Alas the human race will stay in conflict until all belief systems are dropped as unnecessary and immature baggage. Knowing is not believing. The mind is but thoughts. Stop the thoughts - one stops the mind.
No mind - no ego. The real "I" then becomes the ever constant witness - the observer of the unchangeable. To observe - to experience is to "know".
Belief systems are mere intellectual concepts granted special "validity" - created with dead past thoughts interpreted through one's conditioning. Belief is of the mind and ego and changeable. "Knowing" is of the heart. Yet we kill for these manufactured belief systems. "I believe in my concept of God, of freedom etc". Isn't it better to "Know God or freedom"? Can we ever "know" God whilst we hold onto our mental concept of God.
Masters come to shake us out of our contentment and illusion so that we awaken. Yet instead we create a belief system from their witness and go on killing each other with words and deeds. Must we who are created in the image of God be so insecure? Must we who's true nature is infinite being and bliss, continue to set our own limitations of ignorance and suffering?
Extracted from Charles Goodwin's blog
"Do you believe in reincarnation...?" Click here
People in the world cannot identify their own mind. They believe that what they see, or hear, or feel, or know, is mind. They are blocked, and so cannot see the brilliant spirit of their original mind....Huang-po.
Neither is there Bodhi-tree, Nor yet a mirror bright; Since in reality all is void, Whereon can the dust fall?....Hui Neng.
He who wherever he goes is attached to no person and to no place by ties of flesh; who accepts good and evil alike, neither welcoming the one nor shrinking from the other take it that such a one has attained Perfection....Bhagavad-Gita.
Not thinking of good, not thinking of evil - tell me, what was your original face before your mother and father were born?....Zen Koan.
"I have done my best", that is about all the philosophy of living that one needs....Lin-yutang.
"If you understand things are just as they are - If you don't understand things are just as they are"
To study the way of the Buddha is to study oneself.
To study oneself is to forget oneself.
To forget oneself is to be enlightened by everything...... Boden
It is not the result of our actions that we are working for, but the fulfillment of just doing.
Let everything go where it naturally wants to go and you will always be successful
In a certain sense Zen is feeling life instead of feeling something about life
In nature you already own the stars, the moon, mountains
Follow your own light, be ordinary, then you will see for yourself that you are part of the whole
When everything is working naturally, the heart spontaneously responds with the appropriate action
Is there anything more miraculous than the wonders of nature?
Yes, the appreciation of those wonders
Ignore the brilliance of your intellect and return to the unconscious
vastness of unknowing
Enlightenment is like the reflection of the moon in water. The moon does not get wet. The water is not separated
All rivers run to the ocean without filling it up. All water comes from it without ever emptying it
A bird sang, everyone listened. The sermon is preached said the master
Be empty, be still. Watch everything. Just come and go
How transient is life! Every minute is to be grasped.
Time waits for nobody
If we can just forget ourselves we can become one with our environment
Silently sitting by the window. Leaves fall and flowers bloom. The seasons come and go. Could there be a better life?
With time the artificial disappears and only the natural remains
As the heart finds the Changeless, it emits a natural light which illumines all which is still false
On seeing the peach flowers, Abbot Rei-Un became enlightened. As did Master Kyo-Gen at hearing the crack of a bamboo
Moment after moment, everything comes out of Nothingness.
