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
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
This is sacred space. I could have remained here for hours, days perhaps, living in simplicity and compassion and mindfulness. This is ore than enough This is the path I long for, a journey of the soul. I offer up a poem in thanks for this moment, this afternoon, this memory...
Namaste,
Marianne
Temple of the Soul's Retreat
by Marianne Peel
From your monk's hands to mine
a bowl of simple cabbage
A bowl of white rice
In this sacred space
in the afternoon rain
I am baptized in incense
My soul journeys
far outside
this earthbound body
Smoke and spirit ascending
There is a determined pipa melody
accompanying this rise
I am one with the music
My mind and soul
filled with compassion
I am a white lotus
Breaking through the placid surface
of the most murky of waters
Pure
Clean
Fully awake
My soul now lives
in the heart of the lotus flower,
secure in the womb of the world.
"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.
Live in Joy
Live 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.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion
The Dalai Lama
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
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 and compassion, a sense of universal responsibility
are the sources of peace and happiness.
Dalai Lama
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.
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make our world.
Buddha
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
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
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
"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
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
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
The Practice:
1. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day remembering
we 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 out
cherishing 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 that
already exists in your heart.
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
― Gautama Buddha, Sayings Of Buddha
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything - anger, anxiety, or possessions - we cannot be free.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.
21. Never stray from the Way.”
“A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.”
― Gautama Buddha, The Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha
“We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.”
“Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking and pondering, that becomes the inclination of his awareness.”
― Gautama Buddha
“These... things, householder, are welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world:
Long life is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.
Beauty is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.
Happiness is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.
Status is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.
...Now, I tell you, these... things are not to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes. If they were to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes, who here would lack them? It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life should follow the path of practice leading to long life. In so doing, he will attain long life...
[Ittha Sutta, AN 5.43]”
― Gautama Buddha
Some additional background on the Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, from the Temple's website...
Lingyin Temple, founded in 326AD, the most recognized temple in Hangzhou with a long history of about 1,700 years. Situated at the west end of the West Lake, the temple is nested between Feilai Mountain and Beigao Mountain. Today, the section flanked by the two mountains is still the Buddhist and poetic destination as throughout history--massive trees, the old temple, dramtic clouds and mist.
Master Huili (326-334AD), a monk from Western India, was the founding master of Lingyin Temple. He travelled through the central plain to present-day Zhejiang area in the Eastern Jin dynasty. When setting foot on Wulin (Hangzhou), he pondered the presence of a mountain with distinct craggs, “This is a small peak in Lingjiu Mountain of India, when did it arrive here? This looks like a resting place for celestial being at the time of the Buddha... ” For this, he set up a temple before the mountain and named it “Lingyin”.
In the early periods of the temple's history Buddhism was preliminarily developed and gaining following. Then temple was not expanded until Liangwudi (an emperor in Nan dynasty) donated land for its expansion. In 771 A.D., the temple was fully restored with strong following. By the end of Tang dynasties(619-907), suffering from the “Huichang Disaster”, the temple was destroyed and all monks were dispersed. The next turning point was not until the Five Dynasties (907-960AD) that Qianliu of Wuyue dynasty, had Yongming Yanshou rebuild the Monestary and renamed it “New Lingyin Temple” with stone pillars scripted with Buddhist text, chambers and halls of worship, and grand pavillion for Maitreya Buddha. At the height of the temple's prolific times, it had nine buildings, eighteen chambers, and seventy-two halls. The number of monks was as high as three thousand with up to one thousand three hundred living quarters. After designating Hangzhou as the capital, Emperor Gao (1107-1187) and Emperor Xiao (1127-11194AD) of Song Dynasty frequently visited the temple, managing governmental affairs and worked on calligraphy. The temple was regarded as one of the "Five Zen Mountains" of the south in Jading period, South Song dynasty. At Shunzhi’s time of Qing dynasty, great Zen Master Jude, took charge of the temple.
Under his leadership in nearly eighteen years, the temple was completely rebuilt and ranked first in southern east with solemn atmosphere and grandeur of scale. In 1689, when Kangxi, an emperor in Qing dynasty, made inspection tours in Jiang’nan, he christened it“Yunlin Temple.”
In new China, Lingyin temple has undergone large-scale restoration many times. Today, at the charge of Venerable Master Guangquan, the abbot of the temple, it, the ancient temple, has been prospering with sublime Buddhist Philosophy and mutual harmony between the public with the aim at fully cultivating Buddhist fine traditions and striving to built a pure land in China’s southern east.
Lingyin Temple covers an area of 130 mu, the axle wire of which stands Heavenly Kings Hall, the Mahavira Hall, Yaowang Hall,
Zhizhi Hall(the court of law), Huayan Hall, The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, Jigong Temple, Liandeng Pavilion, Huayan Pavillion, Dabei Pavillion, Abbot Building and others stand beside them, which loos wonderful and orderly. There is a Sakyamuni Buddhai joss in Heavenly Kings Hall, the blueprint of which was the statue of Tang Dynasty. It was engraved from 24 huge camphorwoods, 24.8m high. The appearance looks dignified, majestic and lively, which is seldom seen
in China.
Since the establishment of Lingyin Temple, eminent monks and scholars have flooded into it to talk about the Buddhist and Taoism, which presented a splendid cultural sight. In addition, many precious historical relics such as antique josses, instruments, Jingzhuang, stone pagodas, imperial stele, calligraphy and painting still exist in Lingyin Temple.
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