Buddhism in daily life - Mindfulness in every day tasks Archiv
364 Episoden
5 Minuten
The bell
Why do we find bells in almost all Buddhist temples?
When we strike a bell, where does the noise, the people, the sound come from?
Was the sound in the bell? Or in the clapper that strikes the bell?
And where does the sound go, does it disappear into nothingness?
In Buddhist temples the bells have a great importance, so the big singing bowls call the monks to prayer, are supposed to fill the people with energy, the sound of the bell is considered sacred, wisdom is represented with it, the sound symbolizes emptiness and transience, the teaching of Buddha.
The philosophy of the teacher of all teachers shows us the finiteness of all being. Where do we come from? Who am I? And where am I going?
Thus, our DA-being can be aptly compared to the sound of a bell. Suddenly we are THERE, our "I" floats, like the new sound, through the world, just as transitionless the sound is gone, we fade away just like the sound in nothingness.
Where was the sound before the bell was struck?
Where were we before the begetting?
Where is the sound of the bell?
Where is our "I" after we have gone?
At first the sound of a bell can spread everywhere, then the sound becomes thinner, less, fades, is gone, disappeared.
A good question is like ringing a bell
- From China -
As soon as you trust yourself, as soon as you know how to live
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832
Be that as it may, life is good
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
Why do we find bells in almost all Buddhist temples?
When we strike a bell, where does the noise, the people, the sound come from?
Was the sound in the bell? Or in the clapper that strikes the bell?
And where does the sound go, does it disappear into nothingness?
In Buddhist temples the bells have a great importance, so the big singing bowls call the monks to prayer, are supposed to fill the people with energy, the sound of the bell is considered sacred, wisdom is represented with it, the sound symbolizes emptiness and transience, the teaching of Buddha.
The philosophy of the teacher of all teachers shows us the finiteness of all being. Where do we come from? Who am I? And where am I going?
Thus, our DA-being can be aptly compared to the sound of a bell. Suddenly we are THERE, our "I" floats, like the new sound, through the world, just as transitionless the sound is gone, we fade away just like the sound in nothingness.
Where was the sound before the bell was struck?
Where were we before the begetting?
Where is the sound of the bell?
Where is our "I" after we have gone?
At first the sound of a bell can spread everywhere, then the sound becomes thinner, less, fades, is gone, disappeared.
A good question is like ringing a bell
- From China -
As soon as you trust yourself, as soon as you know how to live
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832
Be that as it may, life is good
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
5 Minuten
Just do it
"I hear and forget, I see and remember, I do and understand."
- Chinese Proverb - Original:
我听见就忘记了，我看见就记住了，我做了就了解了。
"Wǒ tīngjiàn jiù wàngjìle, wǒ kànjiàn jiù jìzhùle, wǒ zuòle jiù liǎojiěle."
Talking about it is nice, then doing it is much better!
What great plans we have, good New Year's resolutions are talked about again every New Year's Eve, but what of them do we implement?
"It's no use just being a good person if you don't do anything!"
- Buddha -
Doing is what makes a person, "the message I hear well, alone I lack faith" said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
As a Buddhist you have to be measured by your deeds. Of course, right speech also belongs to the essence of Buddhism, comparable to the eighth commandment of the Christians (Thou shalt not lie), but the commandment of right action of Buddha goes much further, it obliges to act, at least if one has previously announced the deeds full-bodied.
"Just Do It"
What do I mean by this?
If we promise something we have to keep it!
If we say yes, it is a YES, no maybe, in no case a no.
If we think about something, decide it in our mind, we should do it too!
If we have a conviction we must act on it!
So: Just do it
There is still so much power left for everyone to do what he is convinced of.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832
Everyone is convinced that he can criticize books just because he has learned to read and write.
- William Somerset Maugham - English storyteller - 1874 to 1965
What one means seriously is best said in jest
- Wilhelm Busch - German poet - 1832 to 1908
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
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"I hear and forget, I see and remember, I do and understand."
- Chinese Proverb - Original:
我听见就忘记了，我看见就记住了，我做了就了解了。
"Wǒ tīngjiàn jiù wàngjìle, wǒ kànjiàn jiù jìzhùle, wǒ zuòle jiù liǎojiěle."
Talking about it is nice, then doing it is much better!
What great plans we have, good New Year's resolutions are talked about again every New Year's Eve, but what of them do we implement?
"It's no use just being a good person if you don't do anything!"
- Buddha -
Doing is what makes a person, "the message I hear well, alone I lack faith" said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
As a Buddhist you have to be measured by your deeds. Of course, right speech also belongs to the essence of Buddhism, comparable to the eighth commandment of the Christians (Thou shalt not lie), but the commandment of right action of Buddha goes much further, it obliges to act, at least if one has previously announced the deeds full-bodied.
"Just Do It"
What do I mean by this?
If we promise something we have to keep it!
If we say yes, it is a YES, no maybe, in no case a no.
If we think about something, decide it in our mind, we should do it too!
If we have a conviction we must act on it!
So: Just do it
There is still so much power left for everyone to do what he is convinced of.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832
Everyone is convinced that he can criticize books just because he has learned to read and write.
- William Somerset Maugham - English storyteller - 1874 to 1965
What one means seriously is best said in jest
- Wilhelm Busch - German poet - 1832 to 1908
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
6 Minuten
Yesterday is over
Yesterday is irretrievably behind us, yesterday is history!
Yesterday exists only in our memory, has passed, what happened, we can no longer change. Getting angry about the past doesn't get us anywhere.
Always the same questions about yesterday: Why, why, for what reason, for what, why, why, why? Useless topics, which justify the suffering, to which there are no answers, and certainly no solutions!
These questions are SINLESS!
Not one action, not one word, nothing we can undo, it is over, disappeared in the depths of the universe, unchanged change in the course of times, guilt and bad feelings are meaningless.
Whatever happened yesterday, it is without meaning, so why are you still brooding over it?
But what happens today, we have influence on it, our being is guided by our thoughts.
Buddha said:
"Do not dwell on the past, do not dream about the future, focus on the present moment, life is here and now".
Only in the "here" and "now" I can listen to music, admire the beauty of nature, kiss my partner, hold the children in my arms, enjoy life, no matter how it is, the way I think it should be, it will never be anyway, it cannot be, nothing is perfect, and man anyway.
Don't think about what's coming either, it will never come the way you imagine and want it to.
"I never think about the future. It comes soon enough"
- Albert Einstein - Physicist - 1879 to 1955
Make your life easier, free yourself from the various millstones around your neck.
Stop worrying, brooding, sinking endlessly into thoughts, tossing and turning in bed night after night, full of worries, what's the point?
You don't touch the hot stove every day. This one is hot, you know that.
Yesterday is over!
Yesterday is gone - tomorrow is not here. So live today!
- Pythagoras of Samos - Greek philosopher - 570 to 510 B.C.
