This Is Not The Entry I Intended To Enter Here

[bobby1933]

When I want to move
or to speak,
first I shall examine my state of mind,
and firmly act in a suitable way

Whenever my mind becomes attached
or angry,
I shall not reacvt, nor shall I speak;
I shall remain mum and unmoved like a tree.

-- Shantidevi (8th century Buddhist)

Comments

[reginaterrae]

Bless you, brother. Excellent substitute for the one you intended to post.  ;-)

[bobby1933]

:)

[nerthus]

My son practiced Buddhism, at least he did till his clinical depression overwhelmed him so much even his beloved Dharma couldn't help him; but since his sudden death 4 months ago I've been reading all his Buddhist books because the precepts of The Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path appeal more to me right now than the vague promises of Christianity, the religion in which I was raised. I love Pema Chödrön and her books because she explains Buddhist thought clearly and simply and focuses on having compassion for ourselves and extending that out to all beings. Thich Nhat Hanh is also a very famous Buddhist monk and activist (he met with MLK in the '60's and was banished from Vietnam by the govt for his pacifist work) whose books are wonderful to read. I think if my son hadn't become so ill he would still have clung to the Three Jewels--Buddha, Sangha, and Dharma--and on one level my studies now are in honor of his memory. But I feel my son left me a gift of pointing the way to The Eight-fold Path to help me in dealing with my

[bobby1933]

When the Buddha died (after more than 40 years of teaching) 500 of his closest followers met to try to reconstruct an accurate record of his teachings. The result was the Dammapadda. This was, in my opinion, a good thing since the Buddha was a great teacher.

When Jesus was killed (after less than three years of teaching) his eleven closest followers (Mary Magdeline is usually not counted) were disoriented and confused. They came up with beliefs, teachings, and scenarios which had little to do with what Jesus taught. These are called the Gospels (the first of which was completed over thirty years after his death. This was, in my opinion, a bad think since Jesus was a great teacher.

I think that the teachings of the Buddha and Jesus were, in essence, almost identical.

[velvetechos]

I already find your journal to be a wonderful read, and I've only just added you about 20 minutes ago. I look forward to reading further, thank you.

[bobby1933]

Thank you. :)