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What Are Your Favorite Sutta Excerpts?
Glow
Veteran
What are some of your favorite sections from the Pali Nikayas? (Or other canons, including the Mahayana sutras as well. I'm simply more familiar with the Pali versions.) What interests you about these passages?
Recently, I was struck by the direct, poignant language of the verse section of the Bhaddekarata Sutta ("An Auspicious Day"). This, IMO, is probably the most elegant encapsulation of the Buddha' exhortation to wake up to what is present. Other formulations in the canon can be rather heavy with exposition (such as in the Satipatthana Sutta, where it's easy to lose the thread). It's almost like a Dhammapada verse in its clarity and power:
Recently, I was struck by the direct, poignant language of the verse section of the Bhaddekarata Sutta ("An Auspicious Day"). This, IMO, is probably the most elegant encapsulation of the Buddha' exhortation to wake up to what is present. Other formulations in the canon can be rather heavy with exposition (such as in the Satipatthana Sutta, where it's easy to lose the thread). It's almost like a Dhammapada verse in its clarity and power:
Source: translation by Gil Fronsdal, the complete sutta can be found in Thanissaro's translation here.
Don’t chase the past
Or long for the future.
The past is left behind;
The future is not yet reached.
Right where it is, have insight
Into whatever phenomena is present;
Not faltering and not agitated,
By knowing it one develops the mind.
Ardently do what should be done today –
who knows, death may come tomorrow.
There is no bargaining with Mortality
And his great army.
Whoever dwells thus ardent,
- active day and night -
Is, says the peaceful sage,
One who has an auspicious day.
2
Comments
The victory cry of the arahants
"Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world."
— SN 22.59
The pure bliss and peace and the chills down my spine that I get from that phrase.. I can only imagine... but that would be a waste of time when I should be practicing ahah.
And of course the eternal law:
Dhp I
PTS: Dhp 1-20
Yamakavagga: Pairs
Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.
The Simili of the Saw is another
MN 21
PTS: M i 122
Kakacupama Sutta: The Simile of the Saw
"Monks, even if bandits were to carve you up savagely, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, he among you who let his heart get angered even at that would not be doing my bidding. Even then you should train yourselves: 'Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will remain sympathetic, with a mind of good will, and with no inner hate. We will keep pervading these people with an awareness imbued with good will and, beginning with them, we will keep pervading the all-encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will — abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.' That's how you should train yourselves.
Dhp I
PTS: Dhp 1-20
Yamakavagga: Pairs
Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.
Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.
I have to remember more... also I love this thread
EDIT: More
From the last days of the Buddha: Mahaparinibbana sutta
33. "Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge.
From the same Sutta : The words that made sure there would be no spiritual leader or pope in buddhism... well some forms..
1. Now the Blessed One spoke to the Venerable Ananda, saying: "It may be, Ananda, that to some among you the thought will come: 'Ended is the word of the Master; we have a Master no longer.' But it should not, Ananda, be so considered. For that which I have proclaimed and made known as the Dhamma and the Discipline, that shall be your Master when I am gone.
And of course his last words:
8. And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"[58]
This was the last word of the Tathagata.
The criteria for deciding what is worth saying
[1] "In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial (or: not connected with the goal), unendearing & disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
[2] "In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, unbeneficial, unendearing & disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
[3] "In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, beneficial, but unendearing & disagreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them.
[4] "In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, he does not say them.
[5] "In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, he does not say them.
[6] "In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, beneficial, and endearing & agreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has sympathy for living beings."
— MN 58
There is the website real Buddha Quotes from the guy who does fake buddha quotes.
http://www.realbuddhaquotes.com/
for all living beings,
harming not even a one,
you would not wish for offspring,
so how a companion?
Wander alone
like a rhinoceros.
Or how about blind trust in authorities?
One I posted, the second, is about arrogance (it is vain digga digga)
The kalama sutra is about blind trust
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.065.than.html
to start off the Kalamas come to the buddha because they heard he had a special reputation and could help them:
As they sat there, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One, "Lord, there are some brahmans & contemplatives who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. And then other brahmans & contemplatives come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt: Which of these venerable brahmans & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?"
and the next line is probably the most famously misquoted and misinterpreted sutta excerpts in modern times..
"Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt. When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them.
"...(same as above)...........When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them."
People often paraphrase this to be about not doing what doesn't fit with your common sense or your intellect. As you can see the Buddha says not even to trust that, but only your experiential knowledge(ie wisdom). If it is beneficial , do it, if it leads to the harm of others, abandon it. Can't get much more simple then that.
Here is one about the conceits, judgment and arrogance fall in that one.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/walshe/wheel318.html
"Lord, I do not fully grasp the meaning of what Your Blessedness has expressed in brief. It would be well for me, Lord, if your Blessedness would explain in full what has been expressed in brief, that I may know its meaning."
[The Blessed One said:]
"Equal I am, or better, of less degree":
All such idle fancies lead to strife,
Who's unmoved by all these three conceits
Such vain distinctions leaves unmade.[17]
If you know what this means, tell me, fairy.
