Everything comes from mind, by Bodhidharma

Posted on 24 April 2015 by Buddhism Now

..as they’re attached to appearances, they’re unaware that their minds are empty. And by mistakenly clinging to the appearance of things they lose the Way. If you know that everything comes from the mind, don’t become attached. Once attached, you’re unaware. But once you see your own nature, the entire Canon becomes so much prose. Its thousands of sutras and shastras only amount to a clear mind. Understanding comes in mid-sentence. What good are doctrines? The ultimate Truth is beyond words. Doctrines are words They’re not the Way. The Way is wordless. Words are illusions. They’re no different from things that appear in your dreams at night, be they palaces or carriages, forested parks or lakeside pavilions. Don’t conceive any delight for such things. They’re all cradles of rebirth. Keep this in mind when you approach death. Don’t cling to appearances, and you’ll break through all barriers. A moment’s hesitation and you’ll be under the spell of devils. Your real body is pure and impervious. But because of delusions you’re unaware of it. And because of this you suffer karma in vain. Wherever you find delight, you find bondage. But once you awaken to your original body and mind, you’re no longer bound by attachments. Anyone who gives up the transcendent for the mundane, in any of its myriad forms, is a mortal. A buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad.

Reprinted from The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma with kind permission from the translator Red Pine.

5 Lessons All Parents Could Learn From Buddhism

 


 


 


 


  

As the author of a Buddhist-inspired parenting book entitled Brave Parenting, I’m extremely interested in integrating the powerful philosophies of Buddhism into everyday parenting. One of the principle goals of my method is to enable children’s emotional maturation and emotional resilience, while also making the everyday life of being a parent a whole lot easier.

Let me say that this does not mean being peaceful and calm all the time. It’s about changing our relationship to the challenges parenting presents. It’s about experiencing all emotions without reactivity.

Here are five essential Buddhist-inspired principles that will help you in your parenting journey.

Stories behind Buddhist art

By Lee Woo-young, Korea Herald, May 26, 2015 The National Museum of Korea highlights devout patrons of Buddhist art Seoul, South Korea -- Around 1247, Empress Hampyeong of Goryeo (918-1392) commissioned an artisan known for his skilled silver engraving to inscribe patterns of clouds and lotuses on a bronze vase in a prayer for the well-being of her family and country. “Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra),” created in 1334. (Horim Museum) It was after her two sons were sent away as punishment for attempting to remove a general who took power in a coup d’etat, while her daughters had to marry his sons. The vase, made for use as an incense burner at a Buddhist temple, is now considered to best represent the silver engraving technique of Goryeo dynasty for its delicate and refined lines.

Monks and politics

by Ven Sujato, The Buddhist Channel, May 27, 2015

Perth, Australia -- In Thailand, the Sangha is governed by an act of Parliament. Frequently the monks have participated in street rallies, where the causes they are protesting was to ensure that the monks keep their privileges; I haven’t heard of Thai monks protesting on behalf of anyone else’s interests.

< Should monks be involved in politics?

In Myanmar, too, there is a Sangha Act, and the monks have lived inside one of the world’s most brutal regimes for decades: do you think there are no political issues with that? In Sri Lanka the monks have had their own party and seats in Parliament. In Vietnam similar things have happened. In Tibet, of course, the Sangha was the government. So I don’t know where this idea of monks not being involved in politics comes from.

Is attaining Sotapanna possible? by Bhikkhu Pesala

I still remember something my teacher, Chanmyay Sayādaw said in a talk that he gave at Chiswick Vihāra, many years ago. He said that only one person was hopeless of attaining nibbāna. He then asked the audience if he should say who it was. I suspect that many in the audience were quite worried that they might be singled out and embarrassed in front of everyone. The Sayādaw continued, “One person is hopeless of attaining nibbāna. The lazy person!”

Buddhist militancy triggers international concern

James Crabtree in Colombo and Michael Peel in Bangkok Financial Times
December 28, 2014 12:42 pm

Shahabadeen Sahira had a traumatic first-hand view of a new wave of militant Buddhist nationalist groups, whose rise across parts of Asia has triggered growing international alarm.

Wearing a black headscarf, the elderly Muslim former schoolteacher recalls her ordeal in June, when a gang burst into her home near the southern Sri Lankan coastal town of Aluthgama, during the worst religiously inspired violence to hit the tropical island nation in three decades.

“They came and took everything I had,” she recalls of the men from the country’s largely Buddhist Sinhalese majority, who burned dozens of homes in two days of clashes with Muslims. Three people were killed. “My house was ruined. All my money, all my jewellery, was gone,” she says. “If I could meet those responsible, I would ask: ‘Sir, does your Lord Buddha teach this?’”

United Nations Day of Vesak calls for interdependence, wisdom and compassion in facing crises

The Buddhist Channel, May 31, 2015 Bangkok, Thailand – Delegates at the United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV) have issued a declaration exhorting nations to contemplate on the interdependence of sentient beings with other sentient beings and the environment, and to promote optimism through wisdom and compassion to transform crises into opportunities. Member delegates at the United Nations Day of Vesak, Bangkok The conference, which explored the theme “Buddhism and World Crisis” focused on four areas of concern, namely: 1)    Buddhist Response to Social Conflict 2)    Environmental Degradation 3)    Buddhist Response to Educational Crisis 4)    Buddhist and the ASEAN Community

Rich tapestry of Buddhist travels

by Chester Chin, The Star, October 4, 2014 A rich kaleidoscope of sights and sounds await both pilgrims and travellers who are interested in Buddhist lore, customs and philosophies. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- CHAN Kai Waey’s brush with Buddhist teachings happened during her first year at a local university. After hearing tales from her seniors about pilgrimage tours, she was inspired to embark on her own journey . < Sacred place: The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy is one of the most holy sites in Sri Lanka reputed to contain an actual tooth of the Buddha. - Photos from Wikimedia Commons That dream materialised late last year when the account executive went on a backpacking trip with a friend to some Buddhist destinations in India.