Daily Buddhist Verses

last SG · 2005-05-29T17:49:29+00:00

Our normal way of relating people is to see ourself as separate from the others.To objectify beings as separate you and make them an object of attachment is...

cycle SG

It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows along like a song.
But the man worthwhile
Is the man who can smile
When life goes dead wrong.

~ Ven. Dr k Dhammananda, The purpose Of life

cycle SG

He[ The Buddha] was the perfect scientist in the study of life; the perfect psychologist who analysed the nature of the mind to the extent that his teaching was acclaimed as a scientific method. Modern scientific discoveries never come in conflict with his teachings.

~ Ven. Dr k. Dhammananda

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... Manjushri, after my extintion, in the Evil World of Five Turbidities, all living beings are born without spiritual penetration of the past lives. So they do not know the rotation of cause and effect. When they temporary obtain the human forms, they feel that they should fully enjoy themselves presently.

Besides, such a man will create all kinds of sinful karma with his body. May be he enjoys slandering others, or he may make use of his powerful, honourable and wealthy disposition to threaten others' lives. He will give rise to all kinds of evil thoughts. On top of that he will have no faith in the Great Vehicle Sutra for he is arrogant and proud.

People like this will not live long presently. But if such a person is able to repent and reform sincerely, and with a subdued, soft and gentle mind, he is able to write down this Sutra. Besides he will accept, uphold, read and recite it. With the strength of such good roots, he may have the chance to prolong his lifespan. Even if he is seriously sick and has to face all calamities and dangers, he will never die in accidents.

~ The Dharani Sutra of The Buddha On Longevity

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It is not so important whether you walk on water or walk in space. The true miracle is to walk on earth.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

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It is important that we reflect on the advantages and good circumstances that we have to practise right now. Otherwise, we will take them for granted and they will go to waste. We tend to select one or two small problems in our life, emphasise them, and blow them out of proportion. Then we think: "I can't be happy. I can't practise the Dharma," and this thought itself prevents us from enjoying our life and making it meaningful. We, human beings, are very funny. When something bad happens in our lives we ask: "Why me? Why is this happening to me?" But when we wake up every morning and are alive and healthy and our family is well, we never ask; "Why me? Why am I so fortunate?"

~ Ven Thubten Chodnon, Transforming Our Daily Activities

cycle SG

The essence of the Dharma practice
isn't our external performance,
but our internal motivation.

~Ven. Thubten Chodnon

An Eternal Now SG

8-9. Not by a shower of gold coins does contentment arise in sensual pleasures. Of little sweetness, and painful, are sensual pleasures. Knowing thus, the wise man finds no delight even in heavenly pleasures. The disciple of the Fully Enlightened One delights in the destruction of craving. 186-187.

~ Dhammapada

An Eternal Now SG

As a lotus flower is born in
water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it
unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome
the world, live unsoiled by the world

~ Buddha

An Eternal Now SG

One day a man of the people said to Zen Master Ikkyu; "Master, will you please write for me some maxims of the highest wisdom?" Ikkyu immediately took his brush and wrote the word "Attention."

"Is that all?" said the man. "Will you not add something more?"

Ikkyu then wrote twice running: "Attention. Attention."

"Well," remarked the man, "I really do not see much depth or subtlety in what you have written."

Then Ikkyu wrote the same word three times running: "Attention. Attention. Attention."

Half-angered, the man demanded: "What does the word 'attention' mean anyway?"

And Ikkyu answered gently, "Attention means attention."

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You can protect yourselves from disappointments by not having any undue expectations. If you expect nothing, then nothing can disappoint you. Do not expect reward for the sake of doing good with kindness. If you can help others without expecting any kind of reward, then you can have no disappointment. You can be a great man!

~ Ven. Dr k Sri Dhammananda, The Purpose of Life

Isis SG

Bodhidharma

All know the Way, but few actually walk it.

If you don't find a teacher soon, you'll live this life in vain. It's true, you have the buddha-nature. But without the help of a teacher, you'll never know it. Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher's help.

If, though, by the conjunction of conditions, someone understands what the Buddha meant, that person doesn't need a teacher. Such a person has a natural awareness superior to anything taught. But unless you're so blessed, study hard, and by means of instruction you'll understand.

Isis SG

Do not try to become anything.
Do not make yourself into anything.
Do not be a meditator.
Do not become enlightened.
When you sit, let it be.
What you walk, let it be.
Grasp at nothing.
Resist nothing.

If you haven't wept deeply, you haven't begun to meditate.

Ajhah Chah

Isis SG

To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality;
to assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality.
The more you talk and think about it, the further astray you wander from the truth. Stop talking and thinking and there is nothing you will not be able to know.

Hsin Hsin Ming

An Eternal Now SG

"Wonder of wonders! Intrinsically, all sentient beings are Buddhas, endowed with wisdom and virtue, but because men's minds have become inverted through delusive thinking, they fail to perceive this."

-- the Buddha, Kegon Sutra

cycle SG

Develop the quiet, even state of mind,
When praised by some, condemned by others,
Free the mind from hate and pride
And gently go your way in peace.

~ The Buddha

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Just as water cools
both good and bad
And washes away
all impurity and dust,

In the same way
you should develop thoughts
of love to friend
and foe alike,
And having reached
perfection in love,
You will attain enlightenment.

~The Buddha

cycle SG

The pleasant and unpleasant events and experiences of this life are not permanent - they last only a short time and then disappear. So it is unwise to cling to what is pleasant, wishing it to last forever, or to be upset by what is unpleasant, since it would soon vanish. Furthermore, our very life is impermanent: we are going to die one day and when we do, everything in this life - relationships, possessions, pleasant and unpleasant memories, reputation, and so on - will fade and disappear like last night's dream.

~Ven. Sangye Khadro, Awakening a Kind Heart

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Mindfulness also enables us to be aware if we are about to act destructively as we go through the day. Mindfulness says: "Uh oh! I'm getting angry," or "I'm being greedy," or "I'm feeling jealous." Then we can apply the various antidotes the Buddha taught to help us calm our minds. For example, if we discovered we are annoyed and anger is arising, we can stop and look at the situation from the other person's point of view. When we do this, we recognise they want to be happy, and because they aren't happy, they are doing that action we find objectionable. Then instead of harming them out of anger, we will be more compassionate and understanding, and will work with them to negociate an agreement.

~Ven Thubten Chodnom, Transforming Our Daily Activities

Isis SG

Develop the mind of equilibrium.
You will always be getting praise and blame,
but do not let either affect the poise of the mind:
follow the calmness, the absence of pride.

Sutta Nipata

Isis SG

One day Ananda, who had been thinking deeply about things for a while, turned to the Buddha and exclaimed:

"Lord, I've been thinking- spiritual friendship is at least half of the spiritual life!"

The Buddha replied: "Say not so, Ananda, say not so. Spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life!"

Samyutta Nikaya, Verse 2

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