Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
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zavk
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by zavk »

"All true learning should be alive with the sense of its own limitations and with the instinct for a vital experience of reality which speculation alone cannot provide."

Thomas Merton, The Ascent to Truth, Hollis and Carter, London, 1951: p44
With metta,
zavk
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BubbaBuddhist
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by BubbaBuddhist »

Interestingly enough, the pillars at the the Oracle of Delphi had three phrases engraved upon them:

Know Thyself
Do nothing in excess.
and my favorite: Make no pledges, lest ye invite mischief.

:tongue:

J
Author of Redneck Buddhism: or Will You Reincarnate as Your Own Cousin?
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Mexicali
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by Mexicali »

James Joyce's Dubliners. Baldwin's Sonny's Blues.
"We do not embrace reason at the expense of emotion. We embrace it at the expense of self-deception."
-- Herbert Muschamp
floating_abu
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by floating_abu »

zavk wrote:Hi friends,

I'm curious about the kinds of non-Buddhist writing you've come across that remind you of some aspect or another of the dhamma.

They can be words from a poem, a novel, a song, a philosophical text, a scientific text, another religious tradition.... whatever..... even graffiti in public toilets!

I thought it'd be interesting to create a thread where people can post these quotes, as and when they come across something interesting.

Best wishes,
zavk
Le Petit Prince

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Les hommes ont oublié cette vérité, dit le renard. Mais tu ne dois pas l’oublier. Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé.

"Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."
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zavk
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by zavk »

As we all know, Buddhism avoids the mind/body or spirit/matter dichotomy that has characterised much of modern Western thought as well as some theistic religions. We are given practical advice on realising this, particularly in kayanupassana and vedananupassana practice. French philosopher and Talmudic commentator Emmanual Levinas seems to have captured the same understanding in the following passage. It also reminds me of Tilt's signature: 'This being is bound to samsara, karma is his means for going beyond' (SN I, 38).
The body is not only a happy or unhappy accident that relates us to the implacable world of matter. Its adherence to the Self is of value in itself. It is an adherence that one does not escape and that no metaphor can confuse with the presence of an external object; it is a union that does not in any way alter the tragic character of finality.

This feeling of identity between self and body, which, naturally, has nothing in common with popular materialism, will therefore never allow those who wish to begin with it to rediscover, in the depths of this unity, the duality of a free spirit that struggles against the body to which it is chained. On the contrary, for such people, the whole of the spirit's essence lies in the fact that it is chained to the body. To separate the spirit from the concrete forms with which it is already involved is to betray the originality of the very feeling from which it is appropriate to begin.

The importance attributed to this feeling for the body, with which the Western spirit has never wished to content itself, is at the basis of a new conception of man. The biological, with the notion of inevitability it entails, becomes more than an object of spiritual life. It becomes its heart. The mysterious urgings of the blood, the appeals of heredity and the past for which the body serves as an enigmatic vehicle, lose the character of being problems that are subject to a solution put forward by a sovereignly free Self. Not only does the Self bring in the unknown elements of these problems in order to resolve them; the Self is also constituted by these elements. Man's essence no longer lies in freedom, but in a kind of bondage. To be truly oneself does not mean taking flight once more above contingent events that always remain foreign to the Self's freedom; on the contrary, it means becoming aware of the ineluctable original chain that is unique to our bodies, and above all accepting this chaining.

......

Chained to his body, man sees himself refusing the power to escape from himself. Truth is no longer for him the contemplation of a foreign spectacle; instead it consists in a drama in which man is himself the actor. It is under the weight of his whole existence, which includes facts on which there is no going back, that man will say his yes or his no.

