Cugetari din Dharma

[florin.oltean75]

"(3.18) May I become a protector for the protectorless,
A guide for those who travel on the road,
And, for those who wish to cross the water,
May I become a boat, a ship, or a bridge.

(3.19) May I become an island for those seeking dry land,
A lamp for those needing light,
A place of rest for those who desire one,
And a servant for those needing service.

(3.20) To benefit all living beings,
May I become a treasury of wealth,
Powerful mantras, potent medicine,
A wish-fulfilling tree, and a wish-granting cow.

There is no denying the spiritual poetry of Shantideva. Who cannot help but be inspired to become whatever living beings need by such words.

As was explained before, a Buddha’s form body has the power to appear in any form beneficial to living beings, from something as simple as a toothbrush to something as divine as the form of a holy spiritual guide.

Mothers describe there is no feeling of love greater than breastfeeding one’s newborn baby, imagine the loving bliss of a Buddha whose body nourishes all beings.

As with all things in the Dharma, such abilities begin with a pure motivation. " Kadampa Ryan

[florin.oltean75]

"We tend to think that pleasantness and unpleasantness are characteristics that exist from the side of the object,
but in reality whether we experience an object as pleasant or unpleasant depends entirely upon our karma."

[florin.oltean75]

"In the Sutras, Buddha says:
The fully ripened effects of actions ripen not on soil or stones, but only on consciousness.

This is because only consciousness has feelings, and only with feelings can we experience the ripened effects of actions.

Virtuous actions result in pleasant feelings,
non-virtuous actions in unpleasant feelings, and
neutral actions in neutral feelings."

[florin.oltean75]

"The function of contaminated feelings is to act as the basis for the three poisons - attachment, hatred, and ignorance.

Contaminated pleasant feelings induce attachment,
contaminated unpleasant feelings induce hatred, and
contaminated neutral feelings induce ignorance.

In Guide to the Bodhisnttva's Way of Life Shantideva says:
Because of feeling, craving develops.


When ordinary beings develop pleasant feelings they develop craving, or attachment.

Similarly, their unpleasant feelings induce anger, and their neutral feelings induce ignorance.

By closely watching our mind we can observe these automatic reactions occurring almost continuously."

[florin.oltean75]

"Contaminated feelings are like moisture germinating the seeds of delusion that we have carried from previous lives.

Uncontaminated feelings
Foe Destroyers have eradicated the seeds of delusion from their mental continuum and so even when they develop intensely pleasant feelings they do not develop desirous attachment.

Being free from self-grasping, their feelings are uncontaminated and so they cannot be the cause of delusions.


All contaminated feelings are objects to be abandoned."

[florin.oltean75]

"Buddhas have only pleasant feelings." (uncontaminated)

[florin.oltean75]

"There is a twofold division of feelings from the point of view of their uncommon dominant condition:
1.Bodily feelings
2.Mental feelings

Bodily feelings are feelings associated with the five sense consciousnesses.

They are generated in dependence upon a sense power possessing form.

Mental feelings are feelings associated with mental consciousness, which arise in dependence upon a mental power."