Favorite Quotes from Buddha.

[Marblehead]

Don't be messing with my delusion!

 

[C T]

[C T]

“Around us, life bursts with miracles – a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there."  ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

[kbe]

“You yourself must strive. The Buddhas only point the way."

[Marblehead]

I hope they don't point to the moon.  I can't get there from here.

 

 

[Mark Foote]

Quote #1:

"...making self-surrender (one's) object of thought, (one) lays hold of concentration, lays hold of one-pointedness of mind."

 

(Sanyutta Nikaya, Pali Text Society volume V pg 176 ©Pali Text Society)

 

Quote #2:
 

(Anyone)…knowing and seeing eye as it really is, knowing and seeing material shapes… visual consciousness… impact on the eye as it really is, and knowing, seeing as it really is the experience, whether pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant, that arises conditioned by impact on the eye, is not attached to the eye nor to material shapes nor to visual consciousness nor to impact on the eye; and that experience, whether pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant, that arises conditioned by impact on the eye—neither to that is (such a one) attached. …(Such a one’s) physical anxieties decrease, and mental anxieties decrease, and bodily torments… and mental torments… and bodily fevers decrease, and mental fevers decrease. (Such a one) experiences happiness of body and happiness of mind. (repeated for ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind).

 

Whatever is the view of what really is, that for (such a one) is right view; whatever is aspiration for what really is, that for (such a one) is right aspiration; whatever is endeavour for what really is, that is for (such a one) right endeavour; whatever is mindfulness of what really is, that is for (such a one) right mindfulness; whatever is concentration on what really is, that is for (such a one) right concentration. And (such a one’s) past acts of body, acts of speech, and mode of livelihood have been well purified.

 

(Majjhima-Nikaya, Pali Text Society volume 3 pg 337-338, ©Pali Text Society)

(the parentheticals are mine, mostly substituting "one" for "monks" so as to render the text gender-neutral)

Edited November 5, 2017 by Mark Foote

[Try]

On 10/28/2017 at 3:11 PM, atrus said:

Forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness, But because you deserve peace - Buddha

Googled it and found it is by Jonathan Lockwood Huie.

I found it really weird to be Buddha's although the end result is desirable for those who can't find peace.

[Still_Waters]

On 7/2/2015 at 7:41 AM, C T said:

As soon as you see something,
 

you already start to intellectualize it.
 

As soon as you intellectualize something,
 

it is no longer what you saw.

 

~ Shunryu Suzuki

 

Excellent quote from Suzuki.

 

The Zen masters talk about the three "nens" where the 1st nen is pure awareness of that which is. The second nen is relfection on it as intellectualization starts to place. The third nen is synthesis whereby all the reflections --- accurate or otherwise --- are synthesized into an intellectual conceptual understanding of Reality which, as the quote indicates, "is no longer what you saw ".

 

Excellent quote.

 

[Myklan]

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

[Seeking]

I really like this quote from Buddha. It sums up the entirety of his teaching with a simple, snappy saying that just rolls off the Tongue.

 

Warning. Do not open if easily offended, prone to hysterics or if you lack entirely in a sense of humour

 

[dwai]

2 hours ago, Seeking said:

I really like this quote from Buddha. It sums up the entirety of his teaching with a simple, snappy saying that just rolls off the Tongue.

 

Warning. Do not open if easily offended, prone to hysterics or if you lack entirely in a sense of humour

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Moderator’s Note:

 

This is not a “sense of humor” thing.  Humor can and often is used as a foil for insulting others, or their beliefs/ideas. I do hope YOU will reconsider how you present yourself here - an attitude of nonchalant bravado accompanied by thinly veiled insults is certainly not what one should be projecting, and yet that’s how some of your posts come across. 

 

 

[doc benway]

4 hours ago, Seeking said:

I really like this quote from Buddha. It sums up the entirety of his teaching with a simple, snappy saying that just rolls off the Tongue.

 

Warning. Do not open if easily offended, prone to hysterics or if you lack entirely in a sense of humour

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Warning. Misogynistic trolls don't last long here. I suggest your "seeking" will soon lead you elsewhere.

 

[Seeking]

2 hours ago, dwai said:

Moderator’s Note:

 

This is not a “sense of humor” thing.  Humor can and often is used as a foil for insulting others, or their beliefs/ideas. I do hope YOU will reconsider how you present yourself here - an attitude of nonchalant bravado accompanied by thinly veiled insults is certainly not what one should be projecting, and yet that’s how some of your posts come across. 

 

 

 

Of course it is. If you can't see the joke (and truth) in this then I don't know what to say. I signed up to discuss things that interest me. I don't pull punches and am known for being quite blunt. Its interesting that you think I've got "an attitude of nonchalant bravado" so thanks for that insight.

 

I'll give you 24 hours to decide whether to ban this username or sit down and be quiet as I've no intent of foregoing my nature on your, or anyone elses, account.

 

If you want an echo chamber, have at it. You've already done quite well in that respect it seems. Discussion is born from people having different views and wishing to learn from one another. Otherwise what is the point in having a forum?

 

24 hours. Don't think too hard. Go with what feels good. But most of all, remember what Buddha said as it applies so perfectly in this situation.

[Cleansox]

7 minutes ago, Seeking said:

 

I'll give you 24 hours to decide whether to ban this username or sit down and be quiet as I've no intent of foregoing my nature on your, or anyone elses, account.

It's probably too early for a ban, but challanging mods is rarely a winning strategy.

[Seeking]

Just now, Cleansox said:

It's probably too early for a ban, but challanging mods is rarely a winning strategy.

 

Its not a challenge, just a statement of fact. I lurked before and mainly searched the db for insights and didn't realize quite how dead this place was till I signed up. To say the pace is glacial would be an understatement so I'm fine either way as I didn't realize quite how echo chambery/cliquish it was till posting and I wish to learn by asking questions about things I want to know from those who do.

 

If I've offended the handful of people active on here the I'll leave the site voluntarily as that was never my intent but nor will I change the way I am.

 

[Cleansox]

How do you get insights by the pic you posted? 

 

But yes, compared to the past, this place is slow. 

(And no, I'm not in any way offended.) 

Edited November 21, 2021 by Cleansox
Added stuff

[Seeking]

If you take the entirety of pretty much any religion in the world it can be distilled to "Treat everyone how you wanted to be treat yourself". The rest is just commentary and expansion on that. Reading the earlier fake Buddha quotes passed off as the real thing inspired me to lampoon it with an obvious absurdity.

 

The absurdity however contains the exact same truth (albiet expressed in a more profane way) as the distilled wisdom above. It was all quite amusing in my head anyway as it tied together so many disparate points in quite a pithy way. The fact that it was hidden and warned ultimately means those making a song and dance of it are abnegating their own sense of autonomy and personal responsibility and thats yet another blatant case of ignoring Buddhas way.

 

Clear enough?

[Cleansox]

13 minutes ago, Seeking said:

 

Clear enough?

That's you sharing your insight, not the other way around. 

 

I must read the wrong buddhist and daoist books though... 

[Seeking]

Like I said, I didn't come here to teach but learn. If I'm drowning in ignorance why are the wise men of this forum throwing breeze blocks at me?

 

Whose level of evolution does that speak on? Mine or theirs?

[Cleansox]

A person that can distill something from pretty much any religion is hardly drowning in ignorance. 

 

I might have missed that part, what exactly do you want to learn here? 

 

The single most common practice advice here is "get a teacher". 

In the daoist section, that is basically followed by "Check out Damo Mitchell's material", I'm sure there is someone hot on the buddhist scene as well, but I am not in to that specific market myself so... 

[doc benway]

1 hour ago, Seeking said:

 

…but nor will I change the way I am.

 

 

No interest in change or growth?

[silent thunder]

16 minutes ago, Seeking said:

 

Whose level of evolution does that speak on? Mine or theirs?

Both, clearly.

On their end it reveals integrity in this instance and on yours, petulant immaturity and a seeking for attention.

 

 

 

[Seeking]

9 minutes ago, Cleansox said:

A person that can distill something from pretty much any religion is hardly drowning in ignorance.

 

Its not really that hard. Most things aren't but people certainly like to complicate them. A lot of that comes from this tap dancing around what you think people might want to hear/not hear then self editing accordingly. Its why I prefer to just speak directly.

 

Sheesh, I can't believe this response from you all from a simple amusing picture, even after explaining it to death which killed any humour that was there. There is a distinctly dour tone to so many of the posts and I've just met it directly here and it feels quite icky.

 

Do you lot just lurk, waiting for something to be mad at because its the most response I've had to any post and that is quite sad.

 

9 minutes ago, steve said:

 

No interest in change or growth?

 

In things that count, yes. In self censorship and the editing it creates as you pussy foot around using politically correct euphemisms and other linguistic games? No. Why are you so bent out of shape by the quote? If you personally are offended by it just say and I will leave right now, forget the 24 hours.

 

 

9 minutes ago, silent thunder said:

Both, clearly.

On their end it reveals integrity in this instance and on yours, petulant immaturity and a seeking for attention.

 

 

 

If that is how you define integrity then I don't know what to say. Petulant immaturity I'll give you as that comes with the territory. I'm quite dismayed that this, out of all I've posted, is whats garnered so much attention and that speaks volumes on the community here and what gets them clicking reply. Maybe something to reflect on all the way up there on your high horse?

[Cleansox]

14 minutes ago, Seeking said:

 

 because its the most response I've had to any post and that is quite sad.

Why not try to make your other posts more interesting? 

Instead of seeking attention this way, I mean. 

 

14 minutes ago, Seeking said:

 pussy foot around using politically correct euphemisms and other linguistic games

Well, yes, that is how the times are right now. 

Makes for less screen time and more practice time. 

[doc benway]

9 minutes ago, Seeking said:

In things that count, yes.

To me, words and the feelings of others count.

 

9 minutes ago, Seeking said:

In self censorship and the editing it creates as you pussy foot around using politically correct euphemisms and other linguistic games? No. Why are you so bent out of shape by the quote? If you personally are offended by it just say and I will leave right now, forget the 24 hours.

Nothing to do with political correctness in my mind, that's simply a blanket excuse for a lack of empathy and civility.

I'm not personally offended by your comments but I have this protective instinct that often leads me to engage when I feel others are being targeted, especially vulnerable groups - in this case women and the LGBTQ community.

This forum was filled with misogynistic loud-mouths with over-inflated spiritual egos for a long time who made it an unpleasant place to share and interact with people.

I think this is why I'm a bit reactive to a few of your recent posts. 

I joined the mod team a year and a half ago to change the tenor here and I think we did a good job.

It may be slow and quiet, echoey even... but I think there are those here who value a safe space to share intimate and profound feelings and experiences on their spiritual path. For me that is a worthwhile trade off.

Whether you stay or go is of little consequence to me really but I'll respond as I see fit.