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General Buddhism => General Buddhism => Topic started by: Losang_Tenpa on May 07, 2011, 03:11:25 PM
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"From the backstabbing co-worker to the meddling relative, you are in charge of how you react to the people and events in your life. You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead. Take control and choose to focus on what is important in your life." - Anais Nin
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"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”
“Hold on a minute,” Socrates...... replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”
“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”
“Umm, no, on the contrary…”
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really.”
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This has always been one of my favorites.
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. T. S. Eliot
I know that these quotes are not really Dharma in origin, but they seem to embody a touch of Dharma nonetheless
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"No matter how many meetings are held in the name of world peace, there will be no happiness until people abstain from harming others. Ethical conduct is not a ritualistic obedience to some exterior imposed code of behaviour. It is rather a healthy pattern of harmlessness, which you have consciously? and voluntarily chosen because you recognise it is the key to extract your positive potential and the foundation of all happiness."- Lama Jamyang Lekshey
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Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. World peace cannot come about through meetings of high powers, no matter how many meetings are conducted. We, in our individual capacity, must first develop inner peace. Only from that ground, can peace start to grow and spread and ultimately become world peace.
Inner peace, the root of world peace, must be cultivated through a determined course of non-harming of all beings.
I remember, as a young person, I used to be puzzled and to turn over many times in my mind, a quotation to the effect that “to have peace we must be prepared for war”. I believe this is the mind-set that has led to so many instances of aggression in the modern world. War and aggression can never be solutions. How can peace arise out of the ashes of war?
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"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”
“Hold on a minute,” Socrates...... replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”
“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”
“Umm, no, on the contrary…”
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really.”
Thanks for the quote. Certainly an advice which is valid and most applicable to us today.
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"No matter how many meetings are held in the name of world peace, there will be no happiness until people abstain from harming others. Ethical conduct is not a ritualistic obedience to some exterior imposed code of behaviour. It is rather a healthy pattern of harmlessness, which you have consciously? and voluntarily chosen because you recognise it is the key to extract your positive potential and the foundation of all happiness."- Lama Jamyang Lekshey
Thanks, TS for this meaningful quote
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"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”
“Hold on a minute,” Socrates...... replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”
“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”
“Umm, no, on the contrary…”
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really.”
Thanks for the quote. Certainly an advice which is valid and most applicable to us today.
Great quote and very useful indeed. "Truth, goodness and usefulness"........this will reduce a lot of idol talking and gossiping.
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Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. World peace cannot come about through meetings of high powers, no matter how many meetings are conducted. We, in our individual capacity, must first develop inner peace. Only from that ground, can peace start to grow and spread and ultimately become world peace.
Inner peace, the root of world peace, must be cultivated through a determined course of non-harming of all beings.
I remember, as a young person, I used to be puzzled and to turn over many times in my mind, a quotation to the effect that “to have peace we must be prepared for war”. I believe this is the mind-set that has led to so many instances of aggression in the modern world. War and aggression can never be solutions. How can peace arise out of the ashes of war?
I think you are so right vajrastorm. World peace comes from inner peace and can never arise from the ashes of war. Inner peace is the basic building block of world peace. From historical results, we know for sure Hitler and Mao Tze Tung never had inner peace. That is why the result of their reign have been disastrous. Massive massacre of the human race and destruction of any artifacts or traces of anything of cultural value to the human race. This is a reflection of anger and aggression within their minds.
I remember many moons ago when I was in school, my teacher told me about an international meet of world leaders (can't remember what meeting that was) where the program for the meeting incorporated 2-3 days of leisure program where world leader and their first ladies spend time on an informal basis (for eg games of golf, dinner parties etc) to get to know each other before the meeting proper commenced .
The purpose of this informal gathering is to foster friendship and understanding before they get into actual serious discussion where their decisions will impact the rest of the world. My point is that the organiser of the meeting saw the importance of fostering peace in the minds of world leaders through cultivating friendship among them. With peace among the world leaders, the chances of world peace would be more likely.
