- Gehlek Rimpoche
You can rely on a teacher for guidance, but that teacher will go. Ultimately the job has to be done by yourself. You cannot rely on anyone or anything but yourself.
- Gehlek Rimpoche Tibetan Buddhist monk Gehlek Rimpoche, teaches: "The world we are living in is impermanent. It changes from better to worse and vice versa. You have to develop determination of mind. You have to apply your mental power, what you might call good old-fashioned willpower." Then, he adds this insight: "You have to reason with yourself: 'I have much more important things to do with my life. I want to be of some benefit to myself and others. Am I going to . . . push myself down into depression? Or am I going to use my intelligence for some good?' "
Gehlek Rimpoche had a unique and painful moment to put into practice what he teaches. While speaking in Holland, he lost his bag which contained ten thousand dollars in cash. " This was much more than I had in all of my bank accounts put together. I also lost my credit cards and identification. This was on a Saturday. I couldn’t do anything or even leave the hotel until Monday." He gave himself until Monday morning to feel badly and mourn the loss and then, he says, "I decided that it was time to stop. I dedicated the loss of the money to the benefit of all beings and particularly to those who took it. Even so, every twenty minutes I would think, 'Oh my God, I lost a lot. How embarrassing if other people know.' When that happened, I told myself that I had already dedicated it. It was no longer mine. It was gone. So what was I crying for?" Materialistic society tries to arouse greed so you will spend your money, and yet never be contented with what you have. There is always something better, something newer. Ajahn Sumedho
That was Charles T. Strauss, a Jewish business person from Chicago. It took place on Sept. 26, 1893 in Chicago where Anagarika Dharmapala, a Buddhist monk from Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka), administered a Sanskrit oath to Charles T. Strauss formally converting him to Buddhism. That made Strauss the first non-Asian American to embrace the Buddhist path.
Rick Fields, who has studied the history of Buddhism in America, described Strauss’ background as follows: “…of 466 Broadway, a New York City businessman, born of Jewish parents, not yet 30 years old, long a student of comparative religion and philosophy.” My Lama used to say that we need monastics but not ensconced in
monasteries forever. We need monastics to go into the world where lay people live. We need to practice with each other. It is not in special, controlled environments where we make progress; it is at the market, on the road, in the office, at home with our families that we live the Dharma. - Tashi Nyima To develop an awakened mind, Buddhists commit themselves to three "jewels" - the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. They self-inspire themselves by the example of the Buddha who was an ordinary human being, not a God. Secondly, they deepen their awareness and commitment by the studying and applying the teachings of the Buddha to their daily lives. And, thirdly, they maintain a connection to spiritual friends who will offer support, encouragement and guidance.
One of two things must be done. Either surrender because you admit your inability and require a higher power to help you, or investigate the cause of misery by going to the source and merging into the Self. Either way you will be free from misery. - Ramana Maharshi
We need to learn to forgive our humanness, to forgive our imperfections. - Godwin Samararatne
It is extremely destructive to point out only the minuses, to point out only when the other person does something wrong. It is extremely important to tell the other person when the other person is doing something good, something skilful, something wholesome. This is a quality we need to cultivate. The other quality you do not have to cultivate, it is there naturally! - Godwin Samarartne
Buddhism stresses the importance of kalyana mitra which translates to spiritual friend or noble friend, admirable friend, virtuous friend. A spiritual friend involves more than merely someone to spend time with, though it can include that, but connotes a person who inspires, supports, and guides us on the path to awakening and evolving. Spiritual friendship is so important that in the Pali Canon’s Upaddha Sutta a significant conversation between the Buddha and his closest companion, Ananda, is recorded. Sensing that the aged Buddha will not be with the community much longer, Ananda seeks clarification about following a spiritual path. He asks:
“Am I correct in believing that having admirable friendship, admirable companionship and spiritual friendship is half of the path?” The Buddha responded: “No, Ananda, that is not half of the path. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, spiritual friendship is actually the whole path.” This explanation helped Ananda understand the critical importance of having supportive relationships based on shared Buddhist teachings and the pursuit of awakening. Such friendships are equally important for both monks and lay Buddhists. It is common, when someone embraces a Buddhist way of life, that relation shifts begin to occur naturally whereby former companions with whom one participated in more materialistic, pleasure oriented gatherings such as eating, drinking alcohol, and partying are replaced by those whose values and interests are more virtuous, noble, admirable, spiritual and supportive of Buddhist values. |
Victor M. Parachin ...is aVedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Archives
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