This is the true joy of life
A student of Zen should learn how to read the love letters sent by
the snow, the wind and the rain
Shall I compare this life to a lightning flash or a drop of dew? Even as I speak, it has passed
An orchid doesn't lose its fragrance just because no one notices how good it smells
Sadhana
The Realisation of Life
By Rabindranath Tagore
An Introduction
to Yoga
by Annie Besant
- The Unfolding of Consciousness
- The Oneness of the Self
- The Quickening of the Process of Self-Unfoldment
- Yoga is a Science
- Man a Duality
- States of Mind
- Samadhi
- Some Definitions
- God Without and God Within
- Changes of Consciousness and Vibrations of Matter
- Stages of Mind
- Inward and Outward-turned Consciousness
- The Cloud
- Mind
- The Mental Body
- Methods of Yoga
- To the Self by the Self
- To the Self through the Not-Self
- Yoga and Morality
- Composition of States of the Mind
- Inhibition of States of Mind
- Meditation with and without Seed
- The Use of Mantras
- Obstacles to Yoga
- Capacities for Yoga
- Forthgoing and Returning
- Purification of Bodies
- Dwellers on the Threshold
- Preparation for Yoga
- The End
The Doctrine and Practice of Yoga
by Swami Mukerji
Jogi of the South India Order
Patanjali's
Yoga Sutras
Lessons in Gnani and Raja Yoga
The Yoga of Wisdom
by Yogi Ramacharaka
Zen Sayings
Just think of the trees: they let the birds perch and fly, with no intention to call them when they come and no longing for their return when they fly away. If people's hearts can be like the trees, they will not be off the Way..... Langya
The living meaning of Zen is beyond all notions. To realize it in a phrase is completely contrary to the subtle essence; we cannot avoid using words as expedients, though, but this has limitations. Needless to say, of course, random talk is useless. Nonetheless, the matter is not one-sided, so we temporarily set forth a path in the way of teaching, to deal with people......Qingfu
It was asked of the Master, "What is your Way?"
Puman replied, "What is right now?" .... Puman
It was asked of the Master, "What is no mind?"
Beiyuan replied, "Not being tied up." .....Beiyuan
It was asked of the Master, "Can one's own mind and the mind of another
see each other?"
Tongxuan replied, "If you can't even see yourself, how can you see others?" ......Tongxuan
One single still light shines bright: if you intentionally pursue it, after all it's
hard to see. Suddenly encountering it, people's hearts are opened up, and the great matter is clear and done. This is really living, without any fetters -- no amount of money could replace it. Even if a thousand sages should come, they would all appear in it's shadow. ....Chuzhen
When you're deluded, every statement is an ulcer; when you're enlightened, every word is wisdom..... Zhiqu
Whatever is material shape, past, future, present, subjective or objective, gross or subtle, mean or excellent, whether it is far or near all material shape should be seen by perfect intuitive wisdom as it really is: "This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self." Whatever is feeling, whatever is perception, whatever are habitual tendencies, whatever is consciousness, past, future, present, subjective or objective, gross or subtle, mean or excellent, whether it is far or near all should be seen by perfect intuitive wisdom as it really is: "This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self." Buddha Gautama (born 563 B.C.)
No thought, no reflection, no analysis, no cultivation, no intention; let it settle itself....Tilopa.
When you pass through, no one can pin you down, no one can call you back....Ying-An.
The water flows, but back into the ocean; The moon sinks, but is even in Heaven.
" Withdraw now from the invisible pounding and weaving of your ingrained ideas. If you want to be rid of this invisible turmoil, you must just sit through it and let go of everything. Attain fulfillment and illuminate thoroughly. Light and shadow altogether forgotten. Drop off your own skin, and the sense-dusts will be fully purified. The eye then readily discerns the brightness. - Hongzhi Zhengjue
" Every day priests minutely examine the Dharma and endlessly chant complicated sutras. Before doing that, though, they should learn how to read the love letters sent by the wind and rain, The snow and moon. - Ikkyu
" The penetrating brilliance of swords wielded by followers of the Way strikes at the enemy lurking deep within their own souls and bodies. - Morihei Ueshiba
"Sentient beings are primarily all Buddhas: It is like ice and water, apart from water no ice can exist; Outside sentient beings Where do we find the Buddhas? Not knowing how near The Truth is, people seek it far away, What a pity! - Hakuin
"Becoming a buddha is easy But ending illusions is hard. So many frosted moonlit nights I've sat and felt the cold before dawn. - Shih-wu (1272-1352)
Kensho : Enlightenment; the awakening to one's true nature, prior to ego. Ego is like the transient waves on the water's surface; one's Buddha nature is the entire body of water.
Ki : A universal force that constitutes, binds, and moves all things. In the human body it manifests as vitality. This vitality may be enhanced by good nutrition and breath work, through tanden breathing and other exercises.
