All beings are from the very beginning Buddha. It is like water and ice: apart from water, no ice, outside living beings, no Buddhas. Not knowing it is near, they seek it afar. What a pity! It is like one in the water who cries out for thirst; it is like the child of a rich house who has strayed away among the poor. Hakuin
Develop the belief in the power of showing up for others in ways that are positive – with kindness, generosity, patience, acceptance, and love. Sadly, many people show up for others in ways that are negative – with anger, impatience, judgment, intolerance and indifference. Showing up for others is actually easy but it does require effort because it means intentionally tapping into our intelligence, intuition, awareness and sensitivity. When someone is discouraged, show up with encouragement; when someone is grieving, show up with support; when someone is fearful, show up with courage; when someone is despondent, show up with hope. Showing up reminds people they are not alone in this world. - Victor M. Parachin
Suffering is not enough. Life is both dreadful and wonderful…How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural–you need to smile to your sorrow because you are more than your sorrow. — Thich Nhat Hanh.
Problems are inevitable but despair, discouragement, disillusionment are optional. The next time you encounter adversity, difficulty or sorrow repeat the mantra ‘I am not troubled by trouble’. Then shift your perspective from a negative to positive. Start sensing that your problem may be an opportunity to develop persistence, cultivate patience, embrace change, strengthen willpower, experience growth.
Begin learning to accept problems as normal and totally unavoidable. Rather than react negatively when an unwelcome issue takes you by surprise, respond with curiosity and creativity. That opens up the mental and emotional pathway for you to handle, skillfully and gracefully, any issues which emerge from day to day. - Victor M. Parachin Slowly give up your negative things. Good things, keep. Bad things, slowly move away from them. — Gyatrul Rinpoche.
If we are to protect this global home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism and compassion. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another. - Dalai Lama 14th
The word 'enlightened' is loaded with all kinds of presuppositions. However, this ancient text from the Jain religion – Tattva Artha Suytra – provides a list of nine signs of a person who is enlightened (or at the very least well on their way):
1. Guarding one’s speech 2. Guarding one’s thoughts 3. Care in walking 4. Care in lifting and laying down things 5. Careful inspection of one’s food and drink 6. Benevolence toward all beings 7. Delight in all beings 8. Compassion for all beings 9. Patience toward those who are misguided in their behavior I should dispel the suffering of others because it is suffering like my own suffering. I should help others too because of their nature as beings, which is like my own being. When happiness is dear to me and others equally, what is so special about me that I strive after happiness only for myself? — Shantideva.
The impulses of greed, hatred, and delusion, which create the challenges, are essentially the same all over the globe. The antidotes, generosity, love, and wisdom, are also universal. - Jacqueline Kramer
The true man sees what the eye sees, and does not add to it something that is not there. He hears what the ears hear, and does not detect imaginary undertones or overtones. He is not busy with hidden meanings. - Chuang Tzu
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Victor M. Parachin ...is aVedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Archives
May 2024
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