Sunday, August 31, 2008

I followed that path...


"It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. He would go to address the king or the king's minister, saying, 'Sire, you should know that while traveling along a wilderness track I saw an ancient path... I followed it... I saw an ancient city, an ancient capital... complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. Sire, rebuild that city!' The king or king's minister would rebuild the city, so that at a later date the city would become powerful, rich, & well-populated, fully grown & prosperous.

"In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times?
Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the ancient path, the ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of aging & death. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth... becoming... clinging... craving... feeling... contact... the six sense media... name-&-form... consciousness, direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.

Nagara Sutta -The City

Saturday, August 30, 2008

You make things worse...


You make things worse when you flare up at someone who's angry.
Whoever doesn't flare up at someone who's angry wins a battle hard to win.
Akkosa Sutta -Insult

Excellent are those self-tamed


Excellent are tamed mules,

tamed thoroughbreds,

tamed horses from Sindh.

Excellent,

tamed tuskers,

great elephants.

But even more excellent are those self-tamed.
-Dhammapada

Focus not on the rudenesses ...


Focus,
not on the rudenesses of others,
not on what they've done
or left undone,
but on what you
have & haven't done
yourself.
-Dhammapada

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

As a great flood..


The man immersed in gathering blossoms (sensual pleasures),

his heart distracted:death sweeps him away — as a great flood,

a village asleep

-Dhammapada

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Make an island for yourself


Make an island for yourself!

Work quickly!

Be wise!

With impurities all blown away,

unblemished,

you won't again undergo birth & aging.


-Dhammapada

Just as the ocean ...


Just as the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch, in the same way this Doctrine and Discipline has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual progression, with a penetration to gnosis only after a long stretch.
(Also Paharada Sutta)