self and truth Seek ye the life that is of the mind. Where self is, truth cannot be.

e. Yet when truth comes, self will disappear. Therefore, let your mind rest in the truth. Propagate the truth, put your whole will in it, and let it spread. In the truth thou shall live forever. Self is death and truth is life. The cleaving to self is a perpetual dying, while moving in the truth is partaking of Nirvana which is lifeeverlasting. nirvana Nirvana, comes to you, Kashyapa, if you thoroughly understand, and if you live according to your understanding .. that all things are of one essence and that there is but one law. Hence, there is but one Nirvana as there is but one truth, not two or three . greatest gain He is the greatest gainer who gives to others, and he loses most who receives from others without giving a compensation. patience and wisdom Patience is an invulnerable armour ; wisdom is the best weapon. real treasure A man, when he dies, must leave the fleeting wealth of the world, but this treasure of virtuous act he takes with him. Let the wise do good deeds; they are a treasure that can never be lost.

supplications The Law of Karma is irrefragable, and supplications have no effect, for they are empty words. powers And the Blessed One said : Which are the abhijnyas ? The disciple replied : There are six abhijnyas : The celestial eye The celestial ear The body at will or the power of transformation The knowledge of the destiny of former dwellings, so as to know former states of existence The faculty of reading the thoughts of others The knowledge of comprehending the finality of the stream of life. And the Blessed One replied : These are wondrous things ; verily, every man can attain them ! nourishment The worldling nourishes his body, while the wise man nourishes his mind ! the path He who indulges in the satisfaction of his appetites works his own destruction ; but he who walks in the Path will have both the salvation from sin and a prolongation of life. marriage and truth The greatest happiness which a mortal man can imagine is the bond of marriage that ties

together two loving hearts. But there is a greater happiness still : it is the embrace of truth. Death will separate husband and wife, but death will never affect him who has espoused the truth. Let no man be single, let every one be wedded in holy love to the truth. And when Mara, the destroyer, comes to separate the visible forms of your being, you will continue to live in the truth, and you will partake of the lifeeverlasting, for the truth is immortal. death When man dies the body is dissolved into its elements, but the spirit is not entombed ! It leads a higher mode of life in which all the relative terms like father , son , wife , mother are at an end .. just as a guest who leaves his lodging has done with it, as though it were a thing of the past. So, the world is afflicted with death and decay; therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world. terms of the world In whatever manner people think a thing will come to pass, it is often different when it happens, and great is the disappointment ! See, such are the terms of the world ! weeping Not from weeping, nor from grieving will any one obtain peace of mind ! On the contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. fate after death People pass away, and their fate after death will be according to their deeds !

wrong-doer and well-doer Five-fold , Oh House-holders, is the loss of the wrong-doer through his want of rectitude. In the first place, the wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude, falls into great poverty through sloth. In the next place, his evil repute gets noised abroad. Thirdly, whatever society he enters, whether of Brahmans, nobles, heads of houses, or shramanas, he enters shyly and confusedly. Fourthly, he is full of anxiety when he dies. And lastly, on the dissolution of the body after death, his mind remains in the unhappy state. Wherever his karma continues, there will be heavenly bliss and peace. This, Oh Householders, is the five-fold gain of the well-doer. full presence of mind Whatever you do, act always in full presence of mind. Be thoughtful in eating and drinking, in walking or standing, in sleeping or talking or in being silent. honouring the master ! The devout man or the devout woman .. who continually fulfil all the greater and lesser duties, walking according to the precepts... it is they who rightly honor, hold sacred, and revere the Tathagata with the worthiest homage. Therefore, Oh Ananda, be ye constant in the fulfillment of the greater and the lesser duties, and walk according to the precepts. Thus, Ananda, will ye honor the Master.
Paul Carus

PYRAMID VALLEY
Maitreya Buddha Dhyana Vidya Vishwalayam
Kebbedoddi (village), Harohalli, Kanakapura (taluk), Karnataka office : # 609/1, 15th Cross, 6th Face, J.P. Nagar, Bengaluru - 560078 ph : 91-80-32723143 mobile : 0 9448350265

Paul Carus

righteousness and peace Righteousness can be practised only when we have freed our mind from the passions of egoism. Perfect peace can dwell only where all vanity has disappeared. middle path The Tathagata does not seek salvation in austerities, but for that reason you must not think that he indulges in worldly pleasures, nor does he live in abundance. The Tathagata has found the Middle - Path. causation All things that exist are not without cause. However, neither Ishwara, nor the Absolute, nor the Self, nor Cause-less Chance, is the maker, but our deeds produce results both good and evil. Let us, then, surrender the heresies of worshiping Ishwara and praying to him; let us not lose ourselves in vain speculations of profitless subtleties. Let us surrender self and all selfishness, and as all things are fixed by causation. Let us practise good so that good may result from our actions. do not cleave He who does not cleave to wealth, and possessing riches, uses them rightly, will be a blessing unto his fellow-beings. remain in your station of life I say unto you .. remain in your station of life and apply yourself with diligence to your enterprises ! The bhikshu who retires from the world in order to lead a life of leisure will have no gain !

ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA karma What makes men different in character, station, possessions, and fate ? It is their karma. Karma includes merits and demerits. The reincarnation of the soul is subject to its karma. We inherit from former existences the evil effects of our evil deeds and the good effects of our good deeds. The Tathagata meditated deeply on the problems of reincarnation and karma and found the truth that lies in them. truth The truth is noble and sweet; the truth can deliver you from evil. There is no saviour in the world except the truth. The truth is best as it is. No one can alter it ! Neither can any one improve it. Have faith in the truth and live it. Errors lead one astray. Illusions beget miseries. They intoxicate like strong drinks; but they fade away soon and leaves you sick and disgusted. Self is a fever; self is a transient vision, a dream. But truth is wholesome! Truth is sublime, truth is everlasting. There is no immortality except in truth. Truth alone abideth forever. self The existence of self is an illusion, and there is no wrong in this world, no sin, except what flows from the assertion of self.

The dharma of the Tathagata does not require a man to go into home-lessness or to resign to the world unless he feels called upon to do so ! However, the dharma of the Tathagata requires every man to free himself from the illusion of self, to cleanse his heart, to give up his thirst for pleasure, and lead a life of righteousness. The immortal can be reached only by continuous acts of kindliness, and perfection is accomplished by compassion and clarity. There is no profit in vexing oneself by austerities, but meditate on Buddha and weigh his Righteous Law. There are hermits who fall into perditions, and there are humble householders who mount to the rank of Rishis ! wise man There are ways from light into darkness and from darkness into light. There are ways, also, from the gloom into deeper darkness, and from the dawn into brighter light. The wise man will use the light. He will constantly advance to the knowledge of the truth. true superiority Exhibit true superiority by virtuous conduct and the exercise of reason; meditate deeply on the vanity of earthly things, and understand the fickle-ness of life. rational nature The rational nature of man is a spark of the true light ; it is the first step on the upward road. But new births are required to insure an ascent to the summit of existence, the enlightenment of mind and heart, where the immeasurable light of moral comprehension is gained which is the source of all righteousness.

miracles I forbid you, Oh Bhikkhus, to employ any spells or supplications, for they are useless, since the Law of Karma governs all things. He who attempts to perform miracles has not understood the doctrine of the Tathagata. gossip Waste not the time with gossip, but speak to purpose or keep silence ! preaching A preacher must be full of energy and cheerful hope, never tiring and never despairing of final success. Let him not be troubled or give up the task as hope-less. So long as the people do not listen to the words of truth, the preacher knows that he has to dig deeper into their hearts. by oneself By oneself is evil done ! By oneself one suffers ! By oneself is evil left undone ! By oneself is one purified ! Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another. You yourself must make an effort. The Tathagatas are only preachers. fools Fools do not care for the duty to be performed or the aim to be reached, but think of their self alone. Everything is but a pedestal for their vanity. If anything is to be done, let a man do it, let him attack it vigorously ! Wise people fashion themselves ! Wise people falter not amidst blame and praise. If a traveller does not meet with one who is his better, or his equal, let him

firmly keep to his solitary journey; there is no companionship with a fool. truth is one Yet the truth is but one; there are not many different truths in the world. be a soldier of truth Struggle then, Oh General, courageously. And fight your battles vigorously; but be a soldier of truth. self and mind The Tathagata teaches that there is no self. He who says that .. the soul is his self and that the self is the thinker of our thoughts and the actor of our deeds .. teaches a wrong doctrine which leads to confusion and darkness. On the other hand, the Tathagata teaches that there is mind . He who understand by soul .. mind , and says that mind exists , teaches the truth which leads to clarity and enlightenment ! spirituality Verily, I say unto you , your mind is spiritual, but neither is the sense-perceived void of spirituality ! The eternal verities which dominate the cosmic order are spiritual, and spirit develops through comprehension. Better than worshipping gods is obedience to the laws of righteousness. no ego entity There is rebirth of character, but no transmigration of a self. Your thought-forms reappear, but there is no ego-entity transferred.