Emmanuel Levinas
With metta,
zavk
seahorse
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by seahorse »

'Requiem For A Dream' by Hubert Selby Jnr. I read the whole narrative through a dhammic lens. It's a very powerful example of the varying attachments (narcotics, TV, food, greed for money and an 'easy life') of four people, how these slowly corrode their ability to relate meaningfully, annihilates their self esteem, leads them into an abyss of their own making and finishes with a devastating realisation that they have learned little.
It was like a slow sheet lightening reminder for me to wake up and start acting positively in the world.
Death sweeps away those who spend their lives gathering flowers
- Dhammapada 47

The only true freedom is freedom from the heart's desires;
And the only true happiness this way lies...
- Matt Johnson, The The
seahorse
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by seahorse »

'Requiem For A Dream' by Hubert Selby Jnr. I read the whole narrative through a dhammic lens. It's a very powerful example of the varying attachments (narcotics, TV, food, greed for money and an 'easy life') of four people, how these slowly corrode their ability to relate meaningfully, annihilates their self esteem, leads them into an abyss of their own making and finishes with a devastating realisation that they have learned little.
It was like a slow sheet lightening reminder for me to wake up and start acting positively in the world.
Death sweeps away those who spend their lives gathering flowers
- Dhammapada 47

The only true freedom is freedom from the heart's desires;
And the only true happiness this way lies...
- Matt Johnson, The The
daverupa
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by daverupa »

I thought Revolver was heavily laden with Dhamma themes; I later found out that the director had placed Kabbalah symbolism throughout the movie.
Last edited by daverupa on Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
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Kusala
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by Kusala »

I have a soft spot for Rumi.

“The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.
They're in each other all along.”

Rumi, The Illuminated Rumi

“beyond the rightness or wrongness of things there is a field, I'll meet you there”
Rumi

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
Rumi
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
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Kamran
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by Kamran »

I think the Iranian Poets Rumi, Khayyam, and Hafez seem Buddhist:

I sent my soul through the invisible,
some letter of that after-life to spell
and by-and-by my soul returned to me
and answered, "I myself am heaven and hell".
- Omar Khayyam

In these one,
two,
three days
a lifetime has passed,
like cascading waters
or a desert squall.
But regret for two days
never comes to mind:
the one that hasn’t arrived
and the one that long since passed

- Omar Khayyam
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marc108
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by marc108 »

i find some of Eckhart Tolle's teachings to be in line with the Dhamma, quite a bit of it actually. i also find that most modern neuroscience research is in line as well.
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
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Kusala
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by Kusala »

Imagine by John Lennon

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You, you may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You, you may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
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mirco
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by mirco »

from The Tempest by William Shakespeare:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
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imagemarie
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by imagemarie »

I said to the wanting-creature inside me:
What is this river you want to cross?
There are no travelers on the river-road, and no road.
Do you see anyone moving about on that bank, or nesting?

There is no river at all, and no boat, and no boatman.
There is no tow rope either, and no one to pull it.
There is no ground, no sky, no time, no bank, no ford!

And there is no body, and no mind!
Do you believe there is some place that will make the
soul less thirsty?
In that great absence you will find nothing.

Be strong then, and enter into your own body;
there you have a solid place for your feet.
Think about it carefully!
Don't go off somewhere else!

Kabir says this: just throw away all thoughts of
imaginary things,
and stand firm in that which you are.
- Kabir

:anjali:
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Kusala
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Re: Non-Buddhist writing that reminds you of the dhamma

Post by Kusala »

The Paradox of our Time by George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that
we have taller buildings but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less;
we buy more but enjoy less

We have bigger houses and smaller families,
more conveniences, but less time;
we have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgement;
more experts, yet more problems,
more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much,
spend too recklessly,
laugh too little,
drive too fast,
get too angry,
stay up too late, get up too tired,
read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life,
we've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have
trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space.
We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information to
produce more copies than ever, but we communicate
less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
big men and small character;
steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce,
fancier houses but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throw-away morality, one-night stands,
overweight bodies, and pills that do everything
from cheer to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and
nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology
can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose
either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones,
because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up
to you in awe, because that little person soon
will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you,
because that is the only treasure you can give with
your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say "I Love you" to your partner and
your loved ones, but most of all mean it.
A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes
from deep inside of you.

Give time to Love, give time to speak, give time to
share the precious thoughts in your mind.
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
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