding Samuri ravage the area. The Samuri reach the monestary to find the one monk sat cross-legged in the centre of the courtyard.
  Samuri to monk: "I have to warn you that I could very easily kill you."
  Monk to Samuri: "I have to warn you that I could very easily be killed."

  <hr/>

  A pesimist says: the glass is half empty.
  An optimist says: the glass is half full.
  Zen teaches: wrong glass.

  <hr/>

  Weak mind, weak fist. Strong mind, no need for fist.

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  show 23 replies

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • 

    leegee 

    1. Funnily enough, he went away then, the story goes.
    2. -
    3. Gun? Mechanical means of killing or bad image? Either way, not Right.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • 

    leegee 

    1. Should pay more attention to semi-anonymous internet lief?
    2. Doubt wine expert's grammar.
    3. Guns are never good, are they?

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • 

    leegee 

    1. LOL @ "Lief", apologies! Life. I have a website about to go live, not much time to spend on internet life, so responses delayed.
    2. Glass was specified, so the "which" is misplaced.
    3. No, guns no good. Blimey (as we say in London if we're not careful) - maybe I am a Buddhist.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • 

    leegee 

    1. Aye.
    2. Phoney!
    3. And yet I'm alive despite their guns and fists.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • 

    leegee 

    1. -
    2. Phoney -] phonetics, illogical is all. As for R.Adams? I've read Douglas Adams....
    3. Yearse...

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • 

    leegee 

    The matter of articles? "The" versus "which"?
    Generally I am very much for clarity of language -- Orwell's Politics And The English Language is an important piece of writing to me, along with its expression of the clarity of language in external dialogue encouraging clarity in internal monologue, and a move closer to liberation.
    Naturally, then, chán and zen writings interest me for their attempts to express the linguistically virtually- or too-often impossible to express....

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • C2 removed this reply 5 months ago.

  • 

    leegee 

    Sorry, knowledge of wine and glass too little, joke too oblique to hit home here, thousands of miles away, in writing, withouta face.
    Dictionary - yes, probably two stars.
    Collins' dictionary - now there's a funny book, a true one-star dictionary. If only I had one to quote.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    C2 (edited)

    Mr. Gee: I out of respect for the Buddha I withdraw my idle and mindless speech. And may all beings in countless numbers be blessed this day. OM...

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    uplandpoet 

    leegee, from what i understand, one can be jewish, christian or muslim and still be buddhist, as it is a way of life, a way of thinking and percieving, not really a religion in the sense of defining god....

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    C2 

    Buddha Bless You and other waxed-winged creatures!

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • Morning Star 

    Already I feel enlightened...

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    C2 

    Yes, your light is blinding my eyes!

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    SimonaP 

    Is it the way it is written or is it the way you read, which gives you an answer...

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    leegee 

    "spect," ash the children say.

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    leegee 

    upland - sure, why not? If the Tibetans can mix it with their old folky ways, why not the JuBus?

    What's in a name?

    "The Jew in the Lotus" is interesting on this subject, with some very wise Jewish folk visiting HHDL, with great results all around.

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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  Marconi 

  Here is my guru, speaking about how we get hung up on concepts of the spiritual , and miss out on the actual experience: enjoy!

  http://mspeaks.com/archives/2009/maharaji-in-auckland/

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

  show 1 reply

  • 

    C2 

    Thank you, Marconi!

    posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

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  ariel v 

  Marconi, Thank you for sharing the link! ariel

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

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  ariel v 

  Marconi, I have checked this out and I see this is the guru who I received knowledge from in the mid 70's. Divine Light Mission had a large following in Atlanta and we had a great group there. We traveled a lot to meetings and had satsang nightly - it was wonderful. As I left the states a while and began traveling myself, I lost touch with DLM and now I see the org operates under another name. It is nice to see that this opportunity is still around. I read on one site set up for ex-premies some of the complaints and downsides - it is unfortunate those people had that experience - but this is like it is with anything - it is what you take away from it --- and that time I received "knowledge" is still with me - it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life and still is -- thank you again for the link, peace, ariel

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  Marconi 

  Hi Ariel! how about an icon up there next to your name, then? Mine is a wheel of Dharma floating in the air, as the Grateful Dead song put it...

