Think of the potential for awakening within us as human beings as an opening to total satisfaction, an opportunity for total satisfaction.

"We remember [the Buddha] because he left behind his excellent example, one full of hope. He was able to take his human nature and develop to the perfection of awakening. And we’ve got that potential within us as well.

So don’t see that as one more burden being placed on you, one more impossible measuring stick against which you’re supposed to measure yourself. Think of it as an opening to total satisfaction, an opportunity for total satisfaction. Those two Himalayan ranges of gold will never satisfy you, but nibbana is more than satisfying. That’s what the Buddha and all the great arahants have said. It’s up to us to decide whether we’re interested in what they say or not, whether we’re tantalized by what they say or not. But only a fool wouldn’t be interested in a possibility that good."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Perfection in an Imperfect World"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ending our addiction to wandering-on through craving benefits both ourselves and others

"We actually create our worlds of becoming through the activity of wandering-on, through craving. We’re creating our individual worlds to feed on. So it’s like an addiction. And the best thing to do with an addiction is to learn how to end it. You’ll benefit, the people around you will benefit, too. Because as we feed on our worlds, we’re often feeding on the same food sources that other people are because our worlds overlap, which means there’s competition. So simply pulling yourself out of the cycle really helps to at least take one mouth out of the feeding cycle. And you’re setting a good example. Because the things we do in order to get out are not just a matter of running away. We have to be generous. We have to be virtuous. We try to develop good qualities. One of the motivations for doing this is compassion. As the Buddha said, the people who help us with our practice: If we really do get out, then they benefit greatly." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Remorse" (Medita
Read more

Fortunately we don’t all have to join in some enlightened society in order to be enlightened. It’s an individual quest. You focus on doing good where you can — both inside and out — and that becomes your strength.

"Learn how to develop as much goodness within yourself as you can, so that even though you have to be guarded in this world, you can treat people with goodwill [mettā] . The basic attitude of goodwill is that you wish them well — realizing that, in some cases, the best thing for you and that other person may be to stay away from each other. This realization comes, not from ill will, but from noticing that this relationship is not working out — it’s not going in the right direction. And fortunately, we don’t all have to join in some enlightened society in order to be enlightened. It’s an individual quest. And you have to face the fact that, with some people, you’re never going to find reconciliation. But you don’t get worked up over impossibilities. You focus on doing good where you can — both inside and out — and that becomes your strength." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Guarded"
Read more

All you have to do is look at the body and you see everything you need to know for the sake of liberation.

"There's a passage where the Buddha says, "The world, the origination of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world all lie within this fathom-long body." Which means that all you have to do is look at the body and you see everything you need to know for the sake of liberation." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "This Fathom-Long Body"
Read more