After a certain number of years, our faces become our biographies.
-Cynthia Ozick
***
Be unremitting in the doing of good deeds.
Do them with all your might and by every possible means.
Keep the mind free of impurity. That alone is the practice of virtue.
All else is nothing but empty display.
-Tirukkural 4:33-34
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya
***
Let nothing upset you,
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything is changing;
God alone is changeless.
Patience attains the goal.
Who has God lacks nothing; God alone fills all their needs.
-Theresa of Avila
***
Master Shih-t'ou said, "A thousand kinds of sayings and ten thousand sorts of explanations are just intended to teach you to always be unconfused." What is popular in groups nowadays is just nominal Zen study; to try to find even one person who is always unconfused is like trying to pick the moon from the sky.
-Tuan-ch'iao
From "Teachings of Zen,"
***
To learn the secret of the Unseen
is only fitting for that one
who can seal her lips and keep silent.
-Mathnawi [III, 3387]
From "Jewels of Remembrance," by Rumi
***
Enthusiasm is a kind of faith that has been set on fire.
-George Matthew Adams
Quote
-
Guest
-
Guest
He who renders true judgment is a co-worker with God.
- Mekilta, to Exodus
***
He is awake,
Fulfilled,
Free from desire.
He neither is nor is not.
He looks busy,
But he does nothing.
Striving or still,
He is never troubled.
He does whatever comes his way,
And he is happy.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:19-20
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
As kusa grass, wrongly grasped,
Only cuts one’s hand,
So the ascetic life, wrongly taken up,
Drags one down to hell.
-"Connected Discourses of the Buddha"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
We are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside...True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar...
***
Once the Prophet was asked, "Who are the chosen people of God?"
He replied, "The truthful and the pure-hearted."
"O Prophet of Allah," they said, "truthful we understand, but who are the pure-hearted?"
"Those who neither fall into sin, nor transgress, who neither deceive nor bear malice. Such are the pure of heart."
-Hadith reported by Abd'Allah bin Amr
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
- Mekilta, to Exodus
***
He is awake,
Fulfilled,
Free from desire.
He neither is nor is not.
He looks busy,
But he does nothing.
Striving or still,
He is never troubled.
He does whatever comes his way,
And he is happy.
-Ashtavakra Gita 18:19-20
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
As kusa grass, wrongly grasped,
Only cuts one’s hand,
So the ascetic life, wrongly taken up,
Drags one down to hell.
-"Connected Discourses of the Buddha"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
We are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside...True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar...
***
Once the Prophet was asked, "Who are the chosen people of God?"
He replied, "The truthful and the pure-hearted."
"O Prophet of Allah," they said, "truthful we understand, but who are the pure-hearted?"
"Those who neither fall into sin, nor transgress, who neither deceive nor bear malice. Such are the pure of heart."
-Hadith reported by Abd'Allah bin Amr
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
-
Guest
The world today is upside down because there is so very little love in the home, and in family life. We have no time for each other. Everybody is in such a terrible rush, and so anxious…and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.
-Mother Teresa
***
The divine test of a man's worth is not his theology but his life.
- Morris Joseph, "Judaism as Creed and Life"
***
When a person is sleeping soundly, free from dreams, with a still mind, that is the Self, fearless and deathless. That is Brahman, the supreme."
-Chandogya Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads,
***
A blessing in the world:
reverence to your mother.
A blessing: reverence to your father as well.
A blessing in the world:
reverence to a contemplative.
A blessing: reverence for a brahmin, too.
A blessing into old age is virtue.
A blessing: conviction established.
A blessing: discernment attained.
The non-doing of evil things is
a blessing.
-Dhammapada, 23, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
When my servants question you about me, tell them that I am near. I answer their prayers when they call on me; let them answer my call. Let them trust in me, that they may be guided along the path of righteousness."
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:186
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
-Mother Teresa
***
The divine test of a man's worth is not his theology but his life.
- Morris Joseph, "Judaism as Creed and Life"
***
When a person is sleeping soundly, free from dreams, with a still mind, that is the Self, fearless and deathless. That is Brahman, the supreme."
-Chandogya Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads,
***
A blessing in the world:
reverence to your mother.
A blessing: reverence to your father as well.
A blessing in the world:
reverence to a contemplative.
A blessing: reverence for a brahmin, too.
A blessing into old age is virtue.
A blessing: conviction established.
A blessing: discernment attained.
The non-doing of evil things is
a blessing.
-Dhammapada, 23, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
When my servants question you about me, tell them that I am near. I answer their prayers when they call on me; let them answer my call. Let them trust in me, that they may be guided along the path of righteousness."
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:186
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
-
Guest
Let no one come to you without leaving better and happier.
-Mother Teresa
***
The root of joy is gratefulness...It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.
-Brother David Steindl-Rast
***
"I am not, I will not be.
I have not, I will not have."
That frightens all the childish
And extinguishes fear in the wise.
-Nagarjuna, "Precious Garland"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Sever the chains of the ego. Set yourself free and witness the bright essence of your inner being. Discover within your heart the wisdom of a prophet without books, without teachers, and without prudence.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies within us while we live( a false life).
-Norman Cousins
-Mother Teresa
***
The root of joy is gratefulness...It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.
-Brother David Steindl-Rast
***
"I am not, I will not be.
I have not, I will not have."
That frightens all the childish
And extinguishes fear in the wise.
-Nagarjuna, "Precious Garland"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Sever the chains of the ego. Set yourself free and witness the bright essence of your inner being. Discover within your heart the wisdom of a prophet without books, without teachers, and without prudence.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies within us while we live( a false life).
-Norman Cousins
The more a man knows, the more he forgives.
-Confucius
***
Only when Jews are united on earth is there a firm foundation for God's chambers on high.
- Simeon ben Yohai
***
If you could give up thoughts, you will right here and now attain the realization of oneness with all.
-Maharamayana
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus,"
***
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.
-Matthew 6:34 (Revised Standard Version)
***
One of his followers urged the Buddha to perform a miracle in order to attract some nonbelievers. The Buddha replied:
"I detest and will not undertake the so-called miracles of magic power and divination. I and my followers attract non-believers only by the miracle of truth."
-Digha Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Abu Bakr al-Saddiq once said, "This world is transitory and our life therein but a moment borrowed, our breaths numbered, yet our indifference reckless."
-Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
-Confucius
***
Only when Jews are united on earth is there a firm foundation for God's chambers on high.
- Simeon ben Yohai
***
If you could give up thoughts, you will right here and now attain the realization of oneness with all.
-Maharamayana
Reprinted with permission from "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus,"
***
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.
-Matthew 6:34 (Revised Standard Version)
***
One of his followers urged the Buddha to perform a miracle in order to attract some nonbelievers. The Buddha replied:
"I detest and will not undertake the so-called miracles of magic power and divination. I and my followers attract non-believers only by the miracle of truth."
-Digha Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Abu Bakr al-Saddiq once said, "This world is transitory and our life therein but a moment borrowed, our breaths numbered, yet our indifference reckless."
-Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
-
Guest
Imperishable is the Lord of Love.
As from a blazing fire thousands of sparks
Leap forth, so millions of beings arise
From the Lord of Love and return to him.
-Mundaka Upanishad
From The Upanishads
***
Everyone wants to change, but change demands desire and discipline before it becomes delightful. There is always the agony of choice before the promise of change.
-Larry Lea
***
Anger that has no limit, causes terror. Kindness that is inappropriate, does away with respect. So do not be so severe with others, as to terrify them; and do not be so lenient with others, as to make them take advantage of you.
-Sadi: Gulistan 8
Reprinted from "366 Readings from Islam
***
As from a blazing fire thousands of sparks
Leap forth, so millions of beings arise
From the Lord of Love and return to him.
-Mundaka Upanishad
From The Upanishads
***
Everyone wants to change, but change demands desire and discipline before it becomes delightful. There is always the agony of choice before the promise of change.
-Larry Lea
***
Anger that has no limit, causes terror. Kindness that is inappropriate, does away with respect. So do not be so severe with others, as to terrify them; and do not be so lenient with others, as to make them take advantage of you.
-Sadi: Gulistan 8
Reprinted from "366 Readings from Islam
***
-
Guest
A mantra is not like a prayer to a divine being. Rather, the mantra is the deity, is enlightenment, immediately manifest.
-Lorne Ladner, "Wheel of Great Compassion"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
God loves you right where you are but he doesn’t want to leave you there.
-Max Lucado
***
There should be no compulsion in matters of religion. The right path is now clearly distinct from the wrong path. Those who renounce the worship of idols, and put their faith in God, grasp a firm handle which will never break. God hears all and knows all.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:256
From "366 Readings From Islam
***
-Lorne Ladner, "Wheel of Great Compassion"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
God loves you right where you are but he doesn’t want to leave you there.
-Max Lucado
***
There should be no compulsion in matters of religion. The right path is now clearly distinct from the wrong path. Those who renounce the worship of idols, and put their faith in God, grasp a firm handle which will never break. God hears all and knows all.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:256
From "366 Readings From Islam
***
-
Guest
He who loves brings God and the World together.
- Martin Buber, "At the Turning"
***
Among a man's many good possessions,
A good command of speech has no equal.
Prosperity and ruin issue from the power of the tongue.
Therefore, guard yourself against thoughtless speech.
