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
Cat Talk: For instance, you can talk to your cat. Some people feel silly speaking to cats, because they think animals can’t understand them. These same people may feel comfortable carrying on long one-sided conversations with infants. Cats do receive information from your conversation: praise, comfort, and a sense of security.
You can get information, too. The more cats are spoken to, the more they will speak back. You will learn a lot from your cat’s wide vocabulary of chirps and meows. You will know when it is time to get up (at least in your cat’s opinion), when your cat is feeling affectionate, or when your cat is feeling critical or threatened, or is in pain. Your cat doesn’t necessarily have something urgent to tell you; a passing meow in the hallway may be a simple hello. Source: Factmonster
Are your cat’s ears twitching in your direction like satellite dishes when you are speaking? He or she is absorbing everything you are saying. Does your cat’s back rise up to meet your hand when you pet him or her? This means your cat is enjoying this contact with you. Does his or her back seem to collapse away under your slightest touch? Your cat is on his or her way somewhere and doesn’t want to be held up, even by a favorite person. Source: Factmonster
People have a hard time letting go of their suffering.
Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.
~Thich Nhat Hanh
Dogs are sick when their noses are warm. The temperature of a dogs nose does not indicate health or illness or if they have a fever. There is an “old wives tale” that cold wet noses indicate health. And Warm or dry noses indicate a fever or illness. The only accurate method to access a dog’s temperature is to take it with a thermometer. Normal dog temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees F. Source: Netscape
In training ourselves as those who have left the world, we must learn to give up all forms of evil, giving up all those things which are the cause for enmity. We conquer ourselves, we don’t try to conquer others. We fight, but we fight only the defilements; if there is greed, we fight that; if there is aversion, we fight that; if there is delusion, we strive to give it up. This is the inner battle, fighting with defilements. But there are very few people who fight like this. Most people fight with other things, they rarely fight defilements. They rarely even see them. When it comes to Dhamma practice we don’t harbor resentment and enmity amongst ourselves, but instead let go of all forms of ill-will in our own actions and thoughts, freeing ourselves from jealousy, aversion and resentment. Hatred can only be overcome by not harboring resentment and bearing grudges. ~Ajahn Chah
Hurtful actions and reprisals are different but closely related. Actions once done are finished with, there’s no need to answer with revenge and hostility. This is called ”action” (kamma). ”Reprisal” (vera) means to continue that action further with thoughts of ”you did it to me so I’m going to get you back.” There’s no end to this. It brings about the continual seeking of revenge, and so hatred is never abandoned. As long as we behave like this the chain remains unbroken, there’s no end to it. No matter where we go, the feuding continues. ~Ajahn Chah
A Dhammatalk by Ajahn Chah
Fight greed, fight aversion, fight delusion… these are the enemy. In the practice of Buddhism, the path of the Buddha, we fight with Dhamma, using patient endurance. We fight by resisting our countless moods.
Dhamma and the world are interrelated. Where there is Dhamma there is the world, where there is the world there is Dhamma. Where there are defilements there are those who conquer defilements, who do battle with them. This is called fighting inwardly. To fight outwardly people take hold of bombs and guns to throw and to shoot; they conquer and are conquered. Conquering others is the way of the world. In the practice of Dhamma we don’t have to fight others, but instead conquer our own minds, patiently enduring and resisting all our moods.
When it comes to Dhamma practice we don’t harbor resentment and enmity amongst ourselves, but instead let go of all forms of ill-will in our own actions and thoughts, freeing ourselves from jealousy, aversion and resentment. Hatred can only be overcome by not harboring resentment and bearing grudges.
Hurtful actions and reprisals are different but closely related. Actions once done are finished with, there’s no need to answer with revenge and hostility. This is called ”action” (kamma). ”Reprisal” (vera) means to continue that action further with thoughts of ”you did it to me so I’m going to get you back.” There’s no end to this. It brings about the continual seeking of revenge, and so hatred is never abandoned. As long as we behave like this the chain remains unbroken, there’s no end to it. No matter where we go, the feuding continues.
The supreme teacher2 taught the world, he had compassion for all worldly beings. But the world nevertheless goes on like this. The wise should look into this and select those things which are of true value. The Buddha had trained in the various arts of warfare as a prince, but he saw that they weren’t really useful, they are limited to the world with its fighting and aggression.
Therefore, in training ourselves as those who have left the world, we must learn to give up all forms of evil, giving up all those things which are the cause for enmity. We conquer ourselves, we don’t try to conquer others. We fight, but we fight only the defilements; if there is greed, we fight that; if there is aversion, we fight that; if there is delusion, we strive to give it up.
This is called ”Dhamma fighting.” This warfare of the heart is really difficult, in fact it’s the most difficult thing of all. We become monks in order to contemplate this, to learn the art of fighting greed, aversion and delusion. This is our prime responsibility.
This is the inner battle, fighting with defilements. But there are very few people who fight like this. Most people fight with other things, they rarely fight defilements. They rarely even see them.
The Buddha taught us to give up all forms of evil and cultivate virtue. This is the right path. Teaching in this way is like the Buddha picking us up and placing us at the beginning of the path. Having reached the path, whether we walk along it or not is up to us. The Buddha’s job is finished right there. He shows the way, that which is right and that which is not right. This much is enough, the rest is up to us. Continue reading
Many people think excitement is happiness…. But when you are excited
you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.
~Thich Nhat Hanh
