Jendhamuni - Buddhism and inspiring quotes

The weapon for self-protection is loving-kindness

Comment July 28, 2015

Killing for Self Protection

The Buddha has advised everyone to abstain from killing. If everybody accepts this advice, human beings would not kill each other. In the case where a person’s life is threatened, the Buddha says even then it is not advisable to kill out of self-protection. The weapon for self-protection is loving-kindness. One who practises this kindness very seldom comes across such misfortune. However, man loves his life so much that he is not prepared to surrender himself to others; in actual practice, most people would struggle for self-protection. It is natural and every living being struggles and kills others for self-protection but kammic effect depends on their mental attitude. During the struggle to protect himself, if he happens to kill his opponent although he has no intention to kill, then he is not responsible for that action. On the other hand, if he kills another person under any circumstances with the intention to kill, then he is not free from the kammic reaction; he has to face the consequences. We must remember that killing is killing; when we disapprove of it, we call it ‘murder’. When we punish man for murdering, we call it ‘capital punishment’. If our own soldiers are killed by an ‘enemy’ we call it ‘slaughter’. However, if we approve a killing, we call it ‘war’. But if we remove the emotional content from these words, we can understand that killing is killing.

In recent years many scientists and some religionists have used the expressions like ‘humane killing’, ‘mercy killing’, ‘gentle killing’ and ‘painless killing’ to justify the ending of a life. They argue that if the victim feels no pain, if the knife is sharp, killing is justified. Buddhism can never accept these arguments because it is not how the killing occurs that is important, but the fact that a life of one being is terminated by another. No one has any right to do that for whatever reason. ~Ven. Dr. Sri Dhammananda

Link source
We gain knowledge from our mistakes

Comment July 28, 2015

Education is not all the lessons we learn from, in our life. We all are witness
to our own life, and we gain knowledge from our mistakes and that gives
us wisdom, we can all speak about our own lessons we learn from living
our own life, & that they don’t teach in school. ~Glen Rambharack
The path of immortality

Comment July 28, 2015

Watchfulness is the path of immortality:
Unwatchfulness is the path of death.
Those who are watchful never die:
Those who do not watch are already as dead.

Those who with a clear mind have seen this truth,
Those who are wise and ever watchful,
They feel the joy of watchfulness,
The joy of the path of the great.

And those who in high thought and in deep contemplation
With ever living power advance on the path,
They in the end reach NIRVANA,
The peace supreme and infinite joy.

~ Buddha, The Dhammapada
If you need to change

Comment July 28, 2015

If you need to change, it either means something is missing or something
is wrong, or it simply means you’ve lost interest. Or that something lost
its value that needs changing. But change is good, if it’s necessary don’t resist it.

~London Mond
The Saw

Comment July 28, 2015

by Ajahn Chah

…But when the mind sees and knows everything, it doesn’t carry the Dhamma along with it. Like this saw: They’re going to use it to cut wood. When all the wood is cut and everything is done, they put the saw away. They don’t need to use it anymore. The saw is the Dhamma. We have to use the Dhamma to practice the paths leading to the fruitions. When the job is done, we put the Dhamma that’s there away. Like a saw used to cut wood: They cut this piece, cut that piece. When they’re finished cutting, they put the saw away here. When that’s the case, the saw has to be the saw; the wood has to be the wood.

This is called reaching the point of stopping, the point that’s really important. That’s the end of cutting wood. We don’t have to cut wood, for we’ve cut enough. We take the saw and put it away.

“In Simple Terms: 108 Dhamma Similes”, by Ajahn Chah
translated from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 2 November 2013
Link source
The Tail of the Snake

Comment July 28, 2015

by Ajahn Chah

We human beings don’t want suffering. We want nothing but pleasure. But actually, pleasure is nothing but subtle suffering. Pain is blatant suffering. To put it in simple terms, suffering and pleasure are like a snake. Its head is suffering; its tail is pleasure. Its head contains poison. Its mouth contains poison. If you get near its head, it’ll bite you. If you catch hold of its tail it seems safe, but if you hold onto its tail without letting go, it can turn around and bite you just the same. That’s because both the head of the snake and the tail of the snake are on the same snake.

Both happiness and sadness come from the same parents: craving and delusion. That’s why there are times when you’re happy but still restless and ill at ease — even when you’ve gotten things you like, such as material gain, status, and praise. When you get these things you’re happy, but your mind isn’t really at peace because there’s still the sneaking suspicion that you’ll lose them. You’re afraid they’ll disappear. This fear is the cause that keeps you from being at peace. Sometimes you actually do lose these things and then you really suffer. This means that even though these things are pleasant, suffering lies fermenting in the pleasure. We’re simply not aware of it. Just as when we catch hold of a snake: Even though we catch hold of its tail, if we keep holding on without letting go, it can turn around and bite us. Continue reading →
Ten Meritorious Deeds

Comment July 28, 2015

by Ven. Dr. K Sri Dhammananda

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:

1. Charity
2. Morality
3. Mental culture
4. Reverence or respect
5. Service in helping others
6. Sharing merits with others
7. Rejoicing in the merits of others
8. Preaching and teaching the Dhamma
9. Listening to the Dhamma
10. 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.’
Those standing beside

Comment July 28, 2015

Appreciate those standing beside you for better or worst.
Life is short. You’ll never know what comes next.
Someone you take for granted today may turn out
to be the only one you need tomorrow. ~Unknown
Dancing birds

Comment July 28, 2015

When it comes to birds, the males tend to have the more glamorous
feather shape, coloration, songs, and dances. Female birds choose
their mate based on how attractive they find them. It is estimated
that one third of all bird owners turn on a radio for their pet when
they leave the house. Source: mspca
Parrot’s walking style

Comment July 28, 2015

Though there is great diversity among these birds, there are similarities
as well. All parrots have curved beaks and all are zygodactyls, meaning
they have four toes on each foot, two pointing forward and two projecting
backward. Most parrots eat fruit, flowers, buds, nuts, seeds, and some
small creatures such as insects. Source: NationalGeographic

«216 217 218 219 220 »

Shantidevas’ Bodhisattva vows

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.