by Marcus on March 10, 2010
Ajahn Brahm
In the book “Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung” Ajahn Brahm gave many insightful and inspiring stories but I liked the ancient Chinese proverb quoted at the opening page. It rightly deserves it place in the beginning of his book. It goes…
Grant yourself a moment of peace,
and you will understand
how foolishly you have scurried about.
Learn to be silent,
and you will notice that
you have talked too much
Be kind,
and you will realize that
Your judgement of others was too severe.
by Marcus on March 4, 2010
Apparently this is an Udumbara flower.
My idea of this flower was that it is much larger. This one measured just 1mm in diameter.
An udumbara flower is said to be so rare that it flowers every 3000 years. (Given our short history the last one if this one is real would have been circa 1000bc. Well, so much for legends.
Botanically it is quiet common and is a flower of the cluster fig tree. Both the tree and the flower are referred to as the udumbara (Sanskrit, Pali; Devanagari) in Buddhism.[5] Udumbara can also refer to the blue lotus (Nila udumbara) flower. The udumbara flower appears in chapters 2 and 27 of the Lotus Sutra, an important Mahayana Buddhist text.
The Japanese word udonge (優曇華) was used by Dōgen Zenji to refer to the flower of the udumbara tree in chapter 68 of the Shōbōgenzō (”Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma”). Dōgen places the context of the udonge flower in the Flower Sermon given by Gautama Buddha on Vulture Peak.
In Hinduism (Arthava Veda) it is given prominence as a means for acquiring prosperity and vanquishing foes.
The picture comes from here.
by Marcus on February 27, 2010
One of my most treasured books is ‘a Meditator’s Handbook’ by Ajahn Brahm. As the title implies, it serves as the best guide I have read so far. Sadly, action is another matter. J
Another book which I recommend is “Who Ordered This Truck Load of Dung”. It is really a book of anecdotes but more importantly those stories reveals many personal insights as well as life as a monk. Ajahn Brahm’s writings and talks are delightful to read and hear. Behind that wit, I am quite certain lies an enlightened mind.
You may be able to find them at the local stores but if Amazon’s the thing, here’s the link:
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life’s Difficulties
by Marcus on February 19, 2010
As the heat of the festivities dies down this year, one thought popped.
Year in and year out, we make that mad rush home, braving the traffic snarls and crawls. Some brave snows, others heat and rain. We make that journey simply to be home with Family.
Once the elders are gone, the younger ones will eventually scatter out and set up their own homing roosts for their children. So the pattern continues. Of course a new reverse pattern is emerging where the older ones gather at the homes of their children.
Parents depend on their children and vice versa. There is comfort in the thought that we can often find shelter when needed. Most of the time, values are imposed both ways. There are bound to be expectations and behaviors to follow. This is good, well, as far as can be seen.
Perhaps there is another way of looking at things. Consider the swallows or most other birds. They nurture their nestlings until they grow wings and are able to fly. Once the young are able to fend for themselves, they become free and live independent of their parents. Can we apply this same model on humans?
The young learn to be independent. They learn to forage for themselves. They learn strength. They develop their own thoughts, hone their social and interactive skills and hopefully develop wisdom. They become themselves.
On the reverse side, naturally, the warmth of the humanity may be lost in the process. This brings to mind a word of advice, ” Be like the pidgeon. Go forth and seek your self but return home when the day is done.”
I rant not so much as to say that the whole social structure is not good but as an exploration of ways to make us more positive, better human beings.
