See beyond... "the mountain of Ignorance"

"There was a great mountain slope near a village or a market-town which two friends, coming hand in hand from that village or market-town might approach; having approached the mountain slope one friend might remain at the foot while the other might climb to the top. Then the friend standing at the foot of the mountain slope might speak thus to the one standing on the top:

'My dear, what do you see as you stand on the top of the mountain slope?' He might reply: 'As I stand on the top of the mountain slope I, my dear, see delightful parks, delightful woods, delightful stretches of level ground delightful ponds.'

But the other might speak thus: 'This is impossible, it cannot come to pass, my dear, that, as you stand on the top of the mountain slope, you should see... delightful ponds.'

Then the friend who had been standing on top of the mountain slope having come down to the foot and taken his friend by the arm, making him climb to the top of the mountain slope and giving him a moment in which to regain his breath, might speak to him thus: 'Now, my dear, what is it that you see as you stand on the top of the mountain slope?' He might speak thus: 'I, my dear, as I stand on the top of the mountain slope, see delightful parks... delightful ponds.' He might speak thus: 'Just now, my dear, we understood you to say: This is impossible, it cannot come to pass that, as you stand on the top of the mountain slope, you should see delightful... ponds. But now we understand you to say: 'I, my dear, as I stand on the top of the mountain slope, see delightful parks... delightful ponds.'

He might speak thus: 'That was because I, my dear, hemmed in by this great mountain slope, could not see what was to be seen.'

Dantabhumi Sutta -The Discourse on the 'Tamed Stage'

"Be like a river, deep and enormous""

Suppose that a man were to come along carrying a burning grass torch and saying, 'With this burning grass torch I will heat up the river Ganges and make it boil.' Now, what do you think — would he, with that burning grass torch, heat up the river Ganges and make it boil?"

"No, lord. Why is that? Because the river Ganges is deep & enormous. It's not easy to heat it up and make it boil with a burning grass torch. The man would reap only a share of weariness & disappointment."

"In the same way, monks, there are these five aspects of speech by which others may address you: timely or untimely, true or false, affectionate or harsh, beneficial or non beneficial, with a mind of good-will or with inner hate. Others may address you in a timely way or an untimely way. They may address you with what is true or what is false. They may address you in an affectionate way or a harsh way. They may address you in a beneficial way or an non beneficial way. They may address you with a mind of good-will or with inner hate. In any event, you should train yourselves: 'Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will remain sympathetic to that person's welfare, with a mind of good will, and with no inner hate. We will keep pervading him with an awareness imbued with good will and, beginning with him, we will keep pervading the all-encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will equal to the river Ganges — abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.' That's how you should train yourselves.

-Kakacupama Sutta -The Simile of the Saw

Our six senses are responsible for our own existence

The goal of the Buddhist teaching is to put an end to this relentless cycle of birth, old age, sickness and death (samsara) and to reach ultimate freedom from suffering, the nirvana. Our six senses are primarily responsible for our own existence in this samsara. These very senses, when contemplated through the practice of vipassana (insight) meditation will liberate us from this same samsara. The path that lead to this liberation from suffering is The Noble Eightfold Path .

Sensuality is like "a dog chewing on bones"

"Suppose a dog, overcome with weakness & hunger, were to come across a slaughterhouse, and there a dexterous butcher or butcher's apprentice were to fling him a chain of bones — thoroughly scraped, without any flesh, smeared with blood. What do you think: Would the dog, gnawing on that chain of bones — thoroughly scraped, without any flesh, smeared with blood — appease its weakness & hunger?"
"No, lord. And why is that? Because the chain of bones is thoroughly scraped, without any flesh, & smeared with blood. The dog would get nothing but its share of weariness & vexation."
"In the same way, householder, a disciple of the noble ones considers this point: 'The Blessed One has compared sensuality to a chain of bones, of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks.

Potaliya Sutta -To Potaliya

Lotus is unsmeared by water & mud

As the prickly lotus is unsmeared by water & mud,

so the sage,

an exponent of peace,

without greed,

is unsmeared by sensuality & the world.

