Buddha on Impurity

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Impurity".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is eighteenth in the series.

The image was originally "Salomé" by Gaston Bussière, then changed to "Circe offering the Cup to Ulysses" by John William Waterhouse and now back to Salomé, but a different painting: "The Apparition" by Gustave Moreau.

Directions:

Like a withered leaf,
Death draws near to take you far,
And what will you take?

In the autumn breeze,
Death’s messengers are at hand,
So are you prepared?

Fashion of your self
A lamp and a refuge. Quick!
Strive hard and be wise!

When your lamp shines out,
Free from all impurity,
You’ll reach the pure realm.

Time runs short till death
And death yields no resting place,
So are you prepared?

Fashion of your self
A lamp and a refuge. Quick!
Strive hard and be wise!

When your lamp shines out,
Free from all impurity,
You’ll die never more.

One breath at a time,
As one who cleanses silver,
The wise cleanse themselves.

Step by step, gently,
Slowly, each moment, practice
Alchemy of heart.

Don’t indulge too much
In food, clothes, shelter or drugs,
The world’s attachments.

Exposed to the world,
The heart of man rusts like iron
In the elements.

As rust formed from iron
Corrodes the iron that formed it,
Man’s wrongs corrode him.

Learning’s tarnished by
Not reciting, like a house
That is not maintained.

Beauty’s tarnished by
Idleness, like a watchman
Who is unmindful.

The world is marred when
Women lack dignity or
Men lack charity.

But the greatest flaw
Of this world is ignorance.
By Truth, be flawless.

Life’s easy for one
Shameless, brash and insulting,
Fearless as a crow.

Life’s hard when one feels
Shame to be modest and pure,
And sees what is right.

He who kills, lies, steals,
Commits adultery or drinks,
Digs up his own roots.

Listen and know this!
Lack of restraint is evil.
Greed and lust hurt you.

Faith and devotion
Move people to give, so smile
That others receive.

He who’s resentful
Of gifts offered to others
Breaks concentration.

Uproot resentment
And, day and night, you’ll build up
Great concentration.

No fire burns like lust,
No bond grips like hate, no net
Like illusion's net.

To see others’ faults
Is easy, but difficult
To see one’s own faults.

Confront your own faults.
Before you winnow others’
In the wind like chaff.

Men spot others’ faults,
Yet they camouflage their own
Like wily huntsmen.

Do not dwell upon
Nor rail against others’ faults,
Or you soil your way.

The way is nowhere
In the heavens to be found,
Only in the heart.

The awakened’s Truth
Is the only path that yields
Noble perfection.

Most men love the bonds
That keep them back from the path,
But masters are free.

The way is nowhere
In the heavens to be found,
Only in the heart.

The awakened’s Truth
Is the only path that yields
Noble perfection.

All things rise and pass,
But the awakened master
Is ever awake.

Buddha on Anger

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Anger".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is seventeenth in the series.

The image is "Jeanne d'Arc" by Gaston Bussière, receiving encouragement, prayers and a sword.

Directions:

Let go of anger,
Give up pride; cut sorrow’s knots,
Mind, body and soul.

When anger rises,
He is a true charioteer
Who can use the reins.

He who checks anger
Is master of mind’s chariot,
Others are its slave.

Quell anger by love,
Bad by good, meanness by gifts
And deceit by truth.

Speak truth, spurn anger,
Give when asked, even little.
These three yield heaven.

Masters harm no-one.
Always mindful and restrained,
They go beyond pain.

The vigilant train
In goodness, peace and wisdom,
Wakeful day and night.

For those who practice,
Mind directed on the goal,
All cravings vanish.

So it’s always been!
For silence, for talking much,
Or not, all are blamed.

The world always finds
Blame in one who should be praised
And praise for the blamed.

But who dares blame him,
Who perfect, wise and virtuous,
Shines out like pure gold.

If the wise praise him,
And the gods in heaven too,
What is there to blame?

Beware angry deeds,
Master your body, shun wrongs,
Cultivate good deeds.

Beware angry words,
Master your speech, shun bad speech,
Cultivate good speech.

Beware angry thoughts,
Master your mind, shun bad thoughts,
Cultivate good thoughts.

The wise are controlled:
In deed, in word and in thought,
Perfect self-control.

Buddha on Inclination

 Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Inclination".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is sixteenth in the series.

The image is "Virginie" by the Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt.

Directions:

If you do wrong deeds
And grasp for instant pleasures,
Later you’ll regret.

He who forsakes good
And denies life’s noble aim
Covets others’ gain.

Do not be inclined
To stay with those whom you like.
Separation hurts.

Do not be inclined
To face those you do not like.
Confrontation hurts.

Both likes and dislikes
Bring pain. Seeing this, be free
From inclinations.

Affections bring loss.
For those free from affections,
What then could they fear?

Ties of love bring grief.
For those free from ties of love,
What then could they fear?

Attachments bring lack.
For those free from attachments,
What then could they fear?

Greed and lust bring need.
For those free from greed and lust,
What then could they fear?

Cravings bring sorrow.
For those free just from cravings,
What then could they fear?

He is loved by all
Who cultivates his gifts of
Virtue and Insight.

He is loved by all
Who follows the way, sees truth
And does his own task.

Transcending desire
For worldly things, he is called,
“One who goes upstream”.

He whose tongue is burnt
Of all taste save Nibbana
Will surely reach it.

After a long trip,
Returning safe, with what joy
His kin welcome him!

After a long life,
Returning pure, his good deeds
Like friends embrace him.

Buddha on Joy

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Joy".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is fifteenth in the series.

The image is "Glad Day" by William Blake.

Directions:

We live happily.
Even among those who hate,
We live without hate.

We live happily.
Even among the troubled,
We live in good health.

We live happily.
Even among the embroiled,
We find inner peace.

We live happily,
Never worried of starving,
For joy is our food.

Conquest breeds rivals,
And suffering in the conquered.
So renounce conflict.

There’s no fire or pain
Like passion, anger and loss,
And no joy like peace.

The greatest trouble
Is hunger, the greatest goal
To free the body.

Health, comfort and trust
Are man’s best friends, but freedom
Is the greatest bliss.

Stillness and freedom
Must be tasted through practice
Before insight comes.

Drink in joy the Truth
That expels all fear and pain.
The Truth sets you free.

Keep good company.
Life with noble ones is bliss,
Better than with fools.

He who walks with fools
Sighs as with foes, but in joy,
The wise are like kin.

Follow the nobles,
Resolute, intelligent,
Dutiful and kind.

Follow the wise ones
As the moon follows its path
Among the night’s stars.

Buddha on The Awakened

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The Awakened".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is fourteenth in the series.

The image is "The Emperor" by Thalia Took.

Directions:

Waking purges all.
The awakened cannot stray,
For they are pathless.

In perfect wisdom,
Stainless, desireless, pathless,
What path can lure them?

The wise through practice
Enjoy the peace of freedom
And the love of gods.

To be born is hard.
To be awakened is hard.
You’ve done the former!

Rare this human life,
Rarer still to walk in Truth.
Make the most of it!

Throughout the ages,
The enlightened ones all teach
The same basic Truth.

Not doing evil,
Do good that strengthens good, and
Purify the heart.

Enduring patience,
Without harming, is the best
Attribute of man.

Hurt none, eat little,
Follow the path, seek refuge
And devote yourself.

This is the teaching
The enlightened have revealed.
Seek Truth through practice!

Should it rain with gold,
Still the senses couldn’t be quenched
Of desire for more.

Pleasures are fleeting.
Though they may be heavenly,
They end with sadness.

Lust cannot be slaked.
Knowing this, the wise are glad
To lose taste for it.

In times of danger,
Men seek many a refuge
To take sanctuary.

Some go to mountains,
Forests, gardens, sacred trees,
But these are not safe.

The only refuge
That liberates from sorrow
Is the way of Truth.

He who takes refuge
In Awakening, Truth and Love
Realizes insight.

He sees the four truths
Concerning imperfection,
Its cause and its end.

Seeing how craving
Brings sorrow, he concentrates
On its cessation.

Finding true refuge
Through the noble eightfold path,
He ends all sorrow.

Few are noble ones.
Lucky the tribe that has them.
That tribe shall prosper.

