‘Just as a thunderbolt
Can light a dark cloudy night for an instant,
An awakened being can sometimes
Inspire people to do the right thing.’
Acharya Shantideva
Buddhist Insights
A wake-up sign, by John Aske
There is that strong wish in us to ignore painful things — if possible — but that leaves us bound to them in a kind of sleepy slavery.
Morning meditation — It is so hard to find the time and tools.
‘It is so hard to find the time and tools
I need To help those with whom I share this world.
If I don’t seize the chance now,
It may never arise again!’
Acharya Shantideva
Morning meditation — The Buddha’s teaching of the raft offers a profound reminder.
‘The Buddha’s teaching of the raft offers a profound reminder of the importance of non-attachment in the spiritual journey. His metaphor serves as a practical guide for using the Dhamma effectively.’
Everyday Buddhism
Morning meditation — From the birth and death of stars to the rise and fall of empires.
‘From the birth and death of stars to the rise and fall of empires, from the smallest atom to the grandest mountains, all phenomena arise, exist for a time, and then dissolve.
To deny this truth is to remain bound by illusion.’
Everyday Buddhism
Morning meditation — It requires a deep willingness to let go of our most cherished assumptions.
‘It requires a deep willingness to let go of our most cherished assumptions about who we are. The self, though an illusion, feels very real, and its dissolution can evoke fear and resistance.’
Everyday Buddhism
Morning meditation — What of you people? Do you know yourselves?
‘What of you people? Do you know yourselves?
When you doubt sufficiently, your enlightenment will be sufficient.’
Bassui Tokushō
Morning meditation — Mindfulness in words.
‘Mindfulness in words — trying to make an internal commentary of what one is doing — is just a kind of illusion.’
Trevor Leggett
Buddhism now 