Magandiya Sutta -To Magandiya

"Like a fish in the water tearing a net"

"Shattering fetters,*

like a fish in the water tearing a net,

like a fire not coming back to what's burnt"-Khaggavisana Sutta

*Fetter:

A fetter or "chain" or "bond" (Pāli: samyojana, saŋyojana, saññojana) shackles a person to samsara, the cycle of endless suffering. By completely cutting through all fetters, one attains Nibbana (Nirvana).

"There are these ten fetters. Which ten? Five lower fetters & five higher fetters. And which are the five lower fetters? Self-identity views, uncertainty, grasping at rituals & practices, sensual desire, & ill will. These are the five lower fetters. And which are the five higher fetters? Passion for form, passion for what is formless, conceit, restlessness, & ignorance. These are the five higher fetters. And these are the ten fetters."- Buddha
Sanyojana Sutta-Fetters

Cut downthe forest of desire

Cut downthe forest of desire,

not the forest of trees.

From the forest of desire come danger & fear.

Having cut down this forest & its underbrush, monks, be deforested.

- Dhammapada

A city made of bones

"A city made of bones,
plastered over with flesh & blood,
whose hidden treasures are:
pride & contempt,
aging & death." -Dhammapada

Three types of unskillful thinking

"Monks, there are these three types of unskillful thinking: thinking of sensuality, thinking of ill will, thinking of harm."-Buddha

Pindolya Sutta -Almsgoers

"I know not of any other single thing that brings such bliss as the mind"

"Monks, I know not of any other single thing that brings such bliss as the mind that is tamed, controlled, guarded and restrained. Such a mind indeed brings great bliss." -Buddha

Taming the Mind
Discourses of the Buddha

"Suppose a man were to throw a large boulder into a deep lake of water..."

What do you think: There is the case where a man is one who takes life, steals, indulges in illicit sex; is a liar, one who speaks divisive speech, harsh speech, & idle chatter; is greedy, bears thoughts of ill-will, & holds to wrong views. Then a great crowd of people, gathering & congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart [saying,] 'May this man, at the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in a good destination, the heavenly world!' What do you think: would that man — because of the prayers, praise, & circumambulation of that great crowd of people — at the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in a good destination, the heavenly world?"

"No, lord."

"Suppose a man were to throw a large boulder into a deep lake of water, and a great crowd of people, gathering & congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart [saying,] 'Rise up, O boulder! Come floating up, O boulder! Come float to the shore, O boulder!' What do you think: would that boulder — because of the prayers, praise, & circumambulation of that great crowd of people — rise up, come floating up, or come float to the shore?"

"No, lord."

"So it is with any man who takes life, steals, indulges in illicit sex; is a liar, one who speaks divisive speech, harsh speech, & idle chatter; is greedy, bears thoughts of ill-will, & holds to wrong views. Even though a great crowd of people, gathering & congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart — [saying,] 'May this man, at the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in a good destination, the heavenly world!' — still, at the break-up of the body, after death, he would reappear in destitution, a bad destination, the lower realms, hell.

-Buddha

Paccha-bhumika Sutta

Dust thrown against the wind

Whoever harasses
an innocent man,
a man pure, without blemish:
the evil comes right back to the fool
like fine dust
thrown against the wind.

-Dhammapada

Life heads to death

As a potter's clay vessels large & small fired & unfired

All end up broken, so too life heads to death

Young & old

Wise & foolish

Rich & poor

Salla Sutta -The Arrow

Become your own therapist

Buddhism teaches you to become your own therapist. It give you the tools to how to deal with life's difficult situations we all face with from time to time. The core teachings Buddhism is centered around mindfulness meditation. The practice of meditation helps one to abandon the defilements of the mind*. The abandoning of defilements in the mind makes us more skillful individuals and will enable us to deal with difficult situations in life with wisdom.

