The Mother

All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth.

~Chief Seattle

Wisdom

There's an old story of a Cherokee woman sharing wisdom with her grandson. "Everything in life comes to you as a teacher," the grandmother said. "Pay attention. Learn quickly."

Life

Life is a dance . . . and the dance goes on with us and without us.

~Osho

Everyday Life

Chop wood, carry water, and don't ask questions, unless you're ready to answer them yourself.

~Red Pine, in in commentary on The Platform Sutra

Our Largest Fear

Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive—the risk to be alive and express what we really are.

~Don Miguel Ruiz

Encourage Their Dreams

Some do their work in the hope
that future generations will revere and bless them.
But the sage works so that future generations
will be free to follow their own paths
and live their own lives.

If we begrudge the younger generation
its enthusiasms or its dreams
it will only make us miserable.
Let us instead encourage their dreams,
support them with our wisdom,
and bless them with our prayers.
It is only fitting that the young inherit the world.
So did we.


Commentary:
Give freely of your leadership,
but don't worry about being appreciated.
Happily pass what wisdom you have gained
on to younger generations,
but don't worry about being valued.
Let them look ahead,
not behind.
We are their foundation,
they will supply the house.

~William Martin, in The Sage's Tao Te Ching

The Web of Life

When you help one do not hurt another.

                 ~Greenleaf Wetstone

The Sage

Budai

The sage does not retire from life.
The sage retires from unhappiness.

                       ~William Martin, in The Sage's Tao Te Ching

The Sage

The Buddha, Lao-tzu, and Confucius by Seigan Hanai

Many traditional societies have venerated the role of sage but perhaps none more clearly than the Chinese. The two formative philosophies of Chinese history, Taoism and Confucianism, each see the sage as the primary keeper and transmitter of wisdom, culture, values, and spirituality.

~William Martin,

in the Introduction to his work

The Sage's Tao Te Ching

Becoming Wise Requires a Lifetime

Painting by Martin Driscoll

At fifteen I was committed to learning. At thirty I took my rightful position. At forty, I was no longer totally perplexed. At fifty, I began to understand the unfolding of my true nature. At sixty, I was in harmony with contradictions and ambivalence. At seventy, at long last, I may follow my heart's desire without going astray.

~Confucius

Truth

                                                    If you strive to make truth your home,
                                                    You may sometimes be lonely.

                                                                                             ~Hung Ying-ming

Reflections of a Chinese Sage

The gentleman who pretends to be good
     Is no different from the scoundrel who                  commits evil at will.

The gentleman who falls from honor
     Does not measure up to the villain who                improves his intent.

                                          ~Hung Ying-ming

The Sage

The Sage has no interests of his own,
But takes the interests of the people as his own.
He is kind to the kind;
He is also kind to the unkind:
For Virtue is kind.
He is faithful to the faith;
He is also faithful to the unfaithful:
For Virtue is faithful.

In the midst of the world, the Sage is shy and self-effacing.
For the sake of the world he keeps his heart in its nebulous state.
All the people strain their ears and eyes:
The Sage only smiles like an amused infant.

                                                                      ~The Tao Teh Ching

Bertrand Russell's Advice for Future Generations

The Sage

Sages do not say they are
    Inferior, superior, or equal [to others].
    Peaceful, unselfish,
    They neither embrace nor reject.

                                      ~The Buddha

The Mind

You may control a mad elephant;
You may shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger;
Ride the lion and play with the cobra;
By alchemy you may earn your livelihood;
You may wander through the universe incognito;
Make vassals of the gods; be ever youthful;
You may walk on water and live in fire;
But control of the mind is better and more difficult. 

~Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi

Ego Lost

When ego is lost, limit is lost. You become infinite, kind, beautiful.

~Yogi Bhajan

Being pure and yet tolerant,
Being warmhearted and yet resolved,
Having insight but not speculating on the faults of others,
Being upright but not beyond reform—
    All of these can be called honeyed biscuits,
        not too sweet;
    Or products of the sea, not too salty.
Only this is balanced virtue.

                                      Hung Ying-ming

When in a place of wealth and rank,
    Pay attention to the suffering of the poor and humble.
During the time of your youth and vigor,
    Guide your thoughts to the hardships of the old and feeble.

                                                                                Hung Ying-ming