Buddhist Wisdom

[Pravin Kumar]

Do not just memorize sayings, recite words, and discuss Zen and the way based on books. The Zen way is not in books. Even if you can recite the teachings of the whole canon and all the masters and philosophers, they are just useless words of no avail when you are facing death.

- Chien-ju

O let us live in joy, although having nothing! In joy let us live like spirits of light!

- Buddha


The truth indeed has never been preached by the Buddha, seeing that one has to realize it within oneself.

- Lamkara Sutra


A buddha  is one who does not seek. In seeking this, you turn away from it. The principle is the principle of nonseeking; when you seek it, you lose it.

- Pai-chang


Meditate on that which is beyond words and symbols. Forsake the demands of the self. By such forsaking you will live serenely.

- Sutta Nipata


Let go of body and mind, until you reach a state of great rest, like letting go over a cliff ten miles high, being like open space. And don't produce representations of discriminations of random thoughts arising and passing away; the moment a view sticks in your mind, use the sword of wisdom to cut it right off, not letting it continue.

- Huai-t'ang

Words! The Way is beyond language, for in it there is no yesterday no tomorrow no today.

- Seng-tsan, "Verses on the Faith Mind"


The Buddha taught: "Do not pursue the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. The past no longer is. The future has not yet come. Looking deeply at life as it is. In the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom. We must be diligent today. To wait until tomorrow is too late. Death comes unexpectedly. How can we bargain with it? The sage calls a person who knows how to dwell in mindfulness night and day 'one who knows the better way to live alone.'"

- "Bhaddekaratta Sutta," translated by Thich Nhat Hanh