We do not need to live on as we lived yesterday. Let us get rid of this view, and a thousand possibilities invite us to new life.
- Christian Morgenstern - German poet - 1871 to 1914
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
Yesterday is irretrievably behind us, yesterday is history!
Yesterday exists only in our memory, has passed, what happened, we can no longer change. Getting angry about the past doesn't get us anywhere.
Always the same questions about yesterday: Why, why, for what reason, for what, why, why, why? Useless topics, which justify the suffering, to which there are no answers, and certainly no solutions!
These questions are SINLESS!
Not one action, not one word, nothing we can undo, it is over, disappeared in the depths of the universe, unchanged change in the course of times, guilt and bad feelings are meaningless.
Whatever happened yesterday, it is without meaning, so why are you still brooding over it?
But what happens today, we have influence on it, our being is guided by our thoughts.
Buddha said:
"Do not dwell on the past, do not dream about the future, focus on the present moment, life is here and now".
Only in the "here" and "now" I can listen to music, admire the beauty of nature, kiss my partner, hold the children in my arms, enjoy life, no matter how it is, the way I think it should be, it will never be anyway, it cannot be, nothing is perfect, and man anyway.
Don't think about what's coming either, it will never come the way you imagine and want it to.
"I never think about the future. It comes soon enough"
- Albert Einstein - Physicist - 1879 to 1955
Make your life easier, free yourself from the various millstones around your neck.
Stop worrying, brooding, sinking endlessly into thoughts, tossing and turning in bed night after night, full of worries, what's the point?
You don't touch the hot stove every day. This one is hot, you know that.
Yesterday is over!
Yesterday is gone - tomorrow is not here. So live today!
- Pythagoras of Samos - Greek philosopher - 570 to 510 B.C.
We do not need to live on as we lived yesterday. Let us get rid of this view, and a thousand possibilities invite us to new life.
- Christian Morgenstern - German poet - 1871 to 1914
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
6 Minuten
Who is right?
Long ago, in a Buddhist temple, two monks argued about the content of a sacred text. Each wanted to be right, his own view seemed only logical to him, the opinion of the monk's brother as wrong.
All day long the words went back and forth, sometimes in a matter-of-fact form, occasionally also disparaging, but in the matter nothing moved, each monk wanted to be right, to assert himself, not to give in under any circumstances.
The other brothers in the monastery were increasingly burdened by the quarrel, the opponents were irreconcilable, each invoked a different passage in the text, which in his opinion would "clearly prove" his point of view. When the discord did not end the whole afternoon, a monk said: "I have enough of your bickering now, go and ask the master, our abbot is known for his wisdom, he will make a judgement, and after this word you shall finally keep peace"!
The first quarreler ran into the hermitage of the master and said: "Venerable abbot, I have been quarreling with my brother all day, it is about a passage in a blessed book, may I present you the passage, and my point of view about it"? "Yes, of course," replied the monastic leader.
The monk laid it all out, sparing no small malice toward his temple brother, but also explaining his version of the passage in question.
The abbot answered succinctly, "Yes, you are in the right." The monk went back triumphantly and explained the decision to each monastic brother, saying that he was right and the other monk was wrong.
The defeated monk did not want to accept this without complaint, he also went to the abbot's room and complained: "Master, how can this be, I refer to the words of another eminent teacher, why should I be in the wrong"?
The abbot just looked at the monk for a moment and again replied curtly, "Yes, you are in the right."
The second monk went back, reported the abbot's statement to his adversary. The quarrel began as it had ended; the positions had even hardened, both now invoking the abbot as well.
Now the monk who had sent the two to the abbot had really had enough, he went to see the monastery master himself to finally bring the unpleasant matter to a good conclusion, to have peace in the house again.
"Great master," he said, "why do you agree with both monks, only one can be in the right?
The white abbot also looked at the third monk only briefly, and again answered curtly: "Yes, you are in the right".
Only small minds always want to be right
- Louis XIV- French King (1638 - 1715)
The one who comes closest to the gods is the one who can keep silent even when he is in the right
- Marcus Porcius Cato, the Elder (Cato Censorius)- (234 - 149 B.C.)
Everyone is so right
- unknown - Source: Inscription on a house in Wertheim (Germany), quoted by Kurt Tucholsky (1907-1935).
Ghastly is the type of people who always want to be right. These are ready to condemn innocent people, saints, God himself, just to be right
Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910)
You will be tomorrow what you think today
- Buddha –
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
Long ago, in a Buddhist temple, two monks argued about the content of a sacred text. Each wanted to be right, his own view seemed only logical to him, the opinion of the monk's brother as wrong.
All day long the words went back and forth, sometimes in a matter-of-fact form, occasionally also disparaging, but in the matter nothing moved, each monk wanted to be right, to assert himself, not to give in under any circumstances.
The other brothers in the monastery were increasingly burdened by the quarrel, the opponents were irreconcilable, each invoked a different passage in the text, which in his opinion would "clearly prove" his point of view. When the discord did not end the whole afternoon, a monk said: "I have enough of your bickering now, go and ask the master, our abbot is known for his wisdom, he will make a judgement, and after this word you shall finally keep peace"!
The first quarreler ran into the hermitage of the master and said: "Venerable abbot, I have been quarreling with my brother all day, it is about a passage in a blessed book, may I present you the passage, and my point of view about it"? "Yes, of course," replied the monastic leader.
The monk laid it all out, sparing no small malice toward his temple brother, but also explaining his version of the passage in question.
The abbot answered succinctly, "Yes, you are in the right." The monk went back triumphantly and explained the decision to each monastic brother, saying that he was right and the other monk was wrong.
The defeated monk did not want to accept this without complaint, he also went to the abbot's room and complained: "Master, how can this be, I refer to the words of another eminent teacher, why should I be in the wrong"?
The abbot just looked at the monk for a moment and again replied curtly, "Yes, you are in the right."
The second monk went back, reported the abbot's statement to his adversary. The quarrel began as it had ended; the positions had even hardened, both now invoking the abbot as well.
Now the monk who had sent the two to the abbot had really had enough, he went to see the monastery master himself to finally bring the unpleasant matter to a good conclusion, to have peace in the house again.
"Great master," he said, "why do you agree with both monks, only one can be in the right?
The white abbot also looked at the third monk only briefly, and again answered curtly: "Yes, you are in the right".
Only small minds always want to be right
- Louis XIV- French King (1638 - 1715)
The one who comes closest to the gods is the one who can keep silent even when he is in the right
- Marcus Porcius Cato, the Elder (Cato Censorius)- (234 - 149 B.C.)
Everyone is so right
- unknown - Source: Inscription on a house in Wertheim (Germany), quoted by Kurt Tucholsky (1907-1935).
Ghastly is the type of people who always want to be right. These are ready to condemn innocent people, saints, God himself, just to be right
Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910)
You will be tomorrow what you think today
- Buddha –
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
6 Minuten
Satisfaction from suffering?
Can it be that some people also derive satisfaction from their sufferings? And if so, why?
A Chan master in ancient China traveled through the countryside, from one village to the next, always along paths in nature.
At a crossroads he met an old man, they greeted each other, the wanderer kept saying, "I am so thirsty, I am so thirsty"!
The master gave him to drink, almost the whole bottle emptied the new acquaintance in one go.
When he had refreshed himself, he said to the master: "I was so thirsty, so thirsty"!
Can it be that one of the reasons why so many people suffer is that they derive satisfaction from their behavior, that they like to suffer?
Could it be that some people have acquired such behavior?
YES
There are many different reasons to start suffering:
- Already as a child the relatives had said to Peter: "Oh you poor little one, how you have it only hard, this is surely not easy for you"! Slowly it dawned on him that compassion makes many things easier. And then it became a habit, the suffering became automatic.
- Mary was a little short, not exactly what you call handsome, early on she began to struggle with her fate, "I have no luck, life doesn't want me, I can't find a man", self-pity entered her life, and in this case too, suffering became an automatism.
- Mr. Wu was an unimpressive man, raised as a child of drunkards, he had few chances in life. He constantly lost his job, his wife left him shortly after the birth of their child, he began to suffer, suffering became an automatism for him as well.
This list could be continued indefinitely. Every person has experienced suffering in his life, the question is how he dealt with it, whether suffering became an automatism? Whether people one day began to draw satisfaction from their sufferings? Did suffering even become the main content of life?
How we deal with suffering, how we process painful experiences, that is what makes up our "I", our personality.
It is too easy to let the automatism of suffering into our life, very difficult to remove it from it again.
According to the teacher of all teachers, suffering belongs to life!
"Every life has its measure of suffering. Sometimes this very suffering brings about our awakening"
- Buddha-
According to Buddha, the exit from suffering leads through "enlightenment", which is possible for each of us.
Never say: "I was so thirsty". Say: "I drank"!
The wisdom of a person is not measured by his experiences, but by his ability to have experiences
- George Bernard Shaw - Irish playwright - 1856 to 1950
Truly no one is wise who does not know the darkness
- Hermann Hesse - German writer - 1877 to 1962
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
Can it be that some people also derive satisfaction from their sufferings? And if so, why?
A Chan master in ancient China traveled through the countryside, from one village to the next, always along paths in nature.
At a crossroads he met an old man, they greeted each other, the wanderer kept saying, "I am so thirsty, I am so thirsty"!
The master gave him to drink, almost the whole bottle emptied the new acquaintance in one go.
When he had refreshed himself, he said to the master: "I was so thirsty, so thirsty"!
Can it be that one of the reasons why so many people suffer is that they derive satisfaction from their behavior, that they like to suffer?
Could it be that some people have acquired such behavior?
YES
There are many different reasons to start suffering:
- Already as a child the relatives had said to Peter: "Oh you poor little one, how you have it only hard, this is surely not easy for you"! Slowly it dawned on him that compassion makes many things easier. And then it became a habit, the suffering became automatic.
- Mary was a little short, not exactly what you call handsome, early on she began to struggle with her fate, "I have no luck, life doesn't want me, I can't find a man", self-pity entered her life, and in this case too, suffering became an automatism.
- Mr. Wu was an unimpressive man, raised as a child of drunkards, he had few chances in life. He constantly lost his job, his wife left him shortly after the birth of their child, he began to suffer, suffering became an automatism for him as well.
This list could be continued indefinitely. Every person has experienced suffering in his life, the question is how he dealt with it, whether suffering became an automatism? Whether people one day began to draw satisfaction from their sufferings? Did suffering even become the main content of life?
How we deal with suffering, how we process painful experiences, that is what makes up our "I", our personality.
It is too easy to let the automatism of suffering into our life, very difficult to remove it from it again.
According to the teacher of all teachers, suffering belongs to life!
"Every life has its measure of suffering. Sometimes this very suffering brings about our awakening"
- Buddha-
According to Buddha, the exit from suffering leads through "enlightenment", which is possible for each of us.
Never say: "I was so thirsty". Say: "I drank"!
The wisdom of a person is not measured by his experiences, but by his ability to have experiences
- George Bernard Shaw - Irish playwright - 1856 to 1950
Truly no one is wise who does not know the darkness
- Hermann Hesse - German writer - 1877 to 1962
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
6 Minuten
The sound
The following story is told of a Japanese Chan (Zen) master:
During his travels through Asia, the teacher visited various monasteries, temples and many other Chan (Zen) masters. He shared his experiences, views and thoughts, experienced incredible moments, impressions and incidents, for years he traveled around as a simple man.
His reputation at home was impeccable, people were waiting for his return so that he would then tell about his wanderings. Even the Japanese emperor heard about the stories of the traveling teacher, the longer the absence lasted, the greater the curiosity, they wanted to know what had happened to the master on his explorations, what the other countries were like, what food, what teachings, what ideals unite the people there.
When the Chan master arrived back in Japan, everyone wanted to talk to him, including the emperor. The master was asked to come to the court of the regent to satisfy the monarch's interest, to be the first to tell him about his impressions, to describe the interesting journey in all details, to explain all his thoughts. The emperor thirsted for the adventures and the new knowledge.
The Chan master bowed in reverence to the ruler and paused in deep silence before the throne, the men looking at each other, examining each other, noticing every emotion in the other's face.
Then the master took out of his pocket a small flute, which had accompanied him on all his journeys, with which he had played as often as he could, and which was dear and important to him. He put it to his mouth and played ONE SINGLE TONE, put the flute back down, fell silent again, the men stared at each other for a while, the master put the flute back in his pocket, bowed, turned and left.
The monarch was completely astonished, speechless, what was the meaning of this, did the master want to insult him, did he have no respect, should he have him brought back? But the emperor did nothing, fell into brooding, thought about the meeting for a long time; again and again the face of the master appeared in his thoughts, the sound, the sound of the flute dug itself deeply into his consciousness.
It is reported that the emperor never forgot the incident and found "enlightenment" in old age itself. The sound of the flute is said to have remained in his memory.
Today I recorded the sound of my master stick (similar to singing bowls), the sound when the two halves of bamboo meet in my hand!
There is no more beautiful sound than the gnashing of teeth of a mate
- Groucho Marx - US actor - 1890 to 1977
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
The following story is told of a Japanese Chan (Zen) master:
During his travels through Asia, the teacher visited various monasteries, temples and many other Chan (Zen) masters. He shared his experiences, views and thoughts, experienced incredible moments, impressions and incidents, for years he traveled around as a simple man.
His reputation at home was impeccable, people were waiting for his return so that he would then tell about his wanderings. Even the Japanese emperor heard about the stories of the traveling teacher, the longer the absence lasted, the greater the curiosity, they wanted to know what had happened to the master on his explorations, what the other countries were like, what food, what teachings, what ideals unite the people there.
When the Chan master arrived back in Japan, everyone wanted to talk to him, including the emperor. The master was asked to come to the court of the regent to satisfy the monarch's interest, to be the first to tell him about his impressions, to describe the interesting journey in all details, to explain all his thoughts. The emperor thirsted for the adventures and the new knowledge.
The Chan master bowed in reverence to the ruler and paused in deep silence before the throne, the men looking at each other, examining each other, noticing every emotion in the other's face.
Then the master took out of his pocket a small flute, which had accompanied him on all his journeys, with which he had played as often as he could, and which was dear and important to him. He put it to his mouth and played ONE SINGLE TONE, put the flute back down, fell silent again, the men stared at each other for a while, the master put the flute back in his pocket, bowed, turned and left.
The monarch was completely astonished, speechless, what was the meaning of this, did the master want to insult him, did he have no respect, should he have him brought back? But the emperor did nothing, fell into brooding, thought about the meeting for a long time; again and again the face of the master appeared in his thoughts, the sound, the sound of the flute dug itself deeply into his consciousness.
It is reported that the emperor never forgot the incident and found "enlightenment" in old age itself. The sound of the flute is said to have remained in his memory.
Today I recorded the sound of my master stick (similar to singing bowls), the sound when the two halves of bamboo meet in my hand!
There is no more beautiful sound than the gnashing of teeth of a mate
- Groucho Marx - US actor - 1890 to 1977
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
6 Minuten
Fear
Fear is going around the country right now; worries about work, will I have enough money, will I keep my standard of living, will we have enough to eat, what will happen, how will we manage after the crisis?
People who have been resting on the comfortable illusion of a perfect world are suddenly waking up, competition is in full swing. In the company employees are dismissed, hopefully not me, the others, yes, man is just an egoist. The neighbor loses his house, well, just not me, that's important!
At the same time, almost 40% of the population in Central Europe are overweight, they should actually lose weight, almost all of them have a roof over their heads, for today at least there are no big worries, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, but today everything is fine with most people.
Nevertheless, I hear more and more often that fear creeps into people's heads, transfigures the view, contaminates thoughts. No one, really no one, has to starve in Europe, no one (with a few exceptions) has to sleep on the street, hardly anyone has real existential worries, social security systems are in place, those who want help get it.
The situation is different in the so-called Third World, where there are no state institutions to provide support, to exempt people from paying rent, to put food on the table, to guarantee health.
But the worries, the thoughts, what if, what could come, how will it be, why me, why, why. Who does not ask remains happy!
To worry today for tomorrow is useless, we still have in abundance, our supplies are full, our roofs are covered, our houses warm and dry.
At least 98% of the things we worry about never come to pass!
- Netfund -
Worrying is putting tomorrow's clouds in front of today's sun!
- also Netzfund -
Fears and worries are siblings, they condition each other, without worries no fears, if you want to live carefree, arrange yourself with the things which are just not perfect! Then the fears will also become less, disappear on the horizon.
It will show what kind of person you are, do not be impressed. If you now manage to free yourself from your ego, you can experience your personal "enlightenment"! Fears are a misuse of your thoughts, a waste of energy!
It is not he who is not afraid who is brave, but he who overcomes his fear.
- Mahatma Gandhi - Indian lawyer - 1869 to 1948
If we knew what love was, if we could define it, we would have stopped making up love stories two thousand years ago. We need love because we have the need to believe in something
- Ang Lee - US-Taiwanese film director, screenwriter and film producer - born 1954
I am not afraid of computers. I am afraid of their lack
- Isaac Asimov - US biochemist and science fiction writer - 1920 – 1992
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
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Fear is going around the country right now; worries about work, will I have enough money, will I keep my standard of living, will we have enough to eat, what will happen, how will we manage after the crisis?
People who have been resting on the comfortable illusion of a perfect world are suddenly waking up, competition is in full swing. In the company employees are dismissed, hopefully not me, the others, yes, man is just an egoist. The neighbor loses his house, well, just not me, that's important!
At the same time, almost 40% of the population in Central Europe are overweight, they should actually lose weight, almost all of them have a roof over their heads, for today at least there are no big worries, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, but today everything is fine with most people.
Nevertheless, I hear more and more often that fear creeps into people's heads, transfigures the view, contaminates thoughts. No one, really no one, has to starve in Europe, no one (with a few exceptions) has to sleep on the street, hardly anyone has real existential worries, social security systems are in place, those who want help get it.
The situation is different in the so-called Third World, where there are no state institutions to provide support, to exempt people from paying rent, to put food on the table, to guarantee health.
But the worries, the thoughts, what if, what could come, how will it be, why me, why, why. Who does not ask remains happy!
To worry today for tomorrow is useless, we still have in abundance, our supplies are full, our roofs are covered, our houses warm and dry.
At least 98% of the things we worry about never come to pass!
- Netfund -
Worrying is putting tomorrow's clouds in front of today's sun!
- also Netzfund -
Fears and worries are siblings, they condition each other, without worries no fears, if you want to live carefree, arrange yourself with the things which are just not perfect! Then the fears will also become less, disappear on the horizon.
It will show what kind of person you are, do not be impressed. If you now manage to free yourself from your ego, you can experience your personal "enlightenment"! Fears are a misuse of your thoughts, a waste of energy!
It is not he who is not afraid who is brave, but he who overcomes his fear.
- Mahatma Gandhi - Indian lawyer - 1869 to 1948
If we knew what love was, if we could define it, we would have stopped making up love stories two thousand years ago. We need love because we have the need to believe in something
- Ang Lee - US-Taiwanese film director, screenwriter and film producer - born 1954
I am not afraid of computers. I am afraid of their lack
- Isaac Asimov - US biochemist and science fiction writer - 1920 – 1992
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5 Minuten
The cut nails
Just now they were a part of me, of my body, now they are not, I cut them off, the nails.
Then I no longer worry about them, they are out of my sight, end up in the trash.
Just like these nails, I can also "cut off" my thoughts, put them away, they are then also no longer a part of me, simply turn off the worries and troubles, dispose of them, put them on file, yes, that is possible, if you want, anything is possible.
Get your scissors, put them in front of you on the table. Then take three small pieces of paper and write a keyword on each sheet, namely the 3 things that weigh you down, occupy you, burden you the most. Look at these notes for five minutes, fully concentrating on your feelings, on your thoughts.
After the five minutes, take the pieces of paper and cut them, thereby cutting them off from your person, from your being, from your life.
Just now the problems were on the piece of paper, now the lines are cut, gone, throw them in the garbage.
I don't want to tell you that the problems are gone now, that would be nonsense, no, these things should simply not bother you anymore, don't put them on your mind, you can't change anything about such things anyway, but you can stop worrying about them, blocking your "I".
Just as the great teacher showed us, you can let these burdens fade into the background.
