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"...to watch arising and ceasing, observing uncountable stories produced by the five aggregates. As long as it just shows and passes, there is no suffering. It is similar to watching a movie: I am being mindful, just watching and letting it go. Whenever the mind clings to the movie, suffering will occur."
-Pramahachanya Khongchinda (from "Meditation is Fun")
"You shouldn't chase after the past, or place expectations on the future. What is past is left behind. The future is as yet unreached. Whatever phenomenon is present, you clearly see right there, right there. Unvanquished, unshaken, that's how you develop the mind. Doing your duty ardently today, for--who knows?--tomorrow: death. There is no bargaining with Death & his mighty horde. Whoever lives thus ardently, relentlessly both day & night, has truly had an auspicious day: So says the Peaceful Sage."
From Pali Canon
"The term 'justice' is ambiguous and dangerous, and in its name more harm than good is done to humanity. The theory of karma is the theory of cause and effect, of action and reaction; it is a natural law, which has nothing to do with the idea of justice or reward and punishment. Every volitional action produces its effects or results."
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha Taught"
In light of the seemingly infinite varieties of views and opinions presented to us day after day, it is important to remember Buddhadasa Bhikkhu's words in "Help! Kalama Sutta, Help!" where he expressed that the Kalama Sutta "enables us to think, consider, investigate, and decide with great subtlety and precision, so that we can find specks of gold in mountain-sized rubbish heaps."
"Sectarian labels are a hindrance to the independent understanding of Truth, and they produce harmful prejudices in men's minds."
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha Taught"
"Violence in any form, under any pretext whatsoever, is absolutely against the teaching of the Buddha."
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha Taught"
"...every moment we are born and die, but we continue."
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha Taught"
"...there is no 'sin' in Buddhism...The root of all evil is ignorance and false views."
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha Taught"
"As there is no permanent, unchanging substance, nothing passes from one moment to the next. So quite obviously, nothing permanent or unchanging can pass or transmigrate from one life to the next. It is a series that continues unbroken, but changes every moment. This series is, really speaking, nothing but movement."
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha Taught"
"Just to say 'I believe' does not mean that you understand and see."
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha Taught"
Today is a full moon uposatha day. Bring awareness to your body, speech and mind.
"The present is the mother of the future. Take care of the mother. Then the mother will take care of the children."
-Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro
"There is no self. There are only causes and conditions. Therefore, to struggle with ourselves is useless. The wise ones know that the root causes and conditions of all conflicts are in the mind."
Maha Ghosananda
(From "The Human Family")
"Victory creates hatred. Defeat creates suffering. The wise ones wish for neither victory nor defeat."
Maha Ghosananda
(From "The Human Family")
"...for slack asceticism scatters dust all the more."
-The Buddha
The Kathina ceremony is today. The program is from 10 am to 1 pm. Everyone is welcome.
Due to Kathina being held tomorrow, there will be no program today. Everyone, of course, is welcome to come to tomorrow's ceremony, which will be from 10 am to 1 pm.
Today is a half-moon. These lunar observance days are weekly reminders that the most important part of being Buddhist is to -practice- Buddhism.
Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii advocated for "a fundamental prohibition of murder itself, which is the greatest tragedy of all tragedies in the human world."
-Quoted from "Maha Ghosananda: The Buddha of the Battlefield" by Santidhammo Bhikkhu
"In the light of interbeing, peace and happiness in your daily life means peace and happiness in the world."
Thich Nhat Hanh
"The Heart of Understanding"
1251 Orchid Dr.,Santa Barbara,CA 93111