Buddha Words

What needs to be done, I will do. The duty of one whose energy is strong; the duty of one who longs for awakening: that I’ll do, I won’t fail. See my energy and vigor! Teach me the path, the direct route whose objective is freedom from death. I’ll know it with wisdom, as the Ganges knows the ocean. - Thag 2.24

NO ANGER, NO SUFFERING Whoever returns insult to one who is insulting, returns taunts to one who is taunting, returns a berating to one who is berating, is said to be exchanging with one another, sharing company with that person. But I am neither exchanging nor sharing your company, Brahmin. It's all yours. How can anger arise in one who is angerless, In the tamed one of righteous living, In one liberated by perfect knowledge, In the Stable One who abides in peace? One who retaliates with anger against one who is angry is the worse of the two. But one who does not retaliate wins a battle hard to win. He works for the welfare of both— himself and the other— when, knowing the other is angry, he remains mindful and calm. The ignorant regard him as a fool— but only because they do not know the truth. - Buddha, SN 7.2: Akkosa Sutta

Accurately evaluating ourselves and our practice without over-estimation or under-estimation is not easy. The inner evaluator is just another voice in our head, and for a long time is not a particularly reliable one. Meditators often give too much significance to 'wow' moments and too little significance to incremental improvements. An example of a person able to evaluate himself accurately is the anāgāmi householder, Ugga of Vesali. After the Buddha praised him to the Sangha as having 'eight astounding and marvellous qualities', a monk asked Ugga to elaborate on them. That he was able to do so in a remarkably measured and objective way, might arguably count as a ninth astounding and marvellous quality. The sutta may be found at AN8.21. Here, I will give just one of his qualities, chosen because it demonstrates Ugga's awareness of absence, something we often miss. "It is not unusual for deities to come and report to me: 'Householder, the Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One'. I then say to these deities: 'Whether you say so or not, the Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One.' Still, I do not recall any mental exultation arising because deities come to me or because I converse with deities." Ajahn Jayasāro

The Way to the Far Shore Alone, the dispeller of darkness is brilliant, a beacon: Gotama, vast in wisdom, Gotama, vast in intelligence. He is the one who taught me Dhamma, apparent in the present life, immediately effective, the untroubled, the end of craving, to which there is no compare. Being diligent, I see him in my mind’s eye day and night. I spend the night in homage to him, hence I think I dwell with him. My faith and joy and intent and mindfulness never stray from Gotama’s teaching. I bow to whatever direction the one of vast wisdom heads. Lying floundering in the mud, I drifted from island to island. Then I saw the Buddha, the undefiled one who has crossed the flood. The unfaltering, the unshakable: that to which there is no compare. For sure I will go there, I have no doubt of that. Remember me as one whose mind is made up. - Pārāyanānugītigāthā Snp 5.19

To Be a Person Is to Be a Māra - Phra Ajaan Funn Ācāro When you see all four of these noble truths, that’s when you truly become a monk. If you don’t see them, then no matter how much else you may know, it’s all just book-knowledge. But once you see the four noble truths, you see the Dhamma. You can’t keep on living in this world anymore. What would you live for? There’d be nothing at all that you would gain. Think about it. Birth and aging: They’re nothing but suffering. Birth is suffering. When you arise in your mother’s womb, it’s painful—as I explained last night. When you get old, worn down, and decrepit, it’s another heap of suffering. That makes two heaps. Pains and illnesses are a third heap of suffering. And then there’s the fourth: death. You suffer to the point where you have to die. You can’t live in this world any longer. People for the most part don’t make the effort to contemplate how to escape from these sufferings. They just keep spinning back in, looking for more suffering, looking for status, looking for wealth, looking for something to depend on, looking for a place to live. They build this and that, they build homes, they build mansions: They’re just looking for suffering. The Buddha didn’t build. He let go—because he had seen through these things, that they lead to enormous sufferings, sufferings beyond measure. https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/ComeAndSee_251113.pdf

Do not find fault with others. Do not worry about what others do or not do. Rather, look within yourself to find out what you yourself have done or left undone. Stop doing evil; do good. - Buddha, Dhammapada 50

Topic of anger and hatred: Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.164 Khama Sutta: Tolerant (1) “Monks, there are these four modes of practice. Which four? Intolerant practice, tolerant practice, self-controlled practice, and even practice. “And which is intolerant practice? There is the case where a certain individual, when insulted, returns the insult; when abused, returns the abuse; when bickered with, bickers in return. This is called intolerant practice. “And which is tolerant practice? There is the case where a certain individual, when insulted, doesn’t return the insult; when abused, doesn’t return the abuse; when bickered with, doesn’t bicker in return. This is called tolerant practice. “And which is self-controlled practice? There is the case where a monk, on seeing a form with the eye, doesn’t grasp at any theme or variations by which—if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye—evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. He practices with restraint. He guards the faculty of the eye. He achieves restraint with regard to the faculty of the eye. “On hearing a sound with the ear.… “On smelling an aroma with the nose.… “On tasting a flavor with the tongue.… “On touching a tactile sensation with the body.… “On cognizing an idea with the intellect, he doesn’t grasp at any theme or variations by which—if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the intellect—evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. He practices with restraint. He guards the faculty of the intellect. He achieves restraint with regard to the faculty of the intellect. “This is called self-controlled practice. “And which is even practice? There is the case where a monk doesn’t acquiesce to an arisen thought of sensuality. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, wipes it out of existence. “He doesn’t acquiesce to an arisen thought of ill will. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, wipes it out of existence. “He doesn’t acquiesce to an arisen thought of harmfulness. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, wipes it out of existence. “He doesn’t acquiesce to any arisen evil, unskillful qualities. He abandons them, destroys them, dispels them, wipes them out of existence. “This is called even practice. “These, monks, are four modes of practice.” https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN4_164.html

Your Biggest Enemy is Your Untrained Mind. Whatever an enemy might do to an enemy, or a foe to a foe, the ill-directed mind can do to you even worse. Whatever a mother, father or other kinsman might do for you, the well-directed mind can do for you even better. Buddha, Dhp III : The Mind

Ultimate reality as taught by Buddha – tilakkaņa of the aggregates and sense bases “What do you think, bhikkhus, is form permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, Venerable Sir.” – “Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?” – “Suffering, Venerable Sir.” – “Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?” – “No, Venerable Sir.” “Is feeling (perception, volitional formations, consciousness) permanent or impermanent? … “Impermanent, Venerable Sir.” – “Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?” – “Suffering, Venerable Sir.” – “Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?” – “No, Venerable Sir.” (SN 22.59 The Characteristic of Non-Self)

Through the power of refuge in the Triple Gem: May all your diseases, griefs, misfortunes, pains, distresses, & despairs be destroyed.

Cultivate an all-embracing mind of love For all throughout the universe, In all its height, depth and breadth— Love that is untroubled And beyond hatred or enmity. May all be well and secure, May all beings be happy! -Buddha, Mettāsutta