  I always say that I am a Buddhist, but actually I practice Knowledge...its difficult to talk about it as its really anti-concepts, and people either 'get' it, or they don't. I'm just glad you do!

  For anyone else who wonders what we are talking about, there is an ancient tradition in India of meditation on the inner mounting flame [ as Sri Chinmoy called it]...known also as the divine light. There are 4 meditation techniques in all, that focus you inwards into the life force or 'elan vital'...

  But Knowledge is not an abstract or metaphorical matter. In the end, this meditation opens you up to great feelings of love and happiness.
  If you have a thirst, that is, and your bowl is empty, otherwise there is no room among all your concepts and pre-conceptions for the experience of simple being.

  posted 6 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  leegee 

  One must have a mind of winter
  To regard the frost and the boughs
  Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

  And have been cold a long time
  To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
  The spruces rough in the distant glitter

  Of the January sun; and not to think
  Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
  In the sound of a few leaves,

  Which is the sound of the land
  Full of the same wind
  That is blowing in the same bare place

  For the listener, who listens in the snow,
  And, nothing himself, beholds
  Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

  -- Wallace Stevens

  posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  show 2 replies

  • 

    C2 

    LOVELY poem.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    Marconi 

    Yes, thanks for that, I wasn't aware of his poetry, which is obviously very deeply considered.

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  ariel v 

  Stevens says a lot in his poetry and it is nice to have a copy of his works handy - it helps the mind to look away from itself --- it helps us to "see" differently ....In his, "Final Soliloquy of the Internal Paramour" -- ....how high that highest candle lights the dark.. -- thank you for sharing...ariel

  posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  C2 

  Quotes by Milarepa, Tibetan Yogi:
  <bq>
  Maintain the state of undistractedness and distractions will fly off.

  Dwell alone and you shall find a friend.

  Take the lowest place and you shall reach the highest.

  Hasten slowly and you will soon arrive.

  Renounce all worldly goals and you shall reach the highest goal.
  <bq>

  posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  ariel v 

  thank you for sharing all these!!!!wonderful........!

  posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  show 1 reply

  • 

    C2 

    You're Welcome in our hearts!

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  C2 

  "Anthem", excerpts:
  *Ring the bells that still can ring
  Forget your perfect offering
  There is a crack in everything
  That's how the light gets in.

  ...I can't run no more with that lawless crowd while the killers in high places say their prayers out loud. But they've summoned, they've summoned up a thundercloud and they're going to hear from me.
  *
  You can add up the parts but you won't have the sum
  You can strike up the march, there is no drum
  Every heart, every heart to love will come but like a refugee.--Leonard Cohen

  "Sisters of Mercy", excerpt:
  Yes, you must leave everything that you cannot control; it begins with your family, but soon it comes round to
  your soul. Well, I've been where you're hanging I think I can see how you're pinned. When you're not feeling
  holy, your loneliness says that you've sinned.--Leonard Cohen

  posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  show 2 replies

  • 

    leegee 

    "...Love is not a victory march,
    It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah."
    -- Leonard Cohen

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    C2 

    HALLELUJAH, Amen!

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  SimonaP 

  Everyone who has ever built anywhere a new heaven first found the power thereto in his own hell.
  Friedrich Nietzsche

  posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  show 1 reply

  • Morning Star 

    Reminds me of Black Sabbath's Heaven & Hell :-

    They say that lifes a carousel
    Spinning fast, youve got to ride it well
    The world is full of kings and queens
    Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
    Its heaven and hell, oh well
    And theyll tell you black is really white
    The moon is just the sun at night
    And when you walk in golden halls
    You get to keep the gold that falls
    Its heaven and hell, oh no!
    Fool, fool!

    Nietzsche had his own concoction of Heaven & Hell and found many acolytes like-minded. Staring into his abyss of musings was like staring into the lost pool of squonk words.

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  C2 

  "Everyday, think as you wake up:
  Today I am fortunate to have woken up.
  I am alive.
  I have a precious human life.
  I am not going to waste it.
  I am going to use all my energies to develop myself
  to expand my heart out to others
  for the benefit of all beings."

  His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama

  posted 2 weeks ago. ( reply )

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