Blessed is the rising
Of the Awakened, Truth, Love
And Love’s fellowship.

May you remember
Those who sowed seeds in the past
And pay your respects.

The good in homage
Of awakened ancestors
Is beyond measure.

Repeating Patterns

We all have them! Sometimes they are beneficial. They provide structure and keep us going. A pattern has a momentum to it. Humans love patterns. They are the dance and we the dancer.
But what of the patterns that bind us and deplete our reserves of energy and spirit? Do we recognise them? They are the things which we think about but do not do, and the things we do but do not think about. They are the antithesis of the French philosopher's Henri-Louis Bergson's imperative, "Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought!"

Often, we do recognise a pattern as negative. But that which we resist persists. Trying to escape a destructive pattern, the feelings of annoyance and guilt at the pattern's hold on us only increases those feelings and reinforces the pattern. It is a vicious cycle. The only way to break a cycle is a change in perspective. To put right our mistakes, we must not only accept, but also forgive them.

If we try to break a pattern and fail, then do we have the heart to try again? It is like trying to climb out of a hole. And if we succeed, do we not fill up the hole? And if the hole is too deep to be filled, would we not put up warning barriers to remind yourself and others to never fall in again?

I came upon a blog by Jim Cassa the other day, which had this to say, "There is a super fast method you can apply to get out of the hole but, dear reader, in this world you have a higher probability of seeing a pig fly in the sky than to see this method being used. The simple, yet diamond rare, method for getting out of the hole super fast is this. You help a person out of the hole that has the same repeating pattern as you do. It works like magic. Hey, I did not invent the game of life, I just want to understand the life game and make it work for me!"

To heal others, heal yourself. To heal yourself, heal others.

As within, so without.

Transcend the ego!

Link: (originally posted on BT) Two Stories at Sedaka

Buddha on The World

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The World".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is thirteenth in the series.

The image is "Gates of Dawn" by Herbert Draper. I imagine the acronym of the title is no coincidence. The painting represents the goddess of the dawn.

Directions:

Noble and mindful,
Don’t get caught up in this world
Of petty wrong views.

Pay respect to all,
Treat all in equal measure
And observe the law.

Practicing the way
Brings happiness to this world
And joy far beyond.

Look upon this world
As if it were a bubble
And you its dreamer.

See how the finery
Of this world thrills the senses.
Do not get attached!

In the royal train,
While fools flounder in its wake,
The wise are unmoved.

A master’s waking
Is like when the moon comes out
From behind a cloud.

When the unmindful
Become mindful, their insight
Shines forth on the world.

Wake from ignorance,
Overwhelm evil with good,
May you too shine forth!

How few see clearly!
Like birds in a hunter’s net,
How few can escape!

The wise are like birds
Who see through illusion’s net
And fly to heaven.

Swans fly through the air,
Magicians travel through space,
Masters leave the world.

One who breaks the law
And lies with impunity
Will balk at nothing.

Fools do not rejoice
In charity of others,
So they lose heaven.

The wise give freely
In charity and in joy,
So they find heaven.

Better than heaven,
Or to rule supreme on earth,
Is enlightenment.

Buddha on Yourself

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Yourself".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is twelfth in the series.

The image was originally of "The Mystic Boat" by Odilon Redon, who also painted the boat in my avatar. But now it is "Buddha", also by Redon.

Directions:

If you love yourself,
Then guard yourself throughout life,
Start, middle and end.

Each step of the way,
Guard yourself against evil
For your own well-being.

Establish the way
In yourself, then teach others.
Be impeccable!

Practice what you preach.
In order to teach others,
First master yourself.

None is a refuge,
But you are your own refuge
If you still your mind.

Wrong done by oneself
Destroys the fool as diamond
Cuts rock that bore it.

Like clinging ivy
Strangling life from its own tree,
So wrongs kill oneself.

Fools can do bad deeds,
But to do what’s rewarding
Takes wisdom indeed.

Fools who through wrong views
Scorn teaching are like bamboo
Dying when they flower.

The wrongs that you do
Are yours to choose not to do
Or suffer the sin.

The good that you do
Springs from your own purity
And makes yourself pure.