*Defilements of the mind (1) Covetousness and unrighteous greed (2) ill will (3) anger (4) hostility (5) denigration(6) domineering (7) envy (8) miserly(9) hypocrisy(10) fraud (11) obstinacy (12) presumption (13) conceit (14) arrogance (15) vanity (16) negligence

- Vatthupama Sutta -The Simile of the Cloth

Cunning as a crow

Life's easy to live
for someone unscrupulous,
cunning as a crow,
corrupt, back-biting,
forward, & brash;
but for someone who's constantly
scrupulous, cautious,
observant, sincere,
pure in his livelihood,
clean in his pursuits,
it's hard.
-Dhammapada

Think like a scientist

“The motivation of all religious practices is similar. The basic goal is the benefit of human kind, each type of system seeking in its own unique ways to improve human beings”- Dali Lama

The idea of a religion to most people in the Western world is associated with a God. Buddhists are trained to look for contentment within oneself rather than looking for help externally. The basic moral principle in Buddhism is “whatever you do (mind, body or speech) it should not harm you or any other living being.” As far as I know this principle applies or should apply to all the major religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) as this is one of the basic moral principles in life.

One way you can reconcile all these religions or philosophies is to train people of all religions to examine your own heart (mind) and find the truth or if you want to call the “God” within yourself. There is only one truth in this world, and if you are honest to yourself and ask a lot of questions you will find it. It is important for us to think like scientists and investigate ourselves, using our minds as the lab without having a bias on what we have seen, read, or heard previously. I believe this investigative approach will lead to the right path that will lead to the ultimate happiness which we are all seeking for, irrespective of our religious beliefs.

How to dye a cloth pure in color?"

"Monks, suppose a cloth were stained and dirty, and a dyer dipped it in some dye or other, whether blue or yellow or red or pink, it would take the dye badly and be impure in color. And why is that? Because the cloth was not clean. So too, monks, when the mind is defiled*, an unhappy destination [in a future existence] may be expected."

"Monks, suppose a cloth were clean and bright, and a dyer dipped it in some dye or other, whether blue or yellow or red or pink, it would take the dye well and be pure in color. And why is that? Because the cloth was clean. So too, monks, when the mind is undefiled, a happy destination [in a future existence] may be expected."


*Defilements of the mind (1) Covetousness and unrighteous greed (2) ill will (3) anger (4) hostility (5) denigration(6) domineering (7) envy (8) miserly(9) hypocrisy(10) fraud (11) obstinacy (12) presumption (13) conceit (14) arrogance (15) vanity (16) negligence

Vatthupama Sutta -The Simile of the Cloth

Just as playing with little sand castles...

"Just as when boys or girls are playing with little sand castles: as long as they are not free from passion, desire, love, thirst, fever, & craving for those little sand castles, that's how long they have fun with those sand castles, enjoy them, treasure them, feel possessive of them. But when they become free from passion, desire, love, thirst, fever, & craving for those little sand castles, then they smash them, scatter them, demolish them with their hands or feet and make them unfit for play.

"In the same way, Radha, you too should smash, scatter, & demolish form*, and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for form.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish feeling*, and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for feeling.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish perception*, and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for perception.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish fabrications*, and make them unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for fabrications.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish consciousness* and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for consciousness — for the ending of craving, Radha, is Unbinding."

*The five aggregates (see lables below)

-Satta Sutta -A Being

The body (rupa [ruupa])* is like a "glob of foam"

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Ayojjhans on the banks of the Ganges River. There he addressed the monks: "Monks, suppose that a large glob of foam were floating down this Ganges River, and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe it, & appropriately examine it. To him ... seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining it ... it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be in a glob of foam? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines any form that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him ... seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining it ... it would appear empty, void, without
substance: for what substance would there be in form (Body orRupa*)?-Phena Sutta -Foam

rupa [ruupa]:Body; physical phenomenon; sense datum. The basic meaning of this word is "appearance" or "form." It is used, however, in a number of different contexts, taking on different shades of meaning in each. In lists of the objects of the senses, it is given as the object of the sense of sight. As one of the khandha, it refers to physical phenomena or sensations (visible appearance or form being the defining characteristics of what is physical). This is also the meaning it carries when opposed to nama, or mental phenomena.

*Rupa