Quotes and Reflections Page Three

Pure love is to give without conditions and to receive without greed. Both the giver and the receiver are free from attachment. Master Cheng Yen     There's no Buddhsim if we live in isolation or practice only for one's own realization. Des - Dharma Teacher     Do not just memorize sayings, recite words, and discuss Zen and the way based on books. The Zen way is not in books. Even if you can recite the teachings of the whole Canon And all the masters and philosophers, they are just useless words of no avail when you are facing death. Master Chien-ju     Sometimes it is better for your teacher to be mean, so you don't attach to him. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     Here from the very beginning, there is this One Thing, constantly lucid and mysterious, it has never been born and it has never died. It cannot be named or depicted. One in All, All in One - if only this is realized, no more worry about your being perfect! Sosan - Korean Son Master (1520-1604)     All of this taught in a silence More eloquent than a thousand words. Each day I honour my teacher When I walk slowly through The dark coolness of the forest. So, learn what you can from others, But to truly learn you must return To the wordless Teaching of the Self-Evident; The trees, the streams, the sky; Teachers abound if you would become their lessons. Tales of change and flow     When we are practicing, we do not think of either good or evil. As soon as any mental formation arises, we stop; when meeting with conditions, we stop. The ancients said: Be like a strip of unbleached silk cloth. Be like cool, clear water, Be like an incense burner in an old shrine. Then you can cut through the spool of silk And leave behind all discrimination. This is the method of extinguishing delusion through stopping. Master Chinul     Changing the mind, changes the senses. A change in the mind can change the senses and thus change the Universe we see. There is no need to change the Universe. Only the mind within. Dharma Teacher     “Meditate the stress away” Calming Your Anxious Mind It's the natural fruit of being mindful. Dharma Teacher     Like the water of the ocean It is like the water of the ocean: even without wind there are waves everywhere. Suddenly knowing of the waves all around is the gross within the subtle; letting go of knowledge in the midst of knowing is like the subtle within the subtle. This is the sphere of the enlightened. Pai-chang     Internal and external are all the same essence This means that when we are practicing, the mountains and rivers of the great earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the constellations, the internal body and the external world, as well as all dharmas, are all viewed as being the same essence of the true mind. That essence is clear, empty and bright, without a hair’s breadth of differentiation. The world systems of the chiliocosm, as numerous as the grains of sand, have fused into one whole: where would the deluded mind be able to arise? Dharma Master Seng-chao said, “Heaven and earth and I have the same root. The myriad things and I have the same essence.” Master Chinul (1205)     The Way transcends any aspect Of going or coming, Movement or quiescence. So one cannot realize awakening By waiting for it. Daito (1282-1334)     If you understand the first word of Zen You will know the last word. The last word or the first word, Is not a word. Wu-men     Whatever you do, don't shut off your pain; accept your pain and remain vulnerable. However desperate you become, accept your pain as it is, because it is in fact trying to hand you a priceless gift: the chance of discovering, through spiritual practice, what lies behind sorrow. Sogyal Rinpoche     The practice of no-mind “Do not fear the arising of thoughts; only be concerned lest your awareness of them be tardy.” “There is no need to search for truth; you need only put all views to rest.” This is the method of extinguishing delusion through attention. Chinul (1205)     You are never satisfied You follow desire, and you are not satisfied. Again you follow desire, And again you are not satisfied. Again you try, and again you are not satisfied. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Transforming Problems Into Happiness"     Your notion that thoughts arise Leads to a notion that you Must prevent them From arising. These conflicting ideas Are both wrong. Look well at the source Beyond activity of mental consciousness. Daito (1282-1334)     Death and life are looked on As but transformations; The myriad creation is all of a kind, There is a kinship through all. Huai Nan Tzu (2nd century B.C.)     Never obey anyone's command unless it is coming from within you also. There is no God other than life itself. Truth is within you, do not search for it elsewhere. Osho     Men are disturbed not by things that happen, but by their opinions of the things that happen. Dharma Teacher     The demons aren't the noise. They are our aversion to the noise. The demons aren't the impatience; they're our attachment, our aversion, our impatience with our impatience. Stephen Levine     The Buddha called suffering a Holy Truth, because our suffering has the capacity of showing us the path to liberation. Embrace your suffering, and let it reveal to you the way to peace. Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching (1998)     Self-confidence is not a feeling of superiority, but of independence. Lama Yeshe     There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from. Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross     If the doors of perception were cleansed Everything would appear as it is, infinite. William Blake     When things aren't going very well, the mind tends to think, 'I want them to get better than this.' So suffering arises wherever there is this grasping of desire. Ajahn Sumedho     When my master and I were walking in the rain, he would say, 'Do not walk so fast, the rain is everywhere'. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     If people are quiet, They can be quiet anywhere. If people aren’t quiet, They won’t be quiet in the mountains. Everything depends on you. Life is transient, Like a flash of lightning in a dream. Before we receive this form, We had another face. Our original face: We can’t see it with our eyes. We can only know it with wisdom. Chi-ch’eng     Meditation on the mountain The birds have vanished down the sky. Now the last cloud drains away. We sit together, the mountain and me, Until only the mountain remains. Li Po (701–762)     Every time a problem arises, the essential thing is to immediately become aware that the problem comes from our selfish mind, that it is created by self-cherishing thoughts. As long as you put the blame outside yourself, there can be no happiness. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Transforming Problems into Happiness"     Without impermanence, life would not be possible. How could we transform our suffering if things were not impermanent? Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh     The universal body of reality (Dharmakaya) Is so subtle that you do not hear it When you deliberately listen for it, And you do not see it when you look at it. As for the pure knowledge That has no teacher, How can it be attained by thought or study? Huanglong     This is work that is alive, Effervescent, free, liberated, Gloriously enlightened, True, and great. Do you think it can be attained By people who shut the door And sit quietly with blank minds? Liu I-Ming     Right View You must discern the result in the cause, and discern the cause in the result. Master Ta-sui     Accomplish the Enlightened Mind The Buddha could accomplish the enlightened mind because its very nature was already there. That is why buddhahood-enlightenment is possible. If there were no such nature or potential, it would be impossible. His Holiness The Dalai Lama "Imagine All The People"     It is by being fully involved with every detail of our lives, whether good or bad, that we find happiness, not by trying to look for it directly. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi     When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way, nothing in the world can offend. And when a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way. When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist. Seng T'san, the third Chan Patriarch translated from the Chinese by Richard B. Clarke People pass away, And the truth of the passing world Impresses me now and then. But otherwise my dull wits let this truth too pass. Saigyo (1118-1190)     Constantly be aware, Without stopping. When the aware mind is present, It senses the formlessness Of things. Tao-hsin (580-651)     Once the human mind goes astray, Truth, the true pattern of the Tao, Is lost. Once the human mind is gathered in, The true pattern of the Tao, Is there. Hu Juren (1434-1484) Buddhist practice does not prevent anything, it does not shield us from anything. It softens and opens us to meet everything that comes to us. Sandy Boucher     The mighty ocean has but one taste, The taste of salt. Even so, the true way has But one savor, The savor of freedom. Majjhima Nikaya     Experience Chan! It's not a lot of questions. Too many questions is the Chan disease. The best way is just to observe the noise of the world. The answer to your questions? Ask your own heart. Master Xu Yun     If one wishes to obtain purity of mind, then one must diligently cultivate no-mind. To have no mental reflections high and low, this more than anything else is the marvellous! One will know the Dharma through non-knowing, as this non-knowing will know the essentials. Niutou Fajung     The moon is a house In which the mind is master. Look very closely: Only impermanence lasts. This floating world, too, will pass. Ikkyu Sojun (1394-1481)     It is often though that the Buddha's doctrine teaches us that suffering will disappear if one has meditated long enough, or if one sees everything differently. It is not that at all. Suffering isn't going to go away; The one who suffers is going to go away. Ayya Khema, "When the Iron Eagle Flies”     If we wish to enjoy some nice things, We have to work hard and buy them. If we wish to enjoy all nice things, We have to stop wishing. Shakumasu     Over the ages you have followed objects, Never once turning back to look within. Time slips away; Months and years are wasted. Kuei-Shan (771-854)     Meditation is like a single log of wood. Insight and investigation are one end of the log; calm and concentration are the other end. If you lift up the whole log, both sides come up at once. Which is concentration and which is insight? Just this mind. Ajahn Chah, "Still Forest Pool"     I sought Zen from temples and teachers, Then found it along the way of Tsao His Inside this moment forever. When walking now, I walk Zen. When sitting, I sit Zen. Talking, quiet; moving, stillness, The calm within. Hsuan Chyuen (655-713)     Cookie of Childhood When I was four years old, my mother used to bring me a cookie every time she came home from the market. Eating mindfully is a most important practice of meditation. We can eat in a way that we restore the cookie of our childhood. The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. Thich Nhat Hanh - Peace is Every Step     Here it is -- the here and now. Start thinking about it and you miss it. Huang-Po     The thought of enlightenment has many names, but they all refer to one and the same mind. Nagarjuna said, “The mind that fully sees into the uncertain world of birth and death is called the thought of enlightenment.” Thus if we maintain this mind, this mind can become the thought of enlightenment. Dogen (1200-1253)     Mind, Mind does not exist, Its expression is clarity. Prajnaparamita     If you are a Buddhist and have practiced there is no such thing as “to be or not to be”. A Buddhist has overcome the to be or not to be. Dharma Teacher     Protect Buddhism within yourself The Buddhism outside is impermanent. Protect the Buddha within it's the duty for every Buddhist body. Dharma Teacher     Our Original Mind is pure and clear And cognises things with no judgement, And is commonly called Buddha nature in Chan or Zen. Dharma Teacher     Though different forms are perceived, they are in essence empty; yet in the emptiness one perceives forms. Though different sounds are heard, they are empty; yet in the emptiness one perceives sounds. Also different thoughts arise; they are empty, yet in the emptiness one perceives thoughts. Dudjom Rinpoche     Even if you are a monk, if your practice of the Way is not intense, if your aspiration is not pure, how are you any different from a layman? Again, even if you are a layman, if your aspiration is intense and your conduct wise, why is this any different from being a monk? Zen Master Hakuin     In this Void, both Mind and things are one, All the myriad phenomena contained in both. If you do not distinguish refined and coarse, How can you be for this or against that? The Hsin-hsin-ming     Interrelationship You are me, and I am you. Isn't it obvious that we "inter-are"? You cultivate the flower in yourself, so that I will be beautiful. I transform the garbage in myself, so that you will not have to suffer. I support you; you support me. I am in this world to offer you peace; you are in this world to bring me joy. Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh     We follow our ancient path. For the Way of the sword is folded two; Like the rose we have thorns, And like the rose, we unfold. Dharma Teacher     To realize Mind, Begin by looking For the source of your thoughts. Whether asleep or working, Standing or sitting, Intensely ask yourself, "What is my mind?" Bassui Tokusho     The eye sees it, But no hands can take hold of it. The moon in the stream: This is the secret of this school. Shinkage-ryu school     I expected to see only pink blossoms, But a gentle spring snow has fallen And the cherry trees are wearing white coats. Ryokan (1758-1831)     How can we ever lose interest in life? Spring has come again And cherry trees bloom in the mountains. Ryokan (1758-1831)     All existences are like the leaves on the tree: fed by the one root. Origin and end come from the same source, empty. Origin and end alike go back to that. Taisen Deshimaru     You can neither look for the truth, nor find the truth, nor lose the truth; for all the time you are the truth. To live in the truth is to be newly born at each instant. Adyashanti     It is nonsense to insist that we cannot achieve enlightenment without learned and pious teachers. Because wisdom is innate, we can all enlighten ourselves. Hui-neng (638-713)     Feelings Disciple: "Feelings... nothing more than feelings..." Master: "Wrong! Changes, nothing more than changes!" Chan Master     A Christian missionary found a Chinese priest chanting in a temple. When the Chinese had finished, the missionary asked him: "To whom were you praying?" "To no one," replied the Chinese priest. "Well, what were you praying for?" the missionary insisted. "Nothing," said the Chinese. The missionary turned away, baffled. As he was leaving the temple the Chinese added, kindly: "And there was no one praying, you know!" Beginning Insight Meditation And Other Essays by Dorothy Figen     The sound Of water Says What I think. Chuang Tzu     Just come to see that everything is passing on, That nothing in your mind remains The same for even the span of a breath. If you see like that for even a moment, Then for that moment you are free. Ji Aoi Isshi     At the sound of the bell in the silent night, I wake from my dream in this dream world of ours. Gazing at the reflection of the moon in a clear pool, I see, beyond my form, my real form. Kojisei     Who wrote this play in which we have to laugh, cry, and exit according to the script? No God can write it, nor can Buddha. Only your own mind can write it. Jae Woong, "Polishing the Diamond"     In the stillness by the empty window I sit in formal meditation. Navel and nose in alignment, Ears parallel with shoulders. Moonlight floods the room; The rain stops, but the eaves drip and drip. Perfect this moment; In the vast emptiness, my understanding deepens. Ryokan (1758-1831)     Like the little stream Making its way Through the mossy crevices, I, too, quietly Turn clear and transparent. Hakuin (1686-1768)     The earth and myself are of one mind. The measure of the land and the measure of our bodies are the same... Joseph, Nez Perce     I remember a short conversation between the Buddha and a philosopher of his time. "I have heard that Buddhism is a doctrine of enlightenment. What is your method? What do you practice every day?" "We walk, we eat, we wash ourselves, we sit down." "What is so special about that? Everyone walks, eats, washes, sits down..." "Sir, when we walk, we are aware that we are walking; when we eat, we are aware that we are eating.... When others walk, eat, wash, or sit down, they are generally not aware of what they are doing." Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Keys     I could fill the page with names of God and still have only begun the initial pen-touch of the first letter, but of all the names of gods, goddesses, and godliness, the god I write with, the god I live by and am loved in, my favorite one is you. Tykal     Inscribed on the Wall of a Hut by a Lake If you want to be a mountain dweller, No need to trek to India to find one. I've got a thousand peaks To pick from, right here in the lake. Fragrant grasses, white clouds, To hold me here. What holds you there, World dweller? Chiao Jan (730-799)     Emptiness is a name for non-self, A name for impermanence, A name for the mountains, rivers, the whole earth. It is also called "the real substance". In the green of the pines, The twist of the brambles, There is no going and coming; In the red of the flowers And the white of the snow, There is no birth and no death. Ryusai     These days I am not bothering about Getting enlightenment all the time. And the result is that I wake up in the morning feeling fine! Bankei     The "anatta" teaching is not a doctrine of no-self, but a not-self strategy, for shedding suffering by letting go of its cause, leading to the highest, undying happiness. Des - Dharma Teacher

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