A Treasure from the West
One day, [Soen Nakagawa] and his classmates at Hiroshima Junior High School pooled their pocket money to purchase a recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which had just been made available in Japan. Overwhelmed by the…
Category: Wisdom Traditions
Burning
To take care of your life is to burn the flame of your life force in everything you do.–Dainin Katagiri, The Light That Shines through Infinity But then they danced down the streets like dingledodies,…
It’s Simple… and Difficult
The absence of engagement, the hours spent in one or another form of channel-surfing, is actually the chief cause of our anxiety and mental exhaustion, the sleep of the spirit the chief cause of our…
Seize the Instant Already!
A man engaged in Buddhist practice will tell himself at night that there is always the morning, or in the morning will anticipate the night, always intending to make more effort later. And if such…
Bodhisattva Vows
Although sentient beings are limitless, we vow to save them.Although our evil desires are limitless, we vow to be rid of them. Although the teaching is limitless, we vow to learn it all.Although Buddhism is unattainable,…
Today’s One-Liner (#348)
In Aikido, a sincere practitioner continually strives to forge the body, discipline the mind, and polish the spirit. –John Stevens, The Shambhala Guide to Aikido, 27
Way beyond Books
[Sri Anandamayi Ma] never sees fit to read books and thus… testifies to the fact that wisdom is not dependent on book learning—a truth too shocking to be accepted by most academicians. –Alexander Lipski, in…
“I Can’t Be in the Same Room as a Zionist!”
A good deal of the friction in personal relationships stems from our inability to respect the ways and the opinions of others. –Eknath Easwaran, Formulas for Transformation: A Mantram Handbook, 108
Reframing Criticism
When [Dipa Ma] stood up against something she felt was wrong, sometimes others would blame and criticize her. But she was not bothered by this. She told me, “Why be upset? Even the Buddha had…
Get with It!
Learn self-conquest, persevere thus for a time, and you will perceive very clearly the advantage which you gain from it. As soon as you apply yourself to contemplation, you will at once feel your senses…