To be in good health allows us to experience this world to its fullest, the way the body, mind, and soul were meant to experience it. It’s common to view wealth in a monetary sense, but having a state of peace within oneself is a much more powerful and useful tool than simple material wealth. Trusting in oneself and one’s path is an important part of our relationship with the self.
We create our own outcomes with many things. There are many interesting strands of research these days showing us how certain long-term emotions and traumas can have a huge impact on disease. Obviously this may not apply to the health of a newborn, but this wisdom is intended, it seems to me, to remind us to look at our long-term thoughts and actions in our lives and consider how they may be affecting our physical well-being.
The moment is all we have. We can learn from our past and project goals onto our “future moment,” but to spend all our time in either is to miss out on what’s happening in front of us. This refers to the times we walk through the park thinking about what’s coming next or what happened before, without seeing or really experiencing the amazing beauty and nature around us in that moment.
You can try to help someone else and you can wait forever for someone to come save you, but until a person decides to make a change themselves and commits to it, there’s little that can be done. Change must be desired before it can be effected. Throw both feet in and go for it. Otherwise you’re always going to spin your tires.
Everyone has their own perception of a situation or what might have been said. This does not mean that perception is universally true; rather, it is simply true for them in their current state. Don’t take other people’s perceptions of certain situations as ultimate truth, and in the same way, don’t take to heart what they think or believe about you. With yourself, understand that you too have your own perceptions, and allow yourself to be open to what others think and feel just as you would hope others would do for you.
]]>Have you ever wondered why all the statues that you see of the Buddha show him as calm, cool and smiling? Well, because Gautama Buddha had found the secrets of life by discovering the harsh realities of life. He had his ego completely annihilated and found the beauty of present moments. To be calm and cool like him, you will have to take in a few of his observations about life. Here you go...
No matter how much you try to conceal the truth, it will be known one day or the other. It’s foolish to cover up lies because the truth reveals itself in the most honest way.
Anger is a lethal weapon. Apart from slaying the enemy, it also slays you. When you’re angry, your words deceive you and they hurt others. Therefore, it’s advisable to remain silent and not speak when something annoys you.
We often expect to receive love and affection from others. In that process, we start neglecting ourselves. We try too hard to get attention. However, we forget that loving one's own self comes before loving others. You cannot love selflessly, until and unless you understand yourself.
The message here is to think happy thoughts that will keep you happy throughout the day. Being optimistic is better than having negative thoughts. Seeing the glass half-full is a way better perspective than seeing the glass half empty.
Getting attached to a thing is the biggest mistake we can make in our lives. It is when we get too dependent on it that we start losing it.
Indeed an enlightening quote! Here, Buddha wants us to learn from our own experiences and not from the reviews of others. What suits one person may not necessarily suit another.
Good looks are an asset - however, a good character is an identity. It’s completely wrong to judge someone only by their looks and not by their character.
Even if you’re surrounded by filth, but you’re strong enough to resist the bad, you will grow like a lotus in a mud lake. If you’re a student, with hard work, you will outshine all other ordinary students.
Buddha teaches us the difference between love and lust. In love, you nurture a relationship. In lust, you only satisfy your physical needs.
Starting small is the mantra for finishing big. It doesn’t matter if your start is a small attempt. If you keep at it steadily, you will achieve what you want to one day.
Life is one big journey and you’re a traveller. It’s better to live and travel well, than thinking about the future and losing your peace of mind. Living the fullest in the present is the best way to enjoy life, rather than living in the past or the future.
]]>To start off, the word religion means “a system of faith and worship” and “the belief in a superhuman, or god with power.” After visiting India and Nepal, and observing the Buddhist complex, I came to notice that Buddhism is neither a system of faith, nor a god-based institution.
Buddhists do not consider the Buddha as a supreme god. For them, he is a man like any other man who’s walked on the earth. Nevertheless, Buddha untangled the reasons of suffering and offered us a concrete way of getting out of them.
And although he did offer the world teachings about how to get unstuck from samsara, he insisted that he wanted no worship or praying. All he asked for is that we must examine his teachings first, and if they do resonate with us, then we practice them. If not, however, we have the utter freedom to leave them.
Although I have watched rituals and ceremonies being held at monasteries, I’ve been told that they’re not in any way worship-based. The so-called “worship” that we might see is one that is offered as a way of showing respect and thankfulness to the man who exhibited the truth. Even the prayers that we hear are ones that read compassion, kindness and love to all sentient beings, without any exception.
If we look more closely at Buddhism, we can even ascertain that there is no leader in the culture. Dzongsar Khyentse constantly talks about how the Dalai Lama is a secular leader for the Tibetan community in exile and a spiritual master to many people all over the world—and not merely for Buddhists. He insists that there is no authority in Buddhism with the power to decide who is a true Buddhist and who is not, or who is punishable and who is not.
The way I see it, Buddhism is a way of life—it’s a philosophy and a truth that simply represents how things are in life.
I must admit (and I’m not ashamed to claim it) that Buddhism has helped me understand the religion I was brought up with, as well as all the other religions in the world. Before being introduced to Buddhism, “holy books” were on par with the Chinese language to me. I couldn’t understand why I was supposed to pray, to attend religious ceremonies or to follow a spiritual leader, without true conviction or belief for what they’re saying. Before Buddhism, I was co-dependent on “God.” I constantly searched outside of myself, and I believe this is why I never found myself.
