Daily Dharma

this winter morning
light spilling everywhere
into the silence
(photo by josh)

Tara: In Tibetan Buddhism, Tara is a female bodhisattva and goddess of mercy who represents compassion, success, and achievement. She is also known as the "mother of liberation"

Ancient Chinese painting of the Third Patriarch of Zen Jianzhi Sengcan

Close your eyes and you will see clearly.

Cease to listen and you will hear the truth.

Be silent and your heart will sing.

Seek no contact and you will find union.

Be still and you will move forward on the tide of the spirit.

🪷 🪷 🪷

-Jianzhi Sengcan, Zen Patriarch

#buddhism #zen #meditation

Hahahaha

A person sits out on the bow of a small boat looking out over a calm lake, mountain in the distance. Photo by Karan Ghandi.

Silence is not empty; it is full of answers. When the mind settles, wisdom arises. When the water of the mind settles, we can see things clearly.

What truth do you hear in the quiet?

The morning sun rises without hesitation, offering a fresh start to us all.

Breathe deeply, smile gently, and step forward into the new day with compassion and equanimity.

#buddhism #zen #morningmotivation #namaste

The seeds of karma we plant in this life—our intentions, actions, and thoughts—shape the soil of our next.

Karma is not punishment or reward, but the natural unfolding of cause and effect.

Walk with wisdom, sow with kindness. #Karma #Rebirth

The Meditative Act of Dish Washing: How This Household Chore Can Wash Away Stress “The clinking of plates, the swoosh of water, the feel of soft soap suds — for many, the ordinary act of washing dishes conjures up…

medium.com/@glonav.net/...

An illustration of a zen monk washing a bowl in a Japanese style temple

Even after Awakening, the dishes still need washing, the laundry needs doing, and the cat still needs to be fed.

Liberation is not an escape from life. Liberation is meeting each moment fully, with clarity and ease.

#zen #buddhism #nirvanna #nibanna #liberation

Vimalakirti Sutra
“A straightforward mind is the place of awakening."

"I have died and have been reborn,

Brand new like a baby with breath

Still fragrant of mother’s milk.

There is laughter in each discovering step.

I have returned to be the child of earth and sky,

Full of wildflowers and dancing grass."

An excerpt of Rebirth by Sister Dang Nghiem

The lotus blooms in muddy water, untouched by its surroundings.

Similarly, we can rise above challenges, staying grounded in our true nature, no matter the chaos that may surround us.

A photo of Ajahn Brahm wearing an orange monk robe

"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem."

— Ajahn Brahm

#buddhism #buddha

A tibetan painting depicting various realms of rebirth

Buddhist cosmology sees the universe as cyclical, with three realms shaped by karma: the Desire Realm (sensory craving), the Form Realm (refined mental states), and the Formless Realm (pure mental states).

This highlights impermanence and the path to liberation from samsara through enlightenment.

Wherever you are, enlightenment is there ~ Shunryu Suzuki
https://justdharma.org/wherever-you-are-enlightenment-is-there-shunryu-suzuki/

#ShunryuSuzuki #enlightenment #practice

When we eat, we must mindfully: savoring each bite, appreciating the effort behind the meal, and recognizing its purpose to nourish the body and support our journey.

Simplicity and gratitude are key.

Awakening the Bodhisattva Venerable Pannavati, Anne Klein, and Ejo McMullen on the possibilities and challenges of the bodhisattva path. Introduction by Taigen Dan Leighton.

"Bodhisattva practitioners do not see all the suffering beings as 'other' or separate. We are all in this together. What are the implications of this for modern practitioners amid the many challenges we now face?"

The inner circle of the wheel of samsara. Two concentric circle. The inner circle has a pig, a rooster, and a snake chasing each others' tails. The outer circle has depictions of people in various stages of rebirth

Our past lives are like chapters in a book we have been writing across time.

Each chapter shapes the next, but the story is always evolving. What you write today defines the future pages. #Mindfulness #Karma

When your heart aches with worry for your child, let your love guide you, not your fear.

In each moment, your presence is the greatest comfort you can offer—steady, warm, and full of hope.

Nargarjuna painting

Nagarjuna teaches us: "Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves."

Emptiness is not nothingness; it is the absence of inherent existence.

Ancient Chinese painting of Sixth Chan Patriarch Huineng

"The mind is like a mirror; it reflects everything but is attached to nothing. Let no dust cling to it." -Huineng

A monk, chased by a fierce tiger, arrives upon a cliff, he clings to a vine as he tries to flee. Another tiger waits below, and mice gnaw at the vine. He spots a strawberry and eats it. "How sweet it tastes," he says.

The only thing is present moment, no matter how hard we cling to our vines.

The Buddha replied:

"All I teach is suffering, and the end of suffering."

#buddhism #zen #buddha

Angulimala, a ruthless bandit, chased the Buddha, but couldn’t catch him. The Buddha said, “I’ve stopped harming others—when will you?”

Struck by compassion, Angulimala renounced violence, became a monk, and found enlightenment.

No one is beyond redemption.

Anicca: Everything is impermanent—emotions, possessions, even ourselves.

Clinging to permanence brings suffering. Notice what you’re holding onto today and soften your grip.

Peace is found by letting go.

#Buddhism #mindfulness #grief

A traditional Chinese painting of Bodhidharma meditating in a cave facing a wall while his student waits in the snow

A student begged the monk Bodhidharma, "Master, pacify my mind."

Bodhidharma replied,"Bring me your mind, and I will pacify it."

The student searched in vain,"I cannot find it."

Bodhidharma answered,"There, I've pacified it."

Peace arises as the illusion of a fixed mind fades
#buddhism #zen

This present moment is incomparable because it is the only ever moment that presently is:

This present moment as it actually is

There just is no other right now

Understanding śūnyatā helps us let go of rigid attachments and labels. We often cling to the idea that things are solid and unchanging—like our sense of self, our relationships, and our possessions.

Realizing that these are all subject to impermanence and yet are interconnected reduces suffering.

Getting Along Loving the other without losing yourself

"We live in different bodies, we’ve had different childhoods, and at any given moment our thoughts and feelings are likely to differ from anybody else’s, even those of our nearest and dearest." —Christopher K. Germer

Successive iterations of a monk taking an elephant up a mountain path

Upekkha in the face of challenges, metta in your heart, and viriya in your actions—live the Dhamma today.

Progress isn’t linear, but the path is always there.

#MorningMotivation #Buddhism #reset