Five Poisons

Jun. 14 | The greedy, when overboard, will be deprived, when repented, will be content. The hateful, when overboard, will be loathed, when repented, will be accepted. The deluded, when overboard, will be confused, when repented, will be clear. The arrogant, when...

‘The Song Of Patience By Hánshān & Shídé’ As Sung By The Bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra & Maitreya 文殊、普贤与弥勒菩萨所唱的《寒山拾得忍耐歌》

May. 16 | The following is a beloved classic teaching on patience (忍辱), called ‘Hánshān Asks Shídé’《寒山问拾得》or ‘Hánshān’s [And] Shídé’s Patience Song’《寒山拾得忍耐歌》, with notes on its meaning. 稽首文殊，寒山之士。南无普贤，拾得定是。 [I]...

Why You Should Be More Giving Now (Or ‘Death Cleaning For Better Living’)

Mar. 27 | Giving what others need now will create merits, which can manifest as what we really need later. – Shilashanti In the Avadāna Sūtra《阿婆陀那经》, Velāma Bodhisattva (韦罗摩菩萨) had the following reflection – ‘People speak...

Contentment For Peace & Bliss

Nov. 19 | 知足之人，虽卧地上，犹为安乐； 不知足者，虽处天堂，亦不称意。 – 释迦牟尼佛 《佛遗教经》 Those who know contentment, although lying on the ground, nevertheless have peace and bliss. Those who not know contentment, although...

Greed Haiku

Sep. 13 | If not much  needs to be spent, why make too much? If not much needs to be saved, give those with too little.

Repair & Repurpose Before Rebuying

Aug. 15 | Learn to do more with less before wanting more and more. – Shilashanti  One of the principles of a Buddhist lifestyle is to take care of things and repair them. The unsui monks of Eihei Temple designate days that contain the numbers ‘4’...

Contentment Haiku

Dec. 13 | Enough is enough, while too much is too much.

Never Have Contempt At The Contemptuous

Oct. 31 | Since the mind is not physical, No one can ever destroy it. It is strongly attached to the body, And so it is harmed by physical suffering. Contempt, offensive speech, Ans unpleasant words Do not harm the body, Then why, mind, are you so angry? –...

Where Are The 17 Arhats?

Jul. 13 | Sudden windfalls seldom bring about sudden happiness; bringing sudden unrest instead.  – Stonepeace | Books A peasant dug up a very valuable golden statue of an Arhat from a hill. When his friends learned of the discovery, they rushed to congratulate...

Are You As ‘Poor’ As You Think?

Jun. 6 | It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. – Seneca José Alberto ‘Pepe’ Mujica Cordano is the current president of Uruguay, who is described to be ‘the world’s “poorest”...

Why Drink More Salt Water?

Jan. 26 | Sensual pleasure are like salt water: The more you indulge, the more thirst increases. Abandon at once those things which breed clinging attachment. This is the practice of bodhisattvas. – Bodhisattva (Gyelsay) Togmay Zangpo (Verse #21 Of The Thirty-Seven...

Why Is It Better To Give Than To Receive?

Dec. 10 | 不知足者  Those who not know contentment, 虽富而贫  even if rich, they are however poor. 知足之人  Those who know contentment, 虽贫而富  even if poor, they are however rich. – 佛陀  The Buddha (遗教经  Sutra Of Bequeathed...

How Many Horses Do You Need?

Nov. 21 | Not knowing what is enough, you will never have enough, even if you do have enough. – Stonepeace | Get Books Here is a Tibetan folk tale retold and extended: The first brother has 1 horse. The second brother has 99 horses. None feel they have enough. The...

Food Haiku

Jul. 6 | All this excess eating cannot fulfil the hunger when it is not physical

Knowing Contentment

Jul. 19 | Those who do not know contentment, although rich, they are poor. Those who know contentment, although poor, they are rich. Those who do not know contentment, are constantly led by their five desires, pitied by those who know contentment. – The Buddha...