Then Excellent Life Lessons from Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama is one of the most inspiring people around the world, know by his quotes, books, and speeches. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, which is the 14th Lama of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in July 1935 and his key social stances and poses that are known are the democracy, nonviolence, religious harmony. He is a lightworker and a great teacher of self-discipline, empathy, unconditional happiness, peace and love, acceptance and forgiveness. The wise Dalai Lama always described himself as a "simple Buddhist monk" regardless of all the wisdom and good works that he has done and all the greatness he achieved to all that he teaches by his simplicity and kindness. Here you can find just a pinch of his wisdom and inspiring quotes that I invite you to read and think about for a moment, let it inspire and enlighten your mind and soul and create happiness in your life. I have added my interpretation and thoughts to each quote and I hope you will enjoy that as well.

1 - My religion is very simple, My religion is kindness. 

Kindness is the base of all spiritual teachings, being kind and passionate needs a strong, happy, and peaceful character and being kind means archiving all those levels and have a valuable self-discipline and self-awareness. many may interpret kindness as giving up, or less powerful and that is not what kindness is, the true kindness is given by a person who has reached their high-level potentials who does not hurt themselves while enjoying on supporting others. who is so powerful and string that can support and be kind to their enemies even without getting hurt or harming anyone while standing their ground and fighting against any attack peacefully. Kindness is the key to connect to each other and the universe within and out, the path to the kindness is the religion that would be better for all of us to choose and take on our life.

2 - Love is absence of judgment.

You may hear from religious or spiritual people that judgment serves no purpose in our life, and the truth is whatever we do and we think has a purpose in our life, it is a strategy to serve a core desire in our subconscious and thoughts. Unfortunately, many of us may have used this strategy to feel that they are gaining power, growing, taking what is theirs and even feeling of teaching others what they think is right, while none of these are real and will be achieved by judgmental strategy and behavior, it could be a temporary feeling and it last as that moment and create craving of getting more, therefore the person became more eager to get good feeling so they do the wrong more, judgment. This causes to get away from kindness and peacefulness which creates Love and compassion, give yourself a chance to create, endorse and expand, feel the power and witness, by changing your strategy from judgmental to giving and loving.

3 - Positive and negative actions are determined by one’s own motivation. If the motivation is good, all actions become positive; if the motivation is wrong, all actions become negative.

It happened to may that they try to do and be positive and it felt hard to, or even sometimes impossible to be positive. Well here is the secret of being and doing things positively, the term positive is to do and be good, which can be understood to not harm others and yourself and do as you desire. All our actions are depended on our intentions and goals when our intention and goal the urge of reaching to a point or position requires negativity or we are thought to use harmful ways to reach then it is hard to be and do positive since all our motives are leaded by our intentions and goals. we either need to change our motives and intentions or learn a new strategy that will have positive actions in it to reach our goals.

4 - Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

Perhaps you have heard that saying, be careful what you wish for, sometimes we don't and cant sees the exact path to get to what we want therefore lots of unwanted things happens without our acknowledgment while deep inside we did wish for it. Well on this particular situation which we want the good for us but not getting it could have more bad and negative affects afterward than what we thought or not. Basically having faith in the universe, god, higher source, the energy that connect us all which is the most wisdom master will ease our life, having faith that things didn't happen because of a reason, and as Steve Jobs said one, we only can connect the dots when looking back, and we should have faith that dots will connect to each other in future. we will release the reason in the future when we look back and connect the dots :)

5 - We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves

Remember everything grows within out not from outside, the seed is the beginning of a tree and the fruit is the result of a healthy tree, same as the tree we are with our physical and emotional body, when we are healthy and peaceful then we can create a peaceful space, room, home, family, friends, and environment. We only can connect and feel the peace when we are in peace. there is no way to get to something with acting opposite of it, that means we cant get to peace by force.

6 - Sleep is the best meditation

When meditating the highest that we can achieve will be closer to when we are going to sleep because then is when we access our subconscious the highest. This doesn't mean that we should not meditate or sleeping is enough meditation, it means we can use the sleeping as the longest meditation and deepest that we can have every night constantly, and how we might do that? remember our subconscious knows the most about ourselves and every data we collected during the day, it is the most active part because it keeps us on track of what we really want and dream of. Before going to sleep clean your mind by clearing your day, check what worked what didn't work during the day, then start appreciating with things that happened or you have this will calm you, give you a joy of living and clear your low vibration and thoughts you may hold and pass to the next day and have a bad sleep. After you cleared your mind, focus on something you want to do, or wish for, create a positive and happy image of what you want in your mind and own it as it is your reality, let it go to our subconscious and sleep. this technique is very powerful that you can try when you have issues to solve and are frustrated, be careful to clear your mind first and you will find next morning you already know what to do or what is the solution to your challenge.

7 - The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.

Many people want to be happy and yet not paying attention to their own inner anger and hatred toward people, God, and the world also most of the time toward themselves. Acceptance is the first step to conquer the self-anger and frustration. One a person had that cleared they become their own lives hero.

8 - Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

Ignorance is the biggest challenge and enemy that we have within ourselves, once we realize this and choose to not follow and take the ignorance as the master step and choice everything become more clear and visible, we start taking responsibility and get rid of expectations. That's when we step in the world based on possibilities and peace.

9 - It is very rare or almost impossible that an event can be negative from all points of view.

In reality, it's almost not possible for an event to be pure negativity, if we just change our perspective and see things from a different point of view then we can see even most of the time there were a benefit for us, although it could be a temporary or a hidden one and there is. Do your best to detach yourself from that event and acknowledge the reality of it, then review all aspects of it, perhaps you can learn and find a shift, and that by itself is positive. Remember every failure is a step to success.

10 - True spirituality is a mental attitude you can practice at any time.