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Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. World peace cannot come about through meetings of high powers, no matter how many meetings are conducted. We, in our individual capacity, must first develop inner peace. Only from that ground, can peace start to grow and spread and ultimately become world peace.
Inner peace, the root of world peace, must be cultivated through a determined course of non-harming of all beings.
Yes, world peace comes from inner peace. We should learn to forgive, let go and move on as everything is transient and not permanent. We should also act, speak and think in reference to what others need and not what we need. When we learn to give in terms of good thoughts and actions than we will find that love, growth and fulfillment are possible. We should not find faults in others, but to check ourselves of any shortcomings. To quote H.H.Dalai Lama, "To be aware of a single shortcomings in oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else."
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My favorite is from my Guru : Whether we do work and suffer but for others or we do work and suffer for ourselves, either way we have to suffer. That is the nature of samsara. So let us suffer for others and then suffering has meaning.
I have it in my hp so I can contemplate on it daily. I like it because it help me deal with life's situations better especially when I have to face bad times, ' sacrifices' or emotional upsets while doing charity work , community or dharma work. I also remember him saying that the difference between a bodhisattva and us is that although they have the same body of suffering like us, they do not let their pains, emotions etc stop them from doing their holy deeds. We on the other hand usually help others when we are in a better position than others or when we have surplus. When we are down , usually we stop helping others. We do not view others needs as more important than ours.We are not prepared to suffer for others like a holy being. The quote here help me to close this gap - that we do need effort , patience and perseverence and do have to experience suffering and unpleasantness when helping others as our bodhimind is still weak.
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"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
Not telling the truth is lying. Saying something bad about others is divisive and hurtful. Finally saying something not useful is idle chatter. These are four non virtuous actions of speech. Hence we should be mindful when we talk to avoid creating negative speech karma.
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"No matter how many meetings are held in the name of world peace, there will be no happiness until people abstain from harming others. Ethical conduct is not a ritualistic obedience to some exterior imposed code of behaviour. It is rather a healthy pattern of harmlessness, which you have consciously? and voluntarily chosen because you recognise it is the key to extract your positive potential and the foundation of all happiness."- Lama Jamyang Lekshey
Ethical conduct brings about concentration of our mind. With concentration, we gain wisdom. With wisdom, we will understand that true happiness comes from not harmng others but from benefiting and cherishing others. World Peace is easy to accomplish when we realise this truth.
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This is one of my favourite quotes:
"Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny."
To me, this beautifully highlights the relationship between ones body, speech and mind with karma.
How you think, affects your motivation which in turn is portrayed in one's actions. If that action stays and continues over and over again, it becomes a habituation, and can be brought forward not only in this life but ur future lives. With how you act and the habits that you have, because the way you think will affect your actions thus developing your habit, it forms the person you are, the person other people identifies in you hence they perceive who you are, your character, as a result of your body, speech and mind.
Your body, speech and mind (motivation) ultimately generates the karma, good or bad, which will be the ONLY thing that determines your destiny - your environmental conditions, and what you are to face, in the present and future lives.
Beautiful innit, how everything is so interconnected?... Love this quote, along with another one:
"Expect nothing and nothing will disappoint you". :)
Your soup for the day. hehe.
Love,
Manjushriii
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Another of my favourite:
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' The world is an unsafe place not because of bad people, but because good people do nothing to stop them.'
I now understand why my Guru dislike those who do not respond when he ask for suggestions or opinions etc. I think most of us are guilty of being inert at one time or another. Such inertness can be attributed to a not caring attitude. We have to be always mindful that we can still cause harm if we do not respond or do something to alleviate/contain or prevent a harmful situation when we are able to do so. In modern society we say we need to have civic mindedness.
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I got this in my notebook. ' Success is getting what u want. Happiness wants what u get.'
For most of us, all our actions are tainted by worldly concerns for gain, name, pleasure , praise and hence their opposites of loss, shame, displeasure, and blame. This is the self cherishing attitude which accompanies whatever success we achieve in life . We may call it success but getting what we want does not necessarily equate with true happiness.
If we are wise and define success by the measure of how much happiness we receive, how lasting that happiness is and how much others benefit from our actions, then the latter part of the quote makes sense. True happiness for oneself and others come from giving, not taking.
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I'd like to share some of the quotes I love from Mother Theresa. I believe she is a Boddhisattva:
“Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
? Mother Teresa
“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
? Mother Teresa
“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”
? Mother Teresa
“Prayer in action is love, love in action is service.”
? Mother Teresa
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I'd like to share more quotes from HH The Dalai Lama:
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."
"If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others."
"There is a saying in Tibetan, “Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.”
No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster."
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More quotes to share:
"Many of life's failures are people who do not realise how close they were to success when they gave up."
- Thomas A. Edison
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal."
- Martin Luther King, Jr
"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."
- The Dalai Lama
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."
- Maya Angelou
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Some quotes from HH The Dalai Lama:
Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value”, is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought – so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.
To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.
There is a saying in Tibetan, “Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.”
No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.
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Powerful quotes from Mahatma Gandhi:
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” (I love this! Gandhi can be bitchy too!)
“Hate the sin, love the sinner.”
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This has always been one of my favorites.
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. T. S. Eliot
I know that these quotes are not really Dharma in origin, but they seem to embody a touch of Dharma nonetheless
The moment we stay stagnant, we die slowly. This is because we are not looking forward to what is new and what other possibilities we have in our life either to create something for yourself or for others. Things change and we have to change to move on with times, therefore we have to explore.
And why we we arrive back to where we started and know the place like the first time? To me, it is like samsara where we are stuck in the cycle of birth and death. It goes on and on for one life to another where we are born, live life, die then be reborn again. Whether in any of the 6 realms, it doesn't matter cos we start anew with the cycle. And it has no meaning until we managed to get out of the cycle. This is what I perceive as the Buddhist nature of the quote.
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Powerful quotes from from Martin Luther King, Jr.
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness."
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
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Inspiring quotes from Nelson Mandela.
"For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
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This is a wonderful quote from Steve Jobs:
"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me... Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me."
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This is a quote I must have seen on facebook, and I don't know whom it is from, but I have remembered it immediately:
"Eventually, people do not remember what you have said or done, but they remember how you made them feel"
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Another wise quote from Steve Jobs.
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
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An insightful quote from Albert Einstein:
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
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'Life is a party on death row. '
This is poignant reminder of our real situation without wools covering our eyes.
'Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keep You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
Only Friends keep You Going '
To the above , I would like to add:
A Guru does them all
and keeps you going lifetimes after lifetimes!
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My favorite is from my Guru : Whether we do work and suffer but for others or we do work and suffer for ourselves, either way we have to suffer. That is the nature of samsara. So let us suffer for others and then suffering has meaning.
This is so true Khedrub Gyatso, i agree with your guru. As long as we are in samsara, suffering never ends. So what's the difference make between suffer for ourselves and for others? In a Buddhist way of view, we always put others' benefit as priority, hence we help others who's in need, we lessen their burden/sufferings, be it financially, physically or mentally...Unfortunately nowadays people are indulging in ourselves, the "me" attitude is deep rooted in us, we would rather spend time party on Saturday nights than spend time doing some charity work over the weekend. Self-indulgence is always the culprit of us doing things selfishly and never care about others. This causes suffering to ourselves too, if you believe in karma.
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Wisdom quotes from Lao Tzu that are very Buddhist in nature:
Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
Because of a great love, one is courageous.
Great acts are made up of small deeds.
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Thought provoking quotes from HH The Dalai Lama:
1. Love is the absence of judgment.
2. Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.
3. If you can cultivate the right attitude, your enemies are your best spiritual teachers because their presence provides you with the opportunity to enhance and develop tolerance, patience and understanding.
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Some favourite quotes from inspirational people of our time:
“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
? Mother Teresa
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
? Mother Teresa
"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."
