1. A master of everything

    Comment

    “A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.” ~ George Savile

    One who utters speech that isn’t rough
    But instructive and truthful
    So that he offends no one,
    Him I call Brahmin.”
    ~The Dhammapada

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  2. King Goodness the Great (Perseverance)

    Comment

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    Once upon a time, in Benares in northern India, the Enlightenment Being was born into the royal family. When he became king he was called Goodness the Great. He had earned this title by trying to do good all the time, even when the results might not benefit him. For example, he spent much of the royal treasury on the building and running of six houses of charity. In these houses good and aid were given freely to all the poor and needy who came along, even to unknown travellers. Soon king Goodness the Great became famous for his patience, loving-kindness and compassion. It was said that he loved all beings just like a father loves his young children.

    Of course king Goodness observed the holy days by not eating. And naturally he practiced the ‘Five Training Steps’, giving up the five unwholesome actions. These are: destroying life, taking what is not given, doing wrong in sexual ways, speaking falsely, and losing one’s mind from alcohol. So his gentle kindness became more and more pure.

    Since he wished to harm no one, King Goodness the Great even refused to imprison or injure wrongdoers. Knowing this, one of his highest ministers tried to take advantage of him. He cooked up a scheme to cheat some of the women in the royal harem. Afterwards it became known by all and was reported to the king.

    He called the bad minister before him and said, ‘I have investigated and found that you have done a criminal act. Word of it has spread and you have dishonoured yourself here in Benares. So it would be better for you to go and live somewhere else. You may take all your wealth and your family. Go wherever you like and live happily there. Learn from this lesson.’

    Then the minister took his family and al his belongings to the city of Kosala. Since he was very clever indeed, he worked his way up and became a minister of the king. In time he became the most trusted adviser to the King of Kosala. One day he said, ‘My lord, I came here from Benares. The city of Benares is like a beehive where the bees hive no stingers! The ruling king is very tender and weak. With only a very small army you can easily conquer the city and make it yours.’

    The king doubted this, so he said, “You are my minister, but you talk like a spy who is leading me into a trap!’ He replied “No m lord. If you don’t believe me, send your best spies to examine what I say. I am not lying. When robbers are brought to the King of Benders, he gives them money, advises them not to take what is not given, and then lets them go free,”

    The king decided to find out if this was true. So he sent some robbers to raid a remote border village belonging to Benares. The villagers caught the looters and brought them to King Goodness the Great. He asked them, “Why do you want to do this type of crime?”

    The robbers answered, “Your worship, we are poor people. The robbers answered, “Your worship, we are poor people. There is no way to live without money. As your kingdom has plenty of workers, there is no work for us to do. So we had to loot the country in order to survive.” Hearing this, the king gave them gifts of money, advised them to change their ways, and let them go free.

    When the King of Kosala was told of this, he sent another gang of bandits to the streets of Benares itself. They too looted the shops and even killed some of the people. When they were captured and brought to king Goodness, he treated them just the same as the first robbers.

    Learning of this, the King of Kosala began marching his troops and elephants towards Benares.

    In those days the King of Benders had a mighty army which included very brave elephants. There were many ordinary soldiers, and also some that were as big as giants. It was known that they were capable of conquering all India.

    The giant soldiers told King Goodness about the small invading army from Kosala. They asked permission to attack and kill them all. Continue reading

  3. Violence

    Comment

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    All beings tremble before violence.
    All fear death.
    All love life.

    See yourself in others.
    Then whom can you hurt?
    What harm can you do?

    He who seeks happiness
    By hurting those who seek happiness
    Will never find happiness.

    For your brother is like you.
    He wants to be happy.
    Never harm him
    And when you leave this life
    You too will find happiness.

    Never speak harsh words
    For they will rebound upon you.

    Angry words hurt
    And the hurt rebounds.

    Like a broken gong
    Be still, be silent.
    Know the stillness of freedom
    Where there is no more striving. Continue reading

  4. Something called LOVE

    Comment

    When your egocentricity overtakes your ability to feel empathy;
    you have lost something special, something unique, something called LOVE. 

    ~London Mond 

  5. To see the light

    Comment

    It’s during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.
    ~Buddha

  6. Kitten does not want to get out

    Comment

    If you’ve lost a cat that is allowed outdoors part-time or for brief periods of time and he/she has vanished, then it is possible that he/she is not missing but is hiding in fear. That’s because even outdoor-access cats can become displaced. Here’s how it works. A cat can become “displaced” into unfamiliar territory when he/she is chased off (beaten up by another cat, chased by a dog, etc.) and he/she ends up in a yard or area that is total foreign to him/her. Source: Missing Pet Partnership

  7. Every minute of your life

    Comment

    Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something
    outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious
    is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family.
    Every minute should be enjoyed and savored. ~Earl Nightingale

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  8. Yourself

    Comment

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    Love yourself and watch –
    Today, tomorrow, always.

    First establish yourself in the way,
    Then teach,
    And so defeat sorrow.

    To straighten the crooked
    You must first be a harder thing –
    Straighten yourself.

    You are the only master.
    Who else?
    Subdue yourself,
    And discover your master.

    Willfully you have fed
    Your own mischief.
    Soon it will crush you.

    By your own folly
    You will be brought as low
    As your worst enemy wishes.
    So the creeper chokes the tree.

    How hard it is to serve yourself,
    How easy to lose yourself
    In mischief and folly.

    The kashta reed dies when it bears fruit.
    So the fool,
    Scorning the teachings of the awakened,
    Spurning those who follow the law,
    Perishes when his folly flowers. Continue reading

  9. The Master

    Comment

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    At the end of the way
    The master finds freedom
    From desire and sorrow –
    Freedom without bounds.

    Those who awaken
    Never rest in one place.
    Like swans, they rise
    And leave the lake.

    On the air they rise
    And fly an invisible course,
    Gathering nothing, storing nothing.
    Their food is knowledge.
    They live upon emptiness.
    They have seen how to break free.

    Who can follow them?
    Only the master,
    Such is his purity.

    Like a bird,
    He rises on the limitless air
    And flies an invisible course.
    He wishes for nothing.
    His food is knowledge.
    He lives upon emptiness.
    He has broken free.

    He is the charioteer.
    He has tamed his horses,
    Pride and the senses.
    Even the gods admire him. Continue reading


Live & Die for Buddhism

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Khmer Tipitaka 1 – 110

 ព្រះត្រៃបិដក

ព្រះត្រៃបិដក ប្រែថា កញ្រ្ចែង ឬ ល្អី​ ៣ សម្រាប់ដាក់ផ្ទុកពាក្យពេចន៍នៃព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ

The Tipitaka or Pali canon, is the collection of primary Pali language texts which form the doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism. The three divisions of the Tipitaka are: Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka.

Maha Ghosananda

Maha Ghosananda

Supreme Patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism (5/23/1913 - 3/12/07). Forever in my heart...

Samdech Chuon Nath

My reflection

វចនានុក្រមសម្តេចសង្ឃ ជួន ណាត
Desktop version

Listen to Khmer literature and Dhamma talk by His Holiness Jotannano Chuon Nath, Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Buddhism.

Shantidevas’ Bodhisattva vows

My reflection

Should anyone wish to ridicule me and make me an object of jest and scorn why should I possibly care if I have dedicated myself to others?

Let them do as they wish with me so long as it does not harm them. May no one who encounters me ever have an insignificant contact.

Regardless whether those whom I meet respond towards me with anger or faith, may the mere fact of our meeting contribute to the fulfilment of their wishes.

May the slander, harm and all forms of abuse that anyone should direct towards me act as a cause of their enlightenment.

As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not shaken by blame and praise. As a deep lake is clear and calm, so the wise become tranquil after they listened to the truth…

Good people walk on regardless of what happens to them. Good people do not babble on about their desires. Whether touched by happiness or by sorrow, the wise never appear elated or depressed. ~The Dhammapada

Hermit of Tbeng Mountain

Sachjang Phnom Tbeng សច្ចំ​​ ភ្នំត្បែង is a very long and interesting story written by Mr. Chhea Sokoan, read by Jendhamuni Sos. You can click on the links below to listen. Part 1 | Part 2

Beauty in nature

A beautiful object has no intrinsic quality that is good for the mind, nor an ugly object any intrinsic power to harm it. Beautiful and ugly are just projections of the mind. The ability to cause happiness or suffering is not a property of the outer object itself. For example, the sight of a particular individual can cause happiness to one person and suffering to another. It is the mind that attributes such qualities to the perceived object. — Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Nature is loved by what is best in us. The sky, the mountain, the tree, the animal, give us a delight in and for themselves. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Our journey for peace
begins today and every day.
Each step is a prayer,
Each step is a meditation,
Each step will build a bridge.

—​​​ Maha Ghosananda