Buddhist Prophecies Fulfilled

Buddhist Time Prophecies:
http://bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/buddhasa.htm

Buddhist Prophecies Fulfilled:
http://bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/buddha.htm

Messianic Prophecies:
http://bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/founders.htm

More buddhist quotes

http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/resources/buddhist_quotes.html

Encountering sufferings will definitely contribute to the elevation of your spiritual practice, provided you are able to transform calamity and misfortune into the path.

The purpose of all the major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.

War is out of date, obsolete.

To develop genuine devotion, you must know the meaning of teachings. The main emphasis in Buddhism is to transform the mind, and this transformation depends upon meditation. in order to meditate correctly, you must have knowledge.

Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned.
The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis.

In Buddhism, both learning and practice are extremely important, and they must go hand in hand. Without knowledge, just to rely on faith, faith, and more faith is good but not sufficient. So the intellectual part must definitely be present. At the same time, strictly intellectual development without faith and practice, is also of no use. It is necessary to combine knowledge born from study with sincere practice in our daily lives. These two must go together.

When ever Buddhism has taken root in a new land, there has been a certain variation in the style in which it is observed. The Buddha himself taught differently according to the place, the occasion and the situation of those who were listening to him.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue.

The universe that we inhabit and our shared perception of it are the results of a common karma. Likewise, the places that we will experience in future rebirths will be the outcome of the karma that we share with the other beings living there. The actions of each of us, human or nonhuman, have contributed to the world in which we live. We all have a common responsibility for our world and are connected with everything in it.

I myself feel, and also tell other Buddhists that the question of Nirvana will come later.
There is not much hurry.
If in day to day life you lead a good life, honesty, with love,
with compassion, with less selfishness,
then automatically it will lead to Nirvana.

~ H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama

Abdu'l-Baha's words on the right attitude...

...regarding teaching the Baha'i Faith:


"The Master (Abdu'l-Baha's given name) states there are 3 thoughts that come to a person when one teaches the Cause of God to another. Of these 3 thoughts, 2 are erroneous and will not bear abundant fruit. These are His words:

1." Do not teach the Cause because you think that one's acceptance of Baha'u'llah will be good for that person's soul."
2." Do not teach the Cause because you think that one's acceptance of Baha'u'llah will be good for your soul."
3. " Teach ye the Cause of God only because God exalted in His Glory wishes His creatures to know His Manifestation."

In other words, those who wish to live in the world of the Spiritual Sun, just as those who wish to live in the world of the physical sun, should know the potential and greatness of the sun. Only then can they themselves truly benefit from the sun."

~ Inspiration from a Dear Uncle of mine


"Surely it will require great wisdom to bring this Truth before the world; but we are assured constantly that to him who endeavours to teach for the sake of God only - wisdom will be given in sufficient measure by the Holy Spirit.

"The teacher should teach as though offering a gift to a King, humbly and submissively, not with force of insistence, imperiously - that is strenuously - but with gentleness and sweetness; submitting the argument and truth to the heart and intellect of the hearer as the servant of God, and therefore His servant - taking care at all times to adapt the offered food to the condition and station of the listener, giving milk for babes and meat for those grown stronger."

"This food is to be offered FOR THE SAKE OF GOD ONLY, not for the hearer's sake, not for the benefit of yourself; but simply because God wishes His Manifestations to become known and to become loved by those who come to know Him."

"We are urgently instructed that the only real way to attain growth in the knowledge of the Truth of God, is not hearing but DOING, by being alive with the fire of the love of God and imparting as best as we can to the others the Tidings of the coming of the Kingdom. This is the day of Teaching. We are all commanded to teach, but only in the way and for the purpose above named."

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Star of the West, Vol. III, No 19, (March 2, 1913)


"Wholly for the sake of God he should proclaim His Message, and with that same spirit accept whatever response his words may evoke in his hearer."

~ Baha'u'llah (Phâ.t A Di Dà / Buddha Maitreya-Amitabha)

Obedience in the Bahai Faith (contd)

"Devotion to God involves implicit obedience to His revealed Commands even when the reason for these Commands is not understood. The sailor implicitly obeys his captain's orders, even when he does not know the reason for them, but his acceptance of authority is not blind. He knows full well that the captain has served a thorough probation, and given ample proofs of competence as a navigator. Were it not so, he would be foolish indeed to serve under him. So the Bahá'í must implicitly obey the Captain of his Salvation, but he will be foolish indeed if he has not first ascertained that this Captain has given ample proofs of trustworthiness. Having received such proofs, however, to refuse obedience would be even greater folly, for only by intelligent and open-eyed obedience to the wise master can we reap the benefits of his wisdom, and acquire this wisdom for ourselves. Be the captain ever so wise, if none of the crew obey him how shall the ship reach its port or the sailors learn the art of navigation?"

~ Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha'u'llah and the New Era, p. 78

The role of judgement in carrying out commands

"Then there is the matter of obeying laws and principles of the Faith when to do so causes one difficulty or even suffering. As I have said, it is often obedience through faith, and accepting unpleasant choices, which make us grow spiritually and morally, and in our understanding. Such obedience also has an effect on the community as a whole. It produces a society which is united, loving, firmly righteous and courageous, but entirely free from "ignorant fanaticism and bigotry". This is the difficult balance: to be firm, to be principled, but not to be fanatical, and not to be bigoted."

~ Mr. Ian Semple on 26 July 1991 in the Reception Concourse of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice in connection with the Spiritual Enrichment Programme at the Baha'i World Centre

The meaning of good deeds

"The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Day Spring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof, hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration."
Certainly, it is not the same person author of deeds who can affirm that his deeds are "good". Good deeds are those done in line with the Will of God and inspired by Him."

"After man's recognition of God, and becoming steadfast in His Cause the station of affection, of harmony, of concord and of unity is superior to that of most other goodly deeds."

~ Baha'u'llah (Phâ.t A Di Dà / Buddha Maitreya-Amitabha)

Bliss, Nirvana, Yoga

http://www.dlshq.org/download/blisswithin.htm

"Service, therefore, is a means to attain God-realisation which is the goal of life. Service is a spiritual process of trying to attain God in and through man who is His living temple. Mahatma Gandhi said: 'I am a seeker of Truth; my service to all beings is only my Sadhana in order to attain that Great Reality, God Immanent in man.' Selfless service, therefore, is ultimately Yoga Sadhana. It is new awareness that all Rotarians elevate their service into this higher dimension of the Spirit and thus reap rich benefits while they benefit human society upon the social level, let them benefit upon the inner and higher dimensions upon the spiritual level. Thus society gains through your service. You gain also through your service in an inner and higher spiritual way."

"Our service to man is, therefore, one of the most effective means, most effective unfailing Sadhana for ridding ourselves from this great disease of selfishness which stands between us and God-vision, our great divine destiny, the goal of life."

"Selfless service, therefore, is no less than adorations of the Cosmic Being, immanent in every creature He has created. Through selfless service done with this vision and this feeling, may we elevate ourselves spiritually and come to attain the spiritual consciousness and fulfil our life by attaining Self-realisation or God-realisation."

~ Sri Swami Chidananda