samsara

See it for what it is, pervasive suffering

/ Debra

Sometimes we are hot, sometimes not. Don’t worry. Welcome to the never fully satisfying samsara. Either too much, or too little, never just right, at least for very long. Rather than ignore and disbelieve this ingrown dissatisfaction, recognize it. See it for what it is, pervasive suffering. Pervasive suffering not only for you, but for everyone! On this basis, use this pervasive suffering as a catalyst to get rid of samsara. For yourself it is renunciation For all others, it is unconditional compassion. Seeing the elusive nature of pervasive suffering, is wisdom. Our self, others, and pervasive suffering itself, are all figments of our imagination. They appear independent of our mind, but on deeper inspection, do not exist as they appear. They are empty (absent) of independent existence on their own, from their own side. Yet they do exist, dependent on our minds. Chew on this for a while! Emaho! ~ Barry Kerzin

Pervasive suffering

Suffering…

/ Debra

 

English: personal gift of photo;anonymous phot...

English: personal gift of photo;anonymous photographer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Suffering, in fact, can be helpful in many ways. It spurs your motivation and as many teachings point out, without suffering there would be no determination to be free from samsara. Sadness is an effective antidote to arrogance. ~ Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

 

Don’t have to deny

/ Debra

We don’t have to deny that pleasant feelings are pleasurable. But we must remember that like every other feeling, pleasure is impermanent. Wishing to keep any person, place, possession, or experience with us forever is hopeless! ~ Bhante Gunaratana, “Desire and Craving”

 

Develop Confidence

/ Debra

We should develop confidence that the nature of samsara is impermanent, and start practicing – right now. We might plan to live for fifty years and spend twenty-five years working and twenty-five years practicing dharma, but it is not even sure whether we will live for twenty-five years. Death is always waiting for you. ~ Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

 

 

Altruism and Inner Peace

/ Debra

We, humans, are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives in which we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others. Nor is it so remarkable that our greatest joy should come when we are motivated by concern for others. But that is not all. We find that not only do altruistic actions bring about happiness, but they also lessen our experience of suffering. Here I am not suggesting that the individual whose actions are motivated by the wish to bring others happiness necessarily meets with less misfortune than the one who does not. Sickness, old age, mishaps of one sort or another are the same for us all. But the sufferings which undermine our internal peace — anxiety, doubt, disappointment — these are definitely less. ~  ‘The Pocket Dalai Lama,’ pages 6-7, by His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama