Although I don't identify as belonging to any sort of religion (I take what I like from multiple spiritual directions and disregard the rest) a major part of me is buddhist. Buddhism as a spiritual path primarily means the exploration and development of ourselves. Its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is a man of incredible wisdom, yet he always has remained humble, friendly and down to earth. Whenever my life gets rough and I loose my focus, I always find guidance in the 19 simple rules he once wrote down as a guideline to live by. So here they are. For now I'm just posting them, but I will probably comment on them in further posts. Comments from others of course highly appreciated as well.
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
--- Rules for living - The Dalai Lama
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2 comments:
I can understand not belonging to a religion, I am about the same. I think it's my egotistical nature, I am too pig-headed and independent to let any representative of god tell me what words I can use or what I should do with my Sundays.
As for these rules I have read all of them several times, forwarded in different forms with different names, the first time I got to know they are all from Dalai Lama. Even with my fault-finding tester's eye I can't find anything wrong with any of these rules. They make excellent guide to life. I am mildly surprised that no. 5 came from Dalai Lama. :) but it definitely fits in with my philosophy of life. I love the 19th rule - I am currently following that in cooking. :-)
Very nice post, keep sharing nice things like that, kitten. (Did I tell you I find that name very cute and lovable..hehe).
The only rules that really matter are these: What a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance: You can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't. But piracy is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for instance, I can let you drown, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies, savvy? So, can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can you not?~
Captain Jack Sparrow
Quote from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean
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