"Lord, neither do I full grasp the meaning of this which Your Blessedness has expressed in brief. It would be well for me, Lord, if Your Blessedness would explain in full what has been explained in brief, that I may know its meaning."
[The Blessed One said:]
Who labels not, and holds no vain conceits,
Has cut off craving here for name-and-form[18]
Free from bonds and pain, with no desires,
Vainly seeking, none will find that man,
Neither gods nor men, on earth, above,
Not in heaven, nor in any sphere.[19]
I thought it was this one .....
http://leavesinthehand.blogspot.com/
Gate
Gate
Paragate
Parasamgate
Boddhi Svaha
Homage to the Awakened Mind which has crossed over to the other shore, freed from suffering!
I am about to meditate on it, again @:-)
Gate
Gate
Paragate
Parasamgate
Boddhi Svaha
Gate
Gate
Paragate
Parasamgate
Boddhi Svaha
Gate
Gate
Paragate
Parasamgate
Boddhi Svaha
Gate
Gate
Paragate
Parasamgate
Boddhi Svaha
I also like the parable of the poisoned arrow and the parable of the burning house.
Yes, the Kalama Sutta is very popular with western Buddhists, but note that the list of things not to go by includes: "....by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability.."
People often skip over that bit.
People often skip over that bit.
But but..... I thought i should follow my common sense and intellectual prowess.. :-P
"logical conjecture, by inference, by agreement through pondering views" - This must be referring to beliefs formed by standing around chatting *without gathering any evidence*. If this is an zen-like anti-thought, anti-intellectualism, then it is inconsistent with the rest of the sutta. It doesn't make sense that he said "You know, don't take my word for it, try it out, and if you think you understand anything or if anything appears to make any sort of sense using ordinary logic, you are just being an arrogant westerner that over intellectualizes" Or more succinctly "You know, don't take my word for it, you just gotta believe, don't think so hard about it!" This sutta didn't say that. Others did.
The bit about probability is talking about informal use of probabilities in reasoning, like pascals wager. He wasn't trying to say that you can't rely on the ratio of Heads to Tails converging on 1/2 as you flip more and more coins.
Analogies are good for teaching, but no westerner would argue that analogies rapidly break down (life is like a box of chocolates, except there is no box, no chocolate, you can't eat it. But it is sometimes surprising)
http://www.hermitary.com/solitude/rhinoceros.html
Free from longing, finding no pleasure
in the world's sport, love, or sensual bliss,
abstaining from adornment,
speaking the truth,
wander alone
like a rhinoceros.
Khaggavisana Sutta
Think: Happy, at rest,
may all beings be happy at heart.
Whatever beings there may be,
weak or strong, without exception,
long, large,
middling, short,
subtle, blatant,
seen & unseen,
near & far,
born & seeking birth:
May all beings be happy at heart.
Let no one deceive another
or despise anyone anywhere,
or through anger or irritation
wish for another to suffer.
--- http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.08.than.html
in sign language....
Its not finished!
"As a mother would risk her own life, to protect her only child, even so towards all beings be.
Whether standing, walking, or sitting, lying down or whenever awake, one should develope this mindfulness.
One should develop for all the world, a heart of boundless loving friendliness, above, below, and all around, unobstructed without hatred or resentment.
Not falling into erroneous views, but virtous and endowed with vision, removing desire for sensual pleasures, one comes never again to birth in the womb.
By the power of this truth may we always have well being. "
Lol sorry about my little sutta ocd there. I had this memorized from saying it every day at the monastery when im there. Great choice with the Karinaya Metta Sutta. Do you know the backstory of why the buddha taught that?
Sutta away, my friend.....
The backstory ???
Do tell.........
http://nalanda.org.my/e-library/mettasutta/index.php
Metta Sutta
Background Story
On one occasion, some five hundred bhikkhus (monks), after obtaining an object of meditation from the Buddha went into the Himalayan forest to practise meditation.
Initially, the devas residing in the trees tolerated their presence, but as they learnt that the bhikkhus would not leave so soon, the devas made fearful sights and sounds at night to frighten the bhikkhus so that they would go away. The bhikkhus were so disturbed that they got sick and could not make any progress in their meditation. They decided to leave the place and reported their experiences to the Buddha.
After surveying, the Buddha found no other suitable location for them to practise meditation than that very forest. Therefore the Buddha advised them to return to the forest and taught them the Metta Sutta as an object of meditation, as well as for their protection. Those bhikkhus returned to the forest, chanted the Metta Sutta, and practised Metta meditation. By doing so, the devas then had goodwill towards the bhikkhus and looked after them. At the end of the Rains Retreat (Vassa), all the five hundred bhikkhus attained Arahantship.
Kill 'em with kindness!
My favorite sum up for this one is "I don't need you to love
me in order for me to love you"
BTW...Thanks for that link...I'll be using it....
Can you speak rhinoceros?
We’d say, "of courseros!
Can’t you?"
(do little sutra)
:thumbsup: