Generous Words from Wise Men to you from Miguel

The Revolution Within

As the first line of the Dhammapada says, "All that we are is the result of what we have thought." Thus, the transformation of sociological and psychological structures must take place initially in our own minds—and those of others—if we truly hope to address the root cause of social suffering. The Four Noble Truths, the five precepts observed by laity and monks alike, the Eightfold Path, and the ten paramitas (perfections) make up a time-honored blueprint for revolutionary change, first in the individual, then in the community of which he or she is a part.

-Charles Johnson, "The Dharma of Social Transformation,"

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This that we are now ... The human body and the universe grew from this,
not this from the universe and the human body.

-Rumi

Namaste, Miguel

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Comment by Michael Forbus on December 16, 2009 at 8:59pm: Absolutely, in my practice and the history of Buddhism which is much older then Christianity, there are born Buddhists that have the Buddhist nature innate within them. To be born with that Nature does not mean that you must not practice the principals. So we are all students of Buddhism and as we practice our enlightened state becomes more profound and mindfulness begins, as does the understanding that suffering is the reason for the Compassionate Nature of one who is a student of Buddhism. Of course there are those who study all there lives and attain enlightenment and still study. In the matter of Zen Buddhism there are two paths. The quick path and the slow path. You gain enlightenment at the same time. Although that is a bit esoteric as is a Japanese Koan, it becomes more clear as you attain clarity in your path and studies. My reason for practicing this path and a few others is that it brings me peace and helps me to be more compassionate for those that suffer, and the main lesson is "First harm no one." I hope this helps you. A great teacher, besides H.H. Dalai Lama is Thich Nhat Hahn. He is a Vietnamese Poet and one of the most profound and clear teachers that leads people to the path. Bless you and Namaste, Miguel

Comment by Michael Forbus on December 16, 2009 at 8:41pm: Joni, these principles are the basis of Buddhism and the dhammapada are from the Great Buddha him self. I am sending you a more scholarly explanation. It is part of the principal basis of Buddhism which I practice and quote frequently. I hope this assists you in your clarity. The quote is from Wikipedia

The Dhammapada (Pāli; Prakrit: Dhamapada;[1] Sanskrit Dharmapada) is a versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. It is one of the best-known texts from the Theravada canon.[2]

The title, Dhammapada, is a compound term composed of dhamma and pada, each word having a number of denotations and connotations. Generally, dhamma can refer to the Buddha's "doctrine" or an "eternal truth" or "righteousness" or all "phenomena";[3] and, at its root, pada means "foot" and thus by extension, especially in this context, means either "path" or "verse" (cf. "foot (prosody)") or both.[4] English translations of this text's title have used various combinations of these and related words.[5][6]