The Buddha in Your Mirror: Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self

Buddhism clearly explains that suffering emerges in our hearts because we forget the principle of impermanence and believe that what we possess will last forever.

The universe and everything in it are in flux, arising and ceasing, appearing and disappearing, in an unending cycle of change conditioned by the law of causation. All things are subject to the law of cause and effect, and consequently nothing can exist independently of other things. This Buddhistic concept of causation is also known as “dependent

What then does myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express. When we look into our own mind at any moment, we perceive neither color nor form to verify that it exists. Yet we still cannot say it does not exist, for many differing thoughts continually occur. The

While the specific details of rebirth, in what form and when, are ultimately unknowable, the Buddhism described in this book stresses the importance of seeing the big picture—discovering the eternity of life within oneself. In this Buddhism, the challenge presented by the issue of death is to find the most valuable way to live.

Happiness doesn’t mean having a life free from all difficulties but that whatever difficulties arise, without being shaken in the least, you can summon up the unflinching courage and conviction to fight and overcome them.

“Society is complex and harsh, demanding that you struggle hard to survive. No one can make you happy. Everything depends on you as to whether or not you attain happiness…. A human being is destined to a life of great suffering if he is weak and vulnerable to his external surroundings.”

Buddhism is a beautiful philosophy, but above all, it is about action.

When such a moment occurs, it’s like being in a special zone, where the unpredictable world outside and the turbulent world within merge, time is suspended, and we suddenly feel there’s nothing we can’t do.

To see a World in a grain of sand, And a Heaven in a wild flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.

Buddhism teaches that cause and effect are, in essence, simultaneous. The moment a cause is created, an effect is registered like a seed planted in the depths of life. While the effect is planted the same instant the cause is created, it may not appear instantly. The effect is only manifested when the right external circumstances arise.