Liberate yourself from the delusions and disharmony of this life and realize your true Self.
Hakuin, the fiery and intensely dynamic Zen master, was once visited by a samurai warrior.
“I want to know about heaven and hell,” said the samurai. “Do they really exist?” he asked Hakuin.
Hakuin looked at the soldier and asked, “Who are you?”
“I am a samurai,” announced the proud warrior.
“Ha!” exclaimed Hakuin. “What makes you think you can understand such insightful things? You are merely a callous, brutish soldier! Go away and do not waste my time with your foolish questions,” Hakuin said, waving his hand to drive away the samurai.
The enraged samurai couldn’t take Hakuin’s insults. He drew his sword, readied for the kill, when Hakuin calmly retorted, “This is hell.”
The soldier was taken aback. His face softened. Humbled by the wisdom of Hakuin, he put away his sword and bowed before the Zen Master.
“And this is heaven,” Hakuin stated, just as calmly.
We create our own heaven and hell.
We cannot teach people anything;
we can only help them discover it within themselves.
-Galileo Galilei
(Source: loreblog, via b3sideyouintime)
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[Image] Bodhidharma: To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma…
To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma, because seeing is neither seeing nor not seeing and because understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly81oemMDM1qdzq7ho1_500.png)
[Image] Bodhidharma: To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma…
To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma, because seeing is neither seeing nor not seeing and because understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding.
Be still and peaceful.
Recite three times — Nammo Buddhaya — (Honor to the Buddha)
Recite three times — Araham — (The Pure One)
Recite:
Buddham saranam gacchami— (I go to the Buddha for refuge)Dhamman saranam gacchami — (I go to the Dhamma for refuge)
Sangham saranam gacchami — (I go to the Sangha for refuge)
Think thus:
My mind is temporarily pure, free from all impurities; free from lust, hatred and ignorance; free from all evil thoughtsMy mind is pure and clean. Like a polished mirror is my stainless mind.
As a clean and empty vessel is filled with pure water I now fill my clean heart and pure mind with peaceful and sublime thoughts of boundless loving-kindness over-flowing compassion, sympathetic joy and perfect equanimity.
I have now washed my mind and heart of anger, ill will, cruelty, violence, jealousy, envy, passion and aversion.
Think ten times:
May I be well and happy!May I be free from suffering, disease, grief, worry and anger!
May I be strong, self-confident, healthy and peaceful!
Think thus:
Now I charge every particle of my system, from head to foot, with thoughts of boundless loving-kindness and compassion. I am the embodiment of loving-kindness and compassion. My whole body is saturated with loving-kindness and compassion. I am a stronghold, a fortress of loving-kindness and compassion. I am nothing but loving-kindness and compassion. I have sublimated myself, elevated myself, ennobled myself.Think ten times:
May I be well and happy!May I be free from suffering, disease, grief, worry and anger!
May I be strong, self-confident, healthy and peaceful!
Think:
Mentally I create an aura of loving-kindness around me. By means of this aura, I cut off all negative thoughts, hostile vibrations. I am not affected by the evil vibrations of others. I return good for evil, loving-kindness for anger, compassion for cruelty, sympathetic joy for jealously. I am peaceful and well-balanced in mind. Now I am a fortress of loving- kindness, a stronghold of morality.What I have gained I now give unto others.
Think of all your near and dear ones at home, individually or collectively, and fill them with thoughts of loving-kindness and wish them peace and happiness, repeating May all beings be well and happy!… Then think of all seen and unseen beings, living near and far, men, women, animals and all living beings, in the East, West, North, South, above and below, and radiate boundless loving-kindness, without any enmity or obstruction, towards all, irrespective of class, creed, color or sex.
Think that all are your brothers and sisters, fellow-beings in the ocean of life. You identify with all. You are one with all.
Repeat ten times, “May all beings be well and happy,” and wish them all peace and happiness.
In the course of your daily life try to translate your thoughts into action as occasion demands.
Let anger be conquered by love. Let bad be conquered by good. Let greediness be overcome by generosity. Let the liar be conquered by the truth.
(Source: dhammalove)
Love, compassion and mindfulness in the face of adversity. At the end of the day we are all the same. We are all human.
This is your life. Do something.
Durga the invincible - one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress.
An embodiment of creative feminine force (Shakti), Durga exists in a state of svātantrya (independence from the universe and anything/anybody else, i.e., self-sufficiency) and fierce compassion.Durga manifests fearlessness and patience, and never loses her sense of humor, even during spiritual battles of epic proportion.
(Source: dirtyscarab, via visualamor)
