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How News Can Destroy Peace Of Mind
Feb. 12 | The more we value thingsoutside our control, the less control we have. — Epictetus What is wisdom? Think of a wide man… your personal ideal, a beacon of humanity. Someone like Socrates, Confucius, the Buddha… Now imagine that person...
Do Not Forget This World Of Phenomena
Feb. 5 | Trying to suppress delusion is delusion too. Delusions have no original existence; they’re only things you create yourself by indulging in discrimination.— Bankei It’s said that Bakei’s (Yotaku) (1622-93) quest for enlightenment...
Spiritual Practice In The Face Of War & Death
Jan. 29 | 万物自有功，当言用及处。事存函盖合，理应箭锋拄。 石头希迁禅师 《参同契》 The ten thousand things each has its merits,that should be said of their functions and situations.Phenomena exists like...
Thank You Very Much
Jan. 22 | The essence of givingis to give awaygreed, hatred and delusion.— Shilashanti Giving is the warm heart of Bodhisattva practice. Generosity attends and responds with kindness to whatever turns up, including people and events we find challenging....
Give The Dharma By Asking For It
Jan. 15 | Ask well if the answer matters to the welfare of you and/or all others.— Shilashanti Bodhisattvas aspire to offer all their actions of body, speech and mind as Dharma gifts. We have received the gift of the Dharma, and now we have an opportunity...
Patience With Big & Small Frustrations Is Needed
Jan. 8 | Turning away and touching are both wrong.For it is like a massive fire.— Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi Hakuin Zenji was falsely accused of impregnating a young girl who lived in the village near his hermitage. When her parents and villagers...
The Phenomenon Of Jewish Buddhists
Jan. 1 | ‘Is your essential nature defined by your gender, race, culture… born into?’ The Pew Research Center’s (2013) ‘A Portrait of Jewish Americans’ revealed that the Jewish identity has undergone a significant transformation...
Do People Swarm To You Or Shun You?
Dec. 25 | If there is always affinityor the lack of it,we might as well createonly good affinity.— Shilashanti Once Sakyamuni Buddha and his disciple Mahamaudgalyayana went with a large gathering of followers to another country to convert living beings....
Increasing Mindfulness Without Morality Can Be Dangerous
Dec. 18 | Without the right motivationtowards the right goal, anything in between might be wrong. – Shilashanti As noted by Matthieu Ricard, a French Buddhist monk, ‘There can be mindful snipers and mindful psychopaths who maintain a calm and stable...
How Managers Can Have Right Speech
Dec. 11 | Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, and from idle chatter. This is called right speech. – The Buddha(Magga-vibhanga Sutta) The primary goal of giving feedback at work isn’t generally to make someone...
Those Who Care For The Buddha Should Care For The Sick Too
Dec. 4 | Think of helping yourselfbut give thought to others too.Radiate metta towards all beings.Without the foundation of compassion,the long trudge of Samsara has no end.Without it, how can you enter the city of Nirvana?– Loveda Sangarava “Now at...
In Summer & Winter, Dress & Eat
Nov. 27 | No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.– Alan Watts The greater part of Zen literature consists of mondo, of brief dialogues between masters and pupils, which illustrate its peculiar method of instruction,...
Effects Of Ten Unwholesome (Evil) Karmic Paths (十恶业道)
Nov. 13 | Those with great greed become hungry ghosts.Those with great hatred become hell-beings.Those with great delusion become animals. Of the Ten Unwholesome Karmic Paths, the most severe are causes for the hells, the average degrees are causes...
Arrange Things Simply To Simplify Your Mind
Nov. 6 | When getting what needed, you only need to get what is good enough, and it is good enough. – Shilashanti The relationship between the mind and the body is like that between the chicken and the egg. If you cultivate a simplified mindset, your body, too,...
