some favorite buddha-isms

"First there is a mountain
then there is no mountain
then there is" -- Donovan

Buddha's Flower Sermon!

Two Chan (Chinese Zen) monks were going to cross a river. They met a woman who was not able to get across by herself. The first monk decided to carry her across. After crossing the river, the monk let her down and they went on their separate ways. After walking for a while, the second monk expressed his unhappiness over the first monk for carrying the woman. Their beliefs forbid them to come into body contact with women. The first monk said, "Why are you complaining? I have already set her down. You are the one that is still carrying her around."

"Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine," Shunryu Suzuki, *Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind*

"The Buddha called his teaching a Raft. To cross a turbulent river we may need to build a raft. When built, we single-mindedly and with great energy make our way across. Once across we don't need to cart the raft around with us. In other words don't cling to anything including the teachings. However, make sure you use them before you let them go. It's no use knowing everything about the raft and not getting on. The teachings are tools not dogma. The teachings are Upaya, which means skillful means or expedient method. It is fingers pointing at the moon - don't confuse the finger for the moon."
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/8foldpath.htm