I exhort you also to take part in the great combat, which is the combat of life, and greater than every other earthly conflict.
The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take their revenge; for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future.
I think I’m an actor because I have very strong imagination and empathy; those two qualities are exactly the qualities that make for an activist.
Fasting in the monastic community is considered an ascetic practice, a “dhutanga” practice. Dhutanga means “to shake up” or “invigoration”. The Buddha, as is well known, emphasized moderation, the Middle Way that avoids extremes, in all things. Fasting is an additional method that one can take up, with supervision, for a time.
Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light, so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us.
If you desire to be pure, have firm faith, and slowly go on with your devotional practices without wasting your energy in useless scriptural discussions and arguments.
