Monday, September 29, 2014

Randomised Collection of Wise Quotes #1

Hello everyone,
I thought that it would be nice to share with you some nice sayings. Most of them come from a card calendar of mine. Every day I take off a card and read a wise statement originating from the east. I will list some of them in no particular order below and write my interpretative understanding underneath each quote.

* "True freedom exists in our minds, beyond God or Buddha. In every moment, true wisdom must be freshly created."  -Taisen Deshimaru
This basically tells us that in order to be truly spiritual, we must go beyond religion. Go beyond just following God of Buddha; become the sage your self.

* "...great balance sustains all things."  -Chuang Tzu
I think that when people only train hard, they damage their bodies. When people are too soft, they get sick. When hard and soft are integrated, health is attained because they know not to go too hard (causing us stress and injury) and to not be too soft (not being active enough and getting ill).

* "Above, below, and around you, all is spontaneously existing, for there is nowhere which is outside Buddha-Mind". -Huang Po
This reminds me of the essence of the Universe that we are a part of. That essence is change. Nothing is set and nothing ever stays the same. Existence is spontaneous by nature, and that is what a True Martial Artist at the highest level often reflects through his expression.

* "You must personally accept the responsibility of improving your own life." -Chogyam Trungpa
Martial Arts is a personal, individualistic journey of self improvement. You are the only one who can make a change in your life. No one else.

* "To know the Way is to know where to go and how to get there." -Tseng-Tzu
I think that to know where to go and how to get there is already having a good understanding of the Tao. When you know, you are already half way there.

* "Understanding is the basis of love."  -Thich Nhat Hanh
It probably is.

* "The Purpose of each soul's sojourn on earth is to learn to see beyond the evanescence of phenomena to the Eternal Reality."  -Paramahansa Yogananda
I consider someone who understands eternal reality to be enlightened. To see that death is an illusion. How can there be death if there is no beginning and no end?. Our bodies decompose and  eventually the universe demands that our matter be changed; transformed into something else. Into something new. Just as our occupation of what we recognise as a human, someone new is born as compensation. Nothing is ever truly lost. Nothing is ever truly gained. There is only change, the eternal circle of life, the whole. There is no death; just the ongoing changes in cosmic reality. Once this is realised, you will be at peace. You will be one with the hole, also known as the universe.

* "Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of man kind."  -Mahatma Gandhi
It often takes more strength to be non-violent then it does to be violent; wether it be physical or verbal. Mahatma Gandhi is famous for his effective strategies of passive resistance.

* "Let us strive to be fully human and there will no longer be a place for evil."  -Confucius
It's not easy being a real and genuine human being. We should strive towards minimising the influence of our internal negativity.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Osu
For me as an individual, this statement gives me hope that one day I will be able to help people through True Martial Arts training. Whether I make a living from it or not.

* "One's anger is often one's greatest enemy." -Someone has probably already said this but I just thought of it myself right now. The reason that I think anger is one's greatest enemy is because to my understanding, anger is often an emotional reaction to an unsatisfied ego. To thrive on anger is to be a slave to the ego. The a high ego clouds the mind and prevents rational judgement from occurring. I believe this is why you will never prevail if you haven't gained a good level of understanding and control over yourself.

"Invincible is the feeling that you get when day after day you do something to improve your life."            -Invincible Worldwide, modified by myself.    
I often feel happier when I train. Seeing the improving results in my bodies abilities feels far more rewarding than having a black belt. And that's where I see the essence of True Martial Arts lies. The improvement of one's being. The individual journey someone takes to improve their life in all areas.
To elevate yourself to the next level; becoming a kind of upgraded or superior version of yourself. To live your dream.

I hope you guys find some of these quotes helpful with personal development and day to day life.
Take care everyone and Thank You for reading my blog. Which quote has the most significance to you and why?.


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