Brain science explains meditation benefits

Neuroscientists at the University of Wisconsin recently asked volunteers to practice "compassion meditation" while reclining inside MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines. Results showed that the brains of more experienced meditators exhibited greater activity in areas known to be related to empathy and emotions than the brains of the less experienced meditators. The tentative conclusion seems to be that meditation does have "real" effects that can be objectively measured in the brain, and that experience and practice in meditation does make a difference.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23829470/

Bodhidharma

Whoever knows that the mind is a fiction and empty of anything real knows that his own mind neither exists nor doesn't exist. The ignorant keep creating the mind, claiming it exists. And adepts keep negating the mind, claiming it doesn't exist. But the truly wise neither create nor negate the mind. This is what's meant by the mind that neither exists nor doesn't exist.

-- Bodhidharma (5th cent.)

Dogen on traceless realization

To study the buddha path is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be realized by all that exists. When realized by all that exists, one's body and mind and the bodies and minds of "others" drop away from thought. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.

-- Dogen, Shobogenzo

Spies for Higher Consciousness

"During a war every person that is somewhat awake is considered a spy because of his seriousness and alertness."

-- Gurdjieff

Roadquest

A journey of a thousand miles ends with a single step.

Meher Baba

"The so many deaths during the one whole life, from the beginning of evolution of consciousness to the end of involution of consciousness, are like so many sleeps during one lifetime."

-- Meher Baba, from God Speaks