Your choices are yours.
None can make another pure.
May you choose wisely.

Don’t neglect your task
For another’s, though their need
May be great indeed.

Your task is to find
Your task and with all your heart
Give yourself to it.

Buddha on Old Age

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Old Age".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is eleventh in the series.

The image is of Saturn.
 

Directions:

What brings this laughter?
Why revel in dark passions?
Why not seek for light?

Beauty’s cheeks decay,
Once blooming with virgin life,
Now life has left them.

Look at her foul corpse,
Once inspiring such desire,
Now no-one wants her.

How frail this body,
Prey to sickness and decline,
All to end in death.

See these whitened bones,
Dry husks of a dead summer,
All joy departed.

Citadel of bone,
Mere flesh and blood, beset by
Death, pride and loathing.

The jewelled chariots
Of the forefathers wear out,
So too the body.

Only Truth will last,
Handed down by the virtuous.
So they teach themselves.

One who is stupid
Is like an ox who grows old,
But gets no wiser.

Those who sought not wealth
Nor wisdom in youth stand sad,
Like cranes in a lake.

Those who sought nothing,
Like weak arrows that fall short,
Will sigh for the past.

Lifetimes have I sought
Who built this earthly abode?
I could not find him!

Ha! Now I’ve seen you!
You shan’t build for me again,
Your screens now shattered.

No more do I cling,
The wheel of sorrow broken,
And my mind is free.

Dive in search for truth,
Draw the bow and let it sing,
Just make the effort!

Buddha on Punishment

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Punishment".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is tenth in the series.

The image is The Tibetan Wheel of Life. The pig, snake and bird represent ignorance, anger and clinging, but the image was chosen for its representation of the reciprocal nature of violence that afflicts mankind.
 

Directions:

All shrink before pain.
Put yourself in others’ shoes
And do not hit them.

All shrink before death.
Put yourself in others’ shoes
And do not make threats.

The one who seeks joy
But harms others doing so
Will never find joy.

The one who seeks joy
And harms no-one doing so
Will surely find joy.

Do not speak harsh words,
For careless talk causes harm
And retribution.

Like a broken gong,
Be silent, no resonance
Of harshness in you.

Like a broken gong,
Calm and still, may you be free
Of any discord.

As the cowherd’s stick
Drives cattle to new pastures,
Time drives men till death.

A fool who does wrong,
Without knowing lights a fire
Wherein he will burn.

He who draws weapons
And harms those who are harmless,
Ten times shall he die.

Evil men shall fall
Through pain, poverty and loss
Ten times shall they die.

Injury, disease,
Madness and persecution
Are wicked men’s lot.

The wicked shall lose
Good name, relatives and home,
Struck down like lightning.

Ten times shall he pay,
And when the wicked man falls,
Hell shall be waiting.

When his body rots,
The evil man shall spend time
In hell for his wrongs.

Shameless nakedness,
Fasting or squatting in filth
Will get one nowhere.

Sleeping on the ground,
Bedraggled and smeared with dust
Will not make one pure.

Losing shame or fear
Does nothing to purify
He who still has doubt.

He may wear fine clothes,
But so long as he harms none,
His faith sets him free.

Restraining from wrong,
Awake! like the noble horse
That need not be whipped.

Sparing no effort,
Ride true as the rare horse,
Who’s swiftly set straight.

Through meditation,
Concentrate, see and escape
The wheel of sorrow.

As water’s channelled
Arrows straightened and wood planed,
So the self’s mastered.

Buddha on Wrongs

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Wrongs".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is ninth in the series. Check back for the earlier ones!

The image was originally Humphrey Bogart, because despite his faults, his character always comes good, but then it was changed to "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird" by Frida Kahlo.

Directions:

Do good without thought,
Quickly! For if you are slow,
Doubt will catch you up.

If a man does wrong,
He should not repeat the wrong,
Or delight in it.

Set your heart on good.
Do it over and over
And be filled with joy.

A fool is happy
Till his wrongs turn against him
And lead to suffering.

The good may suffer
But in time, goodness bears fruit
And reaps sweet reward.

Don’t make light your wrongs,
For a jug fills drop by drop
Till brim with folly.

Don’t put down your strengths,
For a jug fills drop by drop
Till brim with virtue.

Valuing good deeds
And joy in those of others
Brings you joy also.

As merchants beware
Of dark ways where bandits hide,
So beware of wrongs.

As men who love life
Shun dangerous roads and poisons,
So the wise shun wrongs.

Poison cannot harm
The hand with no wound, so too
The pure bear no harm.

He who harms the pure,
The harm will blow back at him
Like dust in the wind.

Some are born in hell,
Some on earth, some in heaven,
But the pure aren’t born.

Nowhere in this world,
Not in sky or sea or cave
Can you hide from sin.

Nowhere in this world,
Not in sky or sea or cave
Can you hide from death.

Buddha on The Thousand

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The Thousand".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is eighth in the series. Check back for the earlier ones!

The image is the Chinese goddess of compassion Quan Yin. The video that follows is an amazing performance by Chinese deaf-dancers of Quan Yin's thousand hands.

Directions:

Better is one word
That brings peace than a thousand
That confuse the mind.

Better is one verse
That brings peace than a thousand
That dull the senses.

Better is one line
That brings peace than a thousand
That overwhelm you.

Better to win one war,
To conquer yourself, than win
One thousand battles.

Victory of self
Cannot be taken away
By gods or demons.

Victory of self
Cannot turn into defeat.
The war is over.

Better one offering
To a sage than a thousand
To unworthy men.

Better to honour
A sage than a hundred years
Tending holy fire.

To revere the sage,
A master old in virtue,
Is to share in life.

In old company,
Beauty, strength and happiness
Will surely increase.

Better is one day
Mindful and contemplative
Than a lifetime lost.

Better is one day
Awake in wise reflection
Than a lifetime lost.

Better is one day
Spent in determination
Than a lifetime lost.

Better is one day
Thinking how things rise and pass
Than the life unthought.

Better is one day
Seeing into Nibbana
Than the life unseen.

Better is one day
Knowing of the way beyond
Than the life unknown.

Buddha on The Master

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The Master".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is seventh in the series continuing on from

1. Buddha on Choices
2. Buddha on Mindfulness
3. Buddha on Mind
4. Buddha on Flowers
5. Buddha on The Fool
6. Buddha on The Sage

The image was originally 'King of Cups' from the "Elf of Heaven" tarot, now a portrait of the 12th century Korean monk, Chinul.

Directions:

Masters of the Way,
In freedom without limit,
Feel no pain or want.

The mindful practice.
Breaking all habits, they soar
Like swans from the lake.

Never settling long,
Nor hoarding, they leave no tracks
Like birds in the sky.

Masters eat slowly.
Reflecting on impermanence,
They merge with the void.

On the air they rise
Full with emptiness and free
Like birds in the sky.

Like powerful steeds
Calmed to the charioteer’s will,
So the mind is trained.

Loved even by gods,
Masters do not stop in pride,
But ride swiftly on.

They are firm like stone,
Joyous and clear like water,
And temperate like earth.

Masters are peaceful,
Peaceful their speech and action
And peaceful their mind.

In perfect knowledge,
Resisting all temptation,
They attain the heights.

Wherever they live,
City, country, valley, hills
There’s abundant joy.

Even when alone
In the forest they find joy,
For they need nothing.

Buddha on The Sage

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The Sage".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is sixth in the series continuing on from

1. Buddha on Choices
2. Buddha on Mindfulness
3. Buddha on Mind
4. Buddha on Flowers
5. Buddha on The Fool

The image was originally of Gandalf from deviantart, now Socrates lecturing Alcibiades, a detail from "The School of Athens" by Raphael. The video that follows is the advice imparted by Laz Buhrman in the song 'Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)'.

Directions:

The sage will warn you
Where you’ve fallen, where you might;
Vital you heed him!

Let him chasten you.
Most hate to learn of their wrongs,
But good men love it.

Shun bad company,
But among good company
Dwell in fellowship.

He who finds his heart
Lives happy in clear conscience,
Delighting in truth.

As water’s channelled
Arrows straightened and wood planed,
So too the mind’s stilled.

