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Finding Nirvana

‘When we’re idealistic, we - and many practitioners in Asian Buddhist countries as well - imagine that nirvana exists somewhere high in the Himalayas, reserved for monks who have meditated for the whole of their life. My own teachers - and other wonderful masters like Shunryu Suzuki Roshi - emphasize that nirvana is to be found here and now.

In the morning and evening chanting in the forest monastery we recite the Buddha’s words, that the dharma of liberation is ever present, immediate, timeless, to be experienced here and now by all who see wisely. Nirvana appears when we let go, when we live in the reality of the present. Sorrow arises when the mind and heart are caught in greed, hatred and delusion. Nirvana appears in their absence. Nirvana manifests as ease, as love, as connectedness, as generosity, as clarity, as unshakable freedom. This isn’t watering down nirvana. This is the reality of liberation that we can experience, sometimes in a moment and sometimes in transformative ways that  change our entire life.’

- Jack Kornfield, The Wise Heart, from an interview in the Summer 2008 issue of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.

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Padmapani on Flickr.

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When I was a novice, I could not understand why, if the world is filled with suffering, the Buddha has such a beautiful smile. Why isn’t he disturbed by all the suffering? Later I discovered that the Buddha has enough understanding, calm, and strength; that is why the suffering does not overwhelm him. He is able to smile to suffering because he knows to take care of it and to help transform it. We need to be aware of the suffering, but retain our clarity, calmness, and strength so we can help transform the situation. The ocean of tears cannot drown us if karuna [compassion] is there. That is why the Buddha’s smile is possible.

Thich Nhat Hanh, in Teachings on Love (via seedsofwisdom)

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Hans (Johann Josef) Watzek - Stillleben, 1895

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