Among the enlightened
adepts, being able to speak the
Truth has nothing to do with the
tongue, and being able to talk
about the Dharma is not a
matter of words.
Posts Tagged → buddha
remember all is cyclical
The fragrance
of blossoms soon passes;
the ripeness of fruit is gone in a
twinkling. Our time in this world is so
short, better to avoid regret: miss
no opportunity to savor
the ineffable.
Like a golden
beacon signaling on a moonless
night, tao guides our passage through this
transitory realm. In moments of darkness and pain
remember all is cyclical. Sit quietly behind
your wooden door: spring will
come again.
entrust yourself to your own nature
Searching for words,
hunting for phrases, when will it end?
Esteeming knowledge and gathering information
only maddens the spirit. Just entrust yourself
to your own nature, empty and illuminating.
Beyond this, I have nothing
to teach.
accept three precepts
the paws of the buddha smelled like popcorn
Even if
you know how to recite
the texts, you still have to discern reality
from artificiality. Why? Sound and form dim the mind,
falsehoods fool the ears; personality and ego become second
nature, the disease of self-affirmation is deep-seated.
When the mind is separated from the
Way, the principle is hard to
comprehend.
If you wish
to return to the supreme
Way, have deep faith and first accept
three precepts. If you practice in accord with
these three precepts consistently from
beginning to end, then you will
attain the true Way. The
three precepts
are:
simplifying involvements
not craving anything
quieting the mind
…A scripture says,
“If people can empty their minds
and not contrive anything, it is not that
they want the Way, but the Way
spontaneously reverts
to them.”
Treatise on Sitting Forgetting
concentrate on the higher laws
By concentrating on the higher laws,
you acquire the power that
underlies them.
This hexagram teaches us to set an example for others through our own contemplation of proper principles.
A fundamental fact of consciousness is that we take on the attributes and energy of that upon which we focus our attention. In studying and meditating on the I Ching, we are concentrating on the underlying principles that govern the universe. Through contemplation of the wisdom of such principles as independence, detachment, modesty, acceptance, and tolerance, we begin to embody them in our own lives. Their power informs our actions and practices and we begin to have great influence as a result.
This hexagram comes to indicate that you need to make a self-correction and return to contemplation of proper principles. By sacrificing the harsh judgements of your ego and asking the Sage for guidance, you free yourself from hindering influences and increase your merit—and thereby your ability to have an influence.
It is in the quiet contemplation of what is correct that we become detached from anxious emotions about the situations that face us. This detachment gives us the balance and calm to choose solutions which are in accordance with the higher laws. In so doing we gain the aid of the Creative in everything we do, and others are drawn to this strength. Truly, we gain the ability to lead through contemplation of the principles of our own leader, the Sage.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 20, Kuan / Contemplation
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