Buddhism helped me look inward. It taught me independence and self-awareness. Through it, I began to understand how the world ticks. It helped me look at myself and take responsibility for my actions, thoughts and emotions, rather than taking refuge in a supreme god.
With Buddhism, I came to finally understand that God isn’t a judgmental man who lives in the clouds. I stopped this duality between God and myself, and I figured out that God is in everyone (and everything and everywhere). It is not something that is outside of us or something we cannot reach—it is in us.
So you might ponder the question—why is it worth looking into Buddhism or practicing it?
I utterly believe to each their own—however, I also believe that it is never wrong to live with an open heart and an open mind which expands our knowledge and raises questions in our heads.
Unlike other religions, Buddhism doesn’t tell its followers to stick only to its teachings. Buddhists don’t care where you’re from, what you believe in or who you worship. All they care about is that you know the truth—and the truth is: “All compounded things are impermanent.”
It’s worth understanding Buddhism, because the final outcome of its purpose is not something that is beneficial to itself—the benefits are for our own sake. The benefit is that we will actually understand the truth of life, our existence and ourselves.
Again, like Dzognsar Khyentse said, “Buddhism is not a survival kit for living that dictates how many husbands a wife should have or where to pay taxes or how to punish thieves. Buddhism doesn’t even have a ritual for wedding ceremonies.”
The Buddha didn’t tell people what they wanted to hear—he simply opened their eyes to the truth of life.
Are you ready to hear it?
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般若波罗蜜多心经
The Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita
观自在菩萨,行深般若波罗蜜多时,照见五蕴皆空,度一切苦厄。
When Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara deeply practices Prajna Paramita (the wisdom of life and death transcendence), he clearly sees all emptiness of the Five Aggregates and is able to cross beyond all sufferings and distressed situations.
舍利子,色不异空,空不异色,色即是空,空即是色。
Shariputra,substance does not differ from emptiness; emptiness doesn’t differ from substance; substance exactly is emptiness and emptiness exactly is substance.
受想行识,亦复如是。
Perception, thinking, doing and knowledge are also like this (Perception, thinking, doing and consciousness don’t differ from emptiness; Perception, thinking, doing and consciousness exactly are emptiness).
舍利子,是诸法空相,
Shariputra, the appearances of emptiness of all ways are
不生不灭,不垢不净,不增不减,
(They) do not produce, not extinguish, not become filthy, not become pure, not increase and not decrease.
是故空中无色,无受想行识,
Therefore, within emptiness, there is no substance (as well as) no perception, thinking, doing and consciousness.
无眼耳鼻舌身意,无色声香味触法,无眼界,
There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue,body and consciousness; there is no color, sound, fragrance, smell, sense of touching and Buddhist teaching; there is no boundary of eyes.
乃至无意识界,无无明,亦无无明尽,
It goes as far as to the involuntary(unconscious ) boundary, without ignorance, and also without the extremity of ignorance.
乃至无老死,亦无老死尽。
It goes as far as to no aging and dying, as well as no extremity of aging and dying.
无苦集灭道,无智亦无得,以无所得故。
There is no accumulation of suffering, no extinguish of the Way; there is no wisdom as well as no gains because of none to attain.
菩提萨埵,依般若波罗蜜多故,心无挂碍。
Bodhisattva, due to Prajna Paramita , has no worries in his heart.
无挂碍故,无有恐怖,远离颠倒梦想,究竟涅槃。
Because of no worrying, there is nothing that can frighten him. Therefore, he is able to keep away from distorted dreams, and is able to achieve Nirvana after all.
三世诸佛,依般若波罗蜜多故,得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。
Buddhas of the past, present and future, due to Prajna Paramita , obtains Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
故知般若波罗蜜多,是大神咒,是大明咒,
Therefore, we understand that Prajna Paramita is the great wondrous mantra, is the great bright mantra.
是无上咒,是无等等咒。能除一切苦,真实不虚。
It is the supreme manta, the unparalleled mantra that can get rid of all sufferings, and it is real and not false.
故说般若波罗蜜多咒。
Therefore, he utters Mantra of the Prajna Paramita
即说咒曰:
The mantra is recited:
揭谛揭谛,波罗揭谛,波罗僧揭谛,菩提萨婆诃。
Go, go, go beyond and transcend, go utterly beyond, awakened, well said.
Founded in India 2,500 years ago, Buddhism remains the dominant religion of the Far East and is increasingly popular in the West. Over its long history Buddhism has developed into a wide variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and worship of deities to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. But all share in common a great respect for the teachings of the Buddha, "The Enlightened One".
"May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another.
May those find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness be guarded by beneficial celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood."
"If I have harmed anyone in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through my own confusions, I ask their forgiveness.
If anyone has harmed me in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through their own confusions, I forgive them.
And if there is a situation I am not yet ready to forgive, I forgive myself for that.
For all the ways that I harm myself, negate, doubt, belittle myself, judge or be unkind to myself through my own confusions, I forgive myself."
"We gently caress you, the Earth, our planet and our home.
Our vision has brought us closer to you, making us aware of the harm we have done to the life-network upon which we ourselves depend.
We are reminded that we have poisoned your waters, your lands, your air.
We have filled you with the bones of our dead from war and greed.
Your pain is our pain.
Touching you gently, we pray that we may become peace-bringers and life-bringers so that our home in its journey around the Sun not become a sterile and lonely place.
May this prayer and its power last forever."
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