-Tirukkural 65: 641-642
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Abandon anger,
Be done with conceit,
Get beyond every fetter.
When for name & form
You have no attachment
--have nothing at all--
no sufferings, no stresses, invade.
-Dhammapada 17, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
It is more important to remember God than it is to remember to breathe.
-St. Gregory of Nazianzus
***
A man asked the Prophet, "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, "To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know."
-Hadith narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, as related by Al-Bukhari
- Martin Buber, "At the Turning"
***
Among a man's many good possessions,
A good command of speech has no equal.
Prosperity and ruin issue from the power of the tongue.
Therefore, guard yourself against thoughtless speech.
-Tirukkural 65: 641-642
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Abandon anger,
Be done with conceit,
Get beyond every fetter.
When for name & form
You have no attachment
--have nothing at all--
no sufferings, no stresses, invade.
-Dhammapada 17, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
It is more important to remember God than it is to remember to breathe.
-St. Gregory of Nazianzus
***
A man asked the Prophet, "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, "To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know."
-Hadith narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, as related by Al-Bukhari
-
Guest
Any plan formulated in a hurry is foolish.
- Rashi, Commentary on Job
Reprinted with permission from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.
***
As clouds are blown away by the wind, the thirst for material pleasures will be driven away by the utterance of the Lord's name.
-Sri Sarada Devi
***
To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
***
Although a suspicious mind is bad, still it is wrong to cling to what you shouldn't believe in, or to fail to ask about a truth you should seek.
-Dogen
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
Day and night he danced in ecstasy,
revolving on the earth like the heavens.
His ecstatic cries reached the zenith of the skies
and were heard by all and sundry.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thoughts of Rumi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
- Rashi, Commentary on Job
Reprinted with permission from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.
***
As clouds are blown away by the wind, the thirst for material pleasures will be driven away by the utterance of the Lord's name.
-Sri Sarada Devi
***
To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
***
Although a suspicious mind is bad, still it is wrong to cling to what you shouldn't believe in, or to fail to ask about a truth you should seek.
-Dogen
From "The Pocket Zen Reader
***
Day and night he danced in ecstasy,
revolving on the earth like the heavens.
His ecstatic cries reached the zenith of the skies
and were heard by all and sundry.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thoughts of Rumi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
-
Guest
All those who walk with God reach their destination.
-Sai Baba
***
Dignity does not float down from heaven it cannot be purchased nor manufactured. It is a reward reserved for those who labor with diligence.
-Bill Hybels
***
Walking the spiritual path is a very subtle process; it is not something to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks which lead to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality; we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques.
-Chogyam Trungpa, "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside.
-Dag Hammarskjold
-Sai Baba
***
Dignity does not float down from heaven it cannot be purchased nor manufactured. It is a reward reserved for those who labor with diligence.
-Bill Hybels
***
Walking the spiritual path is a very subtle process; it is not something to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks which lead to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality; we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques.
-Chogyam Trungpa, "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism"
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside.
-Dag Hammarskjold
-
Guest
Keep in mind that the essence of your prayers is the faith you have in them that they will be answered.
- Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
***
As an eagle, weary after soaring in the sky, folds its wings and flies down to rest in its nest, so does the shining Self enter the state of dreamless sleep, where one is freed from all desires.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
You don't have to be alone in your hurt! Comfort is yours. Joy is an option. And it's all been made possible by your Savior.
-Joni Eareckson Tada
***
This robe of freedom from cold
isn't matched by ordinary clothes.
This concentration free of hunger
is unequaled by ordinary meat and beer.
This draught at the stream of enlightenment
isn't matched by ordinary drink.
This satisfaction born within
isn't equaled by ordinary treasure.
-Milarepa, "Drinking the Mountain Stream"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Dhu'l-Nun was asked: "What causes a devotee to be worthy of entrance to paradise?" He said: "One merits entrance to paradise by five things: unwavering constancy, unflagging effort, meditation on God in solitude and society, anticipating death by preparing provision for the hereafter, and bringing oneself to account before one is brought to judgment."
-'Attar, "Tadhkirat"
From "The Wisdom of Sufism,
***
- Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
***
As an eagle, weary after soaring in the sky, folds its wings and flies down to rest in its nest, so does the shining Self enter the state of dreamless sleep, where one is freed from all desires.
-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
You don't have to be alone in your hurt! Comfort is yours. Joy is an option. And it's all been made possible by your Savior.
-Joni Eareckson Tada
***
This robe of freedom from cold
isn't matched by ordinary clothes.
This concentration free of hunger
is unequaled by ordinary meat and beer.
This draught at the stream of enlightenment
isn't matched by ordinary drink.
This satisfaction born within
isn't equaled by ordinary treasure.
