Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/31/2007

Practice for the New Millennium by the Dalai LamaThe Practice:

1. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day rememberingwe all want the same things (to be happy and be loved)and we are all connected to one another.

2. Spend 5 minutes breathing in, cherishing yourself; and, breathing outcherishing others. If you think about people you have difficulty cherishing,extend your cherishing to them anyway.

3. During the day extend that attitude to everyone you meet. Practice cherishing the "simplest" person (clerks, attendants, etc)or people you dislike.

4. Continue this practice no matter what happens or what anyone does to you. These thoughts are very simple, inspiring and helpful. The practice of cherishing can be taken very deeply if done wordlessly, allowing yourself to feel the love and appreciation thatalready exists in your heart.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/30/2007

Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings -that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.

~Buddha

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/29/2007

Fools wait for a lucky day but every day is a luck day for an industrious man.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/28/2007

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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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/27/2007

The secret of happiness liesin the mind's release from worldly ties.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/26/2007

Pay no attention to the faults of others,things done or left undone by others.Consider only what by oneself is done or left undone.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/25/2007

Whether one believes in a religion or not,and whether one believes in rebirth or not,there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.

~Dalai Lama

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/24/2007

Daily Necessities Tips & pointers for building a spiritual life from scratch...

Pray Meditate Be aware/Stay awake Bow Practise yoga Feel Chant and sing Breathe and smile Relax/Enjoy/Laugh/Play Create/Envision Let Go/Forgive/Accept Walk/Exercise/Move Work/Serve/Contribute Listen/Learn/Enquire Consider/Reflect Cultivate oneself/Enhance competencies Cultivate contentment Cultivate flexibility Cultivate friendship and collaboration Lighten up Celebrate and appreciate Dream Give thanks Evolve Love Share/Give/Receive Walk softly/Live gently Expand/Radiate/Dissolve Simplify Surrender/Trust Be born anew.

~from Awakening The Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/23/2007

The Fragrance of the Rose

The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lao-tzu's dictum: "Those who know, do not say; Those who say, do not know."When the master entered, they asked him what the words meant. Said the master, "Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?" All of them indicated that they knew. Then he said, "Put it into words." All of them were silent.

~from One Minute Wisdom by Anthony DeMello

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/22/2007

The Four Reliances

First, rely on the spirit and meaning of the teachings, not on the words; Second, rely on the teachings, not on the personality of the teacher; Third, rely on real wisdom, not superficial interpretation; And fourth, rely on the essence of your pure Wisdom Mind, not on judgmental perceptions.

~Traditional Buddhist teaching

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/21/2007

We are what we think.All that we are arises with our thoughts.With our thoughts, we make our world. ~Buddha

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/20/2007

The whole purpose of religionis to facilitate love and compassion, patience,tolerance, humility, forgiveness.

~Dalai Lama

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/19/2007

Be awake

Love yourself and be awake -today, tomorrow, always. First establish yourself in the way,then teach others, and so defeat sorrow. To straighten the crooked you must first do a harder thing -straighten yourself. You are the only master. Who else? Subdue yourself, and discover your master.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/18/2007

Fill your mind with compassion.

~Buddha

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/17/2007

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 asanger and attachment, fear and suspicion,while love and compassion, a sense of universal responsibilityare the sources of peace and happiness. ~Dalai Lama

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/16/2007

Be a lamp unto Yourself

As the Buddha was dying, Ananda asked who would be their teacher after death. He replied to his disciple ~ "Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to the truth as a refuge. Look not for a refuge in anyone besides yourselves. And those, Ananda, who either now or after I am dead, Shall be a lamp unto themselves, Shall betake themselves as no external refuge, But holding fast to the truth as their lamp, Holding fast to the truth as their refuge, Shall not look for refuge to anyone else besides themselves, It is they who shall reach to the very topmost height; But they must be anxious to learn.

"Quoted in Joseph Goldstein, The Experience of Insight

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/15/2007

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~The Dalai Lama

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/14/2007

Live in JoyLive in Joy, In love, Even among those who hate. Live in joy, In health, Even among the afflicted. Live in joy, In peace, Even among the troubled. Look within. Be still. Free from fear and attachment, Know the sweet joy of living in the way. There is no fire like greed, No crime like hatred, No sorrow like separation, No sickness like hunger of heart, And no joy like the joy of freedom. Health, contentment and trust Are your greatest possessions, And freedom your greatest joy. Look within. Be still. Free from fear and attachment, Know the sweet joy of living in the way.

~from the Dhammapada, Words of the Buddha

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/13/2007

One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the messiah?" "No", answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No", Buddha replied. "Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted. "No, I am not a teacher." "Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated. "I am awake", Buddha replied.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/12/2007

Believe nothing on the faith of traditions, even though they have been held in honor for many generations and in diverse places. Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it. Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past. Do not believe what you yourself have imagined, persuading yourself that a God inspires you. Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests. After examination, believe what you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto. ~Buddha

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/11/2007

On life's journey Faith is nourishment, Virtuous deeds are a shelter, Wisdom is the light by day and Right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life nothing can destroy him; If he has conquered greed nothing can limit his freedom. ~Buddha

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/10/2007

True spiritual practice is not founded on attainment or on the miraculous, but on seeing life itself as a true miracle. In the words of a Zen master,
"My magical power and miraculous gift: Drawing water and chopping wood."

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/9/2007

Consider the trees which allow the birds to perch and fly away without either inviting them to stay or desiring them never to depart. If your heart can be like this, you will be near to the way.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/8/2007

Before enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water. After enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/7/2007

Learning Zen is a phenomenon of gold and dung. Before you understand it, it's like gold; after you understand it, it's like dung.
~Zen master

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/6/2007

If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/5/2007

Talking about Zen all the time is like looking for fish tracks in a dry riverbed.
Wu-Tzu

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/4/2007

We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.
~Lao Tzu

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/3/2007

Sitting peacefully doing nothing Spring comes and the grass grows all by itself.
~Lao Tzu

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/2/2007

The quieter you become,the more you are able to hear.
~Lao Tzu

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 8/1/2007

Water which is too pure has no fish.
~Zen Saying

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