Monthly Archives: July 2019

Blessed is the birth of the Buddhas; blessed is the proclamation of the sacred Dharma; blessed is the harmony of the Sangha, and blessed is the pursuit of the assembled truth-seekers. —Buddha Shakyamuni, Dhp

The best signs of success are a decreasing of self-centeredness and the easing of mental afflictions. —Gampopa

It is not enough to have faith. One must also part far from the five deeds of immediate retribution (killing the father, killing the mother, killing a Bodhisattva, wounding a Buddha, splitting the Sangha) and from the rejection of the … Continue reading →

The Buddha’s teachings say that all sentient beings —not only human beings, but all sentient beings— possess Buddha Nature. […] According to the Buddha’s teachings, we are all equal. The Buddha was the first to give equal rights, not only … Continue reading →

Defiled by desire, the mind is not released. Defiled by ignorance, discernment does not develop. Thus, from the fading of desire there is awareness; from the fading of ignorance, there is discernment. —Buddha Shakyamuni

Any form [feeling, perception, volition, consciousness] whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; common or sublime; far or near —every form [feeling, perception, volition, consciousness] is to be seen as it has come to … Continue reading →

Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, speaking, or remaining silent —no matter what you are doing— always remain mindful of the Buddha in your heart, just as a starving person thinks of food or a thirsty person thinks of … Continue reading →

It is not that the discovery of the nature makes the mind empty, because the mind has always been so. The problem is that we have never looked into our mind. We have always turned and looked outward, or away … Continue reading →

As Buddhists, we understand that our path leads ultimately to enlightenment through the cultivation and union of wisdom and compassion. Others might not share that notion and yet still conclude that, wherever their path may lead, all human and non-human … Continue reading →

It is difficult to obtain a human birth, it is difficult to be reborn in a “central land,” it is difficult to hear the Dharma, and even more difficult to encounter and learn about the Pure Land method. If I … Continue reading →