Your best at your simplest (Mel Lyman)

All things unfold from a common source, there is but one center to the universe, all things are rooted there.

Learn how to eliminate all that is superficial and unnecessary, what hinders you from knowing the source from whence you came: it is so much garbage piled up between you and your soul, it distorts the tree and fouls the song and muddles the story and twists the desire, it strangles the root and starves the flower, it KILLS.

At your simplest you are at your best, the good in you is free to come forth, why display empty pretence to cover scanty knowledge, it is so easy to say it hurts. The good in you will not forsake you, only you can forsake IT.

Petros to Teach Tibetan Buddhism Class

Petros will be offering a free class on Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana) on Friday, October 7th at 7pm. This class will pick off where his "Introduction to Buddhism" class left on, working toward more advanced aspects of practice for those seriously interested in the Dharma.

Location:
Alpha Book Center
4532 N. 7th St.
Phoenix AZ

Friday, 7 October 2011
7:00 pm

Petros to Teach Introduction to Buddhism Class

Petros will be teaching a free class, "Introduction to Buddhism 1," on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7pm. The class will cover the fundamental principles of Buddhism for those unfamiliar with it. It is intended to serve as groundwork for future planned classes on more advanced dharma topics such as Vajrayana.

Location:
Alpha Book Center
4532 N. 7th St.
Phoenix, AZ

16 September 2011

Flavor of Nonexistence (Milarepa)

Because there is no difference between Static and Active Meditation, I have no need for the different stages in the Path. Whatever they may manifest, their essence is Voidness; there is neither mindfulness nor nonmindfulness in my contemplation. I have tasted the flavor of Non-existence; compared to other teachings, this is the highest.

-- Milarepa

Meditate Not to Meditate (Milarepa)

Moreover, to meditate is an illusory thought;
Not to meditate is illusory, too.
It is the same whether or not you meditate.

-- Milarepa

Nobody's World (Trungpa)

In relating with the world, there are some very tough questions. What is the world? Whose world is it? What does relating mean? The basic point is that this is nobody's world, since there is nobody as such. The energy constantly taking place does not belong to anybody but is a natural organic process.

-- Chogyam Trungpa, from True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art.

The Middle Way (Aryadeva)

Not existence and not nonexistence
Not these two conjoined nor the opposite of this
Freed from four extremes, the truly wise
Are those who keep within the middle way.

-- Aryadeva

Phenomena Unarising (Nagarjuna)

Neither from themselves,
Nor from another cause,
Not from both,
Nor yet without a cause:
Phenomena indeed of any kind are never born.

-- Nagarjuna, from the Mulamadhyamaka-karika (Foundation of the Middle Way)

Renouncing Renouncing (Chiang Wei-nung)

By renouncing attachment to a self, we become arhats. By renouncing attachment to dharmas, we become bodhisattvas. By renouncing renouncing, we become buddhas. Thus sila (renunciation) is the ultimate practice.

– Chiang Wei-nung, commenting on the Diamond Sutra

Mind Not Found (Huang-po)

Most people allow their mind to be obstructed by the world and then try to escape from the world. They don't realize that their mind obstructs the world. If they could only let their minds be empty, the world would be empty. Don't misuse the mind. If you want to be free of the world, forget the mind. When you forget the mind the world becomes empty. When the world becomes empty the mind disappears. If you don't forget the mind and only get rid of the world, you only become more confused. Thus it is said all things are only mind – But mind cannot be found! When you can't find a thing you have reached the final goal. Why run around looking for liberation?

-- Huang-po, commenting on the Diamond Sutra