We can cut off burdens from us, just like cutting the nails from our fingers, and then dispose of them, just like garbage.
Nobody saves us, except ourselves. No one can and no one must. We have to go the way ourselves.
- Buddha-
No matter how hard your past has been, you can start anew every day.
- Buddha-
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Just now they were a part of me, of my body, now they are not, I cut them off, the nails.
Then I no longer worry about them, they are out of my sight, end up in the trash.
Just like these nails, I can also "cut off" my thoughts, put them away, they are then also no longer a part of me, simply turn off the worries and troubles, dispose of them, put them on file, yes, that is possible, if you want, anything is possible.
Get your scissors, put them in front of you on the table. Then take three small pieces of paper and write a keyword on each sheet, namely the 3 things that weigh you down, occupy you, burden you the most. Look at these notes for five minutes, fully concentrating on your feelings, on your thoughts.
After the five minutes, take the pieces of paper and cut them, thereby cutting them off from your person, from your being, from your life.
Just now the problems were on the piece of paper, now the lines are cut, gone, throw them in the garbage.
I don't want to tell you that the problems are gone now, that would be nonsense, no, these things should simply not bother you anymore, don't put them on your mind, you can't change anything about such things anyway, but you can stop worrying about them, blocking your "I".
Just as the great teacher showed us, you can let these burdens fade into the background.
We can cut off burdens from us, just like cutting the nails from our fingers, and then dispose of them, just like garbage.
Nobody saves us, except ourselves. No one can and no one must. We have to go the way ourselves.
- Buddha-
No matter how hard your past has been, you can start anew every day.
- Buddha-
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5 Minuten
The most important hour is the present moment
What all could we do, now, in this moment, which things to do, which tasks to finish?
"Tomorrow, tomorrow, just not today, all lazy people say"!
- after Christian Felix Weiße - German writer 1726 - 1804
And which person is the most important? Always the one we are dealing with at the moment!
And why is that so? Why does only the moment count?
Only who lives for the moment, lives for the future!
- Heinrich von Kleist - German writer 1777 - 1811
Thinking about the past does not bring us anything, it happened the way it should have been. We cannot imagine the future correctly, it will be completely different from what we imagined, but the now, the moment just this minute, that is precious, it will not come back, it will soon be gone, lost in the mist of history, irretrievably gone.
Do not dwell on the past, do not dream about the future. Concentrate on the present moment!
- Buddha-
Nothing we can change in our destiny, but enjoy the moment, we can, no matter how this breath may be, how life treats us, beautiful or not, we can still enjoy it.
As the great teacher has shown us, his example stands for the enjoyment of our being, for an affirmation of our person and our circumstances, for a life in the now and in the today.
Restless pursuit of happiness, wealth, power, again and again our perception of the existence of being, of the changing of the tides in the ocean of life, deceives us.
When do we grow up, when do we see the realities and act accordingly?
The moment has power, it is based on a magic, because it passes, does not come again!
Carpe diem!
- Horace - Roman poet 65 B.C. - 8 B.C.
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What all could we do, now, in this moment, which things to do, which tasks to finish?
"Tomorrow, tomorrow, just not today, all lazy people say"!
- after Christian Felix Weiße - German writer 1726 - 1804
And which person is the most important? Always the one we are dealing with at the moment!
And why is that so? Why does only the moment count?
Only who lives for the moment, lives for the future!
- Heinrich von Kleist - German writer 1777 - 1811
Thinking about the past does not bring us anything, it happened the way it should have been. We cannot imagine the future correctly, it will be completely different from what we imagined, but the now, the moment just this minute, that is precious, it will not come back, it will soon be gone, lost in the mist of history, irretrievably gone.
Do not dwell on the past, do not dream about the future. Concentrate on the present moment!
- Buddha-
Nothing we can change in our destiny, but enjoy the moment, we can, no matter how this breath may be, how life treats us, beautiful or not, we can still enjoy it.
As the great teacher has shown us, his example stands for the enjoyment of our being, for an affirmation of our person and our circumstances, for a life in the now and in the today.
Restless pursuit of happiness, wealth, power, again and again our perception of the existence of being, of the changing of the tides in the ocean of life, deceives us.
When do we grow up, when do we see the realities and act accordingly?
The moment has power, it is based on a magic, because it passes, does not come again!
Carpe diem!
- Horace - Roman poet 65 B.C. - 8 B.C.
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
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5 Minuten
Life artists are also artists
Become a life artist!
Easier said than done?
NO
It is only up to your inner attitude, the way you see things, assess, act with your environment, how you see your life and your person, your "I", yourself and thus represent it to the outside.
In other words, it is only up to you!
Hopeless situations, unsolvable problems, trouble here and problems there, no money, maybe even debts, broken relationships, alcohol, drugs, failing health, bad qualities, terrible habits? Only in their own film things go wrong, put on another film.
Although according to Buddhist conception everything is already written, the karma for you is already fixed, but maybe in the script of your movie for today it is written that from now on you will be a life artist. I'm not talking about "becoming", I'm talking about "already being"; immediately and right away you don't take things in your life so much to heart anymore; you handle your "I" better, you treat yourself and your environment more playfully, just like an artist, the work of art is you yourself, your person, your "I", your being!
No matter what your attitude may be, you can change nothing anyway, it comes as it should come, nothing will change if you suffer under the burden of your life, just as nothing will change if you are a life artist from now on; the circumstances are exactly the same, only you as a person will cope better with it.
A life artist is a person who tries to make the best out of all situations. That's a nice approach, a pleasant way to live.
You are seriously ill, your future is uncertain, in your family a member is dying, you are in debt, your partner has left you, life is burdensome?
Make the best of your life anyway.
We are what we think!
- Buddha -
Think of yourself for one day that you are a life artist and therefore a person who makes the best out of everything!
It would be worth a try, don't you think?
Understanding everything means forgiving everything!
- also Buddha –
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Become a life artist!
Easier said than done?
NO
It is only up to your inner attitude, the way you see things, assess, act with your environment, how you see your life and your person, your "I", yourself and thus represent it to the outside.
In other words, it is only up to you!
Hopeless situations, unsolvable problems, trouble here and problems there, no money, maybe even debts, broken relationships, alcohol, drugs, failing health, bad qualities, terrible habits? Only in their own film things go wrong, put on another film.
Although according to Buddhist conception everything is already written, the karma for you is already fixed, but maybe in the script of your movie for today it is written that from now on you will be a life artist. I'm not talking about "becoming", I'm talking about "already being"; immediately and right away you don't take things in your life so much to heart anymore; you handle your "I" better, you treat yourself and your environment more playfully, just like an artist, the work of art is you yourself, your person, your "I", your being!
No matter what your attitude may be, you can change nothing anyway, it comes as it should come, nothing will change if you suffer under the burden of your life, just as nothing will change if you are a life artist from now on; the circumstances are exactly the same, only you as a person will cope better with it.
