Quotes

Spiritual knowledge is fresh


In the Buddhist lineage, knowledge is not handed down like an antique. One teacher experiences the truth of the teachings and hands it down as an inspiration to his students. That inspiration wakens the student who passes it on further. The teachings are seen as always up to date, they are not thought of as “ancient wisdom”.

It is like a recipe for bread. Each baker must apply his general knowledge of how to bake bread, but each time it is cooked completely fresh.

Jane Hope and Borin Van Loon
Introducing Buddha: A graphic guide



How do we come to think of things, rather than of processes in this absolute flux? By shutting our eyes to the successive events. It is an artificial attitude that makes sections in the stream of change and calls them things. When we shall know the truth of things, we shall realize how absurd it is for us to worship isolated products of the incessant series of transformations as though they were eternal and real. Life is no thing or state of a thing, but a continuous movement or change.


– Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan

Until one is committed there is hesitancy the…

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.

William Hutchinson Murray

A husband is tossing and turning in bed…

A husband is tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep and this does not let his wife fall asleep.

She asks him what’s wrong.

He responds, “I owe money to our neighbor, the loan is due tomorrow but I can’t pay it”.

She picks up the phone and calls their neighbor, “Sorry to bother you so late but my husband can’t pay that loan back tomorrow” and hangs up.

Then she turns to her husband, “There, I fixed it. You can go to sleep in peace now, let the neighbor stay awake tossing and turning in his bed”

The moral of the story is that you need to fight fire with fire: let your feelings be known.

You will either get a positive response and your life can become better; or you will get a definitive “No” and you can start the healing process.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.