Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/31/2006

Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds.

~ Buddha

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/30/2006

The dharma is such that it cannot be attained by groping or searching about. In the realm of seeing, knowledge perishes. At the moment of attaining, mind is surpassed.

- Dogen, "Moon in a Dewdrop"

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/29/2006

"Do not pursue the outer entanglements,
*Nor dwell in the inner void.
*Rest in peace in the oneness of things,
*And all barriers will vanish without a trace."


Seng Ts'an

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/28/2006

"Externally, while distinguishing well all the forms of the various phenomena, internally she stands firm within the First Principle."

Vimalakirti Sutra

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/27/2006

Do not think of how big the universe is, it will merely hurt your head.

What you think upon grows...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/26/2006

There are no mundane things outside of Buddhism, and there is no Buddhism outside of mundane things.

What you think upon grows...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/25/2006

There is nothing in Christianity or Buddhism that quite matches the sympathetic unselfishness of an oyster.

What you think upon grows...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/23/2006

In Buddhism we have relative truth and absolute truth.

What you think upon grows...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/22/2006

On the contrary, Subhuti, those Bodhisattvas who, when these words of the sutra are being taught, will find even one single thought of serene faith, will be such as have honoured many hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, such as have planted their roots.

What you think upon grows...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/21/2006

We could say that meditation doesn't have a reason or doesn't have a purpose. In this respect it's unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and dancing. When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.

What you think upon grows...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/20/2006

We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all.

What you think upon grows...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/19/2006

You only lose what you cling to.


What you think upon grows...

Zen Poetry

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water.
The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.
Although its light is wide and great,
The moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide.
The whole moon and the entire sky
Are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.
~ Dogen



Though I think not
To think about it,
I do think about it
And shed tears
Thinking about it.
~ Ryokan

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/18/2006

In our daily lives problems are bound to arise. The biggest problems in our lives are the ones that we inevitably have to face, like old age, illness, and death. Trying to avoid our problems or simply not thinking about them may provide temporary relief, but I think that there is a better approach. If you directly confront your suffering, you will be in a better position to appreciate the depth and nature of the problem. If you are in a battle, as long as you remain ignorant of the status and combat capability of your enemy, you will be totally unprepared and paralyzed by fear. However, if you know the fighting capability of your opponents, what sort of weapons they have and so on, then you're in a much better position when you engage in war. In the same way, if you confront your problems rather than avoid them, you will be in a better position to deal with them.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/17/2006

I would like to explain the meaning of compassion, which is often misunderstood. Genuine compassion is based not on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the rights of the other: irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or an enemy, as long as that person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome suffering, then on that basis we develop genuine concern for his or her problem. This is genuine compassion. Usually when we are concerned about a close friend, we call this compassion. This is not compassion; it is attachment. Even in marriage, those marriages that last only a short time do so because of attachment - although it is generally present - but because there is also compassion. Marriages that last only a short time do so because of a lack of compassion; there is only emotional attachment based on projection and expectation. When the only bond between close friends is attachment, then even a minor issue may cause one's projections to change. As soon as our projections change, the attachment disappears - because that attachment was based solely on projection and expectation. It is possible to have compassion without attachment - and similarly, to have anger without hatred. Therefore we need to clarify the distinctions between compassion and attachment, and between anger and hatred. Such clarity is useful in our daily life and in our efforts towards world peace. I consider these to be basic spiritual values for the happiness of all human beings, regardless of whether one is a believer or a nonbeliever.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/16/2006

Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

A Monday request from a reader:

"hi you got any quotes on deep love when you find a connection with someone but sometimes needing to be brave??? thanks "

Love, like a river, will cut a new pathwhenever it meets an obstacle.


Love is like a mustard seed;planted by Godand watered by men.


You know you are in lovewhen you see the world in her eyes,and her eyes everywhere in the world.


Love is strong yet delicate.It can be broken.To truly love is to understand this.To be in love is to respect this.


When you love someone,all your saved-up wishes start coming out.


Marriage is not a ritual or an end.It is a long, intricate,intimate dance togetherand nothing matters morethan your own sense of balanceand your choice of partner.


We sat side by side in the morning lightand looked out at the future together.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/15/2006

My message is the practice of compassion, love and kindness. Compassion can be put into practice if one recognizes the fact that every human being is a member of humanity and the human family regardless of differences in religion, culture, color and creed. Deep down there is no difference.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/14/2006

I believe deeply that we must find, all of us together, a new spirituality.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/13/2006

Nowadays the world is becoming increasingly materialistic, and mankind is reaching toward the very zenith of external progress, driven by an insatiable desire for power and vast possessions. Yet by this vain striving for perfection in a world where everything is relative, they wander even further away from inward peace and happiness of the mind.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/12/2006

Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day. In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/11/2006

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/10/2006

In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/9/2006

For those who may not find happiness to exercise religious faith, it's okay to remain a radical atheist, it's absolutely an individual right, but the important thing is with a compassionate heart -- then no problem.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/8/2006

A new way of thinking has become the necessary condition for responsible living and acting. If we maintain obsolete values and beliefs, a fragmented consciousness and self-centered spirit, we will continue to hold onto outdated goals and behaviors. Such an attitude by a large number of people would block the entire transition to an interdependent yet peaceful and cooperative global society.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/7/2006

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness - the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/6/2006

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 and attachment, fear and suspicion, while love, compassion, and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/5/2006

Basically we are all the same human beings with the same potential to be a good human being or a bad human being. The important thing is to realize the positive side and try to increase that; realize the negative side and try to reduce. That's the way.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/4/2006

Be kind whenever possible - It is always possible.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/3/2006

I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/2/2006

Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people's hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human "brain" with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human "heart" with compassion. This is what the real role of religion is.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 5/1/2006

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama