The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
Atisha
My goal for the next ~40 days is to be the best person I can be. This encompasses eating vegetarian as often as I can, being as kind-hearted and understanding and forgiving and helpful as I can be, and just being much more positive and mindful of not only my actions, but others as well. Therefore, I thought that this quote would not only inspire me but that it could also inspire others as well! I hope you like the quote!
- Vienna
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Jade Buddha for Universal Peace in Escondido, CA
These photos were taken when the Jade Buddha came to Phap Vuong Temple in Escondido.
It's quite a beauty! Nearly 9 feet tall and weighs about 8800 pounds!
Click here for more info on the Jade Buddha tour...
I took photos around the temple as well...
Some of the statues were just too pretty!
~Vivien
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Buddha's Words on Friendship
Upaddha Sutta: Half (of the Holy Life)
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Sakyans. Now there is a Sakyan town named Sakkara. There Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, "This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie."
"Don't say that, Ananda. Don't say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life. When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & comrades, he can be expected to develop & pursue the noble eightfold path.
"And how does a monk who has admirable people as friends, companions, & comrades, develop & pursue the noble eightfold path? There is the case where a monk develops right view dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. He develops right resolve ... right speech ... right action ... right livelihood ... right effort ... right mindfulness ... right concentration dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. This is how a monk who has admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues, develops & pursues the noble eightfold path.
"And through this line of reasoning one may know how admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life: It is in dependence on me as an admirable friend that beings subject to birth have gained release from birth, that beings subject to aging have gained release from aging, that beings subject to death have gained release from death, that beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair have gained release from sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. It is through this line of reasoning that one may know how admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life."
Quote of the Day Week 2
Question: How do I know if I’m having a moment of realization or if I’m just deluding myself (still in ego)?
Click here for Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's Answer: http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2008/summer/ask_the_teachers.php
Click here for Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's Answer: http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2008/summer/ask_the_teachers.php
Quote of the Day Week 1
Becoming Truly Alive
We live a kind of artificial life, says Thich Nhat Hanh, lost in plans, worries, and anger. Our practice is to wake up and live each moment fully, allowing this moment to be the most wonderful experience of our life.
Click here for the rest of the quote: http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2009/xwinterfulliss/alive.php
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Reactions to the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation and 5 Remembrances
5. When others, out of jealousy,
Mistreat me with abuse, slander and so on,
I will practice accepting defeat
And offering the victory to them.
This verse literally translates to: If someone is jealous of you and talking smack about you, you should learn to turn the other cheek and surrender to them. In today’s society, if one were to surrender to everybody that does wrong to them, he or she would be eaten up by people around them. However, I believe that this verse holds a significant, timeless lesson that we should not harbor hard feelings towards the person that slanders us out of jealousy. Instead, we should offer them the victory because their feeling of jealousy is, in a way, a compliment to us. Offering them the victory could be doing something like paying them a compliment or sharing some of your talent – or whatever they are jealous of you for – with them, like we discussed when Ven. Tenzin Kacho came to visit. To me, this verse is a reminder that we should not hate or mistreat those that may mistreat us. Take the higher road by ignoring their abuse or helping them out sharing what they envy most about you with them.
8. Without these practices being defiled by the stains of the eight worldly concerns,
By perceiving all phenomena as illusory,
I will practice without grasping to release all beings
From the bondage of the disturbing unsubdued mind and karma.
By practicing these verses, without being affected by the eight worldly concerns: pleasures/pain, loss/gain, fame/shame, and praise/blame, we could be released from the “disturbing, unsubdued mind and karma.” This concluding verse simply informs us that by taking heed of these verses, we can be enlightened if we are not affected by the concerns of the world. By not desiring pleasure or fearing pain; by not caring about loss or gain; by not being affected by shame or wanting fame; by not trying to gain praise and rid blame, you can become enlightened. Being enlightened in this sense is being above worldly concerns. I think that the line “I will practice…to release all beings” means that when a person practices these eight verses, he or she can teach others to do so as well so that they can be free from the “disturbing unsubdued mind,” which represents the worldly concerns. And being free from karma means being free from the ties to the world. Anyways, to make it short, this last verse tells us that by taking heed of these eight verses of thought transformation, one can become closer to achieving enlightenment.
- Secretary Vivien
Mistreat me with abuse, slander and so on,
I will practice accepting defeat
And offering the victory to them.
This verse literally translates to: If someone is jealous of you and talking smack about you, you should learn to turn the other cheek and surrender to them. In today’s society, if one were to surrender to everybody that does wrong to them, he or she would be eaten up by people around them. However, I believe that this verse holds a significant, timeless lesson that we should not harbor hard feelings towards the person that slanders us out of jealousy. Instead, we should offer them the victory because their feeling of jealousy is, in a way, a compliment to us. Offering them the victory could be doing something like paying them a compliment or sharing some of your talent – or whatever they are jealous of you for – with them, like we discussed when Ven. Tenzin Kacho came to visit. To me, this verse is a reminder that we should not hate or mistreat those that may mistreat us. Take the higher road by ignoring their abuse or helping them out sharing what they envy most about you with them.
8. Without these practices being defiled by the stains of the eight worldly concerns,
By perceiving all phenomena as illusory,
I will practice without grasping to release all beings
From the bondage of the disturbing unsubdued mind and karma.
By practicing these verses, without being affected by the eight worldly concerns: pleasures/pain, loss/gain, fame/shame, and praise/blame, we could be released from the “disturbing, unsubdued mind and karma.” This concluding verse simply informs us that by taking heed of these verses, we can be enlightened if we are not affected by the concerns of the world. By not desiring pleasure or fearing pain; by not caring about loss or gain; by not being affected by shame or wanting fame; by not trying to gain praise and rid blame, you can become enlightened. Being enlightened in this sense is being above worldly concerns. I think that the line “I will practice…to release all beings” means that when a person practices these eight verses, he or she can teach others to do so as well so that they can be free from the “disturbing unsubdued mind,” which represents the worldly concerns. And being free from karma means being free from the ties to the world. Anyways, to make it short, this last verse tells us that by taking heed of these eight verses of thought transformation, one can become closer to achieving enlightenment.
- Secretary Vivien
Reactions to the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation and 5 Remembrances
5. When others, out of jealousy,
Mistreat me with abuse, slander and so on,
I will practice accepting defeat
And offering the victory to them.
Every time I read this verse, I always contemplate what it means to “practice accepting defeat” and “offering the victory”. Does it mean to accept what they have said and move on or to simply just avoid and ignore them altogether? For example, if somebody insults or abuses me, I would get angry but get over it or ignore what they have said, because I believe I should be the “bigger” person by not saying or doing anything at all. Does that mean I have accepted defeat and offered them the victory because I have decided to not “fight” back? If the answer is “yes”, then I think “accepting defeat” and “offering the victory to them” mean to let go of your ego by not getting angry and retaliating when somebody talks bad about you.
6. When someone I have benefited
And in whom I have placed great trust
Hurts me very badly,
I will practice seeing that person as my supreme teacher.
If somebody I have helped and trusted betrayed or backstabbed me, I would get angry and would definitely never see that person as “my supreme teacher”. Hence it's very hard for me to practice this, but what does it really mean to be one's supreme teacher? For instance, is the person a supreme teacher because he/she is teaching us to be accepting and patient instead of being furious? If so, I think “seeing that person as my supreme teacher” means to be patient and to learn that nobody is perfect because they are just normal people like us.
These two verses definitely relate with each other because they both deal with people hurting you and learning to let go and be patient. Thus to me, they are very hard to accomplish but I know they will be extremely valuable when I do though. So I just want to thank Venerable Tenzin Kacho for introducing and discussing these 8 Verses of Thought Transformation with us.
- Treasurer Lisa
Mistreat me with abuse, slander and so on,
I will practice accepting defeat
And offering the victory to them.
Every time I read this verse, I always contemplate what it means to “practice accepting defeat” and “offering the victory”. Does it mean to accept what they have said and move on or to simply just avoid and ignore them altogether? For example, if somebody insults or abuses me, I would get angry but get over it or ignore what they have said, because I believe I should be the “bigger” person by not saying or doing anything at all. Does that mean I have accepted defeat and offered them the victory because I have decided to not “fight” back? If the answer is “yes”, then I think “accepting defeat” and “offering the victory to them” mean to let go of your ego by not getting angry and retaliating when somebody talks bad about you.
6. When someone I have benefited
And in whom I have placed great trust
Hurts me very badly,
I will practice seeing that person as my supreme teacher.
If somebody I have helped and trusted betrayed or backstabbed me, I would get angry and would definitely never see that person as “my supreme teacher”. Hence it's very hard for me to practice this, but what does it really mean to be one's supreme teacher? For instance, is the person a supreme teacher because he/she is teaching us to be accepting and patient instead of being furious? If so, I think “seeing that person as my supreme teacher” means to be patient and to learn that nobody is perfect because they are just normal people like us.
These two verses definitely relate with each other because they both deal with people hurting you and learning to let go and be patient. Thus to me, they are very hard to accomplish but I know they will be extremely valuable when I do though. So I just want to thank Venerable Tenzin Kacho for introducing and discussing these 8 Verses of Thought Transformation with us.
- Treasurer Lisa
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