In the pursuit of learning,
every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less is done
until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
The world is ruled by
letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.
~ Lao Tsu ~
Tao Te Ching
Source: Tao & Zen
Source: A Mass of Suffering | Great Middle Way
Whatever feeling arises, whether painful or pleasant,
or neither painful nor pleasant,
one does not seek gratification through feeling
or remain attached to it.
As one does not do so, craving for feeling ceases.
With the cessation of craving comes cessation of clinging;
with the cessation of clinging, cessation of becoming;
with the cessation of becoming, cessation of birth;
with the cessation of birth, aging and death,
sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease.
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
—Buddha Shakyamuni
Coming, going, the waterbirds
don’t leave a trace,
don’t follow a path.
Midnight.
No waves,
no wind, the empty boat
is flooded with moonlight.
Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water.
The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.
Although its light is wide and great,
The moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide.
The whole moon and the entire sky
Are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.
– Dogen
The best method is the one that works. The best sadhana is the one that works. The best path is the one that works, the one that feels right in your heart, the one you feel all life is leading you down. But always know there will be a time to drop the method, the sadhana, the path. Then you will leave a path behind you. But there will be untouched, unknown ground before you, and you will act spontaneously, and authentically in response to the present moment. There will be no definite plan for the future. The past has passed, the future has yet to come. Like it or not, one is trapped in the now, may as well make yourself at home.
Source: Bradley Ross Coutts
Source: Three Turnings of the Wheel | Great Middle Way
The Three Turnings of the Dharma Wheel are the three cycles of the Buddha’s teaching, in which He emphasized various aspects. The First Wheel (in which He presented the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path) are focused on cause and effect, action and reaction —karma. The Second Wheel focuses on emptiness —that is, that our perceptions are conceptual elaborations, and have no independent existence. The Third Wheel focuses on Buddha Nature, the natural perfection of all sentient beings, which is ultimate reality.
One can go very deeply into all Three Wheels, but this is their essence: (1) as long as we live in duality, we must observe the law of cause and effect, avoiding harm and doing good; (2) we must understand that our perceptions are more indicative of our own perspective…
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In the pursuit of learning,
every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less is done
until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
The world is ruled by
letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.
~ Lao Tsu ~
Tao Te Ching
Source: Tao & Zen
When a drop falls on the surface of still waters, concentric waves are formed. These waves always travel from the center toward the periphery —never in the opposite direction.
Similarly, when we cultivate spirituality, we start our practice of loving kindness and compassion with those beings closest to us.
If we can help to reduce the suffering and increase the happiness of our neighbor (in the strict sense of the word), gradually the circle of love and compassion will expand to encompass all beings.
Source: Expansion | Great Middle Way
In the pursuit of learning,
every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less is done
until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
The world is ruled by
letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.
~ Lao Tsu ~
Tao Te Ching
Source: Tao & Zen
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