Friday, July 31, 2009

Not even if it rained gold coins...


Not even if it rained gold coins would we have our fill of sensual pleasures.
'Stressful, they give little enjoyment' — knowing this, the wise one finds no delight even in heavenly sensual pleasures. He is one who delights in the ending of craving, a disciple of the Rightly Self-Awakened One.

-Dhammapada

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Characteristic of consciousness...


The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of consciousness?"

"The distinguishing characteristic of consciousness, your majesty, is cognizing."

"Give me an analogy."

"Just as, your majesty, a city-superintendent sitting at the crossroads in the middle of the city could see a person coming from the eastern direction, could see a person coming from the southern direction, could see a person coming from the western direction, and could see a person coming from the northern direction, then indeed, your majesty, does a person cognize with consciousness a form he sees with the eye, cognize with consciousness a sound he hears with the ear, cognize with consciousness a scent he smells with the nose, cognize with consciousness a taste he savors with the tongue, cognize with consciousness a touch he feels with the body, and cognize with consciousness a mental state he cognizes with the mind. Indeed thus, your majesty, the distinguishing characteristic of consciousness is cognizing."

"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/miln/miln.2x.kell.html#miln-2-3-08-cymbals

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Like a water bead on a lotus...


Not to gain or loss not to status or honor,
not to praise or blame,
not to pleasure or pain:
everywhere they do not adhere — like a water bead on a lotus.
Everywhere they are happy, the enlightened, everywhere un- defeated.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Just as if a man were to grasp a branch with his hand ...



"There is the case where a monk enters & remains in a certain peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the cessation of self-identification*, but as he is attending to the cessation of self-identification his mind doesn't leap up, grow confident, steadfast, or firm in the cessation of self-identification. For him the cessation of self-identification is not to be expected.

Just as if a man were to grasp a branch with his hand smeared with resin, his hand would stick to it, grip it, adhere to it; in the same way, the monk enters & remains in a certain peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the cessation of self-identification, but as he is attending to the cessation of self-identification his mind doesn't leap up, grow confident, steadfast, or firm in the cessation of self-identification. For him the cessation of self-identification is not to be expected.

"Now, there is the case where a monk enters & remains in a certain peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the cessation of self-identification, and as he is attending to the cessation of self-identification his mind leaps up, grows confident, steadfast, & firm in the cessation of self-identification. For him the cessation of self-identification is to be expected.

Just as if a man were to grasp a branch with a clean hand, his hand would not stick to it, grip it, or adhere to it; in the same way, the monk enters & remains in a certain peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the cessation of self-identification, and as he is attending to the cessation of self-identification his mind leaps up, grows confident, steadfast, & firm in the cessation of self-identification. For him the cessation of self-identification is to be expected
* First fetter
(to understand fetters see lables below)