A life artist is a person who tries to make the best out of all situations. That's a nice approach, a pleasant way to live.
You are seriously ill, your future is uncertain, in your family a member is dying, you are in debt, your partner has left you, life is burdensome?
Make the best of your life anyway.
We are what we think!
- Buddha -
Think of yourself for one day that you are a life artist and therefore a person who makes the best out of everything!
It would be worth a try, don't you think?
Understanding everything means forgiving everything!
- also Buddha –
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5 Minuten
The realization must grow
He who wants to recognize right, must have doubted before in the right way.
- Aristotle -
An organic abstraction of being brings an eloquent language, gigantic thoughts, a lot of questions, questions about questions! Sad, too hectic, everything is going too fast?
Inquiries to my ego, doubts, how can this be?
And anyway, why, illusory comfort, perverse standstill in the solitude of thoughts? When I become aware of an idea, I first doubt, I don't "buy" stories from higher powers, when I change perspective, I arrive at other causalities, history would have been different, what if?
Columbus sailed west by mistake and found the east!
If you have to decide something tomorrow, think of the discovery of America, "good" is not always "good", "bad" can also quickly lead to wonderful things, "good" can become a disaster, who knows what tomorrow will be.
Is your RECOGNITION of the nature of things growing?
Are you recognizing?
Things that matter, that make up, fulfill people and incidents that shape their environment?
Knowing instead of not knowing?
The teacher of all teachers said: Only few see that being patient also makes patient! The philosophy of Buddha, already doubts can arise. The knowledge must grow, are the words of the holy man from long ago days. But today is also yesterday, tomorrow is also almost over, everything is flowing now, and even the day after tomorrow will soon be the past.
Do not doubt, in the ugliness of our existence lies nevertheless unbelievable beauty.
In my culture people are humanistic, doubts are allowed, the knowledge must grow, culture grows from history!
So many living beings die, as such are born!
Stupidly run!
To whom everything succeeds well in his life, for him soon the world circle has no more space. Possess only, and soon you will do without.
- Friedrich von Schiller - German poet - 1759 to 1805
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
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Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
He who wants to recognize right, must have doubted before in the right way.
- Aristotle -
An organic abstraction of being brings an eloquent language, gigantic thoughts, a lot of questions, questions about questions! Sad, too hectic, everything is going too fast?
Inquiries to my ego, doubts, how can this be?
And anyway, why, illusory comfort, perverse standstill in the solitude of thoughts? When I become aware of an idea, I first doubt, I don't "buy" stories from higher powers, when I change perspective, I arrive at other causalities, history would have been different, what if?
Columbus sailed west by mistake and found the east!
If you have to decide something tomorrow, think of the discovery of America, "good" is not always "good", "bad" can also quickly lead to wonderful things, "good" can become a disaster, who knows what tomorrow will be.
Is your RECOGNITION of the nature of things growing?
Are you recognizing?
Things that matter, that make up, fulfill people and incidents that shape their environment?
Knowing instead of not knowing?
The teacher of all teachers said: Only few see that being patient also makes patient! The philosophy of Buddha, already doubts can arise. The knowledge must grow, are the words of the holy man from long ago days. But today is also yesterday, tomorrow is also almost over, everything is flowing now, and even the day after tomorrow will soon be the past.
Do not doubt, in the ugliness of our existence lies nevertheless unbelievable beauty.
In my culture people are humanistic, doubts are allowed, the knowledge must grow, culture grows from history!
So many living beings die, as such are born!
Stupidly run!
To whom everything succeeds well in his life, for him soon the world circle has no more space. Possess only, and soon you will do without.
- Friedrich von Schiller - German poet - 1759 to 1805
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
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Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
6 Minuten
The new disciple
Once upon a time, a well-known Chan master lived in a simple hut, he was known everywhere precisely because of his wisdom, his kindness knew no bounds.
When one day a thief stood in the middle of his hut and shouted "money or life", the master reacted calmly, did not let himself be intimidated, and said to the thief: "here on the table is my money, take what you need, but leave me enough money so that I do not have to suffer hunger tomorrow".
Completely dumbfounded by the strange behavior of the holy man, the thief took the main part from the table, put the coins in his pocket, and wanted to disappear as quickly as he had come.
The master shouted after him that he should kindly thank him when he gets something, the thief turned around in amazement, said "Thank you", and was gone.
A few days later, the thief was caught in another act and arrested. When questioned by the police, he confessed to all the crimes, including the burglary at the Chan master's house. When the master was questioned by the police about the theft, he said, "Nothing was stolen from me, I gave him everything freely, he even thanked me politely, there must be a misunderstanding here."
The thief was convicted for the other acts, during his time in prison the master visited him frequently.
When the sentence was served, the man was released. His path immediately led him to the old man who had done him so much good. "Master, I want to become your disciple," he said, and the wise man smiled with satisfaction and joyfully accepted the new disciple.
In the course of time, this disciple became the best disciple the master ever had, and when the master died one day, this very disciple followed in his teacher's footsteps, becoming himself an eminent authority and a great Chan (Zen) master.
In order to see clearly, it is often enough to change the direction of one's gaze!
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - French writer - 1900 to 1944
This change of the direction of view was taught 2500 years ago by the historical Buddha. Almost all people, things or incidents can be seen "this way or that way", and there are the most different opinions about everything. It is important to have the willingness to recognize and understand that there are several ways to look at, to mean, to think, to feel. What I think is right, another thinks is wrong!
The general error begets the error of the individual,
and, in its turn, creates the general error.
- Michel de Montaigne - French humanist - 1533 to 1592
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
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Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
Once upon a time, a well-known Chan master lived in a simple hut, he was known everywhere precisely because of his wisdom, his kindness knew no bounds.
When one day a thief stood in the middle of his hut and shouted "money or life", the master reacted calmly, did not let himself be intimidated, and said to the thief: "here on the table is my money, take what you need, but leave me enough money so that I do not have to suffer hunger tomorrow".
Completely dumbfounded by the strange behavior of the holy man, the thief took the main part from the table, put the coins in his pocket, and wanted to disappear as quickly as he had come.
The master shouted after him that he should kindly thank him when he gets something, the thief turned around in amazement, said "Thank you", and was gone.
A few days later, the thief was caught in another act and arrested. When questioned by the police, he confessed to all the crimes, including the burglary at the Chan master's house. When the master was questioned by the police about the theft, he said, "Nothing was stolen from me, I gave him everything freely, he even thanked me politely, there must be a misunderstanding here."
The thief was convicted for the other acts, during his time in prison the master visited him frequently.
When the sentence was served, the man was released. His path immediately led him to the old man who had done him so much good. "Master, I want to become your disciple," he said, and the wise man smiled with satisfaction and joyfully accepted the new disciple.
