Favourite Non-Abrahamic Scripture Quotes

[shankara]

hes not a good guy, u should know that.

Well for one it wouldn't matter if he wasn't "a decent guy", he could still say things which are true. But I would dispute the idea that he's not a good person. Ok, so in Tibet there were still some feudal customs but this wasn't unique to Tibet and a process of reform was already underway. Actually the 13th Dalai Lama abolished capital punishment in the early 20th century, so in that respect Tibet was ahead of the USA. Of course there was some black magic in Tibetan Buddhism, but every religion has these kinds of elements, the Vamachara.

I guess you could be referring to the fact that he took money and support from the CIA back in the 50s? Well, at the time he knew very little about the world, all he knew was that America wanted to help him. He literally didn't know enough about the world outside Tibet to understand what the CIA is, so you can't really blame him for such a thing.

 

[Alanantic]

when are u gonna finish winds of winter

I haven't watched Game of Thrones, yet.

 

[Infinityloop]

Dhammapada chapter 3 (Mind):

Thought​

As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight
his trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard,
difficult to hold back.

As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on dry ground, our
thought trembles all over in order to escape the dominion of Mara (the
tempter).

It is good to tame the mind, which is difficult to hold in and
flighty, rushing wherever it listeth; a tamed mind brings happiness.

Let the wise man guard his thoughts, for they are difficult to
perceive, very artful, and they rush wherever they list: thoughts well
guarded bring happiness.

Those who bridle their mind which travels far, moves about alone,
is without a body, and hides in the chamber (of the heart), will be
free from the bonds of Mara (the tempter).

If a man's thoughts are unsteady, if he does not know the true
law, if his peace of mind is troubled, his knowledge will never be
perfect.

If a man's thoughts are not dissipated, if his mind is not
perplexed, if he has ceased to think of good or evil, then there is no
fear for him while he is watchful.

Knowing that this body is (fragile) like a jar, and making this
thought firm like a fortress, one should attack Mara (the tempter)
with the weapon of knowledge, one should watch him when conquered, and
should never rest.

Before long, alas! this body will lie on the earth, despised,
without understanding, like a useless log.

Whatever a hater may do to a hater, or an enemy to an enemy, a
wrongly-directed mind will do us greater mischief.

Not a mother, not a father will do so much, nor any other
relative; a well-directed mind will do us greater service.​

 

[Gnome]

Its instruction (regarding meditation) is this. It is similar to that which is like a flash of lightning
or like the winkling of the eye. This is (the analogy of Brahman) in the divine aspect.
Then (follows) the instruction through analogy on the aspect of the individual Atman. (It is wellknown
that) the mind seems to attain to It, that It is continually remembered by the mind, and that the
mind possesses the thought (regarding It).
That Brahman is known indeed as Tadvana (worshipful or adorable to all beings); That is to be
worshiped as Tadvana. To him who knows It thus verily all beings pray.

Disciple: “Revered sir, speak Upanishad to me.”

Teacher: “I have spoken Upanishad to thee.
Of Brahman verily is the Upanishad that I have spoken.”

Of this knowledge austerity, self-restraint and action are the feet, the Vedas are all limbs and truth
is the abode.
He who knows this thus, with his sins destroyed, becomes firmly seated in the infinite, blissful
and supreme Brahman. He becomes firmly seated (in Brahman).
- Kena Upanishad 4:5-9

 

[shankara]

'I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes. I observe treasure of gold and gems as so many bricks
and pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of
fruit, and the greatest lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot. I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of,
magicians. I discern the highest conception of emancipation as golden brocade in a dream, and view the holy path of the
illuminated one as flowers appearing in one's eyes. I see meditation as a pillar of a mountain, Nirvana as a nightmare of
daytime. I look upon the judgment of right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon, and the rise and fall of beliefs
as but traces left by the four seasons.'

(Buddha)​

 

[shankara]

"The presently existing buddhas of the ten directions,
whom heavenly and human beings make offerings to,
who in number are like Ganges sands,
they have appeared in the world
in order to bring peace and comfort to living beings,
and they too preach the Law in this way.
They understand the foremost truth of tranquil extinction
and therefore employ the power of expedient means,
and though they point out various different ways,
in truth they do so for the sake of the buddha vehicle.
They understand the actions of living beings,
the thoughts that lie deep in their minds,
the deeds they have carried out in the past,
their desires, their natures, the power of their exertions,
and whether their capacities are acute or dull,
and so they employ various causes and conditions,
similes, parables, and other words and phrases,
adapting what expedient means are suitable to their preaching.
Now I too am like this;
in order to bring peace and comfort to living beings
I employ various different doctrines
to disseminate the buddha way.
Through the power of my wisdom
I know the natures and desires of living beings
and through expedient means I preach these doctrines,
causing all living beings to attain joy and gladness.
Shariputra, you should understand
that I view things through the buddha eye,
I see the living beings in the six paths,
how poor and distressed they are, without merit or wisdom,
how they enter the perilous road of birth and death,
their sufferings continuing with never a break,
how deeply they are attached to the five desires,
like a yak enamored of its tail,
blinding themselves with greed and infatuation,
their vision so impaired they can see nothing.
They do not seek the Buddha, with his great might,
or the Law that can end their suffering,
but enter deeply into erroneous views,
hoping to shed suffering through greater suffering.
For the sake of these living beings
I summon up a mind of great compassion."

THE LOTUS SUTRA​

 

[DavidSon]

Is there such a thing as supreme happiness in the world, or isn’t there? Is there some way to keep yourself alive, or isn’t there? What to do, what to rely on, what to avoid, what to stick by, what to follow, what to leave alone, what to find happiness in, what to hate?

This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name. This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds. This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, an early death, a bad name. This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear.

People who can’t get these things fret a great deal and are afraid—this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use—this is a superficial way to treat the body. People who are eminent spend night and day scheming and wondering whether they are doing right—this is a shoddy way to treat the body. Man lives his life in company with worry, and if he lives a long while till he’s dull and doddering, then he has spent that much time worrying instead of dying, a bitter lot indeed! This is a callous way to treat the body.

Men of ardor are regarded by the world as good, but their goodness doesn’t succeed in keeping them alive. So I don’t know whether or not their goodness is really good. Perhaps I think it’s good—but not good enough to save their lives. Perhaps I think it’s no good—but still good enough to save the lives of others. So I say, if your loyal advice isn’t heeded, give way and do not wrangle. Zixu wrangled and lost his body. But if he hadn’t wrangled, he wouldn’t have made a name. Is there really such a thing as goodness, or isn’t there?

What ordinary people do and what they find happiness in—I don’t know whether or not such happiness is, in the end, really happiness. I look at what ordinary people find happiness in, what they all make a mad dash for, racing around as though they couldn’t stop—they all say they’re happy with it. I’m not happy with it, and I’m not unhappy with it. In the end, is there really happiness, or isn’t there?

I take inaction to be true happiness, but ordinary people think it is a bitter thing. I say: the highest happiness has no happiness, the highest praise has no praise. The world can’t decide what is right and what is wrong. And yet inaction can decide this. The highest happiness, keeping alive—only inaction gets you close to this!

Let me try putting it this way. The inaction of Heaven is its purity, the inaction of earth is its peace. So the two inactions combine, and all things are transformed and brought to birth. Wonderfully, mysteriously, there is no place they come out of. Mysteriously, wonderfully, they have no sign. Each thing minds its business, and all grow up out of inaction. So I say, Heaven and earth do nothing, and there is nothing that is not done. Among men, who can get hold of this inaction? - Zhuangzi

 

[Lalas]

History, however, has clearly shown how far societies have come that walk in the eastern spiritual way, and they that walk in the Western spiritual way. No one, except a few adventurers, wants to live in China, and especially in India. Everyone wants to go West (even in current situation).

(By the way, it has always amused me to observe that those great teachings and teachers who talk most about purity of mind, cessation of thought, emptiness, simply do not shut up, but continue to talk endlessly about it. Some even said directly that it was a tactic to wear down the mind and bring it to a state of silence, or to temporarily "stop the internal dialogue." That is: the mind is crushed, instead of being naturally calmed.)

 

[Alanantic]

History, however, has clearly shown how far societies have come that walk in the eastern spiritual way, and they that walk in the Western spiritual way. No one, except a few adventurers, wants to live in China, and especially in India. Everyone wants to go West (even in current situation).

(By the way, it has always amused me to observe that those great teachings and teachers who talk most about purity of mind, cessation of thought, emptiness, simply do not shut up, but continue to talk endlessly about it. Some even said directly that it was a tactic to wear down the mind and bring it to a state of silence, or to temporarily "stop the internal dialogue." That is: the mind is crushed, instead of being naturally calmed.)

You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

 

[FilthPig]

In the beginning, God.
There is but one God. There is but one universe. God is the universe. God is not one and the universe another. The universe is not a separate creation of God's. It is God.
There is no created-universe. Nothing is which has not always been. All created things are from the beginning. They have no beginning. They do not come into being. They are and always have been and always will be.
Creation means to man the coming into existence of something which was not before in existence. Man's concept of creation is the coming into being of a physical, visible universe heretofore non-existent.
The Creator is to man's mind a Sublime Being, separate and apart from man, who created the physical universe of matter, causing to come into being that which had not been. Man holds the concept of two universes; a spiritual and a physical. God is presumed to be of the spiritual universe, perfect.
Matter is of the physical universe, imperfect. God supposedly created the imperfect physical universe separate and apart from Himself. Man conceives a perfect and omnipotent God. A perfect and omnipotent God could not create imperfection.
He could not create a lesser than Himself. He could not create a greater than Himself. God could not create other than Himself. God did not create other than Himself, nor greater, nor lesser than Himself. In the sense generally understood by man God did not create anything. Nothing has been "created." This is a "creating" universe, not a "created" one. Man's concept of the sublime Being as the Creator of a material universe different in substance from the spiritual universe is a misconcept. God is all there is. Beyond God there is nothing. Superior to God there is nothing. Inferior to God there is nothing. Opposed to God there is nothing. Creation is not more, nor is it less than it has always been from the beginning. It cannot be more than God nor can it be less than God.
"Creation" is an apparent integration in continuity of that which already exists in substance. It is a periodic change of state of the One unchanging substance. It is evolution. De-creation is an apparent disintegration in continuity of apparently integrated things returned to that substance. It is dissolution.
God is in reality, and exists in substance. God is thinking Mind. The substance, or body, of God is light. The One universal substance,' which is God, is a tangible substance, a thinking substance, comprehensible and describable and possessed of principles which are familiar to man through man's observation of the One universal substance in "created" things. The substance of all "created" things is light.
The One substance of thinking Mind is all that exists.
The "created" universe is the registration in matter of the idea of thinking Mind.
Mind is expressed in light. Light is the storehouse of the energy of thinking Mind. The energy of the universe is the energy of thinking Mind. The universe is a universe of energy. Energy is expressed in light. Mind is the universe. Mind substance is "spiritual" substance. Spirit is light. Spirit is the ultimate, the eternal, though finite substance. Spirit is not infinite. Nothing in this universe of motion is infinite. Man's concept of an infinite God, possessing infinite knowledge and infinite power, Creator of an infinite universe of infinite extension, is not in accord with the laws of motion. This is a boundless, eternal, dimensionless universe of definite limitations both as to all cause and to all effects of cause. Dimension is an illusion of relation of effects, which are in themselves but illusions.
All cause is comprehensible to, and all effects are measurable by man. A limited, measurable uni-verse cannot be infinite; and a Divinity limited as to His range of cause, which, ipso facto, limits the possible range of effect, cannot be infinite.
Light is the living substance of Mind in action. It is the creating principle of the One substance. The One substance is the etheric "spiritual" substance of the One universal Mind. The entire "created" universe of all that is, ever has been, or ever will be, is but the One substance in motion, light. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (John i-5.)
Matter is light. God and matter are One. Spirit and matter are the same substance. That substance is light. There are not two substances in the universe. There cannot be two substances in the universe. The substance of the universal Mind is a living substance. That which man calls life is an inherent property of the entirety of Mind. Light is life. There is but One Life in the universe. The whole of the universe is but One living, breathing, pulsing Being. There are not two lives or two living beings in the universe. There are not two of any thing in the universe .
The universe and all that is, is One .
From Walter Russell's book "The Universal One". (1927)

 

[Lalas]

You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

Okay, if that's what you thought. I have no objection.

 

[Alanantic]

Okay, if that's what you thought. I have no objection.

You might give Eastern thought a bit of consideration. Once I looked beyond my Christian upbringing, I found a huge wonderful world.

To be a living being ("I am“) is not the ultimate state; there is something beyond, much more wonderful, which is neither being nor not-being, neither living nor not living. It is a state of awareness, beyond the limitations of space and time. The same source of the will (desire) to live, a source deeper even than life itself . The 'I' is there even without the 'am'. -- Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj