Prayer for healing and blessing | Great Middle Way

Prayer for healing and blessing | Great Middle Way:

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Prayer for healing and blessing

Posted on April 1, 2012 

Just as the soft rains fill the streams,

pour into the rivers and join together in the oceans,

so may the power of every moment of your goodness

flow forth to awaken and heal all beings:

those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.

By the power of every moment of your goodness,

may your heart’s wishes be soon fulfilled,

as completely shining as the bright full moon,

as magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.

May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.

May no obstacle come across your way.

May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

For all in whose heart dwells respect,

who follow the wisdom and compassion of the Way,

may your life prosper in the four blessings

of longevity, beauty, happiness, and strength.

The Concise Heart Sutra | Great Middle Way

The Concise Heart Sutra | Great Middle Way:

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The Concise Heart Sutra
Posted on March 11, 2012



Form is emptiness; emptiness is form.

Emptiness is not other than form; form also is not other than emptiness.

Sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness are empty.

All phenomena are merely empty, having no characteristics.

They are not produced and do not cease.

They have no defilement and no separation from defilement.

They have no decrease and no increase.


In suchness there is no form, no sensation,

no perception, no volition, no consciousness.

There is no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind,

no form, no sound, no smell, no taste,

no tactile sensation, and no phenomenon.

There are no sense organs, no conceptual mind,

no afflicted mind, and no ground consciousness.

There are no causal links of dependent origination

and no exhaustion of causal links of dependent origination.

There is no suffering, origin, cessation, or path;

no exalted wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment.

Because there is no striving for attainment,

all Bodhisattvas rely on and abide in the perfection of wisdom;

their minds have no obstructions and no fear.

Passing utterly beyond perversity,

the great beings on the path to perfection

attain the final state beyond sorrow.



All the Buddhas who perfectly reside in the three times,

relying upon the perfection of wisdom,

become manifest and complete Buddhas

in the state of unsurpassed, perfect, and complete enlightenment.


The essence of the perfection of wisdom,

the formula of great knowledge, the unsurpassed expression,

the equal-to-the-unequalled sound,

the mantra that thoroughly pacifies all suffering,

is effective and true.



I declare the mantra of the perfection of wisdom.

It is thus: om Gone, gone, perfectly gone, perfectly gone beyond,

I surrender to enlightenment!

tadyatha om


gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi so’ha

The Stability of Ease | Tricycle

The Stability of Ease | Tricycle:

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Find a Refuge in Yourself

Without discipline, it’s very difficult to develop stability; that’s why we have a practice. And when we live according to the dharma, when we follow a teacher, when we follow the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, what it really does is bring us stability within ourselves. So, for example, when we have taken refuge, we find a refuge in ourselves; when we need ourselves, we are there for us. So often when we need ourselves, we’re not there.

- Sogyal Rinpoche, "The Stability of Ease"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Remember always | Great Middle Way

Remember always
Posted on December 20, 2011







Remember always that you are just a visitor, a traveler passing through.

Your stay here is but short and the moment of your departure unknown.

None can live without toil, and a craft that provides your needs is a blessing indeed.

But if you toil without rest, fatigue and weariness will overtake you

and you will be denied the joy that comes from labor’s end.

Speak quietly and kindly and be not forward with either opinions or advice.

If you talk much this will make you deaf to what others say,

and you should know that there are few so wise that they cannot learn more.

Be near when help is needed, but far when praise and thanks are offered.

Take small account of might, wealth, and fame for they soon pass and are forgotten.

Instead, nurture love within you and strive to be a friend to all.

Truly, compassion is a balm for many wounds.

Treasure silence when you find it

and, mindful of your duties, set time aside to be alone with yourself.

Cast off pretence and self-deception and see yourself as you really are.

Despite all appearances, no one is really evil.

They are led astray by ignorance.

If you ponder this truth often you will offer light rather that blame and condemnation.

You, no less than all beings, have Buddha Nature within.

Your essential mind is pure.

Therefore, when defilements cause you to stumble and fall,

let not remorse nor dark foreboding cast you down.

Be of good cheer and with this understanding summon strength and carry on.

Faith is like a lamp and wisdom makes the light burn bright.

Carry this lamp always and in time

darkness will yield and you will abide in light.

—Bhante Shravasti Dhammika

Meditation

Meditation is never one thing

Meditation is never one thing; you’ll experience moments of peace, moments of sadness, moments of joy, moments of anger, moments of sleepiness. The terrain changes constantly, but we tend to solidify it around the negative: “This painful experience is going to last the rest of my life.” The tendency to fixate on the negative is something we can approach mindfully; we can notice it, name it, observe it, test it, and dispel it, using the skills we learn in practice.

- Sharon Salzberg, "Sticking with It"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

International Meditation Centre (IMC) - Sunshine N.S.W. Australia . 10 day retreat Nov. 25th to Dec 5th 2011

Some pictures taken on my mobile phone at the 10 day retreat that I have just returned from today.
No phone on for the 10 days but took a few shots of this beautiful place.
Exhausting but refreshing days of intense training in Buddhist meditation.


This Retreat was organised by the :-

  SAYAGYI U BA KHIN MEMORIAL TRUST

International Meditation Centre

54 Cessnock Road, Sunshine NSW Australia, NSW 2264

phone:  0249 705 433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            0249 705 433      end_of_the_skype_highlighting        fax:  0249 705 749              www.imcnsw.com

The pagoda

From the door of my bedroom in the women's quarters

I had the luxury of my own en suite

My comfortable bed area.