-Milarepa, "Drinking the Mountain Stream"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Dhu'l-Nun was asked: "What causes a devotee to be worthy of entrance to paradise?" He said: "One merits entrance to paradise by five things: unwavering constancy, unflagging effort, meditation on God in solitude and society, anticipating death by preparing provision for the hereafter, and bringing oneself to account before one is brought to judgment."
-'Attar, "Tadhkirat"
From "The Wisdom of Sufism,
***
-
Guest
The world endures because of three activities: Torah study, worship of God, and deeds of loving-kindness.
- Pirkei Avot 1:2
***
Consider.
Wherever there is desire,
There is the world.
With resolute dispassion
Free yourself from desire,
And find happiness.
Desire binds you,
Nothing else.
Destroy it, and you are free.
Turn from the world.
Fulfill yourself,
And find lasting happiness.
-Ashtavakra Gita 10:3-4
***
A monk with a manifold joy,
with faith in the Awakened One's teaching,
would attain the good state,
the peaceful state:
stilling-of-fabrications ease.
A young monk who strives
in the Awakened One's teaching,
brightens the world
like the moon set free from a cloud.
-Dhammapada, 25, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Gabriel and Muhammad entered the heavens, and met a man who was watching human spirits go past. At some he said, ‘A good spirit from a good body.’ At others he said: ‘An evil spirit from an evil body.’ Muhammad asked who this man was. Gabriel answered: ‘It is Adam, reviewing the spirits of his descendants.’
-Ibn Ishaq, “The Life of Muhammad”
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
- Pirkei Avot 1:2
***
Consider.
Wherever there is desire,
There is the world.
With resolute dispassion
Free yourself from desire,
And find happiness.
Desire binds you,
Nothing else.
Destroy it, and you are free.
Turn from the world.
Fulfill yourself,
And find lasting happiness.
-Ashtavakra Gita 10:3-4
***
A monk with a manifold joy,
with faith in the Awakened One's teaching,
would attain the good state,
the peaceful state:
stilling-of-fabrications ease.
A young monk who strives
in the Awakened One's teaching,
brightens the world
like the moon set free from a cloud.
-Dhammapada, 25, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Gabriel and Muhammad entered the heavens, and met a man who was watching human spirits go past. At some he said, ‘A good spirit from a good body.’ At others he said: ‘An evil spirit from an evil body.’ Muhammad asked who this man was. Gabriel answered: ‘It is Adam, reviewing the spirits of his descendants.’
-Ibn Ishaq, “The Life of Muhammad”
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
-
Guest
What is national freedom if not a people's inner freedom to cultivate its abilities along the beaten path of its history?
- Ahad HaAm, "HaShiloah"
***
Liberty, taking the word in its concrete sense, consists in the ability to choose.
-Simone Weil
***
To disregard oneself, this is the best dharma.
This is the best service to Buddha's religion.
Practicing meditation for life is the best gift.
To those sentient beings without protection.
-"Hundred Thousand Songs: Selections From Milarepa, Poet-Saint of Tibet
***
To fight fear, act. To increase fear—wait, put off, postpone.
-David J. Schwartz
***
- Ahad HaAm, "HaShiloah"
***
Liberty, taking the word in its concrete sense, consists in the ability to choose.
-Simone Weil
***
To disregard oneself, this is the best dharma.
This is the best service to Buddha's religion.
Practicing meditation for life is the best gift.
To those sentient beings without protection.
-"Hundred Thousand Songs: Selections From Milarepa, Poet-Saint of Tibet
***
To fight fear, act. To increase fear—wait, put off, postpone.
-David J. Schwartz
***
-
Guest
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
-John Quincy Adams
***
Good will is mightier than the strongest weapons and guarantees the greatest security.
- Apocrypha: Aristeas, 230
***
Before the world was created, the Self
Alone existed; nothing whatever stirred.
Then the Self thought: "Let me create the world."
He brought forth all the worlds out of himself:
Ambhas, high above the sky; Marichi,
The sky; Mara, the middle region that is earth;
And Apa, the realm of waters below.
-Aitareya Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
Following Christ has nothing to do with success as the world sees success. It has to do with love.
-Madeleine L'Engle, "Walking on Water"
***
We should always remember that meditation is the cultivation and practice of nonattachment. The Buddha taught only the middle way, and mindfulness is nothing but the middle way. It is neither an intense practice, nor can it be done without effort. It must be done with balance. Properly done, it is neither detached pushing away nor egoistic clinging. Be very careful about sitting down with ideas like, "I am sitting, I am watching, I am breathing, I am meditating, I am this, that is mine."
-Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, "Mindfulness With Breathing"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Allah sees all that is in the hearts of His servants, those who say, "Our Lord! We believe in You, forgive us our sins and save us from the doom of the Fire," those who are steadfast, truthful, and devout, who give in charity and pray for forgiveness in the depths of the night.
-Qur'an, Al-Imran, Surah 3:15-17
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
-John Quincy Adams
***
Good will is mightier than the strongest weapons and guarantees the greatest security.
- Apocrypha: Aristeas, 230
***
Before the world was created, the Self
Alone existed; nothing whatever stirred.
Then the Self thought: "Let me create the world."
He brought forth all the worlds out of himself:
Ambhas, high above the sky; Marichi,
The sky; Mara, the middle region that is earth;
And Apa, the realm of waters below.
-Aitareya Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
Following Christ has nothing to do with success as the world sees success. It has to do with love.
-Madeleine L'Engle, "Walking on Water"
***
We should always remember that meditation is the cultivation and practice of nonattachment. The Buddha taught only the middle way, and mindfulness is nothing but the middle way. It is neither an intense practice, nor can it be done without effort. It must be done with balance. Properly done, it is neither detached pushing away nor egoistic clinging. Be very careful about sitting down with ideas like, "I am sitting, I am watching, I am breathing, I am meditating, I am this, that is mine."
-Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, "Mindfulness With Breathing"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Allah sees all that is in the hearts of His servants, those who say, "Our Lord! We believe in You, forgive us our sins and save us from the doom of the Fire," those who are steadfast, truthful, and devout, who give in charity and pray for forgiveness in the depths of the night.
-Qur'an, Al-Imran, Surah 3:15-17
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
-
Guest
Love unaccompanied by criticism is not love....Peace unaccompanied by reproof is not peace.
- Genesis Rabbah 54:3
***
Every good fortune,
Wives, friends, houses, lands,
All these gifts and riches ...
They are a dream,
A juggling act,
A traveling show!
A few days, and they are gone.
-Ashtavakra Gita 10:2
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love.
-Blessed Julian of Norwich
***
By day shines the sun;
by night, the moon;
in armor, the warrior;
in jhana, the Brahmin.
But all day & all night,
every day & every night,
the Awakened One shines
in splendor.
-Dhammapada, 26, translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
God made the illusion look real and the real an illusion. He concealed the sea and made the foam visible, the wind invisible, and the dust manifest. You see the dust whirling, but how can the dust rise by itself? You see the foam, but not the ocean. Invoke Him with deeds, not words, for deeds are real and will save you in the afterlife.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed. Copyright 1999
***
- Genesis Rabbah 54:3
***
Every good fortune,
Wives, friends, houses, lands,
All these gifts and riches ...
They are a dream,
A juggling act,
A traveling show!
A few days, and they are gone.
-Ashtavakra Gita 10:2
From "The Heart of Awareness
***
The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love.
-Blessed Julian of Norwich
***
By day shines the sun;
by night, the moon;
in armor, the warrior;
in jhana, the Brahmin.
But all day & all night,
every day & every night,
the Awakened One shines
in splendor.
-Dhammapada, 26, translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
God made the illusion look real and the real an illusion. He concealed the sea and made the foam visible, the wind invisible, and the dust manifest. You see the dust whirling, but how can the dust rise by itself? You see the foam, but not the ocean. Invoke Him with deeds, not words, for deeds are real and will save you in the afterlife.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed. Copyright 1999
***
-
Guest
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.
-Chinese Proverb
***
Tough times never last, tough people do.
-Robert Schuller
***
[P]assion is the cause of blindness, of not seeing, of not knowing, of loss of insight: it is joined with vexation, it does not conduce to Nibbâna.
-Anguttara-Nikâya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Every night during a certain hour the blessings of both this world and the next are bestowed upon those who seek.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Ja'bir bin Abd'Allah
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
-Chinese Proverb
***
Tough times never last, tough people do.
-Robert Schuller
***
[P]assion is the cause of blindness, of not seeing, of not knowing, of loss of insight: it is joined with vexation, it does not conduce to Nibbâna.
-Anguttara-Nikâya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Every night during a certain hour the blessings of both this world and the next are bestowed upon those who seek.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Ja'bir bin Abd'Allah
Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
-
Guest
To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.
-Bertrand Russell
***
Words are the guides to acts; the mouth makes the first move.
- Rabbi Leon da Modena
***
Dissolving the mind,
Or the highest meditation,
The world and all its works,
Life or death,
What are they to me?
I sit in my own radiance.
Why talk of wisdom,
The three ends of life,
Or oneness?
Why talk of these!
Now I live in my heart.
-Ashtavakra Gita 19:7-8
From "The Heart of Awareness:
***
Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a saint, in spite of his present weakness.
-St. Thomas of Villanova
***
A mother, even at the risk of her own life, protects her child, her only child. In the same way should you cultivate love without measure toward all beings. You should cultivate toward the whole world--above, below, around--a heart of love unstinted, unmixed with any sense of differing or opposing interests. You should maintain this mindfulness all the time you are awake. Such a state of heart is the best in the world.
-Majjhima Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
The heart's recollection is the summons of the spirit-bird to divine attraction, just as the huntsman whistles to the ravenous prey he pursues with sounds which promise it food. Any remembrance of God that lacks such a summons has no value, and is deprived of any trace of divine recognition.
-Najm Al-Din Kubra: Al-'usul al-'asharat
From "The Wisdom of Sufism,"
-Bertrand Russell
***
Words are the guides to acts; the mouth makes the first move.
- Rabbi Leon da Modena
***
Dissolving the mind,
Or the highest meditation,
The world and all its works,
Life or death,
What are they to me?
I sit in my own radiance.
Why talk of wisdom,
The three ends of life,
Or oneness?
Why talk of these!
Now I live in my heart.
-Ashtavakra Gita 19:7-8
From "The Heart of Awareness:
***
Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a saint, in spite of his present weakness.
-St. Thomas of Villanova
***
A mother, even at the risk of her own life, protects her child, her only child. In the same way should you cultivate love without measure toward all beings. You should cultivate toward the whole world--above, below, around--a heart of love unstinted, unmixed with any sense of differing or opposing interests. You should maintain this mindfulness all the time you are awake. Such a state of heart is the best in the world.
-Majjhima Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
The heart's recollection is the summons of the spirit-bird to divine attraction, just as the huntsman whistles to the ravenous prey he pursues with sounds which promise it food. Any remembrance of God that lacks such a summons has no value, and is deprived of any trace of divine recognition.
-Najm Al-Din Kubra: Al-'usul al-'asharat
From "The Wisdom of Sufism,"
-
Guest
A woman is like a tea bag: you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.
-Nancy Reagan (submitted by clipperlady)
***
Meekness of spirit is the halo of the wise.
- Joseph Kimhi, Daily Prayer Book
***
Kali is naked reality.
She is the feminine reality.
This simpleminded lover of truth
calls her my Mother, my Mother,
because she is the inexhaustible affection
who never neglects her children,
no matter how heedless or rebellious they may be.
-Ramprasad
From "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics
***
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith.
-Reinbhold Niebuhr
***
Another shortcoming of desire is that it leads to so much that is undesirable.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "The Door to Satisfaction"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
I am you, O God. You are my being; you are the fulfillment of all my desires. I embrace you in my innermost thoughts. Your soul and my soul are like two lamps, shedding a single light.
-Hallaj, "Diwan"
Reprinted from "366 Readings from Islam
-Nancy Reagan (submitted by clipperlady)
***
Meekness of spirit is the halo of the wise.
- Joseph Kimhi, Daily Prayer Book
***
Kali is naked reality.
She is the feminine reality.
This simpleminded lover of truth
calls her my Mother, my Mother,
because she is the inexhaustible affection
who never neglects her children,
no matter how heedless or rebellious they may be.
-Ramprasad
From "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics
***
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith.
-Reinbhold Niebuhr
***
Another shortcoming of desire is that it leads to so much that is undesirable.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "The Door to Satisfaction"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
I am you, O God. You are my being; you are the fulfillment of all my desires. I embrace you in my innermost thoughts. Your soul and my soul are like two lamps, shedding a single light.
-Hallaj, "Diwan"
Reprinted from "366 Readings from Islam
-
Guest
Peace, like charity, begins at home.
- Ben Zevi, Inauguration Address
***
In dark night live those for whom
The world without alone is real; in night
Darker still, for whom the world within
Alone is real. The first leads to a life
Of action, the second to a life of meditation.
But those who combine action with meditation
Cross the sea of death through action
And enter into immortality
Through the practice of meditation.
So have we heard from the wise.
-Isha Upanishad
From The Upanishads,
***
God speaks to us through our desires. Then as we lay them at his feet, he helps us sort them out and quiets our hearts to accept what he has already prepared.
-Rosalind Rinker
***
Brute force, no matter how strongly applied, can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom and dignity. It is not enough, as communist systems have assumed, merely to provide people with food, shelter and clothing. Human nature needs to breathe the precious air of liberty.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
From "The Pocket Dalai Lama,"
***
Sufficient is our Lord for us. He is the greatest of all helpers; we depend upon Him alone.
-From the collection "Munajat E Maqbool"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
- Ben Zevi, Inauguration Address
***
In dark night live those for whom
The world without alone is real; in night
Darker still, for whom the world within
Alone is real. The first leads to a life
Of action, the second to a life of meditation.
But those who combine action with meditation
Cross the sea of death through action
And enter into immortality
Through the practice of meditation.
So have we heard from the wise.
