the length of a person’s life


 

The Buddha asked a monk,

“How do you measure the length of a person’s life?”

The monk answered, “By days.” The Buddha

said, “You do not understand

the Way.”

 

The Buddha asked another monk,

“How do you measure the length of a person’s life?”

The monk answered, “By the time that passes during

a meal.” The Buddha said, “You do not

understand the Way.”

 

The Buddha asked a third monk,

“How do you measure the length of a person’s life?”

The monk answered, “By the breath.”

The Buddha said, “Very well,

you know the Way.”

 

Sutra of Forty Two Chapters

full text translated by D.T. Suzuki

 

the reality is that we are safe

wholly absorbed in the breath

 

When we’re holding

the mental formations of despair

and suffering, we can look and see that 

this has been born from that; suffering is born

because we are in touch with an image from

the past. The reality is that we are safe,

and we have the capacity to enjoy

the wonders of life in the

present moment.

 

When we recognize

that our suffering is based on images

instead of current reality, then living happily

in the present moment becomes

possible right away.

 

Thich Nhat Hanh

don’t use the mind to invoke a buddha

kazuhiko okushita

 

Buddhas don’t save buddhas.

If you use your mind to look for a buddha,

you won’t see the buddha.

 

As long as you look

for a buddha somewhere else,

you’ll never see that your own mind

is the buddha. And don’t use a

buddha to worship

a buddha.

 

And don’t use the mind to invoke a buddha.

Buddhas don’t recite sutras.

Buddhas don’t keep precepts.

 

And buddhas don’t break precepts.

Buddhas don’t keep or break anything.

Buddhas don’t do good or evil.

 

Bodhidharma

bodhimorema