How
amazing it is
that all people have this but
cannot polish it into bright clarity.
In darkness unawakened, they
make foolishness cover
their wisdom.
Posts Tagged → happiness
light inside and dark outside
People’s intellect and knowledge are like the light of a lamp. If that light is mistakenly used outside, in a contentious and aggressive manner, aiming for name and gain, scheming and conniving day and night, thinking a thousand thoughts, imagining ten thousand imaginings, chasing artificial objects and losing the original source, light on the outside but dark inside, this will go on until the body is injured and life is lost.
If people give up artificiality and return to the real, dismiss intellectuality and cleverness, consider essential life the one matter of importance, practice inner awareness, refine the self and master the mind, observe all things with detachment so all that exists is empty of absoluteness, are not moved by external things and are not influenced by sensory experiences, being light inside and dark outside, they can thereby aspire to wisdom and become enlightened.
Light that does not dazzle progresses to lofty illumination; therefore a classic says, “The great sage appears ignorant, the great adept seems inept.”
friendship among brothers and sisters
Real friendship among brothers and sisters on the Sufi path includes the following eight responsibilities:
- Material aid. Help your companions with food, or money, or other things they need for their own survival or development.
- Personal support. If they are sick, visit them; if they are busy, help them, if they have forgotten, remind them.
- Respect. Do not complain of their faults to them or to others. Do not give advice when you know it can not be acted upon.
- Praise and attention. Praise the good qualities of your companions, and let them know that you care for them.
- Forgiveness. Forgive your companions for their failings.
- Prayer. Pray for the well-being of your companions with the same fervor you pray for your own well-being.
- Loyalty. Be firm in your friendships so that you can be depended on by those who put their trust in you.
- Relief from discomfort. Do not create awkward or difficult situations that involve your companions. Do not be a burden to others.
stanford encyclopedia of philosophy
you are already realized
it is not handed on by written words
You are
already realized.
It is critical to understand this.
Enlightenment is less a matter of charging
forward to achieve something, and more
one of doing non-doing — of leaning
slightly back and silently
accepting its constant
presence.
Once you have
done this, go on practicing.
Without straining, continually pour the
emptiness of your being into the
emptiness of existence, and
drink what comes back:
emptiness.
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such a place doesn’t exist
To search for enlightenment
or nirvana beyond this mind is impossible.
The reality of your own self-nature, the absence of
cause and effect, is what’s meant by mind. Your mind is nirvana.
You might think you can find a buddha or enlightenment
somewhere beyond the mind, but such
a place doesn’t exist.