-Isha Upanishad
From The Upanishads,
***
God speaks to us through our desires. Then as we lay them at his feet, he helps us sort them out and quiets our hearts to accept what he has already prepared.
-Rosalind Rinker
***
Brute force, no matter how strongly applied, can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom and dignity. It is not enough, as communist systems have assumed, merely to provide people with food, shelter and clothing. Human nature needs to breathe the precious air of liberty.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
From "The Pocket Dalai Lama,"
***
Sufficient is our Lord for us. He is the greatest of all helpers; we depend upon Him alone.
-From the collection "Munajat E Maqbool"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
-
Guest
Hope is the source of all happiness...
None is to be considered a man who does not hope in God.
- Philo, Rewards
***
Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride.
-Sutta Nipata
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
Allah wishes to lighten your burdens, for man was created weak.
-Qu'ran, An-Nisa, Surah 4:28
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.
-Elizabeth Kenny
None is to be considered a man who does not hope in God.
- Philo, Rewards
***
Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride.
-Sutta Nipata
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations,"
***
Allah wishes to lighten your burdens, for man was created weak.
-Qu'ran, An-Nisa, Surah 4:28
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.
-Elizabeth Kenny
-
Guest
You may call God love,
you may call God goodness, but the best name for God is compassion.
-Meister Eckhart
***
And better than a hundred years
lived apathetic & unenergetic, is
one day
lived energetic & firm.
-Dhammapada, 8, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
All that is in the heavens and on the earth glorifies Allah. He alone is the Almighty, the Cognizant, the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth, who bestows life and ordains death, and has complete power over all things. He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Unseen, the One and the Only with the knowledge of all things.
-Qur'an, Al-Hadid, Surah 57:1-5
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
you may call God goodness, but the best name for God is compassion.
-Meister Eckhart
***
And better than a hundred years
lived apathetic & unenergetic, is
one day
lived energetic & firm.
-Dhammapada, 8, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
All that is in the heavens and on the earth glorifies Allah. He alone is the Almighty, the Cognizant, the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth, who bestows life and ordains death, and has complete power over all things. He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Unseen, the One and the Only with the knowledge of all things.
-Qur'an, Al-Hadid, Surah 57:1-5
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
-
Guest
Even a poor man who himself survives on charity should give charity.
- Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 7b
***
Brahman is indivisible and pure;
Realize Brahman and go beyond all change.
He is immanent and transcendant.
Realizing him, sages attain freedom
And declare there are no separate minds.
They have but realized what they always are.
-Amritabindu Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
The beautiful thing about this adventure called faith is that we can count on Him never to lead us astray.
-Charles Swindoll
***
A Brahman named Sangarava bathed every morning and evening in the river so that he could be cleansed from whatever sin he might have committed during the day.
To him, the Buddha said, "If bathing could purify one from sins, then all the frogs, turtles, and crocodiles would be free from sin! The real lake is the lake of goodness, with grace as its shore for bathing. Clear and undefiled, it soothes all who immerse themselves. Plunge into the waters of goodness and learn to swim."
-Samyutta Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Renunciation of the world does not constitute wearing coarse clothes and eating stale bread. Real renunciation lies in curbing desires.
-Hadith reported by Sufyan Thawri
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and of true progress.
-Nicholas Murray Butler
- Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 7b
***
Brahman is indivisible and pure;
Realize Brahman and go beyond all change.
He is immanent and transcendant.
Realizing him, sages attain freedom
And declare there are no separate minds.
They have but realized what they always are.
-Amritabindu Upanishad
Excerpted from The Upanishads
***
The beautiful thing about this adventure called faith is that we can count on Him never to lead us astray.
-Charles Swindoll
***
A Brahman named Sangarava bathed every morning and evening in the river so that he could be cleansed from whatever sin he might have committed during the day.
To him, the Buddha said, "If bathing could purify one from sins, then all the frogs, turtles, and crocodiles would be free from sin! The real lake is the lake of goodness, with grace as its shore for bathing. Clear and undefiled, it soothes all who immerse themselves. Plunge into the waters of goodness and learn to swim."
-Samyutta Nikaya
From "Buddha Speaks,"
***
Renunciation of the world does not constitute wearing coarse clothes and eating stale bread. Real renunciation lies in curbing desires.
-Hadith reported by Sufyan Thawri
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
***
Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and of true progress.
-Nicholas Murray Butler
"Look deep into your heart. Listen to the still small voice within. And remember one thing: life is fulfilled only through longings, never through ambitions. Life becomes blissful only through the heart, never through the mind. Mind creates science, the heart creates religion. Mind can give you better technology, better gadgets. The heart gives you the real, ultimate values: love, bliss, truth, freedom, awareness, God. And a life without these values is valueless."
Auther unkown
Auther unkown
-
Guest
There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
-Edith Wharton
***
Angels can fly because they carry no burdens.
- Eileen Elias Freeman,
“The Angel’s Little Instruction Book”
***
Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:12
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing: it is an infinitely foolish thing.
-Phillips Brooks
***
And what, monks, is Right Thought? The thought of renunciation, the thought of non-ill-will, the thought of harmlessness. This, monks, is called Right Thought.
-Digha Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.
-Michael Landon
***
-Edith Wharton
***
Angels can fly because they carry no burdens.
- Eileen Elias Freeman,
“The Angel’s Little Instruction Book”
***
Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:12
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita,
***
If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing: it is an infinitely foolish thing.
-Phillips Brooks
***
And what, monks, is Right Thought? The thought of renunciation, the thought of non-ill-will, the thought of harmlessness. This, monks, is called Right Thought.
-Digha Nikaya
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations
***
Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.
-Michael Landon
***
The longing makes the Messiah.
- Theodor Herzl, "Altneuland"
***
Adopting an attitude of universal responsibility is essentially a personal matter. The real test of compassion is not what we say in abstract discussions but how we conduct ourselves in daily life.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Imagine All the People"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Even before accomplishing enlightenment a person knows that everything attests to the existence of God. But these virtuous feelings of innocence disappear as he begins to mingle with corrupt society, because worldly affairs hinder him from swimming in the vast ocean of insight.
-Al-Ghazzali, "Ihya Ulum Id-Din"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
- Theodor Herzl, "Altneuland"
***
Adopting an attitude of universal responsibility is essentially a personal matter. The real test of compassion is not what we say in abstract discussions but how we conduct ourselves in daily life.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Imagine All the People"
Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001
***
Even before accomplishing enlightenment a person knows that everything attests to the existence of God. But these virtuous feelings of innocence disappear as he begins to mingle with corrupt society, because worldly affairs hinder him from swimming in the vast ocean of insight.
-Al-Ghazzali, "Ihya Ulum Id-Din"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
-
Guest
If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fear.
-Glenn Clark
***
Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism and falsehood. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces that continue to destroy the promise, the hope, the vision.
- Abraham Joshua Heschel, "On Prayer"
***
Hate hidden in a kinsman's heart will cause
many miseries, and more--it will kill a man.
When hatred arises, dissension destroys unity,
and men fall inescapably toward ever-ready death.
-Tirukkural 885-886
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Events make known the will of God.
-Unknown
***
Cut down
The forest of desire,
Not the forest of trees.
From the forest of desire
Come danger & fear.
Having cut down this forest
& its underbrush, monks,
be deforested.
-Dhammapada, 20, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Do not reveal to friends all the secrets you possess; they may one day become enemies. Do not inflict on enemies every injury in your power; they may one day become friends.
-Sadi, "Gulistan"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
-Glenn Clark
***
Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism and falsehood. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces that continue to destroy the promise, the hope, the vision.
- Abraham Joshua Heschel, "On Prayer"
***
Hate hidden in a kinsman's heart will cause
many miseries, and more--it will kill a man.
When hatred arises, dissension destroys unity,
and men fall inescapably toward ever-ready death.
-Tirukkural 885-886
Excerpted from the Tirukkural,
***
Events make known the will of God.
-Unknown
***
Cut down
The forest of desire,
Not the forest of trees.
From the forest of desire
Come danger & fear.
Having cut down this forest
& its underbrush, monks,
be deforested.
-Dhammapada, 20, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
***
Do not reveal to friends all the secrets you possess; they may one day become enemies. Do not inflict on enemies every injury in your power; they may one day become friends.
-Sadi, "Gulistan"
From "366 Readings From Islam,"
-
Guest
-
Guest
Character is the foundation stone upon which one must build
Character is the foundation stone upon which one must build to win respect. Just as no worthy building can be erected on a week foundation, so no lasting reputation worthy of respect can be built on a weak character.
-
Guest
What you don't see with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth.
- Jewish proverb
***
He is dear to me who runs not after the pleasant or away from the painful, grieves not, lusts not, but lets things come and go as they happen.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:17
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Churchgoers are like coals in a fire. When they cling together, they keep the flame aglow; when they separate, they die out.
-Billy Graham
***
God calls himself "Baseer" [Observant], so that the knowledge that He is watching you may keep you from sinning.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***
- Jewish proverb
***
He is dear to me who runs not after the pleasant or away from the painful, grieves not, lusts not, but lets things come and go as they happen.
-Bhagavad Gita 12:17
Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita
***
Churchgoers are like coals in a fire. When they cling together, they keep the flame aglow; when they separate, they die out.
-Billy Graham
***
God calls himself "Baseer" [Observant], so that the knowledge that He is watching you may keep you from sinning.
-Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi"
Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed
***