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The Moon Appears When the Water Is Still: Reflections of the Dhamma
Drawn from the Buddha’s teachings, contemporary literature, and the author’s own life, this collection of stories, anecdotes, and aphorisms provides inspiration and refreshment for practitioners of meditation. A sympathetic, observant, and compassionate voice drives these narratives, offering practitioners guidance and strength in their pursuit of eternal bliss. The anecdotes pair lasting truths with contemporary concepts, pointing to Dharma in all things, from a shoe repair shop to the World Wide Web. With one story, poem, or aphorism per page, Buddhism’s ancient wisdoms are presented in an easily digestible format.
117 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 16, 2020
1. No one liked the new chief monk.
He had a grating way about him
that tried everyone’s patience.
He seemed argumentative and petty.
When questioned about his choice
The abbot smiled and said:
“Every meditation hall needs a fly!”
2.“Meditation,” said the master,
“Is to quiet the mind.
Return to your hut
and sit until you are no longer
thinking of the white elephant.”
The novice did so
sure of the simplicity of the task before him
for up to this point in his life
he had never thought of a white elephant.
For one hour he tried
to get rid of the thought
of the white elephant
but it persisted.
All day, all week, all month he tried
but the image of the white elephant
persisted in an increasing myriad
of confusing and unwanted images.
He returned to the master
and admitted his failure.
“To quiet the mind,” the master said,
“Is not to quiet the activities on the mind.
It is to quiet our frustration with those activities.
The harder we try to stop the chatter,
the stronger it becomes.
Trying to stop the activities on the mind
is like putting out a fire with gasoline.”
He had a grating way about him
that tried everyone’s patience.
He seemed argumentative and petty.
When questioned about his choice
The abbot smiled and said:
“Every meditation hall needs a fly!”
2.“Meditation,” said the master,
“Is to quiet the mind.
Return to your hut
and sit until you are no longer
thinking of the white elephant.”
The novice did so
sure of the simplicity of the task before him
for up to this point in his life
he had never thought of a white elephant.
For one hour he tried
to get rid of the thought
of the white elephant
but it persisted.
All day, all week, all month he tried
but the image of the white elephant
persisted in an increasing myriad
of confusing and unwanted images.
He returned to the master
and admitted his failure.
“To quiet the mind,” the master said,
“Is not to quiet the activities on the mind.
It is to quiet our frustration with those activities.
The harder we try to stop the chatter,
the stronger it becomes.
Trying to stop the activities on the mind
is like putting out a fire with gasoline.”
May 17, 2019
An extremely well written collection of poems....truly worth reading time and again.Profound, sublime, thought provoking and insightful- these poems inspire one to keep walking on the path of dharma.'The Moon Appears When the Water Is Still' is my favourite collection of poems- it's like wisdom frozen in words....simple yet stark.Highly recommended!
September 21, 2013
Sitting does not create truth,
meditation does not produce insight,
just as smelling a flower
does not make it fragrant.
The perfume of the rose is there.
We slow down to attend the unfolding
and flowering of its nature.
Slowing down and attending
to just this breath allows
the reality of Now to reveal its nature.
Sitting still gives us the opportunity
to witness the revealing of the truth.
The moon appears only when the water is still.
meditation does not produce insight,
just as smelling a flower
does not make it fragrant.
The perfume of the rose is there.
We slow down to attend the unfolding
and flowering of its nature.
Slowing down and attending
to just this breath allows
the reality of Now to reveal its nature.
Sitting still gives us the opportunity
to witness the revealing of the truth.
The moon appears only when the water is still.
August 23, 2015
بدون خردی که راهنمای شماست، حتی اگر همه چیز را در جهان بدست آورید، تنها مالک واقعی رنج خواهید بود!
April 1, 2015
My enemy’s shadow is dark only because light inside is so bright.
My intellect deduces that I am nothing
But my loving heart tells me I am everything and I am everyone
Only we humans want cows to fly.
The cows are content to graze.
When the heart opens there are no strangers
My intellect deduces that I am nothing
But my loving heart tells me I am everything and I am everyone
Only we humans want cows to fly.
The cows are content to graze.
When the heart opens there are no strangers
August 30, 2021
Food for the heart.
June 4, 2020
اين گنج ارامش ، نجات دهنده ى بى خوابى ها و نگرانى هاى هفته هاى اخيرم بوده.
همين جمله اوايل كتاب منو با خودش برد ..؛
با وجود آشوب درونى كاملا عادى ميمانيم ، تنها عاقلى ميتواند با اين ديوانگى روبرو شود كه با بى اعتنايى ، لبخندى حاكى از تسليم و رضايت داشته باشد .
ساكت كردن ذهن ساكت كردن فعاليتهاى ذهن نيست بايد در مقابل سرخوردگى خود از ادامه آن فعاليتها ساكت بود.
روشن بينى فقط انبوهى از خلا هست.
يك بخشش وقتى داناى حقيقيست كه بدون انتظار چيزى در بازگشت باشد .
مراقبه يك رها كردن پيوسته است ترس از درد بيمارى و مرگ .. بگذار آنها بروند افكار ناشى از آزار سرزنش و گناه
بيش از آنكه صلح بخواهيم از تنهايى وحشت داريم ميخواهيم از ناپاكى ها ناخالصى ها خلاص شويم بدون فهميدن اينكه ما به هيجان درد و رنج هايمان معتاد هستيم
فراى منيت من تجربه مستقيم اين دنيا ميباشد فارق از توصيف عارى از تفسير و بالاتر از هر اموزش من راهنما و راهنمايى شده ام من راه و رهرو ام من بيننده و ديده شده ام من شخص روشن بين هستم
مراقبه يك فرار نيست بلكه مشاهده ايى ساكت از واقعيت است و بايد اجرا شود با هر نفسى كه ميكشيم با هر قدمى كه برميداريم
حقيقت جستجوى پاسخهاى بيشتر نيست بلكه سوال كردن كمتر است
همين جمله اوايل كتاب منو با خودش برد ..؛
با وجود آشوب درونى كاملا عادى ميمانيم ، تنها عاقلى ميتواند با اين ديوانگى روبرو شود كه با بى اعتنايى ، لبخندى حاكى از تسليم و رضايت داشته باشد .
ساكت كردن ذهن ساكت كردن فعاليتهاى ذهن نيست بايد در مقابل سرخوردگى خود از ادامه آن فعاليتها ساكت بود.
روشن بينى فقط انبوهى از خلا هست.
يك بخشش وقتى داناى حقيقيست كه بدون انتظار چيزى در بازگشت باشد .
مراقبه يك رها كردن پيوسته است ترس از درد بيمارى و مرگ .. بگذار آنها بروند افكار ناشى از آزار سرزنش و گناه
بيش از آنكه صلح بخواهيم از تنهايى وحشت داريم ميخواهيم از ناپاكى ها ناخالصى ها خلاص شويم بدون فهميدن اينكه ما به هيجان درد و رنج هايمان معتاد هستيم
فراى منيت من تجربه مستقيم اين دنيا ميباشد فارق از توصيف عارى از تفسير و بالاتر از هر اموزش من راهنما و راهنمايى شده ام من راه و رهرو ام من بيننده و ديده شده ام من شخص روشن بين هستم
مراقبه يك فرار نيست بلكه مشاهده ايى ساكت از واقعيت است و بايد اجرا شود با هر نفسى كه ميكشيم با هر قدمى كه برميداريم
حقيقت جستجوى پاسخهاى بيشتر نيست بلكه سوال كردن كمتر است
May 25, 2022
this was a beautiful collection of poems and writings that had been composed from dhamma.
October 14, 2025
super nice link to vipassana
March 28, 2021
Lovely collection of reflections and meditations. Worth keeping close to hand.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews