Buddhist Thought of the Day

"Who crushes the great 'I am' conceit
finds indeed happiness supreme."

This is a most difficult task to complete. We are taught at birth "I am a girl or boy, white or black, thin or not, and smart or dull, etc." What we should focus on is "I am one with the divine nature." Stop dividing ourselves into subgroups that are made up of words that don't really exist.

The quote, "I think, therefore I am," is actually true. The truth is we are what we think. The 'I am' conceit tells us we are invincible, alone, independent from all, and we can do it all ourselves. When you think you becomes what you are thinking about.

I think about Buddha a lot and his compassion, therefore I am Buddha and his compassion. Some think "I am lonely, hungry, sad, not as successful as I need to be, not as rich as I should be, etc." As one thinks these thoughts they become exactly those things. Once we focus on positive thoughts we will indeed find happiness supreme.

My favorite quote from Zen Master Dogen is, "To study the Way is to study the self, to study the self is to forget the self, to forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things." There is a practice called Karma Yoga, which a person merges with god through acts of selfless service. This can help crush the great conceit of 'I am.'

You don't need to be Buddhist, convert to Yoga, or be religious at all to practice karma yoga. Dedicate yourself to helping others and you shall walk within the ranks of the sages. The Dalai Lama states his religion is kindness.

Love is the Source and we can only be one with Him or Her once we have mastered love. Offer a smile, a hug, money to someone who needs it, food, or clothes. When you see an animal in danger try and help or volunteer at a local hospital. Love doesn't cost anything. Besides, the reward you receive is priceless.