One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism QUOTES

1 " But after years of practice I’ve come to feel grateful when I observe these unskillful patterns arise, because now I would rather see them than not see them. It becomes another chance to unhook from these patterns, to see their essential transparency, and to let go of the burden they bring. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

2 " If you want to understand your mind, sit down and observe it. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

3 " Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, a great Dzogchen master of the last century, taught, “There is one thing we always need, and that is the watchman named mindfulness, the guard who is on the lookout for when we get carried away in mindlessness. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

4 " Although on some level we may see and understand the futility of seeking fulfillment in things that by their nature don’t last, we often still find ourselves living our lives waiting for the next hit of experience, whether it is the next vacation, the next relationship, the next meal, or even the next breath. We lean forward and so stay forever entangled in anticipation. Reflecting on and directly observing impermanence reminds us again and again that all experience is simply part of an endlessly passing show. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

5 " The intent here is not to suppress whatever feelings we may have, but to communicate in a way that fosters connection rather than divisiveness. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

6 " Covetousness keeps the mind agitated and unhappy, far from the peace of contentment. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

7 " Another aspect of wrong view that we will discuss in much greater detail in later chapters is the deeply conditioned sense of “I,” of self. On the relative level, of course, we move and speak and act as individuals, as selves. Yet on a deeper level, and with close attention, we can see through this appearance and experience the place of nonseparation from others and from the world. This is the realization of selflessness. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

8 " Actions for the good accumulate what is called “merit”—one of the most commonly misunderstood concepts in Buddhism. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

9 " Merit” is the usual translation of the Pali word punna, which more literally means “virtue” or that which purifies and cleanses the life stream, bringing good results. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

10 " In the moment that we awaken from being lost in a thought or feeling or reaction, in that very moment we can recognize the empty, clear, skylike nature of awareness itself. In that moment of wakefulness, we get a glimpse of freedom. And instead of judging ourselves for all the times we do get lost, which happen again and again, we can delight in each moment of awakening. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

11 " The heart qualities of faith, confidence, and trust are actual powers we can cultivate. In Buddhist texts they are likened to a magical gem that settles impurities in water. Faith in the possibility of awakening, confidence in the moment’s experience and in the nature of awareness itself, trust in the direction of our lives—all of these settle doubt, confusion, and agitation. They create an inner environment of clarity, stillness, and beauty. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

12 " Meditation begins with calming the mind and collecting the attention. The importance of this is revealed at the very beginning of our practice—it is often the first insight we gain when we begin to practice meditation. We see for ourselves how difficult the mind is to control. The mind is so slippery. We feel a breath or two, and then the mind wanders. We become seduced or distracted by thoughts, plans, and memories—sometimes not even pleasant ones. We often relive old arguments or hurts. We hop on a train of association not knowing that we’ve hopped on and having no idea where the train is going. Somewhere down the line we wake up from the dream of our thoughts, often in a completely different mental environment. Perhaps we have become entangled in some drama, some strong emotion, contracted in a strong sense of self, of ego. And all the time it is just the play of our minds. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

13 " So we begin with a very simple object of attention, like the breath, and train ourselves to return to it even as we get distracted over and over again. This first insight into the habit of distraction leads us to understand the value and importance of steadying our attention, because the worlds we create in ourselves and around us all have their origins in our own minds. How many different mind-worlds do we inhabit in our thoughts, even between one breath and the next? And how many actions do we take because of these unnoticed thoughts? By first taking a particular object of concentration and then training the mind to stay focused on it, we can develop calmness and tranquillity. The object may be the breath, a sound or mantra, a visual image, or certain reflections, all of which serve to concentrate the mind. At first, this requires the effort of continually returning each time the mind wanders off. With practice, though, the mind becomes trained, and then rests quite easily in the chosen object. In addition to the feelings of restfulness and peace, the state of concentration also becomes the basis for deepening insight and wisdom. We find ourselves opening to the world’s suffering as well as to its great beauty. Through the power of increased awareness, simple experience often becomes magically alive: the silhouette of a branch against the night sky or trees swaying in the invisible wind. The way that we sense the world becomes purified, our perception of the world transformed. Marcel Proust wrote, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

14 " and the liberating insight into how suffering in our lives is born from ignorance and ends through wisdom. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

15 " There are ten actions—three of body, four of speech, and three of mind—that plant the seeds of our own future suffering. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

16 " The second unwholesome action to avoid is stealing—taking that which doesn’t belong to us. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

17 " Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

18 " The second kind of unwholesome speech is the use of harsh, angry, or aggressive language. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

19 " Backbiting and gossip are the third type of unskillful speech. Words of this nature cause disharmony and the loss of friends. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

20 " No longer do we look outside of ourselves for solutions. We have seen where the path lies. All we require are the skillful means that will help us walk it. "

― Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism