When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon a possible. ~When Harry Met Sally
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. ~Friedrich Nietzsche
In order to be happy oneself it is necessary to make at least one other person happy. — Theodor Reik
You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not. ~Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper
The Buddha preaching the sermon “The wheel of law” to the band of five disciples”
16. The Buddha preaching the sermon “The wheel of law” to the band of five disciples”
Soon after the birth of the Future Buddha, eight Brahmin fortune-tellers, observed the marks and characteristics of the Future Buddha’s person. Five of these Brahmins interpreted that prince Siddhattha would unquestionably become a Buddha and with that belief, had already become ascetics. When Siddhattha retired from the world, they attended to his personal needs. Then seeing that the Future Buddha had given up extreme asceticism and gone back to the usual way of taking ordinary material food, they doubted if he would ever become a Buddha, and deserted him. Then they went and lived in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares.
The Blessed One, having attained the Supreme Wisdom, began his life as the Great Teacher. He first thought of the persons whom he should first aid with his teaching, and saw that these five ascetics had developed mature intellect. He therefore went to the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares, 18 yojanas (1 yojana =about 8 miles) away from the Bodhi tree and preached his First Sermonto this “Band of Five Disciples” before sunset on the full moon day of Wazo (June-July). Kondanna was established in the first noble stage of the Ariyan Path, along with eighteen crores of higher and lower gods.
THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF BUDDHISM
by ASHIN JANAKA BHIVAMSA (Aggamahapandita)
Artist: U Ba Kyi | Link to this post
Meditation brings you into a deep communion with your own body and heart-but what happens when you are sick or in pain?
■ Healing Presence-how to use the earth itself as your foundation to support you in self-diagnosis and restoration
■ The Healing Temple-guided visualization to your inner sanctuary, encountering the great healer, and receiving the necessary gifts for true recovery and blessing
■ The Healing Power of Love-directing the luminous spirit of lovingkindness to all the places in your body and spirit that are in need
We are conditioned to approach healing as an act of control, in which we judge what is wrong with us and impose a change. The way of awareness teaches us how to turn toward that which is injured in us with a caring and fearless attention, so we may open the door to true healing at every level of our being. ~Jack Kornfield
Source: Wildmind
Link to this article
• We make offerings not because the Buddha needs them – the Buddha is an enlightened being, He certainly does not need an incense stick to be happy!
• Nor do we make offerings to win the Buddha’s favour. The Buddha developed universal loving-kindness and compassion long ago and won’t be swayed by flattery and bribery the way we ordinary beings are.
• We make offerings to create positive energy and develop good qualities such as giving with a respectful attitude and gratitude.
• Moreover, the offerings remind us of certain teachings of the Buddha.
Offering of Light (Lamp/Candle)
• Light symbolizes wisdom.
• Light drives away darkness.
• Similarly, the light of wisdom dispels the darkness of ignorance.
Offering of Incense
• When incense is lit, its fragrance spreads.
• Incense symbolizes the fragrance of pure moral conduct.
• This reminds us to cultivate good conduct.
Offering of Water
• Water symbolizes purity, clarity and calmness.
• This reminds us to practise the Buddha’s teachings, so as to cleanse our minds, which are full of desire, ill-will and ignorance, and to attain the state of purity.
Offering of Fruit
• Fruit symbolizes the ultimate fruit of Enlightenment which is our goal.
• Fruit also reminds us that all actions will have their effect.
Offering of Flowers
• The freshness, fragrance and beauty of flowers are impermanent.
• Fresh and beautiful flowers will soon become withered, scentless and discoloured.
• This reminds us of the Buddha’s teaching that all things are impermanent.
• We should value what we have now and live in the present.
The Lotus
The most common flower seen in Buddhist shrines, or on the base of statues, are lotuses, as they represent the potential or actuality of Enlightenment.
• The lotus grows out of the mud and blossoms above the water surface, yet it is not dirtied by the mud from which it grows.
• The Buddha is likened to the lotus. Like a lotus that rises out of a muddy pond, the Buddha rose above the defilements and sufferings of life.
• We are right now surrounded by defilements and sufferings, just as the lotus seed is surrounded by dirt, mud and filth. We should rise above our defilements and sufferings, just like the lotus flower arising above the muddy water.
• This serves to remind us of our own potential Buddhahood. We may have defilements today, but we all have the potential of growing out of defilements and achieving wisdom like the Buddha.
Source: BuddhaNet
Link to this article
Compassionate action starts with seeing yourself when you start to make yourself right and when you start to make yourself wrong. At that point you could just contemplate the fact that there is a larger alternative to either of those, a more tender, shaky kind of place where you could live. ~Pema Chödrön
ចម្ការថ្នាំជក់នៅឃុំស្វាយឃ្លាំង ស្រុកក្រូចឆ្មារ ខេត្តត្បូងឃ្មុំ កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៣ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១៦។ RFA/Cheu Sideth
It is flooded water that makes mud; it is clean water that wipes away mud. ~Unknown
ពលរដ្ឋហាលថ្នាំជក់នៅឃុំស្វាយឃ្លាំង ស្រុកក្រូចឆ្មារ ខេត្តត្បូងឃ្មុំ កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៣ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១៦។ RFA/Cheu Sideth
ផ្ទះឈើរបស់ពលរដ្ឋ នៅភូមិគំរូ ឃុំល្វា ស្រុកពួក ខេត្តសៀមរាប ត្រូវខ្យល់បក់រលំសង្កត់គោយន្ត ២គ្រឿង ម៉ាស៊ីនកិនស្រូវ ១គ្រឿង និងសម្ភារៈជាច្រើនទៀត។ រូបថតថ្ងៃទី១៤ ខែឧសភា ឆ្នាំ២០១៦ RFA/Hang Savyouth
សមត្ថកិច្ចចម្រុះខេត្តសៀមរាប នាំគ្នាជួយរុះរើផ្ទះប្រជាពលរដ្ឋដែលដួលរលំនៅឃុំល្វា ស្រុកពួក ខេត្តសៀមរាប។ រូបថតថ្ងៃទី១៤ ខែឧសភា ឆ្នាំ២០១៦។ RFA/Hang Savyouth
Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all. ~Gautama Buddha
ព្រះត្រៃបិដក ប្រែថា កញ្រ្ចែង ឬ ល្អី ៣ សម្រាប់ដាក់ផ្ទុកពាក្យពេចន៍នៃព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ
The Tipitaka or Pali canon, is the collection of primary Pali language texts which form the doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism. The three divisions of the Tipitaka are: Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka.
វចនានុក្រមសម្តេចសង្ឃ ជួន ណាត
Desktop version
Listen to Khmer literature and Dhamma talk by His Holiness Jotannano Chuon Nath, Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Buddhism.
Should anyone wish to ridicule me and make me an object of jest and scorn why should I possibly care if I have dedicated myself to others?
Let them do as they wish with me so long as it does not harm them. May no one who encounters me ever have an insignificant contact.
Regardless whether those whom I meet respond towards me with anger or faith, may the mere fact of our meeting contribute to the fulfilment of their wishes.
May the slander, harm and all forms of abuse that anyone should direct towards me act as a cause of their enlightenment.
As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not shaken by blame and praise. As a deep lake is clear and calm, so the wise become tranquil after they listened to the truth…
Good people walk on regardless of what happens to them. Good people do not babble on about their desires. Whether touched by happiness or by sorrow, the wise never appear elated or depressed. ~The Dhammapada