In the course of time, this disciple became the best disciple the master ever had, and when the master died one day, this very disciple followed in his teacher's footsteps, becoming himself an eminent authority and a great Chan (Zen) master.
In order to see clearly, it is often enough to change the direction of one's gaze!
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - French writer - 1900 to 1944
This change of the direction of view was taught 2500 years ago by the historical Buddha. Almost all people, things or incidents can be seen "this way or that way", and there are the most different opinions about everything. It is important to have the willingness to recognize and understand that there are several ways to look at, to mean, to think, to feel. What I think is right, another thinks is wrong!
The general error begets the error of the individual,
and, in its turn, creates the general error.
- Michel de Montaigne - French humanist - 1533 to 1592
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
6 Minuten
When do you give up suffering?
Buddha said again and again that life is suffering. And what do we suffer, again and again, from rejection, from failure, from too little of this and too much of that, pain follows pain, sorrow and worry affect our moods, again and again we have sorrowful experiences.
Perhaps the following story can illustrate well for you the words of the historical Buddha.
A Buddhist monk was in search of "enlightenment", he lived like an ascetic, fasted incessantly, ate almost nothing, chastised himself, indulged himself little, prayed incessantly. He suffered terribly because he had little to eat, found no joy in life; his life was blameless, he followed the teachings of Buddha, his role model. However, the awakening would not come to him, the longed-for "enlightenment" was not granted to him, which troubled him very much.
In his temple he asked the other monks, asked everyone he met for advice, but no one could help him, could tell him what to do.
He left his monastery and traveled around, constantly trying to get a clue on how to get closer to his goal.
So he walked many ways, with his old monk's shoes, from village to village, from temple to temple, becoming completely obsessed with the all-important question of "awakening". The people he met felt compassion for the monk. When he lamented his suffering to an elderly peasant woman, she told him that there was a Chan master living in the mountains, but that the path there was arduous, that he would probably have to walk a long way, and that the master was not a monk either, whose opinion might not be suitable for him. In desperation, the monk brother set out anyway, wanting to know what the lonely teacher could advise him.
Through the forest he climbed the mountain, the path became more and more difficult to walk, the forest became denser and denser, the light became darker, the sun was no longer visible, trees stood in his path.
But now he had already started, he wanted to question the man, undeterred he climbed up. When he reached the top of the hill, he saw a small hut in a clearing, animals were to be seen, a small brook splashed into the valley. On a wooden bench sat an old man who looked at him as he approached. The monk gave his name and made his request.
"For many years I have been a monk, I have always kept the commandments of my order, I have no possessions, I eat only what is necessary, I have renounced all pleasures and pleasures, I know no greed, no hatred and no delusion; regularly I quote the holy scriptures, but "enlightenment" I cannot experience, I suffer greatly from it," he lamented his fate.
"What can I do to achieve my goal?"
The white man looked at him wearily and replied, "Give up suffering," then he paid no more attention to the monk, went back to his work.
The misfortune can make proud, the suffering makes humble
- Carmen Sylva - Queen of Romania and writer - 1843 to 1916
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
Buddha said again and again that life is suffering. And what do we suffer, again and again, from rejection, from failure, from too little of this and too much of that, pain follows pain, sorrow and worry affect our moods, again and again we have sorrowful experiences.
Perhaps the following story can illustrate well for you the words of the historical Buddha.
A Buddhist monk was in search of "enlightenment", he lived like an ascetic, fasted incessantly, ate almost nothing, chastised himself, indulged himself little, prayed incessantly. He suffered terribly because he had little to eat, found no joy in life; his life was blameless, he followed the teachings of Buddha, his role model. However, the awakening would not come to him, the longed-for "enlightenment" was not granted to him, which troubled him very much.
In his temple he asked the other monks, asked everyone he met for advice, but no one could help him, could tell him what to do.
He left his monastery and traveled around, constantly trying to get a clue on how to get closer to his goal.
So he walked many ways, with his old monk's shoes, from village to village, from temple to temple, becoming completely obsessed with the all-important question of "awakening". The people he met felt compassion for the monk. When he lamented his suffering to an elderly peasant woman, she told him that there was a Chan master living in the mountains, but that the path there was arduous, that he would probably have to walk a long way, and that the master was not a monk either, whose opinion might not be suitable for him. In desperation, the monk brother set out anyway, wanting to know what the lonely teacher could advise him.
Through the forest he climbed the mountain, the path became more and more difficult to walk, the forest became denser and denser, the light became darker, the sun was no longer visible, trees stood in his path.
But now he had already started, he wanted to question the man, undeterred he climbed up. When he reached the top of the hill, he saw a small hut in a clearing, animals were to be seen, a small brook splashed into the valley. On a wooden bench sat an old man who looked at him as he approached. The monk gave his name and made his request.
"For many years I have been a monk, I have always kept the commandments of my order, I have no possessions, I eat only what is necessary, I have renounced all pleasures and pleasures, I know no greed, no hatred and no delusion; regularly I quote the holy scriptures, but "enlightenment" I cannot experience, I suffer greatly from it," he lamented his fate.
"What can I do to achieve my goal?"
The white man looked at him wearily and replied, "Give up suffering," then he paid no more attention to the monk, went back to his work.
The misfortune can make proud, the suffering makes humble
- Carmen Sylva - Queen of Romania and writer - 1843 to 1916
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
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7 Minuten
It's your own fault!
Your wound may not be your fault, but the healing is clearly your responsibility. Everyone is responsible for his own life; he shapes his future by his thoughts, words and actions.
This concept enables the conscious building of impressions that lead to happiness, avoid future suffering.
According to the historical Buddha, at the beginning there is always thinking as the cause of resolutions, which then lead to speech and actions. So far, so good.
But are we always aware of this fact?
I think not! Do you know the story of the Roman slave Epictetus?
After a difficult and eventful history, this learned man founded a school of philosophy. Thus, in his teachings, he separated the states into two categories, those that are beyond human power (given things) and those that are within the sphere of influence of everyone (can be determined by oneself).
From him comes the sentence: "The way to happiness consists in not worrying about anything that is beyond the influence of our will".
In every life there are good and bad events, sorrow and worry are human, but we must heal ourselves, "come back to ourselves", not fall into depression and self-doubt.
We are responsible for this, the suffering we go through is our responsibility, and the healing from this pain is also our responsibility. And about the things that come from outside, we should not even think about them, because that leads to nothing. Problems, conflicts, burdens, insecurity, obstacles, anger, distress, inadequacies, every obstacle that lies within our sphere of influence, these things we can control and, if we want, stop, simply by "standing above" them.
The philosophy of Buddha goes far beyond the teachings of Epictetus, according to the great teacher we should not worry at all, not evaluate things and people, not even ourselves and our lives.
For starters, it already brings great benefits to us at least not to worry about the things that are clearly beyond our control. "I hope it won't rain tomorrow", such considerations will not bring us any further.
Anyway, we are to blame for everything ourselves, we are liable for our thoughts, our words and actions, and we have to heal ourselves.
I would like to conclude with some sentences of Epictetus:
"But the wise man finds no one guilty, neither himself nor others".
"It is not the things themselves that trouble us, but the ideas and opinions of the things"
"It is not things that are positive or negative, but our attitude that makes them so"
"Endure and renounce!"
Never say of a thing, "I have lost it," but say, "I have given it back." Your child died? No, you gave it back. Your wife died? No, you have returned it. "I have lost my property". Good, you returned that too. "But he is a criminal who stole it from me". What is it to you, through whom the one who once gave it to you reclaimed it from you?
That which comes out of man makes man unclean; for from within, out of the heart of man, come forth evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, covetousness, malice, guile, dissipation, ill will, blasphemy, pride, unreasonableness
- Bible –
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Your wound may not be your fault, but the healing is clearly your responsibility. Everyone is responsible for his own life; he shapes his future by his thoughts, words and actions.
This concept enables the conscious building of impressions that lead to happiness, avoid future suffering.
According to the historical Buddha, at the beginning there is always thinking as the cause of resolutions, which then lead to speech and actions. So far, so good.
But are we always aware of this fact?
I think not! Do you know the story of the Roman slave Epictetus?
After a difficult and eventful history, this learned man founded a school of philosophy. Thus, in his teachings, he separated the states into two categories, those that are beyond human power (given things) and those that are within the sphere of influence of everyone (can be determined by oneself).
From him comes the sentence: "The way to happiness consists in not worrying about anything that is beyond the influence of our will".
In every life there are good and bad events, sorrow and worry are human, but we must heal ourselves, "come back to ourselves", not fall into depression and self-doubt.
We are responsible for this, the suffering we go through is our responsibility, and the healing from this pain is also our responsibility. And about the things that come from outside, we should not even think about them, because that leads to nothing. Problems, conflicts, burdens, insecurity, obstacles, anger, distress, inadequacies, every obstacle that lies within our sphere of influence, these things we can control and, if we want, stop, simply by "standing above" them.
The philosophy of Buddha goes far beyond the teachings of Epictetus, according to the great teacher we should not worry at all, not evaluate things and people, not even ourselves and our lives.
For starters, it already brings great benefits to us at least not to worry about the things that are clearly beyond our control. "I hope it won't rain tomorrow", such considerations will not bring us any further.
Anyway, we are to blame for everything ourselves, we are liable for our thoughts, our words and actions, and we have to heal ourselves.
I would like to conclude with some sentences of Epictetus:
"But the wise man finds no one guilty, neither himself nor others".
"It is not the things themselves that trouble us, but the ideas and opinions of the things"
"It is not things that are positive or negative, but our attitude that makes them so"
"Endure and renounce!"
Never say of a thing, "I have lost it," but say, "I have given it back." Your child died? No, you gave it back. Your wife died? No, you have returned it. "I have lost my property". Good, you returned that too. "But he is a criminal who stole it from me". What is it to you, through whom the one who once gave it to you reclaimed it from you?
That which comes out of man makes man unclean; for from within, out of the heart of man, come forth evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, covetousness, malice, guile, dissipation, ill will, blasphemy, pride, unreasonableness
- Bible –
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
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6 Minuten
People are donkeys
In a distant village in the Chinese province once lived a farmer. With his sons he farmed the meager fields, the daughters helped their mother in the house.
On the farm lived many animals, chickens, pigs and a donkey, with which the farmer transported his goods to the city to sell them. Sometimes his youngest son accompanied him, the older ones were needed on the farm.
Usually the farmer set off before daybreak to be at the market in time, after all the way was long and arduous; on the way back it usually got dark again.
Today was a good day, all goods, were sold quickly, one knew the quality of the vegetables of the farmer, and one appreciated him because of his direct way.
Quickly he and his son bought some more supplies and then headed home.
The farmer was tired and so he rode first on the donkey, his son walking beside him through the evening.
The people who came to meet him greeted politely, but one said, "The poor boy has to walk"!
This made the farmer uncomfortable, he dismounted and put the boy on the animal.
Again people came their way, nice and friendly, but one said: "Look, the son lets the old father walk"!
Again the father felt bad, from then on the two rode on the donkey.
Several passers-by passed by on the narrow path, many were friendly, but one said: "The poor animal has to carry two people, that's not right"!
Now the farmer had enough, father and son dismounted and trudged on beside the donkey.
In the next village they met other people on the road, and the father heard one of them say: "Look at how stupid this farmer is, he has a donkey but walks on foot".
Well, you just can't please everyone, you shouldn't try!
As an outsider one should hold back with evaluations, every occurrence can be regarded in such a way or in such a way, it always depends on the point of view.
The teaching of Buddha shows us an approach to things without judging them, "good" is not always "good", and "bad" is not always "bad".
In any case, we should avoid judging a thing or a person.
Anyway, otherwise the people are the "donkeys"!
It is always a donkey who argues with a donkey
- German proverb -
What the donkey says, he believes
- From Arabia –
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
In a distant village in the Chinese province once lived a farmer. With his sons he farmed the meager fields, the daughters helped their mother in the house.
On the farm lived many animals, chickens, pigs and a donkey, with which the farmer transported his goods to the city to sell them. Sometimes his youngest son accompanied him, the older ones were needed on the farm.
Usually the farmer set off before daybreak to be at the market in time, after all the way was long and arduous; on the way back it usually got dark again.
Today was a good day, all goods, were sold quickly, one knew the quality of the vegetables of the farmer, and one appreciated him because of his direct way.
Quickly he and his son bought some more supplies and then headed home.
The farmer was tired and so he rode first on the donkey, his son walking beside him through the evening.
The people who came to meet him greeted politely, but one said, "The poor boy has to walk"!
This made the farmer uncomfortable, he dismounted and put the boy on the animal.
Again people came their way, nice and friendly, but one said: "Look, the son lets the old father walk"!
Again the father felt bad, from then on the two rode on the donkey.
Several passers-by passed by on the narrow path, many were friendly, but one said: "The poor animal has to carry two people, that's not right"!
Now the farmer had enough, father and son dismounted and trudged on beside the donkey.
In the next village they met other people on the road, and the father heard one of them say: "Look at how stupid this farmer is, he has a donkey but walks on foot".
Well, you just can't please everyone, you shouldn't try!
As an outsider one should hold back with evaluations, every occurrence can be regarded in such a way or in such a way, it always depends on the point of view.
The teaching of Buddha shows us an approach to things without judging them, "good" is not always "good", and "bad" is not always "bad".
In any case, we should avoid judging a thing or a person.
Anyway, otherwise the people are the "donkeys"!
It is always a donkey who argues with a donkey
- German proverb -
What the donkey says, he believes
- From Arabia –
Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de
(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)
Please rate us on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcast to help us promote the show
