A physician who heals for nothing is worth nothing.
- Babylonian Talmud, Baba Kamma 85a
***
Humility is the strength of the strong and the weapon
With which the wise conquer their foes.
-Tirukkural 99:985
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
Luminous is this mind, brightly shining, but it is colored by the attachments that visit it. This unlearned people do not really understand, and so do not cultivate the mind. Luminous is this mind, brightly shining, and it is free of the attachments that visit it. This the noble follower of the way really understands; so for them there is cultivation of the mind.
-Anguttara Nikaya
Anguttara Nikaya
***
Come, O lover!
Come, let Me ease your suffering.
Let Me be your friend;
let Me improve your state.
Come, O lover!
Come, surrender yourself to Me
that I may give you My life
and make you rejoice once again.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
From "The Bounty of Allah
***
Without heroes, we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.
-Bernard Malamud
Quote
-
Guest
A man should not act as a judge either for someone he loves or for someone he hates. For no man can see the guilt of someone he loves or the good qualities in someone he hates.
- Babylonian Talmud
***
It is through giving that we receive, and it is through dying that we are born to eternal life.
-St. Francis of Assisi
***
Ignorance is the failure to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent, the pure and the impure, bliss and suffering, the Self and the non-Self.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:5
From "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,"
***
The experience of studying Zen is like hiding your body in fire: even if you have iron guts and a brass heart, here they will surely melt and flux.
-Chien-ju
From "The Pocket Zen Reader,"
***
I praise you for your success in being you; you praise me for my success in being me. In your purity you make me pure. In your wholeness you make me whole. In my service you serve me. I bow to all, because I bow to you.
-Hallaj: Tawasin
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.
-Erick Golnik
- Babylonian Talmud
***
It is through giving that we receive, and it is through dying that we are born to eternal life.
-St. Francis of Assisi
***
Ignorance is the failure to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent, the pure and the impure, bliss and suffering, the Self and the non-Self.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:5
From "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,"
***
The experience of studying Zen is like hiding your body in fire: even if you have iron guts and a brass heart, here they will surely melt and flux.
-Chien-ju
From "The Pocket Zen Reader,"
***
I praise you for your success in being you; you praise me for my success in being me. In your purity you make me pure. In your wholeness you make me whole. In my service you serve me. I bow to all, because I bow to you.
-Hallaj: Tawasin
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.
-Erick Golnik
-
Guest
The thing you fear most has no power.
Your fear of it is what has the power.
Facing the truth really will set you free
-Oprah Winfrey
***
A half-truth is a whole lie.
- Yiddish proverb
***
The practice of meditation frees one from all affliction. This is the path of yoga. Follow it with determination and sustained enthusiasm. Renouncing wholeheartedly all selfish desires and expectations, use your will to control the senses. Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:23-25
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
Just as sharp-bladed grass,
if wrongly held,
wounds the very hand that holds it--
the contemplative life, if wrongly grasped,
drags you down to hell.
-Dhammapada, 22, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Lord, bestow upon us that which is good in this world and that which is good in the life to come, and save us from the doom of the Fire.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Sahih al-Bukhari
Your fear of it is what has the power.
Facing the truth really will set you free
-Oprah Winfrey
***
A half-truth is a whole lie.
- Yiddish proverb
***
The practice of meditation frees one from all affliction. This is the path of yoga. Follow it with determination and sustained enthusiasm. Renouncing wholeheartedly all selfish desires and expectations, use your will to control the senses. Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:23-25
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
Just as sharp-bladed grass,
if wrongly held,
wounds the very hand that holds it--
the contemplative life, if wrongly grasped,
drags you down to hell.
-Dhammapada, 22, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Lord, bestow upon us that which is good in this world and that which is good in the life to come, and save us from the doom of the Fire.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Sahih al-Bukhari
-
Guest
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you’ll know exactly what to do.
-Michelle Ventor
***
At a time when the community is in need, one should not say, "I will go home and peace be to you," but rather one should participate in the alleviating the community's trouble.
- Pisikei Zutari, B'Shalach 17
***
Is not modesty the jewel of the great? Without it,
Is not their strut an affliction for the eye to behold?
Those men who for others' disgrace and their own
feel equally ashamed
Are regarded by the world as the abode of modesty.
-Tirukkural 102:1014-1015
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
In meditation, don't expect anything. Just sit back and see what happens. Treat the whole thing as an experiment. Take an active interest in the test itself, but don't get distracted by your expectations about the results. For that matter, don't be anxious for any result whatsoever.
-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
***
-Michelle Ventor
***
At a time when the community is in need, one should not say, "I will go home and peace be to you," but rather one should participate in the alleviating the community's trouble.
- Pisikei Zutari, B'Shalach 17
***
Is not modesty the jewel of the great? Without it,
Is not their strut an affliction for the eye to behold?
Those men who for others' disgrace and their own
feel equally ashamed
Are regarded by the world as the abode of modesty.
-Tirukkural 102:1014-1015
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
In meditation, don't expect anything. Just sit back and see what happens. Treat the whole thing as an experiment. Take an active interest in the test itself, but don't get distracted by your expectations about the results. For that matter, don't be anxious for any result whatsoever.
-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
***
-
Guest
O All-Knowing, you opened my heart to the way of supplication. Yearning for Your love is glorious and grand; lust for other love is disgraceful and corrupt. Your divine court is the infinite plane. I leave behind the throne of honor, for the real throne of honor is Your way.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Always think of the end, and you will never do amiss.
- Apocrypha: Ben Sira 7:36
***
Know him to be the primal source of life,
Whose glory permeates the universe:
Who is beyond time and space, and is seen
Within the heart in meditation.
Know that he is beyond the tree of life,
He whose power makes the planets revolve:
Who is both law and mercy, and is seen
Within the heart in meditation.
Know him to be the supreme Lord of lords,
King of kings, God of gods, ruler of all,
Wihout action or organs of action,
Whose power is seen in myriad ways.
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
How much of your life do you spend looking forward to being somewhere else?
-Matthew Flickstein, "Journey to the Center"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
May I know Thee more
clearly, love Thee more
dearly, and follow Thee
more nearly, day by day.
-Saint Richard of Chichester
***
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Always think of the end, and you will never do amiss.
- Apocrypha: Ben Sira 7:36
***
Know him to be the primal source of life,
Whose glory permeates the universe:
Who is beyond time and space, and is seen
Within the heart in meditation.
Know that he is beyond the tree of life,
He whose power makes the planets revolve:
Who is both law and mercy, and is seen
Within the heart in meditation.
Know him to be the supreme Lord of lords,
King of kings, God of gods, ruler of all,
Wihout action or organs of action,
Whose power is seen in myriad ways.
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
How much of your life do you spend looking forward to being somewhere else?
-Matthew Flickstein, "Journey to the Center"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
May I know Thee more
clearly, love Thee more
dearly, and follow Thee
more nearly, day by day.
-Saint Richard of Chichester
***
-
Guest
A glutton in youth, a beggar in old age.
- Yiddish proverb
***
Those who aspire to the state of yoga should seek the Self in inner solitude through meditation. With body and mind controlled they should constantly practice one-pointedness, free from expectations and attachment to material possessions.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:10
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
The ancients thought it shameful to seek advancement or to want to be the head of something, or the chief or senior.
-Dogen
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
By the reading of Scripture I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me.
-Thomas Merton
***
Liberate yourself from the fetters of the ego and surrender yourself before God. Let the Lord be your shepherd, allow Him to attend to all your cares, and do not allow temptations to entice you. Aspirations of this world are the cause of all concern. Aspire to God and obtain freedom.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadier Jillani, "Futhul Ghaib"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
- Yiddish proverb
***
Those who aspire to the state of yoga should seek the Self in inner solitude through meditation. With body and mind controlled they should constantly practice one-pointedness, free from expectations and attachment to material possessions.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:10
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
The ancients thought it shameful to seek advancement or to want to be the head of something, or the chief or senior.
-Dogen
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
By the reading of Scripture I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me.
-Thomas Merton
***
Liberate yourself from the fetters of the ego and surrender yourself before God. Let the Lord be your shepherd, allow Him to attend to all your cares, and do not allow temptations to entice you. Aspirations of this world are the cause of all concern. Aspire to God and obtain freedom.
-Sheikh Abdul Qadier Jillani, "Futhul Ghaib"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
-
Guest
Be not like a bird that sees the seeds but not the trap.
- Judah ibn Tibbon (c.1120-c.1190, Spain)
***
Never upset your mind
With yes and no.
Be quiet.
You are awareness itself.
Live in the happiness
Of your own nature,
Which is happiness itself.
-Ashtavakra Gita 15:19
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Like a fish
pulled from its home in the water
& thrown on land:
this mind flips & flaps about
to escape Mara's sway.
Hard to hold down,
nimble,
alighting wherever it likes:
the mind.
Its taming is good.
The mind well-tamed brings ease.
-Dhammapada, 3, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
The spiritual life invites a process of transformation in the life of a believer. It is a process of growing in gratitude, trust, obedience, humility, compassion, service, and joy.
-Marjorie Thompson
***
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for people of understanding, those who remember Allah as they stand and sit, and lie down to rest, who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, and say, "Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory be to You, save us from the doom of the Fire."
-Qur'an, Al-Imran, Surah 3:190-191
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
Learn to write your hurts in sand.
Learn to carve your blessings in stone!
-Unknown (submitted by merrylegs)
- Judah ibn Tibbon (c.1120-c.1190, Spain)
***
Never upset your mind
With yes and no.
Be quiet.
You are awareness itself.
Live in the happiness
Of your own nature,
Which is happiness itself.
-Ashtavakra Gita 15:19
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Like a fish
pulled from its home in the water
& thrown on land:
this mind flips & flaps about
to escape Mara's sway.
Hard to hold down,
nimble,
alighting wherever it likes:
the mind.
Its taming is good.
The mind well-tamed brings ease.
-Dhammapada, 3, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
The spiritual life invites a process of transformation in the life of a believer. It is a process of growing in gratitude, trust, obedience, humility, compassion, service, and joy.
-Marjorie Thompson
***
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for people of understanding, those who remember Allah as they stand and sit, and lie down to rest, who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, and say, "Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory be to You, save us from the doom of the Fire."
-Qur'an, Al-Imran, Surah 3:190-191
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
Learn to write your hurts in sand.
Learn to carve your blessings in stone!
-Unknown (submitted by merrylegs)
-
Guest
There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.
-French Proverb
***
Better to lease one garden and cultivate it than to lease many and neglect them. As the proverb goes: who leases a garden eats birds; who leases gardens is eaten by birds.
- Eccclesiastes
***
Procrastination, forgetfulness, laziness and sleep--these four
Form the coveted ship which bears men to their destined ruin.
Seldom do men possessed by sloth achieve anything special,
Even when supported by the earth's wealthy proprietors.
The lazy ones, inept in noble exertion,
Invite sharp scoldings and must endure the shame of scornful words.
-Tirukkural 61: 606-608
***
It is crucial for you to understand what meditation is. It is not some special posture, and it's not just a set of mental exercises. Meditation is the cultivation of mindfulness and the application of that mindfulness once cultivated. You do not have to sit to meditate. You can meditate while washing the dishes. You can meditate in the shower, or roller skating, or typing letters. Meditation is awareness, and it must be applied to each and every activity of one's life. This isn't easy.
-Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
Joy is to feel the doors of the self fly open into a wealth that is endless because none of it is ours and yet it all belongs to us.
-William Sloane Coffin
***
Relying upon the promise of “tomorrow,” many people have wandered around that door, but that tomorrow never comes.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
-French Proverb
***
Better to lease one garden and cultivate it than to lease many and neglect them. As the proverb goes: who leases a garden eats birds; who leases gardens is eaten by birds.
- Eccclesiastes
***
Procrastination, forgetfulness, laziness and sleep--these four
Form the coveted ship which bears men to their destined ruin.
Seldom do men possessed by sloth achieve anything special,
Even when supported by the earth's wealthy proprietors.
The lazy ones, inept in noble exertion,
Invite sharp scoldings and must endure the shame of scornful words.
-Tirukkural 61: 606-608
***
It is crucial for you to understand what meditation is. It is not some special posture, and it's not just a set of mental exercises. Meditation is the cultivation of mindfulness and the application of that mindfulness once cultivated. You do not have to sit to meditate. You can meditate while washing the dishes. You can meditate in the shower, or roller skating, or typing letters. Meditation is awareness, and it must be applied to each and every activity of one's life. This isn't easy.
-Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
Joy is to feel the doors of the self fly open into a wealth that is endless because none of it is ours and yet it all belongs to us.
-William Sloane Coffin
***
Relying upon the promise of “tomorrow,” many people have wandered around that door, but that tomorrow never comes.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
-
Guest
When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters--one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.
-John F. Kennedy
***
Demons bother only those who bother them.
- Sefer Hasidim
***
In the light of the Sun
there is no difference between day and night.
In the light of the Supreme Truth
there is no difference between Shiva and Shakti.
-Jnaneshwar (also known as Jnanadeva)
From "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics,"
***
There is no amount of darkness that can extinguish the inner light. The important thing is not to spend our lives trying to control the environment around us. The task is to control the environment within us.
-Joan Chittester
***
The mind is something more radiant than anything else can be, but because counterfeits--passing defilements--come and obscure it, it loses its radiance, like the sun when obscured by clouds. Don't go thinking that the sun goes after the clouds. Instead, the clouds come drifting along and obscure the sun.
-Ajaan Mun, "Heart Released"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Lord, the night is gone. The dawn has lighted the sky. How I long to know if You accepted or rejected my prayers. Comfort me, Lord, for only you can comfort this state of mine. You gave me life and nurtured me; Yours is all the praise. If You would ever drive me away from Your door, I would never abandon it for the sake of Your love, which I carry in my heart.
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
-John F. Kennedy
***
Demons bother only those who bother them.
- Sefer Hasidim
***
In the light of the Sun
there is no difference between day and night.
In the light of the Supreme Truth
there is no difference between Shiva and Shakti.
-Jnaneshwar (also known as Jnanadeva)
From "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics,"
***
There is no amount of darkness that can extinguish the inner light. The important thing is not to spend our lives trying to control the environment around us. The task is to control the environment within us.
-Joan Chittester
***
The mind is something more radiant than anything else can be, but because counterfeits--passing defilements--come and obscure it, it loses its radiance, like the sun when obscured by clouds. Don't go thinking that the sun goes after the clouds. Instead, the clouds come drifting along and obscure the sun.
-Ajaan Mun, "Heart Released"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Lord, the night is gone. The dawn has lighted the sky. How I long to know if You accepted or rejected my prayers. Comfort me, Lord, for only you can comfort this state of mine. You gave me life and nurtured me; Yours is all the praise. If You would ever drive me away from Your door, I would never abandon it for the sake of Your love, which I carry in my heart.
-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
-
Guest
To know when to act and when to refrain from action, what is right action and what is wrong, what brings security, what brings freedom and what bondage: these are the signs of a sattvic intellect.
-Bhagavad Gita 18:30
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Love yourself and be awake-
Today, tomorrow, always.
First establish yourself in the way,
Then teach others,
And so defeat sorrow.
To straighten the crooked
You must first do a harder thing-
Straighten yourself.
You are your only master.
Who else?
Subdue yourself,
And discover your master.
-from the Dhammapada
From "Teachings of the Buddha,"
***
He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me.
-John 12:44-45 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Spend in the name of Allah and do not hold back lest Allah withhold His blessings from you.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Asma bint Abu Bakr al-Saddiq
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
-Bhagavad Gita 18:30
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Love yourself and be awake-
Today, tomorrow, always.
First establish yourself in the way,
Then teach others,
And so defeat sorrow.
To straighten the crooked
You must first do a harder thing-
Straighten yourself.
You are your only master.
Who else?
Subdue yourself,
And discover your master.
-from the Dhammapada
From "Teachings of the Buddha,"
***
He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me.
-John 12:44-45 (Revised Standard Version)
***
Spend in the name of Allah and do not hold back lest Allah withhold His blessings from you.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Asma bint Abu Bakr al-Saddiq
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
-
Guest
The man who has no imagination has no wings.
-Muhammad Ali
***
Every dispute that is for a heavenly cause will ultimately endure.
- Pirkei Avot 5:17
***
Men who conduct themselves virtuously
Are incapable of voicing harmful words, even forgetfully.
-Tirukkural 14:139
***
Just as fog is dispelled by the strength of the sun
and is dispelled no other way,
preconception is cleared by the strength of realization.
There's no other way of clearing preconceptions.
Experience them as baseless dreams.
Experience them as ephemeral bubbles.
Experience them as insubstantial rainbows.
Experience them as indivisible space.
-Milarepa, "Drinking the Mountain Stream"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Accept as good whatever happens to you or affects you, knowing that nothing happens without God.
-The Didache
***
Believers, when you are told to make room in assemblies, make room; in return Allah will make room for you in the hereafter. And when you are told to rise [for a good deed], rise up. Allah will exalt those who are truly faithful and have been endowed with knowledge, for Allah is observant of all that you do.
-Qur'an, Al-Mujadilah, Surah 58:11
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
-Muhammad Ali
***
Every dispute that is for a heavenly cause will ultimately endure.
- Pirkei Avot 5:17
***
Men who conduct themselves virtuously
Are incapable of voicing harmful words, even forgetfully.
-Tirukkural 14:139
***
Just as fog is dispelled by the strength of the sun
and is dispelled no other way,
preconception is cleared by the strength of realization.
There's no other way of clearing preconceptions.
Experience them as baseless dreams.
Experience them as ephemeral bubbles.
Experience them as insubstantial rainbows.
Experience them as indivisible space.
-Milarepa, "Drinking the Mountain Stream"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Accept as good whatever happens to you or affects you, knowing that nothing happens without God.
-The Didache
***
Believers, when you are told to make room in assemblies, make room; in return Allah will make room for you in the hereafter. And when you are told to rise [for a good deed], rise up. Allah will exalt those who are truly faithful and have been endowed with knowledge, for Allah is observant of all that you do.
-Qur'an, Al-Mujadilah, Surah 58:11
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
-
Guest
The Lord of Love is one. There is indeed
No other. He is the inner ruler
In all beings. He projects the cosmos
From himself, maintains and withdraws it
Back into himself at the end of time.