Around the pagoda at night....looking across to the meditation hall.

The meditation hall.

The pagoda lit up at night.

The guilt roof of the pagoda.

The pagoda on a stormy day.

Meditation hall by day.

View from the Bodhi tree

From the Bodhi tree

The surrounding bush.

Bodhi leaves - the yellow leaves were falling off and the new leaves were budding.

Meditation

A ten-day course in Vipassana meditation is the practice of the Eightfold Noble Path, as taught by the Buddha.

The Path can be divided into three parts, namely: higher training in morality, higher training in concentration and higher training in wisdom. 

Morality: Morality is the common denominator of all religions. At the Centre, students observe the five precepts of refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and the use of drugs or intoxicants.

By diligently observing this morality, one develops purity of physical and verbal actions. 

Concentration: Beginning with the base of morality, training in concentration is taught using Anapana meditation (mindfulness of breathing).

Through learning to calm and control the mind during the first five days, the student quickly appreciates the advantages of a steady and balanced mind. 

Wisdom: The third training is wisdom (or insight).

This is introduced through Vipassana meditation, which is practised throughout the remainder of the period. 

Timetable

4:00 am	Wake up
4:30	Meditation in hall
5:30	Morning discourse
6:30 - 8:00	Breakfast and rest
8:00 - 9:00	Group meditation in hall (for all)
9:30	Individual instruction (for all)
11:00 - 1:00 pm	Lunch and rest
1:00 - 1:45	Meditation
2:00 - 3:00	Group meditation in hall (for all)
3:30 - 5:00	Meditation, and interviews for new students
5:00 - 6:00	Tea and rest
6:00	Evening discourse
7:30 - 8:30	Group meditation in hall (for all)
9:00	Retire

World Of Wisdom: A Cup of Tea

World Of Wisdom: A Cup of Tea:

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A Cup of Tea

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said,
"you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

...........................................................................................................

Refrence : http://www.101zenstories.com/index.php?story=1

How Feeling Leads to Craving

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 15, 2011
How Feeling Leads to Craving When there are feelings of physical pain or mental distress, the mind will struggle because it doesn't like pain. But when pain turns to pleasure the mind likes it and is content with it. So it keeps on playing with feeling even though, as we've already said, feeling is inconstant, stressful, and not really ours. But the mind doesn't see this. All it sees are feelings of pleasure, and it wants them. Try looking into how feeling gives rise to craving. It's because we want pleasant feelings that craving whispers-whispers right there to the feeling. If you observe carefully, you will see that this is very important. This is where the paths and fruitions leading to nibbana are attained. If we extinguish the craving in feeling, that's nibbana. – Upasika Kee Nanayon, "A Glob of Tar" Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Letting go of Projections - Sharon Salzberg in Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 7, 2011

Let Go of Projections ''On trains, in the street, in our homes and communities, we practice paying attention—through developing mindfulness and lovingkindness and through letting go of projections—partly because a more complete attention proffers many special gifts. These gifts can penetrate through the exigencies of social roles, the seeming hollowness of chance encounters, and even through terrible hurt.'' – Sharon Salzberg, "A More Complete Attention" Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Nectar and fragrance | Great Middle Way

Nectar and fragrance | Great Middle Way:



 "Nectar and fragrance''
Posted on October 17, 2011 by Tashi Nyima

Whatever, after due examination and analysis,


you find to be kind, conducive to the good,


the benefit, and the welfare of all beings,


accept and subscribe to that view,


and take it as your guide.


As the bee collects nectar and fragrance,


so let the sage dwell on earth.


—Buddha Shakyamuni


"


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Negative Emotions are the True Enemy

The fundamental philosophical principle of Buddhism is that all our suffering comes about as a result of an undisciplined mind, and this untamed mind itself comes about because of ignorance and negative emotions. For the Buddhist practitioner then, regardless of whether he or she follows the approach of the Fundamental Vehicle, Mahayana or Vajrayana, negative emotions are always the true enemy, a factor that has to be overcome and eliminated. And it is only by applying methods for training the mind that these negative emotions can be dispelled and eliminated. This is why in Buddhist writings and teachings we find such an extensive explanation of the mind and its different processes and functions. Since these negative emotions are states of mind, the method or technique for overcoming them must be developed from within. There is no alternative. They cannot be
removed by some external technique, like a surgical operation."
from 'Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection'

Toto had a haircut

Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience.
It isn't more complicated that that.
It is opening to or recieving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is,
without either clinging to it or rejecting it.
Sylvia Boorstein

Profound truth | Great Middle Way

Profound truth | Great Middle Way:

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Profound truth

by Tashi Nyima

Profound truth, so difficult to perceive

and taxing to understand—

but tranquilizing and sublime—

is not to be gained by mere reasoning.

It is perceived only by wisdom.

—Buddha Shakyamuni

The end of suffering | Great Middle Way

The end of suffering | Great Middle Way:
Posted on October 12, 2011 by Tashi Nyima

 "The end of suffering''

For one who clings, agitation exists,

but for one who clings not, there is no agitation.

Where there is no agitation, there is stillness.

Where there is stillness, there is no craving.

Where there is no craving, there is neither coming nor going.

Where there is no coming or no going,

there is neither arising nor passing away.

Where there in no arising nor passing away,

there is neither this birth nor a birth beyond,

nor a state between births.

This, verily, is the end of suffering.

–Buddha Shakyamuni"

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The Practice of Metta, or Lovingkindness Audio Talk

The Practice of Metta, or Lovingkindness

                       Joseph Goldstein talks on loving kindness