? HH The Dalai Lama
"There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster."
? HH The Dalai Lama
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, they become destiny.
? Unknown Author (but brilliant!)
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I love this quote from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama:
"The first beneficiary of compassion is always oneself. When compassion, or warmheartedness, arises in us and our focus shifts away from our own narrow self-interest, it is as if we open an inner door. It reduces fear, boosts confidence and brings us inner strength. By reducing distrust, it opens us to others and brings us a sense of connection to others, and sense of purpose and meaning in life."
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I love this quote from Mahatma Gandhi :)
Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
“Hate the sin, love the sinner.”
Yes ! u need to find your inner peace then you can share your compassion wherever you are, no matter what situation you are in........ :)
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"The deep roots of failure in our lives is to think, 'Oh how useless and powerless I am.' It is essential to think strongly and forcefully, 'I can do it,' without boasting or fretting." - Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
Yes, if we think we can do it, just do it. By always saying we cannot do this or that, we are creating the cause of not being able to, thus it is important to think we can do it then we can create the cause of doing it.
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This is a quote from HH The Dalai Lama. How do we practise love and compassion in order to achieve inner peace?
"As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness."
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Some profound quotes from Reverend Thich Nhat Hanh:
"People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don't suffer anymore."
"People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar."
In other words, change our perspectives even though we'll be in unknown zones that may feel scary. It's all about making wise choices.
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“There is a saying in Tibetan that “at the door of the miserable rich man sleeps the contented beggar.” The point of this saying is not that poverty is a virtue, but that happiness does not come from wealth, but from setting limits to one’s desires, and living within those limits with satisfaction.”-The Dalai Lama
I like this profound and thought provoking fact. If only we understand and be satisfied with what we have compared with what others have. The cause of suffering is greed. If people get rid of these negative emotions, they will be happy.
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The following quotes from Albert Einstein are very profound. Although he's a scientist, his words are very Buddhist. I guess the truth is the truth regardless of what religion or school of thought we're from.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."
"Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools."
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Everything in life is temporary, because everything changes...
That's why it takes great courage to love, knowing it might end anytime but having the faith it will last forever...
Isn't the above beautiful?
Many people cannot give love because they are afraid it won't last and they have to endure disappointment and suffering.This arises from thinking about one's situation. If we sincerely wish to benefit others and give love to those who need it, we will find the courage to overcome our own fears of failure etc..
The faith factor becomes very strong if we understand karma. Any action however small will multiply to yield big fruits and will not be wasted. Hence whatever good we do with our body , speech and mind even if it is just a small prayer will go a long way in creating the cause for happiness to others through countless lifetimes.
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Found this quote in my facebook and absolutely love it. It's what I call a rude awakening.
"The only thing standing in between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it."
This quote is so true because no matter genuine our obstacles are, if we want our goal bad enough, there is always a way to overcome them. Unfortunately, we still convince ourselves with the poor me bullshit stories. hehe. As Nike says, JUST DO IT.
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I love this quote a lot and its by non other than Mother Theresa:
"I have found the paradox: that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."
May we grow the love no matter what...
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There was a quote I heard a long time ago, when I was a teenager. Not sure who it's from but it goes like this:
"Expect nothing and nothing will disappoint you".
From this basis, I think that we shouldn't base our reality on our expectations because reality and expectations rarely do meet. And when they don't meet, we feel the depression, the anger which arises from the inability to control the situation we are in. And when we are in that stage, we keep finding ways to make our expectations meet reality, and in doing that, we fall deeper into the hole we are digging ourselves into.
Funny how so many quotes relate to the fundamental teachings of Buddhism and the wisdom behind it. I love it. Buddhism is so practical to prepare you to face the world, whatever it has to offer and throw to you.
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Buddha quotes show us the truth about life and death through the wise words from the Buddha.
People do not have to be a Buddhist to read and understand these quotes, they can just be life lessons which can benefit everyone who are seeking the true meaning of life.
I love Buddha quotes, sharing below quotes that keep us mindful and make us wiser:
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
Buddha
Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
Buddha
Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.
Buddha
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.
Buddha
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
Buddha
However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?
Buddha
I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.
Buddha
I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.
Buddha
In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.
Buddha
In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.
Buddha
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
Buddha
It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.
Buddha
It is better to travel well than to arrive.
Buddha
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"self,indeed,is savoir of self,
self,indeed, is one's refuge,
control,therefor, your own self,
As a merchant , a noble steed."
~ Buddha
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I have family members who are so bitter with their lives and it's sad to know that. They used to look down on me for not earning enough, didn't get a partner up to their expectations, didn't contribute enough, etc. I used to react by scolding and holding grudges, which was bitter for me as well. When Dharma came in, all I saw was their bitterness and it was their karma to become like that so in turn, I calmed down and did my very best to understand them instead of lashing back at them. Even colleagues are the same, in fact most of the people I know are so sad for they are stuck with their same habituations.
Reena's quote from Buddha is the best to describe:
"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell." - Buddha
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It is not that you must be free from fear.The moment you try to free yourself from fear, you create resistance against fear.
Resistance , in any form , does not end fear. What is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear , not how to escape from it, not how to resist it through courage and so on. - J.Krishnamurti
I find above very Buddhistic coming from one who has been considered by some spiritualists , theosophical and philosophical establishments to be good enough to be a World Teacher of our times although he is well known as a critic of religious practices especially in its outer forms.
Buddhist practice always deal with problems at its roots , source or cause. When the source is recognized or identified, we can deal with it to control or remove it. If we choose avoidance or try to get rid of it, we cannot study it for what it is . Often, we will create more problems than just fearing.
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"If what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" - Socrates
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”
“Hold on a minute,” Socrates...... replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”
“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”
“Umm, no, on the contrary…”
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really.”
i like this quote, it will help me to think before i pass any message about other people to the third person. And i think we will have less misunderstand, gossip if we are follow this.
i also like quotes from reena, its remind me of many things. We might know many things but once we facing with some problem what we knew doesn't help as we only concentrate in the problem we have and forgot about what we knew, hence could not get the solution and stuck with it..
Thanks for meaningful quotes.
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"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."
I can identify with this quote. I am the explosive type - the volcano that spews hot boiling lava but then again I can also cool down quite fast. I have learned not to hold on to anger. I would rather "throw" it out and be done.
"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."
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"Every one of us is getting older, which is a natural process. Time is constantly moving on, second by second. Nothing can stop it, but what we can do is use our time properly; that is in our hands. Whether we believe in a spiritual tradition or not, we need to use our time meaningfully. If over days, weeks, months and years, we have used our time in a meaningful way – when our last day comes, we'll be happy, we'll have no regrets."- Dalai Lama.
We sometimes forget that we'll die someday and we waste our time doing all the wrong things...!Realizing that death can happen anytime, I will spend every day of my life meaningfully so that I will have no regrets on my death bed.
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'' You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” Steve Jobs
( Be sincere and honest. We know who we are . There is nothing to hide or hold back from doing good in the short time we are here in this world.)
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As a start, I thought this was quite a funny one. Hehe.
Enlightenment is your ego’s biggest disappointment.
- Unknown
I was going through some quotes, so happen this stopped me as it brought some memories.
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions". Dalai Lama
I remembered during times when I was granted a wish, I used to wish for permanent happiness. It seem to be something far fetch and to be somehow granted. After learning Buddhism, is when I realised that happiness is not dependent on fate but comes from our own actions as per this quote.
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Out of all the quotes I've come across, this one is the one i can remember most easily because it is so funny and true:
Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die ~ Peter Tosh
It is actually from a Christian song EVERYBODY WANTS to go to HEAVEN (but nobody wants to die) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZAA584zj6g#)
Here is the blues version by Albert King Albert King -- Everybody Wants to go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb-EJEWRxlM#ws)
I take it that it shows how we all want to go to a good place after we die, but we don't want to do the leg work to get us there... and knowing that we are not doing anything to win a place in heaven, we do not want to die! If you listen to the first link I've pasted here.. its quite Buddhistic! It mentions about preparing for death and not being attached to the pleasures of this life.
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We ourselves must choose definitions of life in line with the requirements of the survival of our species, and the advancement of wisdom. We could choose”life” to mean any number of things. In an underpopulated world life could begin at conception, making abortion illegal, while in an overpopulated world life might begin at birth.
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This is one quote that has been said many times consistently throughout years of teachings that I have gathered. And it is important to always keep this in mind that should we want to help others, we be the light and many will follow. Don't keep ourselves in the darkness.
When Buddha was on his death bed he noticed his young disciple Anan was weeping.
'Why are you weeping, Anan?' he asked.
'Because the light of the world is about to be extinguished and we will be in darkness.'
The Buddha summoned up all his remaining energy and spoke what were to be his final words on earth:
'Anan, Anan, be a light unto yourself.'
Buddhist Scripture
Likewise,
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha
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In criticizing, the teacher is hoping to teach. That's all.
Bankei
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With merits, the issue of expectations does not arise since it comes with any virtue and do not depend on others. There is no danger of attaching to merits becos there is nothing to attach and nobody can take it away unless we ourselves destroy it. Wanting merits is good desire. The object, merit is a cause for happiness. Unlike external things which are objects of suffering.
- advice from a Buddhist practitioner
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"We feel money and power can bring happiness and solve problems, but they are not definite causes of those desired states. If that were so, it would follow that those who have wealth would necessarily have happiness, and those who do not have wealth would always experience suffering. Money and power facilitate, but it is clear that they are not the primary causes of, happiness and solving our problems. It is justified for us to make material and financial development for building our nation and providing shelter, etc. for ourselves; we need to do that. But we also need to seek inner development. As we can see, there are many people who have wealth and power who remain unhappy, due to which their health declines, and they are always taking medicines. On the other hand, we find people who live like beggars but who always remain peaceful and happy.
Therefore, in our daily life a certain way of thinking makes us happy, and a certain way of thinking makes us unhappy. In other words, there are certain states of mind which bring us problems, and they can be removed; we need to make an effort in that direction. Likewise, there are certain states of mind that bring us peace and happiness, and we need to cultivate and enhance them." B
By the Dalai Lamai
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How wonderful!
Friends, since you already have great knowledge and clear understanding, whereas I am of no importance and have little wisdom, it is not suitable for you to request advice from me. However because you dear friends, whom I cherish from my heart, have requested me, I shall give you this essential advice from my inferior and childish mind.
Friends, until you attain enlightenment the Spiritual Teacher is indispensable, therefore rely upon the holy Spiritual Guide.
Until you realize ultimate truth, listening is indispensable, therefore listen to the instructions of the Spiritual Guide.
Since you cannot become a Buddha merely by understanding Dharma, practice earnestly with understanding.
Avoid places that disturb your mind, and always remain where your virtues increase.
Until you attain stable realizations, worldly amusements are harmful, therefore abide in a place where there are no such distractions.
Avoid friends who cause you to increase delusions, and rely upon those who increase your virtue. This you should take to heart.
Since there is never a time when worldly activities come to an end, limit your activities.
Dedicate your virtues throughout the day and the night, and always watch your mind.
Because you have received advice, whenever you are not meditating always practice in accordance with what your Spiritual Guide says.
If you practice with great devotion, results will arise immediately, without your having to wait for a long time.
If from your heart you practice in accordance with Dharma, both food and resources will come naturally to hand.
Friends, the things you desire give no more satisfaction than drinking sea water, therefore practice contentment.
Avoid all haughty, conceited, proud, and arrogant minds, and remain peaceful and subdued.
Avoid activities that are said to be meritorious, but which in fact are obstacles to Dharma.
Profit and respect are nooses of the maras, so brush them aside like stones on the path.
