Category Archives: Quotations Series

198 – The True Teaching

Posted on December 10, 2011 by

The following is from this month’s Full Moon Journal from the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. The translation is by senior scholar, Andrew Olendzki. Andy is one of my teachers, and I have always found his sutta, commentary and poetry … Continue reading →

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193 – Reality and Illusion

Posted on November 3, 2011 by

The interstice of reality and illusion is the Now. Understanding this and living perfectly balanced between the two is Wisdom. Sounds profound, doesn’t it? I wrote that thought a long time ago and now I’m not sure what I meant. … Continue reading →

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184 – Understanding the World

Posted on September 15, 2011 by

We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are. I know I repeatedly emphasize the conditional nature of reality. That’s because I need to remind myself everyday that information received through the sense doors is … Continue reading →

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182 – The End of Suffering

Posted on August 22, 2011 by

The suttas assert that “human effort, properly directed, can put an end to all suffering and stress.” –Thanissaro Bhikkhu What is right effort and may it be directed? Right effort is the tool mindfulness uses to rescue us from unskillful … Continue reading →

Posted in Background on Buddhism, Dhamma Discussion, Eightfold Path, Intention, Practice, Quotations Series | 2 Comments

181 – Five Points

Posted on August 19, 2011 by

There are five points on the compass: north, east, south, west, and the point where you are now. ~­­ Chinese proverb As we look outward in all directions, we tend to forget that we do so from a point of … Continue reading →

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176 – Getting Past Judgments?

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

We make hundreds if not thousands of judgments daily and this is largely an unconscious process. Judgment, meaning the ability to make an evaluation or form an opinion from which action follows, is a necessary and positive skill that forms … Continue reading →

Posted in Background on Buddhism, Quotations Series | 3 Comments

175 – Shooting Out Thoughts

Posted on July 13, 2011 by

Woot said in a serious tone of voice: “I’m afraid something is going to happen. .  . .I’ve noticed that when we have the least reason for getting into trouble, something is sure to go wrong.” “Dear me!” remarked the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dhamma Matters, Practice, Quotations Series | 1 Comment

174 – Get Out of Your Own Way

Posted on July 11, 2011 by

Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos or to suggest improvements in its creation, but simply to wake up to the very life we’re living, which is so excellent once one gets one’s … Continue reading →

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173 – An Optimum Mode of Being

Posted on July 10, 2011 by

Buddha is nothing but the optimum mode of being possible for man in his present condition. –Stephen Batchelor The historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, existed and is remarkable because he discovered a method for awakening which involves acknowledging suffering, understanding its causes, … Continue reading →

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166 – View is a Constructed Template

Posted on June 11, 2011 by

“I do not know how to distinguish between our waking life and a dream. Are we not always living the life that we imagine we are?” ~Henry David Thoreau Most of us get lost in the compelling delusion that what … Continue reading →

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