Mountain in the winds,
Unmoved, so is the sage by
Winds of praise or blame.

The wise are serene
Like a calm lake, hearing Truth,
Pure, tranquil and deep.

Serene, they are free.
Needing nothing, they escape
From the leash of want.

Free of attachment,
The sage walks on untouched through
Favour or hardship.

The wise seek nothing
For themselves or for others,
But get everything.

Few cross the river
And get to the other side.
Most run up and down.

But the sage crosses
On the well-built boat of Truth
To the eternal.

Renouncing the dark,
The wise cultivate the light,
Finding natural joy.

Be wise! Free from lust
And free from clinging desire,
Purify your heart.

Freed, enlightening
The seven eyes of insight,
Be yourself a sage.

Buddha on The Fool

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "The Fool".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is fifth in the series.

The image is "The Fool" from the "Elf of Heaven" tarot.

Directions:

Long are sleepless nights,
Long are weary roads, long till
The Fool finds the Way.

Make friends with the wise,
But travel rather alone
Than be with a fool.

“My children, my wealth!”
So frets the fool, not grasping
Even his own self.

Know your foolishness!
The fool who thinks he is wise
Is a fool indeed.

Next to a master,
A fool may live all his life,
Not finding the Way.

A spoon can’t taste soup,
But alert to the master,
The tongue tastes the soup.

The fool’s biggest foe
Is himself, blind to his wrongs
That bear bitter fruit.

A deed not well done
Is one repented after.
Why bring yourself tears?

Only deeds well done,
That later you won’t regret,
Fill you up with joy.

When the fool does wrong,
How sweet before wrong bears fruit,
How bitter after!

As fresh milk turns sour
In time, the fool’s wrongs light up
Like embers and burn.

An ascetic fool
May eat with a grass blade’s tip,
But still be a fool.

What a fool may learn
Will only make his wits blunt,
Severing his head.

The fool thirsts for praise,
To be put before others
And over others.

"Let them know my work,"
The fool longs in swelling pride,
"Let them look to me."

Follow not the fool’s
Way to pleasure, riches, fame.
Your way is different.

Seek not worldly gain,
But in detached solitude
Resolve to be free.

Truth in One Second (Krishnamurti)

Below is a wonderful conversation between Jiddu Krishnamurti and Buddhist Scholars at Brockwood Park, England, 28th June, 1979. Duration 93 min. B & W. Many more wonderful Krishnamurti talks and discussions can also be found at https://www.youtube.com/user/KFoundation/playlists.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qED7l0V9rOU&list=PLCCAE3FEDC4E43A85

Full Transcript: http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/krishnamurti-teachings/view-text.php?tid=1329&chid=1028

Many have considered Buddhism to be the religion closest in spirit to J. Krishnamurti's spiritual teaching—even though the great teacher was famous for urging students to seek truth outside organized religion. This record of a historic encounter between Krishnamurti and a group of Buddhist scholars provides a unique opportunity to see what the great teacher had to say himself about Buddhist teachings. The conversations, which took place in London in the late 1970s, focused on human consciousness and its potential for transformation. Participants include Walpola Rahula, the renowned Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and scholar, author of the classic introductory text What the Buddha Taught.

Summary of Conversation
(Brockwood Park, England, 28th June,1979)

Rahula:

There is only one truth no second.

Truth equated with "nirvan" or ultimate truth is never defined in positive terms, only negative.

When it is described positively, it is metaphorically, with symbols.

Truth is "advait". It is characterised by non-duality. What is non-duality?

The bodhisattvas came up with 32 definitions. They asked Vimalakirti, and he responded with…

...A thundering silence!

Can you formulate this non-duality or truth? The moment you formulate, it becomes duality.

So, just as they asked Vimalakirti, I ask you today: what is truth, what is absolute truth, what is ultimate truth and what is that non-duality as you see it? Tell us. This is a challenge.

Krishnamurti: 

Krishnamurti begins by distinguishing reality from truth. Reality from the Latin "res" is concerned with "things", everything that thought has created. Reality is our whole movement of thought. We are not concerned whether this reality is illusion or corresponds to things existing actually, and we are not saying that mountains and trees are created by our thought. They are clearly not. They are actualities. We are concerned only with this man-made concept of ours of reality, the reality of our thoughts.

Can the mind, which is the network of all the senses, actualities and so on, can that apprehend, see, observe what is truth? 

To find out what absolute truth is, thought must be understood - the whole nature and movement of thought must be gone into and observed. And it has its relative place, and so the mind then becomes absolutely still and perhaps out of that, in that stillness, truth is perceived, which is not to be measured by words.

What is measurement? And what has brought measurement about?

Self-growth, self-aggrandisement, 'getting better', getting more noble, achieving enlightenment? All that implies time. Aspiring is time. In religious traditions, there is aspiration always. Psychologically give me time so that I'll get rid of my anger, my jealousy or whatever it is, and I'll be free of it. Any aspiration, however noble it is, is in the field of reality, in the field of thought. Why? Because time is movement, created from movement of thought, cause and effect, distance to get from here to there, all these involve time.

Do we need time psychologically? 

Can we see truth without thinking or time, whether seeing truth is now, this moment, or whether you postpone it till you become better. Now do we see - see, not through argument, through explanation, through rationalisation, that thought has created this psychological time as a means of achieving something? Do we understand clearly, even verbally, and so intellectually, that we have used time as a psychological catalyst to bring about change? I'm questioning that catalyst. 

Truth cannot possibly be perceived, seen, through time. So why are we so conditioned to see things? The driving factor may be sorrow. We are conditioned that way because we are educated that way. As long as our minds are thinking in terms of reward and punishment, that is time.

Insight implies an observation in which there is no remembrance of things past, therefore the mind is alert, free from all the value judgements and so on, just to observe. Only then can you have an insight. Scientists and artists too have insights, but that insight is partial, it does not change the way we live as a whole. Now let's be clear. Insight means action, instantly, not have an insight and later act. That very insight implies action. And you act. And that action is always right, right being accurate, precise, without any regret, without any effort, without any reward or punishment, it is so, both externally and inwardly. If I have an insight into attachment for example: attachment to ideas, attachment to conclusions, attachment to persons, attachment to my - you follow? - knowledge, experience. If I have an insight into that, the whole thing is abandoned.

Now is this an idea or an actuality which you yourself have perceived: that you yourself see that ascent of man through knowledge is not so. Man can only ascend perhaps technologically, but psychologically, if he continues with the accumulation of knowledge, he's caught in the trap. Do you see that? An ordinary person may think they see something, but be mistaken. How can we know we actually see? I may not see actual 'what is'. I think I see 'what is'.

Listening without analysis, without interpretation, without like or dislike, just to listen. And if you so listen you have absorbed it, absorbed the fact that thought is the response of memory, memory is knowledge, experience, and so from the past, thought is moving. Then you can proceed. Then can thought ever free itself from its mother, (laughs) from its roots, from its source? Obviously not.

Rahula:

Our time is running out. Tell us about truth! If you can't do it in one minute, you can't do it in five hours.

Krishnamurti:

I quite agree. All right, sir, in one second. Truth is not perceivable through time. Truth doesn't exist when the self is there. Truth doesn't come into existence if thought in any direction is moving. Truth is something that cannot be measured.

Ah, do we listen? Or we've all kinds of conclusions, so filled, that our minds are full and incapable of listening. You see me, you say, 'He's an Indian, what the heck, get rid of him, he knows nothing'. Or you say, 'Well, he's a conceited person,' this or that. You don't actually listen.

What then could bring about that correct listening? It has been said, through suffering, which is nonsense. It has been said, make effort - which is nonsense. You listen when somebody says, 'I love you', (laughs) Don't you? So can you, the same thing, to listen to what you think is unpleasant.

Truth doesn't come into existence if thought in any direction is moving.

Truth is something that cannot be measured.

Rahula:

Ah, we have come full circle. And in the true spirit of the Buddha, you have come to a definition of truth in negative terms!

Krishnamurti:

You're not listening. I cannot come to Truth. I cannot see Truth.

Truth can only be when the self is not.

Let's go eat…

The greatest spiritual wisdom is always left to last, and it's truth the most lasting.

"Let's go eat... " :^)

okei: Oh, the irony of the title, lol. 

Carrie: Thanks, Okei! I greatly admire Krishnamurti. 

Lin: Thanks so very much.......

I really look forward to listening to this.........but it is another beautiful fall day, in the great outdoors......... 24 degree's celsius.......so wonderful after what feels likes weeks/ maybe even months of rain and below average cool weather.

Thanks again
Back later. 

okei: Enjoy the day, Lin!
And if I were you, maybe take a peek at the first and last video in the series, but I find it much easier myself to read and digest something from a transcript (linked at the top) or the essence of the teaching which I've tried to capture in summarizing the transcript.
But for those who like videos and who can hear wisdom in the silence between the words, go for it! Just warning though that Krishnamurti takes a long time to make his points. He really wants the listeners to struggle and be frustrated and find the truth for themselves.

The blog originally appeared on Buddhist Travelers. 

Oh my Goodness!

One of my contacts posted this on Yahoo Answers and I just had to share.
It's Shirley Temple singing... I don't know what film it's from, but it's

Oh...my...Goodness!

Buddha on Flowers

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Flowers".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is fourth in the series.

The painting is by Odilon Redon. I know very little about him, but he also painted the "Red Boat with Blue[?!] Sail" in my avatar.

Directions:

Who will examine
This earthen body as if
Examining flowers?

Who will delve beyond
The kingdoms of men and gods
In search of rare truths?

You shall do all this,
And on the path of truth find
Flowers beyond compare.

Froth on a wave’s crest,
An evanescent mirage,
Such is this body.

Mind out the three flowers
Of pleasure, will and knowledge.
Their gifts are fleeting.

Flowers hide arrows.
Shun their allure and move on
Like fish shunning bait.

Picking and choosing
Flowers in the garden of life,
The vase stays empty.

Vainly loitering,
Death will sweep him up, like floods
A sleeping village.

As the bee collects
Nectar, not harming the flower,
So the wise should live.

Do not watch others,
Of their deeds or of their faults.
Judge only yourself.

No use to oneself
Is beauty without fragrance,
Words without practice.

How joyful to have
Flowers beautiful and fragrant,
Words lived in practice!

Flowers make fine garlands.
So too the wise can arrange
Their wealth to do good.

No scent blows upwind,
No fragrance of flower or tree,
Except for virtue.

Sandalwood smells fine,
Rosebay, jasmine, lotus too,
But virtue’s supreme.

Desire afflicts not
The virtuous and mindful ones,
Their way free from dust.

How sweet the lotus
That has emerged out of mud
To share its perfume.

Like one awakened,
Emerging among the blind,
May you too shine forth.

Buddha on Mind

Ingredients:

Sayings of Buddha on "Mind".
Rendered in haiku form.

This is the third in the series continuing on from

1. Buddha on Choices
2. Buddha on Mindfulness

The image by Frederic Leighton is Perseus on the winged horse Pegasus riding to the rescue of Andromeda, and the horse seems to me to both represent the energetic power and the restlessness of mind.

Directions:

As arrow-makers
Make their arrows straight, the wise
Direct their stray thoughts.

Thoughts thrash and quiver
Like a fish out of water,
Stranded from desire.

When the mind trembles,
Focus it on just one thing
In meditation.

Guard only your mind.
It is a slippery nymph,
Supple and absurd.

Thoughts wander at will,
But the master controls them.
This brings happiness.

The mind wanders far,
But the master reins it in
And ends its wandering.

Mind is not matter;
It lies within the chamber
Of your hidden heart.

The mind that is trained
Will find the way to freedom
And will not waver.

The mind that wavers
Will never fill with knowledge
And will lose its way.

The vigilant mind,
Free of judgment and impulse,
Sees and understands.

This bodily form,
Though weak like an earthen jar,
The mind keeps it safe.

In every hardship,
Make of your mind a castle
Fortified with love.

Guard the mind’s castle
With the light of knowledge held
Without attachment.

Before long, alas,
The body will pass away,
Mindless as a log.

A thief or rival
May harm you, but not as much
As your wayward mind.

Mastering your own mind
Will help you, more even than
Father or mother.