His eyes, mouths, arms, and feet are everywhere.
Projecting the cosmos out of himself,
He holds it together.
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads,
***
First improve yourself, then improve others.
- Babylonian Talmud
***
Our very nature is Buddha, and apart from this nature there is no other Buddha.
-The Sutra of Hui Neng
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
A life of faith…enables us to see God in everything and it holds the mind in a state of readiness for whatever may be His will.
-Francois Fenelon
***
The face of David shone with His glory,
and the mountains sang His praise.
The mountains sang along with David;
both elated in praising the King.
He hears the melody of the pure-spirited,
every moment, every place.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
No other. He is the inner ruler
In all beings. He projects the cosmos
From himself, maintains and withdraws it
Back into himself at the end of time.
His eyes, mouths, arms, and feet are everywhere.
Projecting the cosmos out of himself,
He holds it together.
-Shvetashvatara Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads,
***
First improve yourself, then improve others.
- Babylonian Talmud
***
Our very nature is Buddha, and apart from this nature there is no other Buddha.
-The Sutra of Hui Neng
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
A life of faith…enables us to see God in everything and it holds the mind in a state of readiness for whatever may be His will.
-Francois Fenelon
***
The face of David shone with His glory,
and the mountains sang His praise.
The mountains sang along with David;
both elated in praising the King.
He hears the melody of the pure-spirited,
every moment, every place.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
-
Guest
Surely the measure of divine goodness is greater than that of evil dispensation.
- Rabbi Meir, Talmud: Sanhedrin, 100b
***
Whatever you do, make it an offering to me--the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your suffering. In this way you will be freed from the bondage of karma, and from its results both pleasant and painful. Then, firm in renunciation and yoga, with your heart free, you will come to me.
-Bhagavad Gita 9:27-28
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
The clouds that wander through the sky have no roots, no home,
Nor do the distinctive thoughts floating through the mind.
Once the Self-mind is seen,
Discrimination stops.
-Tilopa, "The Song of Mahamudra"
From "Teachings of the Buddha,"
***
Weave the unfailing fabric of God’s Word through your heart and mind. It will hold strong, even if the rest of life unravels.
-Gigi Graham Tchvidjian
***
Do not seek sustenance from people. God is the real Provider. If He wills a certain person to be the means of your livelihood, do not consider that person to be in control of your destiny. Have faith and be certain in the knowledge that your daily bread does not depend upon any mortal, but upon God who created all.
-Al-Hajwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
From "The Bounty of Allah
***
- Rabbi Meir, Talmud: Sanhedrin, 100b
***
Whatever you do, make it an offering to me--the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your suffering. In this way you will be freed from the bondage of karma, and from its results both pleasant and painful. Then, firm in renunciation and yoga, with your heart free, you will come to me.
-Bhagavad Gita 9:27-28
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
The clouds that wander through the sky have no roots, no home,
Nor do the distinctive thoughts floating through the mind.
Once the Self-mind is seen,
Discrimination stops.
-Tilopa, "The Song of Mahamudra"
From "Teachings of the Buddha,"
***
Weave the unfailing fabric of God’s Word through your heart and mind. It will hold strong, even if the rest of life unravels.
-Gigi Graham Tchvidjian
***
Do not seek sustenance from people. God is the real Provider. If He wills a certain person to be the means of your livelihood, do not consider that person to be in control of your destiny. Have faith and be certain in the knowledge that your daily bread does not depend upon any mortal, but upon God who created all.
-Al-Hajwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
From "The Bounty of Allah
***
-
Guest
Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing.
-Albert Schweitzer
***
There is no true justice unless mercy is part of it.
- The Zohar
***
Of the four kinds of being,
From Brahma to a blade of grass,
Only the wise man is strong enough
To give up desire and aversion.
How rare he is!
Knowing he is the Self,
He acts accordingly
And is never fearful.
For he knows he is the Self,
One without two,
The Lord of all creation.
-Astavakra Gita 4:5-6
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Knowing this body
is like foam,
realizing its nature
--a mirage--
cutting out
the blossoms of Mara,
you go where the King of Death
can't see.
-Dhammapada, 4, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Prayer is an end to isolation. It is living our daily life with someone; with Him who alone can deliver us from solitude.
-Georges Lefevre
***
The Prophet said, "When you pass by the Gardens of Paradise rejoice."
When his companions asked the location of those gardens, he replied, "They are the circles of dhikr."
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Anas bin Malik
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world, I thank God I am alive.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
-Albert Schweitzer
***
There is no true justice unless mercy is part of it.
- The Zohar
***
Of the four kinds of being,
From Brahma to a blade of grass,
Only the wise man is strong enough
To give up desire and aversion.
How rare he is!
Knowing he is the Self,
He acts accordingly
And is never fearful.
For he knows he is the Self,
One without two,
The Lord of all creation.
-Astavakra Gita 4:5-6
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
Knowing this body
is like foam,
realizing its nature
--a mirage--
cutting out
the blossoms of Mara,
you go where the King of Death
can't see.
-Dhammapada, 4, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Prayer is an end to isolation. It is living our daily life with someone; with Him who alone can deliver us from solitude.
-Georges Lefevre
***
The Prophet said, "When you pass by the Gardens of Paradise rejoice."
When his companions asked the location of those gardens, he replied, "They are the circles of dhikr."
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Anas bin Malik
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world, I thank God I am alive.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
-
Guest
Birth ceases when all attachments are severed;
Otherwise, one beholds unceasingly the transitoriness of life.
Attach yourself to Him who is free from all attachments.
Bind yourself to that bond in order that all other bonds may be broken.
-Tirukkural 35: 349-350
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.
***
Resistance does not mean walls and fences, nonresistance does not mean open space. If you can understand in this way, mind and matter are fundamentally the same.
-Tsu-hsin
From "The Pocket Zen Reader,"
***
The wishbone will never replace the backbone.
-Will Henry
***
The pure righteous people, do not complain against wickedness but add righteousness. They do not complain against disbelief but add faith. They do not complain against ignorance but add wisdom.
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
***
Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence.
-St. Augustine of Hippo
***
Allah is your Protector; sufficient is He, the greatest of helpers.
-Qur'an, Al-Imran, Surah 3:150
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
Otherwise, one beholds unceasingly the transitoriness of life.
Attach yourself to Him who is free from all attachments.
Bind yourself to that bond in order that all other bonds may be broken.
-Tirukkural 35: 349-350
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.
***
Resistance does not mean walls and fences, nonresistance does not mean open space. If you can understand in this way, mind and matter are fundamentally the same.
-Tsu-hsin
From "The Pocket Zen Reader,"
***
The wishbone will never replace the backbone.
-Will Henry
***
The pure righteous people, do not complain against wickedness but add righteousness. They do not complain against disbelief but add faith. They do not complain against ignorance but add wisdom.
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
***
Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence.
-St. Augustine of Hippo
***
Allah is your Protector; sufficient is He, the greatest of helpers.
-Qur'an, Al-Imran, Surah 3:150
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
-
Guest
This is what the Holy One said to Israel: My children, what do I seek from you? I seek no more than that you love one another and honor one another.
- Tanna d'Bai Eliyahu, medieval rabbinic work
***
Longing is like the rosy dawn. After the dawn out comes the sun. Longing is followed by the vision of God.
-Ramakrishna
***
The whole of humanity is…one human family. This planet is our only home.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
From "The Pocket Dalai Lama,"
***
Nothing great was ever done without much enduring.
-St. Catherine of Siena
***
I am a burning candle;
You are the morning light,
If I do not see You, I burn;
if I see You, I vanish.
This is my condition
in separation and closeness.
I can bear neither separation nor proximity.
-Sufi poem
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
- Tanna d'Bai Eliyahu, medieval rabbinic work
***
Longing is like the rosy dawn. After the dawn out comes the sun. Longing is followed by the vision of God.
-Ramakrishna
***
The whole of humanity is…one human family. This planet is our only home.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
From "The Pocket Dalai Lama,"
***
Nothing great was ever done without much enduring.
-St. Catherine of Siena
***
I am a burning candle;
You are the morning light,
If I do not see You, I burn;
if I see You, I vanish.
This is my condition
in separation and closeness.
I can bear neither separation nor proximity.
-Sufi poem
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
-
Guest
I believe in you
I want to tell you that I believe in you;
I believe in your mind
and all the dreams, intelligence,
and determination within you...
Believe in yourself the way I do,
and nothing will be beyond your reach.
-- Joleen K. Fox
I believe in your mind
and all the dreams, intelligence,
and determination within you...
Believe in yourself the way I do,
and nothing will be beyond your reach.
-- Joleen K. Fox
-
Guest
The Prophet said that God has said,
"I cannot be contained in hallowed places.
Heaven and earth cannot hold Me.
But I am contained by true hearts.
If you seek Me, search in those hearts."
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
No injustice in this world is suffered alone. No matter how quiet or hidden the suffering, how silent the afflicted, there is One who not only knows of it, but likewise feels the pain. There are lives of quiet desperation, but no lives of solitary desperation, for all suffering is shared.
- Rabbi David Wolpe, "Healer of Shattered Hearts"
***
You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of the work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.
-Bhagavad Gita 2:47
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
Only for his ruin
does renown come to the fool.
It ravages his bright fortune
& rips his head apart.
He would want unwarranted status,
preeminence among monks,
authority among monasteries,
homage from lay families.
-Dhammapada, 5, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
-John 3:3 (Revised Standard Version)
***
"I cannot be contained in hallowed places.
Heaven and earth cannot hold Me.
But I am contained by true hearts.
If you seek Me, search in those hearts."
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
No injustice in this world is suffered alone. No matter how quiet or hidden the suffering, how silent the afflicted, there is One who not only knows of it, but likewise feels the pain. There are lives of quiet desperation, but no lives of solitary desperation, for all suffering is shared.
- Rabbi David Wolpe, "Healer of Shattered Hearts"
***
You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of the work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.
-Bhagavad Gita 2:47
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
Only for his ruin
does renown come to the fool.
It ravages his bright fortune
& rips his head apart.
He would want unwarranted status,
preeminence among monks,
authority among monasteries,
homage from lay families.
-Dhammapada, 5, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
-John 3:3 (Revised Standard Version)
***
-
Guest
Whoever destroys a single life is as guilty as though he had destroyed the entire world; and whoever rescues a single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world.
- The Talmud, Mishna. Sanhedrin 37a
***
If one clings to his attachments, refusing to let go,
Sorrows will not let go their grip on him.
Those who renounce totally reach the highest peak;
The rest remain ensnared in delusion's net.
-Tirukkural 35:347-348
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Leave the mind in its natural, undisturbed state. Don't follow thoughts of "This is a problem, that is a problem!" Without labeling difficulties as problems, leave your mind in its natural state. In this way, you will stop seeing miserable conditions as problems."
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Transforming Problems Into Happiness"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
True humility doesn’t consist of thinking ill of yourself but of not thinking of yourself much differently from the way you’d be apt to think of anybody else.
-Frederick Buechner
***
Abraham said, "Peace be with you! I shall implore forgiveness of my Lord for you, for He has been gracious to me."
-Qur'an, Maryam, Surah 19:47
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
Two things a man should never be angry at: what he can help, and what he cannot help.
-Thomas Fuller
- The Talmud, Mishna. Sanhedrin 37a
***
If one clings to his attachments, refusing to let go,
Sorrows will not let go their grip on him.
Those who renounce totally reach the highest peak;
The rest remain ensnared in delusion's net.
-Tirukkural 35:347-348
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Leave the mind in its natural, undisturbed state. Don't follow thoughts of "This is a problem, that is a problem!" Without labeling difficulties as problems, leave your mind in its natural state. In this way, you will stop seeing miserable conditions as problems."
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Transforming Problems Into Happiness"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
True humility doesn’t consist of thinking ill of yourself but of not thinking of yourself much differently from the way you’d be apt to think of anybody else.
-Frederick Buechner
***
Abraham said, "Peace be with you! I shall implore forgiveness of my Lord for you, for He has been gracious to me."
-Qur'an, Maryam, Surah 19:47
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
Two things a man should never be angry at: what he can help, and what he cannot help.
-Thomas Fuller
-
Guest
"When a spiritual guest enters the house,
Like a bright flame, he must be received well,
With water to wash his feet. Far from wise
Are those who are not hospitable
To such a guest. They will lose all their hopes,
The religious merit they have acquired,
Their sons and their cattle."
-Katha Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is more beautiful than all the life in the world to come.
- Rabbi Jacob b. Kurshai, Mishna: Abot
***
Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers!
-William Culbertson
***
Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
***
No man was ever wise by chance.
-Seneca
Like a bright flame, he must be received well,
With water to wash his feet. Far from wise
Are those who are not hospitable
To such a guest. They will lose all their hopes,
The religious merit they have acquired,
Their sons and their cattle."
-Katha Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is more beautiful than all the life in the world to come.
- Rabbi Jacob b. Kurshai, Mishna: Abot
***
Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers!
-William Culbertson
***
Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
***
No man was ever wise by chance.
-Seneca
-
Guest
Whoever destroys a single life is as guilty as though he had destroyed the entire world; and whoever rescues a single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world.
- The Talmud, Mishna. Sanhedrin 37a
***
Not to believe in the angels is to believe in a mindless, meaningless, and soulless universe.
-Harold Begbie,
"On the Side of the Angels"
***
Speak Lord, for your
servant hears.
Grant us ears to hear,
Eyes to see,
Wills to obey,
Hearts to love;
Then declare what you will,
Reveal what you will,
Command what you will,
Demand what you will.
-Christian Rosetti
***
Everything that is worthwhile in life is scary. Choosing a school, choosing a career, getting married, having kids--all those things are scary. If it is not fearful, it is not worthwhile.
-Paul Tornier
***
Melancholy may enter your soul, and ambush your happiness; but it will prepare you for true joy. Melancholy drives out all other emotions and feelings, so the source of all goodness may occupy the whole house. It shakes the yellow leaves from the tree, allowing fresh leaves to grow. It pulls up old bodily pleasures by the roots, allowing divine spiritual pleasures to be planted. Melancholy takes many things from the soul, in order to bring better things in return.
-Rumi, "Masnavi"
***
- The Talmud, Mishna. Sanhedrin 37a
***
Not to believe in the angels is to believe in a mindless, meaningless, and soulless universe.
-Harold Begbie,
"On the Side of the Angels"
***
Speak Lord, for your
servant hears.
Grant us ears to hear,
Eyes to see,
Wills to obey,
Hearts to love;
Then declare what you will,
Reveal what you will,
Command what you will,
Demand what you will.
-Christian Rosetti
***
Everything that is worthwhile in life is scary. Choosing a school, choosing a career, getting married, having kids--all those things are scary. If it is not fearful, it is not worthwhile.
-Paul Tornier
***
Melancholy may enter your soul, and ambush your happiness; but it will prepare you for true joy. Melancholy drives out all other emotions and feelings, so the source of all goodness may occupy the whole house. It shakes the yellow leaves from the tree, allowing fresh leaves to grow. It pulls up old bodily pleasures by the roots, allowing divine spiritual pleasures to be planted. Melancholy takes many things from the soul, in order to bring better things in return.
-Rumi, "Masnavi"
***
-
Guest
"If you would like to be with me and to find comfort that way, the first thing for you to learn is the right behavior. Go back to your home and learn to do as your parents want, continue to recite your prayers, and work hard in your daily life. At the same time, clean yourself up, put on proper clothes, and don't neglect yourself again. When you've learned this, come back to me and you may be allowed to become one of my followers."
-Dhammapada
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
It is better to have less if it is with peace of mind than to have abundant wealth but with a tormented spirit.
- Ecclesiastes
***
Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor - that is the only way out of a hole.
-C.S. Lewis
***
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
-Mohandas Gandhi
***
Gluttony feeds on itself. The more that the appetite is indulged, the stronger it becomes - and the harder it is to control. But if the appetite is restrained, then it soon grows weak and feeble, and finally disappears altogether.
-Razi, "Kitab al-Muluki"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
Arjuna: O Krishna, the stillness of divine union which you describe is beyond my comprehension. How can the mind, which is so restless, attain lasting peace? Krishna, the mind is restless, turbulent, powerful, violent, trying to control it is like trying to tame the wind.
Sri Krishna: It is true that the mind is restless and difficult to control. But it can be conquered, Arjuna, through regular practice and detachment. Those who lack self-control will find it difficult to progress in meditation; but those who are self-controlled, striving earnestly through the right means, will attain the goal.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:33-36
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
In the face of reality’s illumination
There is neither self nor other,
No duality, no division-void of identity
And yet neither void
Nor not void,
There’s no perceiver at all.
Eh Ma! Until a mountain yogi
Has realized well the meaning of this,
He should not disparage cause and result!
-Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet’s Beloved Saint, Milarepa
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
-Dhammapada
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
It is better to have less if it is with peace of mind than to have abundant wealth but with a tormented spirit.
- Ecclesiastes
***
Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor - that is the only way out of a hole.
-C.S. Lewis
***
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
-Mohandas Gandhi
***
Gluttony feeds on itself. The more that the appetite is indulged, the stronger it becomes - and the harder it is to control. But if the appetite is restrained, then it soon grows weak and feeble, and finally disappears altogether.
-Razi, "Kitab al-Muluki"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
***
Arjuna: O Krishna, the stillness of divine union which you describe is beyond my comprehension. How can the mind, which is so restless, attain lasting peace? Krishna, the mind is restless, turbulent, powerful, violent, trying to control it is like trying to tame the wind.
Sri Krishna: It is true that the mind is restless and difficult to control. But it can be conquered, Arjuna, through regular practice and detachment. Those who lack self-control will find it difficult to progress in meditation; but those who are self-controlled, striving earnestly through the right means, will attain the goal.
-Bhagavad Gita 6:33-36
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
In the face of reality’s illumination
There is neither self nor other,
No duality, no division-void of identity
And yet neither void
Nor not void,
There’s no perceiver at all.
Eh Ma! Until a mountain yogi
Has realized well the meaning of this,
He should not disparage cause and result!
-Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet’s Beloved Saint, Milarepa
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
-
Guest
By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom.
By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.
-The Sutra of Hui Neng
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair.
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
***
Do not turn away from those who are in need, but share all things in common with your brother. Your heart shall not cling to the high and mighty, but turn to the good and humble folk.
-The Didache
***
Where there is great love, there are always miracles.
-Willa Cather
***
Those who show compassion to the weak, treat parents gently, and pardon the enslaved shall be granted an easy death and the delights of Paradise.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Ja'bir bin Abd'Allah
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
At all times and to all creatures
The seed of ceaseless births is desire.
If you must desire, desire freedom from birth.
That will only come by desiring desirelessness.
-Tirukkural 37:361-362
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.
-The Sutra of Hui Neng
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair.
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
***
Do not turn away from those who are in need, but share all things in common with your brother. Your heart shall not cling to the high and mighty, but turn to the good and humble folk.
-The Didache
***
Where there is great love, there are always miracles.
-Willa Cather
***
Those who show compassion to the weak, treat parents gently, and pardon the enslaved shall be granted an easy death and the delights of Paradise.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Ja'bir bin Abd'Allah
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
At all times and to all creatures
The seed of ceaseless births is desire.
If you must desire, desire freedom from birth.
That will only come by desiring desirelessness.
-Tirukkural 37:361-362
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
-
Guest
He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of good.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
***
My Child,
Because you think you are the body,
For a long time you have been bound.
Know you are pure awareness.
With this knowledge as your sword
Cut through your chains
And be happy!
For you are already free,
Without action or flaw,
Luminous and bright.
You are bound
Only by the habit of meditation.
-Ashtavakra 14-15
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
A man is only as good as what he loves.
- Saul Bellow, "Seize the Day"
***
It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.
-William Sloane Coffin
***
Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
-Socrates
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
***
My Child,
Because you think you are the body,
For a long time you have been bound.
Know you are pure awareness.
With this knowledge as your sword
Cut through your chains
And be happy!
For you are already free,
Without action or flaw,
Luminous and bright.
You are bound
Only by the habit of meditation.
-Ashtavakra 14-15
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
A man is only as good as what he loves.
- Saul Bellow, "Seize the Day"
***
It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.
-William Sloane Coffin
***
Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
-Socrates
-
Guest
The light of God is an ornament of wisdom.
That is the meaning of "light upon light."
The light of reason draws toward the earth.
The light of God carries you aloft.
Things of reason are of the lower world.
The light of God is an ocean,
reason merely a dewdrop.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Mindfulness is not just a word or a discourse by the Buddha, but a meaningful state of mind. It means we have to be here now, in this very moment, and we have to know what is happening internally and externally. It means being alert to our motives and learning to change unwholesome thoughts and emotions into wholesome ones. Mindfulness is a mental activity that in due course eliminates all suffering.
-Ayya Khema, "Be an Island"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
No injustice in this world is suffered alone. No matter how quiet or hidden the suffering, how silent the afflicted, there is One who not only knows of it, but likewise feels the pain. There are lives of quiet desperation, but no lives of solitary desperation, for all suffering is shared.
- Rabbi David Wolpe, "Healer of Shattered Hearts"
***
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
-Luke 9:62 (Revised Standard Version)
That is the meaning of "light upon light."
The light of reason draws toward the earth.
The light of God carries you aloft.
Things of reason are of the lower world.
The light of God is an ocean,
reason merely a dewdrop.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
***
Mindfulness is not just a word or a discourse by the Buddha, but a meaningful state of mind. It means we have to be here now, in this very moment, and we have to know what is happening internally and externally. It means being alert to our motives and learning to change unwholesome thoughts and emotions into wholesome ones. Mindfulness is a mental activity that in due course eliminates all suffering.
-Ayya Khema, "Be an Island"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
No injustice in this world is suffered alone. No matter how quiet or hidden the suffering, how silent the afflicted, there is One who not only knows of it, but likewise feels the pain. There are lives of quiet desperation, but no lives of solitary desperation, for all suffering is shared.
- Rabbi David Wolpe, "Healer of Shattered Hearts"
***
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
-Luke 9:62 (Revised Standard Version)
-
Guest
Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai...used to say: If you have a sapling in your hand, and someone should say to you that the Messiah has come, stay and complete the planting, and then go to greet the Messiah.
- Avot de Rabbi Nathan, 31b
***
The first duty of love - is to listen.
-Paul Tillich
***
One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.
-Sophocles
***
- Avot de Rabbi Nathan, 31b
***
The first duty of love - is to listen.
-Paul Tillich
***
One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.
-Sophocles
***
-
Guest
Dear soul, Love alone cuts argument short,
for it alone comes to the rescue when you cry for help against disputes.
Eloquence is dumbfounded by Love: it dares not wrangle;
for the love fears that, if he answers back,
the pearl of inner experience might fall out of his mouth.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "Jewels of Remembrance,"
***
God is love. Therefore love. Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, love.
-Henry Drummond
***
'I have sons, I have wealth'--
the fool torments himself.
When even he himself
doesn't belong to himself,
how then sons?
How wealth?
A fool with a sense of his foolishness
is--at least to that extent--wise.
But a fool who thinks himself wise
really deserves to be called
a fool.
-Dhammapada, 5, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Better than a thousand useless words is one word that gives peace.
-Buddha
***
A baby enters the world with hands clenched, as if to say, "The world is mine; I shall grab it." A man leaves with hands open, as if to say, "I can take nothing with me."
- Ecclesiastes
***
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
-Mother Teresa
***
Be happy!
For you are joy, unbounded joy.
You are awareness itself.
Just as a coil of rope
Is mistaken for a snake,
So you are mistaken for the world.
-Ashtavakra Gita 1:10
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
for it alone comes to the rescue when you cry for help against disputes.
Eloquence is dumbfounded by Love: it dares not wrangle;
for the love fears that, if he answers back,
the pearl of inner experience might fall out of his mouth.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "Jewels of Remembrance,"
***
God is love. Therefore love. Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, love.
-Henry Drummond
***
'I have sons, I have wealth'--
the fool torments himself.
When even he himself
doesn't belong to himself,
how then sons?
How wealth?
A fool with a sense of his foolishness
is--at least to that extent--wise.
But a fool who thinks himself wise
really deserves to be called
a fool.
