The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another’s, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises. ~Leo Buscaglia
True peace is always possible. Yet it requires strength and practice, particularly in times of great difficulty. To some, peace and nonviolence are synonymous with passivity and weakness. In truth, practicing peace, to make peace alive in us, is to actively cultivate understanding, love, compassion, even in the face of misperception and conflict. Practicing peace, especially in times of war, requires courage. ~ Creating True Peace, by Thich Nhat Hahn
The only peace we can find is in our soul, when we accept the truth of our nature, the beauty of God and the gift of life. ~Unknown
It takes a lot of energy to be negative. You have to work at it. But smiling is painless. I’d rather spend my energy smiling. ~Eric Davis
To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. ~Buddha
The Buddha taught ten meritorious deeds for us to perform in order to gain a happy and peaceful life as well as to develop knowledge and understanding. The ten meritorious deeds are:
♥ Charity
♥ Morality
♥ Mental culture
♥ Reverence or respect
♥ Service in helping others
♥ Sharing merits with others
♥ Rejoicing in the merits of others
♥ Preaching and teaching the Dhamma
♥ Listening to the Dhamma
♥ Straightening one’s views
The performance of these ten meritorious deeds will not only benefit oneself, but others as well, besides giving benefits to the recipients. Moral conduct benefits all beings with whom one comes into contact. Mental culture brings peace to others and inspires them to practise the Dhamma. Reverence gives rise to harmony in society, while service improves the lives of others. Sharing merits with others shows that one is concerned about others’ welfare, while rejoicing in others’ merits encourages others to perform more merits. Teaching and listening to the Dhamma are important factors for happiness for both the teacher and listener, while encouraging both to live in line with Dhamma. Straightening one’s views enables a person to show to others the beauty of Dhamma. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha taught:
‘Should a person perform good,
He should do it again and again;
He should find pleasure therein;
For blissful is the accumulation of good.’
‘Think not lightly of good, saying,
‘It will not come near to me’?
Even by the falling of drops a water-jar is filled.
Likewise the wise man, gathering little by little,
Fills himself with good.’
~Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves. ~U. Thant
How does the dhamma teach the proper way of life? It shows us how to live. It has many ways of showing it – on roots or trees or just in front of you. It is a teaching but not in words. So still the mind, the heart, and learn to watch. You’ll find the whole dhamma revealing itself here and now. At what other time and place are you going to look? ~Ajahn Chah
Photo credit: Randy Neufeldt
Verse 31: A bhikkhu who takes delight in mindfulness and sees danger in negligence, advances like fire, burning up all fetters, great and small.
1. appamadarato bhikkhu: a bhikkhu who takes delight in mindfulness, i.e., in the practice of Tranquillity and Insight Development.
2. pamade bhayadassi: seeing danger in negligence, i.e., negligence which would lead to continued existence in the round of rebirths (samsara).
The Story of A Certain Bhikkhu
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (31) of this book, with reference to a certain bhikkhu.
A certain bhikkhu, after obtaining a subject of meditation from the Buddha, went to the forest to meditate. Although he tried hard he made very little progress in his meditation practice. As a result, he became very depressed and frustrated. So, with the thought of getting further specific instructions from the Buddha, he set out for the Jetavana monastery. On his way, he came across a big blazing fire. He ran up to the top of a mountain and observed the fire from there. As the fire spread, it suddenly occurred to him that just as the fire burnt up everything, so also Magga Insight will burn up all fetters of life, big and small.
Meanwhile, from the Gandhakuti hall in the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha was aware of what the bhikkhu was thinking. So, he transmitted his radiance and appeared to the bhikkhu and spoke to him. “My son,” he said, “you are on the right line of thought; keep it up. All beings must burn up all fetters of life with Magga Insight.”
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 31: A bhikkhu who takes delight in mindfulness and sees danger in negligence, advances like fire, burning up all fetters, great and small.
At the end of the discourse that bhikkhu attained arahatship then and there.
Dhammapada Verse 31
Annatarabhikkhu Vatthu
Appamadarato bhikkhu1
pamade bhayadassi2 va
samyojanam anum thulam
daham aggiva gacchati.
Source: Tipitaka
Whenever we feel that we are definitely right, so much so that we refuse to open up to anything or anybody else, right there we are wrong. It becomes wrong view. When suffering arises, where does it arise from? The cause is wrong view, the fruit of that being suffering. If it was right view it wouldn’t cause suffering. ~Ajahn Chah
