Nirvana is this moment seen directly.

There is nowhere else than here. The only gate is now. The only doorway is your own body and mind. There's nowhere to go. There's nothing else to be. There's no destination. It's not something to aim for in the afterlife. It's simply the quality of this moment.

Just this. Just this. This room, where we are. Pay attention to that. Pay attention to who's there. Pay attention to what isn't known there, pay attention to what is known there. Pay attention to what everyone is thinking and feeling. What you're doing there. Pay attention.

Fearing the Loss of Passion

"A lot of people, when they enter meditation, are kind of afraid, especially artistic people... they're afraid that if they pursue this path, they'll lose all their passion, they'll lose all their desire, they'll lose all their suffering; and then they won't--this is especially true of artists--be able to continue. And that's bullshit. It's not gonna happen.

You might wish you can relieve all your suffering; you're not gonna do it. Nobody's ever succeeded; Buddha himself didn't succeed.

You develop a different kind of relationship to your suffering, and that is important. And that can transform it utterly."

-Brad Warner, founder of Dogen Sangha Los Angeles

I can attest to this. As a practicing Buddhist, I can share,  through firsthand experience, that meditation does not force one to lose passion or a vibrant or dynamic personality. As Brad Warner puts it, "they were able to be the kind of distinct personalities they were because of their practice. Because the practice had allowed them to uncover the reality of what they actually were, beyond what they might have imagined they were."


So what does it mean to "be a Buddhist", if we must use those terms? It's really just about trying to conduct your actions with a moral center, and involves a certain level of mindfulness of one's present experience. That's about it.

Simple Wisdom

What the Buddha found, we can find...

No matter what your circumstance is, you will end up losing everything you love, you will end up aging, you will end up ill, and the problem is that we need to figure out how to make that all be all right.

What He actually said was that life is blissful; there’s joy everywhere, only we’re closed off to it. His teachings were actually about opening up the joyful or blissful nature of reality. But the bliss and the joy is in the transitoriness.

Do you see this glass? I love this glass. It holds the water admirably. When I tap it, it has a lovely ring. When the sun shines on it, it reflects the light beautifully. But when the wind blows and the glass falls off the shelf and breaks, or if my elbow hits it and it falls to the ground, I say, “of course.” But when I know that the glass is already broken, every minute with it is precious.

Everybody, every human being, wants happiness. You are your own master. Future, everything, depends on your own shoulders. Buddha’s responsibility is just to show the path. That’s all.

From:

The Buddha: Story of Siddhartha, A Film by David Grubin

Imagine for a moment...

Any thoughts on Ron Paul aside, one cannot deny that this is a powerful speech. Great empathy.

Heroes of every variety

The brilliance of this speaks for itself.

Prophet Muhammad & Khadija bint Khuwaylid: The Greatest Of All Love Stories

Khadija bint Khuwaylid was one of the noblest women around, coming from a very prominent family. She was also an accomplished businesswoman, running her own band of merchants. One of her employees, an illiterate oprhan named Muhammad ibn Abdullah, ran a merchant caravan from Sham in the north (present-day Syria) to Mecca in the South. Muhammad was known for having an impeccable moral character, and was widely known as one of the most honest men around. Khadija was attracted to this. They married. He was 25 and she was 40. They were married for 25 years, and she bore him seven children : 3 sons and 4 daughters, ho0wever, none of their sons survived infancy.

One day, while Muhammad was meditating in the cave of Hira, the Angel Jibreel came to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the first verses of the Quran and declared to him that he was to be a Prophet. Jibreel commanded him to "READ", and this frightened Muhammad. The experience terrified the Prophet Muhammad, and he ran home, jumping into Khadijah’s arms crying, “Cover me! Cover me!” She was startled by his terror, and after soothing and comforting him for a while, the Prophet was able to calm down and relate to her his experience.

The Prophet feared he was losing his mind or being possessed. Khadijah put all his fears to rest: “Do not worry,” she said, “for by Him who has dominion over Khadijah’s soul, I hope that you are the Prophet of this nation. Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress.”
She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal – a scholar well-versed in the Judeo-Christian scripture – and he confirmed to the Prophet that his experience was Divine and he was to be the Last Prophet.

Khadija was fiercely supportive and stood by the side of the Prophet until her death.
In my opinion, this is one of the greatest love stories I have ever heard.

Common Experiences

"A year later, Wallbott and Scherer (1986) published a study that examined situations in which people experienced joy, fear, sadness, anger disgust, shame, and guilt. Data collected in 27 countries suggested that although there were some differences among the samples, these differences were much lower than the ones within the countries."..."In all cultures, the most important event categories were birth and death, good and bad news, acceptance or rejection in relationships, meetings with friends, dates, temporary and permanent separation, listening to music, sexual experiences, interaction with strangers, and success or failure."