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#2176 - Saturday, June 18, 2005 - Editor: Gloria Lee
If we can reach the understanding of what we actually
are,
there is no better remedy for eliminating all suffering.
This is the heart of all spiritual practices.
-Kalu Rinpoche, "Luminous Mind"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001.
Reprinted from "Daily Wisdom: 365 Buddhist
Inspirations," edited by Josh Bartok
from www.beliefnet.com
"A Man Talking to His
House"
I say that no one in this caravan is awake
and that while you sleep, a thief is stealing
the signs and symbols of what you thought
was your life. Now you're angry with me for
telling you this! Pay attention to those who
hurt your feelings telling you the truth.
Giving and absorbing compliments is like
trying to paint on water, that insubstantial.
Here is how a man once talked with his house.
"Please, if you're ever about to collapse,
let me know." One night without a word the
house fell. "What happened to our agreement?"
The house answered, "Day and night I've been
telling you with cracks and broken boards and
holes appearing like mouths opening. But you
kept patching and filling those with mud, so
proud of your stopgap masonry. You didn't
listen." This house is your body, always
saying, I'm leaving; I'm going soon. Don't
hide from the one who knows the secret. Drink
the wine of turning toward God. Don't examine
your urine. Examine instead how you praise,
what you wish for, this longing we've been
given. Fall turns pale light yellow wanting
spring, and spring arrives! Seeds blossom.
Come to the orchard and see what comes
to you, a silent conversation with your soul.
-- Ghazal (Ode) 1134
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
posted to Sunlight
I was a boy with friend,
telling as it went:
Of fate
this dream,
we are to pass.
Here is this talk
on a straight path.
Here, opening the gate.
How does it end?
he asked.
As we walked into
the tall grass.
photo by Alan Larus poem and more photos from: http://www.ferryfee.com/bluesky/i_was_a_boy.htm
"When he was challenged by Mara - who personifies
delusion - the Buddha touched the Earth with his
right hand and said, 'With Earth as my witness, I
will sit here in meditation until I realize true
awakening.' When he did that, Mara disappeared.
"Sometimes we too are visited by Mara - when we
feel irritated, insecure, angry, or unhappy. When
that happens, please touch the Earth deeply with
your feet. Please practice walking meditation.
The Earth, our mother, is filled with deep love
for us. When we suffer, she will protect us,
nourishing us with her beautiful trees, grasses
and flowers."
~Thich Nhat Hanh
From the book, "The Long Road Turns to Joy,"
published by Parallax Press.
posted by Sherab to Daily Dharma
Dear Durga,
The darshan story is so precious.
Strangely I thought once there was no need for me to travel to
Ramana's ashram to India once I found him without ever traveling
to
India.
One day all this changed and I want now to take the travel.
This
change of mind came by such a roundabout way.
There is a rabbi in Jerusalem whom I go to see once in a
while.
I never thought I would go to see a rabbi, but that is another
story.
There is a power or energy that flows through him to a person
whose
hand he holds. I like to sit there, and see how people come
burdened
with problems and leave the room in good spirits and energized by
I
don't know what force, he just holds the person's hand if it is a
man
or holds his hand parralel to the other person's hand if it is a
woman. He laughs all the time, people pour out what terrible
burdens
or problems or pains they have. I can't have enough of it when I
see
how people look when they enter the room and what a
transformation
they suffer. He knows nothing of self-realization, has no
interest in
ever leaving the city, knowing other traditions, knowing the
world,
travelling or such, just holds the other person's hand and enjoys
that a man that enters his room with a pain leaves that room
without
it or at least diminished.
I like to see him because I like to see such people who are
happy for
their fellow men when these are able to put down a pain and get
cured
of it.
This is what I think is the divine in the character of man: to
be
happy to cure his fellow men of trouble, to be happy with the one
that wishes to share with him both his suffering and his
happiness.
He is a very orthodox rabbi but since he one day realized that
people
around him got cured of all kind of diseases, he accepted it as a
gift from God and decided that what is God given has to be shared
undiscriminately to all. That is why those who are used to see
around
orthodox rabbis only orthodox Jews would be surprised to discover
that people who come to see him not all of them are orthodox Jews
or
that they are not Jews at all.
One day I wanted to go and see him, and I arrived about half
an hour
before he did. I entered the empty room and sat down, happy I
could
have some rest. I don't know how long it took me to sense the air
vibrating with an energizing force.
And with my next thought I turned to Ramana: "you brought
me to a
rabbi to make me feel that the air can vibrate with divine life
and presence, to make me understand the devotees stories who
travel
to the ashram and feel the air vibrating with your
presence."
So many devotees stories turned out to be suddenly different
from
what I had believed they were before.
I hope to be able to travel some day, although I am apparently
so
tied by family obligations, job and more, and no opening seems
possible. I hope to live the day when I'll sit in the meditation
hall, feeling what that air has to reveal.
posted by Viorica Weissman to HarshaSatsangh
To understand what you have received, you have to give.
The willingness to
give and receive is a boon. Gratitude moistens the
heart and when the heart
is moistened in this way, the virtues grow.
~ Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
posted to Morning Zen
Caterpillar Satsang from Alice in Wonderland
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time
in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its
mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
`Who are you?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
`What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. `Explain yourself!'
`I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, `because I'm not myself, you see.'
`I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.
`I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, `for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'
`It isn't,' said the Caterpillar.
`Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; `but when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?'
`Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar.
`Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,' said Alice; `all I know is, it would feel very queer to me.'
`You!' said the Caterpillar contemptuously.
`Who are you?'
posted by Aly to nondualnow
Life is like coming in too late for a film, Trying
to find out what happened, without bothering a lot of
people with a lot of questions, And then being suddenly
called away before you know how the film ends. [Joseph Campbell]
One of the questions with which you could bother the other people
at the movie is: What is trust?
You will find an attempt to answer this question in this new
Amigo.
http://www.ods.nl/am1gos/am1gos9/index.html
