There is no reason to assume that we are inherently compassionate and wise. We clearly have a capacity for wisdom and compassion, but also for stupidity and cruelty. When we are stupid and cruel we generally deem ourselves justified and this enables
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Buddha said, “There are people who torment themselves. There are people who torment others. There are people who torment both themselves and others. There are people who torment neither themselves nor others.”
In our modern world there are two parti
Read more…Shariputra said: "Herein a monk lives spreading thoughts of goodwill in all directions. He lives spreading them everywhere, in every way, to the entire world, abundantly, boundlessly, unrestictedly, peaceably, benevolently. He lives spreading thought
Read more…SELF-SUFFICIENCY WITHOUT EGO
In Buddhism one can be confused at seemingly opposite teachings on individuality and self-reliance. On the one hand, it teaches us to let go of ego. On the other hand, it teaches ekagata, which is spiritual self-sufficien
Read more…There is a sutra called the Parinirvana. It is concerned with the last three months of the life of the Buddha. It begins with a conversation in which the Buddha is obliquely giving advice to a politician who is considering going to war.
The first thi
Read more…Today the ITZI Support Group discussed the theme "The Wounded Healer"
Points that came up included
Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where
Waking from drug sleep tangled night,
sahara mind extending to incognita
ripples round a fire still burning
at the back behind the ears;
flames curl over the scalp,
here and there exploding
pointlessly, above my eye
or inside the ear.
My teeth feel
There is an interesting item at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-happy-children-spouse-partner-relationship-unmarried-a8931816.html
The general drift is that marriage is broadly good for men but not for women and that having chil
Read more…The Brexit Party. This is the successor to the UK Independence Party. It is difficult to see UKIP ever becoming a significant force again while Nigel Farage leads the BP. However, despite its name, the BP is not a party, it is a business company. No
Read more…TEXT
上德不德，是以有德；
下德不失德，是以无德。
上德无为而无以为
下德无为而有以为。
上仁为之而无以为；
上义为之而有以为。
上礼为之而莫之应，
则攘臂而扔之。
故失道而后德，
失德面后仁，
失仁而后义，失义而后礼。
夫礼者，忠信之薄，而乱之首。
前识者，道之华，而愚之始。
是以大丈夫处其厚，
不居其薄；处其实，
不居其华。故去彼取此。
TRANSLATION
The best virtue (Te) is not virtuous and thus has virtue.
Lesser virtue is not
TEXT
道常无为而无不为。
候王若能守之，
万物将自化。
化而欲作，
吾将镇之以无名之朴，
镇之以无名之朴，
夫将不欲。
不欲以静，天下将自定。
TRANSLATION
Tao is always wu wei and nothing fails to get done
If rulers can hold to it
all living things will transform of themselves.
The urge to change and meddle
I shall subdue by m
Here is my translation of an early poem by Dante. It is written in the style of the "dolce stil novo" - The New Sweet Style, which started from a poem “Al cor gentil rempaira sempre amore,” by Guido Guinizelli (d. c.1276) who is the sage mentioned b
Read more…MERIT TRANSFERENCE
In Buddhist temples we often perform merit transference ceremonies in which we wish for the transference of merit to people in need. We hope that they will be relieved of suffering or helped along their spiritual path. We can under
Read more…TEXT
将欲歙之，必固张之；
将欲弱之，必固强之；
将欲废之，必固兴之；
将欲取之，必固与之。
是谓微明，柔弱胜刚强。
鱼不可脱于渊
国之利器不可以示人。
TRANSLATION
If you want to gather, first spread out
If you want to weaken, first strengthen
If you want to abolish, first foster
If you want to take, first give
This is c
Resonance is the transmission of a vibration from one body to another. Bodies are so constituted as to be amenable to vibrating in distinctive ways. Thus, soldiers crossing a metal bridge are generally commanded to break step while on the bridge beca
Read more…In The 37-Bon-Bodai-Bunpo, Dogen says “prevention of that which has not yet occurred is called the Buddhadharma”. This is said in the context of his commentary upon “The Four Kinds of Right Restraint” which is a classical Buddhist teaching. The four
TEXT
执大象，天下往。
往而不害，安平太。
乐与饵，过客止，
道之出口，淡乎其无味，
视之不足见，听之不足闻，
用之不足既。
TRANSLATION
Attain the great principle and the world under Heaven goes along;
goes along but without harm, in complete peace and calm.
Music and food will induce a passing traveller to stop,
but
KARMA & REBIRTH
Karma is what is reborn. At the end of a life one looks back. A process of life review occurs. From this review something stands out as the hallmark of the life that has been lived. Perhaps it was a particular meeting: “In this life I
