So as not to neglect my thought, which is still there, to talk about the Ten Decision here they are for your Sunday contemplations. The idea is not to measure oneself up against them. Please! More take them into your heart and make them your intention, which is a decision in itself. Renewing ones intention each day goes a very long way.
See the two previous posts referencing The Scripture of Brahma’s Net. The text within these two posts prepare the ground for Vairochana to state The Ten Decisions listed below. 1) )The Devas Also Felt Apprehensive and then 2) What Caused This Radiance?
Then Vairochana Buddha, enthroned upon His lotus pedestal which contains all worlds, responded in detail to what the ten billion Shakyamunis of the thousand Shakyamunis had asked concerning the various aspects of the Foundations of Training, saying, “Buddhas know that, within a disciple’s patience and equanimity born from resolute faith, the Ten Decisions will point the Buddhist trainee towards the fruition of Buddhahood, namely making the following decisions:
to renounce everything worldly,
to observe the Precepts,
to practice equanimity,
to make a diligent effort,
to concentrate the mind through meditation,
to cultivate wise discernment,
to be resolute,
to be protective of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,
to be bright-minded,
to strive towards That Which is the Highest
The Scripture of Brahma’s Net, Buddhist Writings, Shasta Abbey Press. With thanks.
Kind Leadership: A free ebook on how to make a difference in your organisation.
There is often an assumption that leadership involves being authoritarian and bossy. This assumption is based on the belief that this is the most effective way of obtaining good results. It is possible to achieve results this way but this is often at the cost of worker stress, absenteeism and low morale. This book show how being kind is a more effective form of leadership, one that can obtain excellent outcomes and good sustainability.
From Kind Leadership
I’ve not read this book cover-to-cover, however what I’ve seen has me wanting to read the whole thing properly. And my intentions to talk about the Ten Decisions from the start of The Scripture of Brahma’s Net have fallen by the wayside as I’ve direct myself these past days to preparing to travel.
The chimneys
Glad to get out for a walk with my long-time monastic walking companion. We set off with the sun shining out of a blue sky with the wind behind us. Striding out we had a brief Dharma debate on the meaning of renunciation and worldy. What exactly do we understand when we use these words in Buddhism? Fairly quickly the conversation moved on to other things.
Anyway more thoughts on the subject will have to wait until tomorrow when I’ll launch into the first of the ‘Ten Decisions’. The first being….Renounce the worldly.
Buddhas know that, within a disciple’s patience and equanimity born from resolute faith, the Ten Decisions will point the Buddhist trainee towards the fruition of Buddhahood….
From Buddhist Writings, Shasta Abbey Press
At Throssel helping to run a retreat. The Internet’s been down, a B.T. blunder I believe!
There’s a bird
on a branch
in a tree
beside the lane.
A Song Thrush
Singing its
heart out
unstintingly.
Never the
same song.
Ever renewing
the joy.
The Song Thrush song has carried me along these past full days. Joy? The joy is that which we share within. That which is unstinting and shines as a jewel. The Jewel we call Dharma. The very same Jewel shining in the dining room, cloister, ladder, kitchen. Digging the earth and tending the garden. May it ever be thus.
There is the Kangaroo Sanctuary near Alica Springs and the Penguin Foundation Phillip Island, East of Melbourne. And around the world similar endeavours are finding creative ways to draw attention to their need for funds. I particularly like the Knit for Nature program providing the tiny Penguins of Phillip Island with much needed sweaters as part of their rehabilitation programme. Ahh, cute! And this evening we watched the first in a BBC2 series of Kangaroo Dundee featuring a lone man in the Australian outback who has dedicated himself to rescuing orphaned Joeys from the pouches of road killed mother Kangaroos. Imagine!
Then in Africa there are the so called ‘fish and chip’ babies. So called because newborns are going home from hospital wrapped in newspaper because the mothers don’t have resources for even a blanket or clothes either. Knit For Africa, blankets for the babies. I heard recently about some bodies 70 + dad knitting up a storm for these babies.
A British TV series about a man who rescues baby Kangaroos, an all out call to knitters around the world. What’s underneath this heart string pulling? Something good I’d hope. Compassion in action or rather the raising of that aspect in all of us? To nurture and care and act and above all to give of ourselves. Media can bring distant needs close however sometimes it is the need close to home that is harder to spot. Because it is close to home. Just a thought.