-Dhammapada, 5, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
***
Better than a thousand useless words is one word that gives peace.
-Buddha
***
A baby enters the world with hands clenched, as if to say, "The world is mine; I shall grab it." A man leaves with hands open, as if to say, "I can take nothing with me."
- Ecclesiastes
***
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
-Mother Teresa
***
Be happy!
For you are joy, unbounded joy.
You are awareness itself.
Just as a coil of rope
Is mistaken for a snake,
So you are mistaken for the world.
-Ashtavakra Gita 1:10
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
-
Guest
True faith does not contradict its words by its conduct.
-Unknown
***
Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me."
-Ann Landers
***
A Jew can be Jewish with God, against God, but not without God.
- Elie Wiesel
***
After many births the wise seek refuge in me, seeing me everywhere and in everything. Such great souls are very rare. There are others whose discrimination is misled by many desires. Following their own nature, they worship lower gods, practicing various rites.
-Bhagavad Gita 7:19-20
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
I struggled hard but did not reap the fruits of my labors. Then I gazed into myself and found that my ego and my heart were unified. When the ego and the heart are united, a portion of all that shines upon the heart is seized by the self. Thus I came to know the cause of my dilemma, that the light illuminating my heart was being seized by my ego.
-Al-Nuri, in "Islamic Sufism"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
-Unknown
***
Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me."
-Ann Landers
***
A Jew can be Jewish with God, against God, but not without God.
- Elie Wiesel
***
After many births the wise seek refuge in me, seeing me everywhere and in everything. Such great souls are very rare. There are others whose discrimination is misled by many desires. Following their own nature, they worship lower gods, practicing various rites.
-Bhagavad Gita 7:19-20
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
I struggled hard but did not reap the fruits of my labors. Then I gazed into myself and found that my ego and my heart were unified. When the ego and the heart are united, a portion of all that shines upon the heart is seized by the self. Thus I came to know the cause of my dilemma, that the light illuminating my heart was being seized by my ego.
-Al-Nuri, in "Islamic Sufism"
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
-
Guest
A miracle cannot prove what is impossible; it is useful only to confirm what is possible.
- Maimonides, "Guide for the Perplexed"
***
As a man in the arms of his beloved is not aware of what is without and what is within, so a person in union with the Self is not aware of what is without and what is within, for in that unitive state all desires find their perfect fulfillment. There is no other desire that needs to be fulfilled, and one goes beyond sorrow.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
The Merciful is kind to those who are merciful. If you show compassion to your fellow creatures in this world, then those in heaven shall be compassionate toward you.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as narrated by Abd'Allah bin Amr
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
A petty officer often thinks of the rules; a seasoned general doesn't talk of soldiering.
-Zen proverb
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
Daily Christian Wisdom
The Christian faith is meant to be lived moment by moment. It isn't some broad, general outline--it's a long walk with a real Person.
-Joni Eareckson Tada
***
We must have the courage to allow a little disorder in our lives.
-Ben Weininger
- Maimonides, "Guide for the Perplexed"
***
As a man in the arms of his beloved is not aware of what is without and what is within, so a person in union with the Self is not aware of what is without and what is within, for in that unitive state all desires find their perfect fulfillment. There is no other desire that needs to be fulfilled, and one goes beyond sorrow.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
The Merciful is kind to those who are merciful. If you show compassion to your fellow creatures in this world, then those in heaven shall be compassionate toward you.
-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as narrated by Abd'Allah bin Amr
From "The Bounty of Allah."
***
A petty officer often thinks of the rules; a seasoned general doesn't talk of soldiering.
-Zen proverb
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
Daily Christian Wisdom
The Christian faith is meant to be lived moment by moment. It isn't some broad, general outline--it's a long walk with a real Person.
-Joni Eareckson Tada
***
We must have the courage to allow a little disorder in our lives.
-Ben Weininger
-
Guest
Your love, Jesus, is an ocean
with no shore to bound it.
And if I plunge into it, I carry
with me all the possessions
I have. You know, Lord,
what these possessions are—
the souls you have seen
fit to link with mine.
-St. Thérèse of Lisieux
***
A person should be more concerned with spiritual than with material matters, but another person's material welfare is his own spiritual concern.
- Rabbi Israel Salanter
***
As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG.
-Donald Trump
***
All knowledge acquired through the five senses is worthless
To those without knowledge of truth.
In everything of every kind whatsoever,
Wisdom perceives Truth in that thing.
Those who find Divine Truth in this world
Follow a path which never comes back to this world.
Those who think with certitude and ponder well that which is,
Need never think of being born again.
-Tirukkural 36:354-357
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
Believers remember Allah steadfastly and glorify Him morning and evening. For it is He who sends blessings on you as do His angels, that He may lead you from darkness to light. Allah is most beneficent to the devoted.
-Qur'an, Al-Ahzab, Surah 33:41-43
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
All those who suffer in the world do so because of their desire for their own happiness. All those happy in the world are so because of their desire for the happiness of others.
-Bodhicaryavatara
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
with no shore to bound it.
And if I plunge into it, I carry
with me all the possessions
I have. You know, Lord,
what these possessions are—
the souls you have seen
fit to link with mine.
-St. Thérèse of Lisieux
***
A person should be more concerned with spiritual than with material matters, but another person's material welfare is his own spiritual concern.
- Rabbi Israel Salanter
***
As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG.
-Donald Trump
***
All knowledge acquired through the five senses is worthless
To those without knowledge of truth.
In everything of every kind whatsoever,
Wisdom perceives Truth in that thing.
Those who find Divine Truth in this world
Follow a path which never comes back to this world.
Those who think with certitude and ponder well that which is,
Need never think of being born again.
-Tirukkural 36:354-357
Excerpted from the Tirukkural
***
Believers remember Allah steadfastly and glorify Him morning and evening. For it is He who sends blessings on you as do His angels, that He may lead you from darkness to light. Allah is most beneficent to the devoted.
-Qur'an, Al-Ahzab, Surah 33:41-43
From "The Bounty of Allah,"
***
All those who suffer in the world do so because of their desire for their own happiness. All those happy in the world are so because of their desire for the happiness of others.
-Bodhicaryavatara
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***