When a wise person has acquired great wealth, he makes himself happy and pleased. He makes his mother and father, spouse and children, servants, workers, staff, friends and relatives happy and pleased. He gives gifts to monks and nuns. He collects merit in order to be reborn in heaven. Because he makes proper use of his wealth, rulers or thieves don’t take it, fire doesn’t burn it, floods don’t sweep it away, and enemies don’t take it. Since his wealth is properly utilized, it’s used, not wasted.
You have given your entire treasure to the world: if you gave the only-begotten from your bosom and from the throne of your Being for the benefit of all, what further do you have which you have not given to your creation? The world has become mingled with God, and creation and Creator have become one!
Our world is not divided by race, color, gender, or religion. Our world is divided into wise people and fools. And fools divide themselves by race, color, gender, or religion.
Authority intoxicates
And makes mere sots of magistrates.
The fumes of it invade the brain
And make men giddy, proud and vain.
By this the fool commands the wise;
The noble with the base complies.
The sot assumes the role of wit
And cowards make the base submit.
No religion can be absolutely true, and none can be absolutely false. A religion is true in proportion as it supplies spiritual, moral and intellectual needs, and helps the development of mankind in these respects. It is false in proportion as it hinders that development, and offends the spiritual, moral and intellectual portion of man’s nature.
Just as on a dark night black with clouds,
The sudden lightning glares and all is clearly shown,
Likewise rarely, through the Buddhas’ power,
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world.
Virtue, thus, is weak; and always
Evil is of great and overwhelming strength.
Except for perfect bodhichitta,
What other virtue is there that can lay it low.
Truth eludes us if we do not concentrate with total attention on its pursuit. And even while it eludes us, the illusion still lingers of knowing it, and that leads to many misunderstandings.
197. Ah, how happily we live,
Without hatred among those who hate!
Without hatred we dwell
Among people who hate.
198. Ah, how happily we live,
Healthy among the sick!
Healthy we dwell
Among people who are sick.
199. Ah, how happily we live,
Carefree among the careworn!
Carefree we dwell
Among people who are careworn.
What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them, and with this as the foremost object ideas of freedom and self-reliance and service to the community were obscured to the point of disappearing. Athens was more and more looked on as a cooperative business, possessed of great wealth, in which all citizens had a right to share... Athens had reached the point of rejecting independence, and the freedom she now wanted was freedom from responsibility. There could be only one result...If men insisted on being free from the burden of a life that was self-dependent and also responsible for the common good, they would cease to be free at all. Responsibility was the price every man must pay for freedom. It was to be had on no other terms.
If we want to learn to have genuine wisdom, we must first cut off desire. How do we cut off desire? By not fighting, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing personal advantage, and not lying. These six great principles are the Dharma jewels for cutting off desire and obtaining genuine wisdom.
Life should be chiefly service. Without that ideal, the intelligence that God has given you is not reaching out toward its goal. When in service you forget the little self, you will feel the big Self of Spirit.
Rather than be always striving for personal happiness, try to make others happy. In being of spiritual, mental, and material service to others, you will find your own needs fulfilled. As you forget self in service to others, you will find that, without seeking it, your own cup of happiness will be full.