Quotes and Reflections Page Four

A Simple Flower What did Mahakashyapa really see when the Buddha held up the flower? When we are ready, the entire universe will unfold before us and we will know it intimately. If we are not ready, we see a flower. In either case, what is there is always there. How do we prepare ourselves? We practice mindfulness meditation (Zazen). So Daiho Roshi     The foolish reject what they see, Not what they think; The wise reject what they think, Not what they see. Observe things as they are And don’t pay attention to other people. Master Huang-po (9th cent)     The practice of Zen has no secret. Except standing on the verge of life and death. Master Takeda Shingen (1521-1573)     The King Milinda once asked the Buddhist sage Nagasena: "When someone is reborn, is he the same as the one who just died, or is he different?" Nagasena replied: "He is neither the same nor different . . . Tell me, if a man were to light a lamp, could it provide light the whole night long?" "Yes." "Is the flame then which burns in the first watch of the night the same as the one that burns in the second . . . or the last?" "No." "Does that mean there is one lamp in the first watch of the night, another in the second, and another in the third?" "No, it's because of that one lamp that the light shines all night." "Rebirth is much the same: one phenomenon arises and another stops, simultaneously. So the first act of consciousness in the new existence is neither the same as the last act of consciousness in the previous existence, nor is it different." Sogyal Rinpoche     What does it mean to love? To love is to look at each other, and to look together in the same direction. Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh     The sounds of streams are Buddha’s speech. The coloured mountains are Buddha’s pure body. Night brings eighty-four thousand poems of Buddha. Listen, and someday you may awaken. Master Su Shih (1031-1101)     Bodhidharma said, "I don't know." "I don't know" is the first principle. Do you understand? The first principle cannot be known in terms of good or bad, right or wrong, because it is both right and wrong. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     If Only If only I could throw away the urge to trace my patterns in your heart, I could really see you. David Brandon (Zen in the Art of Helping)     Give up all questions except one: “Who am I?” After all, the only fact you are sure of is that you are. The “I am” is certain. The “I am this” is not. Struggle to find out what you are in reality. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj     Your self-partiality is at The root of all your illusions. There aren’t any illusions When you don’t have this preference for yourself. Master Bankei (1622-1693)     When the Buddha set out to teach and to help people, the first thing he asked people was to look directly into their suffering. Suffering is not an abstract thing; suffering is there, very real. Suffering is one of the basic truths called holy truths, the Noble Truths. Suffering is a holy truth. Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh     In the landscape of Spring, there is neither high nor low. The flowering branches grow naturally, some long, some short. Zen saying     The clouds emerge from the Mountain of Chung And then return to the Mountain of Chung. I would like to ask the dweller in this mountain, “Where are the clouds now?” Clouds emerge from No mind And then return to No mind. No mind is nowhere to be found. We need not seek the home of No mind. Master Wang An-shih (1068-1076)     The true person is Not anyone in particular. But like the deep blue colour Of the limitless sky, It is everyone, Everywhere in the world. Master Dogen (1200-1253)     Not twice this day Inch time foot gem. This day will not come again, Each minute is worth a priceless gem Master Takuan     Contentment brings one a borderless heart With the courage to give and the joy to share. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     A smile Shakyamuni held up a lotus so Kashyapa smiled. Not at all. The lotus smiled so Kashyapa smiled. Nowhere was Shakyamuni! Master Ko Un     Good deeds are our responsibilities We should not calculate the number of our good deeds, and their returns. Otherwise, it only brings us disappointment in addition to vexation. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children. Kahlil Gibran     Before enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water. After enlightenment, I chop wood and carry water. Zen saying     Nirvana is seeing one thing through to the end. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     The fact is that the fundamental nature of each and every person contains a great spiritual awareness. It is fundamentally without birth and death. It extends through ancient and modern, spiritually alive and illuminating, undefiled, wondrous, sovereign, in peace and bliss. Is this not the Buddha of Infinite Life? Master T’aego     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. Master Wu-men     Till now, you seriously considered yourself to be the body, and to have a form. That is the primal ignorance which is the root cause of all troubles. Ramana Maharshi (1879 -1950)     Moment to moment Once a person experiences Dharma for the moment, that Dharma can't be kept or possessed. One continues to learn and to practice and so experience more of Dharma from moment to moment. Dharma Teacher Desmond Chiong     All achievements start from trivial matters, And attentive work accumulating through time. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     The sage looks at the unity Which belongs to all things, And does not perceive where They have suffered loss. Chuang Tzu     We get no letters from the world of emptiness, but when you see the plant flower, when you hear the sound of bamboo hit by the small stone, that is a letter from the world of emptiness. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     Because things don't actually go as you expect, there is suffering. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     Most people do self-reflection in learning Buddhism, but totally lose it in their daily life. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Human beings spend all their lives preparing, preparing, preparing. . . . Only to meet the next life unprepared. Drakpa Gyaltsen     Truth’s naked radiance, Cut off from the sense and the world, Shines by itself. No words for it. Pai-chang (720-814)     Without improving body and mind consumption Is no other than wasting. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Everything changes Because everything changes from moment to moment, we can only treasure everything in this moment. Because everything changes from moment to moment, we should not be attached to anything in this moment. Dharma Teacher     Knowing that impermanence is swift, and birth and death is an important matter, you have come specially to ask about the Path. This is indeed the conduct of a real person. Still, who is the one who recognizes impermanence and birth and death like this? And who is the one who has come specially to ask about the Path? If you can discern truly here, then, as we say, “The visage is unique and wondrous: the light shines on the ten directions. We have just made an offering. Now we return to our kin.” Master T’aego     Those who do nothing everyday, are consumers of life. Those who contribute actively, are developers of life. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     With which mind will you drink? Past mind can't be grasped, Present mind can't be grasped, Future mind can't be grasped. With which mind will you drink this tea? Innkeeper lady to Venerable Te Shan     When you do something, you should burn yourself completely. Like a good bonfire, leave no trace of yourself. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     Before you can enter one of the gates of Zen, You must strip yourself of egoistic ideas. If you think you can reason out The final truth with your brain, Why do you not do it? Once you begin your work in Zen, Do not turn to the left or to the right But keep going straight ahead. Master Nyogen Senzake     Contaminations In the world there are many types of material and spiritual contamination. Since Buddha said that minds create everything, they can pollute and therefore purify the world. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Prayer for depression Just as the soft rains fill the streams, pour into the rivers and join together in the oceans, so may the power of every moment of your goodness flow forth to awaken and heal all beings. Dharma Teacher     If you haven't wept deeply, you haven't begun to meditate. Master Ajhan Chah     Every being has value and privileges for its existence. This is the beauty of life in the universe. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Like the little stream Making its way Through the mossy crevices, I, too, quietly Turn clear and transparent. Master Hakuin (1686 - 1768)     There are many sufferings in life. Those who are always grateful, Have great wisdom. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Birth and death don’t affect you; You are free to go or stay. You needn’t seek wonders, For wonders come of themselves. Master Linji     A person cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances. Dharma Teacher     If you put down one thought, That will be one instance of Buddha mind. If you put down all thoughts, Then you will have continuous Buddha mind. Dharma Teacher     Blessings and wisdom cannot be beseeched, but gained by taking real personal actions. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Worldly people who do not understand me Call me by my worldly name of Old Zhou. You invite me to a seven-day religious feast, But the feast of meditation knows no end. Master Huixu (431 - 499)     Excessive thinking Weakens the will. The more you know, The more your mind Is confused. A confused mind gives Rise to vexation. The weakened will Obstructs the Way. Shih Wang Ming (6th century)     Calming the mind Too much knowledge Leads to overactivity; Better to calm the mind. The more you consider, The greater the loss; Better to unify the mind. Shih Wang Ming (6th century)     Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it. That because those who are seeking forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others. Martin Luther King, Jr. Who do you think YOU are? You are the other person. Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh     If you are a Christian, you feel that Jesus Christ is your home. It's very comfortable to think of Jesus as your home. If you are a Buddhist, then it's very nice to think of the Buddha as your home. Your home is available in the here and the now. Christ is there, the Buddha is there. The practice is how to touch them, how to touch your home. You call Christ "the Living Christ," so you cannot believe that Christ is only someone who lived in the past, and is no longer there. He is ever-present. Your practice is how to touch him; he is your home. If you are a Buddhist, you practice very much in the same way. You invoke the name of the Buddha as one of the ways to touch the Buddha, because you know that he is your home. The living Christ, the living Buddha is your home. But the living Christ is not only a notion, or an idea. He must be a reality. This is true for the living Buddha, too. How can you recognize the presence of the living Christ or the living Buddha? This is your practice. Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh     Give back my father, give back my mother; Give grandpa back, grandma back; Give me my sons and daughters back. Give me back myself. Give back the human race. As long as this life lasts, this life, Give back peace That will never end. Toge Sankichi There is not a Way to Peace, Peace is the Way. Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh     What Is true in this moment? Honesty can be cultivated by transforming your inner language. For example, you might think: "I am no good" or "They are not good." Is this true? For some strange reason, people want to wallow in the idea of being either the best or the worst. What is true in this moment? How close can we get to the reality of our experiences? Martine Batchelor, "Meditation For Life"     How does one observe delusion? Q: I can observe anger and work with greed, but how does one observe delusion? A: You're riding a horse and asking, "Where's the horse?" Pay attention. Master Ajahn Chah     When suddenly awakened, although you are the same as Buddha, the energy of many lifetimes of habits is deep seated. Though the wind stops, the waves still billow; though noumenon is manifest, thoughts still invade. How can we neglect subsequent cultivation because of a single awakening? Master Chinul (1158-1210)     All my life I taught Zen to the people Nine and seventy years. Who he sees not things as they are Will never know Zen. Enni Ben'en (1201-1280)     Never believe that daily work is not spiritual cultivation. To work with an easy mind is to gain wisdom, Which is the achievement of spiritual cultivation. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     The most precious gift you can give the one you love is your true presence. What must we do to really be there? Those who have practiced Buddhist meditation know that meditating is above all being present: to yourself, to those you love, to life. Master Thich Nhat Hanh     Plain water The water a cow laps turns into milk. The water a snake licks changes into poison. What are you turning what you touch into? Zen saying     The vagaries of life Though painful, Teach us Not to cling To this fleeting world. Ikkyu (1394-1481)     The Human Route Coming empty-handed, going empty-handed -- that is human. When you are born, where do you come from? When you die, where do you go? Life is like a floating cloud which appears. Death is like a floating cloud which disappears. The floating cloud itself originally does not exist. Life and death, coming and going, are also like that. But there is one thing which always remains clear. It is pure and clear, not depending on life and death. Then what is the one pure and clear thing? Master Seung Sahn Sunim     When we say, "I take refuge in the Buddha," we should also understand that "The Buddha takes refuge in me," because without the second part the first part is not complete. The Buddha needs us for awakening, understanding, and love to be real things and not just concepts. They must be real things that have real effects on life. Whenever I say, "I take refuge in the Buddha," I hear, "The Buddha takes refuge in me." Dhyana Master Thich Nhat Hanh, "Being Peace"     Something has existed Before heaven and earth; Shapeless and silent In its origin, Yet the master of Every image and form. It can never wither With the passing of time. Master Bankei (1622-1693)     As long as any living being draws breath, Wherever he shall be, There, in compassion, Will the Buddha appear, incarnate. Master Ngon Tok Gyen     Don’t worry. The Light of Eternity Is like green mountains And flowing water. Master Seung Sahn Sunim’s last words November 30th 2004     People say that human beings are microcosms and this outer universe a macrocosm, but for us the outer is a tiny wholeness and the inner life the vast reality. Rumi     With my words Experimenting the non-ego Means to find out, not what I shall be or have been, But what I actually am, since ever. Sandro – Meditation teacher     Vibrating within The ear are many voices. But their origin Has a source which may be called The sound of no sound. Master Takuan (1573-1645)     To be truly free from attachment is to reach a stage of swallowing insults as no insults. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     No one doubts that he exists, though he may doubt the existence of God. If you find out the truth about yourself and discover your own source, that is all that is required. Ramana Maharshi     Just to be there in the corner of the garden is enough. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi     Those who see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma, see no Dharma in everyday actions. They have not yet discovered that there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma. Master Dogen     What is the normal mind? Master Tung-shan was asked. "The normal mind is the way; what is the normal mind?" He replied, "Not picking things up along the road." From “Teachings of Zen”     All Buddhas and all ordinary beings are nothing but the one mind. This mind is beginningless and endless, unborn and indestructible. It has no color or shape, neither exists nor doesn't exist, isn't old or new, long or short, large or small, since it transcends all measures, limits, names, and comparisons. It is what you see in front of you. Master Huang-po Hsi-yun (?-849)     Where there is commitment, there is strength. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     The successive existences in a series of rebirths are not like the pearls in a pearl necklace, held together by a string, the Soul, which passes through all the pearls; rather they are like dice piled one on top of the other. Each die is separate, but it supports the one above it, with which it is functionally connected. Between the dice there is no identity, but conditionality. H. W. Schumann     Forgive and be free. Forget that you have forgiven and be freer. Lord Buddha     I am an orphan alone; nevertheless I am found everywhere. I am one, but opposed to myself. I am youth and old man at one and the same time. I have known neither father nor mother, because I have had to be fetched out of the deep like a fish, or fell like a white stone from heaven. In woods and mountains I roam, but I am hidden in the innermost soul of man. I am mortal for everyone, yet I am not touched by the cycle of aeons. Carl G. Jung     Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten. The Lord Buddha     Your Life With unfailing kindness, your life always presents what you need to learn. Charlotte Joko Beck     With little desire and much compassion, life can be joyful and worry-free. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Collective Karma The world of today is no longer the world of yesterday, when each country, each group of people, could live separately. Our karma now has come together, has become collective karma. Now the action of one group affects the other group. We must choose to suffer together or be happy together, be alive together or be destroyed together. Excerpt from The Raft Is Not the Shore by Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Daniel Berrigan     Whatever joy there is in this world, All comes from desiring others to be happy, And whatever suffering there is in this world, All comes from desiring myself to be happy. Shantideva     From Where Did This Come Forth? A monk asked, "The mountains, the rivers, and the great earth, from where did all of these things come forth?" Tiantai said, "From where did this question come forth?" Ch’an Master     To do all of the good is teaching. To do none of the bad is precepts. Dharma Master Cheng Yen     Your daily life is your temple and your religion. Kahlil Gibran     Karma is only one of the causes of what is happening around us. It would be unwise to blame on our past karma for everything. Dharma Teacher     The outer work will never be puny if the inner work is great. Meister Eckhart     The ways of proclaiming The Mind all vary, But the same heavenly truth Can be seen In each and every one. Ikkyu (1394-1481)     There are no idle thoughts. All thoughts have an energetic consequence. Dr. Kurt Ebert     If you haven’t attained clear, true vision, This causes you to lapse into extremes, So that you lose contact with reality. Yuan wu (1063-1135)     What I call perfection of seeing Is not seeing others, But oneself. Chuang-tzu (3rd cent BC)

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