Tanden : A point in the body, approximately one and a half inches below the navel and one and a half inches deep, considered the physiological, psychic, and spiritual center. Tanden cultivation is closely related to breath and mind-intent for the development of ki.
All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence....The Buddha's last words.
Let your mind wander in simplicity, blend your spirit with the vastness, follow along with things the way they are, and make no room for personal views-then the world will be governed....Chuang-tzu.
God has no religion.....Mahatma Gandhi.
Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall. Follow the stream, have faith in its course. It will go its own way, meandering here, trickling there. It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices. Just follow it. Never let it out of your sight. It will take you....Sheng-yen.
Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation....Tibetan Saying.
The Path to Wealth and Enlightenment
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The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a flat tire.
No one is listening until you make a mistake.
Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
"Love is the constant - all else is the shadow..."
Charles Goodwin - The Secrets Of Wealth Creation Revealed
The Enlightenment of Babu
Early one morning, young Babu went running to his master in the ashram.
“Master, master come quickly, Govindamurti has finally become enlightened.” Babu paused to catch his breath. “I’ve just come from the river, Govindamurti was on the other side. I beckoned him to me. He simply walked across the surface of the water to me. Govindamurti can now walk on water!”
Babu’s master remained seated and unmoved. His eyes glared at Babu with mocking joviality.
“Master, it is true,” protested Babu. “Govindamurti is enlightened. I saw him with my own eyes walk on water.”
The Master beckoned with his finger for Babu to sit before him. Silence followed.
An hour went by. In the presence and aura of the Master, Babu’s thoughts settled. He lapsed into deep meditation. Another hour elapsed. The silence was eventually shattered by a mosquito buzzing around Babu’s face.
The Master finally spoke. “Babu, is the mosquito enlightened?”
“Of course not, master.”
“Yet even a mosquito can walk on water, can it not?”
“Yes, but…”
“So you think that enlightenment is raising yourself to the talents of a mosquito do you?”
Babu was humbled. “No, master.”
“Enlightenment is dropping all notion of body consciousness and becoming the mosquito. Not imitating the mosquito, is it not?”
Babu nodded “Yes, master.”
“When you beckoned Govindamurti to come to you, how do you know it was not your power that prompted him to walk across the surface of the water?”
Babu looked perplexed and did not answer.
“Babu, the path to enlightenment is fraught with dangers. You will develop various powers and view many visions. All these powers and visions are impermanent, hence illusory. Know that enlightenment is even beyond sidhi powers.”
At that instant, the mosquito suddenly bit Babu on the face. Impulsively Babu slapped and killed the mosquito. The Master vanished and Babu was instantly enlightened.
Question – Why did the Master vanish?
The Pumkin Man
The child was only small when the parents tied a small pumpkin to his back. The child felt uncomfortable and encumbered at first, but in time slowly became used to wearing the pumpkin. The young boy played, ate, and slept with the pumpkin attached.
As the boy grew, the pumpkin also increased in size in proportion to his growth-rate. Others in the village began to wonder why the poor boy hadn’t simply removed the pumpkin from his back. He was certainly now old enough to do so, and the weight and the hindrance seemed too much to bear.
The boy remained steadfast. The pumpkin had now become an integral part of his psyche. He began to believe he was the pumpkin. If anyone dared advise him differently, he would become defensive and angry.
As the boy became a man, he was known far and wide as “the pumpkin man”.
Years went by. The pumpkin grew until the weight forced the now elderly man to stoop as he trudged through the village. The children would often run after him laughing at the foolishness. He would become angry and bitter, and wave a stick at them to frighten them off.
One night the children decided to play a trick on the pumpkin man. They entered his hut while he was asleep and cut the pumpkin from his back.
The children hid until dawn to see the results. The pumpkin man eventually awoke and realizing the pumpkin had gone, clambered out of bed and immediately began ranting and raving. “I am dead. I am dead. I do not exist anymore!”
Your ego and your physical body are your pumpkins. Your attachments and possessions are your pumpkins. Do not be like the pumpkin man and think that these pumpkins you are burdened down with, are you.
The Story Of The Frog
A frog lived in a well. As the frog was born in the well and had never ventured from the well, the frog naturally thought that the universe consisted only of his well. One day the frog heard a voice coming from the top of the well. The frog thought that the voice must be God calling! The voice was the frog’s wake-up call. For the first time the frog was motivated to climb up the side of the well to the ledge near the top. When he reached the ledge he could see another frog sitting upon the top of the well.
“Are you God?” the frog respectfully asked.
“No, not at all. I am merely a traveling seeker after truth,” came the reply.
“Then, where are you traveling to and what are you seeking?” asked the inquisitive frog.
“I am traveling to the coast to experience the ocean!”
The frog was bewildered by the visitor’s answer. “What do you mean by the word, ocean?”
“The ocean is a huge body of water.”
The frog thought for a while and then replied, “Ah, the ocean is like a big well.”
“Yes, I suppose you could describe the ocean like that, but the ocean is, of course, very much larger.”
“I see. The ocean is much larger than my well. Is it ten times bigger than my well?”
“No much larger!” explained the amused visitor.
“Is it a hundred times larger?”
“No, even much larger than a hundred times bigger than your well.”
The frog was now even more bewildered by the strange visitor’s remarks. “This is all beyond my understanding. What you are saying is that this ocean you talk of, is maybe, even a thousand times bigger than my well, possibly even ten thousand times. A well that big must be dangerous! I don’t think I want to hear anymore. I could get lost in such a big well.”
“Well, I’ll be on my way then as I have a long and arduous journey ahead of me. Good day to you.”
“Good bye,” answered the frog as he scrambled back down to the safety of his well.
The frog summed up his little adventure this way. “I’ve been blessed to meet an enlightened Master who has explained to me that the ocean is a large and dangerous well of a size at least ten thousand times bigger than my well!”
The mind cannot cope with such immensity.
The frog mind can only consist of the known. It rehashes past experiences and conditioning, and simply by it’s own conglomeration of recycled memories, creates the ego.
I look into a garden and see a rose bush, a recently mowed lawn, a tree with birds sitting on its branches and so on - how can you dismiss these observations as not being real - an illusion?
I had a dream last night and in my dream I observed a rose bush, a recently mowed lawn, a tree with birds sitting on its branches and so on - how can you dismiss these observations as not being real - an illusion?
But surely that is different. On your own admittance - you were dreaming!
Oh, but they seemed so real!
But when you awoke they disappeared!
You have answered your own question.
"It is impossible to be a spectator to reality"
Charles Goodwin
"Belief systems are but a bad case of Mistaken Identity!" Charles Goodwin
"When boarding the plane to enlightenment - leave all luggage at the airport!"
Charles Goodwin's
The Ten Esoteric Tenets To Enlightenment
All that is of time and within time is impermanent thus false.
All that has a beginning and an end is but an illusion appearing momentarily upon the screen of absence (infinite consciousness).
All that has a beginning and an end may give the illusion of a middle but the beginning and end meet in an indefinable illusory moment of the ever present now.
All that is observed, both the object and the subject, is but a dream creation of consciousness - yet the knower who knows of the knowing is beyond time and space and beyond infinite consciousness.
Thus:
I am not my body or mind - I seek the knower who "thinks" it has a mind and body.
I am not a human being - I seek the knower who knows that consciousness contains all and is totality.
I am neither reflections nor perceptions - yet all that I perceive, both sensory and mental, are but distorted reflections of the real.
I am not within the world - the world is within me. I seek the knower who is infinite awareness - whose centre is spaceless, timeless and dimensionless and whose nature is Bliss and Love.
I am the knower and the knower is omniscience. All that I need to know I already know. Yet all that I 'think' I am - I am not.
Creation Begins - Creation ends - yet "I am".
Zen Sayings - brought to you by Charles Goodwin
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Still within the gambit of the pleasure and pain cycle, desiring non-desire is but mind games of the foolish.
Free yourself from bondage by focussing such desire incessantly on the eternal. Desire to Aspire!
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