Monday, July 20, 2009

The Anguttara Nikaya, Possibility Alive

"There is a person whose appearance on earth is for the well being and happiness of all." --Living Buddha, Living Christ by T. N. Hanh


Writing,
"The Joy of Being Alive," Buddhist teacher and monk Thich Nhat Hanh says that by simply breathing, you know that you are alive. The breath, after all, like the beating of a heart is the most elemental to all human existence. "Because you are alive, the community of practice (Sangha) can continue. Because you are alive, everything is possible."

Every moment is a moment that can possibly be taken for the Buddha heart, for the Dharma way, for an opportunity to enter into the Spirit. The Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya, known in Chinese as Zēngyī Ahánjīng. These texts, a collection of Sutras, proclaim for one that humans are not merely reducible to living heaps of sense-matter. Rather that they exist as real entities, or centers of living experience encountering the world in a real and heartfelt way. The readings share a timeless, simple wisdom valuable throughout the ages.
Hanh writes, "there is a person whose appearance on earth is for the well being and happiness of all. Who is that person?" It may be the teaching of the Buddha or the Christ, or it may be a sangha or a person who at times appears to you as a Bodhisattva. Through your daily life, with those you come into contact with, in a way of simple presence, of caring and friendship, you can help that person continue. In your mindfulness you see clearly what is necessary, what needs to be done. Breathe deeply; know that you are alive.




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