Friday, April 29, 2011

You’re Bound to Become a Buddha

You’re bound to become a buddha if you practice.
If water drips long enough
Even rocks wear through.
It’s not true thick skulls can’t be pierced;
People just imagine their minds are hard.

~ Shih-wu (1272-1352)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Aim of Life

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The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.

~ Henry Miller
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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hobgoblins

Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds and the source of power for practitioners. Reflect on how everything is constantly changing, and remember how everything we do influences what happens in and around us. Reactivity will fall away, and time will not be wasted.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Not Being Defeated by the Rain

Ame ni mo makezu by Kenji Miyazawa

not losing to the rain
not losing to the wind
not losing to the snow nor to summer's heat
with a strong body
unfettered by desire
never losing temper
cultivating a quiet joy
every day four bowls of brown rice
miso and some vegetables to eat
in everything
count yourself last and put others before you
watching and listening, and understanding
and never forgetting
in the shade of the woods of the pines of the fields
being in a little thatched hut
if there is a sick child to the east
going and nursing over them
if there is a tired mother to the west
going and shouldering her sheaf of rice
if there is someone near death to the south
going and saying there's no need to be afraid
if there is a quarrel or a suit to the north
telling them to leave off with such waste
when there's drought, shedding tears of sympathy
when the summer's cold, wandering upset
called a blockhead by everyone
without being praised
without being blamed
such a person
I want to become


I don't know whose English translation this is, but the original Japanese and a transliteration are here.

Awareness, responsibility, compassion

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Awareness and responsibility versus belief and protection.

Awareness can be cultivated through reasoning, observation, faith, or kindness.

Awareness integrates many aspects of one's experience.

Belief leads one to disregard or belittle some aspects of experience, and to try to protect oneself from those experiences.

Responsibility arises from sufficient awareness, but can be cultivated through compassion -- being aware of and responsive to suffering, one's own and others'.

Compassion is the result or expression of true awareness.

Compassion (warm regard for suffering) can also lead to awareness (integrating the aspects of one's experience).

The faults of imperfect compassion are perhaps less dangerous than the risks of partial awareness.

True awareness and true compassion are infused with humility.

Awareness is knowing the whole of one's experience. Compassion is knowing that others feel too.