The story of the Burning House is really about our practice of Buddhism. We are constantly living in a burning house, a house of the sufferings of life. Sometimes we distract ourselves from these sufferings by indulging in a variety of
...more
“Then the child of Zeus, Helen, decided she would mix the wine220 with drugs to take all pain and rage away, to bring forgetfulness of every evil. Whoever drinks this mixture from the bowl will shed no tears that day, not even if her mother or her father die, nor even if soldiers kill her brother or her darling son with bronze spears before her very eyes. Helen had these powerful magic drugs from Polydamna, wife of Thon, from Egypt, where fertile fields produce the most narcotics:230 some good, some dangerous. The people there are skillful doctors. They are the Healer’s people.”
― The Odyssey
― The Odyssey
“who, finding Don Quixote in his house, sought ways to make his madness public without harming him; for jests that cause pain are not jests, and entertainments are not worthwhile if they injure another. The”
― Don Quixote
― Don Quixote
“I don’t print my books to achieve fame in the world, because I’m already well-known for my work; I want profit: without it, fame isn’t worth a thing.” “God grant your grace good fortune,” responded Don Quixote.”
― Don Quixote
― Don Quixote
“thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of friendships, who enjoys concord, rejoices in concord, delights in concord, a speaker of words that promote concord.”
― In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon
― In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon
“You have said more, Sancho, than you realize,” said Don Quixote, “for there are some who exhaust themselves learning and investigating things that, once learned and investigated, do not matter in the slightest to the understanding or the memory.”
― Don Quixote
― Don Quixote
Brian’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Brian’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Brian
Lists liked by Brian


























