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This has been coming to mind all week...

Hunt4lifeHunt4life
edited January 2006 in Buddhism Basics
Focus,
not on the rudenesses of others,
not on what they've done
or left undone,
but on what you
have & haven't done
yourself.

-Dhammapada, 4, translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

:wavey:

Comments

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited January 2006
    BF.... Could you post the above on the front page....?

    Also...

    "Let Brotherly Love continue.
    Be ye not afraid to show a kindness to strangers
    For thereby have some
    Entertained Angels unawares."

    Hebrews 13: 1 - 2
    The above has always been one of my favourite quotations.
  • buddhafootbuddhafoot Veteran
    edited January 2006
    Will do.

    -bf
  • buddhafootbuddhafoot Veteran
    edited January 2006
    You want the Hebrews quote too?

    -bf
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited January 2006
    Yes, I just thought they were nice sentiments with which to kick of the New year....
    Thanks for doing that.... ;)
  • buddhafootbuddhafoot Veteran
    edited January 2006
    Okay... there ya go.

    -bf
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited January 2006
    Buddhism has countless* sutras from which we can glean many quotations... Zen has given us koans and Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, full of wonderful pitthy and pertinent lessons which serve to guide us and instruct us....
    The Bible too, and doubtless the Torah and the Q'uran are also bursting at the seams with admirable sayings and lessons, from which we could glean much to illuminate our minds.....

    But I am sometimes of the opinion that human and frail as we are, however much we might start of with 'Right Intentions', we are all too soon wrapped so much in where we come in all of this, that we are apt to forget that which serves to define what it is we believe.....
    So perhaps it may serve us well to consider a pertinent and abject lesson - one which means much to us (BF likes the one about whose the gift is, if the receiver chooses to not accept it.....) and decide to live by it.....
    The two quotations above help us, in turn, to understand that it matters not what a person's approach to us is, it is our response which we are ultimately responsible for.... and to learn that whatever a stranger may appear to bring to our threshold, you simply never know what treasure they will leave behind them.....
    I have pointed out in a couple of posts recently that we pride ourselves on treating everyone who comes into the sangha with Dignity, Respect and Politeness....

    I would never stoop to criticism, condemnation or judgement of anyone. And I include myself in this behest : -
    Why not make these words mean something concrete and perpetual for ourselves, and strive to not just pay them lip service?

    What do you all think? :)

    (*Watch ZenMonk or Elohim come in and tell me the exact number...!)
  • zenmonk_genryuzenmonk_genryu
    edited January 2006
    I think countless is pretty on the spot. :winkc:
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