Buddhist in Training

the Dalai Lama (via lazyyogi)

I just read this great article about love on the Tricycle website. Here is an excerpt but to read it all click here :)

Metta—the first of the Supreme Emotions—is usually translated as “loving kindness.” But loving-kindness doesn’t have the same impact in English that the word love has, which carries a lot of meaning for us. We have many ideas about love. The most profound thought we have about love, which is propagated in novels, movies, and billboards, is the idea that love exists between two people who are utterly compatible, usually young and pretty, and who for some odd reason have a chemical attraction toward each other—none of which can last. Most people find out during the course of their lifetime that this is a myth, that it doesn’t work that way. Most people then think it’s their own fault or the other person’s fault or the fault of both, and they try a new relationship. After the third, fourth, or fifth try, they might know better; but a lot of people are still trying. That’s usually what’s called love in our society.

In reality, love is a quality of our heart. The heart has no other function. If we were aware that we all contain love within us, and that we can foster and develop it, we would certainly give that far more attention than we do. In all developed societies there are institutions to foster the expansion of the mind, from the age of three until death. But we don’t have any institutions to develop the heart, so we have to do it ourselves. Most people are either waiting for or relating to the one person who makes it possible for them to feel love at last. But that kind of love is beset with fear, and fear is part of hate. What we hate is the idea that this special person may die, walk away, have other feelings and thoughts—in other words, the fear that love may end, because we believe that love is situated strictly in that one person. Since there are six billion people on this planet, this is rather absurd. Yet most people think that our love-ability is dependent upon one person and having that one person near us. That creates the fear of loss, and love beset by fear cannot be pure. We create a dependency upon that person, and on his or her ideas and emotions. There is no freedom in that, no freedom to love.

…

On the spiritual path, there’s nothing to get, and everything to get rid of. Obviously, the first thing to let go of is trying to “get” love, and instead to give it. That’s the secret of the spiritual path. One has to give oneself wholeheartedly. Whatever we do half heartedly, brings halfhearted results. How can we give ourselves? By not holding back. By not wanting for ourselves. If we want to be loved, we are looking for a support system. If we want to love, we are looking for spiritual growth. Disliking others is far too easy. Anybody can do it and justify it because, of course, people are often not very bright and don’t act the way we’d like them to act. Disliking makes grooves in the heart, and it becomes easier and easier to fall into these grooves. We not only dislike others, but also ourselves. If one likes or loves oneself, it’s easier to love others, which is why we always start loving-kindness meditations with the focus on ourselves. That’s not egocentricity. If we don’t like ourselves because we have faults, or have made mistakes, we will transfer that dislike to others and judge them accordingly. We are not here to be judge and jury. First of all, we don’t even have the qualifications. It’s also a very unsatisfactory job, doesn’t pay, and just makes people unhappy.

Truth.

(Source: thinksquad, via spiritualconnections)

(via m3ditate-deactivated20120601)

Om Mani Padme Hum

ombuddha:

Our exaggerated sense of self and our compulsion to find happiness for this larger-than-life self we have fabricated cause us to ignore, neglect and harm others. Of course, it is our right to love and take care of ourselves, but not at the expense of others. While ‘As long as I’m alright’ is our motto, we have no hesitation in acting with total disregard for others.

Geshe Sonam Rinchen.

Photo by prayforsnow.

But not at the expense of others.

simplyisis:

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
- Buddha

(via mindfulmantras)

onemoondance:

Learning to find the line between compassion and not accepting bad behavior. I think I’m slowwwwwwly figuring it out.

I used to confuse compassion with being a doormat. I would say “I love this person, so when they hurt me I will never tell them”. I’m learning now that I can still forgive or…

(via onemoondance-deactivated2012100)

The Dalai Lama (via yoginiyoda)

(Source: hoarding-cats, via yoginiyoda)

(via wethinkwedream)

astraforward:

I heard this for the first time a few days ago. It was from a San Francisco Zen Centre podcast entitled ‘Loving Kindness’, a talk given by Jana who had been living at the Centre when I stayed there about ten years ago.

To those who withhold refuge,
I cradle you in safety at the core of my…

santmat:

Bodhisattva of Compassion: Meditating Within and Being Compassionate Without — The Story of Quan Yin (Avalokiteshvara): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkG8Q-z38LE

canicallitoff-deactivated201211 asked: One of the reasons I'm so baffled by Buddhists is their tolerance.. They have to let go of their loves.. It says let go of earthly things.. I could NEVER. EVER. Let go of Adam. Ever. That's why I couldnt't ever be Buddhist.

But they do NOT let go of love they are FILLED with love! People often hold that misconception, that Buddhists are somewhat depressing because they believe in things such as attachment (not having it) and emptiness but in fact these things are not meant to bring you further away from love but CLOSER to love. Not being attached to something means letting go of your EGO. Your ego is what determines whether you hate something or tolerate it and love it. Your ego is the thing that keeps you from love. Think about it; the ego brings things like jealously, hatred, pride, greed, selfishness. Withouth these things what do you have but love, honesty, compassion, joy?? Then, explain how Buddhists are losing anything here? In fact, they are GAINING. And I am assuming Adam is someone very close to you whom you love? Being a Buddhist, or more specifically, an enlightened person does not mean that you would lose that person, you would actually have more love for them because you wouldn’t have your ego standing in the way of it anymore. That love would become true and unconditional love.

And best of all, you would have that love for every person in the world.