Monday, April 30, 2007

The Preacher's Mission

Forbearance, patience, charity and love of all beings, and comprehension of the good law, its abstract meaning as well as in its particular application.

The preacher must propound the truth with unshrinking mind, and have the power of persuasion rooted in virtue and in strict fidelity of his vows. He must keep in his proper sphere and be steady in his course and not flatter his vanity by seeking the company of the great. He must not keep company with the frivolous and the immoral.

All who come to here the doctrine, the preacher must receive with benevolence, and his sermon must be without invidiousness (prejudice). The preacher must not be prone to carp at others, or to blame other preachers, nor speak scandal, nor propagate bitter words.

He must not mention by name other disciples and reproach their demeanor. He must ascend the pulpit with a mind free from blame and at peace with the whole world. He must not delight in querulous disputations, or engage in controversies so as to show the superiority of his talents, but be calm and composed.

No hostile feelings shall reside in his heart, and he must never abandon the disposition of charity toward all beings . . . Let the preacher apply himself with zeal to his work . . . and verily, such is the power of the doctrine that even by the reading of a single stanza, or by reciting, copying, and keeping in mind a single sentence of the good law, persons may be converted to the truth and enter the path of righteousness which leads to deliverance from evil.

Creatures that are swayed by impure passions, when they listen to the voice, will be purified. The ignorant who are infatuated by the follies of the world will, when pondering on the profundity of the doctrine, acquire wisdom. Those who act under the impulse of hatred will . . . be filled with good-will and love.

A preacher must be full of energy and cheerful hope, never tiring and never despairing of final success. A preacher must be like a man in quest of water who digs a well in an arid tract of land. So long as he sees that the sand is dry and white, he knows that the water is still far off. But let him not be troubled or give up the task as hopeless. The work of removing the dry sand must be done so that he can dig down deeper into the ground. And often the deeper he has to dig, the cooler and purer and more refreshing will the water be. When after some time of digging he sees that the sand becomes moist, he accepts it as a token that the water is near.

Receive the good law of truth, keep it, read and re-read it, fathom it, promulgate it, and preach it to all beings in all the quarters of th universe. Gather round you hearers who love to listen to the benign and comforting words of the law; rouse the unbelievers to accept the truth and fill them with delight and joy. Quicken them, edify them, and lift them higher and higher until they see the truth face-to-face in all its splendor and glory. joy and delight.

(The Buddha 563 BC to 483 BC)

Friday, April 27, 2007

Reminder

Just a reminder /refresher coarse.




Disent is patroitic. I urge (strongly) all progressive bloggers to not lt neocon thugs/stooge to squish you're dissent


Also use this pic(ture) on your blog if you want just because