study buddhism

As you go about your daily rounds, first notice the gifts of the natural world. Notice the way the gift of sunlight streams behind everything. It feeds the plants we eat and gives us the oil fom ancient forests that fuels our cars and lights our lamps at night. Notice too the rainfall and the rivers, the water that gives itself to the blood in your veins, to the neighborhood insects and trees, to the interdependent collaborative in which we swim. Now notice how generously you are held and supported by the earth under your home and your feet, by the air you breathe, by the warmth of the day and the coolness of the evening.

Now look at the unending care and generoisty in humans around you: parents with children, teachers with students, healers and businesspeople, all serving one another. People stop at red lights so you are safe to go. They line up in the market, they share the parks, they cooperate in a thousand ways at the office. The shopkeeper and the mechanic, the bank teller and the cook, the healer and the engineer give themselves to their work, supporting others with countless hours of unspoken generoisity and love. Of course there are also times of resentment and being overwhelmed, when people are disgruntled and disaffected. But most of the time, the people around you are giving: in conversation, in action, adding the generosity of their Life energy to the flow of the whole. Spend a day or week just noticing, nameing, bowing to this stream of generosity everywhere.

From “The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield page 204”

I love this because it reminds me to be mindful of how beautiful my life is. I live in a town with beautiful flower pots filled with lucious flowers and plants in the downtown area. Lots of different cultures intertwining. Great restaurants, art, supermarkets, libraries, parks, Universities, stores…...there is so much good everywhere. and where I live is beautiful. the grass and trees, even in the winter it’s beautiful. and nyc is 25 minutes away. Chinatown and Soho….Life is beautiful…Wake up to it!....Ms Chinalove!

The reward of all action is to be found in enlightenment.

The Bhagavad Gita

Reflecting on our own goodness is considered a skillful means in Buddhist practice, because it opens our hearts and invigorates our faith in our spiritual unfolding. If we’re caught up in considering ourselves bad, we contract and hide. Incontrast, if we trust our goodness, we open up to others, we feel inspired to help others, we move forward on our spiritual path with dedication and joy.

We might begin by simply reflecting on certain qualities or behaviors that we appreciate in ourselves. For instance, when I recall instances of being kind to someone, I can taste the sweetness of being caring and generours. It’s important to remember our goodness and beauty.

We don’t fight. We say hello to our feelings so we can get to know each other better. Then, the next time that feeling arises, we will be able to greet it even more calmly.

We can embrace all of our feelings, even difficult ones like anger. Anger is a fire burning inside us, filling our whole being with smoke. When we are angry, we need to calm ourselves: “Breathing in, I calm my anger. Breathing out, I take care of my anger.” As soon as a mother takes her crying baby into her arms, the baby already feels some relief. When we embrace our anger with Right Mindfulness, we suffer less right away.

We all have difficult emotions, but if we allow them to dominate us, we will become depleted. Emotions become strong when we don not know how to look after them. When our feelings are stronger than our mindfulness, we suffer. But if we practice conscious breathing day after day, mindfulness will become a habit. Don’t wait to begin to practice until you are overwhelmed by a feeling. It may be too late.

A Buddha is one who lives from moment to moment, who does not live in the past, who does not live in the future, who lives in the here and now. Buddhahood is a quality of being present and it is not a goal, you need not wait, you can become a buddha just here and now.

From the ABC of Enlightenment by OSHO

It’s good to apply yourself diligently to the task in hand. Intoxicated by that task, you should be completely focused, like someone striving to win a game.

Santideva, inda

Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride.

THE NIPATA SUTTA