Heart of a Buddha

We are what we think.

All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world.
Do not dwell in the past.
Do not dream of the future.
Concentrate the mind on the present moment.
Even if everyone else is not doing good, alone will.
Even if everyone else is doing wrong, alone will not.
!ust as water cools "oth good and "ad and washes away all impurity and dust, in
the same way you should develop thoughts of love for friend and foe alike, and
having reached perfection in love, you will attain enlightenment.
Everything changes, nothing remains without change.
#here is nothing more dreadful than the ha"it of dou"t.
Dou"t separates people.
t is a poison that disintegrates friendships and "reaks up pleasant relations.
t is a thorn that irritates and hurts$
t is a sword that kills.
#here is nothing more worthy than the virtue of selflessness.
%elflessness unites people.
t is a healing her" that unifies strangers and "rings families together.
t is the love for others that is higher than self&love$
t is our only hope.
#he rule of friendship means there should "e mutual sympathy "etween them,
each supplying what the other lacks and trying to "enefit the other,
always using friendly and sincere words.
f we fail to look after others
when they need help,
who will look after us'
ndifference "rings indifference$
(ovingkindness "rings lovingkindness.
f a man)s mind "ecomes pure, his surroundings will also "ecome pure.
#housands of candles can "e lighted from a single candle, and the life of the
candle will not "e shortened.
Happiness never decreases "y "eing shared.
*ain falls, wind "lows, plants "loom, leaves mature and are "lown away$
these phenomena are all interrelated with causes and conditions,
are "rought a"out "y them,
and disappear as the causes and conditions change.
Hatred never ceases "y hatred, "ut "y love.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought$
it is founded on our thoughts.
f a man speaks or acts with pure thought,
+oy will follow him,
like a shadow
that never leaves him.
n the light of his vision he has found his freedom,
his thoughts are peace,
his words peace,
his work peace.
#he gift of #ruth overcomes all gifts.
#he +oy of #ruth overcomes all pleasures.
#he taste of #ruth overcomes all sweetness.
#he loss of desire overcomes all sorrows.
-erfect wisdom,
-erfect tran.uillity,
-erfect compassion
arise from
/ur love,
/ur sincerity,
/ur understanding.
n separateness, lies the world)s great suffering.
n unity, lies the world)s true strength.
mpermanence &
0o self &
0irvana.
-henomena are preceded "y the heart, ruled "y the heart, made of the heart.
f you speak or act with a corrupted heart, then suffering follows you &
as the wheel of the cart, the track of the o1 that pulls it.
-henomena are preceded "y the heart, ruled "y the heart, made of the heart.
f you speak or act with a calm, "right heart, then happiness follows you, like a
shadow that never leaves.
We already have perfect compassion, perfect wisdom, perfect +oy.
We only need to settle our minds so they can arise from deep within us.
Develop the .uiet, even state of mind.
When praised "y some and condemned "y others, free the mind from hate and
pride, and gently go your way in peace.
He is a"le who thinks he is a"le.
2ou yourself, as much as any"ody in the entire universe, deserve your love and
affection.
3ocus, not on the rudeness of others, not on what they)ve done or left undone,
"ut on what you have and have not done yourself.
#hose consummate in virtue,
Dwelling in heedfulness
*eleased "y right knowing,
Evil cannot follow their tracks.
As a single sla" of rock won)t "udge in the wind,
so the wise are not moved
"y praise
"y "lame.
rrigators guide the water.
3letchers shape the arrow shaft.
Carpenters shape the wood.
#he wise control themselves.
Don)t "e heedless of merits
45t won)t come to me)6.
A water +ar fills,
even with water falling in drops.
With merit 7 even if "it "y "it, ha"itually 7
the enlightened one fills himself full.
Avoid all evil,
Em"race all goodness,
-urify one)s own mind.
When sitting .uietly, reflect upon our own faults.
When speaking with friend, do not discuss the rights and wrongs of others.
(ife is an illusion, a dream, a "u""le, a shadow.
0othing is permanent.
0othing is worthy of anger.
0othing is worthy of dispute.
0othing.
(ife is short.
#ime is fleeting.
8ncover the #rue nature.
-urify the mind and heart to attain happiness.
Be kind$ "e compassionate.
Be generous$ do good.
Concentrate.
8nderstand.
Awaken.
/vercome
9 greed with generosity,
9 anger with lovingkindness,
9 ignorance with understanding.
When we free ourselves of desire,
we will know serenity and freedom.
#hrough true honesty, deeply "elieve that all sentient&"eings are one.
#hat all "eings have the same true nature, wisdom, virtue.
3ind our faults, feel deep regret, and correct our mistakes, reform sincerely,
practice kindness, concentrate the mind, sever selfishness, awaken.
3orgive and "e free.
3orget that you have forgiven and "e freer.
Why do we persist in our anger, our hatred, our fighting'
Why do we have intolerance, selfishness'
We do not truly understand that everything arises from our minds,
that every thought we have is instantly felt throughout the entire universe.
f we can look upon our work not for self&"enefit, "ut as a means to "enefit
society, we will "e practicing appreciation and patience in our daily lives.
(ovingkindness is giving others happiness.
Compassion is removing others) "itterness.
!oy is freeing others from suffering.
When giving to others do not linger on thoughts of am giving, what was given, or
the one who has received.
%ince everything is a reflection of our minds,
everything can "e changed "y our minds.
When things are going well, "e mindful of adversity.
When prosperous, "e mindful of poverty.
When loved, "e mindful of thoughtfulness.
When respected, "e mindful of humility.
#here are three ways to correct our faults,
We can change through "ehaviour.
We can change through understanding.
We can change from the heart.
8ntil he has unconditional and un"iased love for all "eings, man will not find
peace.
He who receives kindness should never forget it$
"ut who performs it should never remem"er it.
Cultivate peace first in the garden of your heart "y removing the weeds of
selfishness and +ealousy, greed and anger, pride and ego.
#hen all will "enefit from your peace and harmony.
/ur pro"lems are not solved "y physical force, "y hatred, "y war.
/ur pro"lems are solved "y lovingkindness, "y gentleness, "y +oy.
Awakening is natural, delusion is not.
Do not "ecome attached to the things you like,
do not cherish aversion to the things you dislike.
%orrow, fear and "ondage come from one)s likes and dislikes.
Always "e mindful of the kindness and not the faults of others.
#hose who are truly wise will remain unmoved "y feelings of happiness and
suffering, fame and disgrace, praise and "lame, gain and loss.
#hey will remain calm like the eye of a hurricane.
:aintain a state of "alance "etween physical acts and inner serenity, like a lute
whose strings are finely tuned.
Dignity and .uiet +oy in all that we do are the e1pression of perfect concentration
and perfect wisdom.
0atural laws are impartial.
/nly those who are virtuous are in harmony with nature.
#o "e honoura"le in thoughts, sincere in words, good in deeds, is to have the
heart of a Buddha.
-eace comes from within.
Do not seek it without.
f the causes we create arise from wisdom, so then will the results.
f the causes we create arise from ignorance, so then will the results.
;ood fortune comes from selflessness.
:isfortune comes from selfishness.
Everything that happens to us is the result of what we ourselves have thought,
said, or done.
We alone are responsi"le for our lives.
n our interactions with others, gentleness, kindness, respect are the source of
harmony.
#he "ody is not <=. #his "ody is +ust like our clothing. When finished with it, we
will discard it and choose another, like putting on a new set of clothing.
When we think only of sincerely helping all others, not ourselves,
we will find that we receive all that we wish for.
(ovingkindness as #hought is #ran.uillity.
(ovingkindness as %peech is %oftness.
(ovingkindness as Activity is Altruism.
(ovingkindness as -ractice is -eace.
Everything arises from the mind.
As human "eings we chase after fleeting pleasures like a child licking honey off a
sharp knife or a person carrying a torch against the wind.
Whatever suffering there is in this world, all arises from desiring only myself to "e
happy.
And whatever +oy there is in this world, all arises from desiring to share my
happiness with everyone.
#hose accomplished in integrity,
Dwelling in mindfulness,
(i"erated through wisdom,
3ear cannot harm.
#hink of the last time you were happy 9
#hink of the last time you were angry 9
Which will you choose ne1t time'
%peaking pleasant words without practicing them, is like a fine flower without
fragrance.
gnorance leads to ego,
ego to selfishness,
selfishness to resentment,
resentment to anger,
anger to hatred,
hatred to annihilation.
Happiness and tran.uillity arise from concentration.
3rustration and worries arise from desire.
t is our own thoughts that lead us into trou"le, not other people.
/ur words should "e carefully chosen for people will hear them and "e influenced
"y them for good or for ill.
Wherever there is light, there is a shadow.
Wherever there is length, there is shortness.
Wherever there is white, there is "lack.
!ust like these, nothing can e1ist alone.
#o "e proud of what we have received or to envy others for what they have will
ro" us of our peace of mind.
%erenity and generosity are .ualities of the heart.
nsight and concentration are .ualities of the mind.
Compassion and wisdom are .ualities of the true nature.
When eating, "e mindful of eating.
When walking, "e mindful of walking.
When smiling, "e mindful of smiling.
am the owner of my karma.
inherit my karma.
am "orn of my karma.
live supported "y my karma.
Whatever karma create, whether good or evil, that shall inherit, and alone.
(ovingkindness can never e1ist unless it flows from the mind and heart, from
understanding and love.
#he contented person, who moves amongst sense o"+ects, free from attachment
or loathing, gain or loss, wins eternal -eace.
;reed and anger, ignorance and arrogance, dou"t and wrong conceptions.
Even these can "e restrained "y the heart that is calm and compassionate.
-ity arises when we are sorry for someone.
Compassion arises when we understand and help wisely.
f you know anything that is hurtful and untrue, do not say it.
f you know anything that is helpful "ut untrue, do not say it.
f you know anything that is hurtful "ut true, do not say it.
f you know anything that is helpful and true, find the right time.
He who e1periences the unity of life sees himself in all "eings, and all "eings in
himself.
He looks on everything with an impartial eye.
%erenity, respect, simplicity, self&control, purity of thought are virtues of the
mind.
;enerosity, stillness, gratitude, happiness, purity of feeling are virtues of the
heart.
*ely on the teacher)s message, not the personality.
*ely on the meaning, not +ust the words.
*ely on the real meaning, not the provisional one.
*ely on your wisdom mind, not your ordinary +udgmental mind.
-urity engenders wisdom,
-assion avarice,
gnorance attachment,
worry,
darkness.
Hear what is said, retain what is important, speak what is worthy.
Attach to nothing.
-eace is not the a"sence of war, it is
a virtue,
a state of mind,
a disposition for love,
honesty and trustworthiness.
8nderstand that the "ody is merely the foam of the wave, the shadow of a
shadow.
%nap the flower arrows of desire and then, unseen, escape the kind of death and
travel on.
:ay all sentient "eings "e filled with lovingkindness and happiness$
:ay they wish to "ecome healing her"s in the days of epidemics to cure the ill.
:ay they wish to "ecome rice plants in the days of famine to save the hungry.
We wish to e1press our deepest appreciation to :aster Chin >ung for providing
the inspiration and conditions for writing and preparing this "ook.
Also to ?enera"le #hanissaro Bhikkhu for his "eautiful translation of the
Dhammapada, which we .uoted on pages @A, @B, @C, @D, and EA.