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Buddhist mysticism, Lotus Gospel quotations, Buddhism
| Buddhism, Dhammapada, Buddhist spirituality
quotations Buddhist mysticism, Lotus Gospel quotations, Buddhism |
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| Of all the eastern religions it is the various forms of
Buddhism that seem to have gained the greatest hold on the
Western imagination.
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha who was born circa 563 B.C.E. and lived into his eighties, having taught for more than forty years based on his Enlightenment experiences. There is no "God" in Buddhism!!! Huston Smith is widely known for his classic primer to comparative religion “The Religions of Man”, first published in 1958 and apparently now titled “The World’s Religions.” In this bestselling work Huston Smith begins his chapter on Buddhism with this observation: Buddhism begins with a man...And shortly thereafter continues: ...In his later years, when India had become electric with his message and kings themselves were bowing before him, people came to him even as they were to come to Jesus asking what he was.Buddha did not leave behind him a fully recognised canon of religious writings. Moreover Buddha, prior to his demise, refused to comply with requests that he nominate a successor preferring to recommend that individual people should look to their own spirituality. After Buddha's death the faith-system he founded - Buddhism - fragmented, in the shorter time-frame, into some eighteen schools or approaches to faith and in the longer time-frame the foundations were laid for the eventual emergence of two major traditions within Buddhism - the Theravadan and the Mahayanan. This Buddhist Spirituality page is one of a series of seven pages on our site that consider the extensive! range of deep! agreement about important aspects of spirituality and spiritual mysticism between such major World Religions as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism and Vedanta-Hinduism. You can access sets of quotations and quotes that seem to recognise a pronounced emphasis on such aspects of spirituality as a Disdain for Materialism, a Distrust of the Intellect, a Preference for Divine Inspiration, Charity, Purity of Heart, Humility and Meekness from each of these major World Religions as you continue through our series of "Central" Spiritual Insights pages. Please be prepared for some "soul-force" that might be held to reside within many of these quotations!!! Disdain for Material ThingsHe who lives looking for pleasures only, his senses uncontrolled, immoderate in his food, idle, and weak, Mara (the Tempter) will certainly overthrow him, as the wind throws down a weak tree. He who lives without looking for pleasures, his senses well controlled, moderate in his food, faithful and strong, him Mara will certainly not overthrow, any more than the wind throws down a strong mountain.Dhammapada V. 7-8 Distrust of IntellectThey pass from generation to generation ,Poor in virtue and of little happiness, Oppressed by all the sorrows And dwelling in the thickets of debate, Such as, Existence? or Non-existence? Relying on their propositions, sixty-two in number, They become rooted in false philosophy, Tenacious and unyielding, Self-sufficient and self-inflated, Suspicious, warped, without faith. During thousands and milliards of kalpas Such hear not the name of Buddha, Nor ever learn of the truth from The Lotus Gospel Yearning for Divine EdificationWise people, after they have listened to the laws, become serene, like a deep, smooth still lake.Dhammapada V. 82 CharityThe disciples of Gotama are always well awake, and their mind day and night always delights in compassion.Dhammapada V. 300 Purity of HeartAll that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage. All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.Dhammapada V. 1-2 HumilityHe who controls his hand, he who controls his feet, he who is well controlled, he who delights inwardly, who is collected, who is solitary and content, him they call a bhikshu. The bhikshu who controls his mouth, who speaks wisely and calmly, who teaches the meaning and the law, his word is sweet. He who dwells in the law, delights in the law, meditates on the law, follows the law, that bhikshu will never fall away from the true law. Let him not despise what he has received, nor ever envy others: a mendicant who envies others does not obtain peace of mind. A bhikshu who, though he receives little, does not despise what he has received, even the gods will praise him, if his life is pure, and if he is not slothful.Dhammapada V. 362-366 MeeknessLet a man overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good; let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth! Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.Dhammapada V. 223-224 Communion with GodThere is no "God" in Buddhism!!!That being said - those who make spiritual progress through following the teachings of Buddha are often held to attain to states of trancendent calm and of Enlightenment. The bhikshu, full of delight, who is calm in the doctrine of Buddha will reach the quiet place (Nirvana), cessation of natural desires, and happiness. Dhammapada V. 381
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