Purity is a quality of the heart, not something that comes from unquestioning adherence to a set of rules

"Purity is a quality of the heart, not something that comes from unquestioning adherence to a set of rules"
..And other observations, from Sister (now Ajahn) Candasiri when she talks about 'Jesus through Buddhist eyes' on a radio 4 webpage.
I saw this interview on a radio 4 webpage here.

That first quote reminds me of two things I heard from my favorite old timer, in relation to following AA 'rules'.
He used to say. "It's the SPIRIT of the law, not the LETTER of the law'. Another aa slogan he said which I LOVED was:
"Feeling without action is Sentimentality
Action without feeing is an EMPTY GESTURE."
I have always found that to be a very good 'rule' when practicing Step 12 (service) of some sort.

(On the crucifixion) "An extraordinary account of patient endurance - willingness to bear the unbearable. without any sense of blame or ill will."
Ajahn Candasiri
Me: I just love this as a definition of 'patient endurance', as I haven't heard a definition of this before. I suppose its a bit like what I was describing in my earlier posts about Becoming a strong vessel and Steady containment' is what I call enlightenment.

"The Truth, which the Buddha likened to an ancient overgrown path that he had simply rediscovered."
Ajahn Candasiri
Me: I like this because that's what the 'truth' feels like for me too. I haven't heard it described like this before.

(My heading) Happiness is an inside job:
"We ourselves create the conditions that either promote well-being and the growth of understanding, or cause harm to ourselves or others. We don't need a God to consign us to the nether regions of some hell realm if we are foolish or selfish - it happens naturally. Similarly, when we fill our lives with goodness, we feel happy - that's a heavenly state."
Ajahn Candasiri
Me: I love the way all religions say the same thing. Happiness IS an inside job. We create our own heaven and hell through either good or bad habits. Nothing more.

(My heading) Neither repression nor indulgence:
"There is a way between either following or struggling to repress harmful thoughts that arise. I learned that, through meditation, I can simply bear witness to them, and allow them to pass on according to their nature - I don't need to identify with them in any way at all."
Ajahn Candasiri
Me: This was one of the most valuable things I learned from going to talks at the monastery. It showed me the 'skilful means' for holding difficult emotions in consciousness without letting them go overboard or adding to them in any way. It was a VERY liberating truth.

(My heading) Personal responsibility: Save yourself!:
"Jesus and the Buddha are extraordinary friends and teachers. They can show us the Way, but we can't rely on them to make us happy, or to take away our suffering. That is up to us."
Ajahn Candasiri
Me: So many times you hear this!! Its NOT your sponsor that saves you. its NOT your therapist that saves you. No one can REALLY save you except YOU. This is what I am learning by NOT having a therapist OR a Sponsor. I had NO idea this was true until I tried it. Its a weird one because I am SO conditioned to think I need to rely on other peoples feedback, or that I am too 'damaged' to save myself. But ultimately, it is ME that does the work. I have to surrender. I have to trust. I have to 'give it away'. No one else can do that for me. I am not saying that you HAVE to do the same, I'm just saying that's what works for me at the moment.