My name's Justin, and I'm a Buddhist. I take bits from Hindu, and Taoist philosophy as well though. I blog about religion, politics, philosophy, and whatever else I feel like blogging about. I've grown a lot over the years, but I'm still far from where I want to be. If you have any questions then ask away! Don't be shy.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Bodhidharma
Did you know that…
Tiger Woods…
Orlando Bloom…
Tina Turner….
Herbie Hancock….
Richard Gere…
Kate Bosworth….
Steven Segal…
Steve Jobs…
Keanu Reaves…
Tina Turner…
Courtney Love….
Jet Li…..
Jackie Chan….
Bruce Lee…
and Sharaon Stone…
….All have have/are practicing Buddhism?
In our consciousness is buried a marvelous seed: the seed of mindfulness. Once manifested, this seed has the ability to make us aware of what is happening in the moment. If we step in peace and joy and if we know we are in full consciousness.
-Thich Nhat Hanh-
hotei bird and monk
Yoshitoshi - Bodhidharma
The real you is not a puppet which life pushes around. The real deep down you, is the whole universe.
Alan Watts (as heard in Starfucker’s “Florida”)
Love is in the air
Student: I'd like to be more open, to meet people more deeply and more intimately, to just come together and smile, without any agenda, without any playing of a role. Sometimes all those serious teachings are so intellectual that I'm feeling overwhelmed, even scared.
Teacher: All the teachings will be unnecessary once you simply open yourself to your heart and stay right at the edge of your fear, at that point where you clearly sense fear.
Student: So not trying to push away whatever fear there is?
Teacher: Yes, don't try to find courage in order to manipulate your underlying fear. That's just acting from a state of fear, with some moments of courage. Instead act from a state of love, without any fear at all. Love is all around you, and inside as well. You just have to stop to 'unlove' your natural state.
Student: Fear brings me down to my knees, even to the point where I fear the arising of fear.
Teacher: Fear is a state of consciousness. Therefore you're not your fear. You're consciousness without any state of it, uncontrived, essentially pure. All imaginable states are included in that what you are. Just stop and see clearly that you're a thousand times more than your imagined state of fearfulness. You're that in which fear is just happening.
Student: So this state of fear is temporarily happening?
Teacher: A state is a state, coming and going. You have the potential, right now, just to be what you are. You don't have to abide in states of whatever. You're the 'including it all', simply by being the love that you've ever been.
Student: Loving my enemy, myself, my being?
Teacher: You're the love. Forget about love as an object. You can't become love. Love is in the air, and it has ever been so.
Student: Only love is there?
Teacher: Yes, you won't need no teaching to realize this. No teacher can bring you love, for you're it already. As being that love you're all around. Everybody you meet is that pure love that you are. Don't try to have different states of being.
Hug and kiss and smile and laugh! Love is in the air. You're the air, and you're the love.
Student: Just love?
Teacher: That's all there is! Just love!
The world is its own magic.
Shunryu Suzuki
