Buddhism
April 8, 2009
Eram, who is one of my good friends posted this on facebook and I liked it, so sharing here =)
The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
by Atisha
Advertisement
April 12, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Very inspiring but I don’t get one point: The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything. What could this mean?
April 13, 2009 at 12:38 am
Hina: I was a little confused about this point as well. But I think it depends upon the interpretation one makes about this statement. I personally think what it means is that a person with no worldly possessions is the one farthest from the chances to lose them. So the less we try to ‘collect’ and ‘own’ the worldly things, the more we are in peace – and peace is the greatest medicine. Just my humble interpretation =P
I also came across this interpretation: http://tiedyedmystic.blogspot.com/2007/12/greatest-medicine-is-emptiness-of.html if that makes more sense =)
April 13, 2009 at 8:42 am
Interesting read :)
And hey, your’re tagged, AGAIN :P
April 13, 2009 at 11:25 am
Nice words. Easier said than done though.
April 13, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Yes, I suppose Atisha did mean it in that sense. I can’t register it though because we are not hermits and we do tend to associate value to things. I really do find myself in agreement with Michael Brown (the author of blog you’ve mentioned) when he says:
“Therefore, the emptiness of everything not God, replaced with the fullness of God, is the greatest medicine. I am not sure I want to be empty of everything. Yes, there is pain, worry, and loss in life. There is also happiness, enjoyment, excitement, pleasure, friendship, love, laughter, granddaughters, music, great meals, art, sunrises and sunsets, and many more good things. I could go on and on. I’ll take my chances with pain, worry, and loss, in order to have all the good stuff. The combination of the good and the bad is called life.God is part of every aspect of life, the good and the bad. The ability to feel joy, and occasional sadness, is what being human is all about.”
I couldn’t express it better than the author.
April 13, 2009 at 8:51 pm
DM: Ah thanx! :P Ab to himmat karkey acha sa respond zarrurr kerunga! :P
Raza: Agreed =)
Hina: Yup, Mike Brows has this very reasonable argument – the beauty of life is all that he mentioned. Thanks for putting up that extract here =)
April 14, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Bhudda’s medicine has side-effects :P
April 15, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Oh wow! Really awesome!
Thanks for sharing :)
August 26, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Hina,
to understand how “emptyness of EVERTHING” is the greatest medicine, you (or for the matter, ANYBODY) will need to try some OSHO (most easily accessible, Osho.com, Oshoworld.com, scores and scores of OSHO books available in any sensible book store), or for that matter, anything Zen.
Let me go ahead with the core of the zen teaching:
“do not stand in your own way”.
which is what we are ALL, ALWAYS doing.
they also call it, “emptying the cup”.
The Buddha called it :
“you are your own master.
who else?
subdue yourself,
and find your own master.”
I am writing this comment because I feel immesely grateful to the site owner for putting this up ( I myself have overlooked it in my own blog. http://ipslog.blogspot.com)
It is because the brahman, tao, the eternal, which is beyond conception, IS. The ONLY thing THAT EXISTS.
ALL DIVISIONS OF THIS AND THAT ARE PURELY CREATION OF THE MIND. IT IS THIS UNTRUE MIND THAT IS CAUSING (AND ALSO SUSTAINING) THE DISEASE.
(I FEEL I SHOULD STOP HERE TO AVOID OVERDOING IT.)
ever seen a Buddhist monk in the market place. what more? nowadays they are all equipped with mobile and even laptops. Osho himself enjoyed watching the granduer and the beauty of Rolles Royces and had 48 for his own collection.
That man spent his entire life talking about Zorba the Buddha.
But the Key is Dispassion.
Because these things have wear and tear.
Hope that helped.
:-)
Indrajit