The Weekly Words of Wisdom chosen by Lama Surya Das were spoken by my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. I have heard him say many times over the years of practice with him that the next Buddha may be a sangha – a community of practitioners working together to bring peace, love, and joy to […]
Tea Much Too
March 29, 2013 by
A famous university professor went to visit a well-known Zen master. While the Zen master quietly poured the tea, the professor talked talked and talked. The master poured the professor’s cup to overflowing, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. “It’s overflowed! No more tea […]
True Love Knows No Boundaries
March 28, 2013 by
One of the most beautiful teachings of the Buddha was his teaching that true love knows no boundaries. This idea was expressed in the metta sutta as a mother’s love for her child: Even as a mother protects with her life her child, her only child, so with a boundless heart, should one cherish all living beings. […]
Non-Attachment to Views
March 25, 2013 by
This week’s Words of Wisdom from Lama Surya Das are from the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. The 17th Karmapa is the leader of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. “When spiritual beliefs are used to build up walls between people, this is a total misunderstanding of the purpose of spirituality. Spirituality should mean coming […]
Breath Is The Bridge
March 19, 2013 by
Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again. —Thich Nhat Hanh This is my favorite picture of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. I took it while I was in […]
Be Here Now
March 17, 2013 by
This week’s Words of Wisdom chosen by Lama Surya Das come from the seminal teacher for my generation, Baba Ram Dass. Baba Ram Dass was Dr. Richard Alpert of Harvard University in his early life. What he said in his famous book, Be Here Now in the 1960’s is totally relevant today. “You and I are the […]
Seven Rules of Life
March 13, 2013 by
Here are today’s Weekly Words of Wisdom from Lama Surya Das. The Buddha once said Do not pursue the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. The past no longer is. The future has not yet come. Looking deeply at life as it is in the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in […]
Attention Means Attention
February 25, 2013 by
Here are more Weekly Words of Wisdom from Lama Surya Das. Today we hear from Zen Master Charlotte Joko Beck. Unfortunately, she died last June and I was deeply saddened by her passing. She was an American Zen teacher and the author of Everyday Zen: Love and Work and Nothing Special: Living Zen. Whenever her writings appeared […]
Lincoln And Enlightened Leadership
February 17, 2013 by
This week’s Words of Wisdom chosen by Lama Surya Das is about the movie, Lincoln. The movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Jackie Earle Haley, Tommy Lee Jones, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and was directed by Steven Spielberg. I’ve heard that Sally Field gained a lot of weight to play the part of Mrs. Lincoln. Lincoln’s struggle to […]
The Extent Of Realization
February 10, 2013 by
Here is another segment of Weekly Words of Wisdom chosen by Lama Surya Das. This quote tells us how to recognize the extent of realization of our practice. In prison in Tibet, the great Dzogchen Khenpo Munsel Rinpoche taught me this: “The extent of your realization will be known when you encounter difficult circumstances. You […]
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