To be able to put oneself in another’s position, to be able to see and to feel as another person does, this is the rare gift of an earnest spiritual seeker. ~ Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
Compassion does not see the faults of others. It does not see the weaknesses of people. It makes no distinction between good and bad people. Compassion cannot draw a line between two countries, two faiths or two religions. Compassion has no ego; thus there is no fear, lust or passion. Compassion simply forgives and forgets. Compassion is like a passage. Everything passes through it. Nothing can stay there. Compassion is love expressed in all its fullness. ~ Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
Meditation Center – the place I love most in this entire world… I’m doing really well. Sorry for sneaking out without any footprint. I was extremely busy practicing meditation and helping my masters there. Very long class with strict rules, just the way I love it. Students had to get up around 3:30 am. Class hours: 4 am – 9:30 pm. Each student practiced very hard, most of us didn’t even eat after noon time. ~Jendhamuni
Looking Outside the Self, is to Compare and to Discriminate. You will not find Happiness that Way. Nor will You find Peace if You spend Your Time looking for the Perfect Person, or Teacher. The Buddha taught Us to Look at the Dhamma, the Truth, and not to look at other People. Peace is Within Oneself to be Found in the Same Place as Agitation and Suffering. it is Not Found in a Forest or on a Hilltop. Nor is it Given by a Teacher. Where You Experience Suffering, You can also find Freedom from Suffering. Trying to Run Away from Suffering is Actually, to Run Towards It. ~Ajahn Chah
25. Yasodhara reverencing the Buddha by placing her head upon his feet
The day after his arrival at Kapilavatthu the Buddha went on His alms round. King Suddhodana came and conducted Him to the palace and served Him with food. After the meal there was great excitement in the palace and all but Princess Yasodhara came to pay their reverence to the Buddha. Yasodhara thought, “Certainly if there is any virtue in me, the Noble Lord Himself will come to my presence. Then will I reverence Him as much as I like”.
The Buddha saw that if He did not visit her, Yasodhara would break her heart with grief. So He handed His bowl to the King, and accompanied by His two chief disciples entered the chamber of Yasodhara and sat on the prepared seat, saying, “Let the King’s daughter reverence as she likes”. Swiftly she came, clasped His ankles, and placing her head on His feet, reverenced Him as she like.
THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF BUDDHISM
by ASHIN JANAKA BHIVAMSA (Aggamahapandita)
Artist: U Ba Kyi | Link to this post
Know what is Good and Bad, whether Travelling or Living in One Place. You can not find Peace on a Mountain, or in a Cave. You can even go to where the Buddha Attained Enlightenment, without getting Closer to the Truth. ~Ajahn Chah
24. Twin miracle performed by the Buddha before his kinsmen and a shower of rain fell wetting only to those who wished to be wet
Members of the Sakya clan were very proud, and when the Buddha arrived at Kapilavatthu, they let only the younger kinsmen pay their respects to the Blessed One while the older folk sat down without making obeisance to Him. The Blessed One, who saw this behaviour, rose in the air and walked over the heads of the elders. He performed the miracle of the pairs, in which flames of fire came from the upper part of His body and streams of water from the lower part. Then the process was reversed. Next fire came out from the right side of His body and water from the left, and so on.
He thus showed his superhuman power and emitted six resplendent rays of light from his body, at which they marveled. Suddhodana himself was so deeply moved by the sight that he bowed his head and touched it with the feet of the Blessed One in salutation. At this, all the other members of the clan could not help paying homage to the Blessed One. The sky then became overcast with clouds and poured down a shower of rain by which only those who wished to be wet became wet and not others. They marveled at this miracle and showed greater respect towards the Buddha.
THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF BUDDHISM
by ASHIN JANAKA BHIVAMSA (Aggamahapandita)
Artist: U Ba Kyi | Link to this post