Believe it or not, the attitude is one of the keys to a successful life and business, the productive and peaceful conversation with others and ourselves. Start practicing to be loving and supportive to ourselves, then it will shine out to our outer world. Say that you love yourself, forgive and accept what you are. Be your teacher and hero by practicing on improving your mental attitude.

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Seven Zen Fun and Enlightening Stories

Zen Stories

Zen stories are stories told by Zen Masters and Spiritual Masters to bring knowledge of self-awareness and spiritual growth to listeners in a way that is interesting, fun and simple to understand, we all know philosophy and understanding of nature and universe most of the time could be so difficult to many minds so Spiritual Masters always wanted to put it in a simple way for regular people to understand and learn the good and positive being, doing and passing it on easily.

Many Spiritual Masters like Jesus, Buddha, Rumi (Molana), Osho, Meher Baba,  Ananda, Ashvagosha, and more always been writing or telling stories, poems and life examples to teach people and enlighten people in attractive and simple way to understand. Zen word itself came from Japanese Buddhism practice which can be call in many different words in different practices and studies.

Here are seven interesting Zen stories which I wish you will enjoy reading and will be a daily food for your soul.

Story #1 : No Objective World

Once there was a monk who specialized in the Buddhist precepts, and he kept to them all his life. Once when he was walking at night, he stepped on something. It made a squishing sound, and he imagined he had stepped on an egg-bearing frog.

This caused him no end of alarm and regret, in view of the Buddhist precept against taking life, and when he finally went to sleep that night he dreamed that hundreds of frogs came demanding his life.

The monk was terribly upset, but when morning came he looked and found that what he stepped on was an overripe eggplant. At that moment his feeling of uncertainty suddenly stopped, and for the first time he realized the meaning of the saying that “there is no objective world.” Then he finally knew how to practice Zen.

Story #2 : Flow Like a River

There is the story of a young martial arts student who was under the tutelage of a famous master.

One day, the master was watching a practice session in the courtyard. He realized that the presence of the other students was interfering with the young man’s attempts to perfect his technique.

The master could sense the young man’s frustration. He went up to the young man and tapped him on his shoulder.

“What’s the problem?” he inquired.

“I don’t know”, said the youth, with a strained expression.

“No matter how much I try, I am unable to execute the moves properly”.

“Before you can master technique, you must understand harmony. Come with me, I will explain”, replied the master.

The teacher and student left the building and walked some distance into the woods until they came upon a stream. The master stood silently on the bank for several moments. Then he spoke.

“Look at the stream,” he said. “There are rocks in its way. Does it slam into them out of frustration? It simply flows over and around them and moves on! Be like the water and you will know what harmony is.”

The young man took the master’s advice to heart. Soon, he was barely noticing the other students around him. Nothing could come in his way of executing the most perfect moves.

Story #3 : Moderation

An aged monk, who had lived a long and active life, was assigned a chaplain’s role at an academy for girls. In discussion groups he often found that the subject of love became a central topic. This comprised his warning to the young women:

“Understand the danger of anything-too-much in your lives. Too much anger in combat can lead to recklessness and death. Too much ardor in religious beliefs can lead to close-mindedness and persecution.

Too much passion in love creates dream images of the beloved – images that ultimately prove false and generate anger. To love too much is to lick honey from the point of a knife.”

“But as a celibate monk,” asked one young woman, “how can you know of love between a man and a woman?”

“Sometime, dear children,” replied the old teacher, “I will tell you why I became a monk.”

Story #4 : Buddhism & Christianity

A university student while visiting Gasan asked him: “Have you ever read the Christian Bible?”

“No, read it to me,” said Gasan.

The student opened the Bible and read from St. Matthew: “And why take ye thought for rainment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these… Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

Gasan said: “Whoever uttered those words I consider an enlightened man.”

The student continued reading: “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”

Gasan remarked: “That is excellent. Whoever said that is not far from Buddhahood.”

Story #5 : The Hangover

A certain Zen teacher celebrated with his students, drinking sake and whiskey until after midnight, then rose next morning before dawn. Peevish, he expressed annoyance that his American students had not risen in time to do zazen [Zen meditation] before morning service.

When they murmured that their sluggishness might be accounted for by all the drink, the teacher snapped, “Sake is one thing, and zazen is another! They have nothing to do with each other!”

Story #6 : The Pointer

The Zen teacher’s dog loved his evening romp with his master. The dog would bound ahead to fetch a stick, then run back, wag his tail, and wait for the next game. On this particular evening, the teacher invited one of his brightest students to join him – a boy so intelligent that he became troubled by the contradictions in Buddhist doctrine.

“You must understand,” said the teacher, “that words are only guideposts. Never let the words or symbols get in the way of truth. Here, I’ll show you.”

With that the teacher called his happy dog.

“Fetch me the moon,” he said to his dog and pointed to the full moon.

“Where is my dog looking?” asked the teacher of the bright pupil.

“He’s looking at your finger.”

“Exactly. Don’t be like my dog. Don’t confuse the pointing finger with the thing that is being pointed at. All our Buddhist words are only guideposts. Every man fights his way through other men’s words to find his own truth.”

Story #7 : God And Air

A hermit was meditating by a river when a young man interrupted him.

“Master, I wish to become your disciple,” said the man.

“Why?” replied the hermit.

The young man thought for a moment.

“Because I want to find God.”

The master jumped up, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head under water.

After holding him there for a minute, with him kicking and struggling to free himself, the master finally pulled him up out of the river. The young man coughed up water and gasped to get his breath. When he eventually quieted down, the master spoke.

“Tell me, what did you want most of all when you were under water.”

“Air!” answered the man.

“Very well,” said the master.

“Go home and come back to me when you want God as much as you just wanted air.”

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