Words of praise and fame serve only to beguile us, therefore blow them away as you would blow your nose.
Since the happiness, pleasure, and friends you gather in this life last only for a moment, put them all behind you.
Since future lives last for a very long time, gather up riches to provide for the future.
You will have to depart leaving everything behind, so do not be attached to anything.
Generate compassion for lowly beings, and especially avoid despising or humiliating them.
Have no hatred for enemies, and no attachment for friends.
Do not be jealous of others' good qualities, but out of admiration adopt them yourself.
Do not look for faults in others, but look for faults in yourself, and purge them like bad blood.
Do not contemplate your own good qualities, but contemplate the good qualities of others, and respect everyone as a servant would.
See all living beings as your father or mother, and love them as if you were their child.
Always keep a smiling face and a loving mind, and speak truthfully without malice.
If you talk too much with little meaning you will make mistakes, therefore speak in moderation, only when necessary.
If you engage in many meaningless activities your virtuous activities will degenerate, therefore stop activities that are not spiritual.
It is completely meaningless to put effort into activities that have no essence.
If the things you desire do not come it is due to karma created long ago, therefore keep a happy and relaxed mind.
Beware, offending a holy being is worse than dying, therefore be honest and straightforward.
Since all the happiness and suffering of this life arise from previous actions, do not blame others.
All happiness comes from the blessings of your Spiritual Guide, therefore always repay his kindness.
Since you cannot tame the minds of others until you have tamed your own, begin by taming your own mind.
Since you will definitely have to depart without the wealth you have accumulated, do not accumulate negativity for the sake of wealth.
Distracting enjoyments have no essence, therefore sincerely practice giving.
Always keep pure moral discipline for it leads to beauty in this life and happiness hereafter.
Since hatred is rife in these impure times, don the armour of patience, free from anger.
You remain in samsara through the power of laziness, therefore ignite the fire of the effort of application.
Since this human life is wasted by indulging in distractions, now is the time to practice concentration.
Being under the influence of wrong views you do not realize the ultimate nature of things, therefore investigate correct meanings.
Friends, there is no happiness in this swamp of samsara, so move to the firm ground of liberation.
Meditate according to the advice of your Spiritual Guide and dry up the river of samsaric suffering.
You should consider this well because it is not just words from the mouth, but sincere advice from the heart.
If you practice like this you will delight me, and you will bring happiness to yourself and others.
I who am ignorant request you to take this advice to heart.
This is the advice that the holy being Venerable Atisha gave to Venerable Jangchub Ö."
Translation by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
( http://www.meditateinlondon.org.uk/buddhist-quote.php (http://www.meditateinlondon.org.uk/buddhist-quote.php) )
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Much has been shared on spiritual quotes, however, what intrigues me are quotes made by those of Einstein with reference to religion or spirituality.
Buddhism does have a deep resonance with the modern theories of physics and the other sciences. Buddhist philosophy and scientific philosophy are very compatable. To be a good scientist one must not be attached to ones concepts!
I have not read any book by Einstein and therefore can’t say whether or not he said the things about buddhism attributed to him. But reading about the two pillars of modern physics namely relativity and quantum mechanics, I am led to believe he might have said those. If you read buddhist tenets like Dependent-origination, Emptiness and Impermanence etc, you will see how close they approximate the conclusions of modern physics.
Supposed quotes by Einstein:
"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and the spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity."
and,
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism."
[These two quotes, it is said can be found in 'Albert Einstein, The Human Side', edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press, 1954. It can also apparently be found in Einsteins essays on the relationship between science and religion in his book Ideas and Opinions. He gave a series of lectures which have been transcribed, many of which are in that book.]
“The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the source of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms — this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religion.”
and,
“A human being is part of the whole that we call the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. This illusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for only the few people nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature.”
and,
“The true value of a human being can be found in the degree to which he has obtained liberation from the self.”
[The last three quotes are cited in 'The Enlightened Mind', edited by Stephen Mitchell, New York, Harper Collins, 1991]