Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Whenever and wherever one encounters the arising and passing away of the mental-physical structure, one enjoys bliss and delight, which lead on to the deathless stage experienced by the wise
Interpretation
Recognizing the transient nature of life leads to profound joy and spiritual awakening.
This quote by Gautama Buddha reflects the core Buddhist teaching on impermanence. It emphasizes that by observing the arising and passing of sensations and experiences, one can attain a state of bliss, which ultimately guides the seeker towards enlightenment, transcending suffering and ego. This recognition helps to cultivate wisdom and a deeper understanding of existence.
In practice
In a meditation class, you might share this quote to help students understand the significance of letting go.
Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
A kind man who makes good use of wealth is rightly said to possess a great treasure; but the miser who hoards up his riches will have no profit.
There are having flowers in Spring, breezes in Summer, moon in Autumn, snows in Winter. If there is nothing worrying over you, it will be the best seasons at all times.
Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge.
When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct. When his misconduct is pointed out, a foolish man will not only disregard the advice but rather repeat the same error.
The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
You take the lies out of him, and he'll shrink to the size of your hat; you take the malice out of him, and he'll disappear.
People make mistakes all the time. We learn and grow. If there's patience and love, and you care for people, you can work them through it, and they can find their greatest heights.
Regret is useless in life. It's in the past. All we have is now.
Frustration is a function of our expectations, and our expectations are often a reflection of the social mirror rather than our own values and priorities.
since the thing perhaps is to eat flowers and not to be afraid
And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
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