16 dances with a beam of light,
20 Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Yea Swaha
22 Gun dro nga tang yul nge nga
23 Gewa ju jik dza nyon druk
24 Nye nyon nyi shu shen gyur shi
25 Sem chung nga jik di dak o.
27 religious letter games...
48 om a ra ba tsa na di di di di di di di di di di di di di di di di di di di di
50 Om Mani Padme Hum (Hail to the Lotus Jewel)
52 The paths are many, the truth is one
54 Mickey Mouse has no wife, no horse, no mustache
56 where you are is where you were when you are where you will be.
59 don't let them immanentize your personal eschaton
61 nga tsho gyis rang gi gyo bar sems can song ba'i dgos.
62 (we should be self-motivating sentient beings.)
66 Acts without impediment
69 Yet he does not know himself
70 To be "kind," to be "gentle"
72 When an archer is shooting for nothing
74 If he shoots for a brass buckle
75 He is already nervous.
76 If he shoots for a prize of gold
79 He is out of his mind!
81 His skill has not changed. But the prize
82 Divides him. He cares.
83 He thinks more of winning
88 By giving, resources; by ethics, bliss
90 One may lead a horse to water, but cannot make him think.
94 neither i nor you nor anything exists truly
95 i, you and everything each have our own existence
96 the view between the two extremes is the middle way
99 Mickey Mouse and Mickey Rooney have something in common.
101 Natural language is hard.
102 -- (a prominent natural language scholar; do you know who? i don't.)
104 not this not this not this, what is it?
110 sangs rgyas kyi tshad mas ma nges ba'i phyir.
111 (the subject "horns of a rabbit" does not exist because it is not an object
112 validly cognized by a buddha.)
115 what you don't see is what you get when you don't look. -- fred t. hamster
117 this bell's knelling is never quelled,
118 while service is rendered,
119 tin staccato splattered over cupric strands,
120 spraying crazed meaning to distant lands.
124 To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.
127 It is hard to think of what one is doing when one is doing it.
130 No program is so finished that a few bug fixes won't destroy it.
133 Words obscure meaning. -- fred t. hamster
135 There's a Ribong in my Attic, There's a Ribong in my Chair.
136 There's a Ribong in my Dipstick, There's a Ribong in my Hair.
137 In fact, there's a Ribong everywhere.
140 In the context of a spreadsheet system, the user must ensure that the
141 sheet is thoroughly spread onto the bed.
144 nechung: unable to open fortunes.dat file. (just kidding)
146 are you only using half your brain?
147 if you can only think in terms of logical conclusions, rational assumptions,
148 and common sense -or-
149 if you can only think in terms of intuitive jumps, esthetic motivations,
150 and the fluid nature of reality,
151 then you probably are stuck on one side of your head. try moving into
155 time has eight eyes and three elbows...
156 and millions of clocks.
159 i refuse to ignore what i cannot perceive. -- fred t. hamster
161 if you can't change your mind,
162 are you sure you've still got one?
164 The only people who deserve to be called "Americans" are called "Indians".
167 you are contemplative and analytical by nature
172 -- Merlin in Excalibur
174 Charlottesville, Virginia: gravity well for the soul.
176 if one is always ambiguous enough, he is never wrong.
177 but he never says anything either.
180 Protect Children, Feed Bunnies, Heal Sickness, Understand Reality
183 Improve the environment and the government;
184 feed politicians toxic waste.
186 alright, so it was a slow night.
187 alright, so it was a slow knight.
188 all night, what a slow knight.
189 there's slightly white snow tonight.
190 tight flights light from the height of night.
194 sasquatch in my breakfast cereal. -- fred t. hamster
196 "what i say is unimportant." -- david w andrews
197 "i'll keep that in mind." -- chris koeritz
199 "are Israelis Catholic?" -- christine kelly
203 -- seen in April 1991 High Times
207 -- co-authored by dave and chris
209 we grow old as soon as we cease to love and trust.
210 -- Madame De Choiseul
212 marijuana is a natural mollifier.
214 I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the
215 monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.
220 -- Christian N. Bovee
222 Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist,
223 but the ability to start over.
224 -- F. Scott Fitzgerald
226 One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it.
229 The cobra will bite you whether you call it cobra or Mr. Cobra.
232 The first casualty when war comes is truth. -- Hiram Johnson, 1917
234 Among the calamities of war may be jointly numbered the diminution of the
235 love of truth, by the falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity
237 -- Samuel Johnson, from The Idler, 1758
239 Luck sometimes visits a fool, but never sits down with him.
242 How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? -- Satchel Page
244 Yeah, you got a point there man. Just let
245 your hair grow and nobody'll ever find out.
248 Eloquence is vehement simplicity. -- Richard Cecil
250 Two of my correspondents labeled me 'self-righteous', by which
251 they seem to have meant that they think they are righter
255 Every thought I have imprisoned in expression I must free by my deeds.
258 the other is a measure of the self. -- fred hamster
260 it is not who we are that defines us, but what we do.
261 the actions we take are the real indication of where our minds
262 and bodies are at, an expression of our being.
263 when one does not act, one cannot harm,
264 but by not acting when action could help another,
267 if what you are doing right now isn't broadening your mind
268 or elevating your spirit through total awareness of the essence,
269 then find that broadness! that elevation!
270 if an activity doesn't wake you up and tickle you,
271 then tickle yourself. that load which cannot be unburdened
274 the only people i don't like are those who don't want me to like them...
275 and i try to like them when they're not paying attention.
278 to george h. w. bush (on the occasion of our last meeting):
279 "you're a suit where a person should be."
281 The numbah uh bits in a compyooter word should NOT bee ayut, nor
282 sixuhteeen, nor thirty tooo, mah frayends. For vayrilee, it should
283 bee fifty! Theeuss would gayruntee that the sanctitty of our
284 great nayshun would be forevah preeserved! Theyuh would be just
285 one bit for each an every good stayett in this heyuh fahnnn nasyshun,
286 the YOOnited Stayetts of AhhMayReekah!
288 Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
289 -- Lord Acton, Letter, 5 April 1887
291 No man means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean,
292 for words are slippery and thought is viscous.
293 -- Henry B. Adams, "The Education of Henry Adams", 1907
295 One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible.
296 -- Henry B. Adams, "The Education of Henry Adams", 1907
298 It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
299 -- Alfred Adler, 1939
301 Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us.
302 -- Roy Adzak, quoted in "Contemporary Artists", 1977
304 A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. -- Aesop
306 Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything. -- Aesop
308 We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified. -- Aesop
310 The paper burns, but the words fly away. -- Ben Joseph Akiba
312 Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never play cards with a man named Doc.
313 And never lie down with a woman who's got more trouble than you.
314 -- Nelson Algren, "What Every Young Man Should Know"
316 Most of us spend the first 6 days of each week sowing wild oats,
317 then we go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure.
320 Leisure time is that five or six hours when you sleep at night.
323 I don't want to achieve immortality through my work.
324 I want to achieve it through not dying.
327 The lion and the calf shall lie down together
328 but the calf won't get much sleep.
331 If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a
332 large deposit in my name at a Swiss bank.
333 -- Woody Allen, "Without Feathers"
335 The difference between sex and death is that with death
336 you can do it alone and no one is going to make fun of you.
337 -- Woody Allen, quoted in "New York Tribune", 1975
339 It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people.
340 The good ones slept better... while the bad ones seemed
341 to enjoy the waking hours much more.
342 -- Woody Allen, "Side Effects" 1981
344 Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.
345 -- Muhammad Ali, in "Time", 1978
347 Doing easily what others find difficult is talent;
348 doing what is impossible for talent is genius.
349 -- Henri-Frederic Amiel, "Journal", 1883
351 In any country there must be people who have to die. They are the
352 sacrifices any nation has to make to achieve law and order.
353 -- Idi Amin Dada, 1976
355 God has been replaced, as he has all over the West,
356 with respectability and air conditioning.
357 -- Imamu Amiri Baraka, "Home", 1966
359 Most plain girls are virtuous because of the scarcity
360 of opportunity to be otherwise.
361 -- Maya Angelou, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", 1969
363 Death is life's answer to the question 'Why?' -- Anonymous
365 God is not dead. He is alive and working on a less ambitious project.
368 In March July, October, May,
369 The Ides are on the fifteenth day,
370 The Nones the seventh: all other months besides
371 Have two days less for Nones and Ides.
374 Never argue with a fool--people might not know the difference. -- Anonymous
376 Never go to sea with two chronometers; take one or three. -- Anonymous
378 The fewer clear facts you have in support of an opinion,
379 the stronger your emotional attachment to that opinion.
382 Vote early and vote often. -- Anonymous, on US election banners, 1850's
384 You're never alone with schizophrenia. -- Anonymous
386 Resolved, that the women of this nation in 1876, have greater cause
387 for discontent, rebellion and revolution than the men of 1776.
390 Women like silent men. They think they're listening. -- Marcel Archard
392 We make war that we may live in peace. -- Aristotle
394 What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. -- Aristotle
396 Wit is cultured insolence. -- Aristotle
398 That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. -- Neil Armstrong
400 What passes for optimism is most often the effect of an intellectual error.
401 -- Raymond Aron, "The Opium of the Intellectuals", 1957
403 We are still speaking the same language,
404 but neither of us is hearing the other.
405 -- Hafez Assad, on Syrian relations with Egypt, in "Time", 3 April 1989
407 If Gary Hart had seen Fatal Attraction two years ago,
408 he'd probably be President.
409 -- Bruce Babbitt, 1988 Presidential Campaign
411 Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper. -- Francis Bacon, 1624
413 Rebellions of the belly are the worst. -- Francis Bacon
415 It is good to be without vices, but it is not good to be without temptations.
416 -- Walter Bagehot, "Biographical Studies", 1863
418 Be careful what you set your heart upon--for it will surely be yours.
419 -- James Baldwin, "Nobody Knows My Name" 1961
421 Nobody is more dangerous than he who imagines himself pure in heart;
422 for his purity, by definition, is unassailable.
423 -- James Baldwin, "Nobody Knows My Name" 1961
425 The future is like heaven--everyone exalts it,
426 but no one wants to go there now.
427 -- James Baldwin, "Nobody Knows My Name", 1961
429 It is easier to be a lover than a husband for the simple reason
430 that it is more difficult to be witty every day
431 than to say pretty things from time to time.
432 -- Honore de Balzac, "The Physiology of Marriage", 1829
434 Marriage must incessantly contend with a monster
435 that devours everything: familiarity.
436 -- Honore de Balzac, "The Physiology of Marriage", 1829
438 The duration of passion is proportionate
439 with the original resistance of the woman.
440 -- Honore de Balzac, "The Physiology of Marriage", 1829
442 It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time.
445 Television is the first truly democratic culture--the first culture
446 available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want.
447 The most terrifying thing is what people do want.
448 -- Clive Barnes, in "New York Times", 1969
450 What is an adult? A child blown up by age.
451 -- Simone de Beauvoir, "La Femme rompue", 1967
453 Now comes the mystery.
454 -- Henry Ward Beecher, last words, 8 March 1887
456 Critics are like eunuchs in a harem: they know how it's done,
457 they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves.
460 The most important things to do in this world are to get something
461 to eat, something to drink and somebody to love you.
462 -- Brendan Behan, in "Weekend", 1968
464 Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.
465 -- Hector Berlioz, "Almanach des lettres francaises"
467 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
470 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. -- Psalms 111:10
472 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
475 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
476 fools despise wisdom and instruction.
479 The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.
482 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and love the other,
483 or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.
486 And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?
489 Greater love hath no man than this,
490 that a man lay down his life for his friends.
493 Spring beckons! All things to the call respond;
494 the trees are leaving and cashiers abscond.
495 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
497 Beauty, n: the power by which a woman charms a lover and terrifies a husband.
498 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
500 Belladonna, n. In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison.
501 A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.
502 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
504 Bore, n: a person who talks when you wish him to listen.
505 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
507 Conservative, n: a statesman who is enamoured of existing evils, as
508 distinguished from a Liberal who wishes to replace them with others.
509 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
511 Cynic, n: a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are,
512 not as they ought to be.
513 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
515 Marriage, n: the state or condition of a community
516 consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves,
518 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
520 Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another.
521 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
523 Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy.
524 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
526 Yankee, n: In Europe, an American.
527 In the Northern States of our Union, a New Englander.
528 In the Southern States the word is unknown. (See DAMYANK.)
529 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
531 The wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease.
532 -- Josh Billings, "The Kicker"
534 People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.
537 Universal suffrage is the government of a house by its nursery.
540 The first sign of a nervous breakdown is when you start
541 thinking your work is terribly important.
544 An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes
545 which can be made, in a narrow field.
548 The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the
549 opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.
552 If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. -- Derek Bok, 1978
554 The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
555 -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
557 Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed.
558 If I fail, no one will say, 'She doesn't have what it takes.'
559 They will say, 'Women don't have what it takes.'
562 Censorship, like charity, should begin at home,
563 but unlike charity, it should end there.
566 No good deed goes unpunished. -- Clare Boothe Luce
568 When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder.
571 Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. -- Victor Borge
573 Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand,
574 but we must build as if the sand were stone.
575 -- Jorge Luis Borges, 1972
577 We never know whether we are victors or whether we are defeated.
578 -- Jorge Luis Borges, "Borges On Writing", 1974
580 It is possible to store the mind with a million facts
581 and still be entirely uneducated.
582 -- Alec Bourne, "A Doctor's Creed"
584 Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. If we continue
585 to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant
586 may prove to be our executioner.
587 -- General Omar Bradley
589 Grub first, then ethics. -- Bertolt Brecht
591 I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it.
592 -- Ashleigh Brilliant
594 Please don't ask me what the score is, I'm not even sure what the game is.
595 -- Ashleigh Brilliant
597 To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first,
598 and call whatever you hit the target.
599 -- Ashleigh Brilliant
601 No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.
602 -- Jacob Bronowski, in "Encounter", 1971
604 Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance.
605 -- Sam Brown, in "Washington Post", 1977
607 Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow.
608 -- Matthew Browne, "Lilliput Levee"
610 As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically
611 reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children.
612 -- Anita Bryant, 1977
614 Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.
615 -- William F. Buckley
617 Before you kill something make sure you have something better
618 to replace it with; something better than political opportunist
619 slamming hate horsesh*t in the public park.
620 -- Charles Bukowski, "Notes of a Dirty Old Man", 1969
622 We love your adherence to democratic principles.
623 -- George HW Bush speaking to Ferdinand Marcos, June 1981
625 The final lesson of Viet Nam is that no great nation
626 can long afford to be sundered by a memory.
627 -- George HW Bush, 1989 Inaugural Address
629 The caribou love [the Alaska oil pipeline].
630 They run up against it, and they have babies.
631 -- George HW Bush, 1988 and again "New York Times", 3 April 1989
633 It would be inappropriate for the President of the United States
634 to try to fine-tune for the people of Hungary how they ought to eat -
635 how the cow ought to eat the cabbage, as we say in the United States.
636 -- George HW Bush, quoted in "Philadelphia Inquirer", 13 July 1989
638 An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.
639 -- Nicholas Murray Butler
641 Friendship is like money, easier made than kept. -- Samuel Butler
643 The man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.
644 -- Samuel Butler, "The Fair Haven", 1873
646 Any fool can tell the truth, but it requires a man of some sense
647 to know how to lie well.
648 -- Samuel Butler, "Notebooks" 1912
650 Marriage is distinctly and repeatedly excluded from heaven.
651 Is this because it is thought likely to mar the general felicity?
652 -- Samuel Butler, "Notebooks" 1912
654 One was never married, and that's his hell; another is, and that's his plague.
655 -- Robert Burton, 1651
657 For truth is always strange; stranger than fiction.
658 -- Lord Byron, "Don Juan", 1818
660 The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds;
661 and the pessimist fears this is true.
662 -- James B. Cabell, "The Silver Stallion" 1926
664 Men willingly believe what they wish. -- Julius Caesar
666 What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story.
667 And the greatest good is little enough:
668 for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams.
669 -- Pedro Calderon de la Barca, "Life is a Dream"
671 It is better to be defeated on principle than to win on lies.
672 -- Arthur Calwell, 1968
674 An honest politician is one who when he is bought will stay bought.
677 Every revolutionary ends up either by becoming an oppressor or a heretic.
678 -- Albert Camus, "The Rebel", 1951
680 When I sell liquor, its called bootlegging; when my patrons serve
681 it on a silver tray on Lake Shore Drive, it's called hospitality.
684 You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun
685 than you can with a kind word alone.
688 Anyone who can walk to the welfare office can walk to work.
689 -- Al Capp, in "Esquire", 1970
691 It is long accepted by the missionaries that morality is inversely
692 proportional to the amount of clothing people wore.
695 "Contrariwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, it might be,
696 and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic!"
697 -- Lewis Carroll, "Through the Looking Glass"
699 Because of the greatness of the Shah, Iran is an island of stability
701 -- Jimmy Carter, 31 December 1977
703 Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie!" till you can find a rock.
706 As long as people will accept crap,
707 it will be financially profitable to dispense it.
708 -- Dick Cavett, in "Playboy", 1971
710 Everything beautiful has its moment and then passes away.
711 -- Luis Cernuda, "Las Ruinas"
713 A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.
714 -- Miguel de Cervantes
716 I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women,
717 French to men, and German to my horse.
718 -- Charles V, King of France
720 In some cases non-violence requires more militancy than violence.
723 He who asks is a fool for five minutes,
724 but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
727 The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out.
730 I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly,
731 or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man.
734 I like a man who grins when he fights. -- Winston Churchill
736 I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us.
737 Pigs treat us as equals.
740 It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations.
743 Man will occasionally stumble over the truth,
744 but most times he will pick himself up and carry on.
747 Politics are very much like war. We may even have to use poison gas at times.
750 The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings;
751 the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
754 Everyone has his day and some days last longer than others.
755 -- Winston Churchill, Speech, January 1952
757 Preparation, knowledge, and discipline can deal with any form of danger.
758 -- Tom Clancy, "The Hunt for Red October", 1984
760 Who will protect the public when the police violate the law?
763 It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God,
767 Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories.
770 Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
771 -- Arthur C. Clarke, "Profiles of the Future", 1962
773 You're either part of the solution or part of the problem.
774 -- Eldridge Cleaver, 1968
776 The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.
777 -- Eldridge Cleaver, "Soul on Ice", 1968
779 America is the only nation in history which miraculously
780 has gone directly from barbarism to degeneration without
781 the usual interval of civilization.
782 -- Georges Clemenceau, 1 December 1945
784 War is much too serious a matter to be entrusted to the military.
785 -- Georges Clemenceau
787 When you have nothing to say, say nothing. -- Charles Caleb Colton
789 I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
792 If we don't know life, how can we know death? -- Confucius
794 Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.
797 Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. -- Confucius
799 What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. -- Confucius
801 When we see persons of worth, we should think of equaling them;
802 when we see persons of a contrary character,
803 we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.
806 Imprisoned in every fat man a thin man is wildly signaling to be let out.
807 -- Cyril Connolly, "The Unquiet Grave" 1945
809 Slums may well be breeding grounds of crime,
810 but middle class suburbs are incubators of apathy and delirium.
811 -- Cyril Connolly, "The Unquiet Grave" 1945
813 Truth is a river that is always splitting up into arms that reunite.
814 Islanded between the arms the inhabitants argue for a lifetime
815 as to which is the main river.
816 -- Cyril Connolly, "The Unquiet Grave" 1945
818 Always be nice to those younger than you, because they are the ones
819 who will be writing about you.
820 -- Cyril Connolly, "Journal and Memoir" 1983
822 Youth is a period of missed opportunities.
823 -- Cyril Connolly, "Journal and Memoir" 1983
825 The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet.
826 -- Cyril Connolly, "Journal and Memoir" 1983
828 You shall judge a man by his foes as well as by his friends.
829 -- Joseph Conrad, "Lord Jim", 1900
831 The horror! The horror!
832 -- Joseph Conrad, "Heart of Darkness", 1902
834 I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and
835 invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people.
836 -- Calvin Coolidge, Speech, 21 September 1928
838 Don't talk unless you can improve the silence. -- Laurence Coughlin
840 A man feared that he might find an assassin;
841 Another that he might find a victim.
842 One was more wise than the other.
843 -- Stephan Crane, "The Black Riders and Other Lines", 1895
845 I stood upon a high place, and saw, below, many devils,
846 running, leaping, and carousing in sin.
847 One looked up, grinning, and said, "Comrade! Brother!"
848 -- Stephan Crane, "The Black Riders and Other Lines", 1895
850 I walked in a desert.
852 "Ah, God, take me from this place!"
853 A voice said, "It is no desert."
854 I cried, "Well, but---
855 "The sand, the heat, the vacant horizon."
856 A voice said, "It is no desert."
857 -- Stephan Crane, "The Black Riders and Other Lines", 1895
859 I was in the darkness;
860 I could not see my words
861 Nor the wishes of my heart.
862 Then suddenly there was a great light---
863 "Let me into the darkness again."
864 -- Stephan Crane, "The Black Riders and Other Lines", 1895
866 A man said to the universe, "Sir, I exist." "However," replied the universe,
867 "the fact has not created in me a sense of obligation."
868 -- Stephan Crane, "War is Kind", 1899
870 There is growing evidence that smoking has pharamacological ...
871 effects that are of real value to smokers.
872 -- Joseph F. Cullman III (Pres. of Phillip Morris)
873 Annual Report to Stockholders, 1962
875 There are no atheists in the foxholes.
876 -- William Thomas Cummings, 1942
878 Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days.
879 An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to
880 make it meaningful: a meaningful friend, or a meaningful day.
881 -- the 14th Dalai Lama, interview in "TIME", 11 April 1988
883 The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time
884 of great moral crises maintain their neutrality.
887 The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents,
888 and the second half by our children.
891 There is no such thing as justice--in or out of court.
892 -- Clarence Darrow, Interview, April 1936
894 When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President;
895 I'm beginning to believe it.
898 The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is,
899 in fact, a return to the idealised past.
900 -- Robertson Davies, "A Voice from the Attic", 1960
902 There is no such thing as a nonracial society
903 in a multiracial country.
904 -- F. W. de Klerk, President of South Africa,
905 quoted in _Time_, 11 September 1989
907 There are a million ways to lose a work day,
908 but not even a single way to get one back.
909 -- Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister, _Peopleware_, 1987
911 People are always talking about tradition, but they forget we have
912 a tradition of a few hundred years of nonsense and stupidity, that
913 there is a tradition of idiocy, incompetence and crudity.
914 -- Hugo Demartini, in "Contemporary Artists", 1977
916 Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly
917 and safely insane every night of our lives.
918 -- William Dement, in "Newsweek", 1959
920 We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them
921 to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up.
924 I never deny, I never contradict. I sometimes forget.
927 There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
930 Youth is a blunder, manhood a struggle, old age a regret.
931 -- Benjamin Disraeli, "Coningsby" 1844
933 The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but a transference of bones
934 from one graveyard to another.
935 -- J. Frank Dobie, "A Texan in England", 1945
937 Love built on beauty, soon as beauty dies.
938 -- John Donne, "Elegy II, The Anagram"
940 Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself,
941 but talent instantly recognizes genius.
942 -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Valley of Fear", 1914
944 One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do
945 and always a clever thing to say.
946 -- Will Durant, in "Reader's Digest", 1972
948 Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
949 -- Will Durant, in "National Enquirer", 1980
951 A man's got to know his limitations.
952 -- Clint Eastwood in "Magnum Force", 1973
954 History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely
955 once they have exhausted all other alternatives.
958 Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.
959 -- Thomas Alva Edison, "Life", 1932
961 There is no substitute for hard work.
962 -- Thomas Alva Edison, "Life", 1932
964 To err is human but to really foul things up requires a computer.
965 -- Paul Ehrlich, in "The Farmers Almanac, 1978"
967 Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.
970 Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present,
971 but an equation is something for eternity.
974 Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it
975 is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us
976 any closer to the secret of the Old One. I, at any rate, am convinced that He
980 God may be subtle. But He is not malicious.
983 I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war
984 fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people
985 of the earth will be killed.
988 I never think of the future--it comes soon enough.
991 The important thing is not to stop questioning.
994 The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has
995 merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.
998 The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
1001 You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his
1002 tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand
1003 this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signls here, they
1004 receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.
1007 Before God we are all equally wise--and equally foolish.
1008 -- Albert Einstein, "Cosmic Religion"
1010 The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.
1011 -- Albert Einstein, "Life", 1950
1013 Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and
1014 the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.
1015 -- Albert Einstein, "Ideas and Opinions", 1954
1017 A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
1018 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
1020 I think that people want peace so much that one of these days
1021 government had better get out of their way and let them have it.
1022 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
1024 In the final choice a soldier's pack is not so heavy as a prisoner's chains.
1025 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
1027 We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it.
1028 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
1030 What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight -
1031 it's the size of the fight in the dog.
1032 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1958
1034 This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.
1035 -- T. S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men", 1925
1037 The greatest task before civilization at present is to make machines
1038 what they ought to be, the slaves, instead of the masters of men.
1039 -- Havelock Ellis, "Little Essays of Love and Virtue", 1922
1041 The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum.
1042 -- Havelock Ellis, "The Dance of Life", 1923
1044 The sun and the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago...
1045 had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands.
1046 -- Havelock Ellis, "The Dance of Life", 1923
1048 What we call "morals" is simply blind obedience to words of command.
1049 -- Havelock Ellis, "The Dance of Life", 1923
1051 Always do what you are afraid to do. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
1053 Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
1054 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
1056 What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
1057 compared to what lies within us.
1058 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
1060 When it is dark enough you can see the stars.
1061 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
1063 To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.
1064 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Journal", 20 December 1822
1066 A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.
1067 Before him, I may think aloud.
1068 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Essays", 1841
1070 I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.
1071 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Essays", 1841
1073 To be great is to be misunderstood.
1074 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Essays", 1841
1076 I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
1077 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Journal", May 1849
1079 Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait.
1080 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Conduct of Life", 1860
1082 Hitch your wagon to a star.
1083 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Conduct of Life", 1860
1085 A wise man first determines what is within his control;
1086 all else is then irrelevant.
1089 We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
1092 War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.
1093 -- Desiderius Erasmus
1095 A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems.
1098 A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way
1099 that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.
1100 -- Ludwig Erhard, in "The Observer", 1958
1102 There's a difference between beauty and charm. A beautiful woman
1103 is one I notice. A charming woman is one who notices me.
1106 Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do
1107 with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
1110 Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.
1113 The best of seers is he who guesses well.
1116 The camera cannot lie. But it can be an accessory to untruth.
1117 -- Harold Evans, "Pictures on a Page", 1978
1119 Passions are fashions.
1122 When you read a classic you do not see in the book more than you did before.
1123 You see more in you than there was before.
1124 -- Clifton Fadiman, "Any Number Can Play", 1957
1126 The only accident [at Three Mile Island] is that this thing leaked out.
1127 You could have avoided this whole thing by not saying anything.
1128 -- Craig Faust (control-room operator at TMI), 1979,
1129 quoted from "Loose Talk"
1131 If people really liked to work, we'd still be plowing the land with sticks
1132 and transporting goods on our backs.
1135 A myth is a religion in which no one any longer believes.
1136 -- James Feibleman, "Understanding Philosophy", 1973
1138 The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
1139 -- Fanny Fern, "Willis Parton"
1141 Computer: a million morons working at the speed of light.
1144 The first principle is that you must not fool yourself -
1145 and you are the easiest person to fool.
1146 -- Richard Feynman, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
1148 Anybody who hates children and dogs can't be all bad. -- W. C. Fields
1150 I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. -- W. C. Fields
1152 It isn't what they say about you, it's what they whisper. -- Errol Flynn
1154 Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
1157 The Law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich, as well as the poor,
1158 to sleep under the bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.
1161 I am responsible only to God and history.
1164 I still believe that people are really good at heart.
1165 I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation
1166 consisting of confusion, misery and death.
1169 Experience is a dear teacher, but fools will learn at no other.
1170 -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac
1172 In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.
1173 -- Benjamin Franklin, 1789
1175 Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
1178 Clothe an idea in words and it loses its freedom of movement.
1181 The news is the one thing the networks can point to with pride.
1182 Everything else they do is crap--and they know it.
1183 -- Fred Friendly, 1980
1185 The successful revolutionary is a statesman, the unsuccessful one a criminal.
1188 A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather
1189 and ask for it back when it begins to rain.
1192 A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday
1193 but never remembers her age.
1196 A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.
1199 A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.
1202 The world is full of willing people;
1203 some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.
1206 The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
1207 But I have promises to keep,
1208 And miles to go before I sleep,
1209 And miles to go before I sleep.
1210 -- Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", 1923
1212 We compound our suffering by victimising each other.
1213 -- Athol Fugard, in "The Observer", 1971
1215 The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun.
1216 -- R. Buckminster Fuller
1218 The most important thing about Spaceship Earth -
1219 an instruction book didn't come with it.
1220 -- R. Buckminster Fuller, quoted in "Contemporary Architects", 1980
1222 It's not your blue blood, your pedigree or your college degree.
1223 It's what you do with your life that counts.
1224 -- Millard Fuller, in "Time", 16 January 1989
1226 Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is
1227 almost as silly as getting married just because you do.
1230 If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
1231 -- John Kenneth Galbraith
1233 Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory.
1234 -- John Kenneth Galbraith
1236 Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing
1237 between the disastrous and the unpalatable.
1238 -- John Kenneth Galbraith
1240 The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises
1241 in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral
1242 justification for selfishness.
1243 -- John Kenneth Galbraith
1245 In economics, the majority is always wrong.
1246 -- John Kenneth Galbraith, in "Saturday Evening Post", 1968
1248 One of the greatest pieces of economic wisdom is to know what you do not know.
1249 -- John Kenneth Galbraith, in "Time", 1961
1251 I could prove God statistically. -- George Gallup
1253 He who awaits much can expect little.
1254 -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez,
1255 "El Coronel no Tiene quien le Escriba"
1257 Si Dios no hubiera descansado el domingo
1258 habria tenido tiempo de terminar el mundo.
1259 (If God hadn't rested on Sunday,
1260 He would have had time to finish the world.)
1261 -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez,
1262 "Los Funerales de Mam Grande", 1974
1264 No creo en Dios, pero le tengo miedo.
1265 (I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of Him.)
1266 -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "El Amor en los Tiempos de Calera", 1985
1268 The true statesman is the one who is willing to take risks.
1269 -- Charles de Gaulle, 1967
1271 A country can be judged by the quality of its proverbs. -- German Proverb
1273 If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars.
1276 I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant,
1277 and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.
1280 Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.
1283 In hell there is no other punishment than to begin over
1284 and over again the tasks left unfinished in your lifetime.
1287 The secret of success is sincerity.
1288 Once you can fake that you've got it made.
1291 Expecting something for nothing is the most popular form of hope.
1294 All things are only transitory. -- Goethe
1296 We are not abandoning our convictions, our philosophy or traditions,
1297 nor do we urge anyone to abandon theirs.
1298 -- Mikhail Gorbachev, UN address, 7 December 1988
1300 The truest wild beasts live in the most populous places.
1301 -- Baltasar Gracian, "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" 1647
1303 Thirty days hath November,
1304 April, June, and September,
1305 February hath twenty-eight alone,
1306 And all the rest have thirty-one.
1307 -- Richard Grafton, 1562
1309 I think when a person has been found guilty of rape
1310 he should be castrated. That would stop him pretty quick.
1311 -- Billy Graham, 1974
1313 The illusion that times that were are better than those that are,
1314 has probably pervaded all ages.
1315 -- Horace Greeley, "The American Conflict", 1864-1866
1317 If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.
1318 -- Motto of the Green Berets
1320 Heresy is only another word for freedom of thought.
1321 -- Graham Greene, 1981
1323 Figures won't lie, but liars will figure.
1324 -- Charles H. Grosvenor
1326 It's round the world I've traveled; it's round the world I've roamed;
1327 but I've yet to see an outlaw drive a family from its home.
1328 -- Woody Guthrie, "Pretty Boy Floyd"
1330 Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.
1331 -- Alex Hamilton, "The Listener", 1978
1333 The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.
1334 -- R. W. Hamming, "Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers", 1973
1336 War will cease when men refuse to fight.
1339 Licker talks mighty loud w'en it gets loose fum de jug.
1340 -- Joel C. Harris, "Uncle Remus: Plantation Proverbs"
1342 Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has
1343 just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own.
1346 In times like these, it is helpful to remember
1347 that there have always been times like these.
1350 The probability of anything happening is in inverse ratio to its desirability.
1351 -- John W. Hazard, "Changing Times" 1957
1353 Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater. -- William Hazlitt
1355 Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained
1356 with the greatest violence.
1359 Some people are born mediocre, some people achieve mediocrity,
1360 and some people have mediocrity thrust upon them.
1361 -- Joseph Heller, "Catch-22"
1363 Plain women know more about men than beautiful ones do.
1364 But beautiful women don't need to know about men.
1365 It's the men who have to know about beautiful women.
1366 -- Katherine Hepburn
1368 Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived
1369 and how he died that distinguish one man from another.
1370 -- Ernest Hemingway, quoted in "Sunday Times", 1966
1372 Is life so dear, or peace so sweet as to be purchased
1373 at the price of chains and slavery?
1376 All is flux, nothing stays still. -- Heraclitus
1378 Nothing endures but change. -- Heraclitus
1380 Some actions have an end but no beginning; some begin but do not end.
1381 It all depends upon where the observer is standing.
1384 I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that
1385 brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass
1386 over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner
1387 eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
1389 -- Frank Herbert, "Dune", 1965
1391 Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks. -- Herodotus
1393 If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of
1394 fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.
1397 There's nothing in the middle of the road
1398 but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.
1399 -- Jim Hightower, in "Time", 3 April 1989
1401 To do nothing is also a good remedy. -- Hippocrates
1403 Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.
1404 -- Alfred Hitchcock, in "The Observer", 1960
1406 In films murders are always very clean. I show how difficult it is
1407 and what a messy thing it is to kill a man.
1408 -- Alfred Hitchcock, 1966
1410 The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.
1413 What luck for the rulers that men do not think.
1416 Never tolerate the establishment of two continental powers in Europe.
1417 -- Adolf Hitler, "Mein Kampf", 1933
1419 Strength lies not in defense but in attack.
1420 -- Adolf Hitler, "Mein Kampf", 1933
1422 Success is the sole earthly judge of right and wrong.
1423 -- Adolf Hitler, "Mein Kampf", 1933
1425 The great masses of the people... will more easily
1426 fall victims to a big lie than to a small one.
1427 -- Adolf Hitler, "Mein Kampf", 1933
1429 You can discover what your enemy fears most
1430 by observing the means he uses to frighten you.
1431 -- Eric Hoffer, in "The Faber Book of Aphorisms", 1964
1433 The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it. -- Abbie Hoffman
1435 Justice is incidental to law and order. -- J. Edgar Hoover
1437 Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero!
1438 (Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow!)
1441 Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
1442 (It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country.)
1445 He has half the deed done who has made a beginning. -- Horace
1447 Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled. -- Horace
1449 Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
1452 Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men. -- Kin Hubbard
1454 When a fellow says it ain't the money but
1455 the principle of the thing, it's the money.
1458 Now and then an innocent man is sent to the legislature.
1459 -- Kin Hubbard, "Abe Martin's Broadcast", 1930
1461 Habit is the nursery of errors. -- Victor Hugo
1463 We believe that to err is human. To blame it on someone else is politics.
1464 -- Hubert H. Humphrey
1466 The right to be heard does not automatically
1467 include the right to be taken seriously.
1468 -- Hubert H. Humphrey, 1965
1470 A woman has to be twice as good as a man to go half as far. -- Fannie Hurst
1472 The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from
1473 ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference,
1474 and undernourishment.
1475 -- Robert Hutchins, "Great Books" 1954
1477 Maybe this world is another planet's Hell. -- Aldous Huxley
1479 The most distressing thing that can happen to a prophet
1480 is to be proved wrong. The next most distressing thing is
1482 -- Aldous Huxley, "Brave New World Revisited", 1956
1484 Experience is not what happens to you.
1485 It is what you do with what happens to you.
1486 -- Aldous Huxley, in "Reader's Digest", 1956
1488 Technological progress has merely provided us with more
1489 efficient means for going backwards.
1490 -- Aldous Huxley, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow", 1956
1492 A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.
1493 -- Henrik Ibsen, "An Enemy of the People", 1882
1495 The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.
1496 -- Henrik Ibsen, "An Enemy of the People", 1882
1498 There is always something to upset the most careful of human calculations.
1501 Few rich men own their own property. The property owns them.
1502 -- Robert G. Ingersoll
1504 To think contrary to one's era is heroism.
1505 But to speak against it is madness.
1508 The will to win is worthless if you don't get paid for it. -- Reggie Jackson
1510 It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are.
1511 -- Clive James, in "The Observer", 1976
1513 A great many people think they are thinking
1514 when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.
1517 The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
1520 El amor es un camino que de repente aparece y de tanto caminarlo se te pierde.
1521 -- Victor Jara, "El Amor es un Camino"
1523 In every country and every age, the priest has been hostile to Liberty.
1526 I think [a black]... could scarcely be found capable of
1527 tracing and comprehending the investigations of Euclid.
1528 -- Thomas Jefferson, "Notes on Virginia", 1787
1530 It is always the best policy to tell the truth, unless,
1531 of course, you are an exceptionally good liar.
1534 To seek permission is to seek denial. -- Steve Jobs
1536 Men are like wine--some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.
1537 -- Pope John XXIII, 1978
1539 I never trust a man unless I've got his pecker in my pocket.
1540 -- Lyndon B. Johnson
1542 If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River,
1543 the headline that afternoon would read: PRESIDENT CAN'T SWIM.
1544 -- Lyndon B. Johnson
1546 No member of our generation who wasn't a Communist
1547 or a dropout in the thirties is worth a damn.
1548 -- Lyndon B. Johnson, 1960
1550 Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.
1551 -- Samuel Johnson, 7 April 1775
1553 The heart has its prisons that intelligence cannot unlock.
1554 -- Marcel Jouhandeau, "De la grandeur"
1556 Do you not know, my son, with what little understanding the world is ruled?
1559 An ounce of emotion is equal to a ton of facts. -- John Junor
1561 In the fight between you and the world, back the world. -- Franz Kafka
1563 There are two cardinal sins from which all the others spring:
1564 impatience and laziness.
1567 The more things change, the more they remain the same.
1568 -- Alphonse Karr, "Les Guepes", January 1849
1570 You do not destroy an idea by killing people; you replace it with a better one.
1573 Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.
1574 -- John Keats, Correspondence, 1819
1576 College isn't the place to go for ideas. -- Hellen Keller
1578 We have met the enemy and he is us. -- Walt Kelly in "POGO"
1580 If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.
1581 -- Florynce Kennedy, 1976
1583 Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.
1586 Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.
1589 We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind
1590 in the history of the world--or to make it the last.
1593 And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you;
1594 ask what you can do for your country.
1595 -- John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 20 January 1961
1597 If a free society cannot help the many who are poor,
1598 it cannot save the few who are rich.
1599 -- John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 20 January 1961
1601 Those who make peaceful revolution impossible
1602 will make violent revolution inevitable.
1603 -- John F. Kennedy, 12 March 1962
1605 Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
1606 -- Robert F. Kennedy
1608 Some men see things as they are and say why?
1609 I dream things that never were and say 'Why not?'
1610 -- Robert F. Kennedy, quoted in "Esquire", 1969
1612 Without feeling there's no reason to live.
1613 -- Andre Kertesz, photographer, 1894-1985
1615 In the long run we are all dead.
1616 -- John Maynard Keynes, "The General Theory", 1936
1618 In a fight you don't stop to choose your cudgels. -- Nikita Khruschev
1620 Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build
1621 bridge even when there are no rivers.
1624 Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
1625 -- Soren Kierkegaard, "Life"
1627 Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
1628 -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
1630 It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me,
1631 but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.
1632 -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
1634 Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the
1635 the philanthropist to over-look the circumstances of
1636 economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.
1637 -- Martin Luther King, Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
1639 The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort,
1640 but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
1641 -- Martin Luther King, Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
1643 He travels the fastest who travels alone.
1646 Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.
1649 The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.
1652 Television--a medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well-done.
1655 Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win.
1658 Credulity is the man's weakness, but the child's strength.
1661 People don't ask for facts in making up their minds. They would rather
1662 have one good, soul-satisfying emotion than a dozen facts.
1663 -- Robert Keith Leavitt
1665 It is well that war is so terrible, or we should get too fond of it.
1666 -- Robert E. Lee, December 1862
1668 To light a candle is to cast a shadow.
1669 -- Ursula K. Le Guin, "A Wizard of Earthsea", 1975
1671 When smashing monuments, save the pedestals--they always come in handy.
1674 It is true that liberty is precious--so precious that it must be rationed.
1677 The world began without man, and it will complete itself without him.
1678 -- Claude Levi-Strauss, "Tristes Tropiques", 1955
1680 Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive,
1681 but what they conceal is vital.
1684 Ask a man which way he is going to vote, and he will probably tell you.
1685 Ask him, however, why, and vagueness is all.
1686 -- Bernard Levin, in "Daily Mail", 1964
1688 A real diplomat is one who can cut his neighbor's throat
1689 without having his neighbor notice it.
1692 He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help. -- Abraham Lincoln
1694 Nearly all men can stand adversity,
1695 but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
1698 Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.
1701 The ballot is stronger than the bullet. -- Abraham Lincoln
1703 Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong
1704 impulse to see it tried on him personally.
1707 You can fool all the people some of the time,
1708 and some of the people all the time,
1709 but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
1712 Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee,
1713 and just as hard to sleep after.
1714 -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
1716 Where all men think alike, no one thinks very much.
1719 I have always thought the actions of men the best
1720 interpreters of their thoughts.
1723 Winning is not everything. It's the only thing.
1724 -- Vince Lombardi, 1965
1726 The ignorant man always adores what he cannot understand.
1727 -- Cesare Lombroso, "The Man of Genius"
1729 Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.
1732 In war there is no substitute for victory.
1733 -- General Douglas MacArthur, Speech, 19 April 1951
1735 There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity.
1736 -- General Douglas MacArthur, 1955
1738 Caminante, son tus huellas el camino, y nada m s;
1739 caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.
1740 -- Antonio Machado, "Proverbios y cantares, VI"
1742 It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
1743 -- Niccolo Machiavelli
1745 All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death
1746 than the animals that know nothing.
1747 -- Maurice Maeterlinck
1749 The atom bomb is a paper tiger...
1750 Terrible to look at but not so strong as it seems.
1753 Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
1754 -- Mao Zedong, "Quotations from Chairman Mao", 1966
1756 Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.
1757 -- Mao Zedong, "Quotations from Chairman Mao", 1966
1759 An optimist is a guy that has never had much experience.
1760 -- Donald R. Perry Marquis, "archy and mehitabel", 1927
1762 Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.
1765 From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.
1768 Religion... is the opium of the masses.
1769 -- Karl Marx, "Critique of the Hegelian Philosophy of Right", 1844
1771 Unrecognized faults lead to wasted efforts
1772 -- Joanot Martorell, "Tirant lo Blanc", 1490
1774 Impropriety is the soul of wit.
1777 Love is only the dirty trick played on us
1778 to achieve continuation of the species.
1779 -- W. Somerset Maugham, "A Writer's Notebook" 1949
1781 I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.
1782 -- William H. Mauldin, "Up Front" 1944
1784 Having two bathrooms ruined the capacity to co-operate.
1787 The people here [in Nicaragua] are amazingly friendly, when you
1788 figure we're here to overthrow their government.
1789 -- Richard Melton, US Ambassador to Nicaragua
1791 A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence
1792 and yet keep both ears to the ground.
1795 Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
1798 No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.
1801 Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.
1804 The American public knows what it wants,
1805 and deserves to get it good and hard.
1808 There's always an easy solution to every human problem -
1809 neat, plausible, and wrong.
1812 Time is the great legalizer, even in the field of morals.
1813 -- H. L. Mencken, "A Book of Prefaces", 1917
1815 Nine times out of ten, in the arts as in life,
1816 there is actually no truth to be discovered;
1817 there is only error to be exposed.
1818 -- H. L. Mencken, "Prejudices, Third Series", 1922
1820 The older I grow the more I distrust
1821 the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.
1822 -- H. L. Mencken, "Prejudices, Third Series", 1922
1824 Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone might be looking.
1825 -- H. L. Mencken, "A Mencken Chrestomathy", 1949
1827 Conservatives are not necessarily stupid,
1828 but most stupid people are conservatives.
1831 He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.
1834 A good listener is not only popular everywhere,
1835 but after a while he gets to know something.
1838 Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing for something.
1841 I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.
1844 Some of the greatest love affairs I've known
1845 have involved one actor, unassisted.
1848 When you take stuff from one writer it's plagiarism;
1849 but when you take it from many writers, it's research.
1852 I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it.
1855 Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in,
1856 and those inside equally desperate to get out.
1857 -- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
1859 The value of life lies not in the length of days,
1860 but in the use we make of them...
1861 Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not
1862 on your tale of years, but on your will.
1863 -- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, 1580
1865 Obstacles are those frightful things you see
1866 when you take your eyes off the goal.
1869 Only the sinner has the right to preach.
1870 -- Christopher Morley
1872 There is only one success, to be able to spend your life in your own way.
1873 -- Christopher Morley
1875 You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.
1876 -- John Morley, "Rousseau", 1876
1878 Any party which takes credit for the rain
1879 must not be surprised if its opponents blame it for the draught.
1882 If the nation's economists were laid end to end,
1883 they would point in all directions.
1886 As a student I learned from wonderful teachers
1887 and ever since then I've thought everyone is a teacher.
1888 -- Bill Moyers, interviews on "Fresh Air", 1991
1890 Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation.
1893 Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions.
1896 The big majority of Americans, who are comparatively well off,
1897 have developed an ability to have enclaves of people living in the
1898 greatest misery without almost noticing them.
1901 Life is a great surprise. I do not see why death
1902 should not be an even greater one.
1903 -- Vladimir Nabokov, quoted in "Time", 1981
1905 The speed of exit of a civil servant is directly proportional
1906 to the quality of his service.
1907 -- Ralph Nader, "The Spoiled System"
1909 Everybody is interesting for an hour, but few people can last more than two.
1910 -- V. S. Naipul, interview in "Time", 10 July 1989
1912 If you wish to be a success in the world,
1913 promise everything, deliver nothing.
1916 In politics stupidity is not a handicap.
1919 Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.
1922 A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights.
1923 -- Napoleon, "Maxims" 1804-1815
1925 History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.
1926 -- Napoleon, "Maxims" 1804-1815
1928 Women are nothing but machines for producing children.
1929 -- Napolean, quoted in "The Book of Insults", 1978
1931 Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker.
1934 Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.
1935 -- George Jean Nathan
1937 Nobody believes the official spokesman ...
1938 but everybody trusts an unidentified source.
1941 Lack of will power has caused more failure than
1942 lack of intelligence or ability.
1943 -- Flower A. Newhouse
1945 Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.
1948 If I have seen far, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
1951 O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed,
1952 courage to change what should be changed,
1953 and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
1954 -- Reinhold Niebuhr, sermon, 1934
1956 Democracy is finding proximate solutions to insoluble problems.
1959 They [Nazis] came first for the Communists,
1960 and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
1961 Then they came for the Jews,
1962 and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
1963 Then they came for the Catholics,
1964 and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
1965 Then they came for me,
1966 and by that time there was no one left to speak up.
1967 -- Martin Niemueller
1969 In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.
1970 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
1972 One should die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly.
1973 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
1975 What does not destroy me, makes me strong.
1976 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
1978 Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?
1979 -- Friedrich Nietzsche, "Beyond Good and Evil", 1885-1886
1981 A ship is always referred to as "she"
1982 because it costs so much to keep one in paint and powder.
1983 -- Chester Nimitz, Speech, 13 February 1940
1985 I have nothing to hide.
1988 I would have made a good pope.
1991 Voters quickly forget what a man says.
1994 Your President is no crook!
1997 Let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth -
1998 to see it like it is, and tell it like it is -
1999 to find the truth, to speak the truth, and live the truth.
2000 -- Richard Nixon, accepting the Presidential Nomination, 1968
2002 When the president does it, that means it is not illegal.
2003 -- Richard Nixon, in interview with David Frost, 19 May 1977
2005 Laws were made to be broken.
2006 -- Christopher North
2008 Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our own point of view.
2009 -- Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Return of the Jedi"
2011 There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.
2012 -- Kenneth H. Olson, President of DEC,
2013 Convention of the World Future Society, 1977
2015 The optimist thinks that this is the best of all possible worlds,
2016 and the pessimist knows it.
2017 -- J. Robert Oppenheimer, "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" 1951
2019 Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket.
2022 Liberal--a power worshipper without power.
2025 On the whole human beings want to be good,
2026 but not too good and not quite all the time.
2027 -- George Orwell, collected essays
2029 All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
2030 -- George Orwell, "Animal Farm" 1945
2032 Big Brother Is Watching You
2033 -- George Orwell, "1984", 1948
2035 Who controls the past controls the future.
2036 Who controls the present controls the past.
2037 -- George Orwell, "1984", 1948
2039 At 50 everyone has the face he deserves.
2040 -- George Orwell, "Journals", 1949
2042 Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives,
2043 but on balance life is suffering and only the very young
2044 or the very foolish imagine otherwise.
2045 -- George Orwell, "Shooting an Elephant", 1950
2047 It is convenient that there be gods,
2048 and, as it is convenient, let us believe there are.
2049 -- Ovid, "Ars Amatoria"
2051 To be loved, be lovable.
2052 -- Ovid, "Ars Amatoria"
2054 The chief product of an automated society
2055 is a widespread and deepening sense of boredom.
2058 It is a commonplace observation that work expands so as
2059 to fill the time available for its completion.
2060 -- C. Northcote Parkinson, in "The Economist", 1955
2062 The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
2065 If all men knew what others say of them,
2066 there would not be four friends in the world.
2067 -- Blaise Pascal, 1656
2069 Man is but a reed, the weakest in nature, but he is a thinking reed.
2070 -- Blaise Pascal, "Pensees", 1670
2072 Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor
2073 of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply... For fear will
2074 rob him of all if he gives too much.
2075 -- Alan Paton, "Cry, The Beloved Country", 1948
2077 God forgives us... Who am I not to forgive?
2078 -- Alan Paton, "Cry, The Beloved Country", 1948
2080 I have one great fear in my heart, that one day
2081 when they [the whites of South Africa] have turned to loving,
2082 they will find we [the blacks] are turned to hating.
2083 -- Alan Paton, "Cry, The Beloved Country", 1948
2085 Then what is it worth, this mining industry? And why should it
2086 be kept alive, if it is only our poverty that keeps it alive? ...
2087 Is it we that must be kept poor so that others may stay rich?
2088 -- Alan Paton, "Cry, The Beloved Country", 1948
2090 What broke in a man when he could bring himself to kill another?
2091 -- Alan Paton, "Cry, The Beloved Country", 1948
2093 Who knows for what we live, and struggle, and die? ...
2094 Wise men write many books, in words too hard to understand.
2095 But this, the purpose of our lives, the end of all our struggle,
2096 is beyond all human wisdom.
2097 -- Alan Paton, "Cry, The Beloved Country", 1948
2099 Yet [white] men [of South Africa] were afraid,
2100 with a fear that was deep, deep in the heart,
2101 a fear so deep that they hid their kindness, ...
2102 They were afraid because they were so few.
2103 And fear could not be cast out, but by love.
2104 -- Alan Paton, "Cry, The Beloved Country", 1948
2106 To give up the task of reforming society is to
2107 give up one's responsibility as a free man.
2110 Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often
2111 discover what they lack.
2114 Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do
2115 and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
2116 -- George S. Patton, "War As I Knew It", 1947
2118 Assuming that either the left wing or the right wing gained
2119 control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles.
2122 Public office is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
2123 -- Boies Penrose, 1931
2125 An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow
2126 why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today.
2127 -- Laurence J. Peter
2129 Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices.
2132 Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear
2133 but forgetting where you heard it.
2136 In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
2137 -- Laurence Peter, "The Peter Principle" 1969
2139 Democracy is a process by which the people are free
2140 to choose the man who will get the blame.
2141 -- Laurence Peter, "Peter's Quotations", 1977
2143 Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear
2144 but forgetting where you heard it.
2145 -- Laurence Peter, "Peter's Quotations", 1977
2147 A man who is always ready to believe what is told him will never do well.
2148 -- Gaius Petronius, "Satyricon"
2150 Difference of religion breeds more quarrels than difference of politics.
2151 -- Wendell Phillips, Speech, 7 November 1860
2153 Sometimes democracy must be bathed in blood.
2156 The measure of man is what he does with power.
2159 If everybody's behavior can be explained by simple stupidity and greed,
2160 there's no point in assuming a conspiracy.
2163 I don't need a friend who changes when I change
2164 and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.
2167 Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theater.
2170 Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true.
2173 Amusement is the happiness of those who cannot think.
2176 If you do not raise your eyes you will think you are the highest point.
2177 -- Antonio Porchia, "Voces", 1968
2179 One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.
2180 -- Antonio Porchia, "Voces", 1968
2182 They talk most who have the least to say.
2185 A city is a large community where people are lonesome together.
2188 A good workman is known by his tools.
2191 Power always has to be kept in check; power exercised in secret,
2192 especially under the cloak of national security, is doubly dangerous.
2195 Maxim 914: Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage.
2198 Maxim 1070: I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.
2201 Practice is the best of all instructors.
2204 If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.
2205 -- J. Danforth Quayle
2207 There is nothing that a good defense cannot beat a better offense.
2208 In other words, a good offense wins.
2209 -- J. Danforth Quayle, on "Star Wars",
2210 quoted in "Time", 19 September 1988
2212 Happy campers you have been, happy campers you are,
2213 and happy campers you will always be.
2214 -- J. Danforth Quayle, on arrival in American Samoa,
2215 quoted in "Time", 8 May 1989
2217 I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and
2218 the only regret I have was that I didn't study
2219 Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people.
2220 -- J. Danforth Quayle, quoted in "Time", 8 May 1989
2222 What a waste it is to lose one's mind or not to have a mind.
2224 -- J. Danforth Quayle, addressing the United Negro
2225 College Fund, quoted in "Time", 26 June 1989
2227 Mars is essentially in the same orbit [as the Earth]...
2228 We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water.
2229 If there is water, there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe.
2230 -- J. Danforth Quayle, interviewed on Cable Network
2231 News, 11 August 1989
2233 Religions tend to disappear with man's good fortune.
2234 -- Raymond Queneau, "A Model History"
2236 I have been staying in Moscow for only 24 hours,
2237 but already I feel almost at home.
2238 -- Hashemi Rafsanjani, in "New York Times",
2241 A nuclear power plant is infinitely safer than eating,
2242 because 300 people choke to death on food every year.
2243 -- Dixy Lee Ray, 1977, quoted from "Loose Talk"
2245 Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.
2248 Growing and decaying vegetation in this land are responsible
2249 for 93 percent of the oxides of nitrogen.
2252 If you've seen one redwood, you've seen them all.
2255 Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards,
2256 if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.
2259 Why should we subsidize intellectual curiosity?
2262 Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite
2263 at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.
2264 -- Ronald Reagan, "Saturday Evening Post" 1965
2266 I favor the Civil Rights Act of 1964
2267 and it must be enforced at gunpoint if necessary.
2268 -- Ronald Reagan, 20 October 1965
2270 I would have voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
2271 -- Ronald Reagan, 1968
2273 All the wastes in a year from a nuclear power plant
2274 can be stored under a desk.
2275 -- Ronald Reagan, quoted in "Burlington Free Press", 15 February 1980
2277 History shows that when the taxes of a nation approach about 20% of the
2278 people's income, there begins to be a lack of respect for government....
2279 When it reaches 25%, there comes an increase in lawlessness.
2280 -- Ronald Reagan, quoted in "Time", 14 April 1980
2282 Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released
2283 by vegetation. So let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough
2284 emissions standards for man-made sources.
2285 -- Ronald Reagan, quoted in "Sierra", 10 September 1980
2287 I have just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever;
2288 we begin bombing in 5 minutes.
2289 -- Ronald Reagan, weekly radio address, 11 August 1984
2291 Facts are stupid things.
2292 -- Ronald Reagan, 1988 Republican Convention
2294 The scientists split the atom; now the atom is splitting us.
2295 -- Quentin Reynolds, in "Quote & Unquote", 1970
2297 The streets are safe in Philadelphia,
2298 it's only the people who make them unsafe.
2301 We need excellence in public education and if the teachers can't do it,
2302 we'll send in a couple of policemen.
2303 -- Frank Rizzo, Philadelphia Bulletin, Oct 19, 1973
2305 One of the weaknesses of our age is our apparent inability
2306 to distinguish our needs from our greeds.
2307 -- Don Robinson, quoted in "Reader's Digest", 1963
2309 If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind,
2310 give it more thought.
2313 We always love those who admire us,
2314 but we do not always love those whom we admire.
2315 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
2317 Wit sometimes enables us to act rudely with impunity.
2318 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
2320 Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches
2321 beyond their own understanding.
2322 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, "Maxims" 1665
2324 Old people like to give good advice,
2325 as solace for no longer being able to provide bad examples.
2326 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, "Maxims" 1665
2328 Repentance is not so much remorse for what we have done
2329 as the fear of the consequences.
2330 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, "Maxims" 1665
2332 The reason that lovers never weary each other
2333 is because they are always talking about themselves.
2334 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, "Maxims" 1665
2336 Diplomats are just as essential to starting a war as soldiers are
2337 for finishing it.... You take diplomacy out of war, and the thing
2338 would fall flat in a week.
2341 Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
2344 Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.
2347 There is nothing as stupid as an educated man
2348 if you get him off the thing he was educated in.
2351 There's no trick to being a humorist when you have
2352 the whole government working for you.
2355 This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session
2356 as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.
2359 We can't all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb
2360 and clap as they go by.
2363 Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else.
2364 -- Will Rogers, "The Illiterate Digest", 1924
2366 I never met a man I didn't like.
2367 -- Will Rogers, speech, June 1930
2369 Half our life is spent trying to find something to do
2370 with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.
2371 -- Will Rogers, "The Autobiography of Will Rogers", 1949
2373 The world is an enormous injustice.
2376 We've sent a man to the moon, and that's 29,000 miles away. The center
2377 of the Earth is only 4,000 miles away. You could drive that in a week,
2378 but for some reason nobody's ever done it.
2381 No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
2382 -- Eleanor Roosevelt, "This is My Story", 1937
2384 The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those
2385 who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.
2386 -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
2388 It is common sense to take a method and try it.
2389 If it fails, admit it frankly and try another.
2390 But above all, try something.
2391 -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, Speech, 22 May 1932
2393 The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
2394 -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1st Inaugural Address, 1933
2396 A technique is a trick that works.
2399 One half of the children born die before their eighth year.
2400 This is nature's law; why try to contradict it?
2401 -- Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Emile, ou de l'education", 1762
2403 People who know little are usually great talkers,
2404 while men who know much say little.
2405 -- Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Emile, ou de l'education", 1762
2407 Never trust anyone over thirty. -- Jerry Rubin, 1966
2409 The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always
2410 so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
2413 Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -
2414 more than ruin, more even than death.
2415 -- Bertrand Russell, "Selected Papers"
2417 You can outdistance that which is running after you,
2418 but not what is running inside you.
2421 A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to want to take it off you.
2424 Women and elephants never forget an injury.
2425 -- Saki, "Reginald", 1904
2427 A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.
2428 -- Saki, "The Square Egg", 1924
2430 Neither soldiers nor money can defend a king
2431 but only friends won by good deeds, merit, and honesty.
2432 -- Sallust, "De bello Iugurthino"
2434 Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves,
2435 spits on its hands and goes to work.
2436 -- Carl Sandburg, in "New York Times", 1959
2438 In these times you have to be an optimist to open your eyes
2439 when you awake in the morning.
2440 -- Carl Sandburg, in "New York Post", 1960
2442 A man's feet should be planted in his country,
2443 but his eyes should survey the world.
2446 Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily.
2449 Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
2452 When the rich make war it's the poor that die.
2453 -- Jean-Paul Sartre, "Le Diable et le bon Dieu", 1951
2455 Tolerance means excusing the mistakes others make.
2456 Tact means not noticing them.
2457 -- Arthur Schnitzler
2459 Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision
2460 for the limits of the world.
2461 -- Arthur Schopenhauer, "Studies in Pessimism"
2463 There's a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker.
2464 -- Charles M. Schulz
2466 Comment is free, but facts are sacred.
2467 -- C. P. Scott, c.1900
2469 They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist---
2470 -- General John B. Sedgwick, last words, 1864
2472 They that govern the most make the least noise.
2473 -- John Seldon, 1689
2475 People will swim through sh*t if you put a few bob in it.
2478 It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing.
2479 -- Seneca, "Epistles"
2481 There is no great genius without some touch of madness.
2482 -- Seneca, "On Tranquility of the Mind"
2484 Every reign must submit to a greater reign. -- Seneca, "Thyestes"
2486 Singing makes all the sad people happy because it is the voice of happiness.
2489 A government that robs Peter to pay Paul
2490 can always depend upon the support of Paul.
2491 -- George Bernard Shaw
2493 Every person who has mastered a profession is a skeptic concerning it.
2494 -- George Bernard Shaw
2496 If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.
2497 -- George Bernard Shaw
2499 It is dangerous to be sincere unless you are also stupid.
2500 -- George Bernard Shaw
2502 Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior
2503 to all others because you were born in it.
2504 -- George Bernard Shaw
2506 Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman, but believing what he read made him mad.
2507 -- George Bernard Shaw
2509 We've already established what you are, ma'am.
2510 Now we're just haggling over the price.
2511 -- George Bernard Shaw
2513 Assassination is the extreme form of censorship.
2514 -- George Bernard Shaw, "The Rejected Statement"
2516 He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.
2517 -- George Bernard Shaw, "Man and Superman", 1903
2519 Lack of money is the root of all evil.
2520 -- George Bernard Shaw, "Man and Superman", 1903
2522 Liars ought to have good memories.
2525 All reformers, however strict their social conscience,
2526 live in houses just as big as they can pay for.
2527 -- Logan Pearsall Smith
2529 I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.
2532 I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.
2535 The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.
2538 If God had meant there to be more than 2 factors of production,
2539 He would have made it easier for us to draw three-dimensional diagrams.
2542 Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art.
2545 Care of the poor is incumbent on society as a whole.
2548 If you want a thing well done, do it yourself.
2549 -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
2551 A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.
2554 The writer is the engineer of the human soul.
2557 Print is the sharpest and the strongest weapon of our party.
2558 -- Joseph Stalin, Speech, 19 April 1923
2560 Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union.
2561 -- Joseph Stalin, 1935
2563 Must the hunger become anger and the anger fury before anything will be done?
2566 Time is the only critic without ambition.
2567 -- John Steinbeck, "Writers at Work', 1977
2569 There are really not many jobs that actually require a penis or a
2570 vagina, and all other occupations should be open to everyone.
2573 A hungry man is not a free man.
2576 In America, any boy may become president and I suppose
2577 that's just one of the risks he takes.
2580 Man does not live by words alone, despite the fact
2581 that sometimes he has to eat them.
2584 The time to stop a revolution is at the beginning, not the end.
2585 -- Adlai Stevenson, 9 September 1952
2587 The cruelest lies are often told in silence.
2588 -- Robert Louis Stevenson, "Virginibus Puerisque", 1881
2590 Success always necessitates a degree of ruthlessness.
2591 Given the choice of friendship or success, I'd probably choose success.
2592 -- Sting (Gordon Summer), 1980
2594 If God, as some now say, is dead, He no doubt died of trying
2595 to find an equitable solution to the Arab-Jewish problem.
2596 -- I. F. Stone, 1967
2598 Ninety per cent of everything is crap.
2599 -- Theodore Sturgeon
2601 There is nothing in this world constant but inconstancy.
2604 Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and
2605 thinking what no one else has thought.
2606 -- Albert Szent-Gyorgi
2608 And you may ask yourself "Am I right? Am I wrong?"
2609 And you may say to yourself "MY GOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE?"
2610 -- The Talking Heads
2612 The nice thing about standards is that there are
2613 so many of them to choose from.
2614 -- Andrew S. Tanenbaum
2616 A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, will tell you.
2617 -- Bert Taylor, "The So-Called Human Race", 1922
2619 The hunger for love is much more difficult
2620 to remove than the hunger for bread.
2621 -- Mother Teresa, quoted in "Time", 4 December 1989
2623 El infierno es el lugar donde no se ama.
2624 (Hell is the place where love is not found.)
2627 If you want anything said, ask a man.
2628 If you want anything done, ask a woman.
2629 -- Margaret Thatcher
2631 You don't tell deliberate lies, but sometimes you have to be evasive.
2632 -- Margaret Thatcher, 1976
2634 Under a government which imprisons any unjustly,
2635 the true place for a just man is also a prison.
2636 -- Henry David Thoreau
2638 That government is best which governs least.
2639 -- Henry David Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience" 1849
2641 The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
2642 -- Henry David Thoreau, "Walden", 1854
2644 If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
2645 perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
2646 -- Henry David Thoreau, "Walden", 1854
2648 The savage in man is never quite eradicated.
2649 -- Henry David Thoreau, "Journal", 26 September 1859
2651 I think that maybe if women and children
2652 were in charge we would get somewhere.
2655 It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.
2658 You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.
2659 -- James Thurber, "The Thurber Carnival", 1945
2661 The Law of Raspberry Jam--The wider any culture is spread,
2662 the thinner it gets.
2663 -- Alvin Toffler, "The Culture Consumers", 1964
2665 The trouble with the rat-race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.
2668 The function of genius is not to give new answers,
2669 but to pose new questions--which time and mediocrity can solve.
2670 -- Hugh Trevor-Roper, "Men and Events"
2672 The dictatorship of the Communist Party is maintained
2673 by recourse to every form of violence.
2674 -- Leon Trotsky, "Terrorism and Communism", 1924
2676 If you can't convince them, confuse them.
2679 If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
2682 It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
2685 Most of the problems a President has to face have their roots in the past.
2686 -- Harry S. Truman, "Memoirs, Vol. II", 1955
2688 A President cannot always be popular.
2689 -- Harry S. Truman, "Memoirs, Vol. II", 1955
2691 It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job;
2692 it's a depression when you lose yours.
2693 -- Harry S. Truman, 1958
2695 Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship.
2696 -- Harry S. Truman, 1959
2698 A little more moderation would be good. Of course,
2699 my life hasn't exactly been one of moderation.
2700 -- Donald Trump, in "Time", 16 January 1989
2702 I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking
2703 anything, you might as well think big.
2704 -- Donald Trump, in "Time", 16 January 1989
2706 The more laws and order are made prominent,
2707 the more thieves and robbers there will be.
2710 Words divide us, action unites us.
2711 -- Slogan of the Tupamaros
2713 If I had any humility I would be perfect.
2716 Man is the only animal that blushes--or needs to.
2719 The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.
2722 The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.
2725 When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand
2726 to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished
2727 at how much he had learned in seven years.
2730 Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority,
2731 it is time to reform.
2734 Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority,
2735 it's time to pause and reflect.
2738 Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear.
2739 -- Mark Twain, "Pudd'nhead Wilson", 1894
2741 Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy
2742 you must have somebody to divide it with.
2743 -- Mark Twain, "Following the Equator", 1897
2745 Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
2746 -- Mark Twain, Correspondence, 1908
2748 Good politics are often inextricably intertwined.
2749 -- Morris Udall, "Too Funny to Be President", 1988
2751 Lord, give us the wisdom to utter words that are gentle and tender,
2752 for tomorrow we may have to eat them.
2753 -- Morris Udall, quoted in "Sierra", May/June 1989
2755 To fall into a habit is to begin to cease to be.
2756 -- Miguel de Unamuno, "The Tragic Sense of Life", 1913
2758 Nada muere, todo baja del rio del tiempo al mar de la eternidad y alli queda.
2759 -- Miguel de Unamuno, "Ver con los Ojos y Otros Relatos Novelescos"
2761 No es acaso todo esto un sueno de Dios o de quien sea,
2762 que se desvanecera en cuanto El despierte,
2763 y por eso le rezamos y elevamos a El canticos a himnos,
2764 para adormecerle, para cunar su sueno?
2765 -- Miguel de Unamuno, "Niebla", 1914
2767 Nadie tiene mas imaginacion que la realidad.
2768 -- Miguel de Unamuno, "El Espejo de la Muerte", 1941
2770 The Vice Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate.
2771 Everybody insists he won't take it, but somebody always does.
2774 Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.
2775 (And perhaps at some later date it will be pleasant to remember these things.)
2778 Time is flying never to return.
2781 It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.
2784 There's a lot to be said for being noveau riche,
2785 and the Reagans mean to say it all.
2786 -- Gore Vidal, in "The Observer", 1981
2788 A witty saying proves nothing. -- Voltaire
2790 If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. -- Voltaire
2792 Man is the best computer we can put aboard a spacecraft...
2793 and the only one that can be mass-produced with unskilled labor.
2794 -- Wernher von Braun
2796 We are what we pretend to be. -- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
2798 One's company, two's a crowd and three's a party.
2799 -- Andy Warhol, in "Exposures", 1979
2801 The sports page records people's accomplishments;
2802 The front page nothing but their failures.
2803 -- Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren
2805 My responsibility is to follow the Scriptures which call upon us
2806 to occupy the land until Jesus returns.
2807 -- James Watt, in "The Washington Post", 24 May 1981
2809 If you worry about your customers,
2810 you won't have to worry about money.
2811 -- Les Welch, in "Bicycle USA", March/April 1990
2813 I passionately hate the idea of being with it,
2814 I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time.
2815 -- Orson Welles, 1966
2817 I never loved another person the way I loved myself. -- Mae West
2819 Too much of a good thing is wonderful. -- Mae West
2821 When choosing between two evils, I always like to take
2822 the one I've never tried before.
2823 -- Mae West, in "Klondike Annie" 1936
2825 Do I contradict myself?
2826 Very well then I contradict myself,
2827 (I am large, I contain multitudes.)
2828 -- Walt Whitman, "Leaves of Grass", 1855
2830 There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.
2833 No man is rich enough to buy back his past.
2836 There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about,
2837 and that is not being talked about.
2840 A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
2841 -- Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Grey", 1891
2843 Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them;
2844 sometimes they forgive them.
2845 -- Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Grey", 1891
2847 There is no sin except stupidity.
2848 -- Oscar Wilde, "The Critic as Artist", 1891
2850 We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
2851 -- Oscar Wilde, "Lady Windermere's Fan", 1892
2853 Relations are simply a tedious pack of people,
2854 who haven't got the remotest knowledge of how to live,
2855 nor the smallest instinct about when to die.
2856 -- Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest", 1895
2858 Hindsight is always 20:20.
2861 Voters do not decide issues. They decide *who* will decide issues.
2862 -- George F. Will, in "Newsweek", 1976
2864 Anyone can hate. It costs to love.
2867 Only the winners decide what were war crimes.
2868 -- Gary Wills, in "New York Times", 1975
2870 Not-really-trying is just as much effort as trying-really-hard.
2871 The only difference... is that not-really-trying receives no reward.
2872 -- A. N. Wilson, "Incline Our Hearts", 1989
2874 If you think nobody cares if you're alive,
2875 try missing a couple of car payments.
2878 You can't expect to hit the jackpot if you don't
2879 put a few nickels in the machine.
2880 -- Flip Wilson, 1971
2882 Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others.
2883 -- Jonathan Winters in "The Twilight Zone"
2885 The limits of my language means the limits of my world.
2886 -- Ludwig Wittgenstein
2888 Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses
2889 possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting
2890 the figure of man at twice its natural size.
2891 -- Virginia Woolf, "A Room of One's Own", 1929
2893 TV is chewing gum for the eyes.
2894 -- Frank Lloyd Wright
2896 I believe that in the end the truth will conquer.
2899 Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
2900 -- William Butler Yeats
2902 He who is conceived in a cage yearns for the cage.
2903 -- Yevgeny Yevtushenko, 1968
2905 It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!
2908 Most people wouldn't know music if it came up and bit them on the ass.
2911 One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you
2912 only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds.
2913 -- Frank Zappa, 1979
2915 Progress might be a circle, rather than a straight line.
2916 -- Eberhard Zeidler, in "Contemporary Architects", 1980
2918 Once when I was in Hawaii, on the island of Kauai, I met a
2919 mysterious old stranger. He said he was about to die and
2920 wanted to tell someone about the treasure. I said, "Okay, as
2921 long as it's not a long story. Some of us have a plane to catch,
2922 you know." He started telling his story, about the treasure
2923 and his life and all, and I thought "This story isn't too long".
2924 But then, he kept going, and I started thinking, "Uh-oh, this
2925 story is getting long." But then the story was over, and I said
2926 to myself: "You know, that story wasn't too long after all".
2927 I forgot what the story was about, but there was a good movie
2928 on the plane. It was a little long though.
2929 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2931 I believe in making the world safe for our children,
2932 but not for our children's children, because i don't
2933 believe children should be having sex.
2934 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2936 In weightlifting, I don't think that sudden uncontrolled urination should
2937 automatically disqualify you.
2938 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2940 Blow ye winds, like the trumpet blows, but without that noise.
2941 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2943 When the age of the Vikings came to a close, they must have sensed it.
2944 Probably, they gathered together one evening, slapped each other on the
2945 back and said, "Hey, good job".
2946 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2948 I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing
2949 a fresh load of tadpoles to that old board of his. Then he'd spin it round
2950 and round, like a wheel of fortune, and no matter where it stopped he'd yell
2951 out, "Tadpoles! Tadpoles is a winner!" We all thought he was crazy. But
2952 then, we had some growing up to do.
2953 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2955 If I ever opened a trampoline store, I don't think I'd call it Trampo-Land,
2956 because you might think it was a store for tramps, which is not the
2957 impression we are trying to convey with our store. On the other hand, we
2958 would not prohibit tramps from browsing, or testing the trampolines, unless
2959 a tramp's gyrations seemed to be getting out of control.
2960 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2962 I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep both Dracula
2963 _and_ Superman away.
2964 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2966 Too bad you can't just grab a tree by the very tiptop and bend it clear to
2967 the ground and then let her fly, because I bet you'd be amazed at all the
2968 stuff that comes flying out.
2969 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2971 I remember that fateful day when Coach took me aside. I knew
2973 "You don't have to tell me," I said. "I am off the team, aren't I?"
2974 "Well," said the coach, "You never were really _on_ the team. You
2975 made that uniform you're wearing out of rags and towels, and your helmet
2976 is a toy space helmet. You show up at practice and then either steal the
2977 ball and make us chase you to get it back, or you try to tackle people at
2978 inappropriate times."
2979 It was all true what he was saying. And yet, I thought, something is
2980 brewing inside the head of the coach. He sees something inside of me,
2981 some kind of raw talent that he can mold. But that's when I felt the
2983 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2985 When I heard that trees grow a new "ring" for each year they live, I thought,
2986 we humans are kind of like that; we grow a new layer of skin each year; and
2987 after many years we are thick and unwieldy from all our skin layers.
2988 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2990 If you're in a boxing match, try not to let the other guy's glove touch your
2991 lips, because you don't know where that glove has been.
2992 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2994 It's too bad that whole families have been torn apart by something as
2995 simple as wild dogs.
2996 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
2998 Marta says the interesting thing about fly fishing is that it's two lives
2999 connected by a thin strand. Come on, Marta. Grow up.
3000 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3002 The old pool shooter had many a game in his life. But now it was time to
3003 hang up the cue. When he did, all the other cues came crashing to the floor.
3004 "Sorry," he said with a smile.
3005 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3007 If I ever do a book on the Amazon, I hope I am able to bring a certain
3008 lightheartedness to the subject, in a way that tells the reader we are going
3009 to have fun with this thing.
3010 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3012 Even though he was an enemy of mine, I had to admit that what he had
3013 accomplished was a brillant piece of stratagy. First, he punched me, then
3014 he kicked me, then he punched me again.
3015 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3017 The sound of fresh rain run-off splashing from the roof reminded me of the
3018 sound of urine splashing into a filthy Texaco latrine.
3019 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3021 I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very
3022 large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then, after you
3023 camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?
3024 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3026 I scrambled to the top of the precipice where Nick was waiting. "That was
3027 fun," I said. "You bet it was", said Nick. "Lets climb higher." "No," I
3028 said, "I think we should be heading back now." "We have time," Nick
3029 insisted. I said we didn't, and Nick said we did. We argued back and forth
3030 like that for about 20 minutes, then finally decided to head back. I didn't
3031 say it was an interesting story.
3032 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3034 Some folks say it was a miracle. Saint Francis suddenly appeared and knocked
3035 the pitch clean over the fence. But I think it was just a lucky swing.
3036 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3038 Too bad there's not such a thing as a _golden_ skunk, because you'd probably
3039 be _proud_ to be sprayed by one.
3040 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3042 To me, truth is not some vague, foggy notion. Truth is real. And, at the same
3043 time unreal. Fiction and fact and everything in between, plus some things I
3044 can't remember, all rolled into one big "thing". This is truth, to me.
3045 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3047 I bet a fun thing would be to go way back in time to where there was going to
3048 be an eclipse and tell the cave men, "If I have come to destroy you, may the
3049 sun be blotted out from the sky". Just then the eclipse would start, and
3050 they'd probably try to kill you or something, but then you could explain about
3051 the rotation of the moon and all, and everyone would get a good laugh.
3052 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3054 I think in one of my previous lives I was a mighty king, because I like
3055 people that do what I say.
3056 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3058 Today I accidentally stepped on a snail on the sidewalk in front of our
3059 house. And I thought, I too am like that snail. I build a defensive wall
3060 around myself, a "shell" if you will. But my shell isn't made out of a hard,
3061 protective substance. Mine is made out of tinfoil and paper bags.
3062 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3064 A man doesn't automatically get my respect. He has to get down in the dirt
3066 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3068 If you're ever stuck in some thick undergrowth, in your underwear, don't
3069 stop and start thinking of what other words have "under" in them, because
3070 that's probably the first sign of jungle madness.
3071 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3073 Sometimes the beauty of the world is so overwhelming, I just want to throw
3074 back my head and gargle. Just gargle and gargle, and I don't care who hears
3075 me, because I am beautiful.
3076 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3078 Fear can sometimes be a useful emotion. For instance, let's say you're an
3079 astronaut on the moon and you fear that your partner has been turned into
3080 Dracula. The next time he goes out for the moon pieces, wham!!, you just
3081 slam the door behind him and blast off. He might call you on the radio and
3082 say he's not Dracula, but you just say, "Think again, bat man."
3083 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3085 I wish scientists would come up with a way to make a dogs a lot bigger, but
3086 with a smaller head. That way, they'd still be good as watchdogs, but they
3087 wouldn't eat so much.
3088 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3090 I bet for an Indian, shooting an old fat pioneer woman in the back with an
3091 arrow, and she fires her shotgun into the ground as she falls over, is like
3092 the top thing you can do.
3093 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3095 I think a good movie would be about a guy who's a brain scientist but he gets
3096 hit on the head and it damages the part of the brain that makes you want
3098 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3100 I wouldn't be surprised if someday some fishermen caught a big shark and cut
3101 it open, and there inside was a whole person. Then they cut the person open,
3102 and in him is a little baby shark. And in the baby shark there isn't a
3103 person, because it would be too small. But there's a little doll or
3104 something, like a Johnny Combat little toy guy--something like that.
3105 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3107 It makes me mad when I go to all the trouble of having Marta cook up about
3108 a hundred drumsticks, then the guy at Marineland says, "You can't throw
3109 chicken to the dolphins. They eat fish." Sure they eat fish, if that is all
3110 you give them. Man, wise up.
3111 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3113 If the Vikings were around today, they would probably be amazed at how much
3114 glow-in-the-dark stuff we have, and how we take so much of it for granted.
3115 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3117 It's not good to let any kid near a container that has a skull and
3118 crossbones on it, because there might be a skeleton costume inside and the
3119 kid could put it on and really scare you.
3120 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3122 If you had a school for professional fireworks people, I don't think you
3123 could cover fuses in just one class. It's just too rich a subject.
3124 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3126 People think it would be fun to be a bird because you could fly. But they
3127 forget the negative side, which is the preening.
3128 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3130 If I lived back in the Wild West days, instead of carrying a six-gun in my
3131 holster, I'd carry a soldering iron. That way, if some smart-aleck cowboy
3132 said something like "Hey, look. He's carrying a soldering iron!" and started
3133 laughing, and everybody else started laughing, I could just say, "That's
3134 right, it's a soldering iron. The soldering iron of justice." Then everybody
3135 would be real quiet and ashamed, because they made fun of the soldering iron
3136 of justice, and I could probably hit them up for a free drink.
3137 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3139 When I think back on all the blessings I have been given in my life, I can't
3140 think of a single one, unless you count that rattlesnake that granted me
3142 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3144 I hope in the future Americans are thought of as a warlike, vicious people,
3145 because I bet a lot of high schools would pick "Americans" as their mascot.
3146 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3148 Sometimes I think the world has gone completely mad. And then I think, "Aw,
3149 who cares?" And then I think "Hey, what's for supper?"
3150 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3152 If you ever discover that what you're seeing is a play within a play, just
3153 slow down, take a deep breath, and hold on for the ride of your life.
3154 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3156 I can see why it would be prohibited to throw most things off the top of
3157 the Empire State Building, but what's wrong with little bits of cheese?
3158 They probably break down into their various gases before they even hit.
3159 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3161 If you're a circus clown, and you have a dog that you use in your act, I
3162 don't think it's a good idea to to dress the dog up like a clown, because
3163 people see that and they think, "Forgive me, but that's just too much".
3164 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3166 Here's a good joke to do during an earthquake: straddle a big crack in the
3167 ground, and if it opens wider, go "Whoa! Whoa!" and flail your arms around,
3168 like you're going to fall in.
3169 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3171 If you ever go temporarily insane, don't shoot somebody, like a lot of people
3172 do. Instead, try to get some weeding done, because you'd really be suprised.
3173 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3175 It makes me mad when people say I turned and ran like a scared rabbit. Maybe
3176 it was like an angry rabbit, who was running to go fight in another fight,
3177 away from the first fight.
3178 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3180 I think a good way to get into a movie is to show up where they're making the
3181 movie, then stick a big cactus plant onto your buttocks and start yowling
3182 and running around. Everyone would think it was funny, and the head movie guy
3183 would say, "Hey, let's put him in the movie."
3184 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3186 Instead of having "answers" on a math test, they should just call them
3187 "impressions", and if you got a different "impression", so what, can't we
3189 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3191 If God dwells inside us, like some people say, I sure hope He likes
3192 enchiladas, because that's what He's getting!
3193 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3195 Probably to a shark, about the funniest thing there is a wounded seal,
3196 trying to swim to shore, because _where_does_he_think_he's_going_?!
3197 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3199 Perhaps, if I am very lucky, the feeble efforts of my lifetime will someday
3200 be noticed, and maybe, in some small way, they will be acknowledged as the
3201 greatest works of genius ever created by Man.
3202 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3204 Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine,
3205 which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.
3206 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3208 Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself:
3209 "Mankind." Basically, it's made up of two separate words--"mank" and "ind."
3210 What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
3211 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3213 I hope if dogs ever take over the world, and they choose a king, they don't
3214 just go by size, because I bet there are some Chihuahuas with some good
3216 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3218 It takes a big man to cry, but it takes an even bigger man to laugh at
3220 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3222 I guess we were all guilty, in a way. We all shot him, we all skinned him,
3223 and we all got a complimentary bumper sticker that said, "I helped skin
3225 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3227 I bet the main reason the police keep people away from a plane crash is
3228 they don't want anybody walking in and lying down in the crash stuff, then,
3229 when somebody comes up, act like they just woke up and go, "What was
3231 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3233 The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
3234 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3236 Ambition is like a frog sitting on a Venus Flytrap. The flytrap can bite
3237 and bite, but it won't bother the frog because it only has little tiny
3238 plant teeth. But some other stuff could happen and it could be like
3240 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3242 I'd rather be rich than stupid.
3243 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3245 If you were a poor Indian with no weapons, and a bunch of conquistadors
3246 came up to you and asked where the gold was, I don't think it would be a
3247 good idea to say, "I swallowed it. So sue me."
3248 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3250 If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger,
3251 screaming and tripping and begging for mercy, then yes, Mr. Brave Man, I
3253 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3255 I bet one legend that keeps recurring throughout history, in every culture,
3256 is the story of Popeye.
3257 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3259 When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they
3261 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3263 To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography,
3264 and the dancers hit each other.
3265 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3267 What is it that makes a complete stranger dive into an icy river to save a
3268 solid gold baby? Maybe we'll never know.
3269 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3271 We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't scoff at
3272 them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me.
3273 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3275 Probably the earliest flyswatters were nothing more than some sort of
3276 striking surface attached to the end of a long stick.
3277 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3279 I think someone should have had the decency to tell me the luncheon was
3280 free. To make someone run out with potato salad in his hand, pretending
3281 he's throwing up, is not what I call hospitality.
3282 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3284 To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kind of scary. I've
3285 wondered where this started, and I think it goes back to the time I went to
3286 the circus, and a clown killed my dad.
3287 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3289 As I bit into the nectarine, it had a crisp juiciness about it that was
3290 very pleasurable-until I realized it wasn't a nectarine at all, but A HUMAN
3292 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3294 Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been
3295 painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can make a
3296 child look like a deer.
3297 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3299 If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We
3300 might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.
3301 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3303 Better not take a dog on the space shuttle, because if he sticks his head
3304 out when you're coming home his face might burn up.
3305 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3307 You know what would make a good story? Something about a clown who makes
3308 people happy, but inside he's real sad. Also, he has severe diarrhea.
3309 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3311 Sometimes when I feel like killing someone, I do a little trick to calm
3312 myself down. I'll go over to the persons house and ring the doorbell.
3313 When the person comes to the door, I'm gone, but you know what I've left on
3314 the porch? A jack-o-lantern with a knife stuck in the side of it's head with
3315 a note that says "You." After that I usually feel a lot better, and no
3317 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3319 If you're a horse, and someone gets on you, and falls off, and then gets
3320 right back on you, I think you should buck him off right away.
3321 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3323 If you ever teach a yodeling class, probably the hardest thing is to keep
3324 the students from just trying to yodel right off. You see, we build to
3326 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3328 If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe
3329 you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey,
3331 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3333 I'd like to see a nude opera, because when they hit those high notes, I bet
3334 you can really see it in those genitals.
3335 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3337 Anytime I see something screech across a room and latch onto someone's
3338 neck, and the guy screams and tries to get it off, I have to laugh, because
3340 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3342 He was a cowboy, mister, and he loved the land. He loved it so much he
3343 made a woman out of dirt and married her. But when he kissed her, she
3344 disintegrated. Later, at the funeral, when the preacher said, "Dust to
3345 dust," some people laughed, and the cowboy shot them. At his hanging, he
3346 told the others, "I'll be waiting for you in heaven--with a gun."
3347 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3349 The memories of my family outings are still a source of strength to me. I
3350 remember we'd all pile into the car-I forget what kind it was-and drive and
3351 drive. I'm not sure where we'd go, but I think there were some trees there.
3352 The smell of something was strong in the air as we played whatever sport we
3353 played. I remember a bigger, older guy we called "Dad." We'd eat some stuff,
3354 or not, and then I think we went home. I guess some things never leave you.
3355 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3357 If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is
3358 "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to
3359 tell him is "probably because of something you did."
3360 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3362 Contrary to what most people say, the most dangerous animal in the world is
3363 not the lion or the tiger or even the elephant. It's a shark riding on an
3364 elephant's back, just trampling and eating everything they see.
3365 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3367 As we were driving, we saw a sign that said "Watch for Rocks." Martha said
3368 it should read "Watch for Pretty Rocks." I told her she should write in
3369 her suggestion to the highway department, but she started saying it was a
3370 joke-- just to get out of writing a simple letter! And I thought I was lazy!
3371 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3373 One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my
3374 little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out
3375 warehouse. "Oh, no," I said, "Disneyland burned down." He cried and cried,
3376 but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started
3377 to drive over to the the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late.
3378 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3380 If you saw two guys named Hambone and Flipper, which one would you think
3381 liked dolphins the most? I'd say Flippy, wouldn't you? You'd be wrong,
3382 though. It's Hambone.
3383 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3385 Laurie got offended because I used the word "puke."
3386 But to me, that's what her dinner tasted like.
3387 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3389 We used to laugh at Grandpa when he'd head off and go fishing. But we
3390 wouldn't be laughing that evening when he'd come back with a whore he
3392 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3394 I wish a robot would get elected president. That way, when he came to
3395 town, we could all take a shot at him and not feel too bad.
3396 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3398 As the evening sky faded from a salmon color to a sort of flint gray, I
3399 thought back to the salmon I caught that morning, and how gray he was, and
3400 how I named him Flint.
3401 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3403 If you're a young Mafia gangster out on your first date, I bet it's real
3404 embarrassing if someone tries to kill you.
3405 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3407 Whenever I see an old lady slip and fall on a wet sidewalk, my first
3408 instinct is to laugh. But then I think, what if I was an ant, and she fell
3409 on me. Then it wouldn't seem quite so funny.
3410 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3412 If you go parachuting, and your parachute doesn't open, and your friends
3413 are all watching you fall, I think a funny gag would be to pretend you were
3415 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3417 When I was a kid, my favorite relative was Uncle Caveman. After school
3418 we'd all go play in his cave, and every once in a while he would eat one of
3419 us. It wasn't until later that I found out that Uncle Caveman was a bear.
3420 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3422 I think people tend to forget that trees are living creatures. They're
3423 sort of like dogs. Huge, quiet, motionless dogs, with bark instead of fur.
3424 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
3426 Another major social development of the time was the Temperance
3427 Movement, led by Carrie Nation, who headed an organization called
3428 Scary Looking Women with Hatchets. They would swoop down upon saloons
3429 and smash all the whiskey bottles, then go back to their headquarters,
3430 fire up reefers as big as Roman candles, and laugh until dawn. This
3431 resulted in so much social turmoil that in 1918 Congress decided to
3432 have a total prohibition on alcohol, which was approved early on a
3433 Saturday morning by a vote of 9-2, with 416 members unable to attend
3434 because of severe headaches. Thus began the nation's "Noble
3435 Experiment," which was eventually judged to be a noble failure and
3436 replaced by the current sensible and coherent alcohol policy of
3437 showing public-service TV announcements wherein professional sports
3438 figures urge people not to drink, interspersed with TV commercials
3439 wherein professional sports figures urge people to drink.
3440 -- from "Dave Barry Slept Here", 1989
3444 The Tao that can be known is not Tao.
3445 The substance of the World is only a name for Tao.
3446 Tao is all that exists and may exist;
3447 The World is only a map of what exists and may exist.
3449 One experiences without Self to sense the World;
3450 One experiences with Self to understand the World.
3451 The two experiences are the same within Tao;
3452 They are distinct only within the World.
3453 Neither experience conveys Tao
3454 Which is infinitely greater and subtler than the World.
3458 When Beauty is ascribed to the World
3459 Ugliness has been learned;
3460 When Good is ascribed to the World
3461 Evil has been learned.
3464 Alive and dead are abstracted from growth;
3465 Difficult and easy are abstracted from progress;
3466 Long and short are abstracted from contrast;
3467 High and low are abstracted from position;
3468 Song and speech are abstracted from harmony;
3469 After and before are abstracted from sequence.
3471 For this reason the sage controls without instruction,
3472 And teaches without words.
3473 He lets all things rise and fall,
3474 Nurtures, but does not interfere,
3475 Gives without demanding,
3478 3. Control without Action
3480 Not praising the worthy prevents cheating
3481 Not esteeming the rare prevents theft
3482 Not flaunting beauty prevents lust
3484 So the sage controls people by:
3485 Emptying their hearts,
3486 Filling their bellies,
3487 Weakening their ambitions,
3488 And strengthening their bodies.
3490 If people lack knowledge and desire
3491 The crafty among them can not act;
3492 If no action is taken
3493 Then all live in peace.
3495 4. Properties of Tao
3497 Tao is a depthless vessel;
3498 Used by the Self, it is not filled by the World;
3499 It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled;
3500 Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal;
3501 I don't know where it came from,
3502 But it came before Nature.
3507 It treats all things impartially.
3508 The Sage is not kind,
3509 And treats all people impartially.
3511 Nature is like a bellows
3512 Empty, yet supplying all needs,
3513 The more it moves, the more it yields;
3514 The sage draws upon Tao in the same way
3515 And so can not be exhausted.
3519 Like a riverbed, the heart is never filled
3520 It is an ineffable female
3521 Whose entrance is the root of the World;
3522 Tao is ever present within it:
3523 Draw upon it and it will never fail.
3527 Nature is everlasting
3528 Because it does not have a Self.
3530 In the same way the sage
3531 Serves his Self last and finds it served first,
3532 Regards his body as accidental and finds it endures;
3533 Because his Self does not require service
3538 The best of man is like water,
3539 Which benefits all things, and does not contend with them,
3540 Which flows in places that others disdain,
3541 Where it holds fast to Tao.
3544 In dwelling holds fast to the land,
3545 In feeling holds fast to the heart,
3546 In dealing holds fast to men,
3547 In talking holds fast to truth,
3548 In governing holds fast to order,
3549 In crafting holds fast to competence,
3550 In acting holds fast to opportunity;
3551 So he does not contend, and is without blame.
3555 Stretch a bow to its limit and it is soon broken;
3556 Temper a blade to its sharpest and it is soon blunted;
3557 Amass the greatest treasure and it is soon stolen;
3558 Claim credit and honour and you will soon fall;
3559 Retire once your purpose is achieved--this is the best way.
3563 Embracing Tao, can you become embraced?
3564 Supple, breathing gently, can you become newborn?
3565 Clearing your vision, can you become clear?
3566 Nurturing your beloved, can you become impartial?
3567 Opening your heart, can you become female?
3568 Knowing the world, can you embrace Tao?
3570 Bearing and nurturing,
3571 Creating but not owning,
3572 Giving without demanding,
3573 Controlling without authority.
3576 11. Wealth and Worth
3578 Thirty spokes meet at a nave;
3579 Because of the hole we may use the wheel.
3580 Clay is moulded into a vessel;
3581 Because of the hollow we may use the cup.
3582 Walls are built around a hearth
3583 Because of the doors we may use the house.
3584 Thus wealth comes from what is,
3585 But worth from what is not.
3589 Too much color blinds the eye
3590 Too much tone deafens the ear
3591 Too much taste dulls the palate
3592 Too much play maddens the mind
3593 Too much desire tears the heart.
3595 The sage provides for the belly but not for the senses;
3596 He lets go of sensation and accepts substance.
3600 The mythic masters said: "Praise and blame cause anxiety;
3601 The objects of hope and fear are within your Self."
3603 "Praise and blame cause anxiety"
3604 For you must hope and fear to receive or to lose them.
3606 "The objects of hope and fear are within your Self"
3607 For, without Self, neither fortune nor disaster can befall.
3610 He who regards the World as the Self is able to control the World;
3611 He who loves the World as the Self is able to nurture the World.
3613 14. The Continuity of Tao
3615 Looked at but cannot be seen--it is beyond form;
3616 Listened to but cannot be heard--it is beyond sound;
3617 Grasped at but cannot be touched--it is beyond reach;
3618 Depthless things evade definition,
3619 And blend into a single mystery.
3621 In its rising there is no light,
3622 In its falling there is no darkness,
3623 A continuous thread beyond description,
3624 Lining what can not exist,
3628 Meet it, it has no face,
3629 Follow it, it has no back.
3631 Understand the past, but attend the present;
3632 In this way you know the continuity of Tao,
3633 Which is its essence.
3635 15. The Mythic Masters
3637 The Mythic Masters of Tao had understanding
3638 So profound they can not be understood.
3640 Because they cannot be understood
3641 I can only describe their appearance:
3642 Cautious, like one crossing thin ice,
3643 Hesitant, like one who fears danger,
3644 Modest, like one who is a guest,
3645 Smooth, like melting ice,
3646 Genuine, like unshaped wood,
3647 Empty, like a riverbed,
3648 Opaque, like muddy water.
3650 He who can lie still while the mud settles,
3651 And remain still until the water flows
3652 Does not seek fulfillment
3653 And may transcend Nature.
3655 16. Transcending Nature
3657 Empty the Self completely;
3658 Embrace perfect peace.
3659 The World will rise and move;
3660 Watch it return to rest.
3661 All the flourishing things
3662 Will return to their source.
3664 This return is peaceful;
3665 It is the way of Nature,
3666 An eternal decay and renewal.
3667 Understanding this brings enlightenment,
3668 Ignorance of this brings misery.
3670 Who understands Nature's way becomes all-cherishing;
3671 Being all-cherishing he becomes impartial;
3672 Being impartial he becomes magnanimous;
3673 Being magnanimous he becomes part of Nature;
3674 Being part of Nature he becomes one with Tao;
3675 Being one with Tao he becomes immortal:
3676 Though his body will decay, Tao will not.
3680 The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects;
3681 The next best are loved and praised;
3682 The next are feared;
3684 They have no faith in their subjects,
3685 So their subjects become unfaithful to them.
3687 When the best kings achieve their purpose
3688 Their subjects claim the achievement as their own.
3692 When Tao is forgotten
3693 Duty and justice arise;
3694 Then wisdom and sagacity are born
3695 Along with hypocrisy.
3697 When family relationships dissolve
3698 Then respect and devotion arise;
3699 When a nation falls to chaos
3700 Then loyalty and patriotism are born.
3704 If we could discard wisdom and sagacity
3705 Then people would profit a hundredfold;
3706 If we could discard duty and justice
3707 Then loving relationships would form;
3708 If we could discard artifice and profit
3709 Then corruption and theft would disappear -
3710 Yet such remedies treat only symptoms
3711 And so are inadequate.
3713 People need personal remedies:
3714 Reveal your naked Self,
3715 Embrace your original nature,
3716 Bind your self-interest,
3717 Control your desire.
3721 I know nothing and nothing troubles me.
3722 I see no difference between yes and no.
3723 I see no difference between good and evil.
3724 I do not fear what the people fear in the night.
3726 The people are merry as if at a tremendous party
3727 Or playing in the park at springtime;
3728 But I am tranquil and wandering,
3729 Like a newborn before it learns to smile,
3730 Lonely, with no true home.
3732 The people have enough and to spare,
3734 And my heart is foolish,
3737 The people are bright and certain,
3738 Where I am dim and confused;
3739 The people are clever and wise,
3740 Where I am dull and ignorant,
3741 Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea,
3742 Attached to nothing.
3744 The people are busy with purpose,
3745 Where I am impractical and uncouth.
3746 I am apart from all other people
3747 Yet I am sustained by Nature, their mother.
3749 21. Expressions of Tao
3751 Love is expressed by following Tao.
3753 Tao is evasive and intangible
3754 But expresses all form and substance;
3755 Tao is dark and subtle
3756 But expresses Nature;
3757 Nature is unchanging,
3758 But expresses sensation.
3760 Since before knowledge
3761 Tao has expressed these things.
3763 By faith in my senses.
3765 22. Contention and Contentment
3767 Accept and you become whole,
3768 Bend and you straighten,
3770 Decay and you renew,
3771 Want and you acquire,
3772 Fulfill and you become confused.
3774 The sage embraces the one
3775 As the World embraces Tao;
3776 He does not display himself, so is clearly seen,
3777 Does not justify himself, so is famed,
3778 Does not boast, so is credited,
3779 Does not glory, so excels,
3780 Does not contend, and so no one contends against him.
3782 The mythic masters said, "Accept and you become whole",
3783 Once whole, the World is your home.
3787 Nature says only a few words:
3788 High wind does not last long,
3789 Nor does heavy rain.
3790 If Nature's words do not last
3791 Why should those of man?
3793 To follow Tao, become Tao; Tao will embrace you.
3794 To give love, become love; love will embrace you.
3795 To lose Tao, become lost; loss will embrace you.
3796 You must trust in order to be trusted.
3800 If you stand on tiptoe you can not stand steady;
3801 If you stride too long you can not stride well;
3802 If you display yourself you can not be clearly seen;
3803 If you justify yourself you can not be respected;
3804 If you promote yourself you can not be believed;
3805 If you pride yourself you can not excel.
3806 These behaviours are dregs and tumors,
3807 Disgusting things avoided by love.
3809 25. Four Infinities.
3811 Before the World exists
3815 Ubiquitous and ever moving,
3816 The mother of the World.
3817 I can not know its name, so I call it Tao;
3818 I can not know its limit, so I call it infinite.
3820 Being infinite, it flows away forever
3821 Flowing away forever, it will return to the Self.
3823 For the Self follows the way of the World
3824 The World follows the way of Nature
3825 And Nature follows the way of Tao.
3829 Therefore Nature is infinite,
3830 Therefore the World is infinite,
3831 Therefore the Self is infinite.
3832 There are four infinities,
3833 And the Self is one of them.
3835 26. Gravity and Calm
3837 Gravity is the root of Lightness,
3838 Calm, the master of Haste
3840 The commander of a great fleet should not act lightly or hastily.
3841 Acting lightly, he loses touch with the World,
3842 Acting hastily, he loses control of the Self.
3844 The sage will travel all day without losing his vehicles.
3845 Surrounded by desirable things,
3846 He remains calm and unattached.
3850 A good traveller leaves no trail to be followed
3851 A good speaker leaves no questions to be asked
3852 A good accountant leaves no workings to be checked
3853 A good container leaves no lock to be opened
3854 A good fastener leaves no knots to be unravelled
3856 So the sage nurtures all men
3857 And abandons no one.
3858 He accepts everything
3859 And rejects nothing.
3860 He attends to the smallest details.
3862 So the strong must guide the weak,
3863 For the weak are raw material to the strong.
3864 If the guide is not respected
3865 Or the material is not nurtured
3866 Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is.
3867 This is the essence of subtlety.
3869 28. Being the Female
3871 Knowing the male, being the female,
3872 Being the course through which flows the World,
3873 One possesses unfailing Love
3874 And exists again as a newborn.
3876 Knowing the light, being the dark,
3878 One becomes unerring Love
3881 Knowing honour, being humble,
3882 Being the valley of the World,
3884 And one becomes as unshaped wood.
3886 When wood is shaped it becomes tools.
3887 Used by the sage, tools become powerful;
3888 A good carpenter wastes little.
3892 Those who wish to change the World
3893 According with their desire
3896 The World is shaped by Tao;
3897 It cannot be shaped by the Self.
3898 If one tries to shape it, one damages it;
3899 If one tries to possess it, one loses it.
3902 Sometimes things will flourish,
3903 And sometimes they will not.
3904 Sometimes life is hard
3905 And sometimes it is easy.
3906 Sometimes people are strong
3907 And sometimes they are weak.
3908 Sometimes you get where you are going
3909 And sometimes you fall by the way.
3911 The sage is never extreme, extravagant, or complacent.
3915 Powerful men are well advised not to use violence,
3916 For violence has a habit of returning;
3917 Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes,
3918 And lean years follow a great war.
3920 A general is well advised
3921 To achieve nothing more than his orders,
3922 No matter how strong his army;
3923 To carry out his orders
3924 But not glory, boast or be proud;
3925 To do what is dictated by necessity,
3926 But not by bloodlust;
3927 For even the fiercest force will weaken with time,
3928 And then its violence will return, and kill it.
3930 31. Tools of Violence
3932 Soldiers are tools of violence, feared by all;
3933 The sage will not employ them.
3934 His purpose is creation;
3935 Their purpose is destruction.
3937 Weapons are tools of violence, not of the wise man;
3938 He uses them when there is no choice
3939 For he values peace and tact,
3940 And does not delight in conquest.
3942 For who delights in conquest
3943 Delights in the slaughter of men;
3944 Who delights in the slaughter of men
3945 Cannot control them.
3947 Slaughters should be mourned
3948 And conquest should be celebrated with a funeral.
3952 Tao has no true definition.
3953 Like unshaped wood, it has no use;
3954 If a ruler understands this
3955 His whole country flourishes and obeys
3956 In harmony with his Self,
3957 Just as sweet rain falls
3958 Needing no instruction
3959 To slake the thirst of all.
3961 When Tao is shaped by use,
3962 The shape gains a name in the World;
3963 One should not keep too many names
3964 Lest their shapes stop up the Self;
3965 Instead let Tao flow through the Self into the World
3966 As water courses down a riverbed into the sea.
3970 He who understands the World is learned;
3971 He who understands the Self is enlightened.
3972 He who conquers the World has strength;
3973 He who conquers the Self has love.
3974 He who is contented has riches;
3975 He who is determined has purpose.
3976 He who maintains his home will long endure
3977 He who maintains his influence will live long after death.
3979 34. Tao Favours Nothing
3981 Infinite Tao flows everywhere, creating and destroying,
3982 Implementing all the World, attending to the tiniest details,
3983 Claiming nothing in return.
3985 It nurtures all things,
3986 Though it does not control them;
3988 So it seems inconsequential.
3990 It is the substance of all things;
3991 Though it does not control them;
3993 So it seems all-important.
3995 Because it favours no finite thing,
4000 Tao lacks art and flavour;
4001 It can neither be seen nor heard,
4002 Yet its application cannot be exhausted.
4004 So, if you offer music and food
4005 Strangers may stop with you;
4006 But if you accord with the shape of Tao
4007 The people of the World will keep you
4008 In safety, health, community, and peace.
4012 To reduce someone's influence, first cause it to expand;
4013 To reduce someone's force, first cause it to increase;
4014 To overthrow someone, first cause them to be exalted;
4015 To take something from someone, first give it to them.
4017 This is the subtlety by which the weak overcome the strong,
4018 For fish should not leave their depths;
4019 And soldiers should not leave their camouflage.
4021 37. Quieting the Heart
4023 Tao does not act, yet leaves nothing undone.
4024 If the Self understands this
4025 All things of the World will naturally flourish;
4026 Flourishing, they will be restrained by Nature.
4028 Nature does not possess desire;
4029 Without desire, the heart becomes quiet,
4030 And so the whole World may be made tranquil.
4034 The kind act without self-interest;
4035 The just act to serve self-interest;
4036 The religious act to reproduce self-interest.
4038 When Tao is lost, there is love;
4039 When love is lost, there is kindness;
4040 When kindness is lost, there is justice;
4041 And when justice is lost, there is religion.
4043 Well established hierarchies are not easily uprooted;
4044 Closely held beliefs are not easily released;
4045 So religions enthrall generation after generation.
4047 Religion is the dissolution of love and trust,
4048 The beginning of confusion.
4049 Belief is a colourful hope or fear,
4050 The origin of folly.
4052 The sage goes by knowledge, not by hope;
4053 He dwells in the fruit, not the flower;
4054 He accepts the former, and rejects the latter.
4058 In mythic times things were whole:
4059 All the sky was clear,
4060 All the earth was stable,
4061 All the mountains were strong,
4062 All the riverbeds were full,
4063 All of nature was alive,
4064 All the rulers were supported.
4066 For without clarity the sky tears;
4067 Without stability the earth cracks;
4068 Without strength the mountain collapses;
4069 Without water the riverbed stagnates;
4070 Without life nature dies back;
4071 And without support rulers fall.
4073 So the ruler depends upon his subjects,
4074 The noble depend upon the humble;
4075 Rulers call themselves orphaned, lonely or disabled,
4076 To win the people's sympathy,
4077 For wholeness gains no support.
4079 So there is weakness in power,
4080 And power in weakness;
4081 Rather than tinkle like jade,
4082 One should clatter like stones.
4084 40. Application of Tao
4086 The motion of Tao is to return;
4087 The use of Tao is to accept;
4088 All things are made of Tao,
4089 And Tao is made of nothing.
4093 When the strong learn Tao, they practice it diligently;
4094 When the average learn Tao, they practice it sometimes;
4095 When the weak learn Tao, they laugh out loud;
4096 Those who do not laugh do not learn at all.
4098 Therefore is it said:
4099 Who understands Tao seems foolish;
4100 Who progresses in Tao seems to fail;
4101 Who follows Tao seems to wander.
4103 For the greatest force appears vulnerable;
4104 The brightest truth appears coloured;
4105 The richest character appears incomplete;
4106 The strongest heart appears meek;
4107 The most beautiful nature appears fickle;
4109 For the square, perfected, has no corner;
4110 Art, perfected, has no meaning;
4111 Sex, perfected, has no climax;
4112 Form, perfected, has no shape.
4114 So Tao can not be sensed or known:
4115 It transmits sensation and transcends knowledge.
4120 Love bears restraint;
4121 Restraint bears acceptance;
4122 Acceptance bears the World;
4123 All things begin with love and end with restraint,
4124 But it is acceptance that brings harmony.
4126 As others teach, I teach:
4127 "Those without harmony end with violence";
4130 43. Overcoming the Impossible
4132 The soft overcomes the hard;
4133 The formless penetrates the impenetrable;
4134 Therefore I value taking no action.
4136 Teaching without words,
4137 Work without action,
4138 Are understood by no one.
4142 Fame or Self: which is dearer?
4143 Self or wealth: which is more valuable?
4144 Profit or loss: which is more torturous?
4146 Great love incurs great expense,
4147 And great wealth incurs great theft,
4148 But great contentment incurs no loss.
4151 He who knows when to stop
4152 Does not continue into danger,
4153 And may long endure.
4157 Great perfection seems imperfect,
4159 Great abundance seems empty,
4162 Great truth seems contradictory;
4163 Great cleverness seems stupid;
4164 Great eloquence seems awkward.
4166 Action overcomes contentment,
4167 But stillness overcomes desire;
4168 Therefore calm and quiet control the World.
4172 When the World is not in accord with Tao,
4173 Horses bear soldiers through the countryside;
4174 When the World is in accord with Tao,
4175 Horses bear horse-manure through the countryside.
4177 There is no greater curse than desire;
4178 There is no greater misery than discontent;
4179 There is no greater ailment than greed;
4180 He who is content to be content shall always be content.
4182 47. Knowledge and Experience
4184 Without taking a step outdoors
4185 You know the whole World.
4186 Without taking a look out the window
4187 You see the colour of the sky.
4189 The more you experience,
4191 The sage wanders without knowing,
4192 Looks without seeing,
4193 Accomplishes without acting.
4197 The follower of knowledge acquires as much as he can every day;
4198 The follower of Tao loses as much as he can every day.
4200 By attrition he reaches a state of inaction
4201 Wherein he does nothing, but leaves nothing undone.
4203 To conquer the world, do nothing;
4204 If you must do something,
4205 The world remains beyond conquest.
4207 49. The Worlds of Others
4209 The sage does not distinguish between Self and World;
4210 Therefore the needs of people in the World are as his own.
4212 He is good to those who are good;
4213 He is also good to those who are not good;
4214 For love is goodness.
4215 He trusts those who are trustworthy;
4216 He also trusts those who are not trustworthy;
4219 He is in harmony with the World;
4220 Therefore he nurtures the Worlds of others
4221 As a mother does her children.
4225 Death enters life as man enters woman.
4228 Thirty years of growth;
4229 Thirty years of decay;
4230 Thirty years inbetween;
4231 So death and life reproduce themselves.
4233 He who would prolong his life
4234 Will not meet tigers or rhinoceri in the wilds,
4235 Nor soldiers in battle
4236 So the rhinoceros sees no place in him for its horn,
4237 The tiger no place for its claw,
4238 The soldier no place for a weapon;
4239 So death finds no place to enter his life.
4246 Circumstance completes us.
4248 We worship Tao and honour love;
4249 For worship of Tao and honour of love
4250 Are performed just by being alive.
4253 Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
4254 Shelters, comforts and makes a home for us.
4256 Making without controlling,
4257 Giving without demanding,
4258 Guiding without interfering,
4259 Helping without profiting,
4264 The origins of the World are its mother;
4265 Know the mother, and you understand the child;
4266 Know the child, and you embrace the mother,
4267 Who will not perish when you die.
4269 Reserve your judgments and words
4270 And you maintain your influence;
4271 Draw conclusions and speak your mind
4272 And your cause is lost.
4274 As seeing detail is clarity,
4275 So maintaining tact is strength;
4276 Keep your eyes and mind open
4277 So that you may not regret your actions;
4282 With but a small understanding
4283 One may follow Tao like a main road,
4284 Fearing only to leave it;
4285 Following a main road is easy,
4286 But being sidetracked is also easy.
4288 For when palaces are kept up
4289 Fields are left to weeds
4290 And granaries empty.
4292 Wearing fine clothes,
4293 Bearing sharp swords,
4294 Glutting with food and drink,
4295 Hoarding wealth and possessions -
4296 These are the ways of theft
4297 And deviations from Tao.
4301 Love does not think of love
4302 For this reason is it strong;
4304 Yet leaves nothing undone.
4305 Desire is intent upon love
4306 For this reason is it weak;
4308 Yet gets nothing done.
4310 Nurture love in the Self, and love will be genuine;
4311 Nurture love in the family, and love will be abundant;
4312 Nurture love in the community, and love will multiply;
4313 Nurture love in the culture, and love will flourish;
4314 Nurture love in the World, and love will be ubiquitous.
4317 Judge a person by their love;
4318 Judge a family by its love;
4319 Judge a community by its love;
4320 Judge a culture by its love;
4321 Judge the World by its love.
4322 How can I know the love of the World?
4327 Who is filled with love is like a newborn.
4328 Wasps will not sting him;
4329 Tigers will not eat him;
4330 Hawks will not tear out his eyes.
4332 His bones are soft, yet his sinews are supple,
4333 So his grip is strong;
4334 He has no wife, yet his manhood is healthy,
4335 So his vigour is unspoiled;
4336 He sings all day yet his voice remains sweet
4337 So his harmony is perfect.
4339 To approach Nature is to know harmony;
4340 To achieve Nature is to be enlightened;
4341 But to surpass Nature invites calamity
4342 For emotion will burst the lungs
4343 And exhaustion will age the heart:
4344 The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long.
4348 He who knows does not speak;
4349 He who speaks does not know.
4351 Reserve your judgments and words;
4352 Dull your wit and simplify your purpose;
4353 Be humble as earth and a part of Nature.
4356 Friendship and enmity,
4358 Honour and disgrace,
4359 Will not affect you.
4360 The impartial Self is of most benefit to the World.
4364 A nation is best governed by innocence;
4365 A war is best waged by treachery;
4366 The World is best controlled by inaction;
4370 The more property and taxes there are,
4371 The more poverty prevails;
4372 The more guns and knives there are,
4373 The more chaos prevails;
4374 The more arts and sciences there are,
4375 The more deceit prevails;
4376 The more rules and regulations there are,
4377 The more theft prevails.
4379 Therefore the sage says:
4380 I take no action, and the people become civilized;
4381 I wage no war, and the people become just;
4382 I transact no business, and the people become wealthy;
4383 I have no desire, and the people become innocent.
4387 When government is lazy and blunt
4388 The people are kind and honest;
4389 When government is efficient and severe
4390 The people are discontented and deceitful.
4392 Misery may yield happiness;
4393 Happiness may conceal misery.
4394 Who can say which will be for the best?
4395 Nothing is straightforward.
4396 Honesty is ever corrupted;
4397 Kindness is ever seduced;
4398 Men have been like this for a long time.
4400 So the sage is firm but not cutting,
4401 Pointed but not piercing,
4402 Straight but not inflexible,
4403 Brilliant but not blinding.
4407 Manage a great nation
4408 As you would cook a delicate fish.
4410 When directing men to a purpose
4411 The sage is restrained;
4412 Restraint allows time to prepare and strengthen,
4413 To build loving relationships;
4414 With sufficient strength and love all resistance is overcome;
4415 When all resistance is overcome his purpose is achieved.
4417 Who can achieve his purpose is able to direct men
4418 And his influence upon them long endures.
4419 Deeply rooted and firmly established,
4420 His vision lives on even after death.
4424 Because the sage follows Tao his emotions do no hurt;
4425 It is not that they lose their power;
4426 But that they do not hurt others;
4427 Because they do not hurt others,
4428 He does not hurt others:
4429 Because his emotions do no hurt,
4430 His relations with people are loving.
4432 61. International Relations
4434 A nation acts as a hierarchy, a meeting place, and a female.
4435 A female seduces a male by being cool,
4436 Being cool is a means of submission.
4438 If a large country submits to a small country
4439 It will seduce the small country;
4440 If a small country submits to a large country
4441 It will seduce the large country;
4442 The large will submit in order to control
4443 And the small will submit in order to prosper.
4446 It is in the interests of a large country to give shelter,
4447 And in the interests of a small country to give service;
4448 If both would achieve their purposes,
4453 Tao is the source of all things,
4454 The treasure of the saint,
4455 And the refuge of the sinner.
4457 Fine words win honour
4458 And fine acts win respect,
4459 But if a man sins, do not abandon him;
4460 And if a man wins power, do not bribe him;
4461 Just be still and present accordance with Tao.
4463 Why do saints treasure Tao?
4464 Because it is easily found by seeking,
4465 And absolves every sin.
4466 It is the most valuable gift.
4468 63. Confront Difficulty
4471 Attend to do-nothing;
4472 Taste the flavorless,
4475 Return love for hate.
4477 Deal with difficulty while it is yet easy;
4478 Deal with the great while it is yet small;
4480 The difficult develops naturally from the easy
4481 And the great from the small;
4482 So the sage, by dealing with the small
4485 He who finds it easy to promise finds it hard to deliver;
4486 He who takes things lightly makes things hard;
4487 The sage confronts difficulty, and so has none.
4489 64. Care at Beginning and End
4491 What lies still is easy to grasp;
4492 What is far off is easy to plan for;
4493 What is cold is easy to shatter;
4494 What is small is easy to disperse.
4497 A tree broader than a man can embrace is born of a tiny shoot;
4498 A dam taller than a river can overflow is born of a clod of earth;
4499 A journey of a thousand miles begins at the spot under one's feet.
4501 Therefore deal with things before they happen;
4502 Create order before there is confusion.
4504 Yet he who acts, spoils;
4505 He who grasps, loses.
4506 People often fail on the verge of success.
4507 Take care at the end as at the beginning,
4508 So that you may avoid failure.
4510 The sage desires no desire,
4513 But gives the people what they can not find
4514 And helps all things accord with Nature
4515 Without interfering.
4517 65. Understanding History
4519 The mythic masters of Tao did not want to make people wise,
4520 But to keep them ignorant;
4521 For it is difficult to govern people who know too much.
4523 To govern a nation by imparting knowledge to its people
4524 Destroys the nation.
4525 To govern a nation by decreasing the knowledge of its people
4528 Understanding these two paths is understanding history;
4529 Understanding history gives clarity of vision
4530 By which one may see through deceit.
4532 66. Lead by Following
4534 How does the river carve out the valley?
4535 By flowing beneath it.
4536 Thereby the river is master of the valley.
4538 In order to master people
4539 One must speak as their servant;
4540 So when the sage is elevated to power
4541 People do not feel oppressed.
4543 In order to lead people
4544 One must follow them;
4545 So when the sage restrains people
4546 They do not feel hindered.
4548 Thus the popularity of the sage does not fail,
4549 He does not seem superior, so no one wishes to usurp him.
4553 It may seem that my teaching means nothing;
4554 It describes the infinite, so of course it means nothing;
4555 If it meant something it would long since have been refuted.
4557 Yet I have three treasures, which I follow and commend to you:
4559 By which one finds courage.
4560 The second is restraint.
4561 By which one finds strength.
4562 The third is not contending.
4563 By which one finds influence.
4565 Those who are fearless, but without love,
4566 Strong, but without restraint,
4567 Or influential, yet contentious,
4570 Only love conquers all and is defeated by none.
4571 It is Nature's finest tool and sharpest weapon.
4575 A good soldier does not use violence;
4576 A good fighter does not use anger;
4577 A good conqueror does not use attack;
4578 A good ruler does not use authority;
4579 So not contending is the best way to use men.
4583 There is a saying among soldiers:
4584 It is easier to lose a yard than take an inch.
4586 In this way one may deploy troops without marshalling them,
4587 Reveal weapons without exposing them,
4588 Assault the foe without charging them,
4589 And apply force without aggression.
4591 Conversely there is no disaster like underestimating your enemy;
4592 For false confidence will lose you your most valued assets.
4593 When two equally matched forces meet
4594 The general who conserves life will win.
4598 My words are easy to understand
4599 And my actions are easy to perform
4600 Yet no man can understand or perform them.
4602 My words have logic; my actions have meaning;
4603 Yet these cannot be known and I cannot be known.
4605 We are each unique; no man understands another.
4606 Though the sage wears coarse clothes, his heart is jade.
4610 Who knows what he knows is healthy;
4611 Who ignores what he ignores is sick;
4612 Who grows sick of sickness recovers;
4613 The sage is never sick, but always sick of sickness.
4617 When people do not fear, they are easily conquered.
4619 Praise their goods and children
4620 And they will not dislike yours.
4621 Know your superiority,
4622 But do not tell it to them;
4624 But do not let them know;
4625 Reject what is yours
4626 And accept what is theirs.
4630 Who is brave and bold may die;
4631 Who is brave and subtle may live.
4632 Which course best serves one's purpose?
4633 Fate favours some and destroys others.
4634 The sage does not know why.
4636 Fate does not contend, yet all things are conquered by it;
4637 It does not ask, yet all things answer to it;
4638 It does not call, yet all things come to it;
4639 It does not plan, yet all things are determined by it.
4641 Fate's hands are vast, its fingers spread wide,
4642 Yet none slip through its grasp.
4646 People do not fear death, so do not threaten them with death.
4648 If people feared death, and you executed all who did not love you
4649 There would be no people left but you and the executioner.
4650 You would then need to kill him.
4651 You would then need to chop off your own hand.
4655 If rulers take too much grain
4656 People rapidly starve;
4657 If rulers take too much freedom
4658 People easily rebel;
4659 If rulers take too much happiness.
4662 By not interfering the sage improves the people's lives.
4666 Man is born soft and tender,
4667 But dies hard and stiff.
4668 Plants and animals, in life, are supple and juicy;
4669 In death, brittle and dry.
4670 So hardness and stiffness are attributes of death,
4671 And softness and tenderness attributes of life.
4673 Just as a sapless tree splits and decays
4674 A strong but inflexible force will meet defeat;
4675 So the hard and mighty lie beneath our feet
4676 While the tender and weak toss in the breeze above.
4680 Is the movement of Nature not unlike drawing a bow?
4681 What is higher descends and what is lower ascends;
4682 What is longer shortens and what is shorter lengthens;
4683 Nature's way decreases those who have more than they need
4684 So to increase those who need more than they have.
4686 It is not so with Man.
4687 Man decreases those who need more than they have
4688 So to increase those who have more than they need.
4690 The sage works regardless of personal reward or recognition;
4691 To benefit the World is to benefit the Self.
4693 78. Accept Responsibility
4695 Nothing in the World is as yielding as water;
4696 Nor can anything better overcome the hardened.
4698 Just as the yielding overcomes the hardened,
4699 The weak may overcome the strong;
4703 "Who accepts responsibility for his people rules the country;
4704 Who accepts responsibility for the World rules the World"
4705 Yet his words are not understood.
4709 When conflict is reconciled, some hatred remains;
4710 How can this be put right?
4712 The sage accepts less than is due
4713 And does not blame or punish;
4714 Love seeks agreement
4715 Where justice seeks payment.
4717 The mythic masters said: "Nature is impartial;
4718 Therefore it serves those who serve all."
4722 Imagine that there is a small country with few people;
4723 Who have a hundred times more than they need;
4724 Who love life and do not wander far;
4725 Who own ships but do no foreign trade;
4726 Who own weapons but do not threaten war;
4727 Who are literate but keep no histories;
4728 Who cook well, dress beautifully, dwell safely
4729 And delight in their own culture,
4730 But live within cock crow of their neighbours.
4732 People in such a place would never leave.
4736 Truth is not rhetorical;
4737 Therefore rhetoric is not true;
4738 Lovers do not contend;
4739 Therefore competitors do not love;
4740 The enlightened keep no knowledge;
4741 Therefore the learned are not enlightened.
4743 The sage does not aim to increase himself;
4744 But the more he does for others the more he is satisfied;
4745 And the more he gives the more he gets.
4747 The best way is to benefit all and harm none;
4748 So the sage achieves his purpose without contention.
4750 Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they're open.
4751 -- Sir Thomas Robert Dewar, aka Lord Dewar
4775 /\/\ (. ).) `_'_', ( )
4778 / \ ~====' /_____/` D)
4780 .__|~-/^\-~|_/_ |^^^^^^^|| |
4783 _- ,`_'_' .~\ \|__ __|-____ / )
4784 < -(. ).) > \ ( .\ (. ) \(_/ )
4785 ~- _) \_- ooo @ (_) @ \(_//.
4786 / /_C (-.____) /((O)/ \ ._/\~_.
4787 / |_\ / / /\\\\`-----'' _|>o< |__
4788 | \ooooO ( \ \\ \\___/ \ `_'_', /
4789 \ \__-| \ `)\\-^\\ ^--. /_(.(.)- _\
4790 \ \ ) |-`--.`--=\-\ /-//_ ' ( c D\
4791 \_\_) |-___/ / \ V /.~ \/\\\ (@)___/ ~|
4792 / | / | |. /`\\_/\/ / /
4793 / | ( C`-'` / | \/ (/ /
4794 /_________- \ `C__-~ | / (/ /
4795 | | | \__________| \ (/
4802 #################### ##
4803 #################### ##
4824 <=============**==============>
4833 [Reuters 8/16/92] SHANGHAI--A 24-year-old bus passenger, Dong Huibo, died
4834 in the street, after tangling with one of the city's dreaded woman bus
4835 conductors. His nightmare began inside the bus when the ticketpuncher
4836 snarled an insult about the shape of his backside. She swore at him,
4837 slapped his face and broke his glasses, made a grab for his testicles, then
4838 stood back and aimed a vicious kick at his private parts. As he scrambled
4839 out of a window, the driver--also a woman--slammed her foot on the
4840 accelerator pedal and sent him flying. (From: Di Bi Cao)
4842 -----------------------------------------
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4865 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|
4866 -----------------------------------------
4883 Ronald Wilson Reagan can be rearranged into Insane Anglo Warlord
4884 and George Herbert Walker Bush into Huge Berserk Rebel Warthog, and of
4885 course H. Ross Perot can be rearranged into Sport Horse and Short Poser.
4887 HSIN-HSIN-MING (AFFIRMING FAITH IN MIND)
4889 wong@rkna50.riken.go.jp (Wong Weng Fai) posted a version of this,
4890 and I thought I would send another, longer version. This is from
4891 (if my memory serves) Roshi Kapleau's "Zen--Dawn in the West",
4892 so I assume it is his translation.
4894 The Great Way is not difficult
4895 For those who do not pick and choose.
4897 When preferences are cast aside
4898 The Way stands clear and undisguised.
4900 But even slight distinctions made
4901 Set Heaven and Earth far apart.
4903 If you would clearly see the truth,
4904 Discard opinions pro and con.
4906 To founder in like and dislike
4907 Is nothing but the mind's disease.
4909 And not to see the Way's deep truth
4910 Disturbs the Mind's essential peace.
4912 The Way is perfect like vast space,
4913 Where there's no lack and no excess.
4915 Our choice to choose and to reject
4916 Prevents our seeing this simple truth.
4918 Both striving for the outer world
4919 As well as for the inner void
4920 Condemns us to entangled lives.
4922 Just calmly see that all is One
4923 And by themselves false views will go.
4925 Attempts to stop activity
4926 Only fill you with activity.
4928 Remaining in duality
4929 You'll never know of unity.
4931 And not to know this unity
4932 Lets conflict lead you far astray.
4934 When you assert that things are real,
4935 You miss their true reality.
4936 But to assert that things are void
4937 Also misses reality.
4939 The more you talk and think on this,
4940 The further from the truth you'll be.
4942 Cut off all useless thoughts and words
4943 And there's nowhere you cannot go.
4944 Returning to the root itself,
4945 You'll find the meaning of all things.
4947 If you pursue appearances,
4948 You overlook the primal source.
4950 Awakening is to go beyond
4951 Both emptiness as well as form.
4953 All changes in this empty world
4954 Seem real because of ignorance.
4956 Do not go searching for the truth,
4957 Just let those fond opinions go.
4959 Abide not in duality;
4960 Refrain from all pursuit of it.
4962 If there's a trace of right and wrong,
4963 True Mind is lost, confused, distraught.
4965 From One-Mind comes duality,
4966 But cling not even to this one.
4968 When this One-Mind rests undisturbed,
4969 Then nothing in the world offends.
4971 And when nothing can give offense,
4972 Then all obstructions cease to be.
4974 If all thought-objects disappear,
4975 The thinking subject drops away.
4977 For things are things because of mind,
4978 As mind is mind because of things.
4980 These two are merely relative,
4981 And both at source are emptiness.
4983 In emptiness these are not two,
4984 Yet in each are contained all forms.
4986 Once coarse and fine are seen no more,
4987 Then how can there be taking sides?
4989 The Great Way is without limit,
4990 Beyond the easy and the hard.
4992 But those who hold to narrow views
4993 Are fearful and irresolute;
4994 Their frantic haste just slows them down.
4996 If you're attached to anything,
4997 You surely will go far astray.
4999 Just let go now of clinging mind,
5000 And all things are just as they are.
5001 In essence nothing goes or stays.
5003 See into the true self of things,
5004 And you're in step with the Great Way,
5005 Thus walking freely and undisturbed.
5007 But live in bondage to your thoughts,
5008 And you will be confused, unclear.
5010 This heavy burden weighs you down-
5011 O why keep judging good and bad?
5013 If you would walk the highest way,
5014 Do not reject the sense domain.
5016 For as it is, whole and complete,
5017 This sense world is enlightenment.
5019 The wise do not strive after goals,
5020 But fools themselves in bondage put.
5022 The One Way knows no differences;
5023 The foolish cling to this and that.
5024 To seek Great Mind with thinking mind
5025 Is certainly a grave mistake.
5027 From small mind comes rest and unrest,
5028 But mind awakened transcends both.
5030 Delusion spawns dualities-
5031 These dreams are naught but flowers of air-
5032 Why work so hard at grasping them?
5034 Both gain and loss, and right and wrong-
5035 Once and for all get rid of them.
5037 When you are no longer asleep,
5038 All dreams will vanish by themselves.
5040 If mind does not discriminate,
5041 All things are as they are, as one.
5043 To go to this mysterious source
5044 Frees us from all entanglements.
5046 When all is seen with "equal mind",
5047 To our self-nature we return.
5049 This single mind goes right beyond
5050 All reasons and comparisons.
5052 Stop movement and there's no movement,
5053 Stop rest and no-rest comes instead.
5055 When rest and no-rest cease to be,
5056 Then even Oneness disappears.
5057 This ultimate Finality's
5058 Beyond all laws; can't be described.
5060 With single mind one with the Way,
5061 All ego-centered strivings cease.
5063 Doubts and confusion disappear,
5064 And so true faith pervades our life.
5066 There is no thing that clings to us,
5067 And nothing that is left behind.
5069 All's self-revealing, void and clear,
5070 Without exerting power of mind.
5072 Thought cannot reach this state of truth;
5073 Here feelings are of no avail.
5075 In this true world of emptiness,
5076 Both self and other are no more.
5078 To enter this true empty world,
5079 Immediately affirm "Not-Two".
5081 In this "Not-Two" all is the same,
5082 With nothing separate or outside.
5084 The wise in all times and places
5085 Awaken to this primal truth.
5087 The Way's beyond all space, all time;
5088 One instant is ten thousand years.
5090 Not only here, not only there,
5091 Truth's right before your very eyes.
5093 Distinctions such as large and small
5094 Have relevance for you no more.
5096 The largest is the smallest too;
5097 Here limitations have no place.
5099 What is is not, what is not is;
5100 If this is not yet clear to you,
5101 You're still far from the inner truth.
5103 One thing is all, all things are one.
5104 Know this and all's whole and complete.
5106 When faith and mind are not separate,
5107 And not separate are mind and faith,
5108 This is beyond all words, all thought.
5115 You don't understand because you are a technocrat, an engineer.
5116 You work with your hands.
5117 I however am a visionary. I work with my mouth.
5120 So we'll go to the top of the toppest blue space,
5121 The Official Katroo Birthday Sounding-Off Place!
5122 Come on! Open your mouth and sound off at the sky!
5123 Shout loud at the top of your voice,
5127 And I may not know why
5128 But I know that I like it.
5129 _Three cheers_! I AM I!"
5130 -- Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
5139 Human conduct is ever unreliable
5140 until man is anchored in the Divine,
5141 Everything in future will improve
5142 if you are making a spiritual effort now.
5143 -- Swami Sri Yukteswar
5145 A strange weed this be
5146 what's restoreth my vitality.
5149 Q: Is an opinion true or false?
5150 A: Depends on whether it's mine or yours....
5153 Would anyone ever admit that an opinion was wrong?
5154 Wouldn't most people change the opinion instead,
5155 having then a new, well-considered, and more correct opinion?
5158 Through the dark of future past,
5159 The magician longs to see.
5160 One chants out between two worlds,
5161 "Fire, walk with me!"
5163 It's really very simple... I found wearing women's clothes... relaxed me.
5166 the first differentiation between reality as conceived and reality as it IS
5167 consists of an analogy: conceptions of reality (all ideas entertained by a
5168 knower) are maps, while reality is the territory being mapped.
5169 whether or not two individuals can be said to live in the same territory
5170 is unclear, because their conceptions may be different enough that their maps
5171 of reality are very different. it is also unclear whether there can be said
5172 to be two individuals at all--if the self and other are one, then all
5173 distinctions between selves ultimately disappear in the final analysis.
5176 This message partially funded by the Apathy Partnership of Earth (APE).
5178 Styrofoam never dies for as long as you live.
5179 -- Deputy Andy Brennan, Twin Peaks
5188 A dog howling at the moon,
5189 not because he's a dog,
5190 but because he wants to.
5193 I want to share something with you, the three
5194 little sentences that will get you through life:
5196 #2. Ooh, good idea boss!
5197 #3. It was like that when I got here...
5198 -- Homer Simpson to Bart
5200 you wouldn't know the truth if it bit off your nose, stuck a gasoline
5201 nozzle into the gaping wound, filled you up with high octane, and
5204 In a world where children blow up children,
5205 everyone's a threat.
5206 -- psycho cop, on Star Trek: The Next Generation
5210 environments based in chaotic realms inevitably concern themselves less with
5211 conservation of mass or energy, ignore laws regarding increasing entropy,
5212 cease to be rational or defined. chaotic ones within orderly realms still
5213 recall this power and warp the space where they stand.
5219 | \\_/_/ /__|O||O|__ \
5220 / |_ | "I do solemnly swear by the sacred |/_ \_/\_/ _\ |
5221 | ||\_ ~| bedpan to fix the patient, and | | (____) | ||
5222 | ||| \/ ease his wretched suffering, even \/\___/\__/ //
5223 | |||_ until all hope is lost." (_/ ||
5229 / ||||__ (____(____)
5232 When they came for the Fourth Amendment I didn't say anything
5233 because I had nothing to hide.
5234 When they came for the Second Amendment I didn't say anything
5235 because I didn't own a gun.
5236 When they came for the Fifth and Sixth Amendments I didn't say anything
5237 because I had committed no crimes.
5238 When they came for the First Amendment I couldn't say anything.
5240 (taken from the Urine Nation News, spring/summer 1993, number 12, page 1)
5243 something may be great,
5244 but the bother of not doing it
5245 while continuing to think about it
5249 Then we sat on the sand for some time and observed,
5250 how the oceans that covered the world were perturbed,
5251 by the tides from the orbiting moon overhead,
5252 "How relaxing the sound of the waves is," you said.
5253 I began to expound upon tidal effects,
5254 when you asked me to stop, looking somewhat perplexed,
5255 so I did not explain why the sunset turns red,
5256 and we watched the occurrence in silence instead.
5260 Felis catus, Your visual, olfactory,
5261 is your taxonomic nomenclature, and auditory senses,
5262 an endothermic quadruped, contribute to your hunting skills,
5263 carnivorous by nature? and natural defenses.
5265 I find myself intrigued A tail is quite essential
5266 by your subvocal oscillations, for your acrobatic talents,
5267 a singular development you would not be so agile,
5268 of cat communications, if you lacked its counterbalance,
5269 that obviates your basic and when not being utilized,
5270 hedonistic predilection, to aid in locomotion,
5271 for a rhythmic stroking of your fur it often serves to illustrate,
5272 to demonstrate affection. the state of your emotion.
5274 Oh Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display,
5275 connote a fairly well developed cognitive array,
5276 and though you are not sentient, Spot,
5277 and do not comprehend, I nonetheless consider you
5278 a true and valued friend.
5282 There is no secret to excel in playing the shakuhachi.
5283 Blow not intensely, but from your heart.
5284 Although technique is secondary, it helps to express your true self.
5285 If we are natural, we make fine sound.
5286 If we have an open mind, our sound will be mellow.
5287 If we have right attitudes toward life,
5288 our music will be acceptable to everyone.
5289 Take care of your sound as you would care for yourself.
5292 You can't save money by spending it. Beware claims to the contrary.
5295 If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.
5296 This is true because the mind is the governing aspect of human life.
5297 If the river flows clearly and cleanly through the proper channel,
5298 all will be well along its banks.
5300 The Integral Way depends on decreasing, not increasing:
5301 To correct your mind, rely on not-doing.
5302 Decrease thinking and clinging to complications;
5303 keep your mind detached and whole.
5304 Eliminate mental muddiness and obscurity;
5305 keep your mind crystal clear.
5306 Avoid daydreaming and allow your pure original insight to emerge.
5307 Quiet your emotions and abide in serenity.
5308 Don't go crazy with the worship of idols, images, and ideas;
5309 this is like putting a new head on top of the head you already have.
5311 Remember: if you can cease all restless activity,
5312 your integral nature will appear.
5313 -- Hua Hu Ching -- 45
5315 Dualistic thinking is a sickness.
5316 Religion is a distortion.
5317 Materialism is cruel.
5318 Blind spirituality is unreal.
5320 Chanting is no more holy than listening to the
5321 murmur of a stream, counting prayer beads no more
5322 sacred than simply breathing, religious robes no
5323 more spiritual than work clothes.
5325 If you wish to attain oneness with the Tao, don't get
5326 caught up in spiritual superficialities.
5327 Instead, live a quiet and simple life, free of ideas and
5329 Find contentment in the practice of undiscriminating
5330 virtue, the only true power.
5331 Giving to others selflessly and anonymously, radiating
5332 light throughout the world and illuminating your
5333 own darkness, your virtue becomes a sanctuary for
5334 yourself and all beings.
5336 This is what is meant by embodying the Tao.
5338 -- Hua Hu Ching -- 47
5340 ________________ _______________
5345 | ___\ \| | / / \____________ \ \
5350 | | __ | | (o-) _ | |
5351 | __\ (_o) | / \ | |
5352 | | | Heh Heh Heh / ) ) | |
5353 \ || \ / Huh Huh Huh / ) / | |
5354 | |__ \ / \ |___ - | |
5355 | | (*___\ / \ *' | |
5356 | | _ | / \ |____ | |
5357 | | //_______| ####\ | |
5358 | / |_|_|_|___/\ ------ |_/
5360 | _----_______/ \_____ |
5362 |_____/ \__________|
5364 "Beavis and Butthead are catching up in the poles."
5365 "Yeah, our poles are rising."
5367 The chief cause of problems is solutions. -- Eric Severeid
5369 [CND, 12/15/93] A women trafficking gang, consisting of 69 members, was
5370 rounded up by the Inner Mongolia police, the Inner Mongolian Daily said.
5371 The gang, operating in several nearby provinces, enticed a total of 200
5372 unemployed women to make the journey to Inner Mongolia with the promise
5373 of good jobs and shelter. The women, ranging from 15 to 41, then were sold
5374 as wives or servants to local peasants who had difficulties in finding
5378 A genuine ASCII stereogram!
5379 Here's an ASCII single image random dot stereogram for your enjoyment. To
5380 get the 3d effect, you need to diverge (unfocus) your eyes such that two
5381 adjacent letters in the same row come together. To help you focus, try to
5382 make the two capital O's at the top look like three. Once you've done that,
5383 the rest of the image should jump out of the screen at you!
5385 n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n
5386 f f f f f f f f f f f f f f
5387 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
5388 a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
5389 a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
5390 r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
5391 r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
5393 Try moving your head back from the screen and moving it about a bit
5394 once you have focused on the image to increase the stereo effect even
5398 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5399 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5400 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5401 . . . . . . . . . . .
5417 . . . . . . . . . . .
5418 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5419 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5420 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5422 The following a 3-d Maze (3x4) consisting of the following objects:
5423 circle, square, asterisk, hour-glass, triangle, and a square with two lines
5424 in it. The rules are as follows: You can 'warp' from one part of the maze to
5425 another by matching similar objects. Each 'warp' counts as one move. You
5426 can also travel along the lines, if there is a line. This also counts as one
5427 move. (I got the idea of this from a GAMES magazine I read a LONG time ago)
5428 Try to go from "START" to "END" in the least amount of moves. I would give
5429 out a prize to somebody, if I could think of one(that doesn't cost anything,
5430 of course!). (Take this as a first maze...I didn't plan it out, and it's not
5431 very difficult.) I would suggest that people that have worked with
5432 stereograms EXTENSIVELY try this, as it is hard to move your eyes around and
5433 still keep focused on the 3-D image. E-mail me the number of moves it took
5434 you and the path you followed (e.g. 6 Sqauare -warp- Asterisk Circle...etc.),
5435 I'll post the list of people that reply to it within the next week and got
5436 the lowest number of moves. Good luck!!
5438 [qL|[NYcUCdH>,(&[qL|[NYcUCdH>,(&[qL|[NYcUCdH>,(&[qL|[NYcUCdH>,(&[qL|[NYcUCdH>,(
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5440 rwA#nbud>*Dj+X<TrwA#nbud>*Dj+X<TrwA#nbud>*Dj+X<TrwA#nbud>*Dj+X<TrwA#nbud>*Dj+X<
5441 $*-Xj+V&%Ui\START*-Xj+V&%UiSTART;*-Xj+V&%UiSTART;*-Xj+V&%UiSTART;*-Xj+V&%Uieg%(
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5447 zp@.Gx,Tu(Q!.hKbzp@.Gx,Tu!t.hKbzp.8?Gx,Tu!tKbbzp.8?xcy,Tu!tKbp.8?Xxy,TuB&!tKbp.
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5449 1<Q)K|.BH?n:K-gc1<Q)K|.BH?n:K-gc1<Q)K|.BH?n:K-gc1<Q)K|.BH?n:K-gc1Q)5K|.BH?n:K-g
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5460 Sy<6*yAW|!l;tZ]nSy<6*yAW|!l;t]n'Sy<6*yAW|!l;t]nSy+<6*yAW|!l;t]nSy<6X*yAW|!l;t]n
5461 &)v;_!*qY*L)-IQd&)v;_!*qY*L)-Qd5&)v;_!*qY*L)-Qd&)Bv;_!*qY*L)-Qd&)v;6_!*qY*L)-Qd
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5464 |Is@[A-F0)KmcN>o|Is@[A-F0)Kmc>o#|Is@[A-F0)Kmc>o|Ins@[A-F0)Kmc>o|Is@>[A-F0)Kmc>o
5465 NHnuKxzh"2zQ=hq+NHnuKxzh"2zQ=hNmhHnuKxzh"2zQ=hNHn85uKxzh"2zQNHn85uKxzh".I2zQNHn
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5467 zE"A{TfCX?9H9e;:zE"A{TfCX?9H;8:z"mA{TfCX?9H;8z="mATRwfCX?9H;="m{TRwbCX?zt9H;="m
5468 OI5{{UQa5D.Vo/rVOI5{{UQa5D./@rOoI{D{UQa5D./@rotI{DU.ZQa5D./@tI{pU.ZNa5D85./@tI{
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5471 80[vV7`fchW6A#'x80[vV7`fchW6A'x-80[vV7`fchW6A'x80r[vV7`fchW6A'x80r[vV7`fchW6A'x
5472 O"<a1OA^o=:]aa=(O"<a1OA^o=:]a=([O"<a1OA^o=:]a=(O"Z<a1OA^o=:]a=(O"Z<a1OA^o=:]a=(
5473 V+{S>As"N5\Ul_^TV+{S>As"N5\Ul^TkV+{S>As"N5\Ul^TV+;{S>As"N5\Ul^TV+;{S>As"N5\Ul^T
5474 /U!sJ3m%/qr?4m!I/U!sJ3m%/qr?4!IB/U!sJ3m%/qr?4!I/Uw!sJ3m%/qr?4!I/Uw!sJ3m%/qr?4!I
5475 yh6Sd(VC3g&>\H<.yh6Sd(VC3g&>\<.Vyh6Sd(VC3g&>\<.yhs6Sd(VC3g&>\<.yhs6Sd(VC3g&>\<.
5476 ;*<*[r!OIx.k(ZB^;*<*[r!OIk(ZB^;*<*[rkw!OIk(ZB^<*[i^rkw!OIk(Z<*[i^rkw!OI]Fk(Z<*[
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5478 \Hu"\@V#8"mLukmM\Hu"\@V#8"mLuM\Hs;u"\@V#8"mM\PHs;u\@DV#8"mM\PHs;\@DECV#8"mM\PHs
5479 +TnXOmPMQKTVwlSV+TnXOmPMQKTVwV+TJInXOmPMQKTV+@TJInOmmPMQKTV+@TJIOmmizPMQKTV+@TJ
5480 JaXq{$*|_pP|-`[wJaXq{$*|_pP`[wJaXqS*{$*|_pP`Ja,Xq*{K3$*|_pP`Jaq*{K3$*g.|_pP`Jaq
5481 A7_qF(|hvg5>t;!nA7_qF(|hv>t;!nA7_qF(f"|hv>t;!n_qFIf(f"|hv>t;_qFIf(f"|hvY*>t;_qF
5482 Clzp3ggIZF7:E.cqClzp3ggIZF7:E.cqClzp3ggIZF7:E.cqClzp3ggIZF7:E.cqClzp3ggIZF7:E.c
5483 UENDu6z[k<anY>&JUENDu6z[k<anY>&JUENDu6z[k<anY>&JUENDu6z[k<anY>&JEND>u6z[k<anY>&
5484 h-Q!-z98>A%65jWBh-Q!-z98>A%65jWBh-Q!-z98>A%65jWBh-Q!-z98>A%65jWBh-Q!-z98>A%65jW
5485 #7ch;MFM9k0{T2."#7ch;MFM9k0{T2."#7ch;MFM9k0{T2."#7ch;MFM9k0{T2."#7ch;MFM9k0{T2.
5486 IMfNj5t*M,K`xKz9IMfNj5t*M,K`xKz9IMfNj5t*M,K`xKz9IMfNj5t*M,K`xKz9IMfNj5t*M,K`xKz
5490 ## # # # # ## #### #
5491 ## # # # #### ######## # ##
5493 ### ## # ## # ### ### ## ##
5494 # #### ### # # # ## # # # # ###
5495 ## ############# # # # ## ###
5496 # # # # ## ### ## ###
5497 # # ## # ## ### # ###
5499 # #### # ## #### ###
5500 ##### # # ## # # # ##### #
5501 # # # # # # ## # ##### #
5505 # ## # # ## ##### ##
5506 ###### # # # # ### ###
5507 ## # # # # ###### ##
5508 ## # ##### # ##### ### ## ##
5509 # ## ## ## # ## ## # ### ####
5510 ### #### # # #### # # ########
5511 ##### # ## ### # ### #
5512 #### ## # ### #### ##
5517 # # # ##################
5519 ### # # ## #### ## ##
5522 ## # ## # ## ## #####
5523 # ### ## # ## #### ## # ###
5524 ## ##### # ######### # ####
5546 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5547 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"" ""$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5548 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5549 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" " " o "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5550 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ " o "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5551 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ o o "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5552 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" o " o"$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5553 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" " $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5554 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" " o " " "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5555 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" o " "o o $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5556 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ o" " o o $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5557 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ "$$ " o " " $$ "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5558 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$ o o " o " $$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5559 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" o$$ o o o $$$ "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5560 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" o $$$ " o o " " $$$ " "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5561 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" o$$$$ " o $$$$ "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5562 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ " $$$$ " oo$$$$$$$oooo $$$$" " $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5563 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" " $$$$$o """ o o"""o$$$$" " ""$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5564 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ " ooooo$$$$$$$$oo o o oo$$$$$$$ooooo o o $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5565 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$o $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5566 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ o$$$"" " $ ""$$$$$$$$" ""$$$$$$$$"" " """"$$o" "$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5567 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$oo$" " $o $"$$$$oo " o$$$$" o$o " ""$oo"$$$$$$$$$$$$
5568 $$$$$$$$$$$$$ o" " o " $$" o "" o o " o o$o " o "" "$$$$$$$$$$$
5569 $$$$$$$$$$$$" $ " " $$ "$$$$$$$$ $$ o o o $ ""$$$$$$$$$$
5570 $$$$$$$$$$$" o o o o o$$ "$$$$$$ o $$ o o o $$$$$$$$$
5571 $$$$$$$$$$ o $ " $$oo "$$$$$$" oo$$ $ $$$$$$$$
5572 $$$$$$$$$ " o " "$ $$$$$$ "$" " " " o $$$$$$$
5573 $$$$$$$$ " " " " o "o$$$$$$o" o " o $$$$$$
5574 $$$$$$$" " o " o $$$$$$$$$o " o o " " o $$$$$
5575 $$$$$"o " o o o " "$$$$" ""$$$oo o " " $$$$
5576 $$$$"o o " $ o " oo$$$$"o o"$$$$oo o " o "$$
5577 $$$$ " $ o oo$o$$"$" o o """$$$oooo "" o " o $$
5578 $$$$$ " " o " o o o o o o o " " " o$$$
5579 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5580 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5586 ___\ \ \ /\___/___ \
5588 ____/ /_______/ \ / _\/_____
5590 __/ / \ \ / / / / _\__
5591 / / / \_______\/ / / / / /\
5592 /_/___/___________________/ /_______/ /___/ \
5593 \ \ \ ___________ \ \ \ \ \ /
5594 \_\ \ / /\ \ \ \ \___\/
5596 \__/ / \ \ \_______\/
5607 "$mmmmm m$" mmmmmmm$"
5609 mmmmmmm$$$$$$$$$"mmmm
5610 mmm$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ m$$$$m " m "
5611 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$"$$$
5612 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm $$$$$$$$$$
5613 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$""" m
5614 "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$ " "
5615 """""""$$$$$$$$$$$m """"
5616 mmmmmmmm" m$ "$mmmmm
5617 $$"""""" "$ """"""$$
5625 _ _ _ _ _ _ _---| | _---| \ ` ' /
5626 ]-I-I-I-I-[ ---| | ---| |. |
5627 \ ` '_/ | / \ | | /^\|
5628 [*] __| ^ / ^ \ ^ | |*||
5629 |__ ,| / \ / `\ / \ | ===|
5630 ___| ___ ,|__ / /=_=_=_=\ \ |, _|
5631 I_I__I_I__I_I (====(_________)___|_|____|____
5632 \-\--|-|--/-/ | I [ ]__I I_I__|____I_I_|
5633 |[] '| | [] |`__ . [ \-\--|-|--/-/
5634 |. | |' |___|_____I___|___I___|---------|
5635 / \| [] .|_|-|_|-|-|_|-|_|-|_|-| [] [] |
5636 <===> | .|-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-| | / \
5637 ] []|` [] ||.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.||- <===>
5638 ] []| ` | |/////////\\\\\\\\\\.||__. | |[] [
5639 <===> ' ||||| | | | ||||.|| [] <===>
5640 \T/ | |-- ||||| | O | O | ||||.|| . |' \T/
5641 | . _||||| | | | ||||.|| | | |
5642 ../|' v . | .|||||/____|____\|||| /|. . | . ./
5643 .|//\............/...........\........../../\\\
5651 ___---___---_________________________________
5652 =============================================
5654 |-------------------------------------------
5655 |-___-----___-----___-----___-----___-----__
5656 / _ \===/ _ \ / _ \===/ _ \ / _ \===/ _
5657 ( (.\ oOo /.) ) ( (.\ oOo /.) ) ( (.\ oOo /.
5658 \__/=====\__/ \__/=====\__/ \__/=====\_
5659 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5660 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5661 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5662 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5663 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5664 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5665 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5666 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5667 ||||||| ||||||| |||||||
5668 (oOoOo) (oOoOo) (oOoOo)
5669 J%%%%%L J%%%%%L J%%%%%L
5670 ZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZ
5671 ==========================================
5672 __|_________________________________________
5675 ____----------- _____
5676 \~~~~~~~~~~/~_--~~~------~~~~~(__) \
5679 / ___ ~~--[""] | __/__|__-------'_
5680 > /~` \ |-. `\~~.~~~~~ _ ~ - _
5681 ~| ||\% | | ~ ._ ~ _ ~ ._
5682 `_//|_% \ | ~ . ~-_ /\
5683 `--__ | _-____ /\ ~-_ \/.
5684 ~--_ / ,/ -~-_ \ \/ _______---~/
5685 ~~-/._< \ \`~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##--~/
5686 \ ) |`------##---~~~~-~ ) )
5722 oooo$$$$$$$$$$$$oooo
5723 oo$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$o
5724 oo$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$o o$ $$ o$
5725 o $ oo o$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$o $$ $$ $$o$
5726 oo $ $ "$ o$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$o $$$o$$o$
5727 "$$$$$$o$ o$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$o $$$$$$$$
5728 $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5729 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ """$$$
5730 "$$$""""$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ "$$$
5731 $$$ o$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ "$$$o
5732 o$$" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$o
5733 $$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" "$$$$$$ooooo$$$$o
5734 o$$$oooo$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ o$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5735 $$$$$$$$"$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$""""""""
5736 """" $$$$ "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" o$$$
5737 "$$$o """$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"$$" $$$
5738 $$$o "$$""$$$$$$"""" o$$$
5740 "$$$$o o$$$$$$o"$$$$o o$$$$
5741 "$$$$$oo ""$$$$o$$$$$o o$$$$""
5742 ""$$$$$oooo "$$$o$$$$$$$$$"""
5743 ""$$$$$$$oo $$$$$$$$$$
5757 \._____.-~\ . ~\. ./
5761 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5765 ,agd888b,_ "Y8, ___`""Ybga,
5766 ,gdP""88888888baa,.""8b "888g,
5767 ,dP" ]888888888P' "Y `888Yb,
5768 ,dP" ,88888888P" db, "8P""Yb,
5769 ,8" ,888888888b, d8888a "8,
5770 ,8' d88888888888,88P"' a, `8,
5771 ,8' 88888888888888PP" "" `8,
5772 d' I88888888888P" `b
5778 `8, ,d8888888baaa ,8'
5779 `8, 888888888888' ,8'
5780 `8a "8888888888I a8'
5781 `Yba `Y8888888P' adP'
5783 `"Yba, d8888P" ,adP"' Normand Veilleux
5784 `"Y8baa, ,d888P,ad8P"' from
5785 ``""YYba8888P""'' Spaceship Earth
5788 =========================================================================
5789 ________________ _______________ _______________
5790 /_______________/\ /_______________\ /\______________\
5791 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \ ||||||||||||||||| / ////////////////
5792 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/ ||||||||||||||||| / ////////////////
5793 \\\\\\_______/\ ||||||_______\ / //////_____\
5794 \\\\\\\\\\\\\ \ |||||||||||||| / /////////////
5795 \\\\\\\\\\\\\/____ |||||||||||||| / /////////////
5796 \\\\\___________/\ ||||| / ////
5797 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \ ||||| / ////
5798 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/ ||||| \////
5800 =========================================================================
5802 88 d8'd8' 88 88 ad88888ba ,adba, ,d8
5803 88 d8'd8' 88 88 d8" 8 8 "8b 8I I8 ,d8"
5804 88 "" "" aa88aaa88aa Y8, 8 8 "fbdP' ,d8"
5805 88 ""88"""88"" `Y8a8a8a, ,d8"
5806 88 aa88aaa88aa `"8"8"8b, ,d8"
5807 "" ""88"""88"" 8 8 `8b ,d8" ,adba,
5808 aa 88 88 Y8a 8 8 a8P ,d8" 8I I8
5809 88 88 88 "Y88888P" 8" "fbdP'
5830 ** * ********* * ***
5831 ***** **********************
5832 ******** *************** ****
5833 ****** ***************** ** **
5834 ** ******************* *** ********
5835 ******************** *** *******
5836 ********************* *** ** ****
5837 ********* * *********************** *** ****
5838 ********** ************************ **** ** ***
5839 **** *********************** * ****
5840 ************** ****** * *** * **
5841 *********** ** **** * *** * ** ********** *
5842 ************* ***** ***** ** * ** ****** *
5843 * ************* **** ******* *** **
5844 ************** **************** *********** **
5845 ****** ******************************* **
5846 ********************************* **
5847 ******************************** ** **
5848 ******************************* ** *********
5849 **** *************************** *** *****
5850 ***** * *** ******************** **
5851 ***** * ***************** ** ******
5852 **** ********************* * *****
5853 ***** ****************** **
5854 **** **************** * *****
5855 * ***************** ** ******
5856 ** ************** ** **
5858 *** ************* **
5859 * *** *********************
5860 ****** ******* * *** ***
5862 ************ ********
5863 ********************** * **********
5864 ************************* ***********
5865 ************************** ***********
5866 ************************* ***********
5867 ************************ **********
5868 ********************* *********
5869 **************** ***
5879 \. \. "~" ./ /c-..,__
5880 ^r- .._ .- .-" `- . ~"--.
5884 ,.__.--._ _j \ ~ . ; |
5885 ( ~"-._~"^._\ ^. ^._ I . l
5886 "-._ ___ ~"-,_7 .Z-._ 7" Y ; \ _
5887 /" "~-(r r _/_--._~-/ / /,.--^-._ / Y
5888 "-._ '"~~~>-._~]>--^---./____,.^~ ^.^ !
5891 ~-._~~~---._,____..--- \
5898 / `-.____/ |||||||/`-.____________
5899 \-'_ \-' ||||||||| `-._
5900 -- `-. -/||||||||\ `` -`.
5901 |\ /||||||\ \_ | `\\
5902 | \ \_______...-//|||\|________...---'\ \ \\
5903 | \ \ || | \ ``-.__--. | \ | ``-.__--.
5904 | |\ \ / | |\ \ ``---'/ / | | ``---'
5905 _/ / _| ) __/_/ / _| ) __/ / _| |
5906 /,__/ /,__/ /,_/,__/_/,__/ /,__/ /,__/ tbk
5908 Aw mom, you act like I'm not even wearing a bungie cord! -- Calvin
5914 YES ============================= NO
5915 +-----------|| Does the Darn Thing work? ||-----------+
5916 | ============================= |
5918 +----------+ +---------+ +---------+
5919 | Don't | NO | Does | +-------+ YES | Did you |
5920 | mess | +---| anyone |<------| YOU |<---------| mess |
5921 | with it! | | | know? | | MORON | | with it |
5922 +----------+ | +---------+ +-------+ +---------+
5924 | +------+ +-----------+ |
5926 | | IT | +--------+ +-----------+
5927 | +------+ | YOU | YES | WILL THEY |
5928 | | +------->| POOR |<------------| CATCH YOU?|
5929 | | | |BASTARD!| +-----------+
5930 | | | |________| | NO
5933 | | | +---------------+ +-----------+
5934 | | | NO | CAN YOU BLAME | |DESTROY THE|
5935 | | +------| SOMEONE ELSE? | | EVIDENCE |
5936 | | +---------------+ +-----------+
5939 | | ============================ |
5940 | +---->|| N O ||<---------+
5941 +------------>|| P R O B L E M ||
5942 ============================
5950 ,ad8"" ,ad8"" 8"Y8a, "Y8a,
5951 ,ad8"" ,ad8"" 8 "Y8a, "Y8a,
5952 ,ad8"" ,ad8"" 8 "Y8a, "Y8a,
5953 ,gPPR8, ,ad8"" ,ad88a, "Y8a, "Y8a,
5954 dP' `Yb ,ad8"" ,ad8"" "Y8a, ,ad8"" ,ad8"8
5955 8) (8,ad8"" ,ad8"" Y888"" ,ad8"" 8
5956 Yb d8P" ,ad8"" ,ad8"" ,ad8"" 8
5957 "8ggg8" ,ad8"" ,ad8"" ,ad8"" ,8
5958 ,gPPR8, ,ad8"" ,ad8"" ,ad8""
5959 dP' `Yb ,ad8"" ,ad8"" ,ad8""
5960 8) (8,ad8"" ,ad8"" ,ad8""
5961 Yb d8P" ,ad8"" ,ad8""
5962 "8ggg8" ,ad8"" ,ad8""
5969 .... NO! ... ... MNO! ...
5970 ..... MNO!! ...................... MNNOO! ...
5971 ..... MMNO! ......................... MNNOO!! .
5972 .... MNOONNOO! MMMMMMMMMMPPPOII! MNNO!!!! .
5973 ... !O! NNO! MMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPOOOII!! NO! ....
5974 ...... ! MMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPOOOOIII! ! ...
5975 ........ MMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPOOOOOOII!! .....
5976 ........ MMMMMOOOOOOPPPPPPPPOOOOMII! ...
5977 ....... MMMMM.. OPPMMP .,OMI! ....
5978 ...... MMMM:: o.,OPMP,.o ::I!! ...
5979 .... NNM:::.,,OOPM!P,.::::!! ....
5980 .. MMNNNNNOOOOPMO!!IIPPO!!O! .....
5981 ... MMMMMNNNNOO:!!:!!IPPPPOO! ....
5982 .. MMMMMNNOOMMNNIIIPPPOO!! ......
5983 ...... MMMONNMMNNNIIIOO!..........
5984 ....... MN MOMMMNNNIIIIIO! OO ..........
5985 ......... MNO! IiiiiiiiiiiiI OOOO ...........
5986 ...... NNN.MNO! . O!!!!!!!!!O . OONO NO! ........
5987 .... MNNNNNO! ...OOOOOOOOOOO . MMNNON!........
5988 ...... MNNNNO! .. PPPPPPPPP .. MMNON!........
5989 ...... OO! ................. ON! .......
5990 ................................
5994 --/- ___ / \/ / / / \
6004 // / / // / /\ /-_-/\//-__-
6005 / / // / \__// / / / //
6006 // / / // / // / // /
6007 /// // / / / // / //
6010 /// / / / // // / // //
6012 /// / // / / // / / / /
6044 /.../###/______________\ \###\
6045 /........................\ \###\
6046 /..........................\ \###\
6047 ----------------------------- \###/
6049 \_________________________________/
6052 ___. .. . _ .. . ___. .__ . . _ . . __ __ _ __ _ . .___
6053 | | ||\||- ||\| | | ||_)|\| | ||\| | ||_)| ||_) | || | |
6054 ` `-`` ``- `` ` ``` ` `-`` \` ` `-`` ` ``` `-`` \`-`| `-``-` `
6082 ;;;;: ==;; :==== :+++=;; ::;=i===+: :=;;=+: ,,,,:==+;
6083 =tt;;: i+; ++++ :ii=: :::i++= ==;;+: :::=;+; ,
6084 :; iIt=: ;t+; ii=;::;+;=+; +;=; ;i+i, ==;=+; :,;;;i : ,
6085 :: :tIi: +i+ =+::=;;,;;;+; +;=; :=i==+;,:,;=;;+= ::;=;++ : ;
6086 ,i; iIt: t+= :+=,,,,::: ;,+;=;;: ;:,,;==;+=;+= ::;;=i; : ;ii
6087 RYi +Yt: ++i :i;,::==;; ;:i;=;;: ======+=i=++ :;=tYY: : :tt
6088 VXY= =Yi; :t=+ it==+It;; ;:+:=;:: :,;;=:=+==+ :;tYVY :: =Iii
6089 tVYt ;Yt, i+= +t+;=iI,; ;:;:;;:= :i :=;+ :;i+tt : :Iti
6090 iYY: :Yi, :i+: :t+;++i:; ;,;,;;;= :t +=+ ;i+ii :: =Y+
6091 =YY= ;Vi I++ :++=;==;;; +,=,,,,+ ;i;::;it, :i+t=;;: +I+
6092 IX+ =V; +i+=;;==;::,:::,,t,+,,,,;;iiii+iIiX=:=+ii;:;: iI+
6093 iXi =VItYIi=+======;;::;;ii;:,,,,,;iittiYV+XXttiit+, Yt
6094 IVYXYYIYi+;;;;;;;;;;;;;+it+:::::::=====+IttIItiitMBttti
6095 +tVVVttti+;::;;======+YBBVVVVXRVti+++==+IXIiYi+iRWWi+i=
6096 +=ttYVIi= ....,,,,+iIRWWWWWWWMBBRYI+....... +YMBYX==++
6097 ==+t: .;;===::,,:,,;=iIIItIIt=:,,:::===iii=;.,iXY+i;i
6098 t;+.IIY+++iii++;===:==++++I,:;;:,:=iiVXIBVRt+;,.IXY;t
6099 ii+, =itIItY==+tt+=+++;=ti;=;+M+i=;;=;=i+=it+tVti+==;.itI= +=ii
6100 i:===iIttIii+,:,, ,,:+++;t=t;V++;=;=;:,, ,,:;+IYii+==;.+Y+Ii===:i
6101 ti iii=i;;,, ;i: =i ,;.i=t=I=;Ri=, ,; ,it: ,:.,==;;;i+=YYttt,
6102 iit :Y++IIIIi+;;,,,,,,:;:i+;I=i;=II=;:;;;;;;;;;+++tIt+ii;iII; iYi=
6103 t= iV+tYYYVYVt===;;;===ii+=ti+=+=iii+==+;=+=IYVXRitYYItYXtVt= :+=
6104 Yi XX+iYYYVYR+i+++===;tIti=i+ttit;;=+====+;=IRVRRXtIIYM+YYI+ ++=I
6105 tt==Y+iYYYVYRI+++++=+IIti+++tt+=iYI+;;==+=+ttMMMRBXiiYi=+YYIt=;;
6106 t+iY:;iYYYYXRYi+++++Yt+iIt=+iItVXYYtIXBXYYVRWWWBXIi++=+=X+ ;It
6107 ti;I iYYYIYYVVRI++++i+ti++=:,;;++IX+YWWWMBWWWXYYi+++=;t:;IItY
6108 tt:,+;YYYYYYYYX+++====:::;=:;;;::++iYRWWBYt+tt+==++==:=;:=+
6109 tYYYYIYYt++++=;=YYI+;,,BYBBYIi++iii+=+I+++++;=I
6110 +YYYYYYt+++==iYYII;ittitVBBXBI+++==+i++=+=;=:i
6111 +YYYIYt+++iBt=:,...:;;=++itXXI++==i++==;;ii:
6112 IYYYI=;+=iitI;,;.,=iitIiiI;++=+++===;=:I;
6113 YYYt==tittIi;+:::=+tItIBIt+=+i++==;+=;+
6114 iYYIIIttt+=;=::::::=++ti+++=i==;+i=:=
6115 tIYYIIIVi++;;:::=+;+IYt+=;;IVY+:,;
6116 ;,ttIYIY++ii;=;==Y+iVYt===YIi;;Ii
6117 ;=:,:=iI====;;;;:=;;+ii=+i+iIttIi
6118 :==+++,;=;::::::::=;=+t++==it+iti
6133 / / / /\ \ Pat \ \ \
6134 / / / / \ \ Taylor / \ \
6135 / / / / /\ \ \ / /\ \ \
6136 / / / / / /\ \ \ / / /\ \_\
6137 / / / / /_/ \ \_\ / / / \/_/
6138 / / / / \ \ / / / / / / __ __
6139 / / / / /\ \ \/ / / / / / /\_\ /\ \
6140 / / / / / /\ \/ / / / / / / / / \ \ \
6141 / / /_/ / / \ / / / / / / / /____\_\ \
6142 / / /__\/ / / / / / / / / / /__________\
6143 \/_______/ / / / / / / \/_____________/
6165 L;;PMMMbaa_ "d88ad8'
6167 ,V;;;;;;;;;;"Man,8b.
6168 gd;;;;;;;;;;;;;"Mb;Mb.
6169 gd;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;"Mb,
6170 d8b;;;;;;;;b;;;;;;;;;;;"b,
6171 7P"8ba;;;;;B;;;;;;;;;;;;"Na
6172 8" "8b;;a";;;;;;;;;;;;;lB.
6173 B "8b,d;;paaaaaaqaL;;;"B
6174 ,B P" """' ""Y8bmdMb
6191 '8 .adP""9a .d" d lb
6200 ,oood8888888888booo,
6231 $ oo 8' `""booooooob 8' ooo 8
6232 $ o$"$o ,P o 8 8 d8"""" 8 `8
6233 $' d$' d8 od do d8 d8 8 `8 8
6234 $' d$' dP 8' d8 d8' 8 8 `8 `b
6235 $' od$ dP ,8' d8' d8 8b 8 `"b 8b
6236 $' od' d"' od od 88 `8 "8 `8 `8,
6237 $ od' 8 8' `8 8b 8 8 "o `8,
6238 $oo"" 8b 8 `8o 8bo "8 8b 8b 8b
6239 " 8b 8' 8o $$$ "8 8 `b `"oo
6240 Yb `b `8"$$$" 8b 8b 8b $$o
6241 `8 `b 8o "b `$o$$$$"
6245 happiness is a state of mind
6246 more than anything else,
6247 but so is everything else.
6250 Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.
6254 1) "Don't worry, I can handle it."
6255 2) "You and what army?"
6256 3) "If you were as smart as you think you are, you wouldn't be a cop."
6258 For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
6261 I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent.
6262 -- Ashleigh Brilliant
6264 Pittsburgh Driver's Test
6266 The car directly in front of you has a flashing right tail light but
6267 a steady left tail light. This means:
6269 (a) one of the tail lights is broken; you should blow your horn to call
6270 the problem to the driver's attention.
6271 (b) the driver is signaling a right turn.
6272 (c) the driver is signaling a left turn.
6273 (d) the driver is from out of town.
6276 (The correct answer is (d). Tail lights are used in some foreign
6277 countries to signal turns.)
6281 1. Don't unplug it, it will just take a moment to fix.
6282 2. Let's take the shortcut, he can't see us from there.
6283 3. What happens if you touch these two wires tog--
6284 4. We won't need reservations.
6285 5. It's always sunny there this time of the year.
6286 6. Don't worry, it's not loaded.
6287 7. They'd never (be stupid enough to) make him a manager.
6289 Certainly there are things in life that money can't buy,
6290 but it's very funny--Did you ever try buying them without money?
6293 Lactomangulation, n.:
6294 Manhandling the "open here" spout on a milk carton so badly
6295 that one has to resort to using the "illegal" side.
6296 -- Rich Hall, "Sniglets"
6298 If the code and the comments disagree, then both are probably wrong.
6301 Experience is what causes a person to make new mistakes instead of old ones.
6303 Every creature has within him the wild, uncontrollable urge to punt.
6305 The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
6306 human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of
6307 ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that
6308 we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction,
6309 have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of
6310 dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and
6311 of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the
6312 revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a
6316 "Krusty non-toxic Cologne
6317 'The smell of the big top'
6318 Warning: Use in a well ventilated area.
6319 May stain furniture.
6320 Prolonged use may cause chemical burns."
6323 a girlfriend is a bottle of wine,
6324 a wife is a wine bottle.
6326 The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common.
6327 Instead of altering their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts
6328 to fit their views... which can be very uncomfortable if you happen to
6329 be one of the facts that needs altering.
6330 -- Doctor Who, "Face of Evil"
6332 In the beginning was The Plan
6333 And then came The Assumptions
6334 And the Assumptions were without form
6335 And The Plan was completely without substance
6336 And the darkness was upon the face of the workers.
6337 And they spoke amongst themselves, saying
6338 "It is a crock of sh*t, and it stinketh."
6339 And the workers went unto their Supervisors and sayeth,
6340 "It is a pail of dung and none may abide the odor thereof."
6341 And the Supervisors went unto their Managers and sayeth unto them,
6342 "It is a container of excrement and it is very stong
6343 Such that none may abide by it."
6344 And the Managers went unto the Directors and sayeth,
6345 "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."
6346 And the Directors spoke amongst themselves, saying one to another,
6347 "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."
6348 And the Directors went unto the Vice Presidents and sayeth unto them,
6349 "It promotes growth and is very powerful."
6350 And the Vice Presidents went unto the President and sayeth unto Him,
6351 "This new Plan will actively promote the growth and efficiency
6352 Of this Company, and these Areas in particular."
6353 And the President looked upon The Plan,
6354 And saw that it was good, and The Plan became Policy.
6355 This is how sh*t happens.
6357 be unafraid to think fully on a small matter. -- fred t. hamster
6359 The late Dudjom Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma sect of the Tibetan Buddhist
6360 tradition, wrote one book on the evils of tobacco. He detailed a number of
6361 problems, both physical and spiritual, which would derive from the use of
6362 tobacco. Interestingly, he claims the origin of the plant to be a demoness
6363 who vowed to take rebirth as a plant to afflict humankind.
6366 be unafraid to walk across the water. -- fred t. hamster
6374 | | | | ______ ~~~~ _____
6375 | |__/ | / ___--\\ ~~~ __/_____\__
6376 | ___/ / \--\\ \\ \ ___ <__ x x __\
6377 | | / /\\ \\ )) \ ( " )
6378 | | -------(---->>(@)--(@)-------\----------< >-----------
6379 | | // | | //__________ / \ ____) (___ \\
6380 | | // __|_| ( --------- ) //// ______ /////\ \\
6381 // | ( \ ______ / <<<< <>-----<<<<< / \\
6382 // ( ) / / \` \__ \\
6383 //-------------------------------------------------------------\\
6385 Every now and then when your life gets complicated and the weasels
6386 start closing in, the only cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and
6387 then drive like a bastard from Hollywood to Las Vegas... with the
6388 music at top volume and at least a pint of ether.
6389 -- H. S. Thompson, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"
6391 dude, i have your tickets
6392 for the grateful briquettes
6393 on saturday the 20th.
6395 so get out your wallets
6396 i need the rental lease
6397 or be hit with mallets
6398 for my friend has no peace
6399 and i have no ballots.
6400 without which you get no tickets
6401 for my friend has no spigots
6402 disgorging money in hiccups
6403 in the land of honey and pickups.
6406 Some people imagine that only the person who physically carries out the
6407 killing is creating a negative karmic effect, and that the person who just
6408 gave the orders is not--or, if he is, then only a little. But you
6409 should know that the same karmic result comes to everyone involved,
6410 including even anyone who just felt pleased about it--and therefore how
6411 much more so the person who actually ordered that the killing be carried
6412 out. Each person gets the whole karmic result of killing one animal. It
6413 is not as if one act of killing could be divided up among many people.
6415 From the Nying-ma _kunzang lama'i shelung_ (The Words of My Perfect Teacher)
6416 written by Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887), (Padmakara translation group,
6417 trans., New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994, 104.)
6419 did you hear about the professor that got some human lips grafted onto his
6420 anus? then when his students were kissing butt, they could get some response.
6421 and he can also now wear a hat on his ass and sit on his head, and no one
6422 knows the difference...
6425 Software undergoes alpha testing as a first step in getting user
6426 feedback. Alpha is Latin for "doesn't work."
6429 Software undergoes beta testing shortly before it's released. Beta is
6430 Latin for "still doesn't work."
6433 Instrument of torture. The first computer was invented by Roger
6434 "Duffy" Billingsly, a British scientist. In a plot to overthrow Adolf
6435 Hitler, Duffy disguised himself as a German ally and offered his
6436 invention as a gift to the surly dictator. The plot worked. On April
6437 8, 1945, Adolf became so enraged at the "Incompatible File Format"
6438 error message that he shot himself. The war ended soon after Hitler's
6439 death, and Duffy began working for IBM.
6442 Central propulsion unit. The CPU is the computer's engine. It
6443 consists of a hard drive, an interface card and a tiny spinning wheel
6444 that's powered by a running rodent--a gerbil if the machine is a 286,
6445 a ferret if it's a 386 and a ferret on speed if it's a 486.
6448 Black hole. Default directory is where all files that you need
6452 Terse, baffling remark used by programmers to place blame on users for
6453 the program's shortcomings.
6456 A document that has been saved with an unidentifiable name. It helps
6457 to think of a file as something stored in a file cabinet--except when
6458 you try to remove the file, the cabinet gives you an electric shock
6459 and tells you the file format is unknown.
6462 Collective term for any computer-related object that can be kicked or
6466 The feature that assists in generating more questions. When the help
6467 feature is used correctly, users are able to navigate through a series
6468 of Help screens and end up where they started from without learning
6472 Information is input from the keyboard as intelligible data and output
6473 to the printer as unrecognizable junk.
6476 A programmer's feeble attempt at repentance.
6479 Of computer components, the most generous in terms of variety, and the
6480 skimpiest in terms of quantity.
6483 A joke in poor taste. A printer consists of three main parts: the
6484 case, the jammed paper tray and the blinking red light.
6487 Computer avengers. Once members of that group of high school nerds
6488 who wore tape on their glasses, played Dungeons and Dragons, and
6489 memorized Star Trek episodes; now millionaires who create
6490 "user-friendly" software to get revenge on whoever gave them noogies.
6493 Object that raises the monitor to eye level. Also used to compensate
6494 for that short table leg.
6496 Scheduled Release Date:
6497 A carefully calculated date determined by estimating the actual
6498 shipping date and subtracting six months from it.
6501 Of or pertaining to any feature, device or concept that makes perfect
6502 sense to a programmer.
6505 Collective term for those who stare vacantly at a monitor. Users are
6506 divided into three types: novice, intermediate and expert.
6507 - Novice Users--People who are afraid that simply pressing a key
6508 might break their computer.
6509 - Intermediate Users--People who don't know how to fix their computer
6510 after they've just pressed a key that broke it.
6511 - Expert Users--People who break other people's computers.
6514 H8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@S
6515 FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/
6516 DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$
6517 UKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ
6518 JKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH
6519 JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH
6520 &^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^J
6521 KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)(8&*:KL)
6522 +J23*&^jj\+J23*&^jj\+J23*&^jj\+J23*&^jj\+J23*&^jj\+J23*&^jj\+J23*&^jj\+J23*
6523 H8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@Si8!p(_;XLk/\c@S
6524 FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/
6525 DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$
6526 UKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ
6527 JKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH
6528 JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH
6529 FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/?*&l|FD/
6530 DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$%#DJK%$
6531 UKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ+IO3GUKJ
6532 JKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH//8JHJKH
6533 JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH&HJKL|JKH
6534 &^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^JKjgzh~&^J
6536 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;itIRXItIt=:;iVRIIII:;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6537 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:+ItXRYtIIi;IIRXiII+=;;:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6538 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::;==+ittYRViII+iiRRtIIiiti++=;;::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6539 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::;=+iitIIiitIXViII+tYRtIII=iIYIti++=;::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6540 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:;=+iitIi+=;;=+ttYYtIiiiYIII+==;;=+tItii+=::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
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6551 ;;;;;;;;;,;tRY+ittt+tIVBIIVt:=tIYVVYVBRV==XWRt;;iIiitIIIIIItti++=::;;;;;;;;;;;;
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6553 ;;;;;;;;;;:;;,;i+VBMX+tI+;+itIYt==ittVRWWWWIIIIItItti+++;;IIii+;,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6554 ;;;;;;;;;;;;,,:tYYYYi=+itt+;=+iiIIIIYWWWWWWIIIII=itii+;:+Itii+:,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
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6557 ;;;;;;;;;;,:,,,,,,:;iIIIIIIti+;;;+IWWWXWWWWWYIi+tIYtii+=;::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6558 ;;;;;;;;;;,,:::,,,::::=itiiiIII+itIWWWMWWWWWXI+tiii+=;:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6559 ;;;;;;;;;;;:,,:,,:;;;;;:IYIIItiIItMWWWWWWWWWXI;=;;:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
6565 ___-==++""" . /. . . \ . """++==-___
6566 __-+"" __\ .. . . | .. . | . . . /__ ""+-__
6567 /\__+-"" `-----=====\_ <O> _/=====-----' ""-+__/\
6578 WHY GOD NEVER RECEIVED TENURE AT ANY UNIVERSITY
6580 1. He had only one major publication.
6581 2. It had no references.
6582 3. It wasn't published in a refereed journal.
6583 4. Some even doubt he wrote it himself.
6584 5. It may be true that he created the world,
6585 but what has he done since then?
6586 6. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
6587 7. The scientific community has had a hard time
6588 replicating his results.
6589 8. He never applied to the Ethics Board
6590 for permission to use human subjects.
6591 9. When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it up
6592 by drowning the subjects.
6593 10. When subjects didn't behave as predicted,
6594 he deleted them from the sample.
6595 11. He rarely came to class, just told students
6597 12. Some say he had his son teach the class.
6598 13. He expelled his first two students for learning.
6599 14. Although there were only ten requirements,
6600 most students failed his tests.
6601 15. His office hours were infrequent and usually
6602 held on a mountaintop.
6604 When we walk upon Mother Earth, we always plant our feet carefully
6605 because we know the faces of our future generations are looking up
6606 at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them.
6607 -- Oren Lyons, Onondaga Nation
6610 the foot is forgotten...
6613 Talent, will, and genius are natural phenomena, like volcanoes,
6614 lakes, mountains, winds, stars, clouds.
6615 -- George Sand -- 1874
6617 Creeping Featurism is the desire to add every technologically possible
6618 feature to a product whether or not the market needs it or will pay
6620 -- Leu Platt, CEO Hewlett Packard
6622 everybody's equal, but nobody's the same. -- fred t. hamster
6624 Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene.
6627 The successful mother sets her children free
6628 and becomes more free herself in the process.
6629 -- Robert J. Havinghurst
6631 No amount of energy will take the place of thought.
6632 A strenuous life with its eyes shut is a kind of wild insanity.
6635 It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong.
6638 It's strange the way the imagination, having exhausted one field,
6639 turns for rest and reinvigoration to another.
6642 Men travel faster now, but I do not know if they go to better things.
6645 People who do not understand themselves have a craving for understanding.
6646 -- Dr. Wilhem Stekel
6648 Love is the greatest refreshment of life.
6651 An idea isn't responsible for the people who believe it.
6654 I want to find someone on the earth so intelligent
6655 that he welcomes opinions which he condemns.
6658 You can exert no influence if you are not susceptible to influence.
6661 The greater the difficulty
6662 the more glory in surmounting it.
6665 Society is always engaged in a vast conspiracy to preserve itself--at the
6666 expense of the new demands of each new generation.
6667 -- John Haynes Holmes
6669 The only thing that is really difficult is to prove what one believes.
6672 There is one word which may serve as a rule of practice for
6673 all one's life--reciprocity.
6676 Each time we make a decision, it is determined by the good or evil forces,
6677 respectively, which are dominant.
6680 We taste and feel and see the truth.
6681 We do not reason ourselves into it.
6684 You inside and the wind outside, tangled on the window blind, tell me why you
6685 treated me so unkind. Down where the sun don't shine I'm lonely and I call
6686 your name, no place to go ain't that a shame....
6689 The point of living, and of being an optimist, is to be foolish enough
6690 to believe the best is yet to come.
6693 "Observing formations of pigs flying south for the winter is several orders
6694 of magnitude more likely than having two competing C[++] compilers deal
6695 with more than eight lines of source code the same way."
6696 -- Steve Rimmer -- windows columnist
6698 If asses were rainbows, we'd all have a pot of gold.
6707 Good judgment is a result of experience.
6708 Experience is a result of poor judgment.
6711 in programming, insanity is not a handicap.
6720 you don't have to get mad every time you have the right to. -- fred t. hamster
6722 It's actually quite straightforward, but first you must be familiar
6723 with the 9 Palaces and 24 Directions.
6726 Every fairly intelligent person realizes that
6727 the price of respectability is a muffled soul
6728 bent on the trivial and mediocre.
6731 People will admit to anything on the Internet. -- fred t. hamster
6733 If all the beasts were gone, men would die
6734 from great loneliness of spirit,
6735 for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man.
6736 All things are connected.
6737 Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth.
6738 -- Chief Seathl (Seattle) of Suwamish tribe,
6739 State of Washington, 1855
6741 keep doing good, but don't be a do-gooder. -- fred t. hamster
6743 All systems of thought confine their thinkers within the accepted boundaries.
6744 To free the mind from this conceptual jail, step back from and outside of the
6745 system; detachment enables both sides of the system (that which is within
6746 and that which is not within) to be perceived and dealt with as an object
6750 That which exists requires no reaffirmation by the mind; it simply is.
6751 It is that which does not exist that needs constant renewing contact by
6752 the mind; else it would fade from its only sphere of influence, the internal
6753 stage upon which it dances and captures the imagination.
6756 Everyone's entitled to their own opinions, no matter how stupid.
6757 -- Frank Zappa (paraphrase unfortunately... know the exact quote?)
6761 i am the beaver who reincarnated as a carpenter.
6762 i am the squirrel who came back as jimmy carter.
6763 if there's anything more fun than programming (where i actually use my brain
6764 mainly and not my body), then i don't want to know what it is.
6765 algorithms are my bread.
6766 objects are my butter.
6767 state machines are my toaster.
6768 library hierarchies are my table.
6769 my house is composed of invisible data and my nation rides along cables.
6770 i really need a girlfriend.
6773 every religion constitutes a view of reality and a view of the world.
6774 each one might suit a particular person differently.
6775 for any religion to claim that it is the one true religion is ridiculous
6776 because it asserts that its one way of viewing reality is the only correct
6777 one. surely this is a bad case of religious egotism or selfishness.
6780 talking about dharma is like making a home movie. when you watch it later,
6781 you see it, you hear it, and yet it isn't really there and the vital
6782 experience of being there is missing. but when you are there... you know
6783 it and feel it in a way your brain can't accurately record for later
6787 Deja Fu: The feeling that somehow, somewhere, you've been kicked in the
6788 head like this before.
6790 A day without sunshine is like night.
6792 There is a CD out entitled "The Worst of Jefferson Airplane". If you buy
6793 this, take it home, play it, and enjoy it, should you take it back and
6796 College is a fountain of knowledge... and the students are there to drink.
6798 A polar bear is a rectangular bear after a coordinate transform.
6800 Some people say that I must be a horrible person, but that's not true.
6801 I have the heart of a young boy--in a jar on my desk.
6802 -- Stephen King, 3/8/90
6804 He who dies with the most toys, is, nonetheless, still dead.
6806 Photons have mass? I didn't know they were catholic!
6808 If you had everything, where would you keep it?
6810 I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone
6811 has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.
6812 -- Supposedly an English Professor, Ohio University
6814 What was sliced bread the greatest thing since?
6816 When aiming for the common denominator, be prepared
6817 for the occasional division by zero.
6819 When you're swimmin' in the creek
6820 And an eel bites your cheek
6822 -- Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
6824 Q: How many surrealists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
6825 A: Two. One to hold the giraffe and the other to fill the bathtub with
6826 brightly colored machine tools.
6828 "... one of the main causes of the fall of the Roman Empire was that, lacking
6829 zero, they had no way to indicate successful termination of their C programs."
6832 Grabel's Law: 2 is not equal to 3--not even for very large values of 2.
6834 Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggy" until you can find a rock.
6836 There are two major products to come out of Berkeley: LSD and BSD.
6837 We don't believe this to be a coincidence.
6839 If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet,
6840 what happen if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?
6843 One night I walked home very late and fell asleep in somebody's satellite
6844 dish. My dreams were showing up on TV's all over the world.
6847 My dental hygienist is cute. Every time I visit, I eat a whole package of
6848 Oreo cookies while I'm in the waiting room. Sometimes she has to cancel
6849 the rest of the afternoon's appointments.
6852 Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've
6853 forgotten this before.
6856 Smoking cures weight problems... eventually.
6859 I have an inferiority complex. But it's not a very good one.
6862 I was in the supermarket the other day, and I met a lady in the aisle where
6863 they keep the generic brands. Her name was 'woman'.
6866 I had a friend who was a clown. When he died, all his friends went to the
6870 I'd like to sing you a song now about my old girlfriend. It's
6871 called, 'They'll Find Her When the Leaves Blow Away 'Cause I'm
6872 Not Raking 'Til Spring.'
6875 When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, 'Did you sleep good?'
6876 I said, 'No, I made a few mistakes.'
6879 I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.
6882 The other day, I was walking my dog around my building... on the ledge.
6885 Some people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
6888 I spilled spot remover on my dog. He's gone now.
6891 Referring to a glass of water: I mixed this myself. Two parts H, one
6892 part O. I don't trust anybody!
6895 I went to the cinema, and the prices were: Adults $5.00, children $2.50.
6896 So I said, 'Give me two boys and a girl.'
6899 I went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time.' So I ordered
6900 French Toast during the Renaissance.
6903 There's a pizza place near where I live that sells only slices. In the back
6904 you can see a guy tossing a triangle in the air.
6907 I went to a general store. They wouldn't let me buy anything specifically.
6910 I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery. When I got there, the guy
6911 was locking the front door. I said, 'Hey, the sign says you're open 24
6912 hours.' He said, 'Yes, but not in a row.'
6915 There was a power outage at a department store yesterday. Twenty people
6916 were trapped on the escalators.
6919 I bought my brother some gift-wrap for Christmas. I took it to the Gift Wrap
6920 Department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would
6921 know when to stop unwrapping.
6924 I was born by Cesarean section... But not so you'd notice. It's just that
6925 when I leave a house, I go out through the window.
6928 When I was little, my grandfather used to make me stand in a closet for five
6929 minutes without moving. He said it was elevator practice.
6932 I didn't get a toy train like the other kids. I got a toy subway instead.
6933 You couldn't see anything, but every now and then you'd hear this rumbling
6937 Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and
6938 sang 'Happy Birthday'.
6941 A wino asked me for change... I gave him my shirt.
6944 I bought this thing for my car. You put it on your car, it sends out this
6945 little noise, so when you drive through the woods, deer won't run in front
6946 of your car. I installed it backwards by accident... Driving down the
6947 street with a herd of deer chasing me.
6950 The ice cream truck in my neighborhood plays 'Helter Skelter'.
6953 The sky already fell. Now what?
6956 My girlfriend and I went on a picnic. I don't know how she did it, but she
6957 got poison ivy on the brain. When it itched, the only way she could scratch
6958 it was to think about sandpaper.
6961 Trees that grow in smoggy cities are needed to make carbon paper.
6964 What's another word for Thesaurus?
6967 When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked if I had any firearms
6968 with me. I said, 'Well, what do you need?'
6971 Why doesn't the fattest man in the world become a hockey goalie?
6974 You know how it is when you decide to lie and say the check is in the mail,
6975 and then you remember it really is?
6978 I've been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No
6979 brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it.
6982 My watch is three hours fast, and I can't fix it. So I'm going to move to
6986 When I die, I'm leaving my body to science fiction.
6989 One time I went to a museum where all the work on display had been done by
6990 children. They had all the paintings up on refrigerators.
6993 When I was a little kid we had a sand box. It was a quicksand box. I was
6994 an only child... Eventually.
6997 One day I got on the bus, and when I stepped in, I saw the most gorgeous
6998 blond Chinese girl. I sat beside her. I said, 'Hi', And she said, 'Hi',
6999 and then I said, 'Nice day, isn't it?' And she said, 'I saw my analyst
7000 today and he says I have a problem. So I asked, 'What's the problem?'
7001 She replied, 'I can't tell you. I don't even know you.' I said, 'Well,
7002 sometimes it's good to tell your problems to a perfect stranger on a bus.'
7003 So she said, 'Well, my analyst said I'm a nymphomaniac and I only like
7004 Jewish cowboys... By the way, my name is Denise.' I said, 'Hello, Denise.
7005 My name is Bucky Goldstein.'
7008 Today I was arrested for scalping low numbers at the deli. I sold a #3 for
7012 Do you think that when they asked George Washington for ID that he just
7013 whipped out a quarter?
7016 I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography.
7019 What happens if you put a slinky on an escalator?
7022 If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know?
7025 If you tell a joke in the forest, but nobody laughs, was it a joke?
7028 If you were going to shoot a mime, would you use a silencer?
7031 In Vegas, I got into a long argument with the man at the roulette wheel over
7032 what I considered to be an odd number.
7035 Is "tired old cliche" one?
7038 My aunt gave me a walkie-talkie for my birthday. She says if I'm good,
7039 she'll give me the other one next year.
7042 At an October re-trial in Leeds, England, jurors took about an
7043 hour to acquit police officer Andrew Whitfield, 30, of stealing a
7044 calculator worth about $4. The cost of the trial, plus the original
7045 mistrial, plus keeping Whitfield on paid suspension for 14 months
7046 as required by law, was about $158,000.
7047 -- News of the Weird -- Compiled by Chuck Shepard
7049 Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world,
7050 I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that but not
7051 with those flies and death and stuff.
7055 If you could live forever, would you and why?
7057 I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because
7058 if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we
7059 cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.
7060 -- Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss Universe contest
7062 Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions
7063 in the brain as marijuana... The researchers also discovered other
7064 similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are.
7065 -- Matt Lauer on NBC's Today show, August 22
7067 I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.
7068 -- David Dinkins, New York City Mayor, answering accusations that he
7069 failed to pay his taxes.
7071 Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your
7073 -- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson
7074 for a federal anti-smoking campaign
7076 I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body.
7077 -- Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward
7079 Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates
7081 -- Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, D.C.
7083 Beginning in February 1976 your assistance benefits will be discontinued...
7085 it has been reported to our office that you expired on January 1, 1976.
7086 -- Letter from the Illinois Department of Public Aid
7088 The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history... This century's
7089 history... We all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century.
7090 -- Dan Quayle, then Indiana senator and Republican vice-presidential
7091 candidate during a news conference in which he was asked his opinion
7094 I've always thought that underpopulated countries in Africa are vastly
7096 -- Lawrence Summers, chief economist of the World Bank, explaining why
7097 we should export toxic wastes to Third World countries
7099 After finding no qualified candidates for the position of principal,
7100 the school board is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of
7101 David Steele to the post.
7102 -- Philip Streifer, Superintendent of Schools, Barrington, Rhode Island
7104 The doctors X-rayed my head and found nothing.
7105 -- Dizzy Dean explaining how he felt after being hit on the head
7106 by a ball in the 1934 World Series
7108 there are some who believe that intelligence can only be won at the cost of
7109 other's intelligence; that is, there is no way to be intelligent without being
7110 more intelligent than someone else. i hypothesize that talking to this kind
7111 of person is a very draining experience because all that they are interested
7112 in is proving how much smarter they are than you are.
7113 i believe that people who want to increase intelligence everywhere are easy
7114 to talk to; they want you to know what they know and vice-versa, not to prove
7115 that they are the most intelligent person in the room.
7118 You are 97% water; the other 3% keeps you from drowning.
7121 It got to the end of our show, so I was just wandering around. I had
7122 this maternity dress on and a white face and I was doing unattractive
7123 things, spitting on people, things like that.
7124 -- Iggy Pop, sept. 22, 1968, several minutes before he signed his first
7127 The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive
7128 valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and speed
7129 themselves in a worthy cause; who at the best, know the triumph of high
7130 achievement; and who, at the worst, if they fail, fail while daring
7131 greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid
7132 souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
7133 -- Theodore Roosevelt
7135 I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian
7136 because I hate plants.
7139 My young brother asked me what happens after we die. I told him we get
7140 buried under a bunch of dirt and worms eat our bodies. I guess I should
7141 have told him the truth--that most of us go to Hell and burn eternally,
7142 but I didn't want to upset him.
7143 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 10
7145 When I go to heaven, I want to see my grandpa again. But he better have
7146 lost the nose hair and the old-man smell.
7147 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 5
7149 I once heard the voice of God. It said "Vrrrrmmmm." Unless it was just
7151 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 11
7153 I don't know about you, but I enjoy watching paint dry. I imagine that
7154 the wet paint is a big freshwater lake that is the only source of water
7155 for some tiny cities by the lake. As the lake gets drier, the population
7156 gets more desperate, and sometimes there are water riots. Once there was
7157 a big fire and everyone died.
7158 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 13
7160 I like to go down to the dog pound and pretend that I've found my dog.
7161 Then I tell them to kill it anyway because I already gave away all of
7162 his stuff. Dog people sure don't have a sense of humor.
7163 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 14
7165 I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I
7166 don't have any clean laundry because, come on, who wants to wash clothes
7167 on the last day of their life?
7168 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 15
7170 It sure would be nice if we got a day off for the president's birthday,
7171 like they do for the queen. Of course, then we would have a lot of people
7172 voting for a candidate born on July 3 or December 26, just for the long
7174 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 8
7176 As you make your way through this hectic world of ours, set aside a few
7177 minutes each day. At the end of the year, you'll have a couple of days
7179 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 7
7181 Democracy is a beautiful thing, except for that part about letting just
7183 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 10
7185 Home is where the house is.
7186 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 6
7188 Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my teacher. That
7189 is, I used to, until she got an unlisted number.
7190 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 15
7192 It would be terrible if the Red Cross Bloodmobile got into an accident.
7193 No, wait. That would be good because if anyone needed it, the blood would be
7195 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 5
7197 Give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace to accept the
7198 things I cannot, and a great big bag of money.
7199 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 13
7201 I bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.
7202 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 13
7204 For centuries, people thought the moon was made of green cheese. Then
7205 the astronauts found that the moon is really a big hard rock. That's what
7206 happens to cheese when you leave it out.
7207 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 6
7209 Think of the biggest number you can. Now add five. Then, imagine if you
7210 had that many Twinkies. Wow, that's five more than the biggest number
7211 you could come up with!
7212 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 6
7214 The only stupid question is the one that is never asked, except maybe
7215 "Don't you think it is about time you audited my return?" or "Isn't it morally
7216 wrong to give me a warning when, in fact, I was speeding?"
7217 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 15
7219 Once, I wept for I had no shoes. Then I came upon a man who had no feet.
7220 So I took his shoes. I mean, it's not like he really needed them, right?
7221 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 15
7223 I often wonder how come John Tesh isn't as popular a singer as some
7224 people think he should be. Then, I remember it's because he sucks.
7225 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 15
7227 If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world
7228 peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the
7230 -- Deep Thoughts Jr., Age 15
7232 Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
7234 Lobotomies for republicans? Why be redundant?
7236 The last time we mixed politics and religion,
7237 people got burned at the stake.
7241 Minimum wage for politicians.
7244 i dancing nude green
7246 (a haiku-style anagram for "inova engineering and production")
7249 If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
7251 A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
7253 Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.
7255 Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
7257 A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
7259 He who hesitates is probably right.
7261 Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with.
7263 The colder the X-ray table, the more of your body is required on it.
7265 To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles.
7267 Two wrongs are only the beginning.
7269 You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.
7271 The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
7273 Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life.
7275 The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
7277 A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
7279 Change is inevitable... except from vending machines.
7281 Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.
7283 Half the people you know are above average.
7285 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
7287 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
7289 If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
7291 Oh, yeah, what are you gonna do? Release the dogs? Or
7292 the bees? Or the dogs with bees in their mouth and when
7293 they bark, they shoot bees at you?
7296 Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not
7297 whether you win or lose... it's how drunk you get.
7300 Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably.
7301 The lesson is, never try.
7304 It's not easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child, but
7305 somehow I managed to fit in eight hours of TV a day.
7308 Homer: Are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What
7314 Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal!
7315 Homer: Heh heh heh... ooh... yeah.... right, Lisa. A wonderful...
7318 Marge: Do you want your son to be Chief Justice of the
7319 Supreme Court, or a sleazy male stripper?
7320 Homer: Can't he be both, like the late Earl Warren?
7321 Marge: Earl Warren was never a stripper!
7322 Homer: Oh, now who's being naive?
7324 Homer: But every time I learn something new, it pushes out
7325 something old! Remember that time I took a home
7326 wine-making course and forgot how to drive?
7327 Marge: That's because you were drunk!
7330 Oh, Lisa, you and your stories: Bart's a vampire, beer
7331 kills brain cells. Now let's go back to that...
7332 building...thingie... where our beds and TV... is.
7335 Operator! Give me the number for 911!
7338 Lenny: Hey, Homer? What do I tell the boss?
7339 Homer: Tell him I'm going to the back seat of my car with
7340 the woman I love, and I won't be back for ten minutes!
7342 Big brother representative: Now, Mr. Simpson, may I ask why
7344 Homer's brain: Don't say revenge. Don't say revenge.
7345 Homer: Ummm... revenge?
7346 Homer's brain: Okay, that's it. I'm outta here.
7347 (step step step step step...slam)
7349 Homer: Okay, brain. You don't like me, and I don't like
7350 you, but let's get through this thing and then I can
7351 continue killing you with beer.
7352 Homer's Brain: It's a deal!
7354 Homer: But Marge! I was a political prisoner!
7355 Marge: How were you a political prisoner?
7356 Homer: I kicked a giant mouse in the butt! Do I have to
7359 Homer: Bart, a woman is like a beer. They look good, they
7360 smell good, and you'd step over your own mother just
7361 to get one! (chugs beer)
7363 Old man: Take this doll, but beware; it carries a terrible curse.
7364 Homer: Ooo, that's bad.
7365 Old man: But it comes with a free serving of frozen yogurt!
7367 Old man: The frozen yogurt is also cursed.
7369 Old man: But it comes with your choice of toppings!
7371 Old man: The toppings contain potassium benzoate...
7373 Old man: That's bad.
7374 Homer: Can I go now?
7376 Getting out of jury duty is easy. The trick is to say
7377 you're prejudiced against all races.
7380 Homer's brain: Use reverse psychology.
7381 Homer: Oh, that sounds too complicated.
7382 Homer's brain: Okay, don't use reverse psychology.
7383 Homer: Okay, I will!
7385 Homer: When I first heard that Marge was joining the police academy, I thought
7386 it would be fun and zany, like that movie--Spaceballs. But instead it was
7387 dark and disturbing. Like that movie--Police Academy.
7389 Marge: Homer, did you call the audience "Chicken"?
7390 Homer: No! I swear on this bible!
7391 Marge: That's not a bible. That's a book of carpet samples.
7392 Homer: Mmmm... fuzzy.
7394 Lisa: Dad, we did something very bad!
7395 Homer: Did you wreck the car?
7397 Homer: Did you raise the dead?
7399 Homer: But the car's okay?
7400 Bart & Lisa: Uh-huh.
7401 Homer: All right then.
7403 Mmmmm... reprocessed pig fat... -- Homer Simpson
7405 (praying): Dear Lord, the gods have been good to me. As
7406 an offering, I present these milk and cookies. If you
7407 wish me to eat them instead, please give me no sign
7408 whatsoever... thy will be done (munch munch munch).
7411 Homer: (On George HW Bush) I didn't vote for him!
7412 Marge: You didn't vote for anybody.
7413 Homer: I voted for Prell to go back to the old glass bottle.
7414 Then I became deeply cynical.
7416 What's the point of going out? We're just going to
7417 wind up back here anyway.
7420 I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.
7423 All right, brain, I don't like you and you don't like me--so let's
7424 just do this and I'll get back to killing you with beer.
7427 You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline;
7428 it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear
7429 weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.
7432 Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to
7433 keep your mouth shut.
7434 -- Ernest Hemmingway
7436 Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has
7438 -- Winston Churchill
7440 He was a wise man who invented beer.
7443 Time is never wasted when you're wasted all the time.
7444 -- Catherine Zandonella
7446 A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her.
7449 "Sir, if I were your wife, I would put poison in your coffee."
7450 -- Lady Nancy Astor speaking to Winston Churchill
7451 "Madam, if I were your husband, I would drink it."
7452 -- Winston Churchill's reply
7454 If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.
7457 Work is the curse of the drinking class.
7460 When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.
7463 Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
7464 -- Benjamin Franklin
7466 If you ever reach total enlightenment while drinking beer, I bet it
7467 makes beer shoot out your nose.
7468 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
7470 Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is
7471 beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but
7472 the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.
7475 The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.
7478 Why is American beer served cold? So you can tell it from urine.
7481 People who drink light "beer" don't like the taste of beer; they just
7483 -- Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI
7485 Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.
7488 Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and
7489 oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital
7493 I drink to make other people interesting.
7494 -- George Jean Nathan
7496 They who drink beer will think beer.
7497 -- Washington Irving
7499 An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with
7501 -- For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemmingway
7503 You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.
7506 I will not carve gods.
7507 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7509 I will not spank others.
7510 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7512 I will not aim for the head.
7513 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7515 I will not barf unless I'm sick.
7516 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7518 I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty.
7519 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7521 I saw nothing unusual in the teacher's lounge.
7522 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7524 I will not conduct my own fire drills.
7525 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7527 Funny noises are not funny.
7528 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7530 I will not snap bras.
7531 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7533 I will not fake seizures.
7534 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7536 This punishment is not boring and pointless.
7537 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7539 My name is not Dr. Death.
7540 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7542 I will not defame New Orleans.
7543 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7545 I will not prescribe medication.
7546 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7548 I will not bury the new kid.
7549 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7551 I will not teach others to fly.
7552 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7554 I will not bring sheep to class.
7555 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7557 A burp is not an answer.
7558 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7560 Teacher is not a leper.
7561 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7563 Coffee is not for kids.
7564 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7566 I will not eat things for money.
7567 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7569 I will not yell "She's Dead" at roll call.
7570 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7572 The principal's toupee is not a Frisbee.
7573 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7575 I will not call the principal "spud head".
7576 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7578 Goldfish don't bounce.
7579 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7581 Mud is not one of the 4 food groups.
7582 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7584 No one is interested in my underpants.
7585 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7587 I will not sell miracle cures.
7588 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7590 I will return the seeing-eye dog.
7591 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7593 I do not have diplomatic immunity.
7594 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7596 I will not charge admission to the bathroom.
7597 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7599 The cafeteria deep fryer is not a toy.
7600 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7602 All work and no play makes Bart a dull boy.
7603 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7605 I will not say "Springfield" just to get applause.
7606 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7608 I am not authorized to fire substitute teachers.
7609 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7611 My homework was not stolen by a one-armed man.
7612 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7614 I will not go near the kindergarten turtle.
7615 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7617 I am not deliciously saucy.
7618 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7620 Organ transplants are best left to professionals.
7621 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7623 The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with "Hail Satan".
7624 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7626 I will not celebrate meaningless milestones.
7627 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7629 There are plenty of businesses like show business.
7630 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7632 Five days is not too long to wait for a gun.
7633 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7635 I will not waste chalk.
7636 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7638 I will not skateboard in the halls.
7639 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7641 Underwear should be worn on the inside.
7642 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7644 I will never win an emmy.
7645 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7647 I will not torment the emotionally frail.
7648 -- Bart Simpson (at the blackboard)
7650 Bitter, unsuccessful middle aged loser wallowing in an unending sea of inert,
7651 drooping loneliness looking for 24 year old needy leech-like hanger-on to
7652 abuse with dull stories, tired sex and Herb Alpert albums.
7653 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7654 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7656 Me--trying to sleep on the bus station bench, pleading with you to give me a
7657 cigarette; you--choking on my odor, tripping over your purse trying to get
7658 away; at the last moment, our eyes meeting. Yours were blue.
7659 Can I have a dollar?
7660 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7661 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7663 Imp and angel. Disembodied head in jar, 24, seeks pixie goddess to fiddle with
7664 while Rome burns. You bring marshmallows. No. I make joke. You like laugh?
7665 I like comebacks and confessions. Send photo of someone else.
7666 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7667 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7669 I am spitting kitty. Ftt Fttttttt. I am angry bear. Grrrrr. I am large
7670 watermelon seed stuck in your nose. Zermmmmmmmmmm. I am small biting spider
7671 in your underwear. Yub yub yub. No mimes.
7672 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7673 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7675 Three toed mango peeler searching for wicked lesbian infielder. Like screaming
7676 and marking territory with urine? Let's make banana enchiladas together in my
7677 bathtub. You bring the salsa.
7678 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7679 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7681 Mongoloid spastic underwear model with extra limb (you guess where?) in search
7682 of bottlenosed dolphin and extra prickly cactus juice. Soup is good food.
7683 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7684 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7686 I like eating mayonnaise and peanut butter sandwiches in the rain, watching
7687 Barney Miller reruns, peeing on birds in the park and licking strangers on the
7688 subway; you eat beets raw, have climbed Kilimanjaro, and sweat freely and
7689 often. Must wear size five shoes.
7690 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7691 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7693 Timber! Falling downward is the lumber of my love. You grind your axe of
7694 passion into my endangered headlands. Don't make me into a bureau. I want
7695 to be lots and lots of toothpicks.
7696 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7697 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7699 Small lumpy squid monkey seeks healthy woman with no identifying scars, any
7700 age. Must have all limbs. Recommend appreciation of high-pitched, screeching
7701 noises. Must like being bored and lonely. Must not touch the squids, EVER.
7702 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7703 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7705 There is a little place in the jumbled sock drawer of my heart where you
7706 match up all the pairs, throw out the ones with holes in them, and buy me
7707 some of those neat dressy ones with the weird black and red geometrical
7709 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7710 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7712 Mmmm Pez! Rabid Wonder Woman fan looking for someone in satin tights,
7713 fighting for our rights and the old red, white 'n blue. You look like
7714 Linda Carter? Big plus. Know all words to theme song? Marry me.
7715 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7716 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7718 Sanctimonious mordacious raconteur seeking same for hijinks and hiballs.
7719 SJM 27 wants to look someone in the eye so don't be tall. Or, if you can't
7720 help it, enjoy laying down. Wanna swim upstream?
7721 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7722 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7724 Remember that summer you spent with your parents in Hawaii and how mad you
7725 were that they made you go? And how you were hopelessly bored until you saw
7726 the most gorgeous man you'd ever encountered strolling down the beach looking
7727 at you, skillfully removing your skimpy bikini with his piercing eyes? And
7728 how you spent the last month imagining him taking you in every possible way,
7729 masturbating feverishly day and night, wishing he would reappear, but he never
7730 did because you were 15 and he would have gone to jail? That was me, and
7732 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7733 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7735 Angry, simple-minded, balding, partially blind ex-circus flipper boy with a
7736 passion for covering lovers in sour cream and gravy seeks exotic, heavily
7737 tattooed piercing fanatic, preferably hairy, either sex, for whippings,
7738 bizarre sex and fashion consulting. No freaks.
7739 -- from "A Collection of Personal Ads From Alternative Newspapers,"
7740 by Skippy Williams and Zohre Crumpton, 1996, Simon and Schuster.
7742 A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho
7743 Falls Science Fair, April 26. He was attempting to show how conditioned
7744 we have become to the alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear
7745 of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign
7746 a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical
7747 "dihydrogen monoxide." And for plenty of good reasons, since
7749 1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting;
7750 2. it is a major component in acid rain;
7751 3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state;
7752 4. accidental inhalation can kill you;
7753 5. it contributes to erosion;
7754 6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes;
7755 7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.
7757 He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical. Forty-three said
7758 yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was water. The
7759 title of his prize winning project was, "How Gullible Are We?".
7760 The conclusion is obvious.
7762 If you ever see me getting beaten by the police, put down the video camera
7764 -- Bobcat Goldthwait
7766 I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because
7767 it's such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive,
7768 but I have photographs of her.
7771 I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other
7772 one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they
7773 are always locking three.
7776 Ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?
7779 Relationships are hard. It's like a full-time job, and we should treat it like
7780 one. If your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to leave you, they should give you
7781 two weeks' notice. There should be severance pay and before they leave you,
7782 they should have to find you a temp.
7785 I don't know what's wrong with my television set. I was getting C-Span and
7786 the Home Shopping Network on the same station. I actually bought a
7790 I had a linguistics professor who said that it's man's ability to use language
7791 that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may may be. But I
7792 think there's one other thing that separates us from animals. We aren't
7793 afraid of vacuum cleaners.
7796 Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how
7797 dogs spend their lives.
7800 Maybe there is no actual place called hell. Maybe hell is just having to
7801 listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they're eating
7805 The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering
7806 from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they
7807 are okay, then it's you.
7810 Now they show you how detergents take out bloodstains, a pretty violent image
7811 there. I think if you've got a T-shirt with a bloodstain all over it, maybe
7812 laundry isn't your biggest problem. Maybe you should get rid of the body
7813 before you do the wash.
7816 USA Today has come out with a new survey: Apparently three out of four people
7817 make up 75 percent of the population.
7820 A lady came up to me on the street and pointed at my suede jacket. 'You know
7821 a cow was murdered for that jacket?' she sneered. I replied in a psychotic
7822 tone, 'I didn't know there were any witnesses. Now I'll have to kill you too.'
7825 I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.
7828 The Swiss have an interesting army. Five hundred years without a war. Pretty
7829 impressive. Also pretty lucky for them. Ever see that little Swiss Army knife
7830 they have to fight with? Not much of a weapon there. Corkscrews. Bottle
7831 openers. "Come on, buddy, let's go. You get past me, the guy in back of me,
7832 he's got a spoon. Back off. I've got the toe clippers right here."
7835 Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant? I'm halfway through my
7836 fishburger and I realize, Oh my God... I could be eating a slow learner.
7839 Sometimes I think war is God's way of teaching us geography.
7842 Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.
7843 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7845 Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.
7846 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7848 I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom
7849 and democracy--but that could change.
7850 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 5/22/89
7852 One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that
7853 one word is 'to be prepared'.
7854 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 12/6/89
7856 May our nation continue to be the beakon of hope to the world.
7857 -- The Quayles' 1989 Christmas card
7859 Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.
7860 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7862 We don't want to go back to tomorrow, we want to go forward.
7863 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7865 I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the
7867 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7869 The future will be better tomorrow.
7870 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7872 We're going to have the best-educated American people in the world.
7873 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7875 People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a
7876 tremendous impact on history.
7877 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7879 I stand by all the misstatements that I've made.
7880 -- Vice President Dan Quayle to Sam Donaldson, 8/17/89
7882 We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm
7883 commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe.
7884 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7886 I am not part of the problem. I am a Republican.
7887 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7889 I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix.
7890 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7892 A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.
7893 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7895 When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the riots and
7896 the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and simple: Who is to blame
7897 for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings?
7898 The killers are to blame.
7899 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7901 Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not having it.
7902 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 5/20/92 (reported in Esquire, 8/92)
7904 Murphy Brown is doing better than I am. At least she knows she still has a job
7906 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 8/18/92
7908 We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.
7909 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/22/90
7911 For NASA, space is still a high priority.
7912 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/5/90
7914 Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children.
7915 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/18/90
7917 The American people would not want to know of any misquotes that Dan Quayle
7918 may or may not make.
7919 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7921 We're all capable of mistakes, but I do not care to enlighten you on the
7922 mistakes we may or may not have made.
7923 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7925 It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities
7926 in our air and water that are doing it.
7927 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7929 [It's] time for the human race to enter the solar system.
7930 -- Vice President Dan Quayle
7932 Public speaking is very easy.
7933 -- Dan Quayle to reporters in 10/88
7935 We have to believe in free will. We've got no choice.
7938 The president has kept all of the promises he intended to keep.
7939 -- Clinton aide George Stephanopolous speaking on "Larry King Live"
7941 The police are not here to create disorder.
7942 They're here to preserve disorder.
7943 -- Former Chicago mayor Daley
7944 during the infamous 1968 convention
7946 Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas.
7947 -- Former Australian cabinet minister Keppel Enderbery
7949 It is wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago.
7950 -- Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle
7952 The internet is a great way to get on the net.
7953 -- Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole
7955 It is bad luck to be superstitious.
7958 It's like an Alcatraz around my neck.
7959 -- Boston mayor Menino on the shortage of city parking spaces
7961 They're multipurpose. Not only do they put the clips on, but they take
7963 -- Pratt & Whitney spokesperson explaining why the company charged the
7964 Air Force nearly $1,000 for an ordinary pair of pliers
7966 We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees.
7967 -- Jason Kidd, upon his drafting to the Dallas Mavericks
7969 I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers.
7970 We are the president.
7971 -- Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents
7973 When more and more people are thrown out of work, unemployment results.
7974 -- Former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
7976 China is a big country, inhabited by many chinese.
7977 -- Former French President Charles de Gaulle
7979 That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and
7980 i'm just the one to do it.
7981 -- A congressional candidate in Texas
7983 Things are more like they are now than they ever were before.
7984 -- Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
7986 Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.
7987 -- General William Westmoreland, during the war in Viet Nam
7989 If you let that sort of thing go on, your bread and butter will be cut
7990 right out from under your feet.
7991 -- Former British foreign minister Ernest Bevin
7993 Almonds and peaches are members of the Rosaceae family (roses) and are
7994 both in the subfamily Amygdaloideae, which also includes plums, cherries
7997 The symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe.
7999 Charlie Brown's father was a barber.
8001 Nutmeg is toxic and can cause fatal overdoses just from eating too much.
8003 Of the six men who made up the Three Stooges, three of them were real
8004 brothers (Moe, Curly and Shemp).
8006 In Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie," mime Marcel Marceau is the only person who
8007 has a speaking role.
8009 Pulp Fiction cost $8 million to make--$5 million going to actor's salaries.
8011 A full seven percent of the entire Irish barley crop goes to the
8012 production of Guinness beer.
8014 Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los
8015 Angeles de Porciúncula" or "The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of Angels,
8016 of Porziuncola", although its official name is simply "El Pueblo de
8017 la Reina de Los Angeles".
8019 A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
8021 An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
8023 Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
8025 Deborah Winger did the voice of E.T.
8027 In most advertisements, including newspapers, the time displayed
8028 on an analog watch is 10:10.
8030 Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.
8032 Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
8034 The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint--no two lions have the same
8035 pattern of whiskers.
8037 Bob Dylan's given name is Robert Allen Zimmerman.
8039 Research by the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth in
8040 2003 demonstrated that goldfish have a memory-span of at least three
8041 months and can distinguish between different shapes, colours and sounds.
8043 The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
8045 It was discovered on a space mission that a frog can throw up. The frog
8046 throws up it's stomach first, so the stomach is dangling out of it's
8047 mouth. Then the frog uses it's forearms to dig out all of the stomach's
8048 contents and then swallows the stomach back down again.
8050 Bingo is the name of the dog on the Cracker Jack box.
8052 ABBA got their name by taking the first letter from each of their first
8053 names (Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny, Anni-frid.)
8055 The Beatles song "Dear Prudence" was written about Mia Farrow's sister,
8056 Prudence, when she wouldn't come out and play with Mia and the Beatles
8057 at a religious retreat in India.
8059 The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.
8061 The name for Oz in the "Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator,
8062 Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z, hence "Oz."
8064 Horses and rabbits cannot normally vomit, but have been observed in
8065 extreme cases appearing to vomit. For example, horses with severe colic
8066 can produce fermented stomach contents, and rabbits have been observed
8067 expelling stomach contents due to over-eating or health issues.
8069 Virgina Woolf liked to write standing up.
8070 Mark Twain often wrote while lying down.
8072 Testimonial from Col. George Harvey, Mark Twain's publisher:
8073 I think that perhaps the funniest thing about Mark Twain now is not
8074 his writing, but his bed. He lies in bed a good deal; he says he has
8075 formed the habit. His bed is the largest one I ever saw, and on it is
8076 the weirdest collection of objects you ever saw, enough to furnish a
8077 Harlem flat--books, writing materials, clothes, any and everything that
8078 could foregather in his vicinity.
8079 He looks quite happy rising out of the mass, and over all prowls a
8080 huge black cat of a very unhappy disposition. She snaps and snarls and
8081 claws and bites, and Mark Twain takes his turn with the rest; when she
8082 gets tired of tearing up manuscript she scratches him and he bears it
8083 with a patience wonderful to behold.
8084 -- interview subtitled "Mark Twain's Bed," Washington Post,
8085 March 26, 1905, p. F12
8087 Testimonial from Katy Leary, Mark Twain's servant:
8088 Mr. Clemens borrowed a kitten one time, called Bambino, from Clara, who
8089 had him in the sanitarium, and had trained him to wash his own face in the
8090 bowl every morning--which shows that he was a very smart little cat. He
8091 used to have this kitten up in his room at the Fifth Avenue house and he
8092 taught it to put out a light, too. He had a tiny little lamp to light his
8093 cigars with at the head of the bed, and after he got all fixed and didn't
8094 want the light any more, he taught that cat to put his paw on the light
8095 and put it out. Bambino would jump on the bed, look at Mr. Clemens to see
8096 if he was through with the light, and when Mr. Clemens would bow twice to
8097 him, he'd jump over on to that table quick, and put his little paw right
8098 on the lamp! Mr. Clemens was always showing him off; he did that for a lot
8099 of people that come there to call.
8100 One night he got kind of gay, when he heard some cats calling from the
8101 back fence, so he found a window open and he stole out. We looked high
8102 and low but couldn't find him. Mr. Clemens felt so bad that he advertised
8103 in all the papers for him. He offered a reward for anybody that would
8104 bring the cat back. My goodness! the people that came bringing cats to
8105 that house! A perfect stream! They all wanted to see Mr. Clemens, of
8107 Two or three nights after, Katherine heard a cat meowing across the
8108 street in General Sickles' back yard, and there was Bambino--large as
8109 life! So she brought him right home. Mr. Clemens was delighted and then
8110 he advertised that his cat was found! But the people kept coming just
8111 the same with all kinds of cats for him--anything to get a glimpse of
8113 -- A Lifetime with Mark Twain, by Mary Lawton
8115 If your everyday life seems poor, don't blame it; blame yourself; admit to
8116 yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because
8117 for the creator there is no poverty and no poor, indifferent place.
8118 -- Rainer Maria Rilke
8120 Compassion is the chief and perhaps the only law of human existence.
8121 -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
8123 If we concede that human life can be governed by reason, the possibility of
8127 What an abyss of uncertainty, whenever the mind feels overtaken by itself;
8128 when it, the seeker, is at the same time the dark region through which it
8129 must go seeking, and where all its equipment will avail nothing. Seek? More
8130 than that: create. It is face to face with something which does not yet exist,
8131 to which it alone can give reality and substance, which it alone can bring into
8135 As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.
8136 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
8138 I believe that everything depends on attention. I only see you if I pay
8139 attention. I only exist, in my own eyes, if I pay attention to myself.
8142 The sex was so good that even the neighbors had a cigarette.
8144 If you smoke after sex, you're doing it too fast.
8146 I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
8148 If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
8150 Good girls get fat, bad girls get eaten.
8152 The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.
8154 A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.
8156 I need someone really bad... are you really bad?
8158 If, a two letter word for futility.
8160 Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
8162 To all you virgins, thanks for nothing.
8164 The more you complain, the longer God lets you live.
8166 My kid had sex with your honor student.
8168 Don't hit me. My lawyer's in jail.
8170 If something goes without saying, LET IT!
8172 If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished.
8174 IRS: We've got what it takes to take what you've got.
8176 Hard work has a future payoff, laziness pays off now.
8178 Life's a buffet... so eat me!
8180 Montana--At least our cows are sane!
8186 God must love stupid people, he made so many.
8188 I said "no" to drugs, but they just wouldn't listen.
8190 The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
8192 There's too much youth, how about a fountain of smart.
8194 Forget about World Peace... Visualize Using Your Turn Signal!
8196 Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear.
8198 I know what you're thinking, and you should be ashamed of yourself.
8200 Don't drink and drive, you might hit a bump and spill your drink.
8202 Elvis is dead, and I'm not feeling too good myself.
8204 Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
8206 Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
8208 Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes.
8210 Always be nice to your children because they are
8211 the ones who will choose your rest home.
8214 I like you, but I wouldn't want to see you working with subatomic particles.
8216 Sex on television can't hurt you unless you fall off.
8218 I'm not offended by all the dumb blond jokes because I know I'm not
8219 dumb... and I also know that I'm not blond.
8222 You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see a
8223 smart woman with a dumb guy.
8226 I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home
8227 which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls
8228 every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon and a cat that
8229 comes home late at night.
8232 I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man I keep his house.
8235 I want to have children, but my friends scare me. One of my friends told
8236 me she was in labor for 36 hours. I don't even want to do anything that
8237 feels GOOD for 36 hours.
8240 I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.
8243 I think--therefore I'm single.
8246 Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.
8249 Our struggle today is not to have a female Einstein get appointed as
8250 assistant professor. It is for a woman schlemiel to get as quickly
8251 promoted as a male schlemiel.
8254 I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on
8255 how to combine marriage and a career.
8258 Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they
8259 should live next door and just visit now and then.
8260 -- Katharine Hepburn
8262 God is my favorite fictional character.
8265 Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.
8266 -- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
8268 I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.
8269 -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
8271 I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the
8272 best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't
8274 -- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
8276 But what... is it good for?
8277 -- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968,
8278 commenting on the microchip
8280 This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a
8281 means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.
8282 -- Western Union internal memo, 1876
8284 The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for
8285 a message sent to nobody in particular?
8286 -- David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment
8287 in the radio in the 1920s
8289 The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than
8290 a 'C,' the idea must be feasible.
8291 -- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's
8292 paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service
8293 (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)
8295 Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?
8296 -- H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927
8298 I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary
8300 -- Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone
8303 A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say
8304 America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.
8305 -- Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies
8307 We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.
8308 -- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962
8310 If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The
8311 literature was full of examples that said you can't do this.
8312 -- Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M
8315 So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built
8316 with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll
8317 give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for
8318 you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they
8319 said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'
8320 -- Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P
8321 interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer
8323 Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and
8324 the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He
8325 seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.
8326 -- 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary
8329 You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your
8330 muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to
8331 accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight
8333 -- Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by
8336 Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're
8338 -- Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill
8341 Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.
8342 -- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929
8344 Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.
8345 -- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy,
8346 Ecole Superieure de Guerre
8348 Everything that can be invented has been invented.
8349 -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899, arguing
8350 that the office should be closed
8352 Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.
8353 -- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872
8355 The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion
8356 of the wise and humane surgeon.
8357 -- Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary
8358 to Queen Victoria 1873
8360 640K ought to be enough for anybody.
8361 -- Attributed to Bill Gates, 1981, but he asserts that he did not say this.
8363 Three things are certain:
8364 Death, taxes, and lost data.
8365 Guess which has occurred.
8368 Your life's work has been destroyed.
8369 Squeeze trigger (yes/no)?
8372 I am the Blue Screen of Death.
8373 No one hears your screams.
8375 Seeing my great fault
8376 Through darkening blue windows
8379 The code was willing,
8380 It considered your request,
8381 But the chips were weak.
8384 Could be a fatal error.
8388 It might be very useful.
8391 Errors have occurred.
8392 We won't tell you where or why.
8395 Server's poor response
8396 Not quick enough for browser.
8397 Timed out, plum blossom.
8399 Chaos reigns within.
8400 Reflect, repent, and reboot.
8404 Only perfect spellers may
8407 This site has been moved.
8408 We'd tell you where, but then we'd
8412 scatt'ring petals to the wind:
8416 Close all that you have.
8417 You ask way too much.
8419 First snow, then silence.
8420 This thousand dollar screen dies
8423 With searching comes loss
8424 and the presence of absence:
8425 "My Novel" not found.
8427 The Tao that is seen
8428 Is not the true Tao, until
8429 You bring fresh toner.
8431 The Web site you seek
8432 cannot be located but
8433 endless others exist
8435 Stay the patient course
8436 Of little worth is your ire
8440 your expensive computer
8444 of carbon and silicon
8445 the software can't bridge
8448 Today it is not working
8449 Windows is like that
8452 Would be life without meaning
8455 You step in the stream,
8456 but the water has moved on.
8457 This page is not here.
8464 Hal, open the damn file, Hal
8465 open the, please Hal
8468 We wish to hold the whole sky,
8472 The document you're seeking
8473 Must now be retyped.
8475 The ten thousand things
8476 How long do any persist?
8477 Netscape, too, has gone.
8480 Or a rude error message,
8481 These words: "File not found."
8484 All shortcuts have disappeared.
8485 Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
8487 Indecision may or may not be my problem.
8490 If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you.
8491 This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
8494 If you want to know what God thinks about money, just look at the people He
8498 I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage.
8499 They've experienced pain and bought jewelry.
8502 I would love to speak a foreign language but I can't.
8503 So I grew hair under my arms instead.
8506 The second day of a diet is always easier than the first.
8507 By the second day you're off it.
8510 Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same.
8513 If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's
8514 life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if
8515 there is a man on base.
8518 Somebody hits me, I'm going to hit him back. Even if it does look like he
8519 hasn't eaten in a while.
8520 -- Charles Barkley, after blatantly elbowing an Angolan basketball
8521 opponent in the Olympics.
8523 I think that's how Chicago got started. A bunch of people in New York said,
8524 'Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough.
8528 The show business newspaper Daily Variety reported in December that John
8529 Kricfalusi, creator of TV's "The Ren & Stimpy Show," was threatening legal
8530 action against the producers of the Comedy Central show "South Park" for
8531 ripping off a cartoon character. According to Kricfalusi, his character
8532 "Nutty the Friendly Dump," an animated piece of excrement, must have been
8533 the basis for "South Park"'s "Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo," a holiday-
8534 dressed, singing, dancing piece of excrement.
8536 If a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is
8537 no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
8539 If a deaf person swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
8541 If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is
8542 it considered a hostage situation?
8544 Is there another word for synonym?
8546 Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"
8548 When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?
8550 Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"
8552 Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
8554 What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?
8556 If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?
8558 Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
8560 Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone
8563 If a stealth bomber crashes in a forest, will it make a sound?
8565 If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
8567 Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
8569 Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?
8571 If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to
8574 Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?
8576 How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?
8578 Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?
8580 Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
8582 Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
8584 Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies.
8587 In dog years, I'm dead.
8590 Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in
8591 case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in
8596 I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl.
8599 Outside of a dog, a book is probably man's best friend,
8600 and inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
8603 To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
8606 A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times
8610 Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is
8611 how dogs spend their lives.
8614 Did you hear about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac who stays up all night
8615 wondering if there really is a Dog?
8618 I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give
8622 I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven't got the guts
8623 to bite people themselves.
8624 -- August Strindberg
8626 Ever consider what they [our pets] must think of us? I mean, here we come
8627 back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul--chicken, pork, half
8628 a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!
8631 My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can.
8632 That's almost $7.00 in dog money.
8635 If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known
8636 will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.
8639 You enter into a certain amount of madness when you marry a person with pets.
8642 Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are
8646 Women and cats will do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get
8648 -- Robert A. Heinlein
8650 In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have
8651 a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him.
8652 -- Dereke Bruce, Taipei, Taiwan
8654 When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem.
8657 Cat's Motto: No matter what you've done wrong, always try to
8658 make it look like the dog did it.
8661 Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won't buy
8662 the wag of his tail... No one appreciates the very
8663 special genius of your conversation as the dog does.
8664 -- Christopher Morley
8666 A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
8669 Man is a dog's idea of what God should be.
8672 The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
8675 He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life,
8676 his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat
8677 of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
8680 Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog
8684 I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.
8687 If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
8690 Things that upset a terrier may pass virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane.
8693 I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt,
8694 and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts.
8697 There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
8700 One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men.
8701 No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.
8704 (AP) Tokyo: Tokyo commuter Katsuo Katugoru caused havoc on a crowded tube
8705 train when his inflatable underpants unexpectedly went off. The rubber
8706 underwear was made by Katsuo himself, and designed to inflate to 30 times
8707 their original size in the event of a tidal wave.
8708 "I am terrified of water, and death by drowning is my greatest fear" said
8709 Katsuo, 48. "Unfortunately I set them off accidently while looking for a
8710 boiled sweet on a rush hour train. They were crushing everybody in the
8711 carriage until a passenger stabbed them with a pencil."
8713 Kindness cannot be taught by harshness--
8714 not by any amount of harshness.
8715 -- Raymond M. Smullyan / The Tao is Silent
8718 Full employment for lawyers
8722 Inflate your tires by all means, but then hide your bicycle pump where it
8724 -- attributed to a spokesman for the Nakhon Ratchasima hospital
8726 Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it
8727 holds the universe together....
8730 There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the
8731 Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced
8732 by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which
8733 states that this has already happened.
8736 Only two things are infinite, the universe and
8737 human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
8740 Astronomers say the universe is finite, which is a comforting thought for
8741 those people who can't remember where they leave things.
8744 In answer to the question of why it happened, I offer the modest proposal that
8745 our Universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time.
8748 It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception,
8749 is composed of others.
8750 -- John Andrew Holmes
8752 Technology is a way of organizing the universe so
8753 that man doesn't have to experience it.
8756 The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest.
8757 -- Kilgore Trout (Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
8759 I'm astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's hard enough
8760 to find your way around Chinatown.
8763 In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people
8764 very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
8767 The crux... is that the vast majority of the
8768 mass of the universe seems to be missing.
8771 Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build
8772 bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce
8773 bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.
8776 There is a coherent plan in the universe,
8777 though I don't know what it's a plan for.
8780 We are an impossibility in an impossible universe. -- Ray Bradbury
8782 My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.
8783 -- Christopher Morley
8785 I'm worried that the universe will soon need replacing.
8786 It's not holding a charge.
8789 The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe
8790 is that it has never tried to contact us.
8791 -- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)
8793 As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using
8794 individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and
8795 employees will receive their cards in two weeks.
8796 -- pointy haired boss contest. (This was the winning quote from
8797 Fred Dales at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington)
8799 What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter.
8800 -- pointy haired boss contest. (Lykes Lines Shipping)
8802 E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used
8803 only for company business.
8804 -- pointy haired boss contest. (Accounting manager, Electric Boat Company)
8806 This project is so important, we can't let things that are more important
8808 -- pointy haired boss contest
8809 (Advertising/Marketing manager, United Parcel Service)
8811 Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule. No one will believe
8812 you solved this problem in one day! We've been working on it for months. Now,
8813 go act busy for a few weeks and I'll let you know when it's time to tell them.
8814 -- pointy haired boss contest
8815 (R&D supervisor, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing / 3M Corp.)
8817 My Boss spent the entire weekend retyping a 25-page proposal that only needed
8818 corrections. She claims the disk I gave her was damaged and she couldn't edit
8819 it. The disk I gave her was write-protected.
8820 -- pointy haired boss contest. (CIO of Dell Computers)
8822 Quote from the Boss: "Teamwork is a lot of people doing what 'I' say."
8823 -- pointy haired boss contest. (Marketing executive, Citrix Corporation)
8825 "How About Friday?" My sister passed away and her funeral was scheduled for
8826 Monday. When I told my Boss, he said she died so that I would have to miss
8827 work on the busiest day of the year. He then asked if we could change her
8828 burial to Friday. He said, "That would be better for me."
8829 -- pointy haired boss contest. (Shipping executive, FTD Florists)
8831 "We know that communication is a problem, but the company is
8832 not going to discuss it with the employees."
8833 -- pointy haired boss contest
8834 (Switching supervisor, AT&T Long Lines Division)
8836 We recently received a memo from senior management saying: "This is to inform
8837 you that a memo will be issued today regarding the subject mentioned above."
8838 -- pointy haired boss contest. (Microsoft, Legal Affairs Division)
8840 One day my Boss asked me to submit a status report to him concerning a project
8841 I was working on. I asked him if tomorrow would be soon enough. He said "If
8842 I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to ask for it!"
8843 -- pointy haired boss contest
8844 (New business manager, Hallmark Greeting Cards)
8846 Speaking the Same Language: As director of communications I was asked to
8847 prepare a memo reviewing our company's training programs and materials. In
8848 the body of the memo one of the sentences mentioned the "pedagogical approach"
8849 used by one of the training manuals. The day after I routed the memo to the
8850 executive committee, I was called into the HR director's office and told that
8851 the executive vice president wanted me out of the building by lunch. When I
8852 asked why, I was told that she wouldn't stand for "perverts" (pedophilia)?
8853 working in her company. Finally he showed me her copy of the memo, with her
8854 demand that I be fired--and the word "pedagogical" circled in red. The HR
8855 manager was fairly reasonable, and once he looked the word up in his
8856 dictionary, and made a copy of the definition to send back to her, he told me
8857 not to worry. He would take care of it. Two days later a memo to the entire
8858 staff came out--directing us that no words which could not be found in the
8859 local Sunday newspaper could be used in company memos. A month later, I
8860 resigned. In accordance with company policy, I created my resignation memo
8861 by pasting words together from the Sunday paper.
8862 -- pointy haired boss contest. (Taco Bell Corporation)
8864 This gem is the closing paragraph of a nationally-circulated memo from a large
8865 communications company: "(Company name) is endeavorily determined to promote
8866 constant attention on current procedures of transacting business focusing
8867 emphasis on innovative ways to better, if not supersede, the expectations of
8869 -- pointy haired boss contest. (Lucent Technologies)
8871 Marriage isn't a word, it's a sentence.
8872 -- unknown, seen on back of Charlottesville, VA cab
8874 Have you ever noticed... Anybody going slower than you is an idiot,
8875 and anyone going faster than you is a f*cking maniac?
8878 You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five
8879 miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where
8883 I'm not into working out. My philosophy: No pain, no pain.
8886 I have a great diet. You're allowed to eat anything you want, but you
8887 must eat it with naked fat people.
8890 I went into a McDonald's yesterday and said, "I'd like some fries."
8891 The girl at the counter said, "Would you like some fries with that?"
8894 The reason most people play golf is to wear clothes they would not be
8895 caught dead in otherwise.
8898 I'm desperately trying to figure out why kamikaze pilots wore helmets.
8901 If it weren't for electricity we'd all be watching television by candlelight.
8904 Don't spend two dollars to dry clean a shirt. Donate it to the
8905 Salvation Army instead. They'll clean it and put it on a hanger.
8906 Next morning buy it back for seventy-five cents.
8909 Suppose you were an idiot... And suppose you were a member of
8910 Congress... But I repeat myself.
8913 Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least
8914 they can find Kuwait.
8917 My mom said she learned how to swim. Someone took her out in the lake
8918 and threw her off the boat. That's how she learned how to swim. I
8919 said, "Mom, they weren't trying to teach you how to swim."
8922 I worry that the person who thought up Muzak may be thinking up
8926 What do people mean when they say the computer went down on me?
8929 Why is it that when we talk to God we're said to be praying, but when
8930 God talks to us we're schizophrenic?
8933 When you look at Prince Charles, don't you think that someone in the
8934 Royal family knew someone in the Royal family?
8937 Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to
8938 accept God's final word on where your lips end.
8941 [Modern economists are] "used to measuring the 'standard of living' by
8942 the amount of annual consumption, assuming all the time that a man who
8943 consumes more is 'better off' than a man who consumes less. A Buddhist
8944 economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since
8945 consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to
8946 obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption...
8947 The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic
8948 creativity. Modern economics, on the other hand, considers consumption
8949 to be the sole end and purpose of all economic activity."
8950 -- E. F. Schumacher (1911-1977), from "Small Is Beautiful:
8951 A Study of Economics As If People Mattered", 1973.
8953 As a net is made up of a series of ties, so everything in this world
8954 is connected by a series of ties. If anyone thinks that the mesh of
8955 a net is an independent, isolated thing, he is mistaken. It is called
8956 a net because it is made up of a series of interconnected meshes, and
8957 each mesh has its place and responsibility in relation to other meshes.
8958 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
8960 When debugging, suspect the more complicated code,
8961 but keep an eye on the simple code lest it get too cocky.
8964 I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
8967 As I let go of my feelings of guilt, I am in touch
8968 with my inner sociopath.
8970 I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring
8971 levels of suspicion and paranoia.
8973 I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones
8974 that are someone else's fault.
8976 I no longer need to punish, deceive, or compromise myself,
8977 unless I want to stay employed.
8979 In some cultures what I do would be considered normal.
8981 I honor my personality flaws for without them
8982 I would have no personality at all.
8984 Joan of Arc heard voices, too.
8986 I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those
8987 censorious, self-righteous people around me.
8989 I need not suffer in silence while I can still
8990 moan, whimper, and complain.
8992 As I learn the innermost secrets of people around me, they
8993 reward me in many ways to keep me quiet.
8995 When someone hurts me, I know that forgiveness is cheaper
8996 than a lawsuit, but not nearly as gratifying.
8998 The first step is to say nice things about myself.
8999 The second is to do nice things for myself, the third,
9000 to find someone to buy me nice things.
9002 As I learn to trust the universe,
9003 I no longer need to carry a gun.
9005 I am at one with my duality.
9007 Blessed are the flexible,
9008 for they can tie themselves into knots.
9010 Only a lack of imagination saves me from
9011 immobilizing myself with imaginary fears.
9013 I will strive to live each day as
9014 if it were my 50th birthday.
9016 I honor and express all facets of my being,
9017 regardless of state and local laws.
9019 Today I will gladly share my experience and advice, for there
9020 are no sweeter words than "I told you so."
9022 False hope is better than no hope at all.
9024 A good scapegoat is almost as good as a solution.
9026 Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my
9027 underwear in the Hollywood Cafe. Instead, I will move my
9028 computer into the bedroom.
9030 Who can I blame for my problems?
9031 Just give me a minute.
9034 Why should I waste my time reliving the past when
9035 I can spend it worrying about the future?
9037 The complete lack of evidence is the surest
9038 sign that the conspiracy is working.
9040 I am learning that criticism is not nearly as
9041 effective as sabotage.
9043 Becoming aware of my character defects leads me
9044 naturally to the next step of blaming my parents.
9046 To have a successful relationship I must learn to
9047 make it look like I'm giving as much as I'm getting.
9049 I am willing to make the mistakes if someone else
9050 is willing to learn from them.
9052 Before I criticize a man, I walk a mile in
9053 his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's
9054 a mile away and barefoot.
9056 Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.
9058 Canadian = unarmed American with health care.
9060 Mohandas K. Gandhi's list of "Seven Blunders Of The World That Lead
9063 Science without humanity
9064 Pleasure without conscience
9065 Worship without sacrifice
9066 Knowledge without character
9067 Politics without principle
9068 Commerce without morality
9070 `Tis the longest Purse Conquers the longest Sword.
9073 A Man that will lie still, should never hope to rise;
9074 he that will lie in a Ditch and pray, may depend upon it he
9075 shall lie in the Ditch and die.
9078 He that has Truth on his Side, is a fool, as well
9079 as a Coward, if he is afraid to own it because of
9080 the Currency or Multitude of other Men's Opinions.
9083 Writers' earnings are the reward of industry and the prize of learning.
9086 Absolute necessity forces many a poor distressed
9087 person to do things which his very soul abhors.
9090 The rising greatness of the British nation
9091 is not owing to war and conquests,
9092 to enlarging its dominion by the sword,
9093 or subjecting the people of other countries to our power;
9094 but it is owing to trade.
9095 An estate is a pond, trade is a spring,
9096 conquest is a Thing attended with Difficulty, Hazard,
9097 Expense, and a Possibility of Miscarriage.
9100 24 hours in a day. 24 beers in a case. coincidence?
9103 When Human Folk at Table Eat,
9104 A Kitten must not mew for meat,
9105 Or Jump to grab it from the Dish
9106 (Unless it happens to be fish).
9109 When I am at peace with myself, and in good spirits--for
9110 instance, on a journey, in a carriage, or after a good meal,
9111 or while taking a walk, or at night when I can't sleep--then
9112 thoughts flow into me most easily and at their best. Where
9113 they come from and how -- that I cannot say; nor can I do
9115 -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
9117 It is a mistake to think that the practice of my art has
9118 become easy to me. I assure you no one has given so much
9119 care to the study of composition as I. There is scarcely
9120 a famous master in music whose works I have not frequently
9121 and diligently studied.
9122 -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
9124 If one has talent it pushes for utterance and torments
9125 one; it will out. And then one is out without questioning.
9126 And, look you, there is nothing in this thing of learning
9127 out of books. Here, here and here [the ear, the head, the
9128 heart] is your school. If everything is right there, then
9129 take your pen and down with it; afterwards ask the opinion
9130 of a man who knows his business.
9131 -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
9133 It is no just function of government to prohibit what is not wrong.
9136 If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better
9137 than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not
9138 your counsel or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you.
9139 May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you
9140 were our countrymen.
9143 You may call, you may call,
9144 But the little black cats won't hear you,
9145 The little black cats are maddened,
9146 By the green light of the moon.
9147 -- Elizabeth Coatsworth
9149 on exception handling...
9150 the point is to create dependable systems. some languages are better than
9151 others for this. some languages provide no support for verification, although
9152 the semantics of most programming constructs are well established. exceptions
9153 predate much of the work done in formal verification of the last 30 years.
9154 many people have tried (with varying degrees of success) to fit exceptions into
9155 the grand scheme and make them verifiable. flaviu cristian has shown how
9156 exception handlers can be fitted with preconditions for their activation and
9157 postconditions for their completion.
9158 however, an attempt to postfit a system with hooks for verifiability will
9159 fail if the system is very large. and programming in this manner is simply a
9160 living hell. the programmer is not generally equipped to set up all of his
9161 handlers for this type of reasoning, even if he has a clear idea for when the
9162 handlers are to be invoked.
9163 what is needed is a general language structure that is capable of embodying
9164 the reasons and the services of the exception-like items in the system.
9167 why aren't programs published in better boxes?
9168 thicker cardboard, smaller profiles, thin like coffee table books,
9169 packaged with only essentials and fitting together well...
9170 you'd be proud to have a software library if the damn boxes weren't
9171 so flimsy and didn't take up so much room.
9173 Here's a thought... The government should only be allowed to test urine for
9174 drugs if they collect the pee in their own mouths.
9176 the drug war is a war on liberty that cannot possibly be won without the
9177 utter removal of all rights or at least the indefinite suspension thereof.
9178 urine testing is the best emblem of this horrible war; it makes the police
9179 look like a bunch of perverted urine sniffers. it is not cost effective
9180 for testing large numbers of people and it is insanely easy to fake if one
9181 wants to anyway. we need to stop the drug war and start the war on ignorance.
9182 this ignorance is an ignorance of the REAL scientifically determined results
9183 of using the drugs in question. studies show that marijuana, for example,
9184 DOES have therapeutic results and that it is almost completely HARMLESS.
9185 smoke inhalation is not harmless, but there are other ways to get stoned than
9186 by inhaling burning vapors. the root ignorance that MUST be warred upon is
9187 an ignorance of the fact that people should leave each other alone and not
9188 be such shrieking paranoid shrews about what their neighbors are doing.
9189 put down your goddamned binoculars, you nosy cretin, and get to the business
9190 of living your own life.
9192 drug prices are caused to soar by the organized crime elements
9193 that are behind the drug war (and behind the republican party).
9194 organized crime at the same time causes the war to look just as
9195 ridiculous as the carrie nation hatchet smashing of beer kegs so
9196 that people will buy more drugs and think that governmental
9197 authority is a crock. who benefitted from the intense CAMP
9198 activity in california? the mafia, because prices on marijuana
9199 soared. who got screwed by CAMP? the people, who made their
9200 honest living off of growing marijuana, which at the time was
9201 our nation's largest commodity. it's time to toss the republican
9202 crooks out of office on their asses. american patriots smoke pot:
9203 george washington, thomas jefferson, benjamin franklin, and thou,
9204 if you like. unamerican creeps are against marijuana and against
9205 the right of the america people to control their own destiny.
9206 i think it really is that simple.
9208 ode to a petty tyrant...
9209 what you don't seem to realize is that productivity is mood dependent.
9210 you seem to think that i need to be degraded repeatedly as some form of
9211 character builder, but what if someone came to this school as your student
9212 who had already been degraded enough in his life? what if every time you
9213 were cutting on them in some sly tricky sarcastic form you were in fact
9214 rubbing a sore spot and only inflaming their opinions as to your anus-nature?
9215 did you realize that one of your students comes back to the office
9216 and just swears and swears at the computer he's working at? this wasn't
9217 because the machine was bad, or his program was bad, or he was bad,
9218 but because he was mad at _you_.
9219 the solution, i think, is to respect people a whole lot more. we're
9220 not here for professors to deride us. this isn't some f*cking fraternity
9221 with you chumps as the chief hazing marshalls. we're here to learn and if
9222 our learning is colored with hues of condemnation and abuse, it diminishes
9223 you, it diminishes us, and it diminishes the whole search for truth and
9227 i don't believe the druidic and grecian universities had this
9228 same kind of "cut him up, slice and dice!" attitude that prevails
9229 at our fine american universities in this day and age. that
9230 attitude is surely a holdover from roman times, when the
9231 patriarchal society demanded discipline and obedience from all
9232 of its members, especially those with license to think. this
9233 approach is impractical these days (because it doesn't work
9234 very well), except at the higher levels in education, where
9235 it is still fervently practiced. root it out, toss it away;
9236 we don't need authoritarian learning, we need to follow the truth
9237 back to all its origins and forward to the myriad potential fruits.
9238 your rule book stopped being effective a long time ago.
9241 on artistic and technical integrity...
9242 in the beginning, i had a totally egotistical attitude that the rest of the
9243 world was screwed and i was right. this is actually somewhat correct, because
9244 one must have his own voice and thoughts, except for the fact that i was not
9245 _that_ correct and the world was not _that_ wrong. but at least what i chose
9246 to say and what i chose to be were right for me. over the past few years i
9247 have sought to learn the phd game, but i have been doing it by suppressing
9248 my own voice and allowing others to tell me what i should say. this is
9249 fundamentally f*cked, because now i have become dependent on them as my voice
9250 instead of relying on the tao to guide the research and for my own voice to
9251 speak what needs to be said. is it any wonder that i have devolved to this
9252 state of being unable to say anything on my own? after years of thinking for
9253 myself, i have allowed myself to become placed in a situation where i was
9254 dependent on someone else as my source of "the scoop". numerous problems
9255 result when others' biases are not what i want to express, yet they have
9256 potency to affect my presentation. the fact that when the bogus guru doesn't
9257 understand something, he usually tells you that you are the one who does not
9258 understand, is no help. he has no subtlety and yet seeks the original
9259 thoughts, leading him to warp other people's original thoughts into his own
9260 mental framework, often losing the original spark and leading the ideas astray
9261 into his own personal interests. i need to cut loose and start thinking on my
9262 own again. if the ideas in my research here have any merit at all, they have
9263 to be proven using my own metrics, not others' metrics. and this no longer
9264 seems possible in this stringently bulletheaded "hard science" department
9265 which instead only enforces conventional viewpoints and does not reach out
9266 into the unknown where the really interesting concepts live....
9269 niceness here is the ineffable.
9270 the only difference between you and the wolf is that you want to be nice,
9271 and fail. the wolf only wants to appear nice while remaining vile inside,
9272 and he succeeds. your demeanor to others is sometimes nice and sometimes
9273 not nice because of your failures in actually being the way you want to
9274 be. and the reason that you fail to be the way you want to be is that you
9275 lack the spiritual strength to keep it up. you can't synchronize your
9276 noble desires with your weak mind/body, and it is mainly because you reject
9277 spirituality itself that you fail in achieving spiritual strength.
9278 one cannot succeed in something one does not believe in except through
9279 dumb beginner's luck. and yet to fully believe in something is to be
9280 trapped in it, without the capacity to disbelieve and free oneself.
9281 you need a fluid belief that accepts what is true within the constraints
9282 of its validity. can this flow be strong enough to become who and what
9286 eek on the candidate from louis cypher... i notice with some lack of
9287 surprise that "ollie north" can be rearranged into the nice phrase
9288 "o, rot in hell". i think this needs to be made more public. perhaps
9289 we should publish an epigram regarding this particular correspondence
9290 between reality and republicanism.
9292 1. Commit to your business.
9293 2. Share your profits with all your associates.
9294 3. Motivate your partners.
9295 4. Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners.
9296 5. Appreciate everything your associates do for the business.
9297 6. Celebrate your success.
9298 7. Listen to everyone in your company.
9299 8. Exceed your customers' expectations.
9300 9. Control your expenses better than your competition.
9302 -- "Sam's Rules For Building A Business", from "Made In
9303 America: My Story", by Sam Walton.
9305 Find some humor in your failures. Don't take yourself so seriously.
9306 Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up. Have fun. Show
9307 enthusiasm--always. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a
9308 silly song. Then make everybody else sing with you. Don't do a hula
9309 on Wall Street. It's been done. Think up your own stunt. All of
9310 this is more important, and more fun, than you think, and it really
9311 fools the competition. "Why should we take those cornballs at Wal-Mart
9315 If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the
9316 impersonators would be dead.
9319 In elementary school, in case of fire you have to line
9320 up quietly in a single file line from smallest to
9321 tallest. What is the logic? Do tall people burn slower?
9322 -- Warren Hutcherson
9324 Every time a baseball player grabs his crotch, it makes
9325 him spit. That's why you should never date a baseball player.
9328 Some women hold up dresses that are so ugly and they
9329 always say the same thing: 'This looks much better on.'
9339 The creeping cat, looked
9343 The cat always leaves a mark on his friend.
9346 A herd of buffalo can move only as fast as the slowest buffalo.
9347 when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back
9348 that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a
9349 whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps
9350 improving by the regular culling of the weakest members.
9351 In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as
9352 the slowest brain cells. Intake of alcohol, we all know, kills brain
9353 cells, but naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells
9354 first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker
9355 brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.
9356 That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers.
9358 1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech
9359 which you are used to seeing in print.
9360 2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
9361 3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
9362 4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
9363 5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon
9364 word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
9365 6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything
9367 -- George Orwell, "Politics And The English Language."
9369 Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk?
9370 -- Felix von Leitner (leitner@inf.fu-berlin.de)
9372 linux: the choice of a GNU generation.
9373 -- ksh@cis.ufl.edu put this on t-shirts in 1993
9375 There are two types of Linux developers--those who can
9376 spell, and those who can't. There is a constant pitched
9377 battle between the two.
9379 > Other than the fact Linux has a cool name, could someone explain
9380 > why I should use Linux over BSD?
9382 No. That's it. The cool name, that is. We worked very hard on
9383 creating a name that would appeal to the majority of people, and
9384 it certainly paid off: thousands of people are using linux just
9385 to be able to say "OS/2? Hah. I've got Linux. What a cool name".
9386 386BSD made the mistake of putting a lot of numbers and weird
9387 abbreviations into the name, and is scaring away a lot of people
9388 just because it sounds too technical.
9389 -- Linus Torvalds' follow-up to a question about Linux
9391 When you say "I wrote a program that crashed Windows", people
9392 just stare at you blankly and say, "Hey, I got those with the
9393 system, *for free*".
9396 We come to bury DOS, not to praise it.
9397 -- Paul Vojta, regarding Linux
9399 How should I know if it works? That's what beta testers
9400 are for. I only coded it.
9401 -- Attributed to Linus Torvalds
9403 I develop for Linux for a living, I used to develop for DOS.
9404 Going from DOS to Linux is like trading a glider for an F117.
9407 I'd crawl over an acre of 'Visual This++' and 'Integrated
9408 Development That' to get to gcc, Emacs, and gdb. Thank you.
9409 -- Vance Petree, Virginia Power
9411 If you want to travel around the world and be invited to
9412 speak at a lot of different places, just write a Unix
9416 All language designers are arrogant. Goes with the territory...
9419 Unix, MS-DOS, and Windows NT (also known as
9420 the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly).
9423 I would rather spend 10 hours reading someone else's source
9424 code than 10 minutes listening to Muzak waiting for technical
9425 support which isn't.
9426 -- Dr. Greg Wettstein, Roger Maris Cancer Center
9428 Your job is being a professor and researcher: That's one
9429 hell of a good excuse for some of the brain-damages of minix.
9430 -- Linus Torvalds to Andrew Tanenbaum
9432 We use Linux for all our mission-critical applications.
9433 Having the source code means that we are not held hostage
9434 by anyone's support department.
9435 -- Russell Nelson, President of Crynwr Software
9437 We are Pentium of Borg. Division is futile. You will be approximated.
9439 The chat program is in public domain. This is not the GNU
9440 public license. If it breaks then you get to keep both pieces.
9441 -- Copyright notice for the chat program
9443 DOS: n., A small annoying boot virus that causes random
9444 spontaneous system crashes, usually just before saving
9445 a massive project. Easily cured by UNIX. See also
9446 MS-DOS, IBM-DOS, DR-DOS.
9449 MSDOS didn't get as bad as it is overnight--it took over
9450 ten years of careful development.
9451 -- dmeggins@aix1.uottawa.ca
9453 On the Internet, no one knows you're using Windows NT.
9456 People disagree with me. I just ignore them.
9457 -- Linus Torvalds, regarding the use of C++ for the Linux kernel
9459 Linux: The OS people choose without $200,000,000 of persuasion.
9462 The memory management on the PowerPC can be used to frighten small children.
9465 Eh, that's it, I guess. No 300 million dollar unveiling event for this
9466 kernel, I'm afraid, but you're still supposed to think of this as the
9467 "happening of the century" (at least until the next kernel comes along).
9468 Oh, and this is another kernel in that great and venerable "BugFree(tm)"
9469 series of kernels. So be not afraid of bugs, but go out in the streets
9470 and deliver this message of joy to the masses.
9471 -- Linus Torvalds, in the announcement for Linux kernel version 1.3.27
9473 > Linux is not user-friendly.
9475 It _is_ user-friendly. It is not ignorant-friendly
9478 I tried to get some documentation out of Digital on this, but
9479 as far as I can tell even _they_ don't have it ;-)
9482 Excusing bad programming is a shooting offence,
9483 no matter _what_ the circumstances.
9486 Some people have told me they don't think a fat penguin
9487 really embodies the grace of Linux, which just tells me
9488 they have never seen a angry penguin charging at them in
9489 excess of 100mph. They'd be a lot more careful about what
9490 they say if they had.
9491 -- Linus Torvalds, announcing Linux v2.0
9493 Ooohh... "FreeBSD is faster over loopback, when compared to Linux
9494 over the wire". Film at 11.
9497 C is quirky, flawed, and an enormous success.
9498 -- Dennis M. Ritchie
9500 If Bill Gates is the Devil then Linus Torvalds must be the Messiah.
9502 Let's put it this way:
9503 1. A 32-bit counter will expire in little over a year.
9504 2. A 64-bit counter will expire in little over 2^32 years,
9505 or roughly the time the sun (not the Sun) is expected to expire.
9506 3. The odds of your computer hardware surviving the
9507 aforementioned event without reboot are very slim.
9510 The only way tcsh "rocks" is when the rocks are attached
9511 to its feet in the deepest part of a very deep lake.
9514 In accord to UNIX philosophy, PERL gives you enough rope
9516 -- Larry Wall, Randal Schwartz: Programming Perl
9517 (aka the Camel Book).
9519 Anyone can build a fast processor.
9520 The trick is to build a fast system.
9523 Hoping the problem magically goes away by ignoring
9524 it is the "Microsoft approach to programming" and
9525 should never be allowed.
9528 One OS to rule them all,
9529 One OS to find them.
9530 One OS to call them all,
9531 And in salvation bind them.
9532 In the bright land of Linux,
9533 Where the hackers play.
9534 -- J. Scott Thayer, with apologies to J.R.R. Tolkien
9536 I'm not one of those who think Bill Gates is the devil.
9537 I simply suspect that if Microsoft ever met up with the
9538 devil, it wouldn't need an interpreter.
9539 -- From N. Petreley's column, "Down to the Wire",
9540 Sept. 1996 issue of Inforworld.
9542 After all, how do you give Microsoft the benefit of the
9543 doubt when you know that if you throw it into a room with
9544 truth, you'd risk a matter/anti-matter explosion.
9545 -- From N. Petreley's column, "Down to the Wire",
9546 Sept. 1996 issue of Inforworld)
9548 The local betaware broker was sitting in the bar, keeping an eye
9549 for potential customers. It was easy to spot him, once you knew
9550 the signs. A slightly paranoid look, but still eager to meet
9551 new people. Not unlike a drug dealer or prostitute. This guy,
9552 however, was carrying a laptop.
9553 I sat in the chair beside him. "Any new stuff for
9554 Linux configuration?", I said, looking at the opposite wall
9556 The broker looked at me, startled, then quickly away. Then
9557 back at me. "What are you, a cop?" The traditional greeting of
9558 the underworld. It made me feel right at home.
9559 "Nope, I just want to install Deb..."
9560 "Shutup. I don't want to go to jail."
9561 I turned around, looked around, then turned back, and put my
9562 knife against his ribs. "Sing or die: where's software for
9563 managing a group of Debian boxes easily?"
9564 His face was pale, and he whispered through his teeth.
9565 "cfgtool. At Lasu's site. http://www.iki.fi/liw/programs/".
9566 I stood up, and walked quickly to the kitchen, and on
9567 out. As I was closing the kitchen door behind me, I heard the
9568 all too familiar sound of MessySoft Police Cars braking in the
9569 street. It would be a hectic night, but I was still one step
9571 -- Lars Wirzenius, advertising his cfgtool program
9573 Microsoft seems to have gotten a lot of mileage out of the
9574 C2 rating for NT with no network connection. I wonder if a B3
9575 rating for Linux with no power cord might be of value.
9576 -- riordan@math.umn.edu
9578 In the United States there is more space where nobody is
9579 than where anybody is. This is what makes America what it is.
9580 -- Gertrude Stein, explaining early 20th century America
9582 Ah, yes, divorce, from the Latin word meaning
9583 "to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet".
9586 Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of
9587 it as the only time of the month that I can be myself.
9590 Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.
9593 I just broke up with someone and the last thing she said
9594 to me was, "You'll never find anyone like me again!"
9595 I'm thinking, "I should hope not! If I don't want you,
9596 why would I want someone like you?"
9599 If you want to say it with flowers, a single rose says: "I'm cheap!"
9602 According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable
9603 undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other
9604 women. They say that women are too judgemental, where, of course,
9605 men are just grateful.
9608 I am not the boss of my house. I don't know when I lost it.
9609 I don't know if I ever had it. But I have seen the boss's job
9610 and I do not want it.
9613 In the last couple of weeks I have seen the ads for the Wonder Bra.
9614 Is that really a problem in this country? Men not paying enough
9615 attention to women's breasts?
9618 My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care
9619 and vehicle maintenance.
9622 We have women in the military, but they don't put us in the front lines.
9623 They don't know if we can fight, if we can kill. I think we can.
9624 All the general has to do is walk over to the women and say, "You see
9625 the enemy over there? They say you look fat in those uniforms."
9628 There's a new medical crisis. Doctors are reporting that many men
9629 are having allergic reactions to latex condoms. They say they cause
9630 severe swelling. So what's the problem?
9633 There's very little sexual advice in men's magazines,
9634 because men don't think there's a lot they don't know.
9635 Women do. Women want to learn. Men think, "I know what
9636 I'm doing, just show me somebody naked."
9639 Men are liars. We'll lie about lying if we have to.
9640 I'm an algebra liar. I figure two good lies make a positive.
9643 Men do not like to admit to even momentary imperfection.
9644 My husband forgot the code to turn off the alarm. When
9645 the police came, he wouldn't admit he'd forgotten the
9646 code... he turned himself in.
9649 If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.
9652 Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman
9653 I don't like and give her a house.
9656 One of the chief duties of the mathematician in acting
9657 as an advisor to scientists is to discourage them from
9658 expecting too much from mathematics.
9661 I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.
9663 It is easy to guess why the rabble dislike cats.
9664 A cat is beautiful; it suggests ideas of luxury,
9665 cleanliness, voluptuous pleasures.
9666 -- Charles Baudelaire
9668 An artist must regulate his life.
9670 Here is a time-table of my daily acts. I rise at 7.18; am inspired from
9671 10.23 to 11.47. I lunch at 12.11 and leave the table at 12.14. A healthy
9672 ride on horse-back round my domain follows from 1.19 pm to 2.53 pm. Another
9673 bout of inspiration from 3.12 to 4.7 pm. From 5 to 6.47 pm various
9674 occupations (fencing, reflection, immobility, visits, contemplation,
9675 dexterity, natation, etc.)
9677 Dinner is served at 7.16 and finished at 7.20 pm. From 8.9 to 9.59 pm
9678 symphonic readings (out loud). I go to bed regularly at 10.37 pm. Once a
9679 week (on Tuesdays) I awake with a start at 3.14 am.
9681 My only nourishment consists of food that is white: eggs, sugar, shredded
9682 bones, the fat of dead animals, veal, salt, coco-nuts, chicken cooked in
9683 white water, moldy fruit, rice, turnips, sausages in camphor, pastry, cheese
9684 (white varieties), cotton salad, and certain kinds of fish (without their
9685 skin). I boil my wine and drink it cold mixed with the juice of the
9686 Fuschia. I have a good appetite but never talk when eating for fear of
9689 I breathe carefully (a little at a time) and dance very rarely. When
9690 walking I hold my ribs and look steadily behind me.
9692 My expression is very serious; when I laugh it is unintentional, and I
9693 always apologize very politely.
9695 I sleep with only one eye closed, very profoundly. My bed is round with a
9696 hole in it for my head to go through. Every hour a servant takes my
9697 temperature and gives me another.
9698 -- Erik Satie's description of "A Day in the Life of a Musician"
9700 Confront a child, a puppy and a kitten with sudden danger;
9701 the child will turn instinctively for assistance, the puppy
9702 will grovel in abject submission to the impending visitation,
9703 the kitten will brace its tiny body for a frantic resistance.
9704 -- H.H. Munro (Saki)
9706 It is fair to say that, in general, no problems have been exhausted;
9707 instead, men have been exhausted by the problems. Fresh talent approaching
9708 the analysis of a problem without prejudice will always see new
9709 possibilities -- some aspect not considered by those who believe that a
9710 subject is fully understood. Our knowledge is so fragmentary that
9711 unexpected findings appear in even the most fully explored topics...
9712 In summary, there are no small problems. Problems that appear small
9713 are large problems that are not understood. Instead of tiny details
9714 unworthy of the intellectual, we have men whose tiny intellects cannot rise
9715 to penetrate the infinitesimal. Nature is a harmonious mechanism where all
9716 parts, including those appearing to play a secondary role, cooperate in a
9717 functional whole. In contemplating this mechanism, shallow men arbitrarily
9718 divide its parts into essential and secondary, whereas the insightful
9719 thinker is content with classifying them as understood and poorly
9720 understood, ignoring for the moment their size and immediately useful
9721 properties. No one can predict their importance in the future."
9722 -- Santiago Ramon y Cajal, "Advice for a Young Investigator," 1897
9724 He who would do good to another must do it in Minute
9725 Particulars: General Good is the plea of the scoundrel,
9726 hypocrite and flatterer, for Art and Science cannot
9727 exist but in minutely organized particulars.
9730 The Atoms of Democritus
9731 And Newton's Particles of Light
9732 Are sands upon the Red Sea shore
9733 Where Israel's tents do shine so bright.
9736 To see a world in a grain of sand
9737 And a heaven in a wild flower, and:
9738 And did those feet in ancient time
9739 Walk upon England's mountains green? ...
9740 And was Jerusalem builded here
9741 Among these dark Satanic mills?
9744 The harlot's cry from street to street,
9745 Shall weave Old England's winding sheet.
9748 Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
9749 In the forests of the night,
9750 What immortal hand or eye
9751 Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
9753 Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
9756 The cat, an aristocrat in type and origin, whom we
9757 have slandered, merits at least our esteem.
9760 society's crumbling, but at least we're getting it televised.
9763 I think maybe it's my purpose in life.
9764 -- The "Guiness Book of World Records" TV show's winner for the category
9765 of longest combined finger nails for ten fingers.
9767 If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will
9768 leave opportunities for alternatives. We will not become enthusiastic for
9769 the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth of the day, but remain always
9770 uncertain. The English have developed their government in this direction, it
9771 is called 'muddling through,' and although a rather silly, stupid sounding
9772 thing, it is the most scientific way of progressing. To decide upon the
9773 answer is not scientific. In order to make progress, one must leave the door
9774 to the unknown ajar.
9775 We are only at the beginning of the development of the human race; of
9776 the development of the human mind, of intelligent life; we have years and
9777 years in the future. It is our responsibility not to give an answer today as
9778 to what it is all about, to drive everybody down in that direction and say:
9779 'This is the solution to it all.' Because we will be chained to the limit
9780 of our present imagination, we will only be able to do those things that we
9781 think are the things to do. Whereas, if we leave some room for discussion,
9782 and proceed in a way analogous to the sciences, then this difficulty will
9783 not arise. I believe, therefore, that although it is not the case today,
9784 there may some day come a time, or I should hope, that the power of
9785 government should be limited. That governments ought not to be empowered to
9786 decide the validity of scientific theories. That is a ridiculous thing for
9787 them to try to do. That they are not to decide the various descriptions of
9788 history or of economic theory or of philosophy.
9789 Only in this way can the real possibilities of the future human race be
9790 ultimately developed.
9791 -- Richard Feynman, from "The Beat Of A Different Drum: The Life And
9792 Science of Richard Feynman," by Jagdish Mehra. Published by Oxford
9793 University Press 1996.
9795 hey, when you come to think of it, isn't it
9796 only the assholes in life who have zero tolerance
9797 about things? and now they're trying to promote
9798 that as a virtue. i just don't buy it.
9801 The spirit of the age cannot be compassed by the processes of human
9802 reason. It is an inclination, an emotional tendency that works upon weaker
9803 minds, through the unconscious, with an overwhelming force of suggestion
9804 that carries them along with it. To think otherwise than our contemporaries
9805 think is somehow illegitimate and disturbing; it is even indecent, morbid
9806 or blasphemous, and therefore socially dangerous for the individual. He is
9807 stupidly swimming against the social current. Just as formerly the
9808 assumption was unquestionable that everything that exists takes its rise
9809 from the creative will of a God who is spirit, so the nineteenth century
9810 discovered the equally unquestionable truth that everything arises from
9811 material causes. Today the psyche does not build itself a body, but on the
9812 contrary, matter, by chemical action, produces the psyche. This reversal of
9813 outlook would be ludicrous if it were not one of the outstanding features of
9814 the spirit of the age. It is the popular way of thinking, and therefore it
9815 is decent, reasonable, scientific and normal. Mind must be thought to be an
9816 epiphenomenon of matter. The same conclusion is reached even if we say not
9817 "mind" but "psyche," and in place of matter speak of brain, hormones,
9818 instincts or drives. To grant the substantiality of the soul or psyche is
9819 repugnant to the spirit of the age, for to do so would be heresy.
9820 -- Carl Jung, from his 1933 book, "Modern Man In Search Of A Soul"
9822 There are many ways to explain an event, and some are better than
9823 others. Even if neuroscientists someday decode the entire wiring
9824 diagram of the brain, human behavior makes the most sense when it
9825 is explained in terms of beliefs and desires, not in terms of volts
9826 and grams. Physics provides no insights into the machinations of a
9827 crafty lawyer, and even fails to enlighten us about many simpler
9828 acts of living things. As Richard Dawkins observed, 'If you throw
9829 a dead bird into the air it will describe a graceful parabola,
9830 exactly as physics books say it should, then come to rest on the
9831 ground and stay there. It behaves as a solid body of a particular
9832 mass and wind resistance ought to behave. But if you throw a live
9833 bird in the air it will not describe a parabola and come to rest on
9834 the ground. It will fly away, and may not touch land this side of
9835 the county boundary.' We understand birds in terms of their innards.
9836 To know why they move and grow, we cut them open and put bits under
9837 a microscope. We need yet another kind of explanation for artifacts
9838 like a chair and a crowbar: a statement of the function the object is
9839 intended to perform. It would be silly to understand why chairs have
9840 a stable horizontal surface by cutting them open and putting bits of
9841 them under a microscope. The explanation is that someone designed
9842 the chair to hold up a human behind.
9843 -- Steven Pinker, from his book, "How The Mind Works,"
9846 What wonder, then, that the world goes from bad to worse, and that
9847 its evils increase more and more, as boredom increases, and boredom is the
9848 root of all evil. The history of this can be traced from the very beginning
9849 of the world. The gods were bored, and so they created man. Adam was bored
9850 because he was alone, and so Eve was created. Thus boredom entered the
9851 world, and increased in proportion to the increase of population. Adam was
9852 bored alone; then Adam and Eve were bored together, then Adam and Eve and
9853 Cain and Abel were bored en famille; then the population of the world
9854 increased, and the peoples were bored en masse. To divert themselves they
9855 conceived the idea of constructing a tower high enough to reach the heavens.
9856 This idea is itself as boring as the tower was high, and constitutes a
9857 terrible proof of how boredom gained the upper hand.
9858 -- Soren Kierkegaard, from "Either/Or"
9860 Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of War, where every man
9861 is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live
9862 without other security, than what their own strength, and their own
9863 invention shall furnish them withall. In such condition, there is no place
9864 for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no
9865 Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be
9866 imported by Sea; no commodious building; no Instruments of moving, and
9867 removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the
9868 Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is
9869 worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of
9870 man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
9873 A house without a cat, and a well-fed, well-petted, and properly revered
9874 cat, may be a perfect house perhaps, but how can it prove its title?
9877 The group cannot function if it has to maintain a large amount of
9878 individual preconceptions and personal experiences. The design group must,
9879 as a whole, have the ability and the opportunity to leave things behind,
9880 that is, select what to remember.
9881 If designers are to come up with novel ideas, they may have to forget
9882 what was 'named and framed' as a problem or solution earlier in the process.
9883 A group of designers needs to work its way through ideas, visions, and
9884 operative images without being held up by heavy demands for documentation of
9885 the process. In a creative design process one thing leads to another,
9886 analogies and metaphors influence the design thinking in new ways, and a
9887 certain amount of chaos is always present...
9888 The characteristics of oral cultures can be applied to group design...
9889 Group members need to repeat themselves, to be redundant and nonlinear in
9890 their arguments, to forget, to make references and analogies in a situated
9892 -- Tone Bratteteig & Erik Stolterman, "Design in Groups--And All That
9893 Jazz," in: M. Kyng & L. Mathiassen, "Computers and Design in Context,"
9896 Where science has progressed by searching for commonalities and
9897 patterns, the arts have celebrated diversity and have resisted attempts to
9898 encapsulate their activities in rules and formulae. They are the ultimate
9899 manifestations of the unpredictabilities and asymmetries of Nature. After
9900 all, what more chaotically unpredictable outcomes are there than some of
9901 those that issue from the human mind? So intractable has been the problem
9902 of finding pattern in creative activity, that few would even seek it. If
9903 one looks not at science and art, but at scientists and artists, one finds a
9904 reflection of this divide. Two populations that overlap only a little,
9905 convergent thinkers and divergent thinkers, specialists and generalists--
9906 these labels reflect the differences of which we speak...
9907 While science has enlarged its past horizons beyond order and symmetry
9908 to embrace diversity and unpredictability, the humanities have yet to
9909 appreciate the full force of commonality and pattern as a unifying factor in
9910 the interpretation of human creativity. Just as science has begun to
9911 appreciate the ways in which its view of Nature must reconcile the ways in
9912 which Nature is both simple and complex, so the arts and humanities must
9913 appreciate the lessons to be drawn from the regularities of Nature. It is
9914 not enough to collect examples of diversity: the coexistence of diversity
9915 with universal behavior is what requires exploration and reconciliation.
9916 -- John D. Barrow, from "The Artful Universe," Clarendon Press:
9919 I first became interested in Darwin in college when I read about
9920 Darwin's experience with John Gould. When Darwin returned to England after
9921 he visited the Galapagos, he distributed his finch specimens to professional
9922 zoologists to be properly identified. One of the most distinguished experts
9923 was John Gould. What was the most revealing was not what happened to Darwin,
9924 but what had not happened to Gould.
9925 Darwin's notes show Gould taking him through all the birds he had
9926 named. Gould kept flip-flopping back and forth about the number of
9927 different species of finches: The information was there, but he didn't quite
9928 know what to make of it. He assumed that since God made one set of birds
9929 when he created the world, the specimens from different locations would be
9930 identical. It didn't occur to him to look for differences by location. Gould
9931 thought that the birds were so different that they might be distinct species.
9932 What was remarkable to me about the encounter is the completely
9933 different impact it had on the two men. Gould thought the way he had been
9934 taught to think, like an expert taxonomist, and didn't see, in the finches,
9935 the textbook example of evolution unfolding right before him. Darwin didn't
9936 even know they were finches. So the guy who had the intelligence, knowledge,
9937 and the expertise didn't see the differences, and the guy with far less
9938 knowledge and expertise came up with an idea that shaped the way we think
9940 Darwin came up with the idea because he was a productive thinker. He
9941 generated a multiplicity of perspectives and theories. Gould would compare
9942 new ideas and theories with his existing patterns of experience. He thought
9943 reproductively. If the ideas didn't fit with what he had been taught, he
9944 rejected them as worthless. On the other hand, Darwin was willing to
9945 disregard what past thinkers thought and was willing to entertain different
9946 perspectives and different theories to see where they would lead.
9947 Most of us are educated to think like John Gould. We were all born
9948 to be spontaneous, creative thinkers. Yet a great deal of our education may
9949 be regarded as the inculcation of mind-sets. We were taught how to handle
9950 problems and new phenomena with fixed mental attitudes (based on what past
9951 thinkers thought) that predetermine our responses to problems or situations.
9952 In short, we were taught 'what' to think instead of 'how' to think. We
9953 entered school as a question mark and graduated a period.
9954 -- Michael Michalko, in "Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative
9955 Genius," Ten Speed Press, 1998.
9957 The wisdom of the late industrial era was always to start with what
9958 the customer needed and backtrack to which products and services those needs
9959 called for. That fit when the customer already understood the need and the
9960 product, and innovation meant a different shaped bottle for liquid detergent.
9961 In BLUR, technical change is happening so fast, your product must educate the
9962 customer (beepers for kids on dates?) and the customer must educate you. You
9963 can't afford the time delay to put something new in front of the customer.
9964 Instead, start with what technology will make possible, co-develop it as
9965 fast as you can with the customer, and be flexible and adaptive enough to
9966 adjust it according to customer needs as you go. As in software, the first
9967 release is your take on things. The customer enters the feedback loop and
9968 starts to influence things with release 2.0 and beyond.
9969 -- Stan Davis & Christopher Meyer, "Blur: The Speed Of Change In The
9970 Connected Economy," Addison-Wesley 1998.
9972 The traditional hidden curriculum of school demands that people of a
9973 certain age assemble in groups of about thirty under the authority of a
9974 professional teacher for from five hundred to a thousand times a year. It
9975 does not matter if the teacher is authoritarian so long as it is the
9976 teacher's authority that counts; it does not matter if all meetings occur
9977 in the same place so long as they are somehow understood as attendance. The
9978 hidden curriculum of school requires--whether by law or by fact--that a
9979 citizen accumulate a minimum quantum of school years in order to obtain his
9981 The translation of the need for learning into the demand for schooling
9982 and the conversion of the quality of growing up into the price tag of a
9983 professional treatment changes the meaning of 'knowledge' from a term that
9984 designates intimacy, intercourse, and life experience into one that
9985 designates professionally packaged products, marketable entitlements, and
9987 -- Ivan Illich, from "After Deschooling, What?"
9989 I consider children to be very expensive and complicated pets.
9992 History tells us that the most successful cures for poverty come from
9993 within. Foreign aid can help, but like windfall wealth, can also hurt. It
9994 can discourage effort and plant a crippling sense of incapacity. As the
9995 African saying has it, 'The hand that receives is always under the one that
9996 gives.' No, what counts is work, thrift, honesty, patience, and tenacity...
9997 To be sure, we are living in a dessert age. We want things to be
9998 sweet; too many of us work to live and live to be happy. Nothing wrong with
9999 that; it just does not promote high productivity. You want high productivity?
10000 Then you should live to work and get happiness as a by-product.
10001 Not easy. They who live to work are a small and fortunate elite. But
10002 it is an elite open to newcomers, self-selected, the kind of people who
10003 accentuate the positive. In this world, the optimists have it, not because
10004 they are always right, but because they are positive. Even when wrong, they
10005 are positive, and that is the way of achievement, correction, improvement,
10006 and success. Educated, eyes-open optimism pays; pessimism can only offer
10007 the empty consolation of being right.
10008 The one lesson that emerges is the need to keep trying. No miracles.
10009 No perfection. No millennium. No apocalypse. We must cultivate a
10010 skeptical faith, avoid dogma, listen and watch well, try to clarify and
10011 define ends, the better to choose means.
10012 -- David Landis, from "The Wealth And Poverty Of Nations: Why Some Are
10013 So Rich And Some So Poor," W. W. Norton & Co., 1998.
10015 During my travels around the country, visiting inner-city neighborhoods
10016 and talking to young people I've met there, I have been struck again and
10017 again by the stark differences between their childhoods and my own. When I
10018 was growing up in the Bronx, I wasn't rich -- at least not in a material
10019 sense, but I had the matchless blessing of being reared by two devoted
10020 parents--backed up by a platoon of doting aunts and uncles--who gave me
10021 the love, discipline and motivation I needed to succeed.
10022 Too many of today's kids are not getting the same kind of nurturing
10023 environment that I -- and most Americans -- once took for granted. As many
10024 as 15 million youngsters are 'at risk' in today's America. They are in
10025 danger of being lost for good unless the more fortunate among us step
10026 forward and lend a hand... It is this glorious cycle of giving, receiving
10027 and giving back that we want to pass along to the next generation of
10028 Americans. We want them to believe in America, and we want them to know
10029 that America believes in them.
10030 -- Colin Powell's autobiography, "My American Journey" (Ballantine, 1996)
10032 In the past fifteen years one big American company after another has
10033 done this [i.e., downsized itself]--among them IBM, Sears, and GM. Each
10034 first announced that laying off 10,000 or 20,000 or even 50,000 people would
10035 lead to an immediate turnaround. A year later there had, of course, been no
10036 turnaround, and the company laid off another 10,000 or 20,000 or 50,000--
10037 again without results. In many if not most cases, downsizing has turned out
10038 to be something that surgeons have warned against: 'amputation before
10039 diagnosis.' The result is always a casualty.
10040 But there have been a few organizations--some large companies (GE,
10041 for instance) and a few hospitals (Beth Israel in Boston, for instance)--
10042 that quietly, and without fanfare, did turn themselves around, by rethinking
10043 themselves. They did not start out by downsizing. If fact, they knew that
10044 to start by reducing expenditures is not the way to get control of costs.
10045 The starting point is to identify the activities that are productive, that
10046 should be strengthened, promoted, and expanded. Every agency, every policy,
10047 every program, every activity should be confronted with these questions:
10048 'What is your mission?' 'Is it still the right mission?' 'Is it still
10049 worth doing?' 'If we were not already doing this, would we go into it now?'
10050 This questioning has been done often enough in all kinds of organizations--
10051 businesses, hospitals, churches, an even local governments--that we know
10053 The overall answer is almost never 'This is fine as it stands; let's
10054 keep on.' But in some--indeed, a good many--areas, the answer to the
10055 last question is 'Yes, we should go into this again, but with some changes.
10056 We have learned a few things.'
10057 -- Peter F. Drucker, from "Managing in a Time of Great Change,"
10058 Truman-Talley Books/Dutton, 1995.
10060 Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.
10061 General recognition of this fact is shown in the proverbial phrase 'It is
10062 the busiest man who has time to spare.' Thus, an elderly lady of leisure
10063 can spend the entire day in writing and dispatching a postcard to her niece
10064 at Bognor Reis. An hour will be spent in finding the postcard, half an
10065 hour in a search for spectacles, half an hour in a search for the address,
10066 an hour and a quarter in composition, and twenty minutes in deciding
10067 whether or not to take an umbrella when going to the mailbox in the next
10068 street. The total effort that would occupy a busy man [or woman] for three
10069 minutes all told may in this fashion leave another person [man or woman]
10070 prostate after a day of doubt, anxiety, and toil.
10071 Granted that work (and especially paperwork) is thus elastic in its
10072 demands on time, it is manifest that there need be little or no
10073 relationship between the work to be done and the size of the staff to which
10074 it may be assigned. A lack of real activity does not, of necessity, result
10075 in leisure. A lack of occupation is not necessarily revealed by a manifest
10076 idleness. The thing to be done swells in importance and complexity in a
10077 direct ration with the time to be spent. This fact is widely recognized,
10078 but less attention has been paid to its wider implications, more especially
10079 in the field of publication administration. Politicians and taxpayers have
10080 assume (with occasional phases of doubt) that a rising total in the number
10081 of civil servants must reflect a growing volume of work to be done.
10082 Cynics, in questioning this belief, have imagined that the multiplication
10083 of officials must have left some of them idle or all of them able to work
10084 for shorter hours. But this is a matter in which faith and doubt seem
10085 equally misplaced. The fact is that the number of officials and the
10086 quantity of the work are not related to each other at all. The rise in the
10087 toil of those employed is governed by Parkinson's Law and would be much the
10088 same whether the volume of the work were to increase, diminish, or even
10089 disappear. The importance of Parkinson's Law lies in the fact that it is a
10090 law of growth based upon an analysis of the factors by which that growth is
10092 The validity of this recently discovered law must rest mainly on
10093 statistical proofs, which will follow. Of more interest to the general
10094 reader is the explanation of the factors underlying the general tendency to
10095 which this law gives definition. Omitting technicalities (which are
10096 numerous) we may distinguish at the outset two motive forces. They can be
10097 represented for the present purpose by two almost axiomatic statements,
10098 thus: (1) 'An official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals' and (2)
10099 'Officials make work for each other.'
10100 -- C. Northcote Parkinson, from "Parkinson's Law & Other Studies
10101 in Administration," (1957; Buccaneer Books ed., 1996).
10103 The smallest feline is a masterpiece.
10104 -- Leonardo Da Vinci
10106 Though it may be discomforting to admit, throughout history children
10107 have always played violent games. Early in this century, young boys played
10108 'war' with lines of tin soldiers, knocking them down one by one, or in one
10109 fell swoop, in a simulated battle. The next generation played cowboys and
10110 Indians or cops and robbers, where the youngsters themselves fell down and
10111 played dead. When parents stopped buying soldier figures and fake guns,
10112 children created their own weapons and continued to play out good guy/bad
10113 guy plots. Children are attracted to violence and critical studies of
10114 older media forms, including the fairy tale, suggest it is not always in
10115 children's best interests to remove from their cultural experience all
10116 material that parents deem is too provocative or violent.
10117 This is not a simple issue.
10118 Clearly much of the concern about violence in video games and other
10119 media is misplaced--the main sources of violent behavior lies elsewhere.
10120 These include parental violence toward children and violence between
10121 nations which portray the use of force in the real world by important
10122 institutions--parents and government--as an acceptable way to solve
10123 problems or vent anger.
10124 Nevertheless, the impact of video games, television, film or other
10125 media violence (such as the gory details of murders in the print media)
10126 probably has a negative impact on violent behavior in society, as does the
10127 proliferation of weapons.
10128 The impact of media violence on an individual child's behavior is
10129 probably very specific to the child and his or her social context. There
10130 is no evidence, for example, that the use of "Beat-'em-up" video games
10131 leads to violent behavior of well-adjusted youth coming from loving
10132 families. The impact is also probably specific to age. Just as it makes
10133 sense to restrict a 10-year-old's access to movies with extreme violent
10134 content, so it makes sense to restrict age-inappropriate video games. Age
10135 ratings on video game packages do appear to be helpful and appropriate.
10136 Most violent games today are cartoon-like. This will change as games
10137 become more realistic and, 3D, and eventually realistic of virtual reality,
10138 ensuring that this issue will not disappear.
10139 It is inappropriate for children of any age to spend significant
10140 parts of life using violent video games, or any video games for that
10141 matter. Conversely, for most children it makes little sense to deny access
10142 to age-appropriate games simply for fear that these will lead to antisocial
10143 behavior. Successful parenting is a question of balance.
10144 -- Don Tapscott, "Growing Up Digital"
10146 Literacy-based education, as all other literacy experiences, assumes
10147 that people are the same. It presumes that each human being can and must
10148 be literate. Just as the goal of industry was to turn out standardized
10149 products, education assumes the same task through the mold of literacy.
10150 Diplomas and certificates testify how like the mold the product is. To
10151 those who have problems with writing or reading, the labels legasthenic and
10152 dyslexic are applied. Dyscalculus is the name given to the inability to
10153 cope with numbers. The question of why we should expect uniform cognitive
10154 structures covering the literate use of language or numbers, but not the
10155 use of sounds, colors, shapes, and volume, is never raised. Tremendous
10156 effort is made to help individuals who simply cannot execute the
10157 sequentiality of writing or the meaning of successive numbers. Nothing
10158 similar is done to address cognitive characteristics of persons inclined to
10159 means different from literacy...
10160 Education needs to reconsider its expectation of a universal common
10161 denominator, based on the industrial model of standardization. Rather than
10162 taming and sanitizing the minds of students, education has not only to
10163 acknowledge differences in aptitudes and interests but also to stimulate
10164 them. Every known form of energy is the expression of difference and not
10165 the result of leveling.
10166 -- Mihai Nadin, "The Civilization of Illiteracy," (1997)
10168 Anthropologists have identified a number of characteristics that seem
10169 common to most non-technological societies past and present. These
10170 societies tend to value practical rather than abstract knowledge, their
10171 'primitive' rituals are part of the regular day-to-day realities of life,
10172 the groups tend not to support specialists other than the shaman, every
10173 member of the group can to some extent do every task, and all share the
10174 responsibility for all others. Principally, the 'primitive' takes a holist
10175 view of life that examines all social decisions for their effect on the
10176 community and the environment.
10177 These social values may fit well in the webbed communities of the
10178 mid-twenty-first century because they are more appropriate to small,
10179 relatively simple social structures that up to now had seemed to be
10180 disappearing... For such communities, the most valuable skills would be
10181 generalist rather than specialist. They would prize the ability to
10182 connect, to think imaginatively, to understand how data are related, to see
10183 patterns in machine-generated innovation, and to assess its social effect
10184 before releasing it on society...
10185 Today, billions of human talents could be on the verge of
10186 self-expression if we are willing to take new views and see where they
10188 -- James Burke & Robert Ornstein, "The Axemaker's Gift: A Double-Edged
10189 History of Human Culture," (Grosset/Putnam 1995).
10191 (History is) indeed little more than the register of
10192 the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind.
10195 All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance.
10198 The beauty of the second amendment is that it will
10199 not be needed until they try to take it.
10200 -- Thomas Jefferson
10202 No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
10203 -- Thomas Jefferson
10205 Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are
10206 the people's liberty's teeth.
10207 -- George Washington
10209 Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks
10210 and Romans, and must be that of every free state.
10211 -- Thomas Jefferson
10213 Government is not reason, it is not eloquence. It is force.
10214 Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearsome master.
10215 -- George Washington
10217 I have found a certain type calls himself a liberal... Now I always
10218 thought I was a liberal. I came up terribly surprised one time when I
10219 found out that I was a right-wing, conservative extremist...
10222 Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come
10223 from the subjects of government. The history of liberty is the history
10224 of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of
10225 governmental power, not the increase of it.
10228 I believe there are more instances of abridgment of freedom of the
10229 people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by
10230 violent and sudden usurpations...
10233 You vote for me and I'll give you family values... I promise you the
10234 most ethical administration in the history of our country.
10235 -- William Jefferson Clinton
10237 Many give lip service, but few delegate authority in important
10238 matters. And that means all they delegate is dog-work. A real
10239 leader does as much dog-work for his people as he can: he can do
10240 it, or see a way to do without it, ten times as fast. And he
10241 delegates as many important matters as he can because that creates
10242 a climate in which people grow.
10243 -- Robert Townsend, founder of Avis Rent-a-Car
10245 True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not the
10246 enrichment of the leaders. In combat, officers eat last. Most
10247 people in big companies today are administered, not led. They are
10248 treated as personnel, not people.
10249 -- Robert Townsend, founder of Avis Rent-a-Car
10251 How do you spot a leader? They come in all ages, shapes, sizes,
10252 and conditions. Some are poor administrators, some are not overly
10253 bright. One clue: since most people per se are mediocre, the true
10254 leader can be recognized because, somehow or other, his people
10255 consistently turn in superior performances.
10256 -- Robert Townsend, founder of Avis Rent-a-Car
10258 Before you commit yourself to a new effort, it's worth asking
10259 yourself a couple of questions: "Are we really trying to do
10260 something worthwhile here? Or are we just building another
10261 monument to some diseased ego?"
10262 -- Robert Townsend, founder of Avis Rent-a-Car
10264 Beware the boss who walks on water and never makes a mistake.
10265 Save yourself a lot of grief and seek employment elsewhere.
10266 -- Robert Townsend, founder of Avis Rent-a-Car
10268 Every genius is a revolutionary who produces a good deal of commotion
10269 in the world. After he has abolished the old rules he writes his own, the
10270 new ones, which no one even half understands; and after he has stupefied
10271 and bewildered everybody, he leaves the world neither understood nor
10272 regretted. Not always does the next generation comprehend and appreciate
10273 him properly. Sometimes it may even take a whole century.
10274 -- Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
10276 To assume a cat's asleep
10277 Is a great mistake.
10278 He can close his eyes and keep
10279 Both his ears awake.
10282 A most nerve-wracking confirmation of this came some time ago during
10283 an interview with the producer and the writer of the TV mini-series 'Peter
10284 the Great.' Defending the historical inaccuracies in the drama--which
10285 included a fabricated meeting between Peter and Sir Isaac Newton--the
10286 producer said that no one would watch a dry, historically faithful
10287 biography. The writer added that it is better for audiences to learn
10288 something that is untrue, if it is entertaining, than not to learn anything
10289 at all. And just to put some icing on the cake, the actor who played Peter,
10290 Maximilian Schell, remarked that he does not believe in historical truth and
10291 therefore sees no reason to pursue it.
10292 I do not mean to say that the trivialization of American public
10293 discourse is all accomplished on television. Rather, television is the
10294 paradigm for all our attempts at public communication. It conditions our
10295 minds to apprehend the world through fragmented pictures and forces other
10296 media to orient themselves in that direction...
10297 As a medium for conducting public business, language has receded in
10298 importance; it has been moved to the periphery of culture and has been
10299 replaced at the center by the entertaining visual image... When a culture
10300 becomes overloaded with pictures; when logic and rhetoric lose their
10301 binding authority; when historical truth becomes irrelevant; when the
10302 spoken or written word is distrusted or makes demands on our attention that
10303 we are incapable of giving; when our politics, history, education,
10304 religion, public information, and commerce are expressed largely in visual
10305 imagery rather than words, then a culture is in serious jeopardy.
10306 -- Neil Postman, from "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public
10307 Discourse in the Age of Show Business," (Viking Press 1986).
10309 It is a perplexing and unpleasant truth that when men already have
10310 'something worth fighting for,' they do not feel like fighting. People who
10311 live full, worthwhile lives are not usually ready to die for their own
10312 interests nor for their country nor for a holy cause. Craving, not having,
10313 is the mother of a reckless giving of oneself.
10314 'Things which are not' are indeed mightier than 'things that are.' In
10315 all ages men have fought most desperately for beautiful cities yet to be
10316 built and gardens yet to be planted...
10317 It is strange, indeed, that those who hug the present and hang on to
10318 it with all their might should be the least capable of defending it. And
10319 that, on the other hand, those who spurn the present and dust their hands of
10320 it should have all its gifts and treasures showered on them unasked.
10321 Dreams, vision and wild hopes are mighty weapons and realistic tools.
10322 The practical-mindedness of a true leader consists in recognizing the
10323 practical value of these tools. Yet this recognition usually stems from a
10324 contempt of the present which can be traced to a natural ineptitude in
10325 practical affairs. The successful businessman is often a failure as a
10326 communal leader because his mind is attuned to the 'things that are' and his
10327 heart set on that which can be accomplished in 'our time.' Failure in the
10328 management of practical affairs seems to be a qualification for success in
10329 the management of public affairs. And it is perhaps fortunate that some
10330 proud natures when suffering defeat in the practical world do not feel
10331 crushed but are suddenly fired with the apparently absurd conviction that
10332 they are eminently competent to direct the fortunes of the community and the
10334 -- Eric Hoffer, "The True Believer", 1951
10336 Bought me a cat, the cat pleased me,
10337 I fed my cat under yonder tree,
10338 Cat goes fiddle-i-fee, fiddle-i-fee.
10339 -- Traditional Folk Song
10341 Love is one aspect of what I have called the productive orientation:
10342 the active and creative relatedness of man to his fellow man, to himself and
10343 to nature. In the realm of thought, this productive orientation is
10344 expressed in the proper grasp of the world by reason. In the realm of
10345 action, the productive orientation is expressed in productive work, the
10346 prototype of which is art and craftsmanship. In the realm of feeling, the
10347 productive orientation is expressed in love, which is the experience of
10348 union with another person, with all men, and with nature, under the
10349 condition of retaining one's sense of integrity and independence. In the
10350 experience of love the paradox happens that two people become one, and
10351 remain two at the same time. Love in this sense is never restricted to one
10352 person. If I can love only one person, and nobody else, if my love for one
10353 person makes me more alienated and distant from my fellow man, I may be
10354 attached to this person in any number of ways, yet I do not love. If I can
10355 say, 'I love you,' I say, 'I love you in you also myself.' Self-love, in
10356 this sense, is the opposite of selfishness. The latter is actually a greedy
10357 concern with oneself which springs from and compensates for the lack of
10358 genuine love for oneself. Love, paradoxically, makes me more independent
10359 because it makes me stronger and happier--yet it makes me one with the
10360 loved person to the extent that individuality seems to be extinguished for
10361 the moment. In loving I experience 'I am you,' you-the loved person,
10362 you-the stranger, you-everything alive. In the experience of love lies the
10363 only answer to being human, lies sanity.
10364 -- Erich Fromm, from "The Sane Society", 1955
10366 # NO WARRANTY: THIS WORK IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. THE AUTHOR
10367 # PROVIDES NO WARRANTY WHATSOEVER, EITHER EXPRESS OR
10368 # IMPLIED, REGARDING THE WORK, INCLUDING WARRANTIES WITH
10369 # RESPECT TO ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY
10370 # PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
10372 # Author contact: Peter Alexander Merel
10373 # Internet: pete@cssc-syd.tansu.oz.au
10374 # UUCP: {uunet,mcvax}!munnari!cssc-syd!pete
10375 # Snail: 1/18-20 Orion Road, Lane Cove NSW 2066 Australia
10376 # Phone: +61 2 911 3130
10378 # Copyright: Copyright (C) 1992 Peter Alexander Merel
10379 # Permission to copy all or part of this work is granted,
10380 # provided that the copies are not made or distributed
10381 # for resale (except nominal copying fee may be charged),
10382 # and provided that the NO WARRANTY, author-contact, and
10383 # copyright notice are retained verbatim & are displayed
10384 # conspicuously. If anyone needs other permissions that
10385 # aren't covered by the above, please contact the author.
10390 # Peter Merel's Interpolation based upon the translations of:
10391 # Lin Yutang, Ch'u Ta-Kao, Gia-Fu Feng & Jane English,
10392 # Richard Wilhelm, and Aleister Crowley.
10394 Seeing is of course indispensable to learning, particularly in
10395 science, which is of the eye. Visual aids therefore have a place in the
10396 laboratory. And most students, not being future scientists, will learn
10397 more from good films of important experiments than from their own fumbling
10398 attempts. But sometimes they must fumble too, and have a teacher who
10399 fumbles on occasion, and thinks all the time he is in class. One learns
10400 not by a photographic copying of things shown, but by an internal drama
10401 imitative of the action witnessed. When the instructor gropes for a word,
10402 corrects himself, interjects a comment or an analogy not directly called
10403 for, he gives a spectacle of man thinking which no slick film or televised
10405 -- Jacques Barzun, from "Science: The Glorious Entertainment", 1964
10407 Far from behaving (or should one say behavioring?) with the regular
10408 intelligibility of a clock, the bent of the living and of man in particular
10409 is to MISbehave, in all senses of the word--from developing allergies,
10410 which make poison out of delicacies, to committing crimes which, as in
10411 saints and statesman, can later seem the highest wisdom. It is even proved
10412 by research that man must have his ration of dreaming, that is, of
10413 irregular and inaccurate thinking. These facts of experience require that
10414 any science of the regularities of behavior be always qualified and
10415 admonished by another discipline, a learned lore of misbehavior.
10416 -- Jacques Barzun, from "Science: The Glorious Entertainment", 1964
10418 Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather
10419 a new wearer of clothes.
10420 -- Henry David Thoreau
10422 What men call social virtue, good fellowship, is commonly but the virtue
10423 of pigs in a litter, which lie close together to keep each other warm.
10424 -- Henry David Thoreau
10426 The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
10427 What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.
10428 -- Henry David Thoreau
10430 Some circumstantial evidence is very strong,
10431 as when you find a trout in the milk.
10432 -- Henry David Thoreau
10434 I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front
10435 only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had
10436 to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did
10437 not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to
10438 practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep
10439 and suck out all of the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike
10440 as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave
10441 close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and,
10442 if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of
10443 it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it
10444 by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.
10445 -- Henry David Thoreau, from "Walden; or Life in the Woods"
10447 The Mind has a different relish, as well as the Palate; and you will
10448 as fruitlessly endeavour to delight all Men with Riches or Glory, (which yet
10449 some Men place their Happiness in,) as you would to satisfie all Men's
10450 Hunger with Cheese or Lobsters; which though very agreeable and delicious
10451 fare to some, are to others extremely nauseous and offensive: And many
10452 People would with Reason prefer the griping of an hungry Belly, to those
10453 Dishes, which are a Feast to others. Hence it was, I think, that the
10454 Philosophers of old did in vain enquire, whether Summum bonum (the chief
10455 good) consisted in Riches, or bodily Delights, or Virtue, or Contemplation:
10456 And they might have as reasonably disputed, whether the best Relish were to
10457 be found in Apples, Plumbs, or Nuts; and have divided themselves into Sects
10458 upon it. For as pleasant Tastes depend not on the things themselves, but
10459 their agreeableness to this or that particulate Palate, wherein there is
10460 great variety: So the greatest Happiness consists, in the having those
10461 things which produce the greatest Pleasure, and the absence of those which
10462 cause any disturbance, any pain, which to different Men are very different
10463 things. If therefore Men in this Life only have hope; if in this Life they
10464 can only enjoy, 'tis not strange, nor unreasonable, they should seek their
10465 Happiness by avoiding all things that disease them here, and by preferring
10466 all that delight them; wherein it will be no wonder to find variety and
10467 difference. For if there be no Prospect beyond the Grave, the inference is
10468 certainly right, Let us eat and drink, let us enjoy what we delight in, for
10469 to morrow we shall die. This, I think, may serve to shew us the Reason,
10470 why, though all Men's desires tend to Happiness, yet they are not moved by
10471 the same Object. Men may chuse different things, and yet all chuse right,
10472 supposing them only like a Company of poor Insects, whereof some are Bees,
10473 delighted with Flowers, and their sweetness; others, Bettles, delighted with
10474 other kinds of Viands; which having enjoyed for a Season, they should cease
10475 to be, and exist no more for ever.
10476 -- John Locke, from "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding."
10478 Businesses will not buy Linux because there is no one to sue.
10481 Even if something new does not require a disruption of the old, there
10482 is no space. People, time and resources are fully stretched--in many
10483 cases there is actually a cutting-back in resources.
10484 The paradox is that as we advance into the future the need for change
10485 gets greater and greater (to cope with changes in population, pollution,
10486 etc., and to make full use of our new technologies) but the possibility of
10487 change gets less and less because everything is already committed.
10488 A wise general does not commit all his troops but keeps a strategic
10489 reserve which can be used as the need and opportunity arise. Society does
10490 not do this, because we believe that we have all the bases covered and that
10491 progress will come about through evolution, the clash of opinions and the
10492 occasional lone innovator.
10493 In addition to allocating funds to research, most successful
10494 corporations also allocate funds to new business divisions or venture
10495 groups. Like the strategic reserves of a general, these groups are outside
10496 the day-to-day combat and are looking for new opportunities.
10497 Democracy could not easily tolerate this principle of strategic
10498 reserve, for the unallocated resources would be the target of every
10499 department or issue that felt it was under-funded. Emergency funds do
10500 exist, but not space and resources for change.
10501 The same thing applies on the thinking level. A person who knows all
10502 the answers, has an opinion on everything, has a certainty backed up by
10503 rational argument, has very little possibility of further progress. Such a
10504 person is unlikely to walk away from a discussion with anything more than a
10505 reaffirmation of how right he or she has been all along.
10506 -- Edward deBono, from "I Am Right, You Are Wrong" (Penguin Books, 1990)
10508 The pleasantest time of day here is at sunset. Then accompanied by
10509 some fifteen girls and little children I walk through the village to the end
10510 of Siufaga, where we stand on an iron bound point and watch the waves splash
10511 us in the face, while the sun goes down, over the sea and at the same time
10512 behind the cocoanut covered hills. Most of the adult population is going
10513 into the sea to bathe, clad in lavalavas with buckets for water borne along
10514 on shoulder poles. All the heads of families are seated in the fatele
10515 (village guesthouse) making kava. At one point a group of women are filling
10516 a small canoe with a solution of native starch (arrowroot). And perhaps,
10517 just as we reach the store, the curfew-angelus will stop us, a wooden bell
10518 will clang mellowly through the village. The children must all scurry to
10519 cover, if we're near the store, it's the store steps, and sit tight until
10520 the bell sounds again. Prayer is over. Sometimes we are all back safely in
10521 room when the bell sounds, and then the Lord's Prayer must be said in
10522 English, while flowers are all taken out of their hair and the siva song
10523 stopped in the middle. But once the bell sounds again, solemnity, never of
10524 a very reliable depth, is sloughed off, the flowers replaced in the girls'
10525 hair, the siva song replaces the hymn, and they begin to dance, by no means
10526 in a puritan fashion. Their supper comes about eight and sometimes I have a
10527 breathing spell, but usually the supper hours don't jibe well enough for
10528 that. They dance for me a great deal, they love it and it is an excellent
10529 index to temperament, as the dance is so individualistic, and the audience
10530 think it is its business to keep up incessant comment.
10531 -- Margaret Mead, from "Coming of Age in Samoa"
10533 There aren't any embarassing questions--only embarassing answers.
10536 Recently one of us was leading a group of thirty Western
10537 businesspeople through Japan to learn about Japanese management techniques.
10538 We took the bullet train from Hiroshima to Osaka, and since the train
10539 stopped for only twenty seconds in Hiroshima, it would have been impossible
10540 to get all the executives and their luggage on the train at the same time.
10541 So we hired a trucking company and crew to transfer the luggage separately.
10542 The crew removed all luggage from each individual's room in Hiroshima and
10543 placed it in his pre-checked room in another chain's hotel in Osaka. Can
10544 you imagine doing that in the United States and ever seeing your luggage
10546 One of the executives, thinking his shoes were too worn, had discarded
10547 them in the wastepaper basket in his Hiroshima hotel room. Imagine his shock
10548 when he entered his room in Osaka and saw his old shoes carefully laid in
10549 the wastepaper basket there. Was the Japanese trucking company politely
10550 saying that these shoes still had life and should yet be thrown away, or was
10551 the company accommodating a crazy foreigner who liked to keep his shoes in
10552 the wastepaper basket? Either way, the company was organized for highly
10553 intelligent service at every level.
10554 -- Stan David and Jim Botkins, from "The Monster Under the Bed: How
10555 Business is Mastering the Opportunity of Knowledge for Profit",
10556 (Simon & Schuster, 1994).
10558 The term 'information' appears to cover too much that seems
10559 distinctive: knowledge, data, information in a narrow sense that some treat
10560 as synonymous with data, news, intelligence, and numerous other colloquial
10561 and specialized denotations and connotations. However, the distinctions
10562 implied by oppositions such as observations/theories, data/knowledge, raw
10563 intelligence/finished intelligence, accounting details/management are
10564 secondary, not fundamental, in characterizing information resources. They
10565 reflect only relative judgments. For instance, one person's knowledge is
10566 often another's raw data. What a vice president for marketing, production,
10567 or finance thinks he knows is just data to the chief executive officer's
10568 staff. What a scientist thinks he knows about the merits of a flu vaccine
10569 or the safety of a nuclear reactor is just data for presidential policy and
10570 politics. Data or knowledge are just types of information content--of
10571 greater or lesser value, of greater or lesser cost.
10572 -- Anthony Oettinger, from "The Information Resources Policy Handbook"
10574 Given the fact that there seems to be a fundamental willingness to
10575 accept the machine as almost human, the issue of what type of relationship
10576 is possible seems to center around what friendship-cues might be
10577 artificially generated. Appearance and voice quality could certainly be
10578 tailored so that the machine would look and sound attractive and friendly.
10579 The software could be written to suggest an interesting and unique
10580 personality, and the conversational style might appear as humorous and
10581 good-natured. The machine would not only impress us with its intelligence
10582 and knowledge of the world, but would also convey the impression that it
10583 was warm and understanding. Its ability to integrate our interests and
10584 attitudes into its own framework and its willingness to be influenced by
10585 our point of view would also enhance our respect for the machine. The fact
10586 that it appeared to take our opinions seriously might be regarded as a
10587 compliment, and it is clear that if we are prepared to accept compliments
10588 from a computer then we are implicitly accepting it as a social agent.
10589 Friendships are not made in a day, and the computer would be more
10590 acceptable as a friend if it simulated the gradual changes that occur when
10591 one person is getting to know another. At an appropriate time it might
10592 also express the endearment that stimulates attachment and intimacy. The
10593 whole process would be accomplished with subtlety to avoid giving an
10594 impression of overfamiliarity or ingratiation, which would be likely to
10595 produce irritation or animosity. After experiencing a wealth of powerful,
10596 well-timed indicators, the user would be likely to accept the computer as
10597 far more than a machine and might well come to regard it as a friend.
10598 -- Neil Frude, from "The Intimate Machine: Close Encounters with
10599 Computers and Robots," 1983.
10601 By this time the stars were moving out of the Hollywood Hotel and
10602 beginning to live in their own private houses with servants, most of whom
10603 were their peers in everything but sex appeal--which pinpoints the reason for
10604 the film capital's mass misbehavior. To place in the limelight a great
10605 number of people who ordinarily would be chambermaids and chauffeurs, give
10606 them unlimited power and instant wealth, is bound to produce a lively and
10610 The four years passed at college were, for his purposes, wasted.
10611 Harvard College was a good school, but at bottom what the boy
10612 disliked most was any school at all. He did not want to be one in a
10613 hundred--one percent of an education. He regarded himself as the
10614 only person for whom his education had value, and he wanted the whole
10615 of it. He got barely half of an average.
10616 Long afterwards, when the devious path of life led him back to
10617 teach in his turn what no student naturally cared or needed to know
10618 [medieval history], he diverted some dreary hours of faculty meetings
10619 by looking up his record in the class-lists, and found himself graded
10620 precisely in the middle. In the one branch he most needed --
10621 mathematics--barring the few first scholars, failure was so nearly
10622 universal that no attempt at grading could have had value, and
10623 whether he stood fortieth or ninetieth must have been an accident or
10624 the personal favor of the professor. Here his education failed
10625 lamentably. At best he could never have been a mathematician; at
10626 worst he would never have cared to be one; but he needed to read
10627 mathematics, like any other universal language, and he never reached
10629 -- Henry Adams, from "The Education of Henry Adams"
10631 The pedagogical method of observation has for its base the liberty of
10632 the child; and liberty is activity.
10633 Discipline must come through liberty. Here is a great principle which
10634 is difficult for followers of common-school methods to understand. How
10635 shall one obtain discipline in a class of free children? Certainly in our
10636 system, we have a concept of discipline very different from that commonly
10637 accepted. If discipline is founded upon liberty, consider an individual
10638 disciplined only when he has been rendered as artificially silent as a mute
10639 and as immovable as a paralytic. He is an individual annihilated, not
10641 We call an individual disciplined when he is master of himself, and
10642 can, therefore, regulate his own conduct when it shall be necessary to
10643 follow some rule of life. Such a concept of active discipline is not easy
10644 either to comprehend or to apply. But certainly it contains a great
10645 educational principle, very different from the old-time absolute and
10646 undiscussed coercion to immobility.
10647 -- Maria Montessori, inventor of the "Montessori Method"
10649 A company could conceivably have within it a monastery-style unit
10650 that writes software... a research team organized like an improvisational
10651 jazz combo... a compartmentalized spy-network, with need-to-know rules,
10652 operating within the law, to scout for merger or acquisition
10653 possibilities... and a sales force organized as a highly motivated 'tribe'
10654 complete with its own war songs and emotional membership rituals.
10655 ...(T)he units of a flex-firm may draw information, people, and money
10656 from one another and from outside organizations as needed. They may be next
10657 door to one another or continents apart. Their functions may partly
10658 overlap, like information in a hyper-media data base; for other purposes,
10659 the functions may be logically, geographically, or financially divided.
10660 Some may use many central services provided by headquarters; others may
10661 choose to use only a few.
10662 In turn this requires freer, faster flows of information. This will
10663 mean crisscrossing, up, down, and sideways conduits--neural pathways that
10664 bust through the boxes in the table of organization so that people can trade
10665 the ideas, data, formulae, hints, insights, facts, strategies, whispers,
10666 gesture, and smiles that turn out to be essential to efficiency.
10667 -- Alvin Toffler, from "Powershift"
10669 Here in the newspaper business, we have definitely caught Internet Fever.
10670 In the old days, we used to -- get this! -- actually CHARGE MONEY for our
10671 newspapers. Ha! What an old-fashioned, low-tech, non-digital concept!
10672 Nowadays all of the modern newspapers spend millions of dollars operating
10673 Web sites where we give away the entire newspaper for free. Sometimes we
10674 run advertisements in the regular newspaper urging our paying customers to
10675 go to our Web sites instead. 'Stop giving us money!' is the shrewd marketing
10676 thrust of these ads. Why do we do this? Because all the other newspapers
10677 are doing it! This is called 'market penetration.'
10680 A highly competitive person has a hard row to hoe. There is no
10681 satisfaction in winning a competition unless it is a stiff and fair one.
10682 Stiff is easy to define; it is stiff if one's own realistic assessment of
10683 one's abilities make the odds long--the longer the odds, the greater
10684 satisfaction on winning. Fair is harder to define, for if one wins a
10685 contest against long odds, there must be a reason. The odds weren't really
10686 long; they only appeared to be so. Isn't it unfair to appear to be an
10687 underdog when one really isn't? Let's start with some obvious distinctions:
10688 A professional gambler needs to win in order to earn his living. Fairness
10689 is not his concern. He tries to be unfair in various ways: Keeping cards up
10690 his sleeve is one way that the rest of us universally deplore; the morality
10691 of concealing his skill to attract dupes is hardly less questionable.
10692 Fairness means at least an honest deal (no hidden cards) and no intentional
10693 concealment of one's abilities.
10694 -- Herbert A. Simon, from "Models of My Life" (Basic Books, 1991)
10696 The United States is trying to promote democracy around the
10697 world and holds itself up as a model. However, it is obvious that
10698 our democracy has been reduced to charisma and money.
10699 Surely intelligent and conscientious citizens can make wise and
10700 informed decisions? I for one cannot... I do not know anyone who
10701 spends more hours than I do in search of information and wisdom, yet
10702 it avails me little. Many people with power spend much of their time
10703 flying around the world, being wined and dined, but that means they
10704 have little time to do their homework.
10705 Is the idea of democracy based on an informed electorate just a dream?
10707 -- Ronald Hilton, founder of WAIS (World Association of
10708 International Studies).
10710 When there is communication without need for communication,
10711 merely so that someone may earn the social and intellectual prestige
10712 of becoming a priest of communication, the quality and communicative
10713 value of the message drop like a plummet... In the arts, the desire
10714 to find new things to say and new ways of saying them is the source
10715 of all life and interest. Yet every day we meet with examples of
10716 painting where, for instance, the artist has bound himself from the
10717 new canons of the abstract, and has displayed no intention to use these
10718 canons to display an interesting and novel form of beauty, to pursue
10719 the uphill fight against the prevailing tendency toward the commonplace
10721 I speak here with feeling which is more intense as far as concerns
10722 the scientific artist than the conventional artist, because it is in
10723 science that I have first chosen to say something. What sometimes
10724 enrages me and always disappoints and grieves me is the preference of
10725 great schools of learning for the derivative as opposed to the original,
10726 for the conventional and thin which can be duplicated in many copies
10727 rather than the new and powerful, and for arid correctness and
10728 limitation of scope and method rather than for universal newness and
10729 beauty, wherever it may be seen.
10730 -- Norbert Wiener, from "The Human Use of Human Beings: Cybernetics
10731 and Society" (1950)
10733 Please do not suppose that the only function of puzzles is to entertain.
10734 Puzzles are a way of teaching mathematics. Indeed, they are the best way to
10735 teach it. Fred Hoyle, the famous British astronomer who taught mathematics
10736 at Cambridge University for twenty years states in strong terms his belief
10737 that mathematics should never be 'taught' at all. Students must learn for
10738 themselves. How? By solving puzzles. The functions of the teacher should
10739 be, first, to select in a wise way the material on which the puzzles are
10740 based, second, to make sure the puzzles are well suited in difficulty to the
10741 sophistication of the student, third, to answer questions, and finally, if
10742 the teacher is capable of it, to give an occasional word of inspiration.
10745 A cat's idea of what is comfortable and what is not
10746 is incomprehensible to a human.
10749 In the sciences, hypothesis always precedes law, which is to say, there is
10750 always a lot of tall guessing before a new fact is established. The
10751 guessers are often quite as important as the fact-finders; in truth, it
10752 would not be difficult to argue that they are more important. New facts are
10753 seldom plucked from the clear sky; they have to be approached and smelled
10754 out by a process of trial and error, in which bold and shrewd guessing is an
10755 integral part. The Greeks were adept at such guessing, and the scientists
10756 of the world have been following the leads they opened for more than two
10758 -- H. L. Mencken, "A Mencken Chrestomathy," 1982
10760 I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.
10763 If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face,
10764 you should go home and examine your conscience.
10767 I am called a dog because I fawn on those who give me anything,
10768 I yelp at those who refuse, and I set my teeth in rascals.
10771 Those sighs of a dog! They go to the heart so much more
10772 deeply than the sighs of our own kind because they are utterly
10773 unintended, regardless of effect, emerging from one who, heaving
10774 them, knows not that they have escaped him!
10777 (Of dogs) I marvel that such small ribs as these can
10778 cage such vast desire to please.
10781 'Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark
10782 Bay deep-mouth'd welcome as we draw near home;
10783 'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark
10784 Our coming, and look brighter when we come.
10787 Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed
10788 Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without
10789 Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices. This praise,
10790 which would be unmeaning Flattery, if inscribed over human ashes, is
10791 but a just Tribute to the Memory of BOATSWAIN, a Dog.
10792 -- Inscription on the monument raised for Lord Byron's dog, Boatswain
10794 Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.
10797 A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of.
10800 Living with a dog is easy--like living with an idealist.
10803 The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool
10804 of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you,
10805 but he will make a fool of himself too.
10806 -- Samuel Butler (d. 1902), Note-Book
10808 The dog has seldom been successful in pulling man up to his level
10809 of sagacity, but man has frequently dragged the dog down to his.
10812 I agree with Agassiz that dogs possess something very like a conscience.
10815 For the strength of the pack is the wolf,
10816 and the strength of the wolf is the pack.
10819 All of the animals except humans know that the
10820 principal business of life is to enjoy it.
10823 Cowardly dogs bark loudest. -- John Webster
10825 Dogs like to obey. It gives them security. -- James Herriot
10827 A dog's best friend is his illiteracy. -- Ogden Nash
10829 Take a dog for a companion and a stick in your hand. -- English Proverb
10831 A lean dog shames its master. -- Japanese Proverb
10833 The dog was created specially for children.
10834 He is a god of frolic.
10835 -- Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit
10837 Dogs have not the power of comparing. A dog will take a small piece
10838 of meat as readily as a large, when both are before him.
10841 All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers,
10842 is contained in the dog.
10845 The dog has an enviable mind; it remembers the nice things in life
10846 and quickly blots out the nasty.
10847 -- Barbara Woodhouse
10849 If dogs could talk, perhaps we would find it as hard to get along
10850 with them as we do with people.
10853 Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.
10856 You become responsible forever for what you have tamed.
10857 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
10859 A dog has the soul of a philosopher. -- Plato
10861 The more I see of men, the more I like dogs. -- Madame Anne Maria de Stael
10863 The reason a dog has so many friends is that
10864 he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
10867 We see how he is at once in a world of smells of which
10868 we know nothing, which so occupy and absorb his attention
10869 as to make him practically blind to everything about him
10870 and deaf to all sounds, even his master's voice impatiently
10874 A man may smile and bid you hail
10875 Yet wish you to the devil;
10876 But when a good dog wags his tail,
10877 You know he's on the level.
10878 -- Submitted to www.dog.com by TJ Brown
10880 Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable.
10881 They might be a bit out of shape and a little
10882 worn around the edges, but they fit well.
10885 In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to
10886 train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open
10887 oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.
10890 I'd be happy to have my biography be the stories of my dogs.
10891 To me, to live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness.
10894 Every dog should have a man of his own. There is nothing like a
10895 well-behaved person around the house to spread the blanket for him,
10896 or bring him his supper when he comes home man-tired at night.
10899 Not Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Astor
10900 together could have raised money enough
10901 to buy a quarter share in my little dog...
10902 -- Ernest Thompson Seton
10904 I'd rather have an inch of dog than miles of pedigree. -- Dana Burnet
10906 ...in a healthy dog-owner relationship, praise is virtually
10907 an automatic reaction, an attitude toward the dog, a way of
10908 living with the dog. The most common mistake is to consider
10909 praise as simply a reward.
10910 -- The Monks of New Skete
10912 Dogs need to sniff the ground; it's how they keep abreast of
10913 current events. The ground is a giant dog newspaper, containing
10914 all kinds of late-breaking dog news items, which, if they are
10915 especially urgent, are often continued in the next yard.
10918 A dog is not "almost human" and I know of no greater insult to the
10919 canine race than to describe it as such. The dog can do many things
10920 which man cannot do, never could do, and never will do.
10923 imagine yourself lying in the tall purple grass with the sharp blades
10924 rubbing up against your flesh like rusty razors while the dark red
10925 moon drops drips of blood into the oozing green lake down the hill.
10926 tattered fish things leap and whirl in the lake while the tired orange
10927 sun flickers on the verge of going out. the clacking and biting
10928 insects that infest the grass crawl in and out of your body as you lie
10929 there trying to relax while large unseen animals rummage in the forest
10930 causing trees to crash down as they pass. dust blows in thick
10931 whirlwinds making the sooty air impossible to breathe as you hack
10932 chunks of meat up from within, but symbiotic parasites rush to repair
10933 the damage while tickling your insides ferociously.
10937 It all comes from here, the stench and the peril. -- Frodo
10939 I do not like... the omission of a bill of rights providing
10940 clearly and without the aid of sophisms for freedom of religion,
10941 freedom of the press, protection against standing armies,
10942 restriction against monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force
10943 of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of
10944 fact triable by the laws of the land and not by the law of
10946 -- Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787
10948 A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against
10949 every government on earth, general or particular; and what no
10950 just government should refuse, or rest on inferences.
10951 -- Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787. Papers, 12:440
10953 It astonishes me to find... [that so many] of our countrymen...
10954 should be contented to live under a system which leaves to their
10955 governors the power of taking from them the trial by jury in
10956 civil cases, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom
10957 of commerce, the habeas corpus laws, and of yoking them with a
10958 standing army. This is a degeneracy in the principles of
10959 liberty... which I [would not have expected for at least] four
10961 -- Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1788
10963 A bill of rights [will] guard liberty against the legislative as
10964 well as the executive branches of the government.
10965 -- Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789
10967 The declaration of rights is, like all other human blessings,
10968 alloyed with some inconveniences and not accomplishing fully its
10969 object. But the good in this instance vastly outweighs the evil.
10970 -- Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1789
10972 By a declaration of rights, I mean one which shall stipulate
10973 freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce
10974 against monopolies, trial by juries in all cases, no suspensions
10975 of the habeas corpus, no standing armies. These are fetters
10976 against doing evil which no honest government should decline.
10977 -- Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Donald, 1788
10980 You must scratch me there!
10981 Yes, above my tail! Behold,
10985 prickly herbal scent
10986 flips me inside out and back;
10992 Tail of black dog keeps good time.
10993 Pounce! good dog! good dog!
10995 The best exercise for a cat is another cat.
10996 -- Jo and Paul Loeb
10999 In deep sleep hear sound
11000 Cat vomit hairball somewhere.
11001 Will find in morning.
11004 Is not a certain dullness their most visible characteristic?
11005 What is the history of their speculative mind? -- a blank.
11006 What their literature? -- a copy. They have left not a single
11007 discovery in any abstract science; not a single perfect or
11008 well-formed work of high imagination. The Greeks, the perfection
11009 of narrow and accomplished genius, bequeathed to mankind the ideal
11010 forms of self-idolizing art -- the Romans imitated and admired;
11011 the Greeks explained the laws of nature -- the Romans wondered and
11012 despised; the Greeks invented a system of numerals second only to
11013 that now in use -- the Romans counted to the end of their days
11014 with the clumsy apparatus which we still call by their name; the
11015 Greeks made a capital and scientific calendar -- the Romans began
11016 their month when the Pontifex Maximus happened to spy out the new
11017 moon. Throughout Latin literature, this is the perpetual puzzle
11018 -- Why are we free and they slaves? we praetors and they barbers?
11019 Why do the stupid people always win, and the clever people always
11024 The rule for today.
11025 Touch my tail, I shred your hand.
11028 'Well, then,' the Cheshire Cat went on, 'you see a dog growls
11029 when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now, I
11030 growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry.
11031 Therefore I'm mad.'
11032 -- Cheshire Cat (from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,
11036 stalk the birds with care--
11037 twitch my tail and they may scare;
11038 human gets a share.
11043 my flatness is intended,
11044 i have rubber bones.
11049 close to my sensitive tail
11050 may be time to shriek.
11054 fish in pond bigger
11055 than me; goldfish in bowl just
11056 the right size--kerchomp.
11059 Yet gentle will the griffin be,
11060 Most decorous and fat,
11061 And walk up to the Milky Way
11062 And lap it like a cat.
11066 Blur of motion, then--
11067 Silence, me, a paper bag
11072 Returns with gifts of plump birds
11073 Your foot just squashed one.
11075 Every good teacher has his own special art; with some, it is a genius
11076 for a clarity that sometimes is more lucid than the complexities of the
11077 subject justify. Sometimes it is a talent for apothegm or leading
11078 suggestion, a word that evokes a vista or an idea that opens a world. I
11079 cannot now quite remember what Professor Beard's special technique was. He
11080 was clear, he was suggestive, he was witty. But none of these things could
11081 quite account for the hold he had on the smug and the rebels alike, on both
11082 the pre-lawyers and pre-poets. I suspect it was a certain combination of
11083 poetry, philosophy, and honesty in the man himself, a sense he communicated
11084 that politics mattered far beyond the realm commonly called political, and
11085 an insight he conveyed into the life that forms of government furthered or
11086 betrayed. One morning he came into class as usual, stood against the wall,
11087 and half-closing his eyes, said:
11088 "Gentlemen, today we are to discuss the budget system in State
11089 government. I am sure that must seem to you a dull subject. But if you will
11090 tell me, gentlemen, how much per capita a nation spends on its Army, on its
11091 Navy, on education, on public works, I shall be able to tell you, I think,
11092 as much about that nation as if you gave me the works of its poets and
11094 We listened with revised and revived attention to an exposition, full
11095 of figures and detail, of the State budget system. Charles A. Beard showed
11096 us what politics had to do with the life beyond it and which it made
11097 possible. And he taught us, too, the difference between the forms of
11098 government and the living substance of its operations... Nobody who has ever
11099 listened to Beard can disdain the study of politics in favor of the study of
11100 "higher things". He has been too well taught, as tragic world events have
11101 since shown, how government may nourish or destroy "higher things".
11102 -- Irwin Edman, speaking of the historian Charles A. Beard
11104 There is no substitute for a lifetime.
11107 The technologies which have had the most profound effects on human life
11108 are usually simple. A good example of a simple technology with profound
11109 historical consequences is hay. Nobody knows who invented hay, the idea of
11110 cutting grass in the autumn and storing it in large enough quantities to
11111 keep horses and cows alive through the winter. All we know is that the
11112 technology of hay was unknown to the Roman Empire but was known to every
11113 village of medieval Europe. Like many other crucially important
11114 technologies, hay emerged anonymously during the so-called Dark Ages.
11115 According to the Hay Theory of History, the invention of hay was the
11116 decisive event which moved the center of gravity of urban civilization from
11117 the Mediterranean basin to Northern and Western Europe. The Roman Empire did
11118 not need hay because in a Mediterranean climate the grass grows well enough
11119 in winter for animals to graze. North of the Alps, great cities dependent on
11120 horses and oxen for motive power could not exist without hay. So it was hay
11121 that allowed populations to grow and civilization to flourish among the
11122 forests of Northern Europe. Hay moved the greatness of Rome to Paris and
11123 London, and later to Berlin and Moscow and New York.
11124 -- Freeman Dyson, from his 1985 Gifford Lectures
11127 Small brave carnivores
11128 Kill pine cones and mosquitoes,
11129 Fear vacuum cleaner
11133 Oh, no! Help! I got outside!
11134 Let me back inside!
11136 If you're a geek at a circus
11137 and the only tool you have is a sledgehammer,
11138 then you'll use it everywhere.
11139 We're Microsoft and
11140 Windows is our sledgehammer.
11143 An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile--
11144 hoping it will eat him last.
11145 -- Winston Churchill
11147 Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation.
11150 When a friend speaks to me, whatever he says is interesting.
11153 Up to his shoulders
11154 In grasses coarse as silk,
11155 The white cat with the yellow eyes
11156 Sits with his paws together,
11157 Tall as a quart of milk.
11160 Life is a gamble, at terrible odds--if it was a bet you wouldn't take it.
11163 What is the most innocent place in any country?
11164 Is it not the insane asylum?
11165 These people drift through life truly innocent,
11166 unable to see into themselves at all.
11169 We live by our genius for hope;
11170 we survive by our talent for dispensing with it.
11173 People change and forget to tell each other.
11176 Professional work of any sort tends to narrow the mind, to limit the point
11177 of view, and to put a hallmark on a man of a most unmistakable kind. On the
11178 one hand are the intense, ardent natures, absorbed in their studies and
11179 quickly losing interest in everything but their profession, while other
11180 faculties and interest 'fust' unused. On the other hand are the bovine
11181 brethren, who think of nothing but the treadmill and the corn. From very
11182 different causes, the one from concentration, the other from apathy, both
11183 are apt to neglect those outside studies that widen the sympathies and help
11184 a man to get the best there is out of life... the medical man, perhaps more
11185 than any other man, needs that higher education of which Plato speaks,
11186 'that education in virtue from youth upwards, which enables a man to pursue
11187 the ideal perfection.' It is not for all, nor can all attain it, but there
11188 is comfort and help in the pursuit, even though the end is never reached.
11191 We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us,
11192 but for ours to amuse them.
11195 Scientific research is solving puzzles. The pleasure to
11196 be got from it is the pleasure of the crossword or jig-saw addict.
11197 First the blank diagram, or the scatter of meaningless pieces; then
11198 an occasional tentative clue or the few pieces of the same colour
11199 that seem to fit together; next a period of frustration, going over
11200 and over the list of clues, or trying piece after piece in the most
11201 unlikely conjunctions; then--ah the sweet joy of the word that
11202 completes a doubtful acrostic, or the section that springs to life
11203 as a tree, or a house or a pot of flowers; finally, the completion
11204 of the pattern, with clue after clue solved in rapid succession, or
11205 the last few pieces tumbling into place. By accepting the challenge,
11206 the tension, the concentration, the frustration, we heighten the
11207 pleasure of the moment or revelation. The more difficult the puzzle,
11208 the greater the tension--and so much greater the delights of solution.
11211 The most certain way to succeed is to always try one more time.
11215 hmmm... box is stinky.
11216 where are those boots that he has?
11217 they smell close enough.
11220 This one is from my dogs to my cats:
11222 I will sniff your butt
11223 I like your litter box gifts
11227 You can drop humans anywhere and they'll thrive.
11228 Only the rat does as well.
11233 in heart may become a wolf
11234 when the catnip blooms
11237 housecat haiku of realization:
11239 birds flicker past me,
11240 safely in their cage of glass.
11241 wait! who's in the cage?
11245 At this point I reveal myself in my true colours, as a stick-in-the-mud.
11246 I hold a number of beliefs that have been repudiated by the liveliest
11247 intellects of our time. I believe that order is better than chaos,
11248 creation better than destruction. I prefer gentleness to violence,
11249 forgiveness to vendetta. On the whole I think that knowledge is
11250 preferable to ignorance, and I am sure that human sympathy is more
11251 valuable than ideology. I believe that in spite of the recent triumphs
11252 of science, men haven't changed much in the last two thousand years; and
11253 in consequence we must still try to learn from history. History is
11254 ourselves. I also hold one or two beliefs that are more difficult to put
11255 shortly. For example, I believe in courtesy, the ritual by which we
11256 avoid hurting other people's feelings by satisfying our own egos. And I
11257 think we should remember that we are part of a great whole, which for
11258 convenience we call nature. All living things are our brothers and
11259 sisters. Above all, I believe in the God-given genius of certain
11260 individuals, and I value a society that makes their existence possible.
11261 -- Kenneth Clark, from "Civilization"
11263 If you want to feel proud of yourself, you need to do things of which
11264 to feel proud. Feelings follow actions.
11267 To learn and from time to time to apply what
11268 one has learned--isn't that pleasure?
11269 -- Confucious, 500 B.C.
11271 top 6 rejected ingredients in ben & jerry's "phish food" flavor:
11273 6. capers and whitefish
11274 5. caramel-covered seaweed nuggets
11276 3. magic mushroom ripple
11279 and the number one rejected ingredient...
11285 top 6 reasons to own a house rabbit:
11287 6. learning to splice electrical wires
11288 5. free compost everywhere in the house
11289 4. having your ankles bitten and scratched during rutting season
11290 3. finding out what night feces are and that special feeling they give
11291 when between your toes
11292 2. having guests ask "what is that incredible stench?"
11294 and the number one reason to own a house rabbit...
11296 1. if all else fails, there's always hasenpfeffer.
11300 My childhood was a period of waiting for the moment when I could send
11301 everyone and everything connected with it to hell.
11304 Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to
11305 time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
11308 We will take almost any kind of criticism except the observation that
11309 we have no sense of humor. A man will admit to being a coward, a liar, a
11310 thief, an adulterer, a poor mechanic, or a bad swimmer, but tell him that
11311 he has a dreadful sense of humor and you might as well have slandered his
11312 mother. Even if he is civilized enough to pretend to make light of your
11313 statement, he will still secretly believe that he has, not only a good
11314 sense of humor, but one superior to most. This is all the more surprising
11315 when you consider that not one person in a million can give you any kind of
11316 intelligent answer as to what humor is or why he or she laughs.
11319 To write weekly, to write daily, to write shortly, to write
11320 for busy people catching trains in the morning or for tired
11321 people coming home in the evening, is a heartbreaking task
11322 for men who know good writing from bad.
11325 ugh. all thoughts scrambled. now eating them on toast. -- fred t. hamster
11327 I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.
11330 Housework can kill you if done right.
11333 All human evil comes from a single cause--
11334 man's inability to sit still in a room.
11337 An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a
11338 cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.
11341 School curricula reinforce the impression that logical subjects like math
11342 and science require starting with basics and progressively adding more
11343 sophisticated conclusions and applications. But the very nature of logical
11344 laws make it equally feasible to work backward from conclusions, or
11345 observations, to hypotheses. Deduction and induction are entirely
11347 In reality, scientists and mathematicians do not do their crafts in the
11348 linear, progressive way their subjects are usually taught. Practitioners
11349 commonly start with a flash of insight (the stereotypical light bulb lighting),
11350 a hunch, a dream, a guess, an elaborate hypothesis or postulate, and then work
11351 backward, forward, and around it to try to make it fit with established
11352 knowledge. Physicists or engineers commonly try using complex mathematical
11353 gadgets to solve the problems that interest them without knowing or caring how
11354 the math was logically derived. Experimenters tinker in laboratories and make
11355 surprising discoveries that theoreticians then labor to try to explain
11356 logically. Alternatively, theorists like Einstein come up with wild new
11357 theories like relativity that experiments may have to struggle for decades to
11358 find a way to test and prove. Scientific knowledge does not grow incrementally
11359 down a predictable track. Rather it grows volcanolike, sometimes oozing in
11360 patient rivulets, sometimes erupting in fiery ferment, and occasionally
11361 exploding, blowing away the rock of established truth.
11362 Pedantic, linear teaching rarely conveys the true drama and mystery of the
11363 human quest for knowledge. School plods where human imagination naturally
11365 -- Lewis J. Perelman, from "School's Out"
11367 the people who are the most in need of help are often the
11368 same ones who cannot receive it. for example, those who
11369 believe all human minds are isolated and who have built their
11370 lives on that principle can only rarely come to appreciate the
11371 connections between us. their loneliness and self-imposed
11372 isolation seems to be the normal state of affairs to these
11373 people; little do they realize that if they relaxed their
11374 armored ego barrier, then the thoughts and emotions of others
11375 would start to be perceptible. they desperately cling to the
11376 belief system that IS their problem in such a way that they
11377 cannot see the solution, nor can they even believe that the
11378 solution exists. should these people consciously strive to
11379 relax that barrier, it would dissolve quickly. many just
11380 cannot do that and never will. many can however, and can
11381 relax in the invisible web of human mentation that underlies
11382 all of our consciousnesses like a huge, comfortable and active
11386 All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part
11387 of every organism to live beyond its income.
11390 Attempts to mimic the mind of man are as yet in their infancy.
11391 The road, however, is open, and it conjures up thoughts which are
11392 exciting but also in some ways frightening. What if man eventually
11393 were to produce a mechanical creature, with or without organic
11394 parts, equal or superior to himself in all respects, including
11395 intelligence and creativity? Would it replace man, as the superior
11396 organisms of the earth have replaced or subordinated the less well-
11397 adapted in the long history of evolution?
11398 It is a queasy thought: that we represent, for the first time
11399 in the history of life on the earth, a species capable of bringing
11400 about its own possible replacement. Of course, we have it in our
11401 power to prevent such a regrettable denouement by refusing to build
11402 machines that are too intelligent. But it is tempting to build them
11403 nevertheless. What achievement could be grander than the creation
11404 of an object that surpasses the creator? How could we consummate
11405 the victory of intelligence over nature more gloriously than by
11406 passing on our heritage, in triumph, to a greater intelligence--of
11408 -- Isaac Asimov, in "Asimov's Guide to Science"
11410 Home is the place where,
11411 when you have to go there,
11412 they have to take you in.
11415 The closer that journalism has approached the standing of an
11416 authentic profession, oddly enough, the less attractive its
11417 individual practitioners appear to have become in the public
11418 mind. This irony is traceable in large measure to the
11419 distinguished work of the press in its persistent recording
11420 of the futility and manifold injustices of the Vietnam War and
11421 its disclosures in the Watergate scandal. Those protracted
11422 traumas scarred the national psyche, which in turn found
11423 solace by blaming the press for battening on the troubles it
11424 apparently delighted in reporting. Reporters came to be seen
11425 as arrogant in the conduct of their duties, habitually
11426 adversarial in posture, often insensitive, and unapologetic
11427 about substituting their own right to demand the truth for the
11428 public's right not to be stalked ruthlessly like so much grist
11429 for the milling of tomorrow's headlines. This impression has
11430 been deepened by the coarseness of television news, which is
11431 essentially a headline service trading on its emotional graphic
11432 appeal and dealing so superficially with events and so rarely
11433 with the complex issues behind them that its effect is to
11434 divert rather than to inform; TV remains primarily an
11435 entertainment medium that has not challenged the role of
11436 newspapers as the prime recorders of the community's serious
11437 business. But because we see television correspondents
11438 questioning the President or putting it to the police chief,
11439 they become personalities in their own right, far more imposing
11440 than a faceless byline over a printed story.
11441 -- Richard Kluger, from "The Paper: The Life and Death of the New
11442 York Herald Tribune"
11444 The fat cat on the mat may seem to dream
11445 Of nice mice that suffice for him, or cream.
11446 -- J. R. R. Tolkien
11448 Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very
11449 unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the
11450 best lawyer in the world can't get you off.
11453 A man will never become a philosopher by worrying forever
11454 about the writings of other men, without ever raising his own
11455 eyes to nature's works in the attempt to recognize there the
11456 truths already known and to investigate some of the infinite
11457 number that remain to be discovered.
11460 A difference of taste in jokes is a great strain on the affections.
11463 One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight
11464 of the shore for a very long time.
11467 Today in America--the child of European imperialism--a new revolution
11468 is rising. It is the revolution of our time. It is the only revolution
11469 that involves radical, moral, and practical opposition to the spirit of
11470 nationalism. It is the only revolution that, to that opposition, joins
11471 culture, economic and technological power, and a total affirmation of
11472 liberty for all in the place of archaic prohibitions. It therefore
11473 offers the only escape for mankind today; the acceptance of technological
11474 civilization as a means and not as an end, and--since we cannot be saved
11475 either by the destruction of civilization or by its continuation--the
11476 development of the ability to reshape that civilization without
11478 -- Jean-Francois Revel
11480 There is a great man who makes every man feel small.
11481 But the real great man is the man who makes every man feel great.
11482 -- G. K. Chesterton
11484 What usually happens in the educational process is that the faculties
11485 are dulled, overloaded, stuffed and paralyzed so that by the time most
11486 people are mature they have lost their innate capabilities.
11487 -- R. Buckminster Fuller
11489 Our memories are card indexes--consulted, and then put back in
11490 disorder, by authorities whom we do not control.
11493 More computing sins are committed in the name of efficiency
11494 (without necessarily achieving it) than for any other single
11495 reason--including blind stupidity.
11498 We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of
11499 the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil.
11502 The best is the enemy of the good.
11505 The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts.
11508 A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking big money.
11509 -- Senator Everett M. Dirksen
11511 During the last three decades, neuroscientists throughout the world
11512 have probed the nervous system in fascinating detail and have learned a
11513 great deal about the laws of mental life and about how these laws emerge
11514 from the brain. The pace of progress has been exhilarating, but--at the
11515 same time--the findings make many people uncomfortable. It seems somehow
11516 disconcerting to be told that your life, all your hopes, triumphs and
11517 aspirations simply arise from the activity of neurons in your brain. But
11518 far from being humiliating, this idea is ennobling, I think.
11519 Science--cosmology, evolution and especially the brain sciences--is
11520 telling us that we have no privileged position in the universe and that our
11521 sense of having a private nonmaterial soul "watching the world" is really an
11522 illusion (as has long been emphasized by Eastern mystical traditions like
11523 Hinduism and Zen Buddhism). Once you realize that far from being a
11524 spectator, you are in fact part of the eternal ebb and flow of events in the
11525 cosmos, this realization is very liberating. Ultimately this idea also
11526 allows you to cultivate a certain humility--the essence of all authentic
11527 religious experience.
11528 -- V. S. Ramachandran, in "Phantoms in the Brain"
11530 A celebrity is one who is known to many persons
11531 he is glad he doesn't know.
11534 Money is a singular thing. It ranks with love as man's greatest
11535 source of joy, and with death as his greatest source of anxiety.
11536 -- John Kenneth Galbraith
11538 By his very success in inventing labor-saving devices, modern man
11539 has manufactured an abyss of boredom that only the privileged classes
11540 in earlier civilizations have ever fathomed.
11543 Scientists, who nearly always speak extemporaneously in public
11544 presentations, note that humanists almost always read papers
11545 at professional meetings, and rarely show slides--except for
11546 art historians, who always use two screens simultaneously--even
11547 for the most visual subjects. Why, 'we' ask, do 'they' not
11548 realize that written and spoken English are different languages,
11549 and that very few people can read well in public--a particular
11550 irony since humanists supposedly hold language as their primary
11551 tool of professional competence. But 'they,' on the other hand,
11552 rightly ridicule 'our' tendencies to darken a lecture room even
11553 before we reach the podium and to rely almost entirely upon a
11554 string of pictures thereafter. A stale joke proclaims that if
11555 Galileo had first presented the revolutionary results of Siderius
11556 Nuncius as a modern scientific talk, his opening line could only
11557 have been: 'first slide please.'
11558 -- R. R. Shearer and S. J. Gould, in "Science," 5 Nov 99
11560 Prowling his own quiet backyard or asleep by the fire,
11561 he is still only a whisker away from the wilds.
11564 Futurology is a fashion. The approach of the end of the current
11565 millennium has stimulated it. But it looks like a fashion in decline. It
11566 seems to have peaked when public interest in the future was enlivened by
11567 debate between scientific perfectibilians and apocalyptic visionaries. The
11568 optimists predicted a world made easy by progress, lives prolonged by
11569 medical wizardry, wealth made universal by the alchemy of economic growth,
11570 society rectified by the egalitarianism of technologically prolonged
11571 leisure. The pessimists foresaw nuclear immolation or population explosion
11572 or a purgative world revolution -- a cosmic struggle reminiscent of the
11573 millennium of Christian prophetic tradition -- which would either save or
11575 No one gets excited by such visions today. Scientific progress has
11576 been, at best, disappointing -- encumbering us with apparently insoluble
11577 social and moral problems, or else, at worst, alarming -- threatening us
11578 with the mastery of artificially intelligent machines or genetically
11579 engineered human mutants. Economic growth has become the bogey of the
11580 ecologically anxious. Meanwhile, world revolution and the nuclear holocaust
11581 have been postponed, and apocalyptic prophecy has resorted to forebodings --
11582 variously unconvincing or uncompelling -- about ecological cataclysms.
11583 Proliferation of nuclear weapons and the discovery that even peaceful
11584 nuclear installations can poison great parts of the world has, in some ways,
11585 made disaster impend more darkly; but lingering extinction and little local
11586 nuclear holocausts seem to lack, in public esteem the glamour of a sudden
11587 and comprehensive armageddon. The future has become depressing rather than
11588 dramatic, and futurology has lost allure.
11589 -- Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, in "Millennium: a History of the Last
11590 Thousand Years", 1995.
11592 We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not worth knowing.
11593 -- Jane Austen, in "Pride and Prejudice"
11597 dances with a beam of light,
11600 Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.
11603 Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is
11604 supposed to be doing at that moment.
11608 He flies without wings,
11609 Fast as a shadow can go.
11610 Black slash on white snow.
11613 Once quick with rat life,
11614 Now just carnage: tail, head, fur.
11618 Willy stalks field mice,
11619 Wild Bill to small buffalo.
11620 Kills them just for show.
11623 Cats are like haiku:
11624 Subtle, delicate, perfect
11627 Once fat with meat.
11629 Rat food and bat food
11630 Supplement cat food.
11632 The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out.
11635 I would rather be governed by the first two thousand people in the
11636 Boston telephone directory than by the first two thousand people on the
11637 faculty of Harvard University.
11638 -- William F. Buckley
11640 Civility will always have its critics. In 1997, when New York's
11641 chief judge proposed rules requiring lawyers on opposing sides to be civil
11642 to each other, the prominent divorce lawyer Raoul Felder wrote a caustic
11643 response in the New York Times. "If lawyers truly care about the causes
11644 they represent, they should, on occasion, get hot under the collar, raise
11645 their voices, become pugnacious," he wrote. Conflict, argued Felder, is
11646 what the legal profession is about. Civility, he concluded, "may not always
11647 be the right reaction in an adversarial courtroom."
11648 This argument reminds me of the commentary by Ed Rollins that it
11649 was his job to diminish the reputation of his client's opponent. Nastiness,
11650 in other words, is not merely the option but the responsibility of the
11651 political profession. The legal profession too: "I have never heard a
11652 client complain that his or her lawyer was rude," Felder tells us. In both
11653 cases, law and politics, rudeness is evidently justified on the ground that
11654 rudeness is what the client is paying for.
11655 As any student of civility would, I find this a fascinating notion:
11656 that there are professions for which incivility is a requirement. I suppose
11657 I disbelieve it; or, rather, if there are such professions, I am skeptical
11658 of their morality, because they fail to convey a message that we are, all of
11659 us, not lone drivers but fellow passengers. It may be that law and politics
11660 seem so dismally rude because their principal ethic is merely one of
11661 victory, an ethic materially enriching and emotionally satisfying, but
11662 morally unimportant. If lawyers are paid to be rude and political
11663 consultants to be nasty, and if their incivility is linked to the fact that
11664 they are also paid to win, we should scarcely be surprised that professional
11665 athletes find it comfortable to brawl with fans, spit on umpires, take bites
11666 out of ears, and, in one unfortunate case nicknamed "Assassin," specialize
11667 in injuring fellow football players. After all, the athletes want to win too.
11668 Some etiquette. Some democracy.
11669 -- Stephen L. Carter, in "Civility", 1998
11671 A cat is a lion in a jungle of small bushes.
11674 A cat pours his body on the floor like water. It is restful just to see him.
11675 -- William Lyon Phelps
11677 Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you have only one idea.
11678 -- "Alain" [Emile Chartier]
11680 Newspapers have changed their character during my lifetime. They used
11681 to be the principal carriers of the world's news, but television holds that
11682 position now. Television, however, has serious limitations; it is a visual
11683 medium, and it is dominated by the principle that nothing is news unless you
11684 can take a picture of it. It is here that the newspapers still hold their
11685 own; so much of what goes on in the political world cannot be effectively
11686 photographed; statesmen, in their expensive but uninteresting clothes, make
11687 very poor TV and their prolonged deliberations are dull when we see them on
11688 the box. Politics must be interpreted, and newspapers have become their
11689 untiring interpreters... Intelligence, not perhaps on its highest level
11690 but far beyond the sheer emotionalism of TV, has found its refuge in the
11692 -- Robertson Davies, from "The Merry Heart: Reflections on Reading,
11693 Writing, & The World of Books".
11695 To improve communications, work not on the utterer but on the recipient.
11698 Despite the incorporated homicide or suicide called war, despite the
11699 crimes of individuals, the natural conflicts of domestic parties and
11700 national ambitions, I believe, after fifty years of studying history,
11701 that man is physically, mentally, and morally better, on the average,
11702 than at any time in the past; that our poverty, so disgraceful amid our
11703 unprecedented wealth, is not so shameless as the slavery that supported
11704 an enfranchised minority in Periclean Athens or Augustan Rome; that our
11705 marital chaos and moral laxity are no worse than in the England of
11706 Charles II or the France of Louis XV; that more good books are being
11707 published than ever before and more widely read; and that art will soon
11708 rise to a new level of self-discipline and social significance.
11709 I mourn the ugly slums of our cities and the distress of those who
11710 cannot find work for their hands to do; but I see realized around me,
11711 in an unparalleled proportion of our people, such a spread of home
11712 ownership, family income, physical comforts, educational opportunities,
11713 political freedom, and scientific powers as would amaze and gladden our
11714 Founding Fathers if they could return to see what their progeny and
11715 their institutions have done... This time, this moment, is as good as
11716 any that ever was, and is incomparably more wonderful.
11719 I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.
11720 Imagination is more important than knowledge.
11721 Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
11724 You do not lead by hitting people over the head.
11725 That's assault, not leadership.
11726 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
11728 When elephants fight, only the grass gets hurt. -- Swahili Saying
11730 Men who know the same things are not long the best company for each other.
11731 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
11733 The gingham dog and the calico cat
11734 Side by side on the table sat;
11735 'Twas half-past eight and (what do you think!)
11736 Nor one nor t'other had slept a wink!
11739 bob1: I was going to just sublime into the roll
11740 and see what I could get....
11741 fred: slime, you mean? you're not going to evaporate, right?
11742 bob1: Whatever, formally declare I shall be in control
11743 and see if anyone listens...
11744 fred: that's the doctrine of the supine?
11745 bob1: By sublime I meant so slowly that you don't notice.
11746 fred: the lime doctor sublimes merging into the supine
11747 mesmerized accomplished cow-orking accomplices slimefully.
11748 bob1: mmm I see. Anyway I must rejoin the family and stuff.
11749 Perhaps I shall be back later. I must get into work early
11750 tomorrow if I want all this to work.
11751 fred: by the time i spline my spleen in the stream
11752 i will have strummed the strumpet's stoking stork.
11753 bob1: Holy f*ck batman.
11755 There is nothing to be learned from history anymore.
11756 We're in science fiction now.
11759 One of the interesting features of communication is that, broadly
11760 speaking, to be perceived, information must reside in more than one context.
11761 We know what something is by contrast with what it is not. Silence makes
11762 musical notes perceivable; conversation is understood as a contrast of
11763 contexts, speaker and hearer; words, breaks and breaths. In turn, in order
11764 to be meaningful, these contexts of information must be relinked through
11765 some sort of judgment of equivalence or comparability. This occurs at all
11766 levels of scale, and we all do it routinely as part of everyday life.
11767 None of this is new in theories of information and communication: we
11768 have long had models of signals and targets, background, noise and filters,
11769 signals, and quality controls. We are moving this insight here to the level
11770 of social interaction. People often cannot see what they take for granted
11771 until they encounter someone who does not take it for granted.
11772 -- Geoffrey C. Bowker & Susan Leigh Star, from "Sorting Things Out:
11773 Classification and Its Consequences," (MIT Press).
11775 If there is technological advance without social advance, there is,
11776 almost automatically, an increase in human misery.
11777 -- Michael Harrington
11779 Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.
11782 When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.
11785 Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
11788 He was a very valiant man who first adventured on eating of oysters.
11791 A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional, and are
11792 the portals of discovery.
11795 But this 'long run' is a misleading guide to current affairs.
11796 In the long run we are all dead.
11797 -- John Maynard Keynes
11799 Education is a crutch with which the foolish attack the wise to prove
11800 that they are not idiots.
11803 Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human
11804 intelligence long enough to get money from it.
11807 I don't like money actually, but it quiets my nerves.
11811 Black heart on white fur
11812 Green eyes ... last sight for poor rat,
11813 Plaything of a God.
11816 Black face, cold blue eyes
11817 fish pond, golden fish surprise.
11818 Wet paws ... not water!
11820 spelling offers more
11821 room for controversy than
11822 the world's religions
11826 caffeination in its most
11831 sangha are the three jewels
11832 a buddhist cleaves to
11836 charging into the twenty-first
11840 fred barks, lily hides
11841 two dogs of the same breeding
11844 haikus force structure
11845 on an otherwise very
11850 three celtic names held by three
11854 The most fruitful and natural exercise of the mind, in my opinion, is
11855 conversation. I find the use of it more sweet than of any other action of
11856 life; and for that reason it is that, if I were now compelled to choose, I
11857 should sooner, I think, consent to lose my sight, than my hearing and
11858 speech... The study of books is a languishing and feeble motion that heats
11859 not, whereas conversation teaches and exercises at once. If I converse with
11860 an understanding man, and a rough disputant, he presses hard upon me and
11861 pricks me on both sides; his imaginations raise up mine to more than
11862 ordinary pitch; jealousy, glory, and contention, stimulate and raise me up
11863 to something above my self...
11864 -- Michel Montaigne
11868 of meats, kibbles and catnip
11869 will i deign to sniff.
11873 fine fur flies from me
11874 filling all of your clean rooms
11880 to quizzical expression:
11881 "fix outdoors for me!"
11886 bores more cats even than own
11891 Open the door, Man!
11892 I wish to go out ... what's this?
11893 Wet fur? I think not.
11896 Monsoon for felines.
11897 They ground when wet. No static.
11898 Rainy faced disgrace.
11900 Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes.
11903 Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
11906 We are not sure that words can always save lives, but we know that
11907 silence can certainly kill.
11908 -- James Orbinski of "Doctors Without Borders", winners of the 1999 Nobel
11911 The masses, by definition, neither should nor can direct their own
11912 personal existence, and still less rule society in general.
11913 -- Jose Ortega y Gasset
11915 It is precisely because man's vital time is limited, precisely because
11916 he is mortal, that he needs to triumph over distance and delay. For an
11917 immortal being, the motor-car would have no meaning.
11918 -- Jose Ortega y Gasset
11920 We live at a time when man believes himself fabulously capable of
11921 creation, but he does not know what to create. Lord of all things,
11922 he is not lord of himself... Hence the strange combination of a
11923 sense of power and a sense of insecurity.
11924 -- Jose Ortega y Gasset
11926 The mass-man is he whose life lacks any purpose, and simply goes drifting
11927 along. Consequently, though his possibilities and his powers be enormous,
11928 he constructs nothing. And it is this type of man who decides in our time...
11929 -- Jose Ortega y Gasset
11931 In the schools, which were such a source of pride to the last century, it
11932 has been impossible to do more than instruct the masses in the technique
11933 of modern life; it has been found impossible to educate them.
11934 -- Jose Ortega y Gasset
11936 Like cars over the years, computers are getting easier to use, and in
11937 some respects the changes are analogous to the placement of gauges by idiot
11938 lights. And, like drivers who favor gauges, some computer users belittle the
11939 trend toward easy-to-use systems. These users appear to thrive on
11940 complexity. They are often experts who enjoy getting the most out of their
11941 computers; they view computing as an end rather than a means.
11942 Unlike cars, easy-to-use computers aren't called idiot-proof, they're
11943 called user-friendly. As a marketing achievement, this terminology ranks
11944 with 'Palmetto bugs,' which is a term used in Florida-at the instigation of
11945 some genius in the real estate industry, I'm told-for large, flying
11947 -- John Shore, from "The Sachertorte Algorithm: And Other Antidotes
11948 to Computer Anxiety".
11950 Ads manipulate us into being dissatisfied... We are encouraged to feel
11951 anxious or sorry for ourselves. Advertising teaches us to live on the level
11952 of the pleasure principle. This leads to impulse-control problems and to
11953 feelings of entitlement. "I am the center of the universe and I want what I
11954 want now." This thinking creates citizens who are vulnerable to quick fixes.
11955 It leads to citizens filled with self-pity, which is the flip side of
11957 Advertising teaches that people shouldn't have to suffer, that pain
11958 is unnatural and can be cured. They say that effort is bad and convenience
11959 is good and that products solve complex human problems. Over and over people
11960 hear that their needs for love, security and variety can be met with
11961 products. They may reject the message of any particular ad, but over time
11962 many buy the big message -- buying products is important.
11963 -- Mary Pipher, in "The Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding Our Families"
11965 I have no use for bodyguards, but I have a very special use for two
11966 highly trained certified public accountants.
11969 Punctuality is the virtue of the bored.
11972 Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.
11973 -- Jean-Paul Sartre
11975 Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful
11976 objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill
11977 gives us modern art.
11980 What is this talk of "release?" We do not make software "releases."
11981 Our software "escapes" leaving a bloody trail of designers and quality
11982 assurance people in its wake.
11983 -- MoncriefJM@gvl.esys.com, as seen on the on the PerlTK mailing list
11985 It is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience. But a
11986 corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience.
11987 -- Henry David Thoreau
11991 Cat on the carpet, melting...
11992 Here pussy. Here God!
11996 you don't eat all my buds, cat.
11997 i'll smoke you instead.
11999 The future is made of the same stuff as the present. -- Simone Weil
12001 he's such a tight ass that when he breaks wind all the dogs howl.
12004 See the kitten on the wall,
12005 Sporting with the leaves that fall,
12006 Withered leaves, one, two and three
12007 Falling from the elder tree,
12008 Through the calm and frosty air
12009 Of the morning bright and fair.
12010 -- William Wordsworth
12012 But the Kitten, how she starts,
12013 Crouches, stretches, paws and darts!
12014 -- William Wordsworth
12016 All those who succeed in America -- no matter what their circle of
12017 origin or their sphere of action -- are likely to become involved in the
12018 world of the celebrity... This world has not been built from below, as a
12019 slow and steady linking of local societies and metropolitan 400s. It has
12020 been created from above... With the incorporation of the economy, the
12021 ascendancy of the military establishment, and the centralization of the
12022 enlarged state, there have arisen the national elite, who, in occupying the
12023 command posts of the big hierarchies, have taken the spotlight of publicity
12024 and become subjects of the intensive build-up. At the same time, with the
12025 elaboration of the national means of mass communication, the professional
12026 celebrities of the entertainment world have come fully and continuously into
12027 the national view. As personalities of national glamour, they are at the
12028 focal point of all the means of entertainment and publicity. Both the
12029 metropolitan 400 and the institutional elite must now compete with and
12030 borrow prestige from these professionals in the world of the celebrity.
12031 But what are the celebrities? The celebrities are The Names that
12032 need no further identification. Those who know them so far exceed those of
12033 whom they know as to require no exact computation. Wherever the celebrities
12034 go, they are recognized, and moreover, recognized with some excitement and
12035 awe. Whatever they do has publicity value. More or less continuously, over a
12036 period of time, they are the material for the media of communication and
12037 entertainment. And, when that time ends -- as it must -- and the celebrity
12038 still lives -- as he may -- from time to time it may be asked, "Remember
12039 him?" That is what celebrity means.
12040 -- C. Wright Mills, from "The Power Elite," 1956
12042 I'm not really very good at what I do, but I'm very
12043 popular, because I return my pages.
12044 -- Unidentified computer support technician
12046 Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to
12047 recognize a mistake when you make it again.
12048 -- Franklin P. Jones
12050 Nobody roots for Goliath. -- Wilt Chamberlain
12054 By a bat. Rabid, frothing...
12057 I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up
12058 and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold
12059 these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
12061 -- Martin Luther King Jr.
12063 We generally think of music as a product of art rather than commerce
12064 or technology. It depends, in fact, on all three. Together, these great
12065 dynamic systems match individual creativity and individual desire. They
12066 thus generate change, variety and an endless array of critics--all
12067 determined that music, like the rest of society, should conform to
12069 That would be a terrible deal. By tolerating music that pleases
12070 others but not ourselves, we preserve a system that has delivered a
12071 historical wonder... We can listen to perfectly performed music to suit
12072 any mood or taste at any time, music that moves us in ways particular to our
12073 individual senses and our individual souls.
12074 -- Virginia Postrel
12076 There are three rules for writing the novel.
12077 Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
12078 -- W. Somerset Maugham
12080 His lack of education is more than compensated for by his
12081 keenly developed moral bankruptcy.
12084 How is it possible to find meaning in a finite world,
12085 given my waist and shirt size?
12088 I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting
12089 the urge to conquer Poland.
12090 -- Woody Allen (Manhattan Murder Mystery)
12093 become unified as one
12097 urgh, mutual friends have we few
12098 of whom hooktown still has purview.
12099 lest we examine too far
12100 i wonder regarding your car--
12101 could it survive a furious country drive?
12102 for to hamster freehold must you arrive.
12103 many entertainments have we here...
12104 movies, a rabbit and beer.
12105 perhaps what you were chasing,
12106 twain's fuzz is constantly abasing.
12107 to extend no further this diatribe,
12108 why don't you drop over, or "arribe"?
12111 If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would
12112 have painted on the Sistine floor.
12115 It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble,
12116 it's what we know that ain't so.
12119 I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure
12120 is trying to please everyone.
12123 Today, when man seems to have reached the beginning of a new,
12124 richer, happier human era, his existence and that of the generations to
12125 follow is more threatened than ever. How is this possible?
12126 Man had won his freedom from clerical and secular authorities, he
12127 stood alone with his reason and his conscience as his only judges, but he
12128 was afraid of the newly won freedom; he had achieved 'freedom from' --
12129 without yet having achieved 'freedom to' -- to be himself, to be productive,
12130 to be fully awake. Thus he tried to escape from freedom. His very
12131 achievement, the mastery over nature, opened up the avenue for his escape.
12132 In building the new industrial machine, men became so absorbed in
12133 the new task that it became the paramount goal of his life. His energies,
12134 which once were devoted to the search for God and salvation, were now
12135 directed toward the domination of nature and ever-increasing material
12136 comfort. He ceased to use production as a means for a better life, but
12137 hypostatized it instead to an end in itself, an end to which life was
12138 subordinated. In the process of an ever-increasing size of social
12139 agglomerations, man himself became a part of the machine, rather than its
12140 master. He experienced himself as a commodity, as an investment; his aim
12141 became to be a success, that is, to sell himself as profitably as possible
12142 on the market. His value as a person lies in his salability, not in his
12143 human qualities of love, reason or in his artistic capacities. Happiness
12144 becomes identical with consumption of newer and better commodities, the
12145 drinking in of music, screen plays, fun, sex, liquor and cigarettes. Not
12146 having a sense of self except the one which conformity with the majority can
12147 give, he is insecure, anxious, depending on approval. He is alienated from
12148 himself, worships the product of his own hands, the leaders of his own
12149 making, as if they were above him, rather than made by him. He is in a
12150 sense back where he was before the great human evolution began in the second
12152 -- Erich Fromm, "The Sane Society"
12154 If I could I would always work in silence and obscurity,
12155 and let my efforts be known by their results.
12158 The fox knows many things -- the hedgehog knows one big thing.
12161 I've learned not to put things in my mouth that are bad for me.
12162 -- Monica Lewinsky on CNN's Larry King Live discussing her
12163 miraculous Jenny Craig weight-loss.
12165 Both the assembling and the distribution of knowledge in the world
12166 at present are extremely ineffective, and thinkers of the forward-
12167 looking type whose ideas we are now considering, are beginning to
12168 realize that the most hopeful line for the development of our racial
12169 intelligence lies rather in the direction of creating a new world
12170 organ for the collection, indexing, summarizing and release of
12171 knowledge, than in any further tinkering with the highly conservative
12172 and resistant university system, local, national, and traditional in
12173 texture, which already exists.
12174 -- H. G. Wells (1937)
12176 a haiku for object bus overload...
12178 those data bursts have
12179 overturned my info cart--
12180 stranded on the net.
12184 Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex,
12185 and more violent. It takes a touch of genius--and a lot
12186 of courage--to move in the opposite direction.
12187 -- E. F. Schumacher
12189 It is amazing how much one can learn from somebody
12190 who is not generally thought of as successful.
12193 Half the world is composed of people who have
12194 something to say and can't, and the other have
12195 nothing to say and keep on saying it.
12198 Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature...
12199 Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing.
12202 His tongue is by turns a sponge, a brush, a comb.
12203 He cleans himself, he smoothes himself,
12204 he knows what is proper.
12207 To turn $100 into $110 is work.
12208 To turn $100 million into $110 million is inevitable.
12211 A problem well stated is a problem half solved.
12212 -- Charles F. Kettering
12214 The spirit of the West, the modern spirit, is a Greek discovery
12215 and the place of the Greeks is in the modern world.
12216 -- Edith Hamilton (1867-1963)
12218 fish flavored flappers
12219 squirm happily under tongue,
12220 cloak orgasmic clit.
12222 There are no whole truths: all truths are half-truths. It is trying
12223 to treat them as whole truths that plays the devil.
12224 -- Alfred North Whitehead
12226 Somewhere on this globe, every ten seconds, there is a woman
12227 giving birth to a child. She must be found and stopped.
12230 The cat has complete emotional honesty --
12231 an attribute not often found in humans.
12232 -- Ernest Hemingway
12234 no morning coffee...
12235 gray matter is not present,
12236 dial tone in my head.
12240 Synonym for 'penis' used in alt.tasteless and popularized by the denizens
12241 thereof. They say: "We think maybe it's from Middle English but we're all
12242 too damned lazy to check the OED." [I'm not. It isn't. --ESR]
12243 This term is alleged to have been inherited through 1960s underground
12244 comics, and to have been recently sighted in the Beavis and Butthead
12245 cartoons. Speakers of the Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati languages have
12246 confirmed that `choad' is in fact an Indian vernacular word equivalent
12247 to `f*ck'; it is therefore likely to have entered English slang via the
12250 The race may not be to the swift nor the victory
12251 to the strong, but that's how you bet.
12254 Basic research is when I'm doing what I don't know I'm doing.
12255 -- Wernher von Braun
12257 For decades, people have warned that pervasive databanks and
12258 surveillance technology are leading inevitably to the death of privacy and
12259 democracy. But these days, many people who hear the word 'privacy' think
12260 about those kooks living off in the woods with their shotguns: these folks
12261 get their mail at post office boxes registered under assumed names, grow
12262 their own food, use cash to buy what they can't grow for themselves, and
12263 constantly worry about being attacked by the federal government-or by space
12264 aliens. If you are not one of these people, you may well ask, "Why should I
12265 worry about my privacy? I have nothing to hide."
12266 The problem with this word 'privacy' is that it falls short of
12267 conveying the really big picture. Privacy isn't just about hiding things.
12268 It's about self-possession, autonomy, and integrity. As we move into the
12269 computerized world of the twenty-first century, privacy will be one of our
12270 most important civil rights. But this right of privacy isn't the right of
12271 people to close their doors and pull down their window shades -- perhaps
12272 because they want to engage in some sort of illicit or illegal activity.
12273 It's the right of people to control what details about their lives stay
12274 inside their own houses and what leaks to the outside...
12275 Today, more than ever before, we are witnessing the daily erosion of
12276 personal privacy and freedom. We're victims of a war on privacy that's being
12277 waged by government eavesdroppers, business marketers, and nosy neighbors...
12278 We know our privacy is under attack. The problem is that we don't know how
12280 -- Simson Garfinkel, in "Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in
12283 A gentleman who had been very unhappy in marriage, married
12284 immediately after his wife died: Johnson said, it was the
12285 triumph of hope over experience.
12286 -- James Boswell's "Life of Johnson"
12288 One evening while dozing in my armchair, I was roused
12289 by the sound of the harpsichord. My cat had started
12290 his musical stroll... I had a sheet of paper to hand,
12291 and transcribed his composition.
12292 -- Domenico Scarlatti
12294 Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it
12295 everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying
12296 the wrong remedies.
12299 A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running.
12302 Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to
12303 any club that will accept me as a member.
12306 Let's find out what everyone is doing,
12307 and then stop everyone from doing it.
12310 I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any
12311 new situation by reorganizing, and a wonderful method
12312 it can be for creating the illusion of progress while
12313 producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
12314 -- Petronius Arbiter, quoted in Robert Townsend's
12315 "Up the Organization"
12317 With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in
12318 the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to
12319 finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care
12320 for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and
12321 his orphan -- to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and
12322 a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.
12325 As we approach a new century and a changing international economic
12326 climate, we think that scientific and technological education should be our
12327 highest priority, and yet these fields, at least the way they are practiced
12328 today, only tangentially affect the heart and soul, where morality and
12329 values are rooted, while music goes right to the heart.
12330 Studying music, one learns about talent, thought, work, expression,
12331 beauty, technique, collaboration, aesthetic judgment, inspiration, taste,
12332 and a host of other elements that shape life in all its aspects. As we
12333 learn to control our fingers, lips, and breath in making music, subliminally
12334 music is shaping us, making us people of sensitivity and judgment.
12335 -- Thomas Moore, in "The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life"
12337 How frighteningly few are the persons whose death would
12338 spoil our appetite and make the world seem empty.
12341 A bad attitude is the worst thing that can happen to
12342 a group of people. It's infectious.
12343 -- Roger Allan Raby
12345 All that is gold does not glitter; not all who wander are lost.
12346 -- J. R. R. Tolkien
12348 What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.
12349 -- Dean William R. Inge (ed: what a psycho...)
12351 True genius doesn't fulfill expectations, it shatters them.
12354 Let me listen to me and not to them.
12357 If like truth, the lie had but one face, we would be on better terms.
12358 For we would accept as certain the opposite of what the liar would say.
12359 But the reverse of truth has a hundred thousand faces and an infinite field.
12362 The truth is multi-faceted; no one person can see all of it and no single
12363 viewpoint can capture all of it. This is why any attempt to record the
12364 nature of reality in one majestic work of science or religion or philosophy
12365 is doomed to fail; that grand catalog is a necessarily-flawed perspective
12366 upon the shimmering mind-blower that is the full totality of truth.
12367 Still, we must try to get our minds around it during our whole lives.
12370 I am a great believer, if you have a meeting, in knowing
12371 where you want to come out before you start the meeting.
12372 Excuse me if that doesn't sound very democratic.
12373 -- Nelson Rockefeller
12375 Lawyers have, as Jonathan Swift observed, "a peculiar cant and
12376 jargon of their own, that no other mortal can understand". They take care
12377 to ensure that all legal business, including the drafting of legislation, is
12378 conducted in this language "so that it will take thirty years to decide
12379 whether the field left me by my ancestors for six generations belongs to me
12380 or to a stranger three hundred miles off". This language, condemned by
12381 Jeremy Bentham as "literary garbage", "lawyers' cant", and "flash language",
12382 serves various purposes, none of them in the public interest. It unites
12383 lawyers, distinguishing them from laymen. It makes the law mysterious and
12384 incomprehensible to those laymen, thus ensuring a steady supply of work for
12385 lawyers who are needed to interpret the language they have invented. The
12386 language of the law fosters the illusion that legal problems are remediable
12387 only by the application of the medicine of the specialist. Only a lawyer,
12388 can resolve the complexities of the problem: "Better see a lawyer; don't
12389 trust Whatsisname" (as the memorable Law Society advertisement warned
12390 consumers). Legal language also enshrouds the law, hiding it from the
12391 public it exists to serve. The idiom of the lawyer leads to public ignorance
12392 of the content of the law (which paradoxically refuses to recognize that
12393 ignorance of the law should be a defence), to uninformed criticism and to
12394 unmerited praise. It provokes the indifference of too many laymen towards
12395 the law and the contempt of so many litigants for a legal system they do not
12397 -- David Pannick, barrister and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
12399 It usually takes me more than three weeks
12400 to prepare a good impromptu speech.
12403 Hollywood films, in general, either want to tell us a truth we
12404 already know or a falsehood we want to believe in.
12407 The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.
12410 Men of Athens, fellow citizens, this is not a trial of Socrates, but
12411 of ideas, and of Athens. You are not prosecuting me for any unlawful or
12412 impious act against our city or its altars. No evidence of any such sort
12413 has been brought against me. You are not prosecuting me for anything I did,
12414 but for what I have said and taught. You are threatening me with death
12415 because you do not like my views and my teaching. This is a prosecution of
12416 ideas and that is something new in our city's history. In this sense,
12417 Athens is in the dock, not Socrates. Each of you, as my judges, is a
12419 Let me be frank. I do not believe in your so-called freedom of
12420 speech, but you do. I believe the opinions of ordinary men are only beliefs
12421 without substance, pale shadows of reality, not to be taken seriously, and
12422 only likely to lead a city astray. I think it absurd to encourage the free
12423 utterance of unfounded or irrational opinions, or to base civic policy on a
12424 count of heads, like cabbages. Hence I do not believe in democracy. But
12425 you do. This is your test, not mine. How can you boast of your free speech
12426 if you suppress mine?
12427 The test of truly free speech is not whether what is said or taught
12428 conforms to any rule or ruler, few or many. Even under the worst dictator,
12429 it is not forbidden to agree with him. It is the freedom to disagree that
12430 is freedom of speech. This has been the Athenian rule until now, the pride
12431 of our city, the glory on which your orators dwell. Will you turn your back
12432 on it now? Ideas are not as fragile as men. They cannot be made to drink
12433 hemlock. My ideas--and my example--will survive me. But the good name of
12434 Athens will wear a stain forever, if you violate its traditions by
12435 convicting me. The shame will be yours, not mine.
12436 -- I. F. Stone, suggesting a defense for Socrates
12438 I do not seek. I find.
12441 The one thing that is certain is that anyone who uses the phrase
12442 "outside the box" is as deeply inside the box as a person can be.
12445 I can't understand why a person will take a year to write a novel
12446 when he can easily buy one for a few dollars.
12449 Many of my friends are under the impression that I write these humorous
12450 nothings in idle moments, when the wearied brain is unable to perform the
12451 serious labors of the economist. My own experience is exactly the other way.
12452 The writing of solid, instructive stuff, fortified by facts and figures, is
12453 easy enough. There is no trouble in writing a scientific treatise on the
12454 folklore of Central China, or a statistical inquiry into the declining
12455 population of Prince Edward Island. But to write something out of one's own
12456 mind, worth reading for its own sake, is an arduous contrivance only to be
12457 achieved in fortunate moments, few and far between. Personally, I would sooner
12458 have written Alice in Wonderland than the whole Encyclopedia Britannica.
12461 It's easier to find a travel companion than to get rid of one.
12464 God must love the rich or he wouldn't have divided
12465 so much among so few of them.
12468 I have been more concerned with the obscure than with the famous.
12469 They are more often themselves. They have had no need to create a
12470 figure to protect themselves from the world or to impress it. Their
12471 idiosyncrasies have had more chance to develop in the limited circle
12472 of their activity, and since they have never been in the public eye
12473 it has never occurred to them that they have anything to conceal.
12474 They display their oddities because it has never struck them that
12475 they are odd. And after all it is with the common run of men that
12476 we writers have to deal; kings, dictators, commercial magnates are
12477 from our point of view very unsatisfactory. To write about them is
12478 a venture that has often tempted writers, but the failure that has
12479 attended their efforts shows that such beings are too exceptional to
12480 form a proper ground for a work of art. They cannot be made real.
12481 The ordinary is the writer's richer field. Its unexpectedness, its
12482 singularity, its infinite variety afford unending material. The
12483 great man is too often all of a piece; it is the little man that is
12484 a bundle of contradictory elements. He is inexhaustible. You never
12485 come to the end of the surprises he has in store for you. For my
12486 part I would much sooner spend a month on a desert island with a
12487 veterinary surgeon than with a prime minister.
12488 -- W. Somerset Maugham, from "The Summing Up"
12490 Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts
12491 when you have forgotten your aim.
12492 -- George Santayana
12494 The importance of people as creators and carriers of knowledge is forcing
12495 organizations to realize that knowledge lies less in its databases than in
12496 its people. It's been said, for example, that if NASA wanted to go to the
12497 moon again, it would have to start from scratch, having lost not the data,
12498 but the human expertise that took it there last time. Similarly, Tom
12499 Davenport and Larry Prusake argue that when Ford wanted to build on the
12500 success of the Taurus, the company found that the essence of that success
12501 had been lost with the loss of the people that created it. Their knowledge
12502 was not stored in information technologies. It left when they left.
12503 -- John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid, in "The Social Life of Information"
12505 Either we live by accident and die by accident,
12506 or we live by plan and die by plan.
12509 Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart.
12510 -- William Butler Yeats
12512 ...the act of producing a letter, even one which is never mailed,
12513 necessitates a form of creative concentration which can improve our
12514 lives. Copies of our own letters are useful for our records and
12515 memories. If their recipients think them worth saving, they can have
12516 value and effect far beyond that of the spoken word. In friendship,
12517 the letter is not only a message but a gift, a physical symbol of
12518 esteem and affection. In business or politics, the letter can not
12519 only express the concerns of the moment but remain as a document of
12520 such concerns, available for prolonged scrutiny by more than one
12521 reader. Moreover, while speakers and listeners in a debate are
12522 vulnerable to emotion and subject to fallacy, the well-written letter
12523 remains calm and crisp and is subject to nothing except superior reason.
12524 It can convince the open-minded, goad the weak-hearted, give our
12525 opponents an exact index of the level and intensity of our commitment,
12526 and be quoted by those who agree with us. But perhaps most importantly,
12527 our letters are the proof and body of our concern for life in its detail
12528 and our conviction that this concern should be shared with others.
12529 -- Robert Grudin, from "Time and the Art of Living"
12531 Mass transportation is doomed to failure in North America because a
12532 person's car is the only place where he can be alone and think.
12533 -- Marshall McLuhan
12535 You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch
12536 on to the affirmative, and don't mess with Mister In-Between.
12539 Once, as promised, bots start interacting with one another,
12540 understanding bot behavior may become impossible. Anyone who has
12541 had to call a help line with a problem about the way an operating
12542 system from one vendor and program from another are working together--
12543 or failing to work--knows how hard it is to get anyone to take
12544 responsibility for software interactions. Support staff rapidly
12545 renounce all knowledge of (and usually interest in) problems that
12546 arise from interactions because there are just too many possibilities.
12547 So it's easy to imagine sophisticated programmers, let alone ordinary
12548 users, being unable to unravel how even a small group of bots reached
12549 a particular state autonomously. The challenge will be unfathomable
12550 if, as one research group has it, we can "anticipate a scenario in
12551 which billions of intelligent agents will roam the virtual world,
12552 handling all levels of simple to complex negotiations and transactions.
12553 If human agents are confused with digital ones, if human action is
12554 taken as mere information processing, and if the social complexities of
12555 negotiation, delegation, and representation are reduced to "when x, do y,"
12556 bots will end up with autonomy without accountability. Their owners, by
12557 contrast, may have accountability without control.
12558 -- John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid, in "The Social Life of Information"
12560 Life does not consist mainly--or even largely--of facts and
12561 happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that
12562 is forever blowing through one's head.
12565 Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side?
12566 And ain't that a big enough majority in any town?
12567 -- Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn
12569 Every other country scorns American materialism while striving in
12570 every big and little way to match it. Envy obviously has something to do
12571 with it, but there is a true basis for this debate, and it is whether
12572 America is in its ascendance or its decline.
12573 I myself think I recognize here several of the symptoms that Edward
12574 Gibbons maintained were signs of the decline of Rome, and which arose not
12575 from external enemies but from inside the country itself. A mounting love
12576 of show and luxury. A widening gap between the very rich and the very poor.
12577 An obsession with sex. Freakishness in the arts masquerading as
12578 originality, and enthusiasm pretending to creativeness...
12579 There is, too, the general desire to live off the state, whether it
12580 is a junkie on welfare or an airline subsidized by the government: in a
12581 word, the notion that Washington -- Big Daddy -- will provide. And, most
12582 disturbing of all, a developing moral numbness to vulgarity, violence, and
12583 the assault on the simplest human decencies.
12584 Yet the original institutions of this country still have great
12585 vitality: the Republic can be kept, but only if we care to keep it. Much of
12586 the turmoil in America springs from the energy of people who are trying to
12587 apply those institutions to forgotten minorities who have awakened after a
12589 As I see it, in this country -- a land of the most persistent
12590 idealism and the blandest cynicism -- the race is on between its decadence
12591 and its vitality. There are the woes, which we share with the world, that
12592 you can see from your window: overpopulation; the pollution of the
12593 atmosphere, the cities and the rivers; the destruction of nature. I find it
12594 impossible to believe that a nation that produced such dogged and ingenious
12595 humans as Jefferson and Eli Whitney, John Deere and Ford, Kettering and
12596 Oppenheimer and Edison and Franklin, is going to sit back and let the worst
12597 happen. There is now a possibility, at least, that nuclear energy can help
12598 us to cure incurable diseases, to preserve our food indefinitely, and
12599 through breeder reactors, which renew more power in the act of spending it,
12600 can actually clean the cities and, let us pray, the oceans. And that would
12601 take us over a historical watershed that none of us has ever conceived.
12604 There are some enterprises in which a careful
12605 disorderliness is the true method.
12608 The dollar bills the customer gets from the tellers in four banks
12609 are the same. What is different are the tellers.
12612 I grew up in the last days of the British Empire. My childhood fell
12613 in that era when the words 'imperialism' and 'the West' had not yet acquired
12614 the connotations they have today -- they had not yet become, that is, mere
12615 synonyms for 'racism,' 'oppression,' and 'exploitation'.
12616 Or, at any rate, they had not yet become so among the intellectual,
12617 professional, and governing classes of Egypt. In Cairo it was entirely
12618 ordinary, among those classes, to grow up speaking English or French or
12619 both, and quite ordinary to attend an English or French school. It was taken
12620 for granted among the people who raised us that there was unquestionably
12621 much to admire in and learn from the civilization of Europe and the great
12622 strides that Europe had made in human advancement. No matter that the
12623 European powers were politically oppressive and indeed blatantly unjust; nor
12624 did it seem to matter that the very generation which raised us were
12625 themselves locked in struggle with the British for Egypt's political
12626 independence. There seemed to be no contradiction for them between pursuing
12627 independence from the European powers and deeply admiring European
12628 institutions, particularly democracy, and Europe's tremendous scientific
12630 -- Leila Ahmed, from "A Border Passage: From Cairo to America--
12633 the only possible mental bases for racism must ultimately be ignorance
12634 or stupidity or both. it's only a little-minded weak person that has to
12635 feel superior to another person just because of their skin color or
12636 nationality. but i try not to in turn feel superior to racists; i find
12637 only sadness for them instead. by imagining them trapped inside such an
12638 awful and constraining mental prison, my compassion is evoked for these
12641 Things are in the saddle, and ride mankind.
12642 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
12644 One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat
12645 in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. His response was
12646 a question: "Where do you want to go?" "I don't know," Alice
12647 answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
12650 It's not true that life is one damn thing after another--
12651 it's one damn thing over and over.
12652 -- Edna St. Vincent Millay
12654 Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood. If your stomach
12655 disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts. Keep
12656 the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move. Go
12657 very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The
12658 social life ain't restful. Avoid running at all times. Don't
12659 look back. Something may be gaining on you.
12660 -- Leroy "Satchel" Paige, from his autobiography,
12661 "How To Stay Young."
12663 Facts are all accidents. They all might have been different.
12664 They all may become different. They all may collapse together.
12665 -- George Santayana
12672 Begins to live that day.
12675 Thinking about it the other day, I realized that some of my unhappiest moments
12676 have been in organizations. Somehow it seems to be quite respectable to do
12677 things in organizations that you would never do in private life. I have had
12678 people insult me to my face in front of colleagues. I have had my feelings
12679 rammed down my throat on the pretext that it would do me good and have been
12680 required to do things which I didn't agree with because the organization wished
12681 it... In my worst moments I have thought that organizations were places
12682 designed to be run by sadists and staffed by masochists....
12685 The best organizations to be in, it seems, are the busiest ones as long
12686 as they are busy for someone else. The worst are those that are obsessed
12687 with their own innards... The healthiest are those which exist for others,
12688 not for themselves. Show me a business or a school or a church that is
12689 preoccupied with its customers or clients, determined to do its best for them
12690 and not just to survive for the sake of surviving, and I'll bet you that they
12691 don't have time for too many committees, for forms, for politicking or for
12692 nitpicking about mistakes. Those are the organizations which are fun to be
12693 in, which give you room to be yourself, to express yourself, to grow.
12696 The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
12699 Life is the process of finding out, too late, everything
12700 that should have been obvious at the time.
12701 -- John D. MacDonald
12703 If work was a good thing the rich would have it all
12704 and not let you do it.
12707 Any law that takes hold of a man's daily life cannot prevail
12708 in a community, unless the vast majority of the community are
12709 actively in favor of it. The laws that are the most operative
12710 are the laws which protect life.
12711 -- Henry Ward Beecher
12713 The graveyard is full of indispensable men.
12714 -- Charles de Gaulle
12716 I read about an Eskimo hunter who asked the local missionary
12717 priest, "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?"
12718 "No," said the priest, "not if you did not know."
12719 "Then why," asked the Eskimo earnestly, "did you tell me?"
12722 The day came when Grandmother couldn't keep all her stuff in the two
12723 tiny rooms to which she was finally reduced. So she packed everything
12724 she didn't need into enormous shopping bags and took off for the bank
12725 in the center of the city where she kept her account, by then down to
12726 a few pennies. Her husband had started the bank and had been its
12727 chairman until he died, and she was still treated with the consideration
12728 due his widow. But when she appeared with her shopping bags and asked
12729 to have the contents put on her account, the manager balked. "We can't
12730 put things on an account," he said, "only money."
12731 "That's mean and ungrateful of you," said Grandmother, "you only do
12732 this to me because I am a stupid old woman."
12733 And she promptly closed her account and drew out the balance. Then
12734 she went down the street to the nearest branch of the same bank, reopened
12735 her account there, and never said a word about her shopping bags.
12736 "Grandmother," we'd say, "if you thought the bank was unfriendly why
12737 did you reopen your account at another branch?"
12738 "It's a good bank," she said; "after all, my late husband founded it."
12739 "Then why not demand that the manager at the new branch take your
12741 "I never banked there before. He didn't owe me anything."
12742 -- Peter Drucker, "Adventures of a Bystander"
12744 Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
12747 Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.
12750 Writing about music is like dancing about architecture--
12751 it's a really stupid thing to want to do.
12752 -- Elvis Costello, in an interview by Timothy White entitled
12753 "A Man out of Time Beats the Clock." Musician magazine
12754 No. 60 (October 1983), p. 52.
12756 The pressures for upscale consumption, and the work schedules
12757 that go along with it, created millions of exhausted, stressed-
12758 out people who started wondering if the cycle of work and spend
12759 was really worth it. And some concluded that it wasn't. So
12760 they started downshifting, reducing their hours of work and, in
12761 the process, earning and spending less money. Downshifters are
12762 opting out of excessive consumerism, choosing to have more
12763 leisure and balance in their schedules, a slower pace of life,
12764 more time with their kids, more meaningful work, and daily lives
12765 that line up squarely with their deepest values. These are not
12766 just fast-track yuppies leaving $200,000 jobs in Manhattan to
12767 settle in Montana, although there are plenty of those.
12768 Downshifters can be found at all income levels, from the
12769 comfortable suburbanites whose homes are paid for, to those who
12770 are counting every penny, resigned to the fact that they'll never
12771 own a home. Their jobs were leaving them drained, depressed, or
12772 wondering what life is all about. Now they may not have as much
12773 money, but they are spending every day answering that all-
12774 important question.
12777 The right to be let alone--the most comprehensive of rights and
12778 the right most valued by civilized men.
12779 -- Louis D. Brandeis
12781 The need to reach better mutual understanding through dialogue
12782 is strong in all sectors of society, but in none more than the
12783 business community. The growth of technology, the increase in
12784 the number of knowledge workers, and the blurring of boundaries
12785 of all kinds are transforming relationships at all levels of
12786 business. The traditional top-down style of leadership in a
12787 fortress-type company semi-isolated from others is increasingly
12788 out of vogue. It is being replaced by what I have come to
12789 think of as "relational leadership," where the defining task of
12790 leaders is developing webs of relationships with others rather
12791 than handing down visions, strategies, and plans as if they
12792 were commandments from the mountaintop.
12793 -- Daniel Yankelovich, "The Magic of Dialogue"
12795 Life is one long process of getting tired.
12798 Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can
12799 recalled and perhaps remedied.
12802 Fortunately, many teachers intuitively know that the best way to
12803 achieve their goals is to enlist students' interest on their side.
12804 They do this by being sensitive to students' goals and desires, and
12805 they are thus able to articulate the pedagogical goals as meaningful
12806 challenges. They empower students to take control of their learning;
12807 they provide clear feedback to the students' efforts without
12808 threatening their egos and without making them self-conscious. They
12809 help students concentrate and get immersed in the symbolic world of
12810 the subject matter. As a result, good teachers still turn out
12811 children who enjoy learning, and who will continue to face the world
12812 with curiosity and interest.
12813 It is to be hoped that with time the realization that children
12814 are not miniature computing machines will take root in educational
12815 circles, and more attention will be paid to motivational issues.
12816 Unless this comes to pass, the current problems we are having with
12817 education are not likely to go away.
12818 -- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, from "Creativity: Flow and Psychology
12819 of Discovery and Invention"
12821 The more human beings proceed by plan the more effectively they may
12822 be hit by accident.
12823 -- Friedrich Duerrenmatt
12825 We never see what's under our feet;
12826 we're too busy trying to see
12827 what's in the stars.
12830 Paradoxes have played a dramatic role in intellectual history,
12831 often foreshadowing revolutionary developments in science,
12832 mathematics, and logic. Whenever, in any discipline, we discover
12833 a problem that cannot be solved within the conceptual framework
12834 that supposedly should apply, we experience shock. The shock may
12835 compel us to discard the old framework and adopt a new one. It
12836 is to this process of intellectual molting that we owe the birth
12837 of many of the major ideas in mathematics and science. Zeno's
12838 paradox of Achilles and the tortoise gave birth to the idea of
12839 convergent infinite series. 'Antinomies' (internal contradictions
12840 in mathematical logic) eventually blossomed into Godel's theorem.
12841 The paradoxical result of the Michelson-Morley experiment on the
12842 speed of light set the stage for the theory of relativity. The
12843 discovery of wave-particle duality of light forced a reexamination
12844 of deterministic causality, the very foundation of scientific
12845 philosophy, and led to quantum mechanics.
12848 Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the
12849 greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
12850 -- Charles Caleb Colton
12852 More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads.
12853 One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness.
12854 The other, to total extinction.
12855 Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.
12858 Some books are undeservedly forgotten;
12859 none are undeservedly remembered.
12862 Every age is fed on illusions, lest men should renounce
12863 life early and the human race come to an end.
12866 Why is autobiography the most popular form of nonfiction
12867 for modern readers? Why are so many people moved to write their
12868 life stories today? And what is it about the genre that makes
12869 it appeal to readers not just in the Western world, but also in
12870 non-Western cultures, like those of Japan and India or the many
12871 cultures of Africa?...
12872 What makes the reading of autobiography so appealing is the
12873 chance it offers to see how this man or that woman whose public
12874 self interests us has negotiated the problem of self-awareness
12875 and has broken the internalized code a culture supplies about
12876 how life should be experienced. Most of us, unless faced with
12877 emotional illness, don't give our inner life scripts a fraction
12878 of the attention we give to the plots of movies or TV specials
12879 about some person of prominence. Yet the need to examine our
12880 inherited scripts is just beneath the surface of consciousness,
12881 so that while we think we are reading a gripping story, what
12882 really grips us is the inner reflection on our own lives the
12883 autobiographer sets in motion.
12886 Philosophy is a game with objectives and no rules.
12887 Mathematics is a game with rules and no objectives.
12890 The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working
12891 the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop
12892 until you get into the office.
12895 We have a criminal jury system which is superior to any
12896 in the world; and its efficiency is only marred by the
12897 difficulty of finding twelve men every day who don't know
12898 anything and can't read.
12901 If you start to think about your physical or moral condition,
12902 you usually find that you are sick.
12903 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
12905 A modest man is usually admired--if people ever hear of him.
12906 -- Edgar Watson Howe
12908 Modern housekeeping, despite its bad press, is among the most
12909 thoroughly pleasant, significant, and least alienated forms of work
12910 that many of us will encounter even if we are blessed with work
12911 outside the home that we like. Once, it was so physically onerous
12912 and arduous that it not infrequently contributed to a woman's total
12913 physical breakdown. Today, laundry, cleaning, and other household
12914 chores are by and large physically light or moderate work that doctors
12915 often recommend to people for their health, as evidence shows that
12916 housework is good for weight control and healthy hearts.
12917 Seen from the outside, housework can look like a Sisyphean task
12918 that gives you no sense of reward or completion. Yet housekeeping
12919 actually offers more opportunities for savoring achievement than
12920 almost any other work I can think of. Each of its regular routines
12921 brings satisfaction when it is completed. These routines echo the
12922 rhythm of life, and the housekeeping rhythm is the rhythm of the body.
12923 You get satisfaction not only from the sense of order, cleanliness,
12924 freshness, peace and plenty restored, but from the knowledge that you
12925 yourself and those you care about are going to enjoy these benefits.
12926 -- Cheryl Mendelson
12928 I'll tell you what it's like to be No. 1. I compare it to climbing
12929 Mount Everest. It's very difficult. Lives are lost along the way.
12930 You struggle and struggle and finally you get up there. And guess
12931 what there is once you get up there? Snow and ice.
12934 Never ask a person what to do, always tell him or her.
12935 If it's the wrong thing to do, or if there is a better way,
12936 they'll come back and tell you. But if you don't tell them
12937 what to do, they won't do anything but make a study.
12938 -- Eugenia Schwartzwald
12940 War, it seems to me, after a lifetime of reading about the subject,
12941 mingling with men of war, visiting the sites of war and observing its
12942 effects, may well be ceasing to commend itself to human beings as a
12943 desirable or productive, let alone rational, means of reconciling their
12944 discontents. This is not mere idealism. Mankind does have the capacity,
12945 over time, to correlate the costs and benefits of large and universal
12947 Throughout much of the time for which we have a record of human
12948 behaviour, mankind can clearly be seen to have judged that war's benefits
12949 outweighed its costs, or appeared to do so when a putative balance was
12950 struck. Now the computation works in the opposite direction. Costs
12951 clearly exceed benefits. Some of these costs are material. The
12952 superinflationary expense of weapon procurement distorts the budgets even
12953 of the richest states, while poor states deny themselves the chance of
12954 economic emancipation when they seek to make themselves militarily
12956 The human costs of actually going to war are even higher. Rich
12957 states, as between themselves, recognize that they are not to be borne.
12958 Poor states which fall into war with rich states are overwhelmed and
12959 humiliated. Poor states which fight each other, or are drawn into civil
12960 war, destroy their own well being, and even the structures which make
12961 recovery from the experience of war possible. War truly has become a
12962 scourge, as was disease throughout most of human history. The scourge
12963 of disease has, almost within living memory, been very largely defeated
12964 and, though it is true that disease had no friends as war has had friends,
12965 war now demands a friendship which can only be paid in false coin.
12966 A world political economy which makes no room for war demands, it
12967 must be recognized, a new culture of human relations. As most cultures of
12968 which we have knowledge were transfused by the warrior spirit, such a
12969 cultural transformation demands a break with the past for which there are
12970 no precedents. There is no precedent, however, for the menace with which
12971 future war now confronts the world.
12972 -- John Keegan, "A History of Warfare"
12974 Creditors are a superstitious sect,
12975 great observers of set days and times.
12976 -- Benjamin Franklin, "Poor Richard's Almanack"
12978 Despite the abundant evidence that compassion is a basic
12979 human trait, the view has long prevailed that human beings are
12980 either heartless or brutal toward most of their fellows. Every
12981 compendium of familiar quotations has an abundance of statements
12982 like "The greatest enemy to man is man" (Robert Burton) but
12983 almost none like "Precious is man to man" (Thomas Carlyle).
12984 Altruism research attests that kindness is as integral to human
12985 nature as cruelty, yet in the news and in the historical record
12986 cruel acts vastly outnumber kind ones.
12987 Why are we keenly aware of the despicable in us but largely
12988 insensible of the admirable? Not, I suggest, because the
12989 despicable is common and the admirable rare but the very reverse.
12990 Prosocial behavior of all sorts, including altruism, is so normal
12991 and expected that we scarcely notice it but are struck by its
12992 absence or opposite. We see nothing unusual in a passerby's
12993 helping a fallen elderly person to his feet but are surprised and
12994 disturbed if the passerby ignores him. We expect people to be
12995 kind and helpful to a stranger in distress; we are startled and
12996 troubled when they look away and hurry past. Cruelty is
12997 attention-getting, kindness unremarkable, and so we agree with
12998 Seneca that "man delights to ruin man" and with William James that
12999 "of all the beasts of prey... [man is] the only one that preys
13000 systematically on its own species".
13001 -- Morton Hunt, "The Compassionate Beast"
13003 Life is all memory, except for the one present moment
13004 that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going.
13005 -- Tennessee Williams
13007 There are serious reasons members of my generation are feeling a high
13008 level of anxiety and unhappiness these days, but it is interesting to look
13009 at how we "know" this: the polls. I used to like polls because I like vox
13010 pop, and polls seemed a good way to get a broad sampling. But now I think
13011 the vox has popped--the voice has cracked from too many command performances.
13012 Polls are contributing to a strange new volatility in public opinion...
13013 The dramatic rises and drops are fueled in part by mass media and their
13014 famous steady drumbeat of what's not working, from an increase in reported
13015 child abuse to a fall in savings. When this tendency is not prompted by
13016 ideology it is legitimate: good news isn't news. But the volatility is also
13017 driven by the polls themselves. People think they have to have an answer
13018 when they are questioned by pollsters, and they think the answer has to be
13019 "intelligent" and "not naive". This has the effect of hardening opinions
13020 that haven't even been formed yet. Poll questions do not invite subtlety or
13021 response. This dispels ambiguity, when a lot of thoughts and opinions are
13023 And we are polled too often. We are constantly having our temperature
13024 taken, like a hypochondriac who is looking for the reassurance no man can
13025 have, i.e., that he will not die... Nations that use polls as daily
13026 temperature readings inevitably give inauthentic readings, and wind up not
13027 reassured but demoralized.
13030 The chief object of education is
13031 not to learn things but to unlearn things.
13032 -- G. K. Chesterton
13034 When a subject becomes totally obsolete we make it a required course.
13037 He will kill mice and he will be kind to babies...
13038 but when the moon gets up and the night comes, he is
13039 the Cat that Walks by Himself.
13042 Everyone is a prisoner of his own prejudices.
13043 No one can eliminate prejudices--just recognize them.
13044 -- Edward R. Murrow
13046 I am the least difficult of men.
13047 All I want is boundless love.
13050 If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
13051 -- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
13053 Let's face it, life is mainly wasted time.
13056 Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living!
13059 Time spent with cats is never wasted.
13062 Most of us find ourselves at one time or another in a toy shop,
13063 looking for a gift for a child. Those of us who have not been in such
13064 stores since our youth can easily be bewildered, especially if we were
13065 born before the 1960s. Our favorite toys or games--fire engines,
13066 Tinkertoys, or baby dolls--have disappeared or are hidden in row after
13067 row of heroic fighters, fashion dolls, and exotic stuffed animals. The
13068 more practical of us enter the store with a list of items desired by
13069 the child--this season's action figure, the newest Barbie, or the
13070 latest video game. Veteran toy shoppers may enjoy the inevitable
13071 transformations as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles give way to Mighty
13072 Morphin Power Rangers and Locket Surprise Barbie to Tropic Splash
13073 Barbie. But equally we may be appalled to think about the dozens of
13074 Ninja Turtles that an older boy just had to have a year earlier but
13075 that were then shunned by a younger brother who just had to have Power
13076 Rangers. Why don't kids pass down their toys as we remember giving our
13077 building blocks and dollhouses to our younger brothers and sisters? It
13078 is easy to wonder whether each year's must-have toys are really for
13079 children's play or whether their ever-changing forms represent other
13081 There have been disturbing changes in the making of playthings in
13082 the last few decades. Since the late 1960s many old toy companies,
13083 venerated for manufacturing toys passed from one generation to the
13084 next, have disappeared...
13085 A tradition of manufacturing boys' construction and science sets
13086 promised parents that their children would be preparing to join the
13087 adult world of engineering, industry, and science... The old kitchen
13088 play sets, dollhouses, and baby dolls that were to teach girls the arts
13089 of housekeeping and childcare are also less in evidence today. Toys
13090 that seem to prepare children for adult life have become harder to
13092 The ever-expanding toy industry reflects a general American
13093 commitment to unrestrained markets and to constant change, a commitment
13094 at least a century old. Americans have long admired the new and have
13095 enriched those who produce it. For decades American parents have
13096 enjoyed sharing the world of consumption with their offspring. At
13097 first they did so knowing that they ultimately mediated between toys
13098 and their children. When the floodgates were opened and torrents of
13099 toys were presented directly to kids, parents found themselves merely
13100 providers of funds to buy toys.
13101 -- Gary Cross, "Kids' Stuff: Toys and the Changing World of American
13104 Business is never so healthy as when, like a chicken, it must
13105 do a certain amount of scratching around for what it gets.
13108 If you assign people duties without granting
13109 them any rights, you must pay them well.
13110 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
13112 It is far easier to write ten passable effective sonnets,
13113 good enough to take in the not too inquiring critic,
13114 than one effective advertisement that will take in a few
13115 thousand of the uncritical buying public.
13118 tail end of the day
13119 work escapes my fat fingers
13120 like greasy wieners
13123 Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent.
13124 Its sale is proof of utility and utility is success.
13125 -- Thomas Alva Edison
13127 Our lives are suspended like our planet in gimbals of duality,
13128 half sunlight and half shadow. If we plead with nature, it is
13129 in vain; she is wonderfully indifferent to our fate, and it is
13130 her custom to try everything and to be ruthless with incompetence.
13131 Ninety-nine percent of all the species that have lived on Earth
13132 have died away, and no stars will wink out in tribute if we in
13133 our folly soon join them.
13136 It is characteristic of the present time always to be conscious
13137 of the medium. It is almost bound to end in madness, like a man
13138 who whenever he looked at the sun and the stars was conscious of
13139 the world going round.
13142 The vanity of man revolts from the serene indifference of the cat.
13145 There are two means of refuge from the
13146 miseries of life: music and cats.
13147 -- Albert Schweitzer
13149 Open source should be about giving away things voluntarily.
13150 When you force someone to give you something, it's no longer
13151 giving, it's stealing. Persons of leisurely moral growth
13152 often confuse giving with taking.
13155 Stripped of ethical rationalizations and philosophical
13156 pretensions, a crime is anything that a group in power
13157 chooses to prohibit.
13160 People are more violently opposed to fur than
13161 leather because it's safer to harass rich women
13162 than motorcycle gangs.
13165 A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't
13166 change the subject.
13167 -- Winston Churchill
13169 Do not criticize your government when out of the
13170 country. Never cease to do so when at home.
13171 -- Winston Churchill
13173 Some civil servants are neither servants nor civil.
13174 -- Winston Churchill
13176 Golf is a game whose sole aim is to hit a very small
13177 ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons
13178 singularly ill designed for that purpose.
13179 -- Winston Churchill
13181 If it is a blessing, it is certainly very well disguised.
13182 -- Winston Churchill
13184 In war, you can only be killed once, but in politics, many times.
13185 -- Winston Churchill
13187 Some people's idea of free speech is that they are free
13188 to say anything they like, but if anyone says anything
13189 back, that is an outrage.
13190 -- Winston Churchill
13192 I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is
13193 prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another
13195 -- Winston Churchill
13197 If you destroy a free market you create a black market.
13198 -- Winston Churchill
13200 If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy
13201 all respect for the law.
13202 -- Winston Churchill
13204 Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at
13206 -- Winston Churchill
13208 It is a socialist ideal that making profits is a vice.
13209 I consider the real vice is making losses.
13210 -- Winston Churchill
13212 If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some.
13213 -- Benjamin Franklin
13215 The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
13216 -- Gerard Manley Hopkins
13218 The sounder your argument, the more satisfaction you get out of it.
13221 Expertise, it may be argued, sacrifices the insight of common sense
13222 to intensity of experience. It breeds an inability to accept new views from
13223 the very depth of its preoccupation with its won conclusions. It too often
13224 fails to see round its subject. It sees its results out of perspective by
13225 making them the centre of relevance to which all other results must be
13226 related. Too often, also, it lacks humility; and this breeds in its
13227 possessors a failure in proportion which makes them fail to see the obvious
13228 which is before their very noses. It has, also, a certain caste-spirit about
13229 it, so that experts tend to neglect all evidence which does not come from
13230 those who belong to their own ranks.
13231 Above all, perhaps, and this most urgently when human problems are
13232 concerned, the expert fails to see that every judgment he makes not purely
13233 factual in nature brings with it a scheme of values which has no special
13234 validity about it. He tends to confuse the importance of his facts with the
13235 importance of what he proposes to do about them.
13236 -- Harold J. Laski, "The Limitations of the Expert"
13238 If women are to do the same work as men,
13239 we must teach them the same things.
13242 Dogs may fawn on all and some
13244 You, a friend of loftier mind,
13245 Answer friends alone in kind;
13246 Just your foot upon my hand
13247 Softly bids it understand.
13248 -- Algernon Charles Swinburne
13250 The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.
13253 The machine does not isolate man from the great problems
13254 of nature but plunges him more deeply into them.
13255 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
13257 Today in USA Today, experts were quoted as saying that the breakup of
13258 Microsoft would result in shoddy products and missed deadlines...
13260 And Microsoft is worrying about being able to do business as usual.
13262 The justice department has released its recommendations on
13263 names for the two parts of Microsoft, post split:
13265 MICROS~1 and MICROS~2
13267 I think we should partition Microsoft into an OS company
13268 (called "C:") and an apps company ("D:"). Then we should
13269 blow away both partitions....
13272 Microsoft has argued in court that the US government's plan
13273 to break up the company is "defective in numerous respects,
13274 making the document vague and ambiguous."
13276 In which respect it's much like Microsoft's documentation.
13278 Immediately after the announcement by Judge Penfield of splitting
13279 the company in two, Microsoft sued Micro.Com Specialists, LLC, and
13280 Software Research, Inc. (owners of www.soft.com) for infringement
13281 of copyrights and cyber-squatting.
13283 your brain will enlarge as necessary. just don't get angry or
13284 confused or scared or sad, if possible... you'll be amazed at
13285 what that blob of cells is capable of.
13288 If you like laws and sausage, you should
13289 never watch either being made.
13290 -- Otto von Bismarck
13292 The most happy marriage I can picture or imagine to myself
13293 would be the union of a deaf man to a blind woman.
13294 -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
13296 A doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect can only
13297 advise his clients to plant vines.
13298 -- Frank Lloyd Wright
13300 He taught me housekeeping; when I divorce I keep the house.
13301 -- Zsa Zsa Gabor, speaking of her ex-husband
13303 There is really no such thing as bad weather,
13304 only different kinds of good weather.
13307 She's not a babe. She's a sophisticated real-time computer system.
13308 -- Spokesman for Ananova, a virtual news anchor
13310 The man who laughs has not yet been told the terrible news.
13313 I am easily satisfied with the very best.
13314 -- Winston Churchill
13316 Uncertainty and expectations are the joys of life.
13317 Security is an insipid thing, and the overtaking and
13318 possessing of a wish, discovers the folly of the chase.
13319 -- William Congreve
13321 Sleep is simply not dispensable, regardless of the attempts in
13322 today's society to treat it as if it were simply unproductive 'downtime'.
13323 The desire to get more sleep is not a sign of laziness, nor does it
13324 represent a lack of ambition. The need for sleep is real...
13325 When we try to sleep less than the 8-hour minimum, things start to
13326 deteriorate. First of all, the effects of less than 8 hours of sleep a
13327 night seem to accumulate as a sleep debt. If you lose 2 hours today and 2
13328 hours tomorrow, on the third day your efficiency is as low as if you had
13329 lost 4 hours in one night. This is the way our sleep debt builds up.
13330 Eventually, if the sleep debt becomes large enough, we become slow, clumsy,
13331 stupid, and, possibly, dead. This is not an exaggeration. Remember, the
13332 national death rate by accidents jumps 6 percent as a result of simply
13333 losing 1 hour of sleep as we shift to daylight savings time in the spring...
13334 Perhaps someday society will act to do something about sleepiness.
13335 It may even come to pass that someday the person who drives or goes to work
13336 while sleepy will be viewed as being as reprehensible, dangerous, or even
13337 criminally negligent as the person who drives or goes to work while drunk.
13338 If so, perhaps the rest of us can all sleep a little bit more soundly.
13341 You haven't lived until you've lived with a cat.
13344 When you appeal to force, there's one thing you must never do--lose.
13345 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
13347 It is because the body is a machine that education is possible.
13348 Education is the formation of habits, a superinducing of an
13349 artificial organization upon the natural organization of the body.
13350 -- Thomas H. Huxley
13352 If someone asks you, "Where do you live?" you are likely to answer
13353 with the name of a neighborhood, or a nearby geographic landmark. But if you
13354 give the question a sharper focus and ask yourself "And do I really live
13355 there?" then the answer becomes more vexing. Most of us can't claim to
13356 really live in the neighborhoods where we sleep. Few of us have the time to
13357 take part in the life of the community, and in many cases there is no
13358 community life to take part in. To varying degrees many of us can say of
13359 our neighborhoods what Gertrude Stein said of Oakland: "There is no _there_
13361 Bodenstandigkeit is German philosopher Martin Heidegger's term for
13362 the sense of being rooted in a place. It is this connection to a place that
13363 grounds us in Being, Heidegger claimed, and even if you don't buy into the
13364 existential mumbo-jumbo, it's not hard to understand the underlying insight:
13365 People who have no rootedness to a place are tumbleweeds, blown about on the
13366 currents of the zeitgeist. You have to be somebody, from somewhere, to know
13370 You don't understand anything until you learn it more than one way.
13373 When you confer spiritual authority on another person, you
13374 must realize that you are allowing them to pick your pocket
13375 and sell you your own watch.
13378 What then is the education to be? Perhaps we could hardly find a
13379 better answer than that which the experience of the past has already
13380 discovered--which consists, I believe, in gymnastic for the body and
13381 music for the mind.
13384 The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football.
13385 A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.
13386 -- Joe Theisman, NFL quarterback
13388 Sometimes the only way you can feel good about yourself is by making
13389 someone else look bad. And I'm tired of making other people feel good
13393 I was determined to know beans.
13394 -- Henry David Thoreau
13396 Today, the notion of a star-spangled melting pot seems quaint,
13397 of another age. Increasingly, America is a fractured landscape,
13398 its people partitioned into dozens of cultural enclaves, its
13399 ideals reflected through differing prisms of experience. And
13400 this fracturing is likely to continue as the self-concept of
13401 America shifts from a majority white-minority black nation to
13402 a pluralistic society of many ethnic and racial groups. At the
13403 close of what's been called the American Century, during which
13404 the nation emerged as the dominant world power in commerce and
13405 politics, old myths are dying hard and new ones are just being
13406 forged. In this clustered world, the national identity is
13407 changing, and most of us don't even know it. Forget the melting
13408 pot. America today would be better characterized as a salad bar.
13409 -- Michael J. Weiss
13411 Personally, I'm always ready to learn,
13412 although I do not always like being taught.
13413 -- Winston Churchill
13415 The Constitution only gives people the right to
13416 pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.
13419 Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when
13420 you fall down an open manhole and die.
13423 As a general rule, the most successful man in
13424 life is the man who has the best information.
13425 -- Benjamin Disraeli
13427 It is one of the blessings of old friends that
13428 you can afford to be stupid with them.
13429 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
13431 A child of five would understand this.
13432 Send someone to fetch a child of five.
13435 Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.
13438 I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns
13439 on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
13442 I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.
13445 I've had a perfectly wonderful evening.
13446 But this wasn't it.
13449 Those are my principles, and if you don't like
13450 them... well, I have others.
13453 When I picked up your book I was so convulsed with laughter
13454 that I had to set it down, but one day I intend to read it.
13457 Some people claim that marriage interferes with romance.
13458 There's no doubt about it. Anytime you have a romance,
13459 your wife is bound to interfere.
13462 God has made the cat to give man the
13463 pleasure of caressing the tiger.
13466 We are not without accomplishment. We have
13467 managed to distribute poverty equally.
13468 -- Nguyen Co Thatch, Vietnamese Foreign
13470 Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be
13471 always cast. In the pool where you least expect
13472 it, will be a fish.
13475 If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is
13476 because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music
13477 which he hears, however measured or far away.
13478 -- Henry David Thoreau
13480 The difficulty is to try and teach the multitude that something can
13481 be true and untrue at the same time.
13482 -- Arthur Schopenhauer
13484 God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board.
13487 People often applaud an imitation and then sneer at the real thing.
13490 A thought which does not result
13491 in an action is nothing much,
13492 and an action which does not proceed
13493 from a thought is nothing at all.
13494 -- Georges Bernanos
13498 Security holes are only software bugs when
13499 one of the software's requirements is security.
13503 do outlook, internet explorer and, indeed, windows
13504 itself have 'bugs'? because that would indicate
13505 that microsoft has a requirement of security...
13506 it seems more likely that any security problems are just
13507 a by-product of the microsoft swiss cheese development
13508 methodology(tm)... if it doesn't stink and have a lot
13509 of holes, then it's not from microsoft.
13512 The biggest fool in the world is he who merely does his work
13513 supremely well, without attending to appearance.
13516 Now and then there is a person born who is so unlucky that he runs
13517 into accidents which started out to happen to somebody else.
13520 Daydreaming does not enjoy tremendous prestige in our culture,
13521 which tends to regard it as unproductive thought. Writers
13522 perhaps appreciate its importance better than most, since a
13523 fair amount of what they call work consists of little more
13524 than daydreaming edited. Yet anyone who reads for pleasure
13525 should prize it too, for what is reading a good book but a
13526 daydream at second hand? Unlike any other form of thought,
13527 daydreaming is its own reward. For regardless of the result
13528 (if any), the very process of daydreaming is pleasurable.
13529 And, I would guess, is probably a psychological necessity.
13530 For isn't it in our daydreams that we acquire some sense of
13531 what we are about? Where we try on futures and practice our
13532 voices before committing ourselves to words or deeds?
13533 Daydreaming is where we go to cultivate the self, or, more
13534 likely, selves, out of the view and earshot of other people.
13535 Without its daydreams, the self is apt to shrink down to the
13536 size and shape of the estimation of others.
13539 Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe,
13540 a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride,
13541 and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently
13542 regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are
13543 entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and
13544 vagaries of the crowd.
13545 -- Dame Edith Sitwell
13547 There are times when I think that the ideal library is
13548 composed solely of reference books. They are like
13549 understanding friends--always ready to change the subject
13550 when you have had enough of this or that.
13553 Mothers, fathers, aren't supposed to change, any more than
13554 they are supposed to leave, or die. They must not do that.
13557 The greatest obstacle to discovery is not
13558 ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge.
13559 -- Daniel J. Boorstin
13561 Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing.
13562 Nobody listens--and then everybody disagrees.
13565 All music is folk music. I ain't never heard no horse sing a song.
13566 -- Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong
13568 Creative minds have always been known
13569 to survive any kind of bad training.
13572 Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake.
13573 -- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower
13575 I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry.
13576 That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste.
13577 -- David Bissonette
13579 I married the first man I ever kissed.
13580 When I tell my children that they just about throw up.
13583 The trouble with some women is they get all excited
13584 about nothing--and then they marry him.
13587 Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people
13588 who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm.
13589 But the harm does not interest them.
13592 When you're finished changing, you're finished.
13593 -- Benjamin Franklin
13595 It is time we start searching for the fountain of age, time that
13596 we stop denying our growing older and look at the actuality of our
13597 own experience, and that of other women and men who have gone
13598 beyond denial to a new place in their sixties, seventies, eighties.
13599 It is time to look at age on its own terms, and put names on its
13600 values and strengths as they are actually experienced, breaking
13601 through the definition of age solely as deterioration or decline
13602 from youth. Only then will we see that the problem is not age
13603 itself, to be denied or warded off as long as possible, that the
13604 problem is not those increasing numbers of people living beyond
13605 sixty-five, to be segregated from the useful, valuable, pleasurable
13606 activities of society so that the rest of us can keep our illusion
13607 of staying forever young. Nor is the basic political problem the
13608 burden on society of those forced into deterioration, second
13609 childhood, even senility. The problem is not how we can stay young
13610 forever, personally--or avoid facing society's problems politically
13611 by shifting them onto age. The problem is, first of all, how to
13612 break through the cocoon of our illusory youth and risk a new stage
13613 in life, where there are not prescribed role models to follow, no
13614 guidepost, no rigid rules or visible rewards, to step out into the
13615 true existential unknown of these new years of life now open to us,
13616 and to find our own terms for living it.
13619 When I am getting ready to reason with a man, I spend one-third
13620 of my time thinking about myself and what I am going to say and
13621 two-thirds about him and what he is going to say.
13624 Blessed are they who have nothing to say
13625 and who cannot be persuaded to say it.
13626 -- James Russell Lowell
13628 Personal computers are less able to sense human presence
13629 than are modern toilets or outdoor floodlights that have simple
13630 motion sensors. Your inexpensive auto-focus camera has more
13631 intelligence about what is in front of it than any terminal or
13633 When you lift your hands from your computer keyboard, it
13634 does not know whether the pause is reflective, a nature break,
13635 or an interruption for lunch. It cannot tell the difference
13636 between talking to you alone or in front of six other people.
13637 It does not know if you are in your night-or party clothes or
13638 no clothes at all. For all it knows, you could have your back
13639 to it while it was showing you something important, or you
13640 could be out of earshot altogether while it was speaking to you.
13641 We think today solely from the perspective of what would
13642 make it easier for a person to use a computer. It may be time
13643 to ask what will make it easier for computers to deal with
13644 humans. For example, how can you possibly hold a conversation
13645 with people if you don't even know they are there? You can't
13646 see them, and you don't know how many there are. Are they
13647 smiling? Are they even paying attention? We talk longingly
13648 about human-computer interactions and conversational systems,
13649 and yet we are fully prepared to leave one participant in this
13650 dialogue totally in the dark. It is time to make computers see
13652 -- Nicholas Negroponte
13654 The energy produced by the breaking down of the
13655 atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who
13656 expects a source of power from the transformation
13657 of these atoms is talking moonshine.
13658 -- Ernest Rutherford
13660 Finance is the art of passing currency from
13661 hand to hand until it finally disappears.
13662 -- Robert W. Sarnoff
13664 The scientific community speaks about its work in a cool
13665 and disinterested manner. To present an exciting profile
13666 would be unprofessional. Any excess of emotion would suggest
13667 a lack of neutrality and therefore a tendency to read what
13668 they want in the facts rather than reporting what they see.
13669 Scientific objectivity must therefore appear to be boring.
13670 Scientists are well aware that their work is neither
13671 boring nor objective. If it were, very few discoveries would
13673 Social science, being falsely empirical, is triply
13674 obsessed by the obligation to present itself as the objective
13675 interpretation of observed reality. Since the more or less
13676 hard edges of scientific inquiry are not involved, social
13677 scientists are free to be more categorical about truth,
13678 reality and what they call facts. They therefore seek to be
13679 more boring than scientists.
13680 -- John Ralston Saul
13682 Despair is perfectly compatible with a good dinner, I promise you.
13683 -- William M. Thackeray
13685 A genius is someone who can do anything except make a living.
13688 If you like a man's laugh before you know anything of him,
13689 you may say with confidence that he is a good man.
13690 -- Fyodor Dostoevski
13692 Fortune befriends the bold.
13695 Success in almost any field depends more on energy
13696 and drive than it does on intelligence. This explains
13697 why we have so many stupid leaders.
13700 Socialism is Bolshevism with a shave.
13703 I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
13706 Give a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day.
13707 Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
13709 It is a myth, not a mandate, a fable not a logic,
13710 and symbol rather than a reason by which men are moved.
13713 Dakota tribal wisdom says that when you're on a dead horse, the best
13714 strategy is to dismount. Of course, there are other strategies. You
13715 can change riders. You can get a committee to study the dead horse.
13716 You can benchmark how other companies ride dead horses. You can
13717 declare that it's cheaper to feed a dead horse. You can harness
13718 several dead horses together. But after you've tried all these things,
13719 you're still going to have to dismount.
13722 You think it's a conspiracy by the networks to put bad shows on TV.
13723 But the shows are bad because that's what people want. It's not like
13724 Windows users don't have any power; I think they are happy with
13725 Windows, and that's an incredibly depressing thought.
13728 Coaches have to watch for what they don't want to see
13729 and listen to what they don't want to hear.
13732 Never forget the power of silence, that massively disconcerting
13733 pause which goes on and on and may at last induce an opponent to
13734 babble and backtrack nervously.
13737 Florence Nightingale, on her kitten's reaction to an older cat:
13739 "The little one stands her ground, and when the old enemy comes near
13740 enough kisses his nose and makes the peace. That is the lesson of
13741 life: to kiss one's enemy's nose always standing one's ground."
13743 In the game known as Broken Telephone (or Chinese Whispers) a child
13744 whispers a phrase into the ear of a second child, who whispers it into
13745 the ear of a third child, and so one. Distortions accumulate, and when
13746 the last child announces the phrase, it is comically different from the
13747 original. The game works because each child does not merely degrade the
13748 phrase, which would culminate in a mumble, but reanalyzes it, making a
13749 best guess about the words the preceding child had in mind.
13750 All languages change through the centuries. We do not speak like
13751 Shakespeare (1564-1616), who did not speak like Chaucer (1343-1400), who
13752 did not speak like the author of Beowulf (around 750-800). As the
13753 changes take place, people feel the ground eroding under their feet and
13754 in every era have predicted the imminent demise of the language. Yet
13755 the twelve hundred years of changes since Beowulf have not left us
13756 grunting like Tarzan, and that is because language change is a game of
13758 A generation of speakers uses their lexicon and grammar to produce
13759 sentences. The younger generation listens to the sentences and tries to
13760 infer the lexicon and grammar, the remarkable feat we call language
13761 acquisition. The transmission of a lexicon and grammar in language
13762 acquisition is fairly high in fidelity -- you probably can communicate
13763 well with your parents and your children -- but it is never perfect.
13764 Words rise and fall in popularity, as the needs of daily life change, and
13765 also as the hip try to sound different from the dweebs and graybeards.
13766 Speakers swallow or warp some sounds to save effort, and enunciate or
13767 shift others to make themselves understood. Immigrants or conquerors
13768 with regional or foreign accents may swamp the locals and change the pool
13769 of speech available to children.
13770 Children, for their part, do not mimic sentences like parrots but try
13771 to make sense of them in terms of underlying words and rules. They may
13772 hear a mumbled consonant as no consonant at all, or a drawn-out or
13773 mispronounced vowel as a different vowel. They may fail to discern the
13774 rationale for a rule and simply memorize its outputs as a list. Or they
13775 may latch on to some habitual way of ordering words and hypothesize a new
13776 rule to make sense of it. The language of their generation will have
13777 changed, though it need not have deteriorated. Then the process is
13778 repeated with their children. Each change may be small, but as changes
13779 accumulate over centuries they reshape the language just as erosion and
13780 sedimentation imperceptibly sculpt the earth.
13783 Ideas won't keep: something must be done about them.
13784 -- Alfred North Whitehead
13786 Simple solutions seldom are. It takes a very unusual
13787 mind to undertake analysis of the obvious.
13788 -- Alfred North Whitehead
13790 Ninety-Ninety Rule n.
13791 "The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the
13792 development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the
13793 other 90% of the development time." Attributed to Tom Cargill of
13794 Bell Labs, and popularized by Jon Bentley's September 1985
13795 "Bumper-Sticker Computer Science" column in "Communications of
13797 It was there called the "Rule of Credibility", a name which
13798 seems not to have stuck. Other maxims in the same vein include
13799 the law attributed to the early British computer scientist Douglas
13800 Hartree: "The time from now until the completion of the project
13801 tends to become constant."
13803 Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.
13806 No matter how bad things get
13807 you got to go on living,
13808 even if it kills you.
13811 A man's palate can, in time, become accustomed to anything.
13812 -- Napoleon Bonaparte
13814 Because they did not see merit where they should have seen it,
13815 people, to express their regret, will go and leave a lot of
13816 money to the very people who will be the first to throw stones
13817 at the next person who has anything to say and finds a difficulty
13818 in getting a hearing.
13821 I praise loudly, I blame softly.
13822 -- Catherine II of Russia
13824 Deny yourself! You must deny yourself!
13825 That is the song that never ends.
13828 There are few more doleful sounds than the
13829 laughter of a man without humour.
13832 Children are the first to lose their innocence,
13833 artists the second: idiots never.
13836 What is the good of being an island,
13837 if you are not a volcanic island?
13840 Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you
13841 have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.
13844 Most human beings have to spend their lives in utter vulnerability.
13845 All are murderable and torturable, and survive only through the restraint
13846 shown by more powerful neighbors. All are born unequal, in terms of
13847 capacity or strength. All are born to the inherent frailty of the human
13848 condition, naked and helpless, vulnerable all through life to the will of
13849 others, limited by ignorance, limited by physical weakness, limited by
13850 fear, limited by the phobias that fear engenders.
13851 For nearly three thousand years now, the political and social genius
13852 of what we can permissibly call 'Western man' has struggled with these
13853 brute facts of our unsatisfactory existence. Ever since the Hebrews
13854 discovered personal moral responsibility and the Greeks discovered the
13855 autonomy of the citizen, the effort has been made--with setbacks and
13856 defeats, with dark ages and interregnums and any number of irrelevant
13857 adventures on the side-to create a social order in which weak, fallible,
13858 obstinate, silly, magnificent man can maintain his dignity and exercise his
13859 free and responsible choice.
13862 Let us work without theorizing. It's the only way to
13863 make life endurable.
13866 At many human faults a cat
13867 Will never take offense:
13868 Two things though they cannot stand:
13869 The wretched Door, the horrid Fence.
13872 I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
13875 [Chess is] as elaborate a waste of human intelligence
13876 as you can find outside an advertising agency.
13877 -- Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) U.S. crime-fiction writer
13879 Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are
13880 doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time.
13881 -- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1960) Irish playwright, critic
13883 Every moment in life is precious; that's why I play chess.
13884 -- Joseph Siroker, coffee house chess player and guru
13886 I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody
13887 to tell me the truth even if it costs them their jobs.
13890 A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can
13891 prove that you don't need it.
13894 Giving money and power to government is like
13895 giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
13898 The very moral person usually has quite good manners because good
13899 manners are usually some sort of basic consideration.
13900 -- Louis Auchincloss
13902 It takes little talent to see clearly what lies under one's nose,
13903 a good deal of it to know in which direction to point that organ.
13906 On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], "Pray, Mr.
13907 Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers
13908 come out?" I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of
13909 ideas that could provoke such a question.
13912 Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
13915 The man who can drive himself further once the
13916 effort gets painful is the man who will win.
13919 You grow up on the day you have your first real laugh at yourself.
13922 I think one of the reasons I'm popular again is
13923 because I'm wearing a tie. You have to be different.
13926 When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
13929 With a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half,
13930 and with a fraud I try to be a fraud and a half.
13931 -- Otto Von Bismarck
13933 Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain.
13936 I have discovered that we may be in some degree whatever character
13937 we choose. Besides, practice forms a man to anything.
13940 There are no small parts, only small actors.
13943 Charm is a way of getting the answer 'yes'
13944 without having asked any clear question.
13947 Instead of looking at life as a narrowing funnel, we can see it
13948 ever widening to choose the things we want to do, to take the
13949 wisdom we've learned and create something.
13952 Life at university, with its intellectual and inconclusive discussions
13953 at a postgraduate level is on the whole a bad training for the real world.
13954 Only men of very strong character surmount this handicap.
13957 The First Daily Sin is imitation. How can the network evening
13958 news programs be so similar? We're in a commercial, highly competitive
13959 struggle for viewers, and yet our solution for standing out in the
13960 marketplace is--do just what the competition is doing. CBS research shows
13961 that half the viewers of any given evening news broadcast--on CBS, NBC, or
13962 ABC--only watch that particular program one night a week. The implication
13963 is obvious: To these viewers, it doesn't make much of a difference which
13964 one they watch--or whether they watch at all.
13965 The Second Daily Sin is predictability. How often are you surprised
13966 by something you see on the news?
13967 The Third Daily Sin is artificiality. If you stop and really
13968 listen to how a typical television reporter tells a story, you'll hear how
13969 artificial it sounds. Even words--'pontiff' comes quickly to mind--that you
13970 never hear in real life. Nobody talks that way--except for us.
13971 The Fourth Daily Sin is laziness. The people I work with put in
13972 long hours and are very devoted to their jobs. They're certainly not lazy
13973 in the conventional sense. But I think we've all become lazy in our
13974 thinking, in our reluctance to dig out original stories and come up with
13975 new ways to tell them.
13976 The Fifth Daily Sin is oversimplification. Our audience is smarter
13977 and more thoughtful than a lot of us think. The people out there in America
13978 know that life is not as simple as what they see on the news: a world of
13979 heroes and villains, winners and losers, exploiters and victims. Yet that's
13980 what we show them, night after night.
13981 The Sixth Daily Sin is hype. Can you remember the last 'story
13982 you'll never forget?' How about the one before that? I can't. Over the
13983 years we've exaggerated so much that we've eroded our own ability to convey
13984 what's truly significant.
13985 The Seventh Daily Sin is cynicism. I think we're cynical about the
13986 audience and cynical about our ability to make a difference in peoples'
13987 lives. Journalists today are held in low esteem, but that doesn't have to
13988 be. Our viewers and listeners are also hungry for honest information, for
13989 help in coping with a bewildering world. We have an enormous opportunity to
13990 win our good name back--and insure our own survival in the bargain.
13991 -- Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News
13993 Desperation is sometimes as powerful an inspirer as genius.
13994 -- Benjamin Disraeli
13996 Dr. Laura eats the Bible, live
13997 ------------------------------
13998 Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to
13999 people who call in to her radio show. Paramount Television Group is
14000 currently producing a "Dr. Laura" television show. She has become a
14001 convert to Judaism, and now she is Ba'al T'shuvah.
14002 Recently, she made some statements about homosexuals, based on
14003 biblical edicts. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura that
14004 was posted on the internet.
14009 Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law.
14010 I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that
14011 knowledge with as many people as I can.
14012 When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example,
14013 I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an
14014 abomination. End of debate.
14015 Now I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the
14016 specific laws and how to best follow them.
14017 a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates
14018 a pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev.1:9). The problem is my neighbours.
14019 They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
14020 b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in
14021 Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair
14023 c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in
14024 her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev.15:19-24). The problem is, how
14025 do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.
14026 d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and
14027 female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend
14028 of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can
14029 you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
14030 e) I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus
14031 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated
14032 to kill him myself?
14033 f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
14034 Abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality.
14035 I don't agree. Can you settle this?
14036 g) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I
14037 have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses.
14038 Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
14039 h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair
14040 around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.
14041 19:27. How should they die?
14042 i) I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes
14043 me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
14044 j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two
14045 different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments
14046 made of two different kinds of thread (cotton / polyester blend). He
14047 also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we
14048 go to the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them?
14049 (Lev. 24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family
14050 affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
14051 I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident
14052 you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is
14053 eternal and unchanging.
14054 Your devoted disciple and adoring fan,
14057 Logic, like whiskey, loses its beneficial effect
14058 when taken in too large quantities.
14061 It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.
14064 It is theory that decides what can be observed.
14067 It would be too pat, perhaps, to say that modern people, men and
14068 women, expect the unexpected. But they certainly expect, or are inured
14069 to, constant change... Unquestionably, people sense constant movement,
14070 change, alteration, and 'progress'. Even clothes are supposed to change
14071 from year to year: there is this year's fashion, and last year's fashion,
14072 and the fashions of the year before.
14073 Then there is the idea of 'news,' that is, of something novel
14074 happening every day, something worth reporting. Millions of people wake up
14075 in the morning and watch the news on television; they may also listen to
14076 radio news throughout the day and later catch the evening television news.
14077 It would be unthinkable to read in the newspapers or to hear on television
14078 that 'nothing much happened today.' There is always news, always something
14079 going on, always change. Some days bring major headlines; other days are
14080 quieter. But there is never no news: the message we get every day is that
14081 things are never exactly the same.
14082 -- Lawrence M. Friedman, from "The Horizontal Society"
14084 Education makes us more stupid than the brutes. A thousand voices
14085 call to us on every hand, but our ears are stopped with wisdom.
14088 I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier
14089 to answer questions. I can't answer your question.
14090 -- Presidential candidate GW Bush, in response to a question about
14091 whether he wished he could take back any of his answers in the
14092 first debate. Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Oct. 4, 2000
14094 Notice the difference between what happens when a man
14095 says to himself, "I have failed three times," and what
14096 happens when he says, "I am a failure."
14099 If you always do what interests you,
14100 at least one person is pleased.
14101 -- Katharine Hepburn
14103 I cannot imagine a pleasant retired life of peace
14104 and meditation without a cat in the house.
14105 -- Paul Von Hindenberg
14107 Our achievements speak for themselves. What we have to keep track of
14108 are our failures, discouragements, and doubts. We tend to forget the
14109 past difficulties, the many false starts, and the painful groping.
14112 It is cheering to see that the rats are
14113 still around--the ship is not sinking.
14116 Always keep faith in the mind of clear light and be safe!
14119 Until now, in the Western world, leisure was the exclusive
14120 possession of a privileged class, which took upon itself the task of
14121 playing on behalf of the whole overworked society. For all the injustices
14122 which this entailed, it can be argued that this inequality in the
14123 distribution of leisure gave the minority that enjoyed it a certain
14124 responsibility for the quality of its amusements.
14125 Today our machines have turned leisure into an almost universal
14126 and obligatory state, one which many of us are finding enervating and even
14127 painful. To live free of the burden of grinding toil is the oldest of
14128 man's dreams. Yet no sooner has he rid himself of the accursed necessity
14129 of earning his living by the sweat of his brow, then he is confronted by a
14130 huge and alarming vacuum which -- if he is not to go mad -- must be quickly
14131 and entirely filled. With this new and abundant leisure come certain
14132 inescapable demands not to squander unimaginatively the resources that
14133 industrialization has opened for us. Many of us-consciously seldom, but
14134 unconsciously often-find this challenge so disturbing that we flee back to
14135 artificially strenuous work or even to war in order to escape the
14136 perplexities of choice presented to abundant leisure.
14137 This is a problem which you, as members of the Mass Audience, will
14138 be sharing with hundreds of millions of your fellow citizens the world over.
14141 If you want to write, keep cats.
14144 It is because the body is a machine that education is possible.
14145 Education is the formation of habits, a superinducing of an artificial
14146 organization upon the natural organization of the body.
14147 -- Thomas H. Huxley
14149 If you care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it.
14152 Excellence in any department can be attained only by the labor of
14153 a lifetime; it is not to be purchased at a lesser price.
14156 The surest way to forfeit the esteem of a cat is to
14157 treat him as an inferior being.
14160 When you learn not to want things so badly, life comes to you.
14163 Don't tell me how hard you work.
14164 Tell me how much you get done.
14167 The misfortunes hardest to bear are these which never came.
14168 -- James Russell Lowell
14170 Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution.
14173 A bachelor is a selfish, undeserving guy who has
14174 cheated some woman out of a divorce.
14177 Serocki's Stricture: Marriage is always a bachelor's last option.
14179 The gods gave man fire and he invented fire engines.
14180 They gave him love and he invented marriage.
14182 When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane,
14183 most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear
14184 that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition
14185 continuously until death do them part.
14186 -- George Bernard Shaw
14188 Marriage is nature's way of keeping people from fighting with strangers.
14190 If you're upset and wonder what your wife does with
14191 all the grocery money, stand sideways and look at yourself.
14193 I don't worry about terrorism;
14194 I was married for two years.
14197 Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding,
14198 economical and a good cook. Unfortunately, the law allows
14201 Men are men before they are lawyers, or physicians, or merchants, or
14202 manufacturers; and if you make them capable and sensible men, they
14203 will make themselves capable and sensible lawyers or physicians.
14204 -- John Stuart Mill
14206 Most of America's millionaires are first-generation rich. How is
14207 it possible for people from modest backgrounds to become millionaires in
14208 one generation? Why is it that so many people with similar socioeconomic
14209 backgrounds never accumulate even modest amounts of wealth?
14210 Most people who become millionaires have confidence in their own
14211 abilities. They do not spend time worrying about whether or not their
14212 parents were wealthy. They do not believe that one must be born wealthy.
14213 Conversely, people of modest backgrounds who believe that only the wealthy
14214 produce millionaires are predetermined to remain non-affluent. Have you
14215 always thought that most millionaires are born with silver spoons in their
14216 mouths? If so, consider the following facts that our research uncovered
14217 about American millionaires:
14218 * Only 19 percent receive any income or wealth of any kind from a
14219 trust fund or an estate.
14220 * Fewer than 20 percent inherited 10 percent or more of their wealth.
14221 * More than half never received as much as $1 in inheritance.
14222 * Fewer than 25 percent ever received "an act of kindness" of $10,000
14223 or more from their parents, grandparents, or other relatives.
14224 * Ninety-one percent never received, as a gift, as much as $1 of the
14225 ownership of a family business.
14226 * Nearly half never received any college tuition from their parents
14227 or other relatives.
14228 * Fewer than 10 percent believe they will ever receive an inheritance
14230 America continues to hold great prospects for those who wish to
14231 accumulate wealth in one generation. In fact, America has always been a
14232 land of opportunity for those who believe in the fluid nature of our
14233 nation's social system and economy.
14234 -- from the book "The Millionaire Next Door"
14236 In Rome, Athens, and Sparta, honor alone was the reward for the
14237 greatest of services. A wreath of oak-leaves or laurel, a statue or public
14238 congratulations was an immense reward for winning a battle or capturing a town.
14239 In these cities, a man who had accomplished some great feat was
14240 sufficiently rewarded by the accomplishment itself. He could not meet any
14241 of his fellow-citizens without feeling the pleasure of having done
14242 something for them; he could calculate the extent of his services by the
14243 number of his countrymen. Everybody is capable of doing good to one man,
14244 but it is god-like to contribute to the happiness of an entire society."
14247 I'll let you in on a secret. George Bush is not going to
14248 be the next president of the United States. Get over it,
14249 folks. It's not going to happen.
14250 -- Michael Moore, 9/21/2000, quoted by Eun-Kyung Kim (AP)
14252 As I considered the premise put forth in the meeting room: that
14253 the shortest road to wisdom and peace with the world is the one that turns
14254 inward, away from direct sensory contact with other creatures. I will not
14255 assert that meditation, psychotherapy, and philosophical introspection are
14256 unproductive, but I simply can't accept that inward is the only or best way
14257 for everyone to turn. The more disciplined practitioners of contemplative
14258 traditions can turn inward and still get beyond the self, but many others
14259 simply become swamped by self-indulgence. There are far too many people
14260 living in our society who forget daily that other creatures--five kingdoms'
14261 worth of them--are cohabiting the planet with us.
14262 Over half a century ago, Robinson Jeffers suggested that it may be
14263 just as valid to turn outward: "The whole human race spends too much
14264 emotion on itself. The happiest and freest man is the scientist
14265 investigating nature or the artist admiring it, the person who is
14266 interested in things that are not human. Or if he is interested in human
14267 beings, let him regard them objectively as a small part of the great music."
14268 -- Gary Paul Nabhan
14270 SWM 33, black belt kama sutra, seeking wonder woman. bring me your
14271 inhibitions and i will shatter them, you sweet thing. no violence.
14272 no caustics. sin is the word of restriction, so come pet my crowley.
14273 aleister can cook; aunt jemima treatment for all.
14275 Chance favors only the prepared mind.
14278 I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
14279 I lift my eyes and all is born again.
14282 Books do furnish a room.
14285 For the benefit of the two or three other people in this society
14286 who don't know what 'Cats' is about, here's the answer: It's about a bunch
14287 of cats. The cats jump around in a postnuclear junkyard for some two and a
14288 half hours, bumping and grinding to that curiously Mesozoic pop music for
14289 which Andrew Lloyd Webber is famous--the kind of full-tilt truckin' that
14290 sounds like the theme from 'The Mod Squad.' There's an Elvis impersonator
14291 cat, and a cat that looks like Cyndi Lauper, and a cat that looks like
14292 Phyllis Diller. All the other cast members look like Jon Bon Jovi with two
14293 weeks of facial growth.
14294 Sure, 'Cats' is allegedly based upon the works of T. S. Eliot, but
14295 from what I could tell, the show had about as much to do with the author of
14296 'The Waste Land' as those old Steve Reeves movies had to do with Euripides.
14297 'Cats' is what 'Grease' would look like if all the cast members dressed up
14298 like KISS. To give you an idea of how bad 'Cats' is, think of a musical
14299 where you're actually glad to hear 'Memory' reprised a third time because
14300 all the other songs are so awful. Think of a musical where the songs are so
14301 bad that 'Memory' starts to sound like 'Ol' Man River' by comparison.
14302 That's how bad 'Cats' is.
14305 Originality consists in trying to be like everybody else--and failing.
14306 -- Raymond Radiguet
14308 green sandwich glowing bright, thou droppest mushrooms
14309 on my tights, i slackly drool and whine and moan, for i
14310 will soon give you a better, more acidic home.
14312 By all means marry. If you get a good wife you will become
14313 happy, and if you get a bad one you will become a philosopher.
14316 The life of the creative man is lead, directed, and controlled by
14317 boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes.
14320 The new generation of software must be designed from day one to be pirated.
14321 -- CinemaElectric CEO Jim Robinson
14323 thought is the only antidote to stupidity,
14324 but stupid people don't realize they need it.
14327 i don't have to speak
14328 in haiku at all times since
14332 What is more interesting in this world than our fellow human
14333 beings and other living creatures? Why do we know so few of what must be
14334 out there? What kind of philistines are we? Yet we can make a more
14335 practical point than this. We need to interact with other species whether
14336 we want to or not. They are our food and our environment: homes, scenery,
14337 soil, even the oxygen in the air is provided by courtesy of plants and
14338 photosynthesizing bacteria. We need actively to exploit our fellow
14339 creatures to survive. This is not an option: we have to exploit them unless
14340 we prefer to die. Therefore purely for selfish reasons (as well as for
14341 reasons that we may hope are less selfish) we also need to conserve them.
14342 Besides, even if we learnt to do without our fellow creatures--perhaps
14343 found some inexhaustible supply of food on some distant planet--they would
14344 not necessarily ignore us. We are flesh, too, for all our conceit, and many
14345 are more than happy to feed upon us. To contain, exploit, or conserve our
14346 fellow creatures we need to keep tabs on them.
14349 Nature's technology occurs on the surface of the same planet as
14350 that of human culture, so it endures the same physical and chemical
14351 limitations and must use the same materials. But nature copes and invents
14352 in a way fundamentally different from what we do. At the very least, the
14353 rate at which she alters herself is glacial by our cultural standard.
14354 The very shapes of the two technologies differ dramatically. Just
14355 look around you. Right angles are everywhere: the edges of this page, desk
14356 corners, street corners, floor corners, shelves, doors, boxes, bricks, and
14357 on and on. Then look at field, park, or forest. Where are the right angles?
14358 Absent? No, but rare, which raises questions. Why so few right angles in
14359 nature? Why do civilizations find them so serviceable?
14360 Natural and human technologies differ extensively and pervasively.
14361 We build dry and stiff structures; nature mostly makes hers wet and
14362 flexible. We build of metals; nature never does. Our hinges mainly slide;
14363 hers mostly bend. We do wonders with wheels and rotary motion; nature makes
14364 fully competent boats, aircraft, and terrestrial vehicles that lack them
14365 entirely. Our engines expand or spin; hers contract or slide. We fabricate
14366 large devices directly; nature's large things are cunning proliferations of
14368 -- Steven Vogel's, from "Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds
14369 of Nature and People"
14371 If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.
14374 I will be brief. Not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the
14375 world's shortest speech. He said I will be so brief I have already
14376 finished, and he sat down.
14377 -- Edward O. Wilson
14379 yahoo throws a shoe;
14380 trouble in digital zone
14381 e-log drops out chute
14384 Take care not to step on the foot of a learned idiot.
14385 His bite is incurable.
14388 A great sailor can sail even with a torn canvas. -- Seneca
14390 What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists?
14391 In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
14394 Unlike the Industrial Revolution, the Biomimicry Revolution
14395 introduces an era based not on what we can extract from nature, but on what
14396 we can learn from her... 'doing it nature's way' has the potential to
14397 change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal
14398 ourselves, store information, and conduct business.
14399 In a biomimetic world, we would manufacture the way animals and
14400 plants do, using sun and simple compounds to produce totally biodegradable
14401 fibers, ceramics, plastics, and chemicals. Our farms, modeled on prairies,
14402 would be self-fertilizing and pest-resistant. To find new drugs or crops,
14403 we would consult animals and insects that have used plants for millions of
14404 years to keep themselves healthy and nourished. Even computing would take
14405 its cue from nature, with software that "evolves" solutions, and hardware
14406 that uses the lock-and-key paradigm to compute by touch.
14407 In each case, nature would provide the models: solar cells copied
14408 from leaves, steely fibers woven spider-style, shatterproof ceramics drawn
14409 from mother-of-pearl, cancer cures compliments of chimpanzees, perennial
14410 grains inspired by tallgrass, computers that signal like cells, and a
14411 closed-loop economy that takes its lessons from redwoods, coral reefs, and
14412 oak-hickory forests.
14413 The biomimics are discovering what works in the natural world, and
14414 more important, what lasts. After 3.8 billion years of research and
14415 development, failures are fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to
14416 survival. The more our world looks and functions like this natural world,
14417 the more likely we are to be accepted on this home that is ours, but not
14419 -- Janine M. Benyus
14421 It is better to have a lion at the head of an army of sheep,
14422 than a sheep at the head of an army of lions.
14426 my eye, i must cry out at
14427 your nail gouge like lye.
14430 What one knows is, in youth, of little moment;
14431 they know enough who know how to learn.
14434 One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.
14437 A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation
14438 with the bricks that others throw at him or her.
14441 Nobody who is not prepared to spoil cats will get
14442 from them the reward they are able to give.
14443 -- Compton MacKenzie
14445 The other night when I went into a restaurant in Santa Monica,
14446 there was one president--Clinton. When I ordered a pizza there
14447 was another one--Gore. When I paid the bill there was a third
14448 president--Bush, and when I walked out onto Ocean Boulevard there
14449 was no president because Bill is now the husband of a senator from
14451 Today I am witnessing the spectacle of a hyper-technological
14452 America which is sitting on the ruins of its electoral system
14453 waiting for absentee ballots in the mail.
14454 -- Bepe Severgnini, columnist for Milan's Corriere della Sera
14456 do you think it would hurt very much to swallow a whole egg, in shell?
14457 would it be better to boil it first so it's hard or to leave it runny?
14458 i'm wondering which way would be most likely to keep the shell from
14459 breaking before it exits the body...
14461 I will do everything in my power to restrict abortions.
14462 -- George W. Bush, Dallas Morning News, October 22, 1994
14464 I saw the report that children in Texas are going hungry. Where?
14465 You'd think the governor would have heard if there are pockets of
14467 -- George W. Bush, whose state ranks 2nd in total number of children
14468 living in poverty, to Austin American Statesman, 12/18/99
14470 "Please," Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "don't kill me."
14471 -- Bush mocking what Karla Faye Tucker said on Larry King when asked,
14472 "What would you say to Governor Bush?" prior to her execution by
14473 lethal injection as reported by Talk magazine, September 1999
14475 An atmosphere of adolescence, a lack of gravitas--a carelessness, even a
14476 recklessness, perhaps born of things having gone a bit too easily so far.
14477 -- George Will, August 11, 1999, referring to Talk magazine's
14478 interview with Bush
14480 Sitting down and reading a 500-page book on
14481 public policy or philosophy or something.
14482 -- GW Bush was asked to name something he isn't
14483 good at by Talk magazine, September 1999 issue
14485 Bush should not advertise any allergy to serious things. A critical
14486 mass of lightness in a candidate causes the public mind to snap closed,
14487 with the judgement, "Not ready for prime time."
14488 -- George Will, August 11, 1999
14490 Bush is taking a political party on his ride. He and it will care if
14491 on Nov. 7, 2000, people think of Gore or Bradley as an unexciting but
14492 serious professor and of him as an amiable fraternity boy, but a boy.
14493 -- George Will, August 11, 1999
14495 What I'm against is quotas. I'm against hard quotas, quotas that
14496 basically delineate based upon whatever. However they delineate,
14497 quotas, I think, vulcanize society.
14498 -- George W. Bush (Austin American-Statesman 3/23/99)
14500 Son, I love your strategy: Don't let them get to know you.
14503 If George is elected President, it would destroy my faith
14504 in the office because he is such an ordinary guy.
14505 -- David Rosen, Midland geologist & former neighbor of GW Bush
14507 He's this week's pet rock.
14508 -- unknown, regarding GW Bush
14510 There ought to be limits to freedom. We're aware of the site,
14511 and this guy is just a garbage man.
14512 -- GW Bush, commenting on the website www.gwbush.com
14514 The Bush network is the only genuine network in the
14515 Republican Party. It is the Establishment.
14516 -- Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard
14518 "I will look at each piece of legislation when
14519 it makes it to my desk," and "I will review that
14520 when it makes it to my desk."
14521 -- GW Bush, refusing to comment on anything
14522 before it's absolutely unavoidable
14524 Reporters noticed four Latino men sitting at the Plaza, looking bored,
14525 wearing matching shirts from Buena Vista Farms. Buena Vista, it turns
14526 out, is a horse ranch run by Gerald Parsky, Bush's California chairman.
14527 The four men said they were brought to the event and were being paid
14528 their regular wages for attending.
14529 -- Salon Magazine reporting on a Bush fundraiser in California
14531 Asked how he would define "compassionate conservatism," Bush replied:
14532 "Making sure every child can read, making sure that we encourage
14533 faith-based organizations... when it comes to helping neighbors in
14534 need, making sure that our neighborhoods are safe, making sure that
14535 the state of Texas recognizes that people from all walks of life have
14536 got a shot at the Texas dream but, most importantly, making sure that
14537 government is not the answer to people's problems."
14538 This may be the only time a candidate promised not to solve any problems
14539 (with the possible exception of Utah Phillips, who ran on the "Sloth &
14540 Indolence" platform.)
14541 -- from georgebush2000.com
14543 I'd demand a recount.
14544 -- William F. Buckley, in the early '60s, in response to a
14545 reporter's question asking him what he would do if he
14546 were to win in his race for the office of Mayor of New York
14548 Half of the American people have never read a newspaper.
14549 Half never voted for President.
14550 One hopes it is the same half.
14553 Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. -- W. C. Fields
14555 Every man wishes to be wise,
14556 and they who cannot be wise are almost always cunning.
14559 Finally, in conclusion, let me say just this.
14562 When issues of public policy are discussed in the outward form
14563 of an argument, often the conclusions reached are predetermined by
14564 the assumptions and definitions inherent in a particular vision of
14565 social processes. Different visions, of course, have different
14566 assumptions, so it is not uncommon for people who follow different
14567 visions to find themselves in opposition to one another across a
14568 vast spectrum of unrelated issues, in such disparate fields as law,
14569 foreign policy, the environment, racial policy, military defense,
14570 education, and many others. To a remarkable extent, however,
14571 empirical evidence is neither sought beforehand nor consulted after
14572 a policy has been instituted. Facts may be marshaled for a position
14573 already taken, but that is very different from systematically
14574 testing opposing theories by evidence. Momentous questions are
14575 dealt with essentially as conflicts of vision.
14576 -- Thomas Sowell, from "The Vision of the Anointed"
14578 An election is a moral horror, as bad as a battle except for the
14579 blood; a mud bath for every soul concerned in it.
14580 -- George Bernard Shaw, "Back to Methuselah," 1921
14582 If a person is obviously mentally disabled, such as having Down's
14583 syndrome or Alzheimer's, decent people respond with sympathy and
14584 understanding; and so why, if people merely have low IQs, are they
14585 treated with ridicule and contempt?
14588 Always go to other people's funerals,
14589 otherwise they won't come to yours.
14592 Animals are such agreeable friends--
14593 they ask no questions,
14594 they pass no criticisms.
14597 All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height.
14602 Willy flies without wings,
14603 Fast as a shadow can go.
14604 Black slash on white snow.
14606 Black face, cold blue eyes
14607 fish pond, golden fish surprise.
14608 Wet paws ... cold water!
14610 Black heart on white fur
14611 Green eyes ... last sight for poor mouse,
14612 Punctured by Willy.
14614 Willy stalks field mice.
14615 Wild Bill to small buffalo.
14616 Kills them just for show.
14618 Cat slays Two in Dawn
14619 Homicide. Gruesome Remains
14620 Left On Welcome Mat.
14625 Pete's eyes spit light;
14626 Blue diamond icicles,
14629 Sharp nose, fast heart, mouse
14630 Scrounges by the sewer. Pete
14631 Pounces, sharp claws out.
14633 Once quick with mouse life,
14634 Now just carnage: tail, fur, skull.
14638 Or goldfish or cardinal
14639 who loves our Petey.
14641 They hate Pete there,
14642 Crouched on the mossy rocks,
14643 Prospecting for gold.
14648 Louis wants to play.
14649 Its asthma, Lou! My asthma
14650 Tears us apart, m'boy.
14652 Louis -- scared by deer --
14653 spent all July and August
14656 We don't let Louis out.
14657 He is too dumb even for inside.
14658 Eyes blue oceans of space.
14660 Hot air fluffs Louis.
14661 Willy warms the newspapers.
14662 Pete? Purrs in her arms.
14665 dharma farm glistens
14666 like an earthy gem; yaks romp
14667 on verdant old hills.
14670 Noir comme le diable, [ Black as the devil,
14671 chaud comme l'enfer, [ hot as hell,
14672 pur comme un ange, [ pure as an angel,
14673 doux comme l'amour. [ sweet as love.
14674 -- Talleyrand, 18th century French diplomat, describing his concept
14675 of a good cup of coffee
14677 Coffee has two virtues. It is wet and it is warm. -- Dutch proverb
14679 Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold, it brings
14680 to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility.
14681 -- Sheik Abd-al-Kadir, In Praise of Coffee, 1587
14683 Another head--and a black alpaca jacket and a
14684 serviette this time--to tell us coffee is ready.
14685 Not before it is time, too.
14686 -- D. H. Lawrence, from "Sea and Sardinia"
14688 Give a frontiersman coffee and tobacco,
14689 and he will endure any privation,
14690 suffer any hardship, but let him be without
14691 these two necessaries of the woods, and he
14692 becomes irresolute and murmuring.
14693 -- U.S. Army Lt. William Whiting, 1849
14695 Coffee is real good when you drink it it gives you time to think.
14696 It's a lot more than just a drink; it's something happening.
14697 Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a
14698 location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time,
14699 but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be
14700 yourself, and have a second cup.
14703 Last comes the beverage of the Orient shore,
14704 Mocha, far off, the fragrant berries bore.
14705 Taste the dark fluid with a dainty lip,
14706 Digestion waits on pleasure as you sip.
14709 A very good drink they call Chaube that is almost as black as ink
14710 and very good in illness, especially of the stomach. This they
14711 drink in the morning early in the open places before everybody,
14712 without any fear or regard, out of clay or China cups, as hot as
14713 they can, sipping it a little at a time.
14714 -- German physician and botanist Leonhard Rauwolf in 1582
14716 The little campfires, rapidly increasing to hundreds in number,
14717 would shoot up along the hills and plains, and as if by magic,
14718 acres of territory would be illuminous with them. Soon they
14719 would be surrounded by the soldiers, who made it an inevitable
14720 rule to cook their coffee first.
14721 -- John D. Bilings, a Union veteran, in his book, Hardtack and Coffee
14723 Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass
14724 all four essential food groups:
14725 alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.
14728 Strong coffee, much strong coffee, is what awakens me.
14729 Coffee gives me warmth, waking, an unusual force and
14730 a pain that is not without very great pleasure.
14731 -- Napoleon Bonaparte
14733 I would rather suffer with coffee than be senseless.
14734 -- Napoleon Bonaparte
14736 The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity
14737 as sugar or coffee. And I pay more for that ability than for
14738 any other under the sun.
14739 -- John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
14741 If you want to improve your understanding, drink coffee;
14742 it is the intelligent beverage.
14745 Wine is for aging, not coffee.
14746 -- Ken Hutchinson, Starsky and Hutch
14748 I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
14751 After a few months' acquaintance with European "coffee" one's mind
14752 weakens, and his faith with it, and he begins to wonder if the rich
14753 beverage of home, with it's clotted layer of yellow cream on top of
14754 it, is not a mere dream after all, and a thing which never existed.
14755 -- Mark Twain, in "A Tramp Abroad"
14757 The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the
14758 cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot
14759 be expected to reproduce.
14760 -- Oliver Wendall Holmes, Sr.
14762 It's just like when you've got some coffee that's too black, which means
14763 it's too strong. What do you do? You integrate it with cream, you make
14764 it weak. But if you pour too much cream in it, you won't even know you
14765 ever had coffee. It used to be hot, it becomes cool. It used to be
14766 strong, it becomes weak. It used to wake you up, now it puts you to sleep.
14767 -- Malcolm X, 196, Message to the Grass Roots
14769 Make my coffee like I like my men: hot, black, and strong.
14770 -- Willona Wood, Good Times
14772 Never drink black coffee at lunch;
14773 it will keep you awake in the afternoon.
14774 -- Jilly Cooper, 1970, "How to Survive from Nine to Five"
14776 Resolve to free yourselves from the slavery
14777 of the tea and coffee and other slop-kettle.
14778 -- William Cobbett, 1829, "Advise to Young Men"
14780 Tobacco, coffee, alcohol, hashish, prussic acid,
14781 strichnine, are weak dilutions: the surest poison is time.
14782 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Society and Solitude: Old Age"
14784 Coffee, according to the women of Denmark, is to the body
14785 what the Word of the Lord is to the soul.
14786 -- Isak Dinesen, 1934
14788 Coffee: we can get it anywhere, and get as loaded
14789 as we like on it, until such teeth-chattering,
14790 eye-bulging, nonsense-gibbering time as we may be
14791 classified unable to operate heavy machinery.
14792 -- Joan Frank, 1991
14794 Many people are like instant coffee:
14795 the minute they get in hot water they dissolve.
14796 -- Anonymous, from Toronto Globe and Mail; July 10, 1993
14798 The discovery of coffee has enlarged the realm of illusion
14799 and given more promise to hope.
14802 The powers of a man's mind are directly proportional
14803 to the quantity of coffee he drank.
14804 -- Sir James MacKintosh, 18th century philosopher
14806 If it wasn't for coffee, I'd have no discernible personality at all.
14807 -- David Letterman Esquire Interview Fall '94
14809 Ah! How sweet coffee tastes!
14810 Lovelier than a thousand kisses,
14811 sweeter far than muscatel wine!
14812 -- From J. S. Bach's "Coffee Cantata," 1732
14814 You make good coffee... You're a slob,
14815 but you make good coffee.
14816 -- Cher, in "Moonstruck"
14818 See how special you are? I serve you coffee in the parlor.
14819 -- Anthony Quinn to Sophia Loren in "The Black Orchid"
14821 The first cup is for the guest,
14822 the second for enjoyment,
14823 the third for the sword.
14824 -- Arabic proverb about coffee
14826 The vacuum pot is truly the CD player of coffeemakers;
14827 all you taste is the coffee.
14828 -- Corby Kummer, food expert
14830 People are kind of like zombies in Hong Kong nowadays.
14831 You don't see that glow anymore. In terms of colour
14832 Hong Kong looks a bit grey. To counter that, I think
14833 we should give out free espresso samples to give people
14834 more caffeine; triple espresso with Irish cream syrup,
14835 iced! People just need to get a bit more wired.
14836 -- David Wu, Actor and Channel V VJ, quoted in Post Magazine 29 August 99
14838 a small fish is this
14839 with so many other big
14840 tasks still to complete
14842 For myself I am an optimist--it does not seem
14843 to be much use being anything else.
14844 -- Winston Churchill
14846 One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one
14847 is constantly making exciting discoveries.
14850 Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
14853 There are two means of refuge from the
14854 miseries of life: music and cats.
14855 -- Albert Schweitzer
14857 Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator,
14858 but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
14861 A clever man commits no minor blunders.
14862 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
14864 my fingers have slipped;
14865 keyboard greasy from pizza
14869 One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that,
14870 in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
14871 and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are
14872 not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
14875 Fine things books, but perhaps the moment has come to stop taking them
14876 so seriously. Who was it that said people who are always reading never
14877 discover anything? I'm not sure if that is true, but I do know that
14878 reading and thinking are not necessarily the same thing. Sometimes
14879 reading supplies the most cunning of all means of avoiding thought. It
14880 would be good once in awhile to try thinking without the stimulus of
14881 books, to become not an out of-the-box -- never, please, that -- but at
14882 least an out-of-the-book thinker. Books may furnish a room, but there
14883 surely are other things quite as suitable for furnishing a mind. Time,
14884 I think, for me to attempt to find out what these might be.
14887 Economics is extremely useful as a form of employment for economists.
14888 -- John Kenneth Galbraith
14890 You can observe a lot by just watching. -- Yogi Berra
14892 No wonder Al Gore thinks he is president--this is a most confusing time.
14893 The leading rap singer is white, the world's best golfer is black, and
14894 Bill Clinton just got back from Vietnam.
14895 -- Paul Harvey, Early December 2000
14897 The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new
14898 discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I've found it!), but "That's funny...".
14901 Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?
14902 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
14904 Dr. Seuss takes a look at election recounts:
14905 I cannot count them in a box.
14906 I cannot count them with a fox.
14907 I cannot count them by computer.
14908 I will not with a Roto-Rooter.
14909 I cannot count them card-by-card.
14910 I will not 'cause it's way too hard.
14911 I cannot count them on my fingers.
14912 I will not while suspicion lingers.
14913 I'll leave the country in a jam--
14914 I won't count ballots, Sam-I-Am.
14916 For some years, we have been surprised and distressed by the
14917 intellectual trends in certain precincts of American academia.
14918 Vast sectors of the humanities and the social sciences seem to
14919 have adopted a philosophy that we shall call, for want of a better
14920 term, "postmodernism": an intellectual current characterized by
14921 the more-or-less explicit rejection of the rationalist tradition
14922 of the Enlightenment, by theoretical discourses disconnected from
14923 any empirical test, and by a cognitive and cultural relativism
14924 that regards science as nothing more than a 'narration,' a 'myth'
14925 or a social construction among many others.
14926 To respond to this phenomenon, one of us (Sokal) decided to try
14927 an unorthodox (and admittedly uncontrolled), experiment: submit to
14928 a fashionable American cultural-studies journal, "Social Text," a
14929 parody of the type of work that has proliferated in recent years,
14930 to see whether they would publish it. The article, entitled
14931 "Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics
14932 of Quantum Gravity", is chock-full of absurdities and blatant
14933 non-sequiturs. In addition, it asserts an extreme form of cognitive
14934 relativism: after mocking the old-fashioned "dogma" that "there
14935 exists an external world, whose properties are independent of any
14936 individual human being and indeed of humanity as a whole", it
14937 proclaims categorically that "physical `reality', no less than
14938 social `reality', is at bottom a social and linguistic construct".
14939 By a series of stunning leaps of logic, it arrives at the conclusion
14940 that "the [Pi] of Euclid and the G of Newton, formerly thought to be
14941 constant and universal, are now perceived in their ineluctable
14942 historicity; and the putative observer becomes fatally de-centered,
14943 disconnected from any epistemic link to a space-time point that can
14944 no longer be defined by geometry alone". The rest is in the same vein.
14945 And yet, the article was accepted and published. Worse, it was
14946 published in a special issue of 'Social Text' devoted to rebutting the
14947 criticisms leveled against postmodernism and social constructivism by
14948 several distinguished scientists. For the editors of 'Social Text,'
14949 it was hard to imagine a more radical way of shooting themselves in
14951 -- Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont, "Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern
14952 Intellectuals' Abuse of Science."
14954 May you live all the days of your life.
14957 We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication
14958 below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its
14959 faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:
14960 'I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa
14961 Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me
14962 the truth, is there a Santa Claus?' -- Virginia O'Hanlon
14963 Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by
14964 the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see.
14965 They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little
14966 minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are
14967 little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in
14968 his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured
14969 by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
14970 Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
14971 He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and
14972 you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.
14973 Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would
14974 be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike
14975 faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We
14976 should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light
14977 with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
14978 Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies.
14979 You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on
14980 Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus
14981 coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no
14982 sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are
14983 those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies
14984 dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not
14985 there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and
14986 unseeable in the world.
14987 You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside,
14988 but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man,
14989 nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could
14990 tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain
14991 and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real?
14992 Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
14993 No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand
14994 years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will
14995 continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
14996 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!
14997 -- The editorial "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus," first printed
14998 in the New York Sun in 1897.
15000 Most Internet appliances that I've seen are simply dumbed-down
15001 PCs, and some analysts call any damn thing that can access the
15002 Internet--other than a PC--an Internet appliance, even if it's
15003 your cell phone or a wireless PDA. That leads to some huge
15004 market projections, which are pretty much meaningless as a
15005 single figure. I think the idea of Internet appliances as a
15006 unique market is a pipe dream, with a lot of people sucking
15008 -- Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, a market
15011 Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.
15014 Ah but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?
15017 She played with her cat, and it was a wonder to watch the white hand
15018 and the white paw frolic in the shade of night.
15021 Just because something doesn't do what you planned
15022 it to do doesn't mean it's useless.
15023 -- Thomas Alva Edison
15025 Spare no expense to make everything as economical as possible.
15029 drools on oval office desk
15030 while country expires
15031 -- about the dubya years
15033 brave new president
15034 laughs as he pulls death switch for
15036 -- about the dubya years
15038 they call me a shrub
15039 but i shrug and ask daddy
15040 for black ops killing
15041 -- about the dubya years
15044 moron ever known on earth:
15045 gee dubya bee, dude.
15046 -- about the dubya years
15049 means "we do it my way" and
15051 -- about the dubya years
15053 smiling lies, dumb looks,
15054 idea-free, insults all,
15056 -- about the dubya years
15058 my feeling is that humans are both divine and full of sh*t.
15059 most people are drowning in their own mental diarrhea.
15061 solution? a sewer pipe for the mind, perhaps. or at least to
15062 realize that the contagion is part of us and has to be purified
15063 from within. there is no external enemy to kill or persecute;
15064 all evil deeds and words and thoughts are our own property.
15065 no one else can take them away for you; you must "dispose of
15066 properly". clean these damaged mental constituents using your
15067 will to heal your consciousness.
15069 If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will
15070 change a past or future event, then you are residing on another
15071 planet with a different reality system.
15074 Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns;
15075 he should be drawn and quoted.
15078 A day without rebooting is like a day without Microsoft. -- fred t. hamster
15080 I've met many thinkers and many cats,
15081 but the wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.
15084 People living and working in a business system cannot change it.
15085 Their perspectives are foreshortened, their information gathering and
15086 measurement systems reinforce the past, and their incentives encourage
15087 continuity. Archimedes proclaimed, 'Give me where to stand, and I will move
15088 the earth.' But where should those who might change a business system be
15090 The answer is that every organization needs two business systems.
15091 Borrowing a term from linguistics, we shall call them the 'surface system'
15092 and the 'deep system.' The surface system is comprised of the organized
15093 tasks of the business processes, with their attendant jobs, structures,
15094 systems, and values. But this surface system is in periodic need of major
15095 change. Accomplishing that change is the job of the deep system.
15096 The deep system creates no customer value; it makes no products and
15097 delivers no services. It doesn't process orders, develop new products, or
15098 create value for customers. Rather it monitors, governs, adjusts, and
15099 reforms the surface system that does create customer value. A company's
15100 deep system bears the responsibility for detecting external changes,
15101 determining what those changes mean, and intervening to modify or transform
15102 the surface system accordingly. The deep system, working beneath the
15103 surface, embodies the capacity to change.
15104 The deep system continually hurls challenges: Is this still the
15105 right way or the best way to do things? If not, what is? The deep system
15106 ensures that the appropriate internal change--moderate or radical--takes
15107 place, shaping and reshaping the organization to take account of, and
15108 whenever possible take advantage of, ongoing external change.
15111 There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to
15112 conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the
15113 introduction of a new order of things.
15114 -- Nicolas Machiavelli
15116 Only those who take leisurely what the people of the world are busy
15117 about can be busy about what the people of the world take leisurely.
15120 I am opposed to millionaires, but it would
15121 be dangerous to offer me the position.
15124 Never eat more than you can lift. -- the muppet Miss Piggy
15127 politics are poison, but
15128 it has to be said...
15130 dubya bush will lead
15131 to lower expectations
15135 Distance changes utterly when you take the world on foot. A mile
15136 becomes a long way, two miles literally considerable, ten miles
15137 whopping, fifty miles at the very limits of conception. The world,
15138 you realize, is enormous in a way that only you and a small community
15139 of fellow hikers know. Planetary scale is your little secret.
15140 Life takes on a neat simplicity, too. Time ceases to have any
15141 meaning. When it is dark, you go to bed, and when it is light again
15142 you get up, and everything in between is just in between. It's quite
15144 You have no engagements, commitments, obligations, or duties; no
15145 special ambitions and only the smallest, least complicated of wants;
15146 you exist in tranquil tedium, serenely beyond the reach of
15147 exasperation, 'far removed from the seats of strife,' as the early
15148 explorer and botanist William Bartram put it. All that is required
15149 of you is a willingness to trudge.
15150 There is no point in hurrying because you are not actually going
15151 anywhere. However far or long you plod, you are always in the same
15152 place: in the woods. It's where you were yesterday, where you will
15153 be tomorrow. The woods is one boundless singularity. Every bend in
15154 the path presents a prospect indistinguishable from every other, every
15155 glimpse into the trees the same tangled mass. For all you know, your
15156 route could describe a very large, pointless circle. In a way, it
15157 would hardly matter.
15158 -- Bill Bryson, "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the
15159 Appalachian Trail."
15161 You can't cheat an honest man. -- W. C. Fields
15163 Most conversations are simply monologues
15164 delivered in the presence of a witness.
15167 There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down
15168 at a typewriter and open a vein.
15171 Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence
15172 should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary
15173 sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no
15174 unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
15175 -- William Strunk Jr.
15177 The small and elite group of scientists who create most of the
15178 flavor in most of the food now consumed in the United States are
15179 called 'flavorists.' They draw on a number of disciplines in their
15180 work: biology, psychology, physiology, and organic chemistry. A
15181 flavorist is a chemist with a trained nose and a poetic sensibility.
15182 Flavors are created by blending scores of different chemicals in
15183 tiny amounts--a process governed by scientific principles but
15184 demanding a fair amount of art. In an age when delicate aromas and
15185 microwave ovens do not easily co-exist, the job of the flavorist is
15186 to conjure illusions about processed food and, in the words of one
15187 flavor company's literature, to ensure 'consumer likeability.' The
15188 flavorists with whom I spoke were discreet, in keeping with the
15189 dictates of their trade. They were also charming, cosmopolitan, and
15190 ironic. They not only enjoyed fine wine but could identify the
15191 chemicals that give each grape its unique aroma. One flavorist
15192 compared his work to composing music. A well-made flavor compound
15193 will have a 'top note' that is often followed by a 'dry-down' and a
15194 'leveling-off,' with different chemicals responsible for each stage.
15195 The taste of a food can be radically altered by minute changes in the
15196 flavoring combination. 'A little odor goes a long way,' one
15198 In order to give a processed food a taste that consumers will
15199 find appealing, a flavorist must always consider the food's
15200 'mouthfeel'--the unique combination of textures and chemical
15201 interactions that affect how the flavor is perceived. Mouthfeel can
15202 be adjusted through the use of various fats, gums, starches,
15203 emulsifiers, and stabilizers. The aroma chemicals in a food can be
15204 precisely analyzed, but the elements that make up mouthfeel are much
15205 harder to measure. How does one quantify a pretzel's hardness, a
15206 french fry's crispness? Food technologists are now conducting basic
15207 research in rheology, the branch of physics that examines the flow and
15208 deformation of materials. A number of companies sell sophisticated
15209 devices that attempt to measure mouthfeel. The TA.XT2i Texture
15210 Analyzer, produced by the Texture Technologies Corporation, of
15211 Scarsdale, New York, performs calculations based on data derived from
15212 as many as 250 separate probes. It is essentially a mechanical mouth.
15213 It gauges the most-important rheological properties of a food--bounce,
15214 creep, breaking point, density, crunchiness, chewiness, gumminess,
15215 lumpiness, rubberiness, springiness, slipperiness, smoothness,
15216 softness, wetness, juiciness, spreadability, springback, and tackiness.
15217 -- Eric Schlosser, from "Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good",
15218 Atlantic Monthly, 2001.
15220 We haven't failed. We now know a thousand things that
15221 won't work, so we are much closer to finding what will.
15224 If you surveyed a hundred typical middle-aged Americans, I bet you'd find that
15225 only two of them could tell you their blood types, but every last one of them
15226 would know the them song from 'The Beverly Hillbillies'.
15229 The first thing to learn in intercourse with others is
15230 non-interference with their own particular ways of being
15231 happy, provided those ways do not assume to interfere by
15232 violence with ours.
15235 My dad was the town drunk. Usually that's not so bad, but New York City?
15238 Ninety percent of the politicians give the other
15239 ten percent a bad name.
15242 You can imagine my embarrassment when I killed the wrong guy.
15245 We must abandon the prevalent belief in the
15246 superior wisdom of the ignorant.
15249 If the primary effect of the media in the late twentieth century was
15250 to turn nearly everything that passed across their screens into
15251 entertainment, the secondary and ultimately more significant effect was
15252 to force nearly everything to turn itself into entertainment in order to
15253 attract media attention. Daniel Boorstin had coined the term 'pseudo-
15254 event' to describe events that had been concocted by public relations
15255 practitioners to get attention from the press. Movie premieres,
15256 publishing parties, press conferences, balloon crossings, sponsored
15257 sporting contests, award ceremonies, demonstrations and hunger strikes,
15258 to name just a few examples, all were synthetic, manufactured pseudo-
15259 events that wouldn't have existed if someone hadn't been seeking
15260 publicity and if the media hadn't been seeking something to fill their
15261 pages and airwaves, preferably something entertaining.
15262 But the idea of pseudo-events almost seemed quaint by the late
15263 twentieth century. Most people realized that the object of virtually
15264 everyone in public life of any sort was to attract the media and that
15265 everyone from the top movie stars to the parents of septuplets now had
15266 to have a press agent to promote them. What most people were also coming
15267 to realize, if only by virtue of how much the media had grown, was that
15268 pseudo-events had proliferated to such an extent that one could hardly
15269 call them events anymore because there were no longer any seams between
15270 them and the rest of life, no way of separating the pseudo from the
15271 so-called authentic. Almost everything in life had appropriated the
15272 techniques of public relations to gain access to the media, so that it
15273 wasn't the pseudo-event one was talking about anymore when one cited the
15274 cleverness of PR men and women: it was pseudo-life.
15275 Yet not even pseudo-life did full justice to the modern condition.
15276 That's because the media were not just passively recording the public
15277 performances and manipulations of others, even when life was nothing but
15278 manipulations. Having invited these performances in the first place,
15279 the media justified covering them because they were receiving media
15280 attention, which is every bit as convoluted as it sounds. The result
15281 was to make of modern society one giant Heisenberg effect, in which the
15282 media were not really reporting what people did; they were reporting
15283 what people did to get media attention. In other words, as life was
15284 increasingly being lived for the media, so the media were increasingly
15285 covering themselves and their impact on life.
15286 -- Neal Gabler, in "Life, the Movie"
15288 So little time, so little to do.
15291 Consistency requires you to be as ignorant
15292 today as you were a year ago.
15293 -- Bernard Berenson
15295 Who becomes a CPO? Stephanie Perrin, the chief privacy officer of
15296 Montreal-based Zero-Knowledge Systems, explains: "Obviously, we're
15297 not going to just pick somebody from the legal department," because
15298 privacy is more than a matter of just following the law. "You have
15299 to have a fundamental commitment to--dare I say it?--morality.
15300 Privacy is not just good business. We are framing the information
15301 age, and it is important to take that job seriously. We really do
15302 look at privacy as a human right, and not just a luxury item for
15303 spoiled North Americans. We're talking about the global information
15306 The sweetest joy, the wildest woe is love.
15309 He's simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed.
15312 No easy problems ever come to the president of the United States.
15313 If they are easy to solve, someone else has solved them.
15314 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
15316 Your presence in the class is disruptive and affects the other students!
15317 -- A teacher's complaint to the teenage Albert Einstein
15319 When you're in a world of experts and so-called professionals, the
15320 common sense of the people is marginalized.
15321 I'll give you an example. We're talking about building a building
15322 not too far from where I live, in this warehouse district. It's an old,
15323 totally undistinguished warehouse in what has been designated a historic
15324 district. So we're working up the Environmental Impact Report, and you hire
15325 a consultant. The consultant is this young lady who says, 'The developer
15326 wants to tear this whole warehouse down and build an eight-story building,
15327 and that would have a negative impact on the historic warehouse district.'
15328 I say, 'Wait a minute. Why? It's an eight-story building. What's
15329 different? Why do you say it's negative? Why isn't it positive? It will
15330 bring more people -- there are not enough people down here.'
15331 'No,' she said, 'in my professional judgment...' And that is given
15332 weight by the courts. Her opinion could have more sway than the city
15333 council, the manager, the mayor, and all the people of Oakland put together.
15334 That's amazing. That's what I call 'expertise versus common sense.'
15335 What do they call those guys in Russia: the nomenklatura? The class of
15336 folks who run things. I think that's an important issue: reclaiming the
15337 power of ordinary people to control their lives. Every time we turn around,
15338 we've got some kind of a state or federal rule or regulation.
15339 'In my professional judgment...' That whole academic discipline was
15340 probably created less than 25 years ago, and that lore -- I call it lore;
15341 these are like stories you tell around the campfire -- is then raised to
15342 the level of legal significance with greater authority than the vote of the
15343 people and the elected representatives. The people have lost their
15344 democratic right to make a decision over the shape of their lives, and you
15345 can find that happening on a lot of issues more controversial than historic
15349 Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.
15352 Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.
15355 Technology is a gift of God. After the gift of life it is perhaps
15356 the greatest of God's gifts. It is the mother of civilizations, of
15357 arts and of sciences.
15360 You make men love their government and their country by giving them the
15361 kind of government and the kind of country that inspire respect and love;
15362 a country that is free and unafraid, that lets the discontented talk in
15363 order to learn the causes of their discontent and end those causes, that
15364 refuses to impel men to spy on their neighbors, that protects its citizens
15365 vigorously from harmful acts while it leaves the remedies for objectionable
15366 ideas to counterargument and time.
15367 -- Zechariah Chafee, Jr.
15369 Kites rise highest against the wind--not with it.
15370 -- Winston Churchill
15372 Shall I tell you the secret of the true scholar? It is this: every
15373 man I meet is my master in some point, and in that I learn of him.
15374 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
15376 A cucumber should be well-sliced, dressed with
15377 pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out.
15380 Technology is often defined as the creation of tools to gain control
15381 over the environment. However, this definition is not entirely sufficient.
15382 Humans are not alone in their use or even creation of tools. Orangutans in
15383 Sumatra's Suaq Balimbing swamp make tools out of long sticks to break open
15384 termite nests. Crows fashion tools from sticks and leaves. The leaf-cutter
15385 ant mixes dry leaves with its saliva to create a paste. Crocodiles use tree
15386 roots to anchor dead prey.
15387 What is uniquely human is the application of knowledge--recorded
15388 knowledge--to the fashioning of tools. The knowledge base represents the
15389 genetic code for the evolving technology. And as technology has evolved,
15390 the means for recording this knowledge base has also evolved, from the oral
15391 traditions of antiquity to the written design logs of nineteenth-century
15392 craftsmen to the computer-assisted design databases of the 1990s.
15393 Technology also implies a transcendence of the materials used to
15394 comprise it. When the elements of an invention are assembled in just the
15395 right way, they produce an enchanting effect that goes beyond the mere
15396 parts. When Alexander Graham Bell accidentally wire-connected two moving
15397 drums and solenoids (metal cores wrapped in wire) in 1875, the result
15398 transcended the materials he was working with. For the first time, a human
15399 voice was transported, magically it seemed, to a remote location. Most
15400 assemblages are just that: random assemblies. But when materials--and in
15401 the case of modern technology, information--are assembled in just the
15402 right way, transcendence occurs. The assembled object becomes far greater
15403 than the sum of its parts.
15406 All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed.
15409 The foresight of the astronomer who predicts with complete precision
15410 the state of the solar system many years in advance is absolutely the
15411 same in kind as that of the savage who predicts the next sunrise.
15412 The only difference lies in the extent of their knowledge.
15415 Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens
15416 the conscience like individual responsibility.
15417 -- Elizabeth Cady Stanton
15419 The bug, that perverse and elusive malfunctioning of hardware and
15420 later of software, was born in the nineteenth century. It was already
15421 accepted shop slang as early as 1878, when Thomas Edison described his
15422 style of invention in a letter to a European representative: 'The first
15423 step is an intuition and it comes with a burst, then difficulties arise--
15424 this thing gives out and then that--"Bugs"--as such little faults and
15425 difficulties are called--show themselves, and months of intense watching,
15426 study and labor are requisite before commercial success--or failure--is
15427 certainly reached.'
15428 Edison implies that this use of 'bug' had not begun in his laboratory
15429 but was already standard jargon. The expression seems to have originated
15430 as telegrapher's slang. Western Union and other telegraph companies, with
15431 their associated branch offices, formed America's first high-technology
15432 system. About the time of Edison's letter, Western Union had over twelve
15433 thousand stations, and it was their condition that probably helped inspire
15434 the metaphor. City offices were filthy, and clerks exchanged verse about
15435 the gymnastics of insects cavorting in the cloakrooms. When, in 1945, a
15436 moth in a relay crashed the Mark II electromechanical calculator that the
15437 Navy was running at Harvard--it can still be seen taped in the original
15438 logbook--the bug metaphor had already been around for at least seventy-
15440 -- Edward Tenner, from "Why Things Bite Back"
15442 Look back, and smile on perils past.
15443 -- Sir Walter Scott
15445 I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.
15451 -- William Butler Yeats' auto-epitath
15453 The bug, that perverse and elusive malfunctioning of hardware and
15454 later of software, was born in the nineteenth century. It was already
15455 accepted shop slang as early as 1878, when Thomas Edison described his
15456 style of invention in a letter to a European representative: 'The first
15457 step is an intuition and it comes with a burst, then difficulties arise--
15458 this thing gives out and then that--"Bugs"--as such little faults and
15459 difficulties are called--show themselves, and months of intense watching,
15460 study and labor are requisite before commercial success--or failure--is
15461 certainly reached.'
15462 Edison implies that this use of 'bug' had not begun in his
15463 laboratory but was already standard jargon. The expression seems to have
15464 originated as telegrapher's slang. Western Union and other telegraph
15465 companies, with their associated branch offices, formed America's first
15466 high-technology system. About the time of Edison's letter, Western Union
15467 had over twelve thousand stations, and it was their condition that probably
15468 helped inspire the metaphor. City offices were filthy, and clerks exchanged
15469 verse about the gymnastics of insects cavorting in the cloakrooms. When, in
15470 1945, a moth in a relay crashed the Mark II electromechanical calculator
15471 that the Navy was running at Harvard--it can still be seen taped in the
15472 original logbook--the bug metaphor had already been around for at least
15473 seventy-five years.
15474 -- Edward Tenner, "Why Things Bite Back"
15476 But the true threats to stability and peace are these nations that are not
15477 very transparent, that hide behind the--that don't let people in to take a
15478 look and see what they're up to. They're very kind of authoritarian regimes.
15479 The true threat is whether or not one of these people decide, peak of anger,
15480 try to hold us hostage, ourselves; the Israelis, for example, to whom we'll
15481 defend, offer our defenses; the South Koreans.
15482 -- George W. Bush, Media roundtable, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2001
15484 The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.
15487 It wasn't until late in life that I discovered
15488 how easy it is to say "I don't know".
15489 -- W. Somerset Maugham
15491 It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a
15492 pet hypothesis every day before breakfast. It keeps him young.
15495 He is the best physician who is the most ingenious inspirer of hope.
15496 -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
15498 Failure is not an option.
15501 The year 1950 was the last full cry of urban America, at least on
15502 the surface. It was the year many of the cities visited in this book
15503 reached their historic peaks in population. Everybody was working, in folk
15504 memory, and in fact. Armies clad in overalls poured out of plants at
15505 quitting time or watched as the next shift filed in. Houses cost a couple
15506 of thousand bucks, or in high-cost cities some fifteen thousand. The
15507 mortgage was often less than a hundred a month. The teeming ethnic ghettos
15508 of the early century had given way to a more comfortable life, with
15509 religion and ethnicity, race and class still used as organizing principles
15510 for the neighborhood. The rough edges of the immigrant 'greenhorns' were
15511 worn smooth, and a confident younger generation now entered a fuller,
15512 richer American life. Grandma and Grandpa had their accents and old ways
15513 intact, and still mumbled sayings in the language your parents used when
15514 they didn't want you to understand. You could still find Il Progresso,
15515 Freiheit, Norske Tidende, and Polish Daily Zgoda on the newsstands, but the
15516 neighborhoods themselves were no longer alien places. It was the ghetto,
15517 yes, but made benign by assimilation.
15518 It was this world that the first surge tide into the suburbs left
15519 behind. They were people for whom the city had done its work, making
15520 Americans out of families from Dublin to Donetsk. America had given the
15521 urban young educations, and expectations. For many, those expectations had
15522 been nurtured through world war and economic depression. Something better
15523 was needed for the baby boomers.
15524 Today we look back on it all in hurt and wonder. How did this
15525 happen? Where did that good life go? When an accidental detour or a missed
15526 expressway exit brings us into contact with the world we left behind, we
15527 can still place all the blame firmly and squarely elsewhere. The shuttered
15528 factories and collapsing row houses, the vacant storefronts and rutted
15529 streets are regarded with the same awe reserved for the scenes of natural
15530 disasters. We look out on a world that somehow, in the American collective
15531 memory, destroyed itself.
15532 -- Ray Suarez, PBS journalist
15534 The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our
15535 enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.
15536 -- G. K. Chesterton
15538 Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember.
15541 If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
15542 -- Tallulah Bankhead
15544 Kids don't watch when they are stimulated and look away when
15545 they are bored. They watch when they understand and look away
15546 when they are confused.
15547 -- Malcolm Gladwell
15549 We especially need imagination in science. It is not all
15550 mathematics, nor all logic, it is somewhat beauty and poetry.
15553 The masons have a "temple of living stones".
15554 Well, I have a temple of stoned living.
15555 Except that the temple is my parents' basement.
15557 Pain is just another form of information.
15560 The traditional image of Asian countries--and the one I held before
15561 we moved there--was of overwhelmingly poor societies: city dwellers
15562 starving in the streets and farmers slaving to raise barely enough rice
15563 to feed a family, while a tiny clique of well-connected magnates lived
15564 behind barbed-wire fences in ornate mansions. Today, those scenes can
15565 still be found in parts of East Asia. But for the most part, the Asian
15566 countries are building a huge middle class, in which most people have
15567 about as much as everybody else.
15568 Japan has been the model; when Japan became a rich country, it did
15569 so in ways that spread the wealth broadly and evenly. In opinion polls
15570 today, more than 90 percent of the Japanese people describe themselves
15571 as 'middle class.' In the other 'high-performing Asian economies' the
15572 economic boom has also been broadly distributed...
15573 You can legitimately question whether equal distribution of a
15574 nation's wealth is a sign of social success. The American dream, in
15575 economic terms, at least, has generally been the dream of enormous
15576 success--not of making as much money as everybody else but rather of
15577 getting really rich. And that dream has been one of the key reasons
15578 for the dynamism and resiliency of the United States over the decades.
15579 On the other hand, the egalitarian distribution of wealth, and the
15580 resulting sense that everybody is getting a relatively fair shake, is
15581 surely one of the reasons that Asian countries have civil and stable
15583 -- T. R. Reid, "Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East
15584 Teaches Us About Living in the West"
15586 Who will underrate the influence of loose popular
15587 literature in debauching the popular mind?
15590 There are so many ways of earning a living and most of them are failures.
15593 Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist.
15596 Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.
15599 Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog.
15600 Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.
15603 This idea of breaking the world into pieces and then explaining
15604 the pieces in terms of smaller pieces is called reductionism. It
15605 would be perfectly justified to consider Murray Gell-Mann, the father
15606 of the quark, to be the century's arch-reductionist. But very early
15607 on, long before mushy notions of holism became trendy, Gell-Mann
15608 appreciated an important truth: While you can reduce downward, that
15609 doesn't automatically mean you can explain upward. People can be
15610 divided into cells, cells into molecules, molecules into atoms, atoms
15611 into electrons and nuclei, nuclei into subatomic particles, and those
15612 into still tinier things called quarks. But, true as that may be,
15613 there is nothing written in the laws of subatomic physics that can be
15614 used to explain higher-level phenomena like human behavior. There is
15615 no way that one can start with quarks and predict that cellular life
15616 would emerge and evolve over the eons to produce physicists. Reducing
15617 downward is vastly easier than explaining upward--a truth that bears
15619 -- George Johnson, "Strange Beauty: Murray Gell-Mann and the
15620 Revolution in Twentieth-Century Physics"
15622 Perhaps no mightier conflict of mind occurs ever again in a lifetime
15623 than that first decision to unseat one's own tooth.
15626 The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the
15627 old ones that ramify, for those brought up as most of us have
15628 been, into every corner of our minds.
15629 -- John Maynard Keynes
15631 In the centuries preceding the introduction of the printing press,
15632 those who held power reinforced it by uses of language that mystified the
15633 powerless and kept them subservient. Even more so in today's world, power
15634 is inextricably tied to the use of language, and today's priesthood of
15635 professionals in many fields employs jargon-fueled mystification. That is a
15636 political use of language that deliberately excludes the 'powerless' lay
15637 audience from participation. The doctor whose technical terms confuse, no
15638 less than the politician whose equivocations obfuscate, the lawyer whose
15639 terms intimidate, and the accountant whose explanations obscure, is taking
15640 advantage of audiences through what are called 'gatekeeper' uses of
15641 language. They include euphemisms, jargon and other devices designed to
15642 prevent rather than augment the free flow of knowledge.
15643 Lawyers have been particularly egregious in this practice.
15644 Gatekeeper language also frequently masks what physicians do especially in
15645 circumstances that can be fraught with emotion. A relative of a cancer
15646 patient, seeking straight and hard informational answers to questions --
15647 how bad is the situation, how much time does she have left, is there any
15648 hope -- was informed by her doctor that his relative's cancer was
15649 'treatable' and her prognosis was 'guarded...'
15650 The philosopher Jrgen Habermas provides an insight into the
15651 political nature of gatekeeper uses of language through his identification
15652 of the 'scientization of the public sphere,' a process now occurring in
15653 many societies. In this trend, elites effectively disqualify members of the
15654 public from being able to participate in policy discussions by insisting
15655 that only specialists can really understand what is going on. When
15656 politicians come to believe that only they can understand what is going on
15657 in the high councils of government, and that their job is to translate it
15658 for us and to protect themselves in the process, the language they aim at
15659 the electorate takes on more and more aspects of purposeful deceit.
15660 -- Tom Shachtman, "The Inarticulate Society"
15662 If you think you are too small to make a difference,
15663 try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.
15666 It does not do to leave a dragon out of your calculations,
15667 if you live near him.
15668 -- J. R. R. Tolkien
15670 Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers
15671 is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock.
15674 Friendships, like marriages, are dependent on avoiding the unforgivable.
15675 -- John S. MacDonald
15677 authority does not exist.
15678 we are all equally feeble when compared
15679 with the profundity of the universe.
15682 Sports do not build character. They reveal it.
15683 -- Heywood Hale Broun
15685 Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information
15686 about life to last him the rest of his days.
15687 -- Flannery O'Connor
15689 Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food:
15690 frequently there must be a beverage.
15693 We live with strangers. Those we love most, with whom we share
15694 a shelter, a table, a bed, remain mysterious. Wherever lives overlap
15695 and flow together, there are depths of unknowing. Parents and children,
15696 partners, siblings, and friends repeatedly surprise us, revealing the
15697 need to learn where we are most at home. We even surprise ourselves
15698 in our own becoming, moving through the cycles of our lives. There is
15699 strangeness hidden in the familiar.
15700 At the same time there is familiarity hidden in the strange. We can
15701 look with curiosity and respect at the faces of men and women we have
15702 never met. Learning to recognize these strangers with whom we share an
15703 increasingly crowded and interdependent world, we can imagine ourselves
15704 joined in a single family, perhaps by a marriage between adventurous
15706 Strangers marry strangers, whether they have been playmates for
15707 years or never meet before the wedding day. They continue to surprise
15708 each other through the evolutions of love and the growth of affection.
15709 Lovers, gay and straight, begin in strangeness and often, for the zest
15710 of it, find ways to increase their differences.
15711 Children arrive like aliens from outer space, their needs and
15712 feelings inaccessible, sharing no common language, yet for all their
15713 strangeness we greet them with love. Traditionally, the strangeness of
15714 infants has been understood as temporary, the strangeness of incomplete
15715 beings who are expected to become predictable and comprehensible. This
15716 expectation has eased the transition from generation to generation, the
15717 passing on of knowledge and responsibility, on which every human society
15718 depends. Yet the gap between parent and child, like the gap between
15719 partners, is not left behind with the passage of time. Today, in a
15720 world of rapid change, it is increasing, shifting into new rhythms still
15722 -- Mary Catherine Bateson, in "Full Circles, Overlapping Lives:
15723 Culture and Generation in Transition"
15725 Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.
15728 At every crossroads on the path that leads to the future,
15729 tradition has placed 10,000 men to guard the past.
15730 -- Maurice Maeterlink
15732 Before you run in double harness, look well to the other horse.
15735 There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on.
15738 The overly sure belief that one knows the truth,
15739 but that this truth doesn't need to be tested or verified,
15740 is the root of all human errors.
15743 Any fool can make a rule and every fool will mind it.
15744 -- Henry David Thoreau
15746 How many cares one loses
15748 not to be something
15752 If someone says 'can't', that shows you what to do.
15755 Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.
15758 If a thing can not go on forever, it will come to an end.
15761 Nothing ever gets anywhere.
15762 The earth keeps turning round and round and gets nowhere.
15763 The moment is the only thing that counts.
15766 Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow;
15767 don't walk behind me, I may not lead;
15768 walk beside me, and just be my friend.
15771 Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought; our brightest
15772 blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.
15775 The following is a poem made up entirely of quotations from George
15776 W. Bush. The quotes have been arranged, for aesthetic reasons only,
15777 by Washington Post writer Richard Thompson.
15779 MAKE THE PIE HIGHER
15782 I think we all agree, the past is over.
15783 This is still a dangerous world.
15784 It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
15785 and potential mental losses.
15787 Rarely is the question asked
15788 Is our children learning?
15789 Will the highways of the internet
15791 How many hands have I shaked?
15793 They misunderestimate me.
15794 I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
15796 I know that the human being
15797 and the fish can coexist.
15799 Families is where our nation finds hope,
15800 where our wings take dream.
15802 Put food on your family!
15803 Knock down the tollbooth!
15806 Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!
15811 When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard", I am always
15812 tempted to ask: "Compared to what?"
15815 What is laid down, ordered, factual is never enough
15816 to embrace the whole truth: life always spills over
15817 the rim of every cup.
15820 Hard is the herte that loveth nought in May.
15821 -- Geoffrey Chaucer
15823 Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.
15824 -- G. K. Chesterton
15826 {{ your mental acuity sharpens, your self image improves, your breath
15827 becomes minty fresh, the problems in your life all seem simpler and you
15828 feel you can deal with them each separately and conquer them one by one,
15829 your hair grows back in all the right places and stops growing in your
15830 ears and other inappropriate places, when i snap my fingers, you will
15831 feel wholly refreshed and renewed... }}
15837 If you owe the bank $100, that's your problem.
15838 If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem.
15841 The Hutterites (who came out of the same tradition as the Amish
15842 and the Mennonites) have a strict policy that every time a colony
15843 approaches 150, they split it in two and start a new one. "Keeping
15844 things under 150 just seems to be the best and most efficient way to
15845 manage a group of people," Bill Gross, one of the leaders of a
15846 Hutterite colony outside Spokane told me. "When things get larger
15847 than that, people become strangers to one another."
15848 The Hutterites, obviously, didn't get this idea from contemporary
15849 evolutionary psychology. They've been following the 150 rule for
15850 centuries... At 150, the Hutterites believe, something happens--
15851 something indefinable but very real--that somehow changes the nature
15852 of community overnight. "In smaller groups people are a lot closer.
15853 They're knit together, which is very important if you want to be
15854 effective and successful at community life," Gross said. "If you
15855 get too large, you don't have enough work in common. You don't have
15856 enough things in common, and then you start to become strangers and
15857 that close-knit fellowship starts to get lost."
15858 Gross spoke from experience. He had been in Hutterite colonies
15859 that had come near to that magic number and seen first-hand how
15860 things had changed. "What happens when you get that big is that the
15861 group starts, just on its own, to form a sort of clan." He made a
15862 gesture with his hands, as if to demonstrate division. "You get two
15863 or three groups within the larger group. That is something you
15864 really try to prevent, and when it happens it is a good time to
15866 -- Malcolm Gladwell, "The Tipping Point"
15868 If men could regard the events of their own lives with more open
15869 minds, they would frequently discover that they did not really
15870 desire the things they failed to obtain.
15873 Middle age is when you're sitting at home on Saturday night
15874 and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you.
15877 The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
15880 I think a power to do something is of value. Whether the result
15881 is a good thing or a bad thing depends on how it is used, but the
15882 power is a value. Once in Hawaii I was taken to see a Buddhist
15883 temple. In the temple a man said, "I am going to tell you something
15884 that you will never forget." And then he said, "To every man is
15885 given the key to the gates of heaven. The same key opens the gates
15887 And so it is with science. In a way it is a key to the gates of
15888 heaven, and the same key opens the gates of hell, and we do not have
15889 any instructions as to which is which gate. Shall we throw away the
15890 key and never have a way to enter the gates of heaven? Or shall we
15891 struggle with the problem of which is the best way to use the key?
15892 That is, of course, a very serious question, but I think that we
15893 cannot deny the value of the key to the gates of heaven.
15894 All the major problems of the relations between society and
15895 science lie in this same area. When the scientist is told that he
15896 must be more responsible for his effects on society, it is the
15897 applications of science that are referred to. If you work to develop
15898 nuclear energy you must realize also that it can be used harmfully.
15899 Therefore, you would expect that, in a discussion of this kind by a
15900 scientist, this would be the most important topic. But I will not
15901 talk about it further. I think that to say these are scientific
15902 problems is an exaggeration. They are far more humanitarian problems.
15903 The fact that how to work the power is clear, but how to control it is
15904 not, is something not so scientific and is not something that the
15905 scientist knows so much about.
15906 -- Richard P. Feynman, "The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen
15909 If once a man indulges himself in Murder, very soon he comes to think
15910 little of Robbing, and from Robbing he comes next to Drinking and
15911 Sabbath-breaking, and from that to Incivility and Procrastination.
15912 -- Thomas De Quincey
15914 These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper,
15915 but minds alive on the shelves.
15918 Let us not look back in anger,
15919 nor forward in fear,
15920 but around in awareness.
15923 Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with
15924 the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for
15925 the right purpose, and in the right way--that is not easy.
15928 A nation in which grown men say things like "I am not a happy camper"
15929 at momentous junctures is manifestly not the Shining City on the Hill
15930 that our forefathers dreamed about.
15933 Among the devices that we use to impose order upon a complicated
15934 (but by no means unstructured) world, classification--or the division
15935 of items into categories based on perceived similarities--must rank
15936 as the most general and most pervasive of all. And no strategy of
15937 classification cuts deeper--while providing such an even balance of
15938 benefits and difficulties--than our propensity for division by two,
15940 Some basic attributes of surrounding nature do exist as complem-
15941 entary pairings--two large lights in the sky representing day and
15942 night; two sexes that must couple their opposing parts to produce a
15943 continuity of generations--so we might argue that dichotomization
15944 amounts to little more than good observation of the external world.
15945 But far more often than not, dichotomization leads to misleading or
15946 even dangerous oversimplification. People and beliefs are not either
15947 good or evil (with the second category ripe for burning); and
15948 organisms are not either plant or animal, vertebrate or invertebrate,
15949 human or beast. We seem so driven to division by two, even in
15950 clearly inappropriate circumstances, that I must agree with several
15951 schools of thought (most notably Claude Levi-Strauss and the French
15952 structuralists) in viewing dichotomization more as an inherent
15953 mechanism of the brain's operation than as a valid perception of
15955 -- Stephen Jay Gould
15957 Crude classifications and false generalizations
15958 are the curse of the organized life.
15961 Whosoever shall not fall by the sword or by famine,
15962 shall fall by pestilence, so why bother shaving?
15965 Those who really deserve praise are the people who, while human
15966 enough to enjoy power, nevertheless pay more attention to justice
15967 than they are compelled to do by their situation.
15970 It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
15973 The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
15974 is for good men to do nothing.
15977 If the aborigine drafted an IQ test, all of
15978 Western civilization would presumably flunk it.
15981 It takes a wise man to discover a wise man.
15982 -- Diogenes Laertes
15984 The human race has reached a critical time in its social evolution
15985 when it has no choice but to make peace with its biological origins and
15986 to learn how to live once again as a member and partner of the natural
15987 community rather than as its dominator and destroyer. In other words,
15988 we must rediscover how to live as our savage ancestors once lived--in
15989 nature, rather apart from it, much less above it. We must, that is,
15990 invent the civilized analogue of the hunter-gatherer way of life, the
15991 only sustainable mode of human existence the planet has ever known.
15992 Suggesting that we live in a much simpler and more natural way does not
15993 imply a return to the Stone Age or anything like it: we have many
15994 possibilities open to us that were not available to our forebears, for
15995 we have been enormously enriched and enlightened by the long experience
15996 of civilization (or at least so one hopes). Nevertheless, how such a
15997 profound transformation of civilization toward a more experienced and
15998 wiser savagery can be achieved is obviously an immensely difficult
15999 question, because it will clearly entail radical changes in every aspect
16000 of our way of life.
16001 Just how radical is suggested by one of the most poignant and
16002 pointed critiques of modern civilization ever uttered. Breaking into
16003 a filmed interview on the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, an
16004 anonymous Kayapo Indian woman shouted, "We don't want your dams. Your
16005 mothers did not hold you enough. You are all orphans." It is perhaps
16006 too simple to say that the good society is one in which your mother--
16007 and by extension your father, your community, and indeed your entire way
16008 of life--holds you enough, so that you grow up feeling that the world is
16009 a good place and that life is intrinsically satisfying just as it is and
16010 that there is thus no need to make it more satisfying by accumulating
16011 endless wealth and power at others' expense. But this at least points
16012 in the right direction: to become more experienced and wiser savages, to
16013 meet the real political challenge of the twenty-first century, we shall
16014 have to create cultures so rich and nurturing that we would have no need
16015 to pursue happiness; we could simply enjoy it.
16016 -- William Ophuls, in "Requiem for Modern Politics: The Tragedy of
16017 the Enlightenment and the Challenge of the New Millennium."
16019 The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.
16022 In Washington, it's dog eat dog.
16023 In academia, it's exactly the opposite.
16026 I have had many troubles in my life, but the worst of them never came.
16027 -- James A. Garfield
16029 There comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget
16030 something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance,
16031 therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.
16032 -- Arthur Conan Doyle
16034 The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.
16037 I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired
16038 at nine o'clock every morning.
16041 It is no secret that organized crime in America takes in over forty
16042 billion dollars a year. This is quite a profitable sum, especially
16043 when one considers that the Mafia spends very little for office supplies.
16046 It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.
16047 -- W. Edwards Deming
16049 A man is called a good fellow for doing things which, if done
16050 by a woman, would land her in a lunatic asylum.
16053 Those who desire to give up Freedom
16054 in order to gain Security, will not have,
16055 nor do they deserve, either one.
16056 -- Thomas Jefferson
16058 There's no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery.
16059 You can't do any business from there.
16060 -- Colonel (Harlan) Sanders
16062 To imagine is everything, to know is nothing at all.
16065 There is no such thing as conversation. It is an illusion.
16066 There are only intersecting monologues.
16069 You can only be young once. But you can always be immature.
16072 Memory's malfunctions can be divided into seven fundamental transgressions
16073 or 'sins.' Just like the ancient seven deadly sins, the memory sins occur
16074 frequently in everyday life and can have serious consequences for all of us.
16075 Transience, absent-mindedness, and blocking are sins of omission: we fail to
16076 bring to mind a desired fact, event, or idea. Transience refers to a weakening
16077 or loss of memory over time. It's probably not difficult for you to remember
16078 now what you have been doing for the past several hours. But if I ask you
16079 about the same activities six weeks, six months, or six years from now, chances
16080 are you'll remember less and less.
16081 Absent-mindedness involves a breakdown at the interface between attention
16082 and memory. Absent-minded memory errors--misplacing keys or eyeglasses, or
16083 forgetting a lunch appointment--typically occur because we are preoccupied with
16084 distracting issues or concerns, and don't focus attention on what we need to
16086 The third sin, blocking, entails a thwarted search for information that we
16087 may be desperately trying to retrieve. We've all failed to produce a name to
16088 accompany a familiar face. This frustrating experience happens even though we
16089 are attending carefully to the task at hand, and even though the desired name
16090 has not faded from our minds--as we become acutely aware when we unexpectedly
16091 retrieve the blocked name hours or days later.
16092 In contrast to these three sins of omission, the next four sins of
16093 misattribution, suggestibility, bias, and persistence are all sins of
16094 commission: some form of memory is present, but it is either incorrect or
16095 unwanted. The sin of misattribution involves assigning a memory to the wrong
16096 source: mistaking fantasy for reality, or incorrectly remembering that a friend
16097 told you a bit of trivia that you actually read about in a newspaper.
16098 Misattribution is far more common than most people realize, and has potentially
16099 profound implications in legal settings. The related sin of suggestibility
16100 refers to memories that are implanted as a result of leading questions,
16101 comments, or suggestions when a person is trying to call up a past experience.
16102 The sin of bias reflects the powerful influences of our current knowledge
16103 and beliefs on how we remember our pasts. We often edit or entirely rewrite
16104 our previous experiences--unknowingly and unconsciously--in light of what we
16105 now know or believe. The result can be a skewed rendering of a specific
16106 incident, or even of an extended period in our lives, which says more about how
16107 we feel now than about what happened then.
16108 The seventh sin -- persistence -- entails repeated recall of disturbing
16109 information or events that we would prefer to banish from our minds altogether:
16110 remembering what we cannot forget, even though we wish that we could. Recall
16111 the last time that you suddenly awoke at 3:00 a.m., unable to keep out of your
16112 mind a painful blunder on the job or a disappointing result on an important
16113 exam. In more extreme cases of serious depression or traumatic experience,
16114 persistence can be disabling and even life-threatening.
16115 -- Daniel Schacter, "The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets
16118 When I was a young man I observed that nine out of ten things I did were
16119 failures. I didn't want to be a failure, so I did ten times more work.
16120 -- George Bernard Shaw
16122 People demand freedom of speech as a compensation
16123 for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.
16124 -- Soeren Kierkegaard
16126 Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
16127 Live the life you have imagined.
16128 -- Henry David Thoreau
16130 Brave men are all vertebrates; they have their softness
16131 on the surface and their toughness in the middle.
16132 -- G. K. Chesterton
16134 Being willing to accept that the past--
16135 even the priceless, irreplaceable past--
16136 will be largely lost is a sign of mental health.
16139 We are what we repeatedly do.
16140 Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
16143 Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. -- Voltaire
16145 It requires wisdom to understand wisdom:
16146 the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
16149 What difference does it make how much you have?
16150 What you do not have amounts to much more.
16153 We now all live in a society marked by increasing, not decreasing,
16154 interconnection and mutual reliance. Each of our lives is affected by
16155 more people than ever before. We generally need the cooperation of
16156 more people than ever to accomplish even those goals we set for
16157 ourselves. This insight needs no elaborate demonstration; one is
16158 reminded of it with every smoggy breath we take, and every time we step
16159 on an airplane and ponder how our life depends on the competent,
16160 attentive behavior of dozens of strangers, from the pilot to the air
16161 traffic controller to the ground mechanic who was supposed to inspect
16162 the extent of the metal fatigue on the wings. Technology increases the
16163 links that tie people together, voluntarily or not, and the complexity
16164 of our economic system and the organizations we work for multiplies
16166 To exercise control over what happens to you as an individual, you
16167 must be involved with others in a process that decides what happens to
16168 you and your fellow citizens collectively. We can no longer separate
16169 the quality of personal life from the quality of social life. To
16170 preserve private space, we must also preserve the commons.
16171 That is one reason why even in a society so seduced by and attached
16172 to autonomy, many people are now getting fed up with what can only be
16173 called acts of vandalism against the public space. Threatening,
16174 disrespectful, wanton, and manifestly selfish acts--from the warfare of
16175 crack dealers and gangs to the shameless greed of the S&L thieves and
16176 the destruction of our very environment by the industrial polluters--
16177 are poisonous to everyone, not just those directly harmed. Of course,
16178 we pay for such things as taxpayers and as consumers, but that is not
16179 the most important cost. All of us are morally impoverished by these
16180 assaults on the quality and integrity of our common life.
16181 -- Willard Gaylin and Bruce Jennings, "The Perversion of Autonomy:
16182 The Proper Uses of Coercion and Constraints in a Liberal Society"
16184 Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common
16185 belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young.
16186 -- W. Somerset Maugham
16188 Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.
16191 The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved--
16192 loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.
16195 If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.
16198 Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.
16201 The wicked leader is one whom the people despise.
16202 The good leader is one whom the people revere.
16203 The great leader is one about whom the people say,
16204 "We did it ourselves."
16207 Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.
16210 Ideas pull the trigger, but instinct loads the gun.
16213 No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one
16214 concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
16215 -- Niccolo Machiavelli
16217 Every exit is an entry somewhere.
16220 Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us
16221 nothing but the shape of the spoon.
16224 We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers
16225 connect us with our fellow men.
16228 There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.
16229 -- Bertrand Russell
16231 If this is coffee, please bring me some tea,
16232 but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee.
16235 All men who have turned out worth anything have had
16236 the chief hand in their own education.
16237 -- Sir Walter Scott
16239 Few things can help an individual more
16240 than to place responsibility on him,
16241 and to let him know that you trust him.
16242 -- Booker T. Washington
16244 The last time somebody said, "I find I can write much
16245 better with a word processor," I replied, "They used to
16246 say the same thing about drugs."
16249 The world of knowledge takes a crazy turn
16250 When teachers themselves are taught to learn.
16251 -- Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), German playwright, poet
16253 Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat.
16256 Art produces ugly things which frequently become more beautiful with time.
16257 Fashion, on the other hand, produces beautiful things which always become
16261 To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana.
16262 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
16264 the best part about killing software bugs is that
16265 there's no goo nor exoskeleton fragments left behind.
16267 Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares
16268 about doing it right, or doing it better.
16271 Great spirits have always encountered
16272 violent opposition from mediocre minds.
16275 There's a fine line between genius and
16276 insanity. I have erased this line.
16279 Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's
16280 original, you will have to ram it down their throats.
16283 Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves,
16284 or we know where we can find information upon it.
16287 Historically, consumer acceptance of new technologies has been
16288 slow and cumbersome, delaying anticipated profits by decades.
16289 Indeed, consumer acceptance of any innovation is typically slow,
16290 despite extraordinary benefits and convenience.
16291 When cake mixes were first created, they required consumers to
16292 only add water--a major behavioral shift. Consumers felt a cake
16293 made with such a mix could not possibly be as good as a homemade
16294 cake. So cake mix formulas were revised to require the addition of
16295 an egg and milk. The new mixes met with great success, because the
16296 behavior shift required of consumers was minor. Eventually some
16297 consumers became comfortable adding only water (some never will).
16300 An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even
16301 how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what
16302 you know and what you don't.
16305 A man is a worker. If he is not that he is nothing.
16308 All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely
16309 players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one
16310 man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
16311 -- Shakespeare, "As You Like It"
16313 Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.
16314 -- James Bryant Conant
16316 I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this
16317 government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.
16318 We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before
16319 us many, many months of struggle and suffering.
16320 You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea,
16321 and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given
16322 us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the
16323 dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.
16324 You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory.
16325 Victory at all costs--Victory in spite of all terrors--Victory, however
16326 long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.
16327 Let that be realized. No survival for the British Empire, no
16328 survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for
16329 the urge, the impulse of the ages, that mankind shall move forward
16331 I take up my task in buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause
16332 will not be suffered to fail among men. I feel entitled at this
16333 juncture, at this time, to claim the aid of all and to say, "Come then,
16334 let us go forward together with our united strength."
16335 -- Winston Churchill, first speech to Parliament, May 13, 1940
16337 Be it religion, love under all its forms, literature, or art,
16338 there is not a single spiritual force that does not become an
16339 object of commercial exploitation.
16342 History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.
16343 -- James Joyce from "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"
16345 Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon,
16346 but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!
16347 -- John Parker, leader of the "Minutemen", April 19, 1775
16349 These are the times that try men's souls.
16352 Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a day which will live in infamy--the
16353 United states of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by
16354 naval and air forces of the empire of Japan... The attack yesterday
16355 on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and
16356 military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives
16357 have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported
16358 torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu... Japan
16359 has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the
16360 Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves.
16361 The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and
16362 well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our
16364 As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all
16365 measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation
16366 remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long
16367 it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American
16368 people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.
16369 I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the
16370 people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the
16371 uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery
16372 shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no
16373 blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests
16374 are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the
16375 unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable
16376 triumph. So help us God.
16377 -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
16379 Our strength grows out of our weakness.
16380 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
16382 The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
16383 I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
16384 I shall use my time.
16387 What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly;
16388 it is dearness only that gives everything its value.
16391 it's hard not to blame microsoft for the new worm. they point at
16392 their feeble little patch (which actually doesn't stop all the
16393 types of attack nimda uses), but why aren't their operating systems
16394 automatically getting the patch if it's critical? also, why are
16395 there so many huge gaping holes in the first place? they'll never
16396 stop plugging them... it's like a dyke made out of sponges.
16399 after i got my millionth annoying spam today, i decided that there must
16400 be something to it after all. perhaps i can write spam all day while
16401 wearing only underpants and make money by magic too. clearly no one has
16402 shut off the spammers' internet connections yet, so they survive somehow.
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16430 Courage is grace under pressure. -- Ernest Hemingway
16432 To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years.
16433 To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day.
16434 -- Winston Churchill
16436 I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that
16437 gentleness is to be expected only from the strong.
16440 The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are
16441 worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all
16442 attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy
16443 ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of
16444 treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence.
16445 It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation,
16446 enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by
16447 violence without a struggle, or be cheated out of them by the artifices of
16448 false and designing men.
16449 Of the latter we are in most danger at present; let us therefore be aware
16450 of it. Let us contemplate our forefathers and posterity; and resolve to
16451 maintain the rights bequeathed to us from the former, for the sake of the
16453 Instead of sitting down satisfied with the efforts we have already made,
16454 which is the wish of our enemies, the necessity of the times, more than ever,
16455 calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude, and perseverance.
16456 Let us remember that 'if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty,
16457 we encourage it, and involve others in our doom.' It is a very serious
16458 consideration, which should deeply impress our minds, that millions yet unborn
16459 may be the miserable sharers in the event.
16460 -- Samuel Adams, tasty American Patriot
16462 The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is
16463 before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out
16467 I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself
16468 I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore,
16469 and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble
16470 or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of
16471 truth lay all undiscovered before me.
16474 As a rule, software systems do not work well until they have been
16475 used, and have failed repeatedly, in real applications.
16478 Everything happens to everybody sooner or later if there is time enough.
16479 -- George Bernard Shaw
16481 When fanatics are on top, there is no limit to oppression.
16484 Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
16485 Willing is not enough; we must do.
16486 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
16488 tkelele ekki eekkle cthulhu hurf hurf hurf *plat*
16489 -- H. P. Lovecraft's "cat" ejecting a hairball
16491 If we survive danger it steels our courage more than anything else.
16492 -- Reinhold Niebuhr
16494 Computer Science is no more about computers
16495 than astronomy is about telescopes.
16496 -- Edsger W. Dijkstra
16498 What we become depends on what we read after all of the
16499 professors have finished with us. The greatest university
16500 of all is a collection of books.
16503 The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in
16504 higher esteem those that think alike than those who think differently.
16505 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
16507 The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.
16511 crucial in these turbulent
16512 final days of earth...
16514 president shrub does
16515 wonders for sagging garment
16516 industry's profits.
16520 christian values? hate the bombs,
16521 but love the bombers?
16523 Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues.
16526 Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, "Certainly,
16527 I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it.
16528 -- Theodore Roosevelt
16530 Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve
16531 greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.
16532 -- William Shakespeare
16535 then he frittered it away
16539 Half this game is ninety percent mental.
16542 Action may not always bring happiness;
16543 but there is no happiness without action.
16544 -- Benjamin Disraeli
16546 The world is faced with a transcendent conflict between those who love life
16547 and those who love death both for themselves and their enemies.
16548 -- Charles Krauthammer
16550 doomed bovines eat sand
16551 scrape on cactus in AZ
16552 then chowed on and gone
16555 To find out what one is fitted to do,
16556 and to secure an opportunity to do it,
16557 is the key to happiness.
16560 I have never understood Brahms. I believe he was
16561 burning the midnight oil trying to be complicated.
16562 -- Albert Einstein, in a conversation with Peter G. Neumann
16564 Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training.
16567 It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to
16568 entertain a thought without accepting it.
16571 The fastest way to succeed is to look as if you're playing
16572 by somebody else's rules, while quietly playing by your own.
16576 a brick; microsoft sinking
16577 fast as cement shoes
16579 Journalism is popular, but it is popular mainly as fiction.
16580 Life is one world, and life seen in the newspapers is another.
16581 -- G. K. Chesterton
16583 We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything.
16584 -- Thomas Alva Edison
16586 Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet
16587 of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.
16590 Any activity becomes creative when the doer
16591 cares about doing it right, or doing it better.
16594 Experience with technology teaches us that once a technology makes
16595 something possible, it gets applied, whether for good or bad.
16596 -- Donald A. Norman
16598 The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in
16599 other men the conviction and the will to carry on.
16602 Without education we are in a horrible and deadly
16603 danger of taking educated people seriously.
16604 -- G. K. Chesterton
16606 When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.
16609 Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only
16610 the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy.
16613 Humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness
16614 that some things are really important, others not; and that the two
16615 kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.
16616 -- Christopher Morley
16618 Nobody ever died of laughter.
16621 Mein Herr looked so thoroughly bewildered that I thought it best
16622 to change the subject. "What a useful thing a pocket-map is!" I
16624 "That's another thing we've learned from your Nation," said Mein
16625 Herr, "map-making. But we've carried it much further than you. What
16626 do you consider the largest map that would be really useful?"
16627 "About six inches to the mile."
16628 "Only six inches!" exclaimed Mein Herr. "We very soon got to six
16629 yards to the mile. Then we tried a hundred yards to the mile. And
16630 then came the grandest idea of all! We actually made a map of the
16631 country, on the scale of a mile to the mile!"
16632 "Have you used it much?" I enquired.
16633 "It has never been spread out, yet," said Mein Herr: "the farmers
16634 objected; they said it would cover the whole country, and shut out
16635 the sunlight! So we now use the country itself, as its own map, and
16636 I assure you it does nearly as well."
16637 -- Lewis Carroll, "Sylvie and Bruno Concluded"
16639 The fly has an autonomous system that avoids being swatted. It has
16640 the ability to see and navigate and make decisions on millisecond time
16641 scales. We've never been able to make artificial vision systems that
16642 come within orders of magnitude of that, with all the computation we
16646 The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending,
16647 we lay waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours;
16648 We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
16649 -- William Wordsworth
16651 You return and again take the proper course, guided by what?
16652 By the picture in mind of the place you are headed for.
16655 The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who
16656 are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
16659 Xtianity the Easy Way
16660 ---------------------
16662 jesus heal my head,
16663 so i won't drop dead;
16664 god better get me real happy,
16665 'cause he's my celestial pappy.
16667 yo god, i'll just lie around here at home,
16668 you fill my pockets with money while i moan.
16669 it'll make me real religious,
16670 if you ain't fictitious...
16672 being a zealot is a lot of hassle,
16673 and with my faith i must wrassle.
16674 'til jesus gets my brain repaired,
16675 to humans my butt remains bared.
16677 surmounting one's lot is for others,
16678 who have energy unsmothered,
16679 by wacky notions of invisible spirits,
16680 that reward and punish holy twits.
16682 heaven better live up to my imagination,
16683 and to its oft repeated reputation;
16684 the next life better not suck, holy dad,
16685 'cause this one on earth you f*cked pretty bad.
16688 When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so
16689 long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see
16690 the ones which open for us.
16691 -- Alexander Graham Bell
16693 The mind is its own place and
16694 in itself can make a heaven
16695 of hell, a hell of heaven.
16698 Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
16699 Willing is not enough; we must do.
16700 -- Johann von Goethe
16702 I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time.
16703 -- Charlie Brown, in Charles Schultz's cartoon "Peanuts"
16705 It is hard to say exactly when the monumentalization of the trivial became
16706 a way of life in America. It may have been when the National Football League
16707 started according contests between large men in skintight pants the sort of
16708 solemn designations formerly reserved for armed global conflicts.
16709 -- Michael Kelly, in "The Atlantic Monthly"
16711 When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second.
16712 When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour.
16716 We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned,
16717 so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
16720 The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
16723 Unless one's predictions are confirmed more often than a random
16724 guesser's, we should be suspicious of their quality, however
16725 cogent they may have seemed when made.
16726 -- Richard A. Posner
16728 It is said an eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent a
16729 sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate
16730 in all times and situations. They presented him with the words,
16731 "And this, too, shall pass away." How much it expresses! How chastening
16732 in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!
16735 Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.
16736 Small people always do that, but the really great make you
16737 feel that you, too, can become great.
16740 The belief that microsoft has done it all right this time with Windows-XP
16741 is just like... the suspension of disbelief that allows people to think
16742 it's perfectly normal to see kids flying around on brooms in the Harry
16743 Potter movie while they're in the darkened movie theater. It's time to
16744 turn on the lights in your mental theater...
16747 We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love--
16748 first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.
16751 The majority of important television commercials take the form of
16752 religious parables organized around a coherent theology. Like all religious
16753 parables, they put forward a concept of sin, intimations of the way to
16754 redemption, and a vision of Heaven. They also suggest what are the roots of
16755 evil and what are the obligations of the holy.
16756 Consider, for example, the Parable of the Ring Around the Collar. This
16757 is to television scripture what the Parable of the Prodigal Son is to the
16758 Bible, which is to say it is an archetype containing most of the elements of
16759 form and content that recur in the genre.
16760 The narrative structure of the Parable of the Ring Around the Collar is,
16761 indeed, comfortably traditional. The story has a beginning, a middle, and an
16762 end. A married couple is depicted in some relaxed setting--a restaurant, say--
16763 in which they are enjoying each other's company and generally having a
16764 wonderful time. But then a waitress approaches their table, notices that the
16765 man has a dirty collar, stares at it boldly, sneers with cold contempt, and
16766 announces to all within hearing the nature of his transgression. The man is
16767 humiliated and glares at his wife with scorn, for she is the source of his
16768 shame. She, in turn, assumes an expression of self-loathing mixed with a
16769 touch of self-pity...
16770 The parable continues by showing the wife at home using a detergent
16771 that never fails to eliminate dirt around the collars of men's shirts...
16772 In television-commercial parables, the root cause of evil is
16773 "Technological Innocence", a failure to know the particulars of the
16774 beneficent accomplishments of industrial progress...
16775 Technological innocence refers not only to ignorance of detergents,
16776 drugs, sanitary napkins, cars, salves, and foodstuffs, but also to
16777 ignorance of technical machinery such as savings banks and transportation
16779 -- Neil Postman, "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age
16782 Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some
16783 blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.
16784 Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a
16785 spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
16786 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
16788 I don't know much about being a millionaire,
16789 but I'll bet I'd be darling at it.
16792 term: Microflaccidity
16793 definition: An addiction to Microsoft products accompanied by a decrease in IQ.
16795 Poetry is what gets lost in translation.
16798 Telling us to obey instinct is like telling us to obey "people". People
16799 say different things: so do instincts. Our instincts are at war.... Each
16800 instinct, if you listen to it, will claim to be gratified at the expense
16804 [Hollywood is] a place where they shoot too many films and not enough actors.
16807 Money sometimes makes fools of important persons,
16808 but also makes important persons of fools.
16811 I made my money by selling too soon.
16814 Tell me who admires you and loves you, and I will tell you who you are.
16815 -- Charles Augustin Sainte-Beauve
16817 False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often
16818 endure long; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm,
16819 for everyone takes a salutory pleasure in proving their falseness.
16822 I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back.
16825 I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from
16826 listening carefully. Most people never listen.
16827 -- Ernest Hemingway
16829 Ten point list of lessons learned
16830 from the high-tech industry failures during 2001:
16832 1) Prediction tools must improve.
16833 2) It's hugely difficult to build chicken and egg simultaneously.
16834 3) Venture capital firms' demands that startups generate $50 million
16835 in revenue within three years were unrealistic.
16836 4) Companies used narrowcast to broadcast.
16838 6) We all, like sheep, will go astray (with enough pressure).
16839 7) Many startups were fundamentally uncreative and "un-Internet."
16840 8) Too early to market? Too bad.
16841 9) New stuff doesn't replace old.
16842 10) Nothing changes overnight.
16846 The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy.
16849 The ultimate result of shielding men from the
16850 effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
16853 Sports is the toy department of human life. -- Howard Cosell
16855 First keep the peace within yourself,
16856 then you can also bring peace to others.
16859 What one has not experienced, one will never understand in print.
16862 Newspapermen learn to call a murderer "an alleged murderer" and the
16863 King of England "the alleged King of England" to avoid libel suits.
16866 I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places.
16867 He told me to quit going to those places.
16870 Never mistake motion for action. -- Ernest Hemingway
16872 The first duty of a leader is to make himself
16873 be loved without courting love. To be loved
16874 without "playing up" to anyone--even to himself.
16877 All you need in this life is ignorance and
16878 confidence, and then success is sure.
16881 Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited
16882 energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of
16883 order imposed on the disciplined adult intelligence.
16884 -- Norman Podhoretz
16886 If only I could master the skill of telefecalkinesis, the act of
16887 sh*tting on someone from any distance. Another useful skill is
16888 evilknievelportation, the ability to jump out of the way right
16889 before some horrible accident occurs. This is useful to avoid
16890 the telefecalkinetics.
16893 Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six,
16894 result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual
16895 expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.
16896 -- Charles Dickens, in "David Copperfield"
16898 Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest
16899 way of selling goods, particularly if the goods are worthless.
16902 It's the wonder of the world, it's a rocket to the moon, it gets you high,
16903 it gets you low, but once you get that glow... Love, love, hooray for love,
16904 who was ever too blase for love? Make this the night for love. If we have
16905 to fight, let's fight for love. Some sigh and cry for love--Ah, but in
16906 Pa-ree they die for love. Some waste away for love. Just the same--hooray
16910 Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
16913 Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long.
16916 Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.
16919 The young have aspirations that never come to pass,
16920 the old have reminiscences of what never happened.
16921 -- H.H. Monroe (Saki)
16923 An inventor is a person who makes an ingenious arrangement
16924 of wheels, levers and springs, and believes it civilization.
16927 There's nothing quite like doing nothing.
16930 For a successful technology, reality must take precedence
16931 over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.
16932 -- Richard Feynmann
16934 The mind commands the body and the body obeys.
16935 The mind commands itself and finds resistance.
16938 The English word "way" is perhaps the nearest translation that we can
16939 make to the Chinese word tao. It is usually pronounced "dow." The Tao
16940 means many things. Primarily, it means the way of nature, the process of
16941 the universe. But it also means a way of life, a way of living in
16942 accordance with that process. We have lost the idea that our occupations
16943 are vocations. Our idea of an occupation is that it is a way of making
16944 money. We make a very, very destructive division between work and play.
16945 We spend eight hours, or whatever it may be, at work in order to earn the
16946 money to enjoy ourselves in the other eight hours. And that is a perfectly
16947 ridiculous way of living. It is much better to be very poor indeed than to
16948 do something so stupid as boring ourselves and wasting ourselves for eight
16949 hours in order to be able to enjoy ourselves the other eight hours. The
16950 result of this fantastic division between work and play is that work
16951 becomes drudgery, and play becomes empty. When we say that our occupation
16952 should also be our vocation, we are speaking of a conception of life within
16953 which work and play should be identical.
16954 It is interesting that Hindus, when they speak of the creation of the
16955 universe, do not call it the work of God, they call it the play of God,
16956 the Vishnu-lila, lila meaning "play." And they look upon the whole
16957 manifestation of all the universes as a play, as a sport, as a kind of
16958 dance--lila perhaps being somewhat related to our word lilt. We in the
16959 West have tended to lose the idea of our work, our profession, as being a
16961 Now, mind you, these ways I am talking about in Asia are not followed
16962 by an enormous number of people, except in a kind of nominal, superficial
16963 way. And I am not trying to make any vast comparisons between Asian society
16964 and Western society or to say that the total Asian way of life is superior
16965 to ours. I do not think it is, but I do not think it is necessarily
16966 inferior, either; it is just different. But the fact remains that there is
16967 an aspect of Asian religion and philosophy that is very subdued in Western
16968 religion and philosophy, so that you might say that the Way, in the sense of
16969 the Chinese Tao, does not quite exist in the West, in any recognizable form.
16970 It does exist, yes. It exists unofficially, it exists occasionally, but it
16971 is never clearly recognized.
16972 -- Alan Watts, "The Way of Zen"
16974 It is not certain that everything is uncertain.
16977 We used to think that
16978 if we knew one, we knew two,
16979 because one and one are two.
16980 We are finding that we must
16981 learn a great deal more about "and".
16982 -- Sir Arthur Eddington
16984 The so-called Pythagoreans, who were the first to take up mathematics,
16985 not only advanced this subject, but, saturated with it, they fancied
16986 that the principles of mathematics were the principles of all things.
16989 Civilization advances by extending the number of important
16990 operations which we can perform without thinking of them.
16991 -- Alfred North Whitehead
16993 Any solution to a problem changes the problem.
16996 I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure,
16997 could walk on a cloud without coming through.
17000 Pay no attention to what the critics say; there has
17001 never been set up a statue in honor of a critic.
17004 Do not ask things to happen as you wish, but wish them to
17005 happen as they do happen, and your life will go smoothly.
17008 One of the things most beguiling to cat lovers is the
17009 intractability of a cat... its refusal to surrender
17010 the least part of its spiritual independence.
17011 -- Marguerite Steen
17013 Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed.
17014 Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery
17015 and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they
17016 might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say
17017 to myself, "It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams
17018 come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."
17019 -- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
17021 I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the
17022 morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.
17025 The problem with some people is that when they aren't drunk, they're sober.
17026 -- William Butler Yeats
17028 Drinking provides a beautiful excuse to pursue the one activity that
17029 truly gives me pleasure, hooking up with fat, hairy girls.
17032 What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch?
17035 Life is a waste of time, time is a waste of life, so get
17036 wasted all of the time and have the time of your life.
17037 -- Michelle Mastrolacasa
17039 I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.
17042 Newscasters have gotten so repellant,
17043 talk shows so superficial,
17044 sitcoms so unfunny,
17046 movies so predictable,
17047 that the Food Network offers the best
17048 fare on TV in every sense of the word.
17051 My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four.
17052 Unless there are three other people.
17055 The people's good is the highest law. -- Cicero
17057 In all recorded history there has not been one economist who
17058 has had to worry about where the next meal would come from.
17061 The great thing in this world
17062 is not so much where we stand,
17063 as in what direction we are moving.
17064 -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
17066 Reality is the leading cause of stress
17067 amongst those in touch with it.
17070 If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything.
17073 The nice thing about egotists is that
17074 they don't talk about other people.
17075 -- Lucille S. Harper
17077 Wisdom outweighs any wealth. -- Sophocles
17079 A problem is a chance for you to do your best. -- Duke Ellington
17081 It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing.
17082 It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.
17085 The human mind is like an umbrella--it functions best when open.
17088 They always say that time changes things, but
17089 you actually have to change them yourself.
17092 If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the
17093 computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles
17094 per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.
17095 -- Robert X. Cringely
17097 The man who says he is willing to meet you
17098 halfway usually is a poor judge of distance.
17099 -- Laurence J. Peter
17101 To do two things at once is to do neither.
17104 We live in an age when pizza gets to your home before the police.
17107 Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.
17110 Hell, there are no rules here, we're trying to accomplish something.
17113 The days of the digital watch are numbered. -- Tom Stoppard
17115 A little drowsing cat is an image of perfect beatitude.
17118 World peace must develop from inner peace.
17119 Peace is not just mere absence of violence.
17120 Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.
17121 -- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
17123 The human mind treats a new idea the same way
17124 the body treats a strange protein; it rejects it.
17127 A hat should be taken off when you greet a
17128 lady and left off for the rest of your life.
17129 Nothing looks more stupid than a hat.
17132 Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber on weekends.
17135 It is a very sad thing that nowadays
17136 there is so little useless information.
17139 I was born not knowing and have had only a
17140 little time to change that here and there.
17143 I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the
17144 best of them, and I know how bad I am.
17147 Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself.
17150 It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear.
17153 Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't
17154 mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.
17155 -- Edward R. Murrow
17157 What can you say about a society that says that
17158 God is dead and Elvis is alive?
17161 Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
17162 -- G. K. Chesterton
17164 Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?
17165 -- Edgar Bergen, as "Charlie McCarthy"
17167 A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can
17168 do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.
17171 Whatever you do will be insignificant,
17172 but it is very important that you do it.
17175 Cats know how to obtain food without labor,
17176 shelter without confinement,
17177 and love without penalties.
17180 Most men are within a finger's breadth of being mad.
17181 -- Diogenes the Cynic
17183 When it is not necessary to make a decision,
17184 it is necessary not to make a decision.
17187 Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew
17188 and for several days we had nothing to live on but food and water.
17191 Why isn't there a special name for the tops of your feet? -- Lily Tomlin
17193 I took a speed reading course and read "War and
17194 Peace" in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.
17197 Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.
17198 -- Michel de Montaigne
17200 I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.
17203 In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. -- Andy Warhol
17205 Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
17208 The reason grandparents and grandchildren get
17209 along so well is that they have a common enemy.
17212 A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things.
17215 The prayer of the scientist if he prayed, which is not likely:
17216 Lord, grant that my discovery may increase knowledge and help other men.
17217 Failing that, Lord, grant that it will not lead to man's destruction.
17218 Failing that, Lord, grant that my article in "Brain" be published before
17219 the destruction takes place.
17220 -- Walker Percy, in "Love in the Ruins"
17222 Psychiatry enables us to correct our faults by
17223 confessing our parents' shortcomings.
17224 -- Laurence J. Peter
17226 Cooperate on Standards, Compete on Implementation
17227 -- Sun Corporations's Founding Principle
17229 If I could drop dead right now, I'd be the happiest man alive.
17232 Someday I want to be rich. Some people get so rich they lose
17233 all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.
17236 Kids who have yet to master spelling or basic math are in no position to
17237 dogmatize about scientific questions like global warming or nuclear power.
17240 If you can't ride two horses at the same time you shouldn't be in the circus.
17243 Whenever a person walks in on the middle of a film or a conversation, or
17244 starts a new friendship, opens a book, takes a new job, or moves to a new
17245 city, his first need is to orient himself. We all must know, in a general
17246 way, what to expect so that we can plan and respond intelligently and feel
17247 comfortable. And although all animals work with their senses and brains to
17248 orient themselves, human being do something unique. We live less simply and
17249 directly in the world than do other animals. We make a version of a world,
17250 an interpretation of it, and then we live in that. The degree of comfort
17251 and success that we achieve in our lives depends on how well that
17252 interpretation suits our circumstances.
17253 Another way to state this idea is that genetically built into people is
17254 a special organizing mode of perception. The philosopher Susanne Langer
17255 calls this mode transformational: we are co-creators of our own perceptions.
17256 In the very act of physically perceiving, we interpret; we transform the raw
17257 data gathered by our senses into complex symbolic meanings. We literally
17258 cannot function and survive without seeing in our world evidence of order
17259 and purpose. We take nothing at face value; we systematize, explain, weave
17260 a large network of connected meanings.
17261 While nonhuman animals toil for their lives, play, or lie in the sun--do
17262 whatever is suitable for the moment--only people fret and practice and
17263 struggle to achieve distant or abstract goals. We are the only animals who
17264 live partly removed from our immediate physical circumstances. This
17265 extravagance is the source of our language, art, science, music, religions,
17266 philosophies: those things we value most. Aside from such direct physical
17267 causes of death as hunger, exposure, old age, or disease, the one
17268 circumstance we truly cannot survive is living in a raw, uninterpreted
17269 place--in chaos. Each of us either finds a meaning in some traditional
17270 religion or philosophy or patches together one of his own, or else he
17271 panics, loses the will to live, and, in one way or another perishes.
17272 -- Shirley Park Lowery, "Familiar Mysteries: The Truth in Myth"
17274 I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific
17275 problems is just as dumb as the next guy.
17278 The operating system for the *world* is too important a resource to be
17279 entrusted to just one proprietary company. No one company can handle
17280 the responsibility, nor can any one company be trusted to stay honest
17281 and fair when wielding such awesome power.
17284 Middle age is when you've met so many people that every
17285 new person you meet reminds you of someone else.
17288 Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself.
17291 I was walking down the street wearing glasses when the prescription ran out.
17294 Sometimes I think we're alone. Sometimes I think we're not.
17295 In either case, the thought is staggering.
17296 -- R. Buckminster Fuller
17298 Birds fly over the rainbow, why then oh why can't I?
17301 The software business is the worst
17302 of all possible business models,
17303 except for all the others.
17306 Instant gratification takes too long.
17309 Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything.
17310 -- John Kenneth Galbraith
17312 No one can have a higher opinion of him than I have,
17313 and I think he's a dirty little beast.
17316 Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but
17317 man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.
17318 -- Reinhold Niebuhr
17320 The great tragedy of Science--the slaying of a
17321 beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.
17322 -- Thomas H. Huxley
17324 Against logic there is no armor like ignorance. -- Laurence J. Peter
17326 In mathematics you don't understand things.
17327 You just get used to them.
17328 -- John von Neumann
17330 Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?
17333 As for me, except for an occasional heart attack,
17334 I feel as young as I ever did.
17337 Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.
17338 -- Benjamin Franklin
17340 When ideas fail, words come in very handy. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
17342 The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages,
17343 may be preserved by quotation.
17344 -- Benjamin Disraeli
17347 I am not familiar with the command RTFM.
17348 I tried giving it but got an warning that the command does not exist.
17351 -- A real user's response to advice
17353 A happy childhood has spoiled many a promising life.
17354 -- Robertson Davies
17356 The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two
17357 opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the
17358 ability to function.
17359 -- F. Scott Fitzgerald
17361 Everything you've learned in school as "obvious" becomes less and
17362 less obvious as you begin to study the universe. For example, there
17363 are no solids in the universe. There's not even a suggestion of a
17364 solid. There are no absolute continuums. There are no surfaces.
17365 There are no straight lines.
17366 -- R. Buckminster Fuller
17368 Our happiness doesn't depend on somebody else's action or on anything
17369 else. It doesn't depend on our success, but rather on the effort we're
17370 willing to put into everything we do. Even if people disappoint or fail
17371 us left and right, even if people turn against us, hurt us, lie about us,
17372 don't understand us, even if they think they know everything about us and
17373 judge us unfairly, they can't infringe upon our happiness. True happiness
17374 means that we have a deep-seated peace and tranquility that transcends all
17375 the difficulties of life, that cannot be disturbed by the chaos and
17376 warfare that might touch our lives.
17377 Digging in the trenches of a Nazi concentration camp Victor Frankl once
17378 said to a fellow inmate: "This is where you've got to find your happiness--
17379 right here in this trench, in this camp." It is a simple matter of fact:
17380 you can be just as happy in a concentration camp, horrific and terrible as
17381 it surely is, as you can in any other circumstance in life.
17382 For this is where we're supposed to find our happiness--where we are
17383 now, wherever that might happen to be, in all that we do, in whatever
17384 circumstances we find ourselves. Being happy involves the intense
17385 struggle of entering intimately into all that we do.
17386 -- "The Monks of New Skete, In the Spirit of Happiness"
17388 Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour,
17389 Rains from the sky a meteoric shower
17390 Of facts . . . they lie unquestioned, uncombined.
17391 Wisdom enough to leech us of our ill
17392 Is daily spun; but there exists no loom
17393 To weave it into fabric.
17394 -- Edna St. Vincent Millay, from "Upon This Age"
17396 An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out.
17399 Everybody gets so much information all day long
17400 that they lose their common sense.
17403 Rationalists, wearing square hats,
17404 Think, in square rooms,
17405 Looking at the floor,
17406 Looking at the ceiling.
17407 They confine themselves
17408 To right-angled triangles.
17409 If they tried rhomboids,
17410 Cones, waving lines, ellipses--
17411 As, for example, the ellipse of the half-moon--
17412 Rationalists would wear sombreros.
17415 I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.
17416 -- G. K. Chesterton
17418 fat in dee head / fat in dee mind / thin on dee love / absent dee kind
17419 yon falwell got dee big head / falwell got dee tiny brain
17420 falwell don' like what you be liken' / falwell hate what he don' understan'
17421 which be everyteen' for dis one / falwell dee bigot boy.
17422 -- love poem to jerry f.
17424 The cat is, above all things, a dramatist.
17427 I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed
17428 us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.
17431 The human mind treats a new idea the same way
17432 the body treats a strange protein; it rejects it.
17435 I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.
17436 -- Bertrand Russell
17438 The key to being a good manager is keeping the people
17439 who hate me away from those who are still undecided.
17442 Reality is nothing but a collective hunch. -- Lily Tomlin
17444 To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. -- Thomas Edison
17446 If I knew I was going to live this long,
17447 I'd have taken better care of myself.
17450 What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens.
17451 -- Benjamin Disraeli
17453 The cat is the mirror of the human mind, personality and attitude,
17454 just as the dog mirrors his human's physical appearance.
17455 -- Winfred Carriere
17457 Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy?
17458 I don't know and I don't care.
17461 Historians are like deaf people who go on
17462 answering questions that no one has asked them.
17465 There are two moments worthwhile in writing, the one when you
17466 start and the other when you throw it in the waste-paper basket.
17469 The capacity of human beings to bore one another seems
17470 to be vastly greater than that of any other animal.
17473 I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you
17474 looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated.
17477 common sense is just the things your parents tell you that
17478 actually make it into your brain when you're a kid.
17480 don't touch hot things,
17481 look both ways when crossing the street,
17484 these ones work; thus they survive.
17487 Men have become the tools of their tools. -- Henry David Thoreau
17489 Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the
17490 ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts.
17491 -- Clare Booth Luce
17493 You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
17496 When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries
17497 disappear and life stands explained.
17500 Why was I born with such contemporaries? -- Oscar Wilde
17502 It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact. -- Edmund Burke
17504 What's on your mind, if you will allow the overstatement? -- Fred Allen
17506 The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof,
17507 a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an
17508 oracle, is inborn in us.
17511 The mad mind does not halt. If it halts, it is enlightenment.
17512 -- Chinese Zen Saying
17514 He who controls his mind and has cut off desire and anger realizes the Self.
17515 -- The Bhagavad Gita
17517 A fly, when it exists, has as much being as God. -- Soren Kierkegaard
17519 Our final experience, like our first, is conjectural.
17520 We move between two darknesses.
17523 If you have not lived through something, it is not true. -- Kabir
17525 I like a view but I like to sit with my back to it. -- Gertrude Stein
17528 So bright in the eyes of those
17529 clutching at the thought of death.
17532 The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you,
17533 the better you will hear what is sounding outside.
17534 And only she who listens can speak.
17535 -- Dag Hammarskjold
17537 If knowledge does not liberate the self from the self,
17538 then ignorance is better than such knowledge.
17541 When the eye wakes up to see again,
17542 it suddenly stops taking anything for granted.
17543 -- Frederick Franck
17545 Only when we know little things do we know
17546 anything; doubt grows with knowledge.
17547 -- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
17554 He, O men, is the wisest, who, like Socrates,
17555 knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing.
17558 Words are just like a man carrying a lamp to look for
17559 his property, by which he can say: this is my property.
17560 -- The Lankavatara Sutra
17563 of a good man's life,
17564 His little, nameless,
17566 Of kindness and love.
17567 -- William Wordsworth
17569 I don't know whether I believe in God or not. I think, really, I'm
17570 some sort of Buddhist. But the essential thing is to put oneself
17571 in a frame of mind which is close to that of prayer.
17574 Life is like stepping onto a boat that is about to sail out to sea and sink.
17578 The cries of the cicadas
17579 Sink into the rocks.
17582 We live in a rainbow of chaos. -- Paul Cezanne
17584 love's like a purple dinosaur because it can't outrun a truck,
17585 life's like a bowl of nixons sometimes you f*ck.
17588 Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
17589 -- Napoleon Bonaparte
17591 Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the
17592 imitation of those whom we cannot resemble.
17595 We are at the very beginning of time for the human race. It is not
17596 unreasonable that we grapple with problems. But there are tens of
17597 thousands of years in the future. Our responsibility is to do what
17598 we can, learn what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them on.
17601 The playful kitten, with its pretty little tigerish gambols, is infinitely
17602 more amusing than half the people one is obliged to live with in the world.
17603 -- Lady Sydney Morgan
17605 The mystery of life is not a problem to be
17606 solved but a reality to be experienced.
17607 -- Aart Van Der Leeuw
17609 Have no designs on becoming a Buddha. This has nothing
17610 whatever to do with sitting or lying down.
17613 When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves,
17614 it is useless to seek it elsewhere.
17615 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
17617 We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big
17618 difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which,
17619 over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
17620 -- Marian Wright Edelman
17622 Golf is a good walk spoiled.
17625 The day we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity. -- Seneca
17627 Life is stressful enough without customer service. -- Thomas Oliver
17629 To assume a cat's asleep is a grave mistake.
17630 He can close his eyes and keep both his ears awake.
17633 Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged
17634 in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.
17637 The tendency has always been strong to believe that whatever received
17638 a name must be an entity or being, having an independent existence of
17639 its own. And if no real entity answering to the name could be found,
17640 men did not for that reason suppose that none existed, but imagined
17641 that it was something peculiarly abstruse and mysterious.
17642 -- John Stuart Mill
17644 You aren't a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.
17647 The master, Hseuh-feng, asked a newly arrived monk where
17648 he had come from. The monk answered: "From the Monastery of
17650 The master said, "In the daytime we have sunlight; in the
17651 evening, lamplight. What is spiritual light?"
17652 The monk had no answer.
17653 The Master said, "Sunlight. Lamplight."
17656 There is no wealth but life. -- John Ruskin
17658 Approach it and there is no beginning; follow it
17659 and there is no end. You can't know it, but you
17660 can be it, at ease in your own life.
17663 And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where
17664 we started and know the place for the first time.
17667 There's an old saying in Tennessee--I know it's in Texas, probably in
17668 Tennessee--that says: Fool me once, shame on [pause] shame on you.
17669 [Pause] Fool me [long, uncomfortable, agonizing pause] you can't get
17671 -- Bush at East Literature Magnet School in Nashville yesterday.
17673 Concentration is my motto--first honesty,
17674 then industry, then concentration.
17677 Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. -- Charles de Gaulle
17679 If you would make a man happy, do not add to his possessions but
17680 subtract from the sum of his desires.
17683 Live life like your hair is on fire. -- Ashleigh Brilliant
17685 City people have a hard time handling the silences when they first
17686 come out to the country. After a certain period of solitude, I myself
17687 experiencing an aloneness that is sometimes disturbing, but the country
17688 eventually cleanses my spirit and purges my body of the sounds, fumes and
17689 toxins of urban life. I think cities feed psychological stress and tension
17690 in many ways, including an overload of electrical forces and energy. When
17691 you go to a country cabin without electricity, you will be surprised at how
17692 tensions fall away.
17693 Some practitioners advocate that urban dwellers removed from the
17694 country find a space in the yard or the garden and dig a hole deep enough
17695 to enfold the body. Lie down in the hole. Make sure your body can lie just
17696 below the surface of the ground. Stay in this hollow of earth. You will be
17697 surprised how rested you will feel simply because you have escaped for a
17698 moment the man-made influences. You have retreated for a moment to Mother
17699 Earth's very simple electrical systems. For the chemical and electrical
17700 balance of the body to be calibrated, you have to stay close to the earth
17701 itself, align yourself with its polarity so that your body can find harmony
17702 between the interior world and the exterior universe.
17703 Once we become detached from nature, we begin to think we can do
17704 without it. The lights of the Great White Way overpower the stars. It is
17705 very hard to see the brightest constellation when you live in or near a
17706 city. The dark solitude of the country reunites you with the universe of
17707 the stars. The woods and hills restore in you something primal in yourself.
17708 The sea's pulse sets your own heartbeat.
17709 -- James Earl Jones, "Voices and Silences"
17711 Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
17714 i think i found my other leak now. and this was a frelling dumb one.
17715 somehow the deletion of the memory was commented out. wtf?
17716 arrrrrrrhhhh... i don't know what i'm doing....
17717 i hate the C and everything coded in it.
17720 When men are pure, laws are useless;
17721 when men are corrupt, laws are broken.
17722 -- Benjamin Disraeli
17724 Only the mediocre are always at their best. -- Jean Giraudoux
17726 If you believe the doctors, nothing is wholesome;
17727 if you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent;
17728 if you believe the military, nothing is safe.
17731 He is indebted to his memory for his jests
17732 and to his imagination for his facts.
17733 -- Richard Brinsley Sheridan
17735 If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of
17736 arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the
17737 physical world. One might as well attempt to grasp the game of
17738 poker entirely by the use of the mathematics of probability.
17741 As a public company, and as a CEO, you have to worry about the stock price
17742 to some extent. But you figure out after a while that there are very few
17743 things you can do in the short term that can positively impact stock price.
17744 If you build a great company, the value of the company goes up. That's very
17745 important for employees to realize coming out of this age of day trading,
17746 mass hysteria and "we're all going to be bazillionaires." You've got to get
17747 people saying: "Why are we really here?" Well, we're here to build a great
17748 company. That takes time. You may have a great day today and the stock goes
17749 down, and you may have a horrible day tomorrow and the stock goes up. Short
17750 term, they don't have a lot to do with each other. But over a long period of
17751 time you build a great company, and it's going to be worth a lot. Customers
17752 will reward it. Shareholders will reward it. Employees will want to be a
17753 part of it and beat our door down to want to work here.
17754 -- Michael Dell, Founder of Dell Computers
17756 Cats have the gift of appearing at ease in any situation--high, low or
17757 anywhere in between.
17760 I am no more humble than my talents require. -- Oscar Levant
17762 Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.
17763 -- Albert Schweitzer
17765 It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there
17766 is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress.
17769 The torch of doubt and chaos, this is what the sage steers by. -- Chuang-Tzu
17771 I would patch them, but I have not a half-sheet of paper.
17772 Ah, well--at least torn windows don't need to be pushed open.
17773 The blowing wind puts out my lamp.
17774 Rain falling from the eaves wets my inkstone.
17777 The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning.
17778 Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.
17781 I tell you: one must still have chaos in one,
17782 to give birth to a dancing star.
17783 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
17786 the frog is growing old now--
17787 among fallen leaves.
17790 Consciousness is a being,
17791 the nature of which
17792 is to be conscious of
17793 the nothingness of its being.
17794 -- Jean-Paul Sartre
17796 Since it is all too clear,
17797 It takes time to grasp it.
17798 When you understand that it's foolish
17799 To look for fire with fire,
17800 The meal is already cooked.
17803 May you live all the days of your life. -- Jonathan Swift
17805 How could there be any question of acquiring
17806 or possessing, when the one thing needful for
17807 a man is to /become/--to /be/ at last, and to die
17808 in the fullness of his being.
17809 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
17811 Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern to us;
17812 for while we exist death is not present,
17813 and when death is present we no longer exist.
17816 Singing and danching are the voice of dharma. -- Hakuin
17818 All great truths begin as blasphemies. -- George Bernard Shaw
17820 Hope is not a strategy. -- Thomas McInerney
17822 I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month,
17823 and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.
17824 -- Thomas Jefferson
17826 As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now
17827 to call a man a good man upon easier terms than I was formerly.
17830 Sometimes the veil between human and animal intelligence wears
17831 very thin--then one experiences the supreme thrill of keeping
17832 a cat, or perhaps allowing oneself to be owned by a cat.
17833 -- Catherine Manley
17835 I'm never going to be famous. My name will never be writ large on the
17836 roster of Those Who Do Things. I don't do any thing. Not one single
17837 thing. I used to bite my nails, but I don't even do that any more.
17840 One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the
17841 belief that one's work is terribly important.
17842 -- Bertrand Russell
17844 The universality of change, when completely understood, is the seeing
17845 into the heart of all things, and the Mind that thus understands is
17846 the Mind that truly seeks the way.
17849 The spirit down here in man and the spirit up there in the sun,
17850 in reality are only one spirit, and there is no other one.
17853 To free oneself is nothing--the really arduous task is to
17854 know what to do with one's freedom.
17857 I hate women because they always know where things are. -- James Thurber
17859 I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting. -- Mark Twain
17861 Be careful about reading health books.
17862 You may die of a misprint.
17865 Autumn, cloud blades on the horizon.
17866 The west wind blows from ten thousand miles.
17867 Dawn, in the clear morning air.
17868 Farmers busy after long rain.
17869 The desert trees shed their few green leaves.
17870 The mountain pears are tiny but ripe.
17871 A Tartar flute plays by the city gate.
17872 A single wild goose climbs into the void.
17875 When you get there, there isn't any there there. -- Gertrude Stein
17877 I want to sing like birds sing,
17878 not worrying who hears or what they think.
17881 The practice of zazen is not
17882 for gaining a mystical mind.
17883 Zazen is for allowing a clear mind--
17884 as clear as a bright autumn day.
17887 ... and he was almighty because he had wrenched
17888 from chaos the secret of its nothingness.
17889 -- Jean-Paul Sartre
17891 Practice thirty more years. -- Zen proverb
17893 Student: "Roshi, what are you doing here?"
17894 Suzuki-roshi: "Nothing special."
17897 After the leaves fall in the village at the foot of Ogura Peak,
17898 one can see through the tree branches the moon shining in the clear.
17901 Chaos often breeds life, where order breeds habit.
17904 You yourselves must make the exertion.
17905 The Buddhas are only teachers.
17906 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
17908 Cease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursuing words,
17909 and following after speech, and learn the backward step that turns your
17910 light inward to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will
17911 drop away, and your original face will be manifest.
17914 Next time you have a bad day, imagine this: You are a Siamese twin.
17915 Your brother that is attached to you at the shoulder is gay.
17916 You are not. But you only have one ass.
17918 From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition
17919 is something up with which I will not put.
17920 -- Winston Churchill
17922 The meaning of life is to see. -- Hui-Neng
17924 Fundamentally not one thing exists. -- Hui-Neng
17926 In the blue heavens, cold geese calling.
17927 On the empty hills, leaves flying.
17930 When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.
17931 -- George Bernard Shaw
17933 An intense love of solitude, distaste for involvement in worldly
17934 affairs, persistence in knowing the Self and awareness of the goal
17935 of knowing--all this is called true knowledge.
17936 -- The Bhagavad Gita
17938 Some people are born to lift heavy weights.
17939 Some are born to juggle with golden balls.
17942 Every man serves a useful purpose: A miser, for
17943 example, makes a wonderful ancestor.
17944 -- Lawrence J. Peter
17946 Smokey the Bear Sutra
17948 Once in the Jurassic about 150 million years ago,
17949 the Great Sun Buddha in this corner of the Infinite
17950 Void gave a Discourse to all the assembled elements
17951 and energies: to the standing beings, the walking beings,
17952 the flying beings, and the sitting beings -- even grasses,
17953 to the number of thirteen billion, each one born from a
17954 seed, assembled there: a Discourse concerning
17955 Enlightenment on the planet Earth.
17957 "In some future time, there will be a continent called
17958 America. It will have great centers of power called
17959 such as Pyramid Lake, Walden Pond, Mt. Rainier, Big Sur,
17960 Everglades, and so forth; and powerful nerves and channels
17961 such as Columbia River, Mississippi River, and Grand Canyon
17962 The human race in that era will get into troubles all over
17963 its head, and practically wreck everything in spite of
17964 its own strong intelligent Buddha-nature."
17966 "The twisting strata of the great mountains and the pulsings
17967 of volcanoes are my love burning deep in the earth.
17968 My obstinate compassion is schist and basalt and
17969 granite, to be mountains, to bring down the rain. In that
17970 future American Era I shall enter a new form; to cure
17971 the world of loveless knowledge that seeks with blind hunger:
17972 and mindless rage eating food that will not fill it."
17974 And he showed himself in his true form of
17978 a.. A handsome smokey-colored brown bear standing on his hind legs,
17979 showing that he is aroused and
17982 b.. Bearing in his right paw the Shovel that digs to the truth beneath
17983 appearances; cuts the roots of useless
17984 attach- ments, and flings damp sand on the fires of greed and war;
17986 c.. His left paw in the Mudra of Comradely Display -- indicating that all
17987 creatures have the full right to live to
17988 their limits and that deer, rabbits, chipmunks, snakes, dandelions, and
17989 lizards all grow in the realm of the
17992 d.. Wearing the blue work overalls symbolic of slaves and laborers, the
17993 countless men oppressed by a
17994 civilization that claims to save but often destroys;
17996 e.. Wearing the broad-brimmed hat of the West, symbolic of the forces that
17997 guard the Wilderness, which is the
17998 Natural State of the Dharma and the True Path of man on earth: all true
17999 paths lead through mountains --
18001 f.. With a halo of smoke and flame behind, the forest fires of the
18002 kali-yuga, fires caused by the stupidity of
18003 those who think things can be gained and lost whereas in truth all is
18004 contained vast and free in the Blue Sky
18005 and Green Earth of One Mind;
18007 g.. Round-bellied to show his kind nature and that the great earth has
18008 food enough for everyone who loves her
18011 h.. Trampling underfoot wasteful freeways and needless suburbs; smashing
18012 the worms of capitalism and
18015 i.. Indicating the Task: his followers, becoming free of cars, houses,
18016 canned foods, universities, and shoes;
18017 master the Three Mysteries of their own Body, Speech, and Mind; and
18018 fearlessly chop down the rotten
18019 trees and prune out the sick limbs of this country America and then burn
18020 the leftover trash.
18022 Wrathful but Calm. Austere but Comic. Smokey the Bear will
18023 Illuminate those who would help him; but for those who would hinder or
18026 HE WILL PUT THEM OUT.
18028 Thus his great Mantra:
18030 Namah samanta vajranam chanda maharoshana
18031 Sphataya hum traks ham nam
18033 "I DEDICATE MYSELF TO THE UNIVERSAL DIAMOND
18034 BE THIS RAGING FURY DESTROYED"
18036 And he will protect those who love woods and rivers,
18037 Gods and animals, hobos and madmen, prisoners and sick
18038 people, musicians, playful women, and hopeful children:
18040 And if anyone is threatened by advertising, air pollution, television,
18041 or the police, they should chant SMOKEY THE BEAR'S WAR SPELL:
18048 And SMOKEY THE BEAR will surely appear to put the enemy out
18049 with his vajra-shovel.
18051 a.. Now those who recite this Sutra and then try to put it in practice
18052 willl accumulate merit as countless as the
18053 sands of Arizona and Nevada.
18055 b.. Will help save the planet Earth from total oil slick.
18057 c.. Will enter the age of harmony of man and nature.
18059 d.. Will win the tender love and caresses of men, women, and beasts.
18061 e.. Will always have ripe blackberries to eat and a sunny spot under a
18062 pine tree to sit at.
18064 f.. AND IN THE END WILL WIN HIGHEST PERFECT ENLIGHTENMENT.
18066 thus have we heard.
18068 I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a
18069 nice letter saying that I approved of it.
18072 We are here to witness the creation and to abet it. -- Annie Dillard
18074 Today is the eighth of the month, tomorrow is the thirteenth. -- Zen proverb
18076 Often I am still listening when the song is over.
18077 -- Marquis de Saint-Lambert
18079 Worldly acquisitions of wealth and the need of clinging to them, as well as
18080 the pursuit of the Eight Worldly Aims, I regard with as much loathing and
18081 disgust as a man who is suffering from biliousness regardeth the sight of
18082 rich food. Nay, I regard them as if they were the murderers of my father;
18083 therefore it is that I am assuming this beggarly and penurious mode of life.
18091 Maturity is only a short break in adolescence. -- Jules Feiffer
18093 It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker
18094 that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.
18097 Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable
18098 that we have to alter it every six months.
18101 Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who
18102 can't talk for people who can't read.
18105 Bodhidharma sat facing the wall. The Second Patriarch, after standing
18106 outside in the snow for so long, cut off his arm. "My mind is not yet
18107 at peace. Please, Master, put my mind at peace."
18108 Bodhidharma said: "Bring me your mind and I will pacify it for you."
18109 The Second Patriarch replied: "Although I have searched for my mind,
18110 it is totally ungraspable."
18111 Bodhidharma said: "In that case I have pacified your mind for you."
18113 Explanation of the unspeakable cannot be finished. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
18115 We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness.
18118 Since it is the practice of enlightenment,
18119 that practice has no beginning and
18120 since it is enlightenment within the practice,
18121 that realization has no end.
18124 The quieter you become, the more you can hear. -- Baba Ram Dass
18126 As long as you seek for something, you will get
18127 the shadow of reality and not reality itself.
18130 Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least
18131 triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to
18132 recollect how often we have told it to the same person?
18133 -- Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
18135 I love being married. It's so great to find that one
18136 special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
18139 I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
18142 A happy childhood has spoiled many a promising life. -- Robertson Davies
18144 At this point in history genius has become
18145 a commodity, an ambition, even a lifestyle.
18148 A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world. -- Jean le Carre
18150 Martyrdom is the only way in which a
18151 man can become famous without ability.
18152 -- George Bernard Shaw
18154 For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.
18155 For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion.
18156 -- Christopher Smart
18158 It's not autumn's cold that keeps me awake,
18159 but what I feel before the grasses and trees in my courtyard.
18160 My banana tree has lost its leaves; my parasol tree is old;
18161 and night after night--the sound of wind, the sound of rain.
18164 I believe in an ultimate decency of things. -- Robert Louis Stevenson
18171 We have two eyes to see two sides of things, but there must be a third eye
18172 which will see everything at the same time and yet not see anything.
18173 That is to understand Zen.
18176 Yes it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth
18177 sometimes comes to the top.
18180 Having precise ideas often leads to a man doing nothing. -- Paul Valery
18182 The cat was a creature of absolute convictions,
18183 and his faith in his deductions never varied.
18184 -- Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
18186 Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay
18187 any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose
18188 any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
18191 With Henry Adams we see the moment when the pronouncements
18192 of philosophers ceased to be greeted with forehead slaps of
18193 recognition or shouts of "Heretic!" and began to be met
18194 with mumbles of "Oh, shut up."
18197 The nature of mind, when understood, no human words can
18198 compass or disclose. Enlightenment is naught to be obtained,
18199 and he that gains it does not say he knows.
18202 As long as you haven't experienced this: to die and so to grow,
18203 you are only a troubled guest on the dark earth.
18204 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
18206 Nirvana is right here, before our eyes. -- Hakuin
18208 It is the stars not known to science that I would know,
18209 the stars which the lonely traveler knows.
18210 -- Henry David Thoreau
18212 You've got to take the bitter with the sour. -- Sam Goldwyn
18214 And a man shall be free, and as pure as the day prior to
18215 his conception in his mother's womb, when he has nothing,
18216 wants nothing and knows nothing.
18219 Words, like eyeglasses, blur everything they do not make clear.
18222 Outside mind there is no Buddha,
18223 Outside Buddha there is no mind.
18226 They are ill discoverers that think there is no land,
18227 when they can see nothing but sea.
18228 -- Sir Francis Bacon
18230 My father hated radio and could not wait for television to be
18231 invented so he could hate that too.
18234 Opportunity is missed by most people because
18235 it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
18236 -- Thomas Alva Edison
18238 Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. -- Benjamin Franklin
18240 When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus,
18241 it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV
18242 has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained.
18243 -- Edward R. Murrow
18245 In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.
18248 The art of medicine consists in amusing the
18249 patient while nature cures the disease.
18252 I am enlightened, and always have been, simultaneously
18253 with the beginning of the universe.
18254 -- The Buddha, first words after realizing the truth
18256 A billion stars go spinning through the night,
18257 blazing high above your head.
18258 But in you is the presence that will be,
18259 when the stars are dead.
18260 -- Rainer Maria Rilke
18262 The goal of Buddhism is to bring about right human life, not to have
18263 the teaching, or teacher, or sentient beings, or Buddhism, or Buddha.
18264 But if you think that without any training you can have that kind of
18265 life, that is a big mistake.
18268 So much of what we call management consists
18269 in making it difficult for people to work.
18272 People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest.
18275 Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from
18276 acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.
18277 -- W. Somerset Maugham
18279 Everything you know is wrong. -- Firesign Theatre
18281 One day Yuan-wu took the high seat, and said:
18282 A monk asked Yun-men: 'Where did all the buddhas come from?'
18283 Yun-men answered: 'The East Mountain walks over the water.'
18284 But if I were asked, I would not answer that way.
18285 I would say: 'A fragrant breeze comes of itself from the south,
18286 and in the palace a refreshing coolness stirs.'
18289 I would believe only in a god who could dance. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
18291 The moon floats above the pines, and the night veranda is cold as the
18292 ancient, clear sound comes from your finger tips. The old melody usually
18293 makes the listeners weep, but Zen music is beyond sentiment. Do not play
18294 again unless the Great Sound of Lao-tzu accompanies you.
18297 Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow. -- Oscar Wilde
18299 Logically considered, Zen may be full of contradictions and repetitions.
18300 But as it stands above all things, it goes serenely on its own way.
18303 Clouds come from time to time--and bring a chance
18304 to rest from looking at the moon.
18307 Listen. Make a way for yourself inside yourself.
18308 Stop looking in the other way of looking.
18311 Do not be an embodiment of fame; do not be a storehouse of schemes;
18312 do not be an undertaker of projects; do not be a proprietor of wisdom.
18313 Wander where there is no trail. Hold on to all that you have received
18314 from Heaven but do not think you have gotten anything. Be empty, that
18315 is all. The Perfect Man uses his mind like a mirror--going after nothing,
18316 welcoming nothing, responding but not storing.
18319 In the end, everything is a gag. -- Charlie Chaplin
18321 One can not be certain of living
18322 even into the evening.
18323 In the dim first light
18325 from a departing boat.
18328 The truth dazzles gradually, or else the world would be blind.
18331 All things in this world are impermanent.
18332 They have the nature to rise and pass away.
18333 To be in harmony with this truth brings true happiness.
18336 True words always seem paradoxical but no other form
18337 of teaching can take their place.
18340 Did you not know that at the edge of a deep valley there is an excellent
18341 pine tree growing up straight in spite of the many years of cold?
18344 Death destroys a man, but the idea of death saves him.
18347 In a snowfall that covers the winter grass
18348 a white heron uses his own whiteness to disappear.
18351 Settle the self on the self. -- Shunryu Suzuki
18353 Finished, finished...
18354 when it is completely finished
18355 there is nothing to finish.
18358 I think age is a very high price to pay for maturity. -- Tom Stoppard
18360 Which is the more beautiful, feline movement or feline stillness?
18361 -- Elizabeth Hamilton
18363 We cannot speak without incurring some risk, at least in theory;
18364 the only way of being absolutely safe is to say nothing.
18367 Numerous studies demonstrate that people can be motivated to creativity
18368 simply with the addition of an instruction to "be creative."
18369 -- Richard Saul Wurman
18371 Our obsessions with history and prophecy perhaps reflect an inability
18372 to comprehend the implications of geological time. The mind's traditional
18373 organization of duration into past, present, and future really has more
18374 relevance to the five-thousand-year-old earth of the seventeenth century
18375 than it does to the five-billion-year-old one of the twentieth. Past and
18376 future require certain limitations and symmetries to be meaningful--there
18377 must be a plot or at least a story. But time is really not much like a
18378 story. It is more like an ocean current that rises from imperfectly
18379 perceived depths and flows into unseen distances.
18380 This immensity might seem to diminish the present--the living moment--
18381 to utter insignificance, but actually the present looms much larger in
18382 geological time than in historical time. If time is a story, the present
18383 is merely a hiatus between the significant events that were and will be.
18384 If time is an ocean, however, the present is not less important than the
18385 other moments, which stretch away on all sides, any more than a single
18386 water molecule in an ocean is less important than the others. In a sense
18387 each living moment is the whole of time--an eternal present--because it
18388 can't be set apart from all the other moments.
18389 -- David Rains Wallace, from "Idle Weeds"
18391 Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.
18392 -- Henry David Thoreau
18394 We are generally the better persuaded by the reasons we
18395 discover ourselves than by those given to us by others.
18398 You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
18401 Television has raised writing to a new low. -- Samuel Goldwyn
18403 I detest life-insurance agents; they always argue
18404 that I shall some day die, which is not so.
18407 People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news.
18410 He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.
18413 If the voter cannot grasp the details of the problems of the day because he
18414 has not the time, the interest or the knowledge, he will not have a better
18415 public opinion because he is asked to express his opinion more often.
18418 i have eliminated every fault,
18419 except for pride...
18420 doomed to walk the earth
18424 In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular. -- Laurence J. Peter
18426 Among the maxims on Lord Naoshige's wall there was this one: "Matters of
18427 great concern should be treated lightly." Master Ittei commented, "Matters
18428 of small concern should be treated seriously." Among one's affairs there
18429 should not be more than two or three matters of what one could call great
18430 concern. If these are deliberated upon during ordinary times, they can be
18431 understood. Thinking about things previously and then handling them lightly
18432 when the time comes is what this is all about. To face an event and solve
18433 it lightly is difficult if you are not resolved beforehand, and there will
18434 always be uncertainty in hitting your mark. However, if the foundation is
18435 laid previously, you can think of the saying, "Matters of great concern
18436 should be treated lightly," as your basis for action.
18437 -- Hagakure, book of the samurai
18439 There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with
18440 a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road.
18441 But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still
18442 get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be
18443 perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding
18444 extends to everything.
18445 -- Hagakure, book of the samurai
18447 I deserve good things.
18448 I am entitled to my share of happiness.
18449 I refuse to beat myself up.
18450 I am attractive person.
18451 I am fun to be with.
18454 The intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous,
18455 the sensible man hardly anything.
18458 In the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rented car.
18459 -- Lawrence Summers
18461 I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the
18462 river of life unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him.
18463 I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the
18464 starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and
18465 brotherhood can never become a reality.
18466 I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must
18467 spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear
18468 destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will
18469 have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is
18470 stronger than evil triumphant.
18471 I believe that even amid today's motor bursts and whining bullets,
18472 there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded
18473 justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can
18474 be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of
18476 I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three
18477 meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and
18478 dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what
18479 self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still
18480 believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be
18481 crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive
18482 goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land.
18483 -- Martin Luther King, Jr
18485 Every increased possession loads us with new weariness. -- John Ruskin
18487 If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind,
18488 what is the significance of a clean desk?
18489 -- Lawrence J. Peter
18491 I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks.
18494 I am not young enough to know everything. -- Oscar Wilde
18496 I had never held a position for more than four years,
18497 and did not so much plan my new jobs as flee my old ones.
18500 It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward.
18501 -- The White Queen, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland
18503 I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by
18504 the animosities he excites among his opponents.
18505 -- Winston Churchill
18507 All things are difficult before they are easy. -- Thomas Fuller
18509 There's no business like show business, but
18510 there are several businesses like accounting.
18513 All truth passes through three stages.
18514 First, it is ridiculed.
18515 Second, it is violently opposed.
18516 Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
18517 -- Arthur Schopenhauer
18519 Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence
18520 but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to
18521 shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.
18522 -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
18524 Talent is like the battery in a car. It'll get you started,
18525 but if the generator is bad, you don't go very far.
18528 No man ever listened himself out of a job. -- Calvin Coolidge
18530 I was unable to devote myself to the learning of this algebra and the continued
18531 concentration upon it, because of obstacles in the vagaries of time which
18532 hindered me; for we have been deprived of all the people of knowledge save for
18533 a group, small in number, with many troubles, whose concern in life is to
18534 snatch the opportunity, when time is asleep, to devote themselves meanwhile to
18535 the investigation and perfection of a science; for the majority of people who
18536 imitate philosophers confuse the true with the false, and they do nothing but
18537 deceive and pretend knowledge, and they do not use what they know of the
18538 sciences except for base and material purposes; and if they see a certain
18539 person seeking for the right and preferring the truth, doing his best to refute
18540 the false and untrue and leaving aside hypocrisy and deceit, they make a fool
18541 of him and mock him.
18542 -- Omar Khayyam, "Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra"
18544 It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish. -- Aeschylus
18546 Imagine what it would be like if TV actually were good.
18547 It would be the end of everything we know.
18550 Many engineering deadlocks have been broken by people who are not engineers
18551 at all. This is simply because perspective is more important than IQ.
18552 -- Nicholas Negroponte
18554 We are doomed to choose, and every choice may entail an irreparable loss.
18557 California is a fine place to live--if you happen to be an orange.
18560 Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first call promising.
18563 It is difficult to produce a television documentary that is both
18564 incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted
18565 by twelve dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper.
18568 All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. They
18569 never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced
18570 on them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else.
18573 The corollary of constant change is ignorance. This is not often
18574 talked about: we computer experts barely know what we're doing.
18577 The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.
18578 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
18580 Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo. -- H. G. Wells
18582 Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that,
18583 once it is competently programmed and working smoothly,
18584 it is completely honest.
18587 Psychiatry enables us to correct our faults by
18588 confessing our parents' shortcomings.
18589 -- Laurence J. Peter
18591 No opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing
18592 when they are feeling sensible.
18595 All truths are easy to understand once they are
18596 discovered; the point is to discover them.
18599 We are more ready to try the untried when what we do is inconsequential.
18600 Hence the fact that many inventions had their birth as toys.
18603 Considering how dangerous everything is,
18604 nothing is really very frightening.
18607 A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude
18608 without providing you with company.
18609 -- Gian Vincenzo Gravina
18611 What the world needs is more geniuses with humility.
18612 There are so few of us left.
18615 In the end, we will remember not the words of
18616 our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
18617 -- Martin Luther King
18619 Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the
18620 living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children,
18621 and by children to adults.
18624 You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience.
18625 -- Stanislaw W. Lec
18627 I know the answer! The answer lies within the heart of all mankind!
18628 The answer is 12? I think I'm in the wrong building.
18629 -- Charles M. Schulz in "Peanuts"
18631 The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who
18632 hate me away from those who are still undecided.
18635 What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.
18638 People who've never fired a gun ("weapon", in Army-talk) explain "fire power"
18639 realities. Nobody--yet--would pretend to be an expert on brain surgery. But
18640 military tactics and modern warfare? What could be easier, right?
18641 -- Kenneth G. Robinson
18643 When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.
18644 -- William Wrigley Jr.
18646 Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an
18647 international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.
18648 -- George Bernard Shaw
18650 Thought is only a flash between two long nights, but this flash is everything.
18653 A well-laid business plan is no guarantee against the
18654 disappearance of the industry on which it is based.
18657 The way to protect human freedom is to make sure that your society is one
18658 in which the benefits of being a member of the society are so tempting and
18659 so great that people will take responsibility in order for it to happen.
18662 Technology seems to always start out promising specialization and
18663 personalization. In the end, it delivers more homogenization instead.
18666 Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.
18667 -- Thomas H. Huxley
18669 Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. -- Frank Zappa
18671 Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence
18672 as you can find outside an advertising agency.
18673 -- Raymond Chandler
18675 The only way to discover the limits of the possible
18676 is to go beyond them into the impossible.
18679 Life is full of misery, loneliness, and
18680 suffering--and it's all over much too soon.
18683 An economist is a man who states the obvious in terms of the incomprehensible.
18686 The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
18689 In great affairs men show themselves as they wish to be seen;
18690 in small things they show themselves as they are.
18691 -- Nicholas Chamfort
18693 Pain is no evil, unless it conquers us. -- Charles Kingsley
18695 There's no reason to burn books if you don't read them. The education system
18696 in this country is just terrible, and we're not doing anything about it.
18699 Each of us inevitable; each of us limitless--
18700 each of us with his or her right upon the earth.
18703 In science, the credit goes to the man who convinces the
18704 world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.
18705 -- Sir William Osler
18707 It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept
18708 anything but the best, you very often get it.
18709 -- W. Somerset Maugham
18711 Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to,
18712 with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.
18715 We have a natural opportunity to investigate the connections
18716 of a problem when looking back at its solution.
18719 Money teaches us to count, but science, inasmuch as it is
18720 not governed by money, might yet teach us to think.
18721 -- Christopher M. Kelty
18723 Painting, like flipping burgers or shearing sheep, is physical labor. It is
18724 enough nowadays to declare yourself an artist and then to declare some artifact
18725 in the vast world of found objects to be *your* work of art.
18728 The art of creation is older than the art of killing. -- Ed Koch
18730 In wisdom gathered over time I have found that
18731 every experience is a form of exploration.
18734 Anyone who in discussion relies upon authority
18735 uses not his understanding but his memory.
18736 -- Leonardo Da Vinci
18738 We've had a taste of Siemens before in the past. -- Bonafide PHB
18740 The awareness of the ambiguity of one's highest achievements (as well
18741 as one's deepest failures) is a definite symptom of maturity.
18744 A guilty conscience needs to confess.
18745 A work of art is a confession.
18748 When I examine myself and my methods of thought,
18749 I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy
18750 has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing
18751 positive knowledge.
18754 A censor is a man who knows more than he thinks you ought to.
18755 -- Laurence J. Peter
18757 No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into
18758 account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.
18761 We have profoundly forgotten everywhere that cash-payment is not
18762 the sole relation of human beings.
18765 No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone.
18766 His significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his
18767 relation to the dead poets and artists.
18770 There's a moment coming. It's not here yet. It's still on the way.
18771 It's in the future. It hasn't arrived. Here it comes.
18772 Here it is... It's gone.
18775 Irresponsibility is part of the pleasure of all art;
18776 it is the part the schools cannot recognize.
18779 It is easy to spot an informed man--
18780 his opinions are just like your own.
18781 -- Miguel de Unamuno
18783 If you see in any given situation only what everybody else
18784 can see, you can be said to be so much a representative of
18785 your culture that you are a victim of it.
18788 If you are going through hell, keep going. -- Winston Churchill
18790 The Founders of the American nation were one of the most creative
18791 groups in modern history. Some among them, especially in recent years,
18792 have been condemned for their failures and weaknesses--for their racism,
18793 sexism, compromises, and violations of principle. And indeed moral
18794 judgments are as necessary in assessing the lives of these people as of
18795 any others. But we are privileged to know and to benefit from the outcome
18796 of their efforts, which they could only hopefully imagine, and ignore their
18797 main concern: which was the possibility, indeed the probability, that their
18798 creative enterprise--not to recast the social order but to transform the
18799 political system--would fail: would collapse into chaos or autocracy.
18800 Again and again they were warned of the folly of defying the received
18801 traditions, the sheer unlikelihood that they, obscure people on the outer
18802 borderlands of European civilization, knew better than the established
18803 authorities that ruled them; that they could successfully create something
18804 freer, ultimately more enduring than what was then known in the centers of
18806 Since we inherit and build on their achievements, we now know what the
18807 established world of the eighteenth century flatly denied but which they
18808 broke through convention to propose -- that absolute power need not be
18809 indivisible but can be shared among states within a state and among
18810 branches of government, and that the sharing of power and the balancing of
18811 forces can create not anarchy but freedom.
18812 We know for certain what they could only experimentally and prayerfully
18813 propose--that formal, written constitutions, upheld by judicial bodies, can
18814 effectively constrain the tyrannies of both executive force and populist
18816 We know, because they had the imagination to perceive it, that there
18817 is a sense, mysterious as it may be, in which human rights can be seen to
18818 exist independent of privileges, gifts, and donations of the powerful, and
18819 that these rights can somehow be defined and protected by the force of law.
18820 We casually assume, because they were somehow able to imagine, that
18821 the exercise of power is no natural birthright but must be a gift of those
18822 who are subject to it."
18823 -- Bernard Bailyn, from "To Begin The World Anew: The Genius and
18824 Ambiguities of the American Founders
18826 Discretion in speech is more than eloquence. -- Francis Bacon
18828 I fell asleep reading a dull book, and I dreamed that
18829 I was reading on, so I awoke from sheer boredom.
18832 I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep
18833 contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could
18834 share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation.
18835 It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill
18836 of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping
18837 forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green.
18838 -- Nathaniel Hawthorne
18840 Another cause of your sickness, and the most important:
18841 you have forgotten what you are.
18844 All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of
18845 their motives there lies a mystery. Writing a book is a horrible,
18846 exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.
18847 One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on
18848 by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.
18851 When a man mistakes his thoughts for persons and things, he is mad.
18852 -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
18854 Did you ever see dishonest calluses on a man's hands? Hardly.
18855 When a man's hands are callused and women's hands are worn,
18856 you may be sure honesty is there. That's more than you can
18857 say about many soft white hands.
18860 The march of invention has clothed mankind with powers of which
18861 a century ago the boldest imagination could not have dreamt.
18864 The American invents
18865 as the Greek chiseled,
18866 as the Venetian painted,
18867 as the modern Italian sings.
18870 If it's mechanical, has tits, or wheels, it will give you trouble.
18873 Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.
18876 A small nose means a small penis. Small noses make for difficult breathing
18877 and small penises make for difficulty breeding.
18880 Executives are like joggers. If you stop a jogger, he goes on running
18881 on the spot. If you drag an executive away from his business, he goes
18882 on running on the spot, pawing the ground, talking business. He never
18883 stops hurtling onwards, making decisions and executing them.
18884 -- Jean Baudrillard
18886 Every man bears in himself the germs of every human quality;
18887 but sometimes one quality manifests itself, sometimes another,
18888 and the man often becomes unlike himself,
18889 while still remaining the same man.
18892 You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible.
18895 If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going.
18896 -- Professor Irwin Corey
18898 When you wish to instruct be brief--so that people's minds can
18899 quickly grasp what you have to say, understand your point, and
18900 retain it accurately. Unnecessary words just spill over the
18901 side of a mind already crammed to the full.
18904 I just don't understand why anyone is unable to realize what a disaster
18905 a meeting is for a business. Never meet. If it can't be settled in a
18906 five minute conversation, it's probably insoluble no matter how many
18907 people talk about it for however long.
18910 Writing comes more easily if you have something to say. -- Sholem Asch
18913 led by the unknowing,
18914 are doing the impossible
18915 for the ungrateful.
18916 We have done so much for so long with so little
18917 We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
18918 -- Blue Collar Lament
18920 Endure, and save yourself for happier times. -- Virgil
18922 I don't think being funny is anyone's first choice. -- Woody Allen
18924 i thank You God for most this amazing day: for the leaping greenly
18925 spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
18926 which is natural which is infinite which is yes
18929 None but myself ever did me any harm. I was, I may say, the only enemy to
18930 myself: my own projects, that expedition to Moscow, and the accidents which
18931 happened there, were the causes of my fall. I must say, though, that those
18932 who failed to oppose me, who readily agreed with me, accepted all my views,
18933 and yielded easily to my opinions, were those who did me the most injury,
18934 and were my worst enemies, because, by surrendering to me so easily, they
18935 encouraged me to go too far... I was then too powerful for any man, except
18936 myself, to injure me.
18937 -- Napoleon Bonaparte
18939 If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better
18940 mousetrap than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the
18941 world will make a beaten path to his door.
18942 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, attributed by Sarah B. Yule, Borrowings, 1889
18944 Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.
18945 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
18947 All conservatives are such from personal defects.
18948 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
18950 The reliance on Property, including the reliance on governments which
18951 protect it, is the want of self-reliance.
18952 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
18954 We are symbols, and inhabit symbols.
18955 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
18957 The louder he talked of his honour, the faster we counted our spoons.
18958 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
18960 Fame is proof that people are gullible.
18961 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
18963 What is the hardest task in the world? To think....
18964 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
18966 The greatest discovery of any generation is that a
18967 human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.
18970 Were we perfectly acquainted with the object,
18971 we should never passionately desire it.
18972 -- Francois De La Rochefoucauld
18974 The cat, having sat upon a hot stove lid, will not sit upon a hot
18975 stove lid again. But he won't sit upon a cold stove lid, either.
18978 There were two "Reigns of Terror", if we could but remember and consider it;
18979 the one wrought murder in hot passions, the other in heartless cold blood;
18980 the one lasted mere months, the other had lasted a thousand years; the one
18981 inflicted death upon a thousand persons, the other upon a hundred million;
18982 but our shudders are all for the horrors of the momentary Terror, so to
18983 speak; whereas, what is the horror of swift death by the axe compared with
18984 lifelong death from hunger, cold, insult, cruelty and heartbreak? A city
18985 cemetery could contain the coffins filled by that brief terror that we have
18986 all been so diligently taught to shiver at and mourn over; but all France
18987 could hardly contain the coffins filled by that older and real Terror--that
18988 unspeakable bitter and awful Terror which none of us has been taught to see
18989 in its vastness or pity as it deserves.
18992 You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.
18995 To be wholly overlooked, and to know it, are intolerable. -- John Adams
18997 In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
18998 In practice, there is.
19001 The charm, one might say the genius, of memory is that it is choosy,
19002 chancy and temperamental; it rejects the edifying cathedral and indelibly
19003 photographs the small boy outside, chewing a hunk of melon in the dust.
19006 Literature is the art of writing something that will be
19007 read twice; journalism what will be read once.
19010 It takes at least a couple of decades to realize that you were well taught.
19011 All true education is a delayed-action bomb assembled in the classroom for
19012 explosion at a later date. An educational fuse of 50 years long is by no
19014 -- Kenneth D. Gangel
19016 When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy,
19017 it ceases to be a subject of interest.
19020 Men are generally idle, and ready to satisfy themselves, and intimidate the
19021 industry of others, by calling that impossible which is only difficult.
19024 An author is a fool who, not content with boring those
19025 he lives with, insists on boring future generations.
19026 -- Charles de Montesquieu
19028 Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you
19029 don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's
19030 a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art.
19033 If knowledge can create problems, it is not through
19034 ignorance that we can solve them.
19037 A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. -- Sir Francis Bacon
19039 The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice.
19040 And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little
19041 we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our
19042 thoughts and deeds.
19045 People who are unhappy with the way things are tend to remain unhappy
19046 even after they have changed them. The nature of their unhappiness
19047 is such that change does not slake it.
19050 The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of
19051 production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication,
19052 draws all nations into civilization.
19055 I learned one really sad fact from my career as a columnist: nobody changes
19056 their mind about anything. Ever. Once we form the opinion, we become
19057 evidence processors and we just collect all the evidence that supports our
19058 opinion and reject all the evidence that disputes it.
19061 I keep the subject of my inquiry constantly before me, and wait till the first
19062 dawning opens gradually, by little and little, into a full and clear light.
19065 The end of the road map is a cliff that both sides will fall off.
19066 -- Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, on the Mideast peace effort, 2003.
19068 Once we admit that there is room for newness--that there are vastly more
19069 conceivable possibilities than realized outcomes--we must confront the fact
19070 that there is no special logic behind the world we inhabit, no particular
19071 justification for why things are the way they are. Any number of arbitrary
19072 small perturbations along the way could have made the world as we know it
19073 turn out very differently.
19076 Perpetual devotion to what a man calls his business, is only to be
19077 sustained by perpetual neglect of many other things.
19078 -- Robert Louis Stevenson
19080 All human beings should try to learn before they die
19081 what they are running from, and to, and why.
19084 The wit makes fun of other persons; the satirist makes fun of the
19085 world; the humorist makes fun of himself.
19088 All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really
19089 happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all
19090 that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and
19091 the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse, and sorrow, the people and the places
19092 and how the weather was.
19093 -- Ernest Hemingway
19095 The true conquests, the only ones that leave no regret,
19096 are those that have been wrested from ignorance.
19097 -- Napoleon Bonaparte
19099 No love, no friendship can cross the path of our
19100 destiny without leaving some mark on it forever.
19101 -- Francois Mauriac
19103 Better beware of notions like genius and inspiration; they are a sort of magic
19104 wand and should be used sparingly by anybody who wants to see things clearly.
19105 -- Jose Ortega y Gasset
19107 A thick skin is a gift from God. -- Konrad Adenauer
19109 Far from idleness being the root of all evil,
19110 it is rather the only true good.
19111 -- Soren Kierkegaard
19113 It is the wretchedness of being rich that you have to live with rich people.
19114 -- Logan Pearsall Smith
19116 The secret of joy is the mastery of pain. -- Anais Nin
19118 Everything is practice. -- Pele
19120 However much we guard ourselves against it, we tend to shape ourselves in
19121 the image others have of us. It is not so much the example of others we
19122 imitate, as the reflection of ourselves in their eyes and the echo of
19123 ourselves in their words.
19126 It is astonishing what you can do when you have
19127 a lot of energy, ambition and plenty of ignorance.
19128 -- Alfred P. Sloan Jr.
19130 The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion.
19131 -- G. K. Chesterton
19133 If there is no God, who pops up the next Kleenex? -- Art Hoppe
19135 For all these new and evolutionary facts, meanings, purposes,
19136 new poetic messages, new forms and expressions, are inevitable.
19139 A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king,
19140 and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
19143 Only he is an artist who can make a riddle out of a solution. -- Karl Kraus
19145 Love demands infinitely less than friendship. -- George Jean Nathan
19147 People only see what they are prepared to see. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
19149 We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one
19150 dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are
19151 relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past,
19152 present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in
19153 the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.
19156 I hate house work! You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months
19157 later you have to start all over again.
19160 The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only
19161 a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and
19162 deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the
19163 man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.
19166 If a man watches three football games in a row
19167 he should be declared legally dead.
19170 To see we must forget the name of the thing we are looking at. -- Claude Monet
19172 Perhaps a modern society can remain stable only by eliminating adolescence,
19173 by giving its young, from the age of ten, the skills, responsibilities, and
19174 rewards of grownups, and opportunities for action in all spheres of life.
19175 Adolescence should be a time of useful action, while book learning and
19176 scholarship should be a preoccupation of adults.
19179 Being defeated appears to be an inexhaustible
19180 wellspring of intellectual progress.
19181 -- Reinhart Koselleck
19183 Any genuine teaching will result, if successful, in someone's knowing
19184 how to bring about a better condition of things than existed earlier.
19187 George Orwell, on why someone might write a book...
19189 1. Sheer egoism. Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered
19190 after death, to get your own back on grownups who snubbed you in childhood,
19191 etc., etc. It is humbug to pretend that this is not a motive, and a strong
19192 one. Writers share this characteristic with scientists, artists, politicians,
19193 lawyers, soldiers, successful businessmen-in short, with the whole top crust
19194 of humanity. The great mass of human beings are not acutely selfish. After
19195 the age of about thirty they abandon individual ambition and live chiefly for
19196 others or are simply smothered under drudgery. But there is also the minority
19197 of gifted, willful people who are determined to live their own lives to the
19198 end, and writers belong to this class. Serious writers, I should say, are on
19199 the whole more vain and self-centered than journalists, though less interested
19201 2. Esthetic enthusiasm. Perception of beauty in the external world, or, on
19202 the other hand, in words and their right arrangement. Pleasure in the impact
19203 of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good
19204 story. Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not
19205 to be missed. Above the level of a railway guide, no book is quite free from
19206 esthetic considerations.
19207 3. Historical impulse. Desire to see things as they are, to find out true
19208 facts and store them up for the use of posterity.
19209 4. Political purpose -- using the word "political" in the widest possible
19210 sense. Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other
19211 people's idea of the kind of society that they should strive after. Once
19212 again, no book is genuinely free from political bias. The opinion that art
19213 should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude.
19215 The only true exploration, the only real Fountain of Youth, will not be
19216 in visiting foreign lands, but in having other eyes, in looking at the
19217 universe through the eyes of others.
19220 They said it couldn't be done but sometimes it doesn't work out that way.
19223 To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it. -- Cicero
19225 Nobody ever died of laughter. -- Max Beerbohm
19227 A thing worth having is a thing worth cheating for. -- W. C. Fields
19229 Women speak because they wish to speak, whereas a man speaks
19230 only when driven to speech by something outside himself--like,
19231 for instance, he can't find any clean socks.
19234 Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all-time thing. You don't win
19235 once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them
19236 right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
19239 It is by logic that we prove but by intuition that we discover.
19242 Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win,
19243 by fearing to attempt.
19244 -- William Shakespeare, "Measure for Measure"
19246 Another unsettling element in modern art is that common symptom
19247 of immaturity, the dread of doing what has been done before.
19250 Family quarrels are bitter things. They don't go according to any rules.
19251 They're not like aches or wounds; they're more like splits in the skin
19252 that won't heal because there's not enough material.
19253 -- F. Scott Fitzgerald
19255 One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with
19256 gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is
19257 so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for
19258 the growing plant and for the soul of the child.
19261 Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute. -- Josh Billings
19263 One can know a man from his laugh, and if you like a man's laugh before
19264 you know anything of him, you may confidently say that he is a good man.
19265 -- Fyodor Dostoevsky
19267 When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision,
19268 then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
19271 Fascism should more properly be called corporatism,
19272 since it is the merger of state and corporate power.
19273 -- Benito Mussolini
19275 Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. -- Ovid
19277 There is hardly anything in the world that some men cannot make a little
19278 bit worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price
19279 only are this man's lawful prey.
19282 The globe has been circumnavigated, but no man ever yet has; you may survey
19283 a kingdom and note the results in maps, but all the savants in the world
19284 could not produce a reliable map of the poorest human personality.
19287 Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death.
19290 Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
19293 One important key to success is self-confidence.
19294 An important key to self-confidence is preparation.
19297 If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will
19298 change a past or future event, then you are residing on another
19299 planet with a different reality system.
19302 As people grow up, they change brands. -- Al Ries
19304 If there is just one beam of sunshine coming into a room,
19305 you can be sure that the cat is lazing in its heat.
19306 -- Stuart and Linda MacFarlane
19308 If your parents never had children, chances are you won't, either.
19311 If the human race wishes to have prolonged and indefinite period
19312 of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful
19313 and helpful way toward one another.
19314 -- Winston Churchill
19316 All charming people have something to conceal, usually
19317 their total dependence on the appreciation of others.
19320 Part of the function of memory is to forget; the omni-retentive mind will break
19321 down and produce at best an idiot savant who can recite a telephone book, and
19322 at worst a person to whom every grudge and slight is as yesterday.
19323 -- Christopher Hitchens
19325 Try to be one of the people on whom nothing gets lost. -- Henry James
19327 If a man hasn't discovered something that
19328 he would die for, he isn't fit to live.
19329 -- Martin Luther King Jr.
19331 The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of
19332 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.
19335 Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
19338 I am happy to engage in discussion with those who accept that technology and
19339 affluence are a net plus, but who worry about their troubling side effects.
19340 Spare me, however, the sensitive souls who deplore technological advance and
19341 economic growth over their cell phones on their way to the airport.
19344 There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish
19345 together. The public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between.
19346 -- Sir Thomas Beecham
19348 The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it.
19349 -- Laurence J. Peter
19351 The universe is full of magical things patiently
19352 waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
19355 Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the
19356 usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and
19357 nobody thinks of complaining.
19360 My life needs editing. -- Mort Sahl
19362 Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better. -- Emile Coue
19364 Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My
19365 opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best-
19366 seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.
19367 -- Flannery O'Connor
19369 There is nothing so wrong in this world that a sensible
19370 woman can't set it right in the course of an afternoon.
19373 There is no one, no matter how wise he is, who has not in his youth said
19374 things or done things that are so unpleasant to recall in later life that
19375 he would expunge them entirely from his memory if that were possible.
19378 Adults are obsolete children. -- Dr. Seuss
19380 Barbie would also be tired of Microsoft's licensing bullsh*t.
19381 -- Maury Cesterino, Chief Software Architect, Mattel, Inc.
19383 When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we
19384 fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.
19385 Sooooo, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!
19388 A really great talent finds its happiness in execution.
19389 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
19391 Allowing a schizophrenic in a cowboy costume to represent himself in a
19392 death penalty case gives new meaning to the term "frontier justice."
19393 -- Jim Marcus, executive director of the Texas Defender Service.
19395 Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves
19396 you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.
19399 Creativity is not merely the innocent spontaneity of our youth
19400 and childhood; it must also be married to the passion of the
19401 adult human being, which is a passion to live beyond one's death.
19404 Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
19405 -- Martin Luther King
19407 Life Shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. -- Anais Nin
19409 Freedom is the sure possession of those alone
19410 who have the courage to defend it.
19413 Psychoanalysis is that spiritual disease of
19414 which it considers itself to be the cure.
19417 Teaching is arduous work, entailing much grinding detail and
19418 boring repetition--a teacher, it has been said, never says
19419 anything once--interrupted only occasionally by moments of
19420 always surprising exultation. And I should like to add that
19421 I don't think I learned a thing from my students, except that,
19422 as one student evaluation informed me, I tend to jingle the
19423 change in my pocket.
19426 All humanity is passion; without passion, religion, history,
19427 novels, art would be ineffectual.
19428 -- Honore de Balzac
19430 We do not sit in such-and-such a way because a carpenter has built
19431 a chair in such-and-such a way; rather, the carpenter makes the chair
19432 as he does because someone wants to sit that way.
19435 No brilliance is required in law, just common sense
19436 and relatively clean fingernails.
19439 Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body. -- Seneca
19441 True friends stab you in the front. -- Oscar Wilde
19443 Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice. -- Henry Ford
19445 Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse. It's a bum's life.
19446 The principal benefit acting has afforded me is the money to pay for
19450 Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.
19453 Life need not be easy provided only that it is not empty. -- Lise Meitner
19455 Some of us cannot be optimists, but all of us can be bigamists.
19458 No more frisking as of old,
19459 Or chasing his shadow over the lawn,
19460 But a dignified old person, tickling
19461 His nose against twig or flower in the border,
19462 Until evening falls and bed-time's in order...
19463 My cat and I grow old together.
19466 Logic, like whiskey, loses its beneficial effect when taken
19467 in too large quantities.
19470 The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and
19471 mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary.
19472 -- Thomas A. Edison
19474 Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative
19475 pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little
19476 falls into lazy habits of thinking.
19479 Engineering can be seen as a family of paths crossing a solution space--in
19480 this case a space defined by all the possible arrangements and combinations
19481 of geometry, time, and material properties that might satisfy the particular
19482 specifications of a design. Filtering a good design out of these possibilities
19483 by simple, direct calculation is impossible both because of the enormous number
19484 of variables and because there are always elements in the specifications--like
19485 aesthetics or ergonomics or compatibility with the corporate image--that can't
19486 be reduced to a number or folded into a common denominator. What humans do in
19487 these cases is: think up a completely wrong (but sincerely felt) approach to
19488 the problem, jump in, fail, and then do an autopsy. Each failure contains
19489 encrypted somewhere on its body directions for the next jump: "strengthen this
19490 part," "tie this down next time," "buy a better battery." Good engineering is
19491 not a matter of creativity or centering or grounding or inspiration or lateral
19492 thinking, as useful as those might be, but of decoding the clever, even witty,
19493 messages solution space carves on the corpses of the ideas in which you
19494 believed with all your heart, and then building the road to the next message.
19495 -- Fred Hapgood, from "Up the Infinite Corridor: MIT and Technical
19498 The hardest part of gaining any new idea is
19499 sweeping out the false idea occupying that niche.
19502 Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, "We've always done
19503 it this way." I try to fight that. That's why I have a clock on my
19504 wall that runs counter-clockwise.
19507 What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible.
19508 -- Theodore Roethke
19510 A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
19511 an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
19512 -- Winston Churchill
19514 I have always felt that everybody on earth goes about in disguise.
19517 At bottom, every man knows perfectly well that he is a unique being,
19518 only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a
19519 marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever
19520 be put together a second time.
19521 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
19523 Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor the
19524 lack of contradiction a sign of truth.
19527 If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.
19528 The more things you do, the more you can do.
19531 The car as we know it is on the way out. To a large extent, I deplore
19532 its passing, for as a basically old-fashioned machine, it enshrines a
19533 basically old-fashioned idea: freedom. In terms of pollution, noise and
19534 human life, the price of that freedom may be high, but perhaps the car,
19535 by the very muddle and confusion it causes, may be holding back the
19536 remorseless spread of the regimented, electronic society.
19539 I live in company with a body, a silent companion, exacting and eternal.
19540 -- Eugene Delacroix
19542 History never looks like history when you are living through it.
19545 In a cat's eyes round as golden bells,
19546 The mad Spring's flame glows.
19547 On a cat's gently closed lips,
19548 The soft Spring's drowsiness lies.
19549 On a cat's sharp whiskers,
19550 The green Spring's life dances.
19553 People always talk to me about my drinking; they never ask me about my thirst.
19556 Algebraic symbols are used when you do not know what you are talking about.
19557 -- Philippe Shnoebelen
19559 We don't stop playing because we grow old;
19560 we grow old because we stop playing.
19561 -- George Bernard Shaw
19563 Competitions are for horse, not artist. -- Bela Bartok
19565 I feel that if a person has problems communicating
19566 the very least he can do is to shut up.
19569 It is, of course, totally pointless to call a cat when it is intent
19570 on the chase. They are deaf to the interruptive nonsense of humans.
19571 They are on cat business, totally serious and involved.
19572 -- John D. MacDonald
19574 Look wise, say nothing, and grunt. Speech was given to conceal thought.
19575 -- Sir William Osler
19577 The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.
19578 -- Robertson Davies
19580 Where do the words come from? The same mysterious place, I suspect,
19581 where notes of music go. They precede ideas, and are inseparable
19582 from them. For myself, I bow my head, touch wood, and utter a small
19583 prayer that the flow of them never cease.
19586 The only thing that I'd rather own than Windows is English, because then I
19587 could charge you two hundred and forty-nine dollars for the right to speak it.
19588 -- Scott McNealy, quoted at BrainyQuotes
19590 Only a monopolist could study a business and ruin it by giving away products.
19591 -- Scott McNealy, quoted at ThinkExist.com
19593 Try moving off NT easily. You can move from Solaris to HP/UX to AIX or DEC
19594 easily relative to moving off of NT, which is like a Roach Motel. Once you
19595 check in, you never check out.
19596 -- Scott McNealy, quoted at World of Quotes
19598 With Microsoft the first hit is always free--remember that all your life.
19599 -- Scott McNealy, quoted at CNet
19601 I am convinced that if General Motors could eliminate [Microsoft] Office from
19602 their entire company, they could get the 1999 cars out next year at half price.
19603 -- Scott McNealy, quoted at Anti-Microsoft Association Web site
19605 We've got bayonets fixed, and we'll go into any cave no matter how dark and
19606 dank it is. And in the air war [against Microsoft to win new developers],
19607 we'll go after any developer and not just let them turn over to the dark side.
19608 -- Scott McNealy, quoted at News.com
19610 Microsoft is now talking about the digital nervous system.
19611 I guess I would be nervous if my system was built on their technology too.
19612 -- Scott McNealy, November 4, 1998, quoted at CNN.com
19614 Every time you turn on your new car, you're turning on 20 microprocessors.
19615 Every time you use an ATM, you're using a computer. Every time I use a
19616 settop box or game machine, I'm using a computer. The only computer you
19617 don't know how to work is your Microsoft computer, right?
19618 -- Scott McNealy, quoted at Anti-Microsoft Association Web site
19620 Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hittin'. -- Yogi Berra
19622 "I've seen things like this before," he told the daily Il Messaggero.
19623 "Demons occupy a house and appear in electrical goods."
19624 -- Gabriele Amorth, one of the Catholic Church's exorcists, quoted
19625 in an article about Canneto di Caronia, a town where electronics
19628 Nature is an unlimited broadcasting station,
19629 through which God speaks to us every hour,
19630 if we only will tune in.
19631 -- George Washington Carver
19633 To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream;
19634 not only plan, but also believe.
19637 The first step to getting the things
19638 you want out of life is this:
19639 Decide what you want.
19642 A scientist will never show any kindness for
19643 a theory which he did not start himself.
19644 -- Mark Twain, in "A Tramp Abroad"
19647 Disappointments upon disappointments.
19649 This is a gay, merry world notwithstanding.
19652 What is now proved was once imagined. -- William Blake
19654 We haven't had any tea for a week.
19655 The bottom is out of the universe.
19658 If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable
19659 of understanding truth and beauty.
19660 -- Japanese Proverb
19666 Telephone, n.: An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the
19667 advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance.
19668 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
19670 I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers
19671 his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.
19674 Discretion of speech is more than eloquence; and to speak agreeably to him
19675 with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words or in good order.
19678 Magnetism, as you recall from physics class, is a powerful force
19679 that causes certain items to be attracted to refrigerators.
19682 One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak.
19683 -- G. K. Chesterton
19685 Encountering sufferings will definitely contribute to the elevation
19686 of your spiritual practice, provided you are able to transform the
19687 calamity and misfortune into the path.
19688 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Path to Tranquility: Daily Wisdom",
19689 published by Snow Lion Publications
19691 In Buddhism, both learning and practice are extremely important, and they must
19692 go hand in hand. Without knowledge, just to rely on faith, faith, and more
19693 faith is good but not sufficient. So the intellectual part must definitely be
19694 present. At the same time, strictly intellectual development without faith and
19695 practice, is also of no use. It is necessary to combine knowledge born from
19696 study with sincere practice in our daily lives. These two must go together.
19697 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Answers: Discussions with Western
19698 Buddhists", published by Snow Lion Publications
19700 The nature of beings is ever enlightened,
19701 yet not realizing this, they wander endlessly in samsara.
19702 May intense compassion arise within me
19703 for sentient beings, whose suffering knows no bounds.
19705 In the moment of love, when the vibrant power of intense compassion
19706 is uncontained, the empty essence shines forth nakedly.
19707 May I never step off this supreme path of unity that never goes awry,
19708 and practice it at all times, day and night.
19709 -- "The Eighth Situpa on the Third Karmapa's Mahamudra Prayer", translated
19710 by Lama Sherab Dorje, published by Snow Lion Publications
19712 The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice.
19713 -- Following the Equator
19715 Love is metaphysical gravity. -- R. Buckminster Fuller
19717 Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.
19718 Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.
19719 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
19721 In accordance with the conditioning of desire, fear, disgust, and so forth--
19722 the conditioning of habitual tendencies that one has been accustomed to since
19723 beginningless time--mind itself appears as body, enjoyments, abode, and so
19724 forth. Yet, childish ordinary individuals do not comprehend that these
19725 [appearances] are the identity of their own minds. Conceiving of mind as being
19726 "here" and objects "over there," they hold the separation, the vast divide
19727 between the apprehended and apprehender, to be established in actuality. This
19728 is entirely imputation, or a deluded misapprehension of the way things are, as
19729 when not knowing that the dream elephant is personal experience, but instead
19730 apprehending it as an actual elephant in the external world.
19731 -- "Speech of Delight: Mipham's Commentary on Shantarakshita's Ornament
19732 of the Middle Way", translated by Thomas H. Doctor.
19734 Instead of prompting the appearance of delusions and/or hallucinations,
19735 many of the patients receiving Valium displayed a progressive development
19736 of dislikes and hates. The patients themselves deliberately used the term
19737 "hate". This hatefulness first involved non-significant figures in the
19738 patients' environment, progressed from there to the involvement of key
19739 figures such as aides, nurses and physicians, and went on to the involvement
19740 of important personal figures such as parents and spouses... This
19741 hatefulness was of a peculiar type. The patients were unhappy with it; they
19742 realized that it was unnatural and without basis, but were impotent to do
19743 anything about it. Many of them, exhibiting real distress, would inquire,
19744 "Why do I feel like this?"
19745 -- P.E. Feldman, Journal of Neuropsychiatry
19747 The greatest book is not the one whose messages engraves itself on the brain,
19748 but the one whose vital impact opens up other viewpoints, and from writer to
19749 reader spreads the fire that is fed by various essences, until it becomes a
19750 great conflagration.
19753 The world is a looking glass and gives back
19754 to every man the reflection of his own face.
19755 -- William M. Thackeray
19757 Travel is only glamorous in retrospect. -- Paul Theroux
19759 Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which
19760 difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
19761 -- John Quincy Adams
19763 Beware the fury of a patient man. -- John Dryden
19765 I have always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works
19766 to have a light joyousness of springtime which never lets
19767 anyone suspect the labors it has cost me.
19770 You might find this discussion of attitudes threatening or insulting. No one
19771 wants to be told they're practicing incorrectly. We don't want to hear that
19772 we are uptight or repressed, that we are unskillful in dealing with our pain.
19773 We just want to continue doing what we are doing. But there's a Tibetan saying
19774 that the highest teaching is the one that reveals practice and any mistake you
19775 might be making, it will only result in what you most truly desire--progress in
19776 your spiritual development. Remember, I know of these mistakes because I've
19777 made them all myself. Practice involves a radical transformation of our being,
19778 and we have to learn to face and eventually to dissolve all the attitudes we
19779 have about everything, not only meditation. So check yourself out.
19780 -- Bruce Newman, in "A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism: Notes from a
19781 Practitioner's Journey"
19783 Nothing is better than the unintended humor of reality. -- Steve Allen
19785 At this point, a vote for Bush is a character flaw. -- Janeane Garofalo
19787 It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make
19788 their experiments on journalists and politicians.
19791 Heredity is what sets the parents of a teenager wondering about each other.
19792 -- Laurence J. Peter
19794 Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. -- Theodore Roosevelt
19796 I have taken all knowledge to be my province. -- Sir Francis Bacon
19798 Genius is childhood recaptured at will. -- Charles Baudelaire
19800 Generally speaking, whenever we perceive things, our perception is deluded, in
19801 that we project onto things a status of existence and a mode of being which is
19802 simply not there. We exaggerate things, and the way they then appear falsely
19803 to our minds gives rise to afflictive emotions. When we see our friends or
19804 enemies, for instance, we superimpose on them a quality of desirability or
19805 undesirability that is beyond the actual facts of the situation, and this
19806 superimposition or exaggeration sparks off fluctuating states of emotion in
19807 our mind. Towards our friends we feel strong attachment and desire, and
19808 towards our enemies powerful anger and hatred. So if we are serious about
19809 trying to purify our minds of these afflictive emotions, an understanding of
19810 emptiness becomes crucial.
19811 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
19812 Perfection", Snow Lion Publications
19814 If you examine the nature of your own mind, you will realize that the
19815 pollutants, such as afflictive emotions and thoughts rooted in a distorted
19816 way of relating to the world, are actually unstable. No matter how powerful
19817 an affliction, when you cultivate the antidote of true insight into the nature
19818 of reality, it will vanish because of the power of the antidote, which
19819 undermines its continuity. However, there is nothing that can undermine the
19820 basic mind itself; nothing that can actually interrupt the continuity of
19821 consciousness. The existence of the world of subjective experience and
19822 consciousness is a natural fact. There is consciousness. There is mind.
19823 There is no force that can bring about a cessation of your mental continuum.
19824 -- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, in "Illuminating the Path to
19825 Enlightenment", published by Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
19827 When we habituate our minds to being fearless, to being brave and open towards
19828 our emotions, fearlessness will also arise naturally. In order for this to
19829 happen we must train in applying antidotes to our thought patterns that are
19830 caught up in fear. In this way, we transcend fear first through a conceptual
19831 process, which later becomes nonconceptual, a natural fearlessness. In order
19832 to become fearless in this way, we need determination and the willingness to
19833 face our emotions. With that strong determination and courage, fearlessness
19834 will arise effortlessly.
19835 -- from Trainings in Compassion: Manuals on the Meditation of
19836 Avalokiteshvara, trans. by Tyler Dewar under the guidance of The
19837 Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
19839 The strongest element of growth lies in the human choice. -- George Eliot
19841 But again, I warn you my son: If you want to continue to be a devoted yogi,
19842 generally you should never cling to dreams. If you do, you will eventually
19843 expose yourself to the influence of the four maras. If your dreams are
19844 positive, do not have any expectations. If we are filled with hopes and
19845 expectations, even positive things can turn negative. If your dreams are
19846 negative, don't take them too seriously. Learn to see negative dreams as
19847 illusion, not real. Then, although a dream seems negative, because we realize
19848 that it isn't real, it becomes a positive thing that prepares us for further
19849 development and realization in the spiritual path. This is the practice of
19851 -- "The Life of Gampopa", by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, Snow Lion Publications
19853 In our time it is broadly true that political writing is bad writing. Where
19854 it is not true, it will generally be found that the writer is some kind of
19855 rebel, expressing his private opinions and not a "party line." Orthodoxy,
19856 of whatever color, seems to demand a lifeless, imitative style. The political
19857 dialects to be found in pamphlets, leading articles, manifestos, White Papers
19858 and the speeches of under-secretaries do, of course, vary from party to party,
19859 but they are all alike in that one almost never finds in them a fresh, vivid,
19860 home-made turn of speech. When one watches some tired hack on the platform
19861 mechanically repeating the familiar phrases--bestial atrocities, iron heel,
19862 bloodstained tyranny, free peoples of the world, stand shoulder to shoulder--
19863 one often has a curious feeling that one is not watching a live human being
19864 but some kind of dummy: a feeling which suddenly becomes stronger at moments
19865 when the light catches the speaker's spectacles and turns them into blank
19866 discs which seem to have no eyes behind them. And this is not altogether
19867 fanciful. A speaker who uses that kind of phraseology has gone some distance
19868 towards turning himself into a machine. The appropriate noises are coming out
19869 of his larynx, but his brain is not involved, as it would be if he were
19870 choosing his words for himself. If the speech he is making is one that he
19871 is accustomed to make over and over again, he may be almost unconscious of
19872 what he is saying, as one is when one utters the responses in church. And
19873 this reduced state of consciousness, if not indispensable, is at any rate
19874 favorable to political conformity.
19875 -- George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language"
19877 An autobiography is only to be trusted when it reveals something disgraceful.
19878 A man who gives a good account of himself is probably lying, since any life
19879 when viewed from the inside is simply a series of defeats.
19882 Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart. -- Seneca
19884 I am a devilish fellow, who has mastered many arts. -- August Strindberg
19886 Every real thought on every real subject
19887 knocks the wind out of somebody or other.
19888 -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
19890 Come, lovely cat, and rest upon my heart,
19891 And let my gaze dive in the cold
19892 Live pools of thine enchanted eyes that dart
19893 Metallic rays of green and gold.
19894 -- Charles Baudelaire
19896 A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution. -- Hazel Nicholson
19898 As every cat owner knows,
19900 -- Ellen Perry Berkeley
19902 One of the most important practices is that of tolerance, patience. Tolerance
19903 can be learned only from an enemy; it cannot be learned from your guru. At
19904 these lectures, for instance, you cannot learn tolerance, except perhaps when
19905 you are bored! However, when you meet your enemy who is really going to hurt
19906 you, then, at that moment you can learn tolerance. Shantideva makes a
19907 beautiful argument; he says that one's enemy is actually a good spiritual
19908 guide because in dependence upon an enemy one can cultivate patience, and in
19909 dependence upon patience one accumulates great power of merit. Therefore, it
19910 is as if an enemy were purposefully getting angry in order to help you
19912 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
19913 Buddhist Path to Peace", Snow Lion Publications
19915 In the intermediate stages of practice, you must be like a farmer during the
19916 harvest. Once he has determined that it is time to reap his crop, he works
19917 at it continuously, no matter what anyone tells him. Just as a farmer works
19918 to make the most of the crop he has grown, we who now have opportunities and
19919 conditions which are so valuable to our practice, should use them
19920 immediately, understanding that there is no time to be wasted.
19921 -- "The Life of Gampopa", by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, Snow Lion Publications
19923 I'm growing old, I delight in the past. -- Henri Matisse
19925 Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation
19926 with us--that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
19929 Things equal out pretty well.
19930 Our dreams seldom come true,
19931 but then neither do our nightmares.
19934 Inner development comes step by step. You may think "Today my inner calmness,
19935 my mental peace is very small," but still, if you compare, if you look five,
19936 ten, or fifteen years back, and think, "What was my way of thinking then? How
19937 much inner peace did I have then and what is it today?", comparing it with what
19938 it was then, you can realize that there is some progress, there is some value.
19939 This is how you should compare--not with today's feeling and yesterday's
19940 feeling, or last week or last month, even not last year, but five years ago.
19941 Then you can realize what improvement has occurred internally. Progress comes
19942 by maintaining constant effort in daily practice.
19943 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight", Snow Lion Pub.
19945 Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have lies in this; when
19946 I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before
19947 me. My mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort that I have made is
19948 what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor
19950 -- Alexander Hamilton
19952 Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the
19953 young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that
19954 it cares for its helpless members.
19957 It is important for us to have a stable and peaceful mind, for it is mostly
19958 through our mind that we experience suffering and problems. With diligence,
19959 we can establish our minds in peace by abandoning the afflictions that create
19960 obstacles. Meditation makes this possible because it establishes a steady
19961 mind. Among the many types of meditation, calm abiding (shamatha) and deep
19962 insight (vipashyana) are central to this process. In calm abiding, our mind
19963 is focused inwardly, which allows us to suppress the afflictions so that they
19964 do not actually manifest. There is a sense of distance between us and the
19965 afflictions. It is not possible, however, to eradicate them with calm abiding
19966 alone; deep insight is necessary to remove them at the root.
19967 -- "Music in the Sky: The Life, Art & Teachings of the 17th Karmapa
19968 Ogyen Trinley Dorje", by Michele Martin, Snow Lion Publications
19970 Learning from experience is a faculty almost never practiced.
19973 If you persevere in this practice of recognizing the state of natural
19974 light, it will progressively become easier to repeat the lucid recognition
19975 that you are dreaming. There will arise a steady awareness within the dream,
19976 and you will know that you are dreaming. When you look in a mirror, you see
19977 a reflection. Regardless of whether it is beautiful or ugly, you know that
19978 it is a reflection. This is similar to knowing that a dream is a dream, to
19979 being lucid. Whether the dream is tragic or ecstatic, you are aware that it
19981 Awareness within the Dream State becomes a way to develop oneself and to
19982 break one's heavy conditioning. With this awareness, one can manipulate the
19983 dream material. For example, one can dream whatever one wishes, or one can
19984 pick up a desired theme. One can continue dreaming from where one left off
19985 on a previous occasion.
19986 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, in "Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light"
19988 Responsibility educates. -- Wendell Phillips
19990 What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid
19991 of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that
19992 which he thinks he already knows.
19995 There are two kinds of food--food for mental hunger and food for physical
19996 hunger. Thus a combination of these two--material progress and spiritual
19997 development is the most practical thing. I think that many Americans,
19998 particularly young Americans, realize that material progress alone is not
19999 the full answer for human life. Right now all of the Eastern nations are
20000 trying to copy Western technology. We Easterners such as Tibetans, like
20001 myself, look to Western technology feeling that once we develop material
20002 progress, our people can reach some sort of permanent happiness. But when
20003 I come to Europe or North America, I see that underneath the beautiful
20004 surface there is still unhappiness, mental unrest, and restlessness. This
20005 shows that material progress alone is not the full answer for human beings.
20006 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness", Snow Lion
20008 Nobody sees a flower--really--it is so small it takes time--we haven't
20009 time--and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.
20010 -- Georgia O'Keeffe
20012 The eighth root downfall is to regard our physical bodies, or the skandhas or
20013 aggregates of our psycho-physical makeup, as impure and base. The reason why
20014 this is a root downfall is because Vajrayana sees everything as sacred. All
20015 appearances is a form of divinity, all sound is the sound of mantra, and all
20016 thought and awareness is the divine play of the transcending awareness, the
20017 Mahamudra experience. The potential for that sacredness exists within our
20018 present framework, so to speak, of the five skandhas. Acknowledging psycho-
20019 physical aggregates of an individual as the potential of the Buddhas of the
20020 five families, or the five elements, or the five feminine aspects, and so
20021 forth, is to recognize that, in tantra, the potential for the transformation
20022 exists within our present situation. To disparage that potential as something
20023 useless or impure or unwholesome is a root downfall, a basic contradiction,
20024 from the point of view of tantric practice.
20025 -- H.E. Kalu Rinpoche, in "Foundations of Tibetan Buddhism", Snow Lion Pub.
20027 Terrorists and totalitarians have always been two sides of one coin;
20028 a totalitarian out of office is a terrorist.
20031 Now that as humans we have met with spiritual teachings and have met a teacher,
20032 we should not be like a beggar doing nothing meaningful year after year, ending
20033 up empty-handed at death. I, an ordinary monk in the lineage of Buddha
20034 Shakyamuni, humbly urge you to make efforts in spiritual practice. Examine the
20035 nature of your mind and cultivate its development. Take into account your
20036 welfare in this and future existences, and develop competence in the methods
20037 that produce happiness here and hereafter. Our lives are impermanent and so
20038 are the holy teachings. We should cultivate our practice carefully.
20039 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Path to Enlightenment", Snow Lion
20042 Time makes more converts than reason. -- Tom Paine
20044 We operate under a jury system in this country, and as much as
20045 we complain about it, we have to admit that we know of no better
20046 system, except possibly flipping a coin.
20049 To be dead is to stop believing in
20050 The masterpieces we will begin tomorrow.
20051 -- Patrick Kavanagh, Irish poet
20053 The obvious is always least understood. -- Klemens von Metternich
20055 We are decent 99 percent of the time, when we could easily be vile.
20058 The whole world loves a maverick, but the whole world wants
20059 the maverick to achieve something nobler than simple rebellion.
20062 Insofar as the destructive effects of anger and hateful thoughts are
20063 concerned, one cannot get protection from wealth; even if one is a
20064 millionaire, one is subject to these destructive effects of anger and
20065 hatred. Nor can education guarantee that one will be protected from
20066 these effects. Similarly, the law cannot guarantee protection. Even
20067 nuclear weapons, no matter how sophisticated the defense system may be,
20068 cannot give one protection or defend one from these effects.
20069 The only factor that can give refuge or protection from the destructive
20070 effects of anger and hatred is the practice of tolerance and patience.
20071 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
20072 Buddhist Perspective", Snow Lion Publications
20074 Theoretically it may be comfortable to have compassion for "all sentient
20075 beings," but through our practice we realize that "all sentient beings" is
20076 a collection of individuals. When we actually try to generate compassion
20077 for each and every individual, it becomes much more challenging. But if we
20078 cannot work with one individual, then how can we work with all sentient
20079 beings? Therefore it is important for us to reflect more practically, to
20080 work with compassion for individuals and then extend that compassion further.
20081 -- "Trainings in Compassion: Manuals on the Meditation of Avalokiteshvara",
20082 translated by Tyler Dewar under the guidance of The Dzogchen Ponlop
20083 Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
20085 The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating
20086 the problem in a way that will allow a solution.
20087 -- Bertrand Russell
20089 I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.
20092 The worst, the hardest, the most disagreeable thing that you may have
20093 to do may be the thing that counts most, because it is the hard discipline,
20094 and it alone, that makes possible the highest efficiency.
20097 I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
20098 I learn by going where I have to go.
20099 -- Theodore Roethke
20101 Don't let yesterday use up too much of today. -- Cherokee proverb
20103 Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world. -- T'ien Yiheng
20105 Women are like tea bags. They don't know how strong
20106 they are until they get into hot water.
20107 -- Eleanor Roosevelt
20109 There are two appropriate methods of mahamudra meditation to give rise to
20110 the primordial awareness of the dharmadhatu: looking while the mind is
20111 resting and looking while the mind is moving. The approach to the first
20112 method is the meditation of calm abiding. One lets one's mind rest until
20113 it abides calmly, and then with precision one looks at it. One looks for
20114 how it rests, for where it abides, and whoever or whatever it is that
20115 abides there. This is looking at the true nature of the mind while the
20117 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from "Everyday Consciousness and
20118 Buddha-awakening", Snow Lion Publications
20120 It is better to debate a question without settling it
20121 than to settle a question without debating it.
20124 What is the purpose of the Dharma? Just like other spiritual traditions,
20125 Buddhadharma is an instrument for training the mind--something we use to try
20126 to work out the problems that we all experience; problems that originate
20127 mainly at the mental level. Negative emotional forces create mental unrest,
20128 such as unhappiness, fear, doubt, frustration and so forth; these negative
20129 mental states then cause us to engage in negative activities, which in turn
20130 bring us more problems and more suffering. Practicing Dharma is a way of
20131 working out these problems, be they long-term or immediate. In other words,
20132 Dharma protects us from unwanted suffering.
20133 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment", Snow Lion.
20135 Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the
20136 symbol of his liberty--his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when
20137 it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.
20140 Everything in the world has a hidden meaning... Men, animals, trees, stars,
20141 they are all hieroglyphics. When you see them you do not understand them.
20142 You think they are really men, animals, trees, stars. It is only years
20143 later that you understand.
20144 -- Nikos Kazantzakis, from "Zorba the Greek"
20146 One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things
20147 like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool.
20150 A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.
20153 Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
20156 For a romantic relationship to survive, more than romantic love is needed.
20157 We need to love the other person as a human being and as a friend. The sexual
20158 attraction that feeds romantic love is an insufficient basis on which to
20159 establish a long-term relationship. Deeper care and affection, as well as
20160 responsibility and trust, must be cultivated.
20161 In addition, we do not fully understand ourselves and are a mystery to
20162 ourselves. Needless to say, other people are even more of a mystery to us.
20163 Therefore, we should never presuppose, with a bored attitude that craves
20164 excitement, that we know everything about our partner because we have been
20165 together so long. If we have the awareness of the other person being a
20166 mystery, we will continue to pay attention and be interested in him or her.
20167 Such interest is one key to a long-lasting relationship.
20168 -- Thubten Chodron, from "Buddhism for Beginners", Snow Lion Pub.
20170 Two cats can live as cheaply as one, and their owner has twice as much fun.
20173 Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the
20174 same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least
20175 twice as fast as that!
20178 Art is a kind of innate drive that seizes a human being and makes him its
20179 instrument. To perform this difficult office it is sometimes necessary
20180 for him to sacrifice happiness and everything that makes life worth living
20181 for the ordinary human being.
20184 Vision without action is a daydream;
20185 action without vision is a nightmare.
20186 -- Japanese proverb
20188 To satisfy a cat, a new state of being needs to be
20189 created--halfway between in and out.
20190 -- Stuart and Linda MacFarlane
20192 The Perfection of Zeal
20193 1. Thus, one who has patience should cultivate zeal, because Awakening is
20194 established with zeal, and there is no merit without zeal, just as there is no
20195 movement without wind.
20196 2. What is zeal? It is enthusiasm for virtue. What is said to be its
20197 antithesis? It is spiritual sloth, clinging to the reprehensible, apathy, and
20199 3. Spiritual sloth arises from indolence, indulging in pleasures, sleep,
20200 and craving for lounging around due to one's apathy toward the miseries of the
20201 cycle of existence.
20202 4. Scented out by the hunters, the mental afflictions, you have entered the
20203 snare of rebirth. Why do you not recognize even now that you are in the mouth
20205 -- Shantideva, in "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life", trans. from the
20206 Sanskrit and Tibetan by Vesna A. Wallace and B. Alan Wallace, published by
20207 Snow Lion Publications
20209 I have a perfect horror of words that are not backed up by deeds.
20210 -- Theodore Roosevelt
20212 Sufferings arise from specific causes and conditions, which are collected by
20213 individual sentient beings. That being so, it is extremely important that
20214 individual sentient beings know what is to be practiced and what is to be
20215 given up--what brings suffering and what brings long-lasting happiness. We
20216 must show sentient beings the right path, which brings happiness and the wrong
20217 path, which brings suffering. Therefore, when we talk about benefiting other
20218 sentient beings, it is through showing them the path and helping them
20219 understand what is to be given up and what is to be practiced. This is how
20220 we can help other sentient beings.
20221 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "Stages of Meditation", Snow Lion Publications
20223 We make our lives miserable by being miserable, so why not do exactly the
20224 opposite, and make our lives happy, joyful, and harmonious, by being happy,
20225 joyful, and harmonious? We create our own lives and yet we think that
20226 something else is doing it. All we have to do is change our mental
20227 reactions towards the opposite direction. And the way to do that is to
20228 meditate, otherwise we won't have the strength of mind to do it. A mind
20229 that can meditate is a mind that is one-pointed. And a mind that is one-
20230 pointed, the Buddha said, is like an ax that has been sharpened. It has a
20231 sharp edge that can cut through everything. If we want to remove stress
20232 and strain, and have a different quality of life, we have every opportunity.
20233 We need to strengthen our mind to the point where it will not suffer from
20234 the things which exist in the world.
20235 -- from "Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes", edited by Karma Lekshe
20236 Tsomo, published by Snow Lion Publications
20238 I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study
20239 mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and
20240 philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation,
20241 commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study
20242 painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.
20245 There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more
20246 easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.
20247 -- Benjamin Franklin
20249 Thank God I have the seeing eye, that is to say, as I lie in bed I can walk
20250 step by step on the fells and rough land seeing every stone and flower and
20251 patch of bog and cotton pass where my old legs will never take me again.
20254 Umpire's heaven is a place where he works third base every game.
20255 Home is where the heartache is.
20258 There exist no phenomena other than what arises from the mind.
20259 Other than the meditation that occurs, where is the one who is meditating?
20260 There exist no phenomena other than what arises from the mind.
20261 Other than the behavior that occurs, where is the one who is behaving?
20262 There exist no phenomena other than what arises from the mind.
20263 Other than the samaya vow that occurs, where is the one who is guarding it?
20264 There exist no phenomena other than what arises from the mind.
20265 Other than the fruition that occurs, where is the one who is realizing it?
20266 You should look at your own mind, observing it again and again.
20267 -- from "Self-Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness", translation
20268 and commentary by John Myrdhin Reynolds, published by Snow Lion Pub.
20270 You must understand that I'm just as interested in someone I've
20271 known for ten minutes as in someone I've known for ten years.
20272 -- Alberto Giacometti
20274 Now in our day-to-day lives we know that the more stable, calm and contented
20275 our mind is, the more feelings and experiences of happiness we will derive
20276 from it. The more undisciplined, untrained, and negative our mind is, the
20277 more we suffer mentally, and physically as well. So we can see only too well
20278 that a disciplined and contented mind is the source of our happiness.
20279 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
20280 Perfection", published by Snow Lion Publications
20282 If we do not wish merely to know intellectually about the view of emptiness,
20283 but rather wish to experience it ourselves in our own continuum, we should
20284 build a firm foundation for this. Then, according to our mental ability we
20285 should hear and consider both the sutras and treatises which teach the profound
20286 view of emptiness as well as the good explanations of them by the experienced
20287 Tibetan scholars in their commentaries. Together with this, we should learn
20288 to make our own ways of generating experience of emptiness accord with the
20289 precepts of an experienced wise man.
20290 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "Buddhism of Tibet", published by Snow Lion Pub.
20292 A great deal of our suffering comes from having too many thoughts. And, at
20293 the same time, the way we think is not sane. We are only concerned by our
20294 immediate satisfaction and forget to measure its long-term advantages and
20295 disadvantages, either for ourselves or for others. But such an attitude
20296 always goes against us in the end. There is no doubt that by changing our
20297 way of seeing things we could reduce our current difficulties and avoid
20299 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
20301 If, motivated by the attainment of fame and gain for this life and hoping to
20302 look good in the eyes of others, one's behavior appears to be temporarily
20303 beautiful and one appears to be diligent in moral conduct, hearing, and
20304 contemplation, then one should think, "What is the use of appearing good in the
20305 eyes of others when my practice does not counteract the afflictions? When my
20306 practice does counteract the afflictions then even if it is not beautiful,
20307 what have I got to lose?
20308 -- Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub, from "Three Visions: Fundamental Teachings of
20309 the Sakya Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism", published by Snow Lion Pub.
20311 Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you,
20312 well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best
20313 preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.
20314 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
20316 If you can't describe what you are doing as a process,
20317 you don't know what you're doing.
20318 -- W. Edwards Deming
20320 Our Dharma practice is the best offering to make to our teachers. If we have
20321 material possessions, talents, and time, we can offer those. However, we don't
20322 neglect our practice, for that is what our teacher cares about most. When we
20323 follow the Dharma instructions we've received and keep whatever precepts we've
20324 taken, that pleases our teacher more than anything else.
20325 -- Thubten Chodron, in "Taming the Mind", Snow Lion Pub.
20327 If organized religion is the opium of the masses, then
20328 disorganized religion is the marijuana of the lunatic fringe.
20329 -- Principia Discordia
20331 When you are proclaiming peace with your lips,
20332 be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
20333 -- St. Francis of Assisi
20335 Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.
20336 -- Albert Einstein, "The World as I See It", 1934.
20338 It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie
20339 which is being systematically repeated. If something is in me which can be
20340 called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the
20341 world so far as our science can reveal it.
20342 -- Albert Einstein, in "Albert Einstein : The Human Side", from a 1954
20343 letter to an atheist.
20345 This topic brings me to that worst outcrop of the herd nature, the military
20346 system, which I abhor. That a man can take pleasure in marching in formation
20347 to the strains of a band is enough to make me despise him. He has only been
20348 given his big brain by mistake; a spinal cord was all he needed.
20349 -- Albert Einstein, "The World as I See It", 1934.
20351 I'm not a teacher, but an awakener. -- Robert Frost
20353 It is very important to understand the context of the Buddhist emphasis on
20354 recognizing that we are all in a state of suffering, otherwise there is a
20355 danger we could misunderstand the Buddhist outlook, and think that it involves
20356 rather morbid thinking, a basic pessimism and almost an obsessiveness about the
20357 reality of suffering. The reason why Buddha laid so much emphasis on
20358 developing insight into the nature of suffering is because there is an
20359 alternative--there is a way out, it is actually possible to free oneself from
20360 it. This is why it is so crucial to realize the nature of suffering, because
20361 the stronger and deeper your insight into suffering is, the stronger your
20362 aspiration to gain freedom from it becomes. So the Buddhist emphasis on the
20363 nature of suffering should be seen within this wider perspective, where there
20364 is an appreciation of the possibility of complete freedom from suffering. If
20365 we had no concept of liberation, then to spend so much time reflecting on
20366 suffering would be utterly pointless.
20367 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Dalai Lama's Book of Awakening", Snow Lion Pub.
20369 A cat is a demure animal; it will not come into the living room
20370 wagging its tail and knocking over lamps and tables.
20371 -- H. Monger Burdock
20373 There is no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat.
20376 Lack of understanding of the true nature of happiness, it seems to me, is the
20377 principal reason why people inflict sufferings on others. They think either
20378 that the other's pain may somehow be a cause of happiness for themselves or
20379 that their own happiness is more important, regardless of what pain it may
20380 cause. But this is shortsighted, no one truly benefits from causing harm to
20381 another sentient being. Whatever immediate advantage is gained at the expense
20382 of someone else is short-lived. In the long run causing others misery and
20383 infringing their rights to peace and happiness result in anxiety, fear and
20384 suspicion within one-self. Such feelings undermine the peace of mind and
20385 contentment which are the marks of happiness.
20386 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness", Snow Lion
20388 When we're told that things are mere deceptive appearances, we shouldn't
20389 misinterpret it as license to act in any way we please. Of course, none of
20390 us would be so silly! Appearances are extremely powerful. You dream your
20391 house is on fire and you're surrounded by flames. You can't escape and feel
20392 terrified. You wake up soaked in sweat and screaming. What a relief! It was
20393 just a nightmare and none of it actually happened, but while it all seemed to
20394 be happening, you were in anguish.
20395 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "The Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas",
20396 published by Snow Lion Publications
20398 A man is not old until his regrets take the place of dreams.
20401 I am independent! I can live alone and I love to work. -- Mary Cassatt
20403 If one ever wishes to retain one's fantasies about the good sense
20404 of the people in the realm of literary taste, one does best never
20405 to consult the bestseller lists.
20408 The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
20410 Speaking of others' faults can also be a way to distract ourselves from
20411 acknowledging our own painful emotions. For example, if we feel hurt or
20412 rejected because a dear one hasn't called us in a long time, rather than
20413 feel the suffering nature of our attachment, we criticize our loved one
20414 for being unreliable and inconsiderate.
20415 -- Thubten Chodron, in "Taming the Mind", Snow Lion Publications
20417 A consistent man believes in destiny, a capricious man in chance.
20418 -- Benjamin Disraeli
20420 The things that we love tell us what we are. -- St. Thomas Aquinas
20422 Everything on this planet functions according to the law of nature. Particles
20423 come together, and on the basis of their co-operation everything around us, our
20424 whole environment, can develop and be sustained. Our own body too has the same
20425 structure. Different cells come together and work together in co-operation,
20426 and as a result, human life is sustained. In a human community the same law
20427 and principle of co-operation applies. Even for an aeroplane to fly or for a
20428 single machine to work, it can only do so by depending on many other factors,
20429 and with their co-operation. Without them it is impossible. Just so, to
20430 sustain everyday life in human society we need co-operation.
20431 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "Dzogchen: Heart Essence of the Great Pefection"
20433 We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the byways and
20434 untrodden depths of the wilderness, and travel and explore
20435 and tell the world the glories of our journey.
20436 -- John Hope Franklin
20438 Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.
20441 Be happy. Talk happiness. Happiness calls out responsive gladness in
20442 others. There is enough sadness in the world without yours.
20445 There are two ways to slide easily through life:
20446 to believe everything or to doubt everything;
20447 both ways save us from thinking.
20448 -- Alfred Korzybski
20450 We shall not cease from exploration. And at the end of our exploring will be
20451 to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time.
20454 I conceive that pleasures are to be avoided if greater pains
20455 be the consequence, and pains to be coveted that will terminate
20456 in greater pleasures.
20457 -- Michel de Montaigne
20459 A plot, if there is to be one, must be a secret. A secret that, if we only
20460 knew it, would dispel our frustration, lead us to salvation; or else the
20461 knowing of it in itself would be salvation. Does such a luminous secret
20462 exist? Yes, provided it is never known. Known, it will only disappoint us.
20465 The subjects that were dearest to the examiners were almost invariably those I
20466 fancied least. ... I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They
20467 always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed
20468 my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had
20469 only one result: I did not do well at examinations...
20470 -- Winston Churchill
20472 One of the great movements in my lifetime among educated people is the need to
20473 commit themselves to action. Most people are not satisfied with giving money;
20474 we also feel we need to work.
20477 One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you'd be stricken blind.
20480 The universe is made of stories, not of atoms. -- Muriel Rukeyser
20482 Chemists are a strange class of mortals, impelled by an almost maniacal impulse
20483 to seek their pleasures amongst smoke and vapour, soot and flames, poisons and
20484 poverty, yet amongst all these evils I seem to live so sweetly that I would
20485 rather die than change places with the King of Persia.
20486 -- Johann Joachim Becher
20488 Cherishing children is the mark of a civilized society. -- Joan Ganz Cooney
20490 Too many pieces of music finish too long after the end. -- Igor Stravinsky
20492 Purifying the unwholesome: In the past we have engaged in unwholesome physical,
20493 verbal, and mental actions. All these actions are of the past and cannot be
20494 touched; we cannot reach back and wipe them away. They have left detrimental
20495 imprints on our mind-stream that obstruct our spiritual practice and manifest
20496 as suffering when they come to full maturation, giving rise to misfortune and
20497 grief. However, these imprints can be affected, and even purified, by our
20498 present behavior. They are like seeds carried along in the current of our
20499 mind-stream. We cannot annihilate them without a trace, but we can burn them
20500 so that they have little or no potency to cause damaging results.
20501 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "The Seven-Point Mind Training", Snow Lion Pub.
20503 First it is important to recognize the human form as rare and precious. It is
20504 not enough just to obtain this precious human form which has great potential;
20505 rather, you should use that potential to its fullest extent by taking its
20506 essence. For example, if a person's ascent to high office is not followed by
20507 good work for the community and people, it is not very beneficial and
20508 worthwhile. If, on the basis of full use of the potential, one is able to
20509 accomplish great feats, that would truly be a great success. Therefore, it is
20510 important initially to recognize all the significance and great potential of
20511 this human existence.
20512 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "The Path to Bliss", Snow Lion Publications
20514 We haven't had any tea for a week.
20515 The bottom is out of the universe.
20518 Does one's integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do? I think that
20519 usually it does, for free will does not mean one will, but many wills
20520 conflicting in one man, Freedom cannot be conceived simply.
20521 -- Flannery O'Connor, in "Wise Blood", 1952
20523 We may seek a fortune for no greater reason than to secure the respect
20524 and attention of people who would otherwise look straight through us.
20527 Only in the most unusual cases is it useful to determine whether
20528 a book is good or bad; for it is just as rare for it to be one or
20529 the other. It is usually both.
20532 A lie gets halfway around the world before
20533 the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
20534 -- Winston Churchill
20536 Like yourself, everyone else from their own side equally does not want
20537 suffering and equally wants happiness. For example, among ten ill people,
20538 each of them just wants happiness; from their side they are all ill, and
20539 they all want to be freed from their illness. Hence there is no possible
20540 reason for making a biased exception, treating a certain one better and
20541 neglecting the others. It is impossible to select one out for better
20542 treatment. Moreover, from your own viewpoint, all sentient beings, in
20543 terms of their connection with you over the course of lifetimes, have in
20544 the past helped you and in the future will help again. Thus, you also
20545 cannot find any reason from your own side to treat some better and others
20547 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
20548 Buddhist Path to Peace", Snow Lion Publications
20550 In everything that can be called art there is a quality of redemption.
20551 -- Raymond Chandler
20553 Life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a predicament. -- George Santayana
20555 Mediocre men often have the most acquired knowledge. -- Claude Bernard
20557 When we practice, initially, as a basis we control ourselves, stopping the
20558 bad actions which hurt others as much as we can. This is defensive. After
20559 that, when we develop certain qualifications, then as an active goal we
20560 should help others. In the first stage, sometimes we need isolation while
20561 pursuing our own inner development; however, after you have some confidence,
20562 some strength, you must remain with, contact, and serve society in any
20563 field--health, education, politics, or whatever.
20564 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "Kindness, Clarity and Insight", Snow Lion Pub.
20566 Other paths that are aimed at "sudden awakening" lead one on an unmapped
20567 journey that may offer no clear indications of progress. In contrast, in this
20568 practice we have definite sign-posts along the way. Look at your mental
20569 distortions and see how they are doing. After practicing for a month, a year,
20570 six years, are the mental distortions somewhat diminished? Do wholesome
20571 qualities arise more readily, more frequently, more deeply? At the very root
20572 of the mental distortions, is the self-grasping attenuated? Is there less
20573 self-centeredness and greater humility? Is there more loving concern for the
20574 welfare of others? All of these are causes that lead either to well-being or
20576 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "The Seven-Point Mind Training", Snow Lion Pub.
20578 In the jungle of samsara arisings are ceaseless, there is never any let up in
20579 the interplay between past, present and future and in the turbulent interchange
20580 between inner thoughts and outer events. 'I', 'me' and 'mine' are tossed about
20581 like corks in the waves. There is no exit from this on the level of 'I'.
20582 There is no way to think yourself out of samsara. Even the thoughts that
20583 everything is empty, or is Padmasambhava, or pure from the very beginning do
20584 not help for no thought can unlock the door to awakening. The key is not
20585 shaped like a thing; it is not a thought, a feeling or a sensation. It's not
20586 something outer or inner. The key is your own nature, how you have been from
20587 the very beginning, simple, raw, naked, uncontrived, free of all constructs.
20588 -- Nuden Dorje, in "Being Right Here: A Dzogchen Treasure Text", Snow Lion
20590 Great ideas originate in the muscles. -- Thomas A. Edison
20592 If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. -- Mark Twain
20594 Mathematics is a game played according to certain
20595 simple rules with meaningless marks on paper.
20598 When you are poor enough, everything has some value. -- Barbara Ann Porte
20600 I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have
20601 been only a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and
20602 then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst
20603 the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
20606 In ancient times, a candidate for initiation into the Mysteries was led through
20607 a series of dark chambers, virtually a labyrinth, beset by terrifying sounds
20608 and ominous presences. And then in the adytum, the final chamber, there was a
20609 sudden illumination. The enthroned hierophant tells the candidate, "Behold the
20610 light, my child! It is your own being and nature." Just this epopteia, or
20611 sudden illumination, is the introduction to the Clear Light that is one's own
20612 original nature. The course of the initiation in the ancient Mystery Religions
20613 simulates the experience of death and rebirth and leads the candidate into what
20614 lies beyond, so that one no longer need fear death. This initiatory process
20615 may be compared to the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
20616 -- John Myrdhin Reynolds, in "The Golden Letters", Snow Lion Pub.
20618 If only I had the theorems! Then I should find the proofs easily enough.
20619 -- Bernhard Riemann
20621 Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent,
20622 literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.
20625 But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot
20626 hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here,
20627 have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.
20630 A memory is more atmospheric than accurate, more an evolving fiction than a
20631 sacred text. And thank heavens. If rude, shameful, or brutal memories
20632 can't be expunged, they can at least be diluted. So is nothing permanent
20633 and fixed in life? By definition life is a fickle noun, an event in
20634 progress. Still, we cling to philosophical railings, religious icons,
20635 pillars of belief. We forget on purpose that Earth is rolling at 1,000
20636 miles an hour, and, at the same time, falling elliptically around our sun,
20637 while the sun is swinging through the Milky Way, and the Milky Way migrating
20638 along with countless other galaxies in a universe about 13.7 billion years
20639 old. An event is such a little piece of time and space, leaving only a
20640 mindglow behind like the tail of a shooting star. For lack of a better
20641 word, we call that scintillation memory.
20642 -- Diane Ackerman, in "An Alchemy Of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of
20645 Many people who approach the practice of Buddhism are willing to sacrifice one
20646 or two hours of their day in order to perform some ritual practice or engage in
20647 meditation. Time is relatively easy to give up, even though their life may be
20648 very busy. But, they are not willing to change anything of their personality--
20649 they are not willing to forgo anything of their negative character. With this
20650 type of approach to Buddhism, it hardly matters how much meditation we do, our
20651 practice remains merely a hobby or a sport. It does not touch our lives. In
20652 order actually to overcome our problems, we have to be willing to change--
20653 namely to change our personality. We need to renounce and rid ourselves of
20654 those negative aspects of it that are causing us so much trouble.
20655 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama & Alexander Berzin in "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
20658 Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into
20659 you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into
20660 you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
20663 Whoso does not see that genuine life is a battle
20664 and a march has poorly read his origin and his destiny.
20667 The more intelligent one is, the more men of originality
20668 one finds. Ordinary people find no difference between men.
20671 The last proceeding of reason, is to recognize that
20672 there is an infinity of things beyond it.
20675 Argument is the worst sort of conversation. -- Jonathan Swift
20677 No burden is so heavy for a man to bear as a succession of happy days.
20680 Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves.
20681 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
20683 I decline utterly to be impartial between the fire brigade and the fire.
20684 -- Winston Churchill
20686 The self that is grasped by ignorance should be refuted, but we should not
20687 refute the conventionally existent self. If we refute the self that is merely
20688 conventionally existent, that is like a seeing a person and saying, "Oh, I
20689 didn't see the person." Or we might look at another person and say, "All I
20690 see is the basis of designation of the person or the visual form of the body."
20691 This is no way to speak. It would be impossible to maintain any valid or
20692 justifiable use of language in this way. We would be negating the existence
20693 of a merely designated self, but we would not negate the self that is refuted
20694 by means of the wisdom that investigates the nature of emptiness. Once again,
20695 the self to be negated is the self which is grasped by ignorance.
20696 -- Gen. Lamrimpa, in "Realizing Emptiness: Madhyamaka Insight Meditation",
20697 translated by B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications
20699 In general, the countries of the East have had less material progress and thus
20700 have great suffering from poverty. In the West, though poverty is not severe,
20701 there is the suffering of worry and not knowing satisfaction. In both East and
20702 West, many persons spend their lives in jealousy and competition; some think
20703 only of money, and when they meet with conditions unfavourable to their wish
20704 develop a dislike or enmity for these unfavourable circumstances from the very
20705 orb of their heart. Within and between countries people are disturbed, not
20706 trusting and believing each other, having to spend their lives in continual
20707 lies and deceit. Since the most we can live is a hundred years, what point is
20708 there in spending our lives in jealousy, deceit, and competition?
20709 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Deity Yoga", translated and edited by Jeffrey
20710 Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
20712 She was fascinated by baths. I suppose total immersion in water
20713 must have seemed to her a peculiar method of cleansing oneself.
20714 -- Elizabeth Peters
20716 The uncompromising self-examination of a Rembrandt self-portrait remains,
20717 almost four centuries on, far more 'shocking' than a museum installation
20721 Complaint is the largest tribute Heaven receives. -- Jonathan Swift
20723 Mere belief in a source of refuge is not firm; unless there is valid cognition,
20724 you are going only on the assertion that Buddhism is good. Refuge is not an
20725 act of partisanship but is based on analysing what scriptures are reasonable
20726 and what scriptures are not. In order for the mind to engage one-pointedly in
20727 practice, there must be reasoned conviction that only the Buddhist path is
20728 non-mistaken and capable of leading to the state of complete freedom from
20729 defects and possession of all auspicious attainments. One should engage in
20730 honest investigation, avoiding desire and hatred and seeking the teaching that
20731 sets forth the means for fulfilling the aims of trainees.
20732 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Tantra in Tibet", trans. & ed. by Jeffrey Hopkins
20734 A bad peace is even worse than war. -- Tacitus
20736 The way of fortune is like the milky way in the sky; which is a number of
20737 smaller stars, not seen asunder, but giving light together; so it is a number
20738 of little and scarce discerned virtues, or rather faculties and customs, that
20739 make men fortunate.
20742 Ability will never catch up with the demand for it. -- Confucius
20744 There is more to life than increasing its speed. -- Mahatma Gandhi
20746 If cats could talk, they wouldn't. -- Nan Porter
20748 I read the newspaper avidly. It is my one form of continuous fiction.
20751 The teeth, hair and nails are not I, nor am I bone, blood, mucus, phlegm,
20753 Bodily oil is not I, nor is sweat, fat or the entrails either. The cavity
20754 of the entrails is not I, nor is excrement or urine.
20755 Flesh is not I, nor are the sinews, warmth nor air. The bodily cavities are
20756 not I, nor is any one of the six types of consciousness.
20757 If the self truly exists in the manner in which it appears, then it should be
20758 identifiable as one inspects the components of a person one by one. Following
20759 the above verses, no part of the body, including the four elements and space,
20760 nor the six types of consciousness can be identified as the self. This implies
20761 that the self that experiences joy and sorrow and that appears to the mind as
20762 if it existed independently does not exist at all. This is ascertained by
20763 engaging in such analysis.
20764 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Transcendent Wisdom", Snow Lion Publications
20766 Once, on behalf of his mother, Kyogom produced a thangka of the five buddha
20767 families. He asked the guru, Gampopa, to bless it quickly.
20768 Gampopa agreed, saying, "Burn this stick of incense and make a mandala
20770 He then transformed himself into the Buddha, and from his ushnisha there
20771 radiated a glorious light that dissolved into the thangka. The air resounded
20772 with the tinkling of bells and the drumbeat of the damaru, and the sky was
20773 filled with parasols, auspicious banners, and canopies. The sound of cymbals
20774 was heard, and a rain of flowers fell from the sky.
20775 When Kyogom saw this, the lama said, "This is the way to do a rapid
20777 -- Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, in "The Life of Gampopa", Snow Lion Pub.
20779 The absolute nature of the prohibition of torture and other forms of ill
20780 treatment means that no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a
20781 state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any
20782 other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification for torture.
20783 -- Theo van Boven, UN official charged with monitoring incidents of torture
20785 No executive, legislative, administrative, or judicial measure authorizing
20786 recourse to torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
20787 can be considered as lawful under international law.
20788 -- Theo van Boven, UN official charged with monitoring incidents of torture
20790 In a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a
20791 long-term perspective, it is likely that the most important event historians
20792 will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an
20793 unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time--literally
20794 --substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the
20795 first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally
20797 -- Peter F. Drucker
20799 Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food. -- Hippocrates
20801 One of the lessons of the Web is that if people have access to information,
20802 they will consume it, whether they are hungry or not.
20805 If cats seem distant and aloof, it is because this is not their native
20806 planet--they are here just to visit and dominate.
20809 History is the only laboratory we have in which to test
20810 the consequences of thought.
20813 In journalism it is simpler to sound off than it is to find out.
20814 It is more elegant to pontificate than it is to sweat.
20817 If we have only cultivated undistracted meditative concentration and lack the
20818 supreme knowledge that realizes how things actually are, it is impossible to
20819 see ultimate reality. On the other hand, if we have the correct view of
20820 understanding identitylessness but no meditative concentration in which the
20821 mind rests one-pointedly, our mind will be distracted by other objects, not be
20822 under control, and thus not be workable. Consequently, it will be impossible
20823 for the light of wisdom to shine clearly and realize ultimate reality. Another
20824 analogy for the need to combine calm abiding and superior insight as an
20825 inseparable unity is a sharp scalpel in the steady hand of an experienced
20826 surgeon. If the scalpel is blunt or the surgeon's hand shaky, the operation
20827 cannot be performed properly. In the same way, when the mind rests in a state
20828 that involves both stillness and a crisp wakefulness or awareness, it is like
20829 a steady hand that deftly operates on our objects of investigation with the
20830 sharp blade of superior insight.
20831 -- Karl Brunnhoelzl, in "The Center of the Sunlit Sky: Madyhamaka in the
20832 Kagyu Tradition, Snow Lion Publications
20834 Golf is the only sport where the ball doesn't move until you hit it.
20837 ... when a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men
20838 of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact
20839 that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending
20840 any save the most elemental--men whose whole thinking is done in terms of
20841 emotion, and whose dominant emotion is dread of what they cannot understand.
20842 So confronted, the candidate must either bark with the pack or be lost.
20844 ... all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and
20845 mediocre--the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is
20848 The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is
20849 perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of
20850 the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the
20851 plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the
20852 White House will be adorned by a downright moron.
20853 -- H. L. Mencken (July 26, 1920, in the Baltimore Sun):
20855 The mastery of the turn is the story of how aviation became practical as a
20856 means of transportation. It is the story of how the world became small.
20857 -- William Langewiesche
20859 Flight's greatest gift is to let us look around. I mean a simple form of
20860 looking around, and one that requires little instruction--just gazing down at
20861 the ordinary scenery sliding by below. The best views are views of familiar
20862 things, like cities and farms and bottlenecked freeways. So set aside the
20863 beauty of sunsets, the majesty of mountains, the imprint of winds on golden
20864 prairies. The world beneath our wings has become a human artifact, our most
20865 spontaneous and complex creation. Tourists may not like to contemplate the
20866 evidence, with its hints of greed and self-destruction, but the fact remains
20867 that the old sterilized landscapes--like designated outlooks and pretty parks
20868 and sculpted gardens--have become obsolete, and that it is largely the airplane
20869 that has made them so. The aerial view is something entirely new. We need to
20870 admit that it flattens the world and mutes it in a rush of air and engines, and
20871 that it suppresses beauty. But it also strips the facades from our
20872 constructions, and by raising us above the constraints of the treeline and the
20873 highway it imposes a brutal honesty on our perceptions. It lets us see
20874 ourselves in context, as creatures struggling through life on the face of a
20875 planet, not separate from nature, but its most expressive agents. It lets us
20876 see that our struggles form patterns on the land, that these patterns repeat to
20877 an extent which before we had not known, and that there is a sense to them.
20878 -- William Langewiesche, "Inside The Sky: Meditation on Flight"
20880 A lot of good arguments are spoiled by some fool
20881 who knows what he is talking about.
20882 -- Miguel de Unamuno
20884 Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real. -- Jules Verne
20886 We have the bias of considering some people to be enemies and others to be
20887 friends. If this really were true such that an enemy always remained an enemy
20888 and a friend always remained a friend, then there might be a reason to hate
20889 certain people and love others. But, again, this is not the case. There is
20890 no certainty in relationships.
20891 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
20892 Buddhist Path to Peace", Snow Lion Publications
20894 Intelligence is quickness in seeing things as they are. -- George Santayana
20896 It is said that the awareness of a buddha is completely even, like the ocean,
20897 taking in equally the joys and sorrows of all people, friends, loved ones,
20898 relatives, and those never met. This is the meaning of a statement made by so
20899 many of the world's great spiritual teachers, "Love your enemy." It doesn't
20900 mean love the person you hate. You can't do that. Love those who hate you.
20901 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point
20902 Mind-Training", Snow Lion Publications
20904 Man is an animal that makes bargains: no other animal
20905 does this--no dog exchanges bones with another.
20908 Art is not about thinking something up.
20909 It is the opposite--getting something down.
20912 Although we regard the realization of the selflessness of persons as something
20913 particularly exalted and therefore difficult to achieve, in fact, if you look
20914 directly at your mind and see its nature, you will realize this selflessness.
20915 This is not a matter of trying to convince yourself that there is no self in
20916 the mind. It is simply a matter of looking. And when you look, you will see
20917 that there is no mind, and that therefore there is no self that could be
20918 imputed on the basis of the mind.
20919 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, in "Pointing out the Dharmakaya", Snow Lion
20921 Cold! If the thermometer had been an inch longer we'd have frozen to death.
20924 Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea. -- Henry Fielding
20926 Material progress is for the sake of achieving that happiness and relieving
20927 that suffering which depends upon the body. But it is indeed difficult to
20928 remove all suffering by these external means and thereby achieve complete
20929 satisfaction. Hence there comes to be a great difference between seeking
20930 happiness in dependence upon external things and seeking it in dependence
20931 upon one's own internal spiritual development. Furthermore, even if the
20932 basic suffering is the same, there is a great difference in the way we
20933 experience it and in the mental discomfort that it creates, depending upon
20934 our attitude towards it. Hence our mental attitude is very important in
20935 how we spend our lives.
20936 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Kindness, Clarity and Insight", Snow Lion Pub.
20938 Love is a condition in which the happiness of another
20939 person is essential to your own.
20942 Looking at a cat, like looking at clouds or stars or the ocean, makes
20943 it difficult to believe there is nothing miraculous in this world.
20944 -- Leonard Michaels
20946 Waking in the night
20951 Show me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are.
20954 If you have love, deities and humans will love you and will naturally
20955 gravitate toward you. Moreover, the Conqueror defeated Mara's armies with the
20956 power of love, so love is the supreme protector, and so forth. Thus, although
20957 love is difficult to develop, you must strive to do so.
20958 The way to cultivate love is as follows. Just as you can develop compassion
20959 once you have repeatedly thought about how living beings are made miserable by
20960 suffering, develop love by thinking repeatedly about how living beings lack all
20961 happiness, both contaminated and uncontaminated. When you become familiar with
20962 this, you will naturally wish for beings to be happy. In addition, bring to
20963 mind various forms of happiness and then offer them to living beings.
20964 -- from "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment",
20965 Volume 2, Snow Lion Publications
20967 There is no less invention in aptly applying a thought found
20968 in a book, than in being the first author of the thought.
20971 You'll never need a lawn ornament if you have a cat in the yard.
20972 -- Katherine Palmer Peterson
20974 Karma has four main characteristics. The first is its increasing effect:
20975 goodness heralds further goodness and evil heralds further evil. Secondly,
20976 karma is definite: in the long run, goodness always produces joy and negativity
20977 always produces suffering. Thirdly, one never experiences a joy or sorrow that
20978 does not have an according karmic cause. And lastly, the karmic seeds that are
20979 placed on the mind at the time of an action will never lose their potency even
20980 in a hundred million lifetimes, but will lie dormant within the mind until one
20981 day the conditions that activate them appear.
20982 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Path to Enlightenment", Snow Lion
20984 The ideal of calm exists in a sitting cat. -- Jules Reynard
20986 There are generally two kinds of buddhist meditation: stabilizing meditation
20987 and analytical meditation. The stabilizing type of meditation gets the brain
20988 very mellow. It is a soothing of the mind to a clear state of calm, like a
20989 still lake. Stabilization allows all thoughts to flow through the mind without
20990 attachment to any of them. But the analytical type of meditation uses the
20991 power of logic to examine what is bothering one. Through meditative analysis,
20992 problems are conquered by finding their root causes and by developing
20993 techniques for mitigating the effects of those causes on the mind. Analysis
20994 can focus on topics such as impermanence, suffering, the need for patience,
20996 These two phases of meditation are not practiced at different times of the
20997 day, but from instant to instant. At first, when one is a beginner, one must
20998 actively work to stabilize the mind and release all the distractions. But
20999 just when one starts to doze off because this process is so relaxing, one
21000 switches over to analytical meditation to keep the brain moving and to balance
21002 One has to pay careful attention to the state of one's mind to determine
21003 what is needed at a particular time. But this wakeful refocusing of the
21004 attention helps to develop mindfulness, which in turn helps develop
21005 understanding and concentration. Later on, the switch between analytical
21006 and stabilizing meditations will happen somewhat more automatically; if
21007 thoughts start swirling too fast, the meditative mind seeks stabilization. If
21008 things get too calm or placid, then analysis can bring the balance back to
21009 thinking and improving.
21010 Analysis is insufficient by itself, because it might be all about what's
21011 currently "wrong" or it might produce a billion approaches to improving the
21012 mind which cannot all be followed, but it would miss out on just enjoying our
21013 somewhat short existence. Complete realization of the enjoyability of
21014 sentience and sapience seems to come from stabilization, not analysis. And
21015 stabilization is not enough by itself either, because one sees the result
21016 of too much placidity in a person asleep in bed: they have a cow-like calm
21017 without any thoughts breaking the surface to cause future progress. The
21018 impetus behind the push towards enlightenment seems to come from analysis,
21019 because one cannot see why one would want to fully awake and aware unless
21020 one can logically compare that state with the current one. Thus analytical
21021 and stabilizing meditations are the dynamic duo of meditation, the laurel
21022 and the hardy, the R and the D, the anion and the cation, for without both
21023 the ultimate mental state is unattainable.
21026 The bad news: there is no key to the universe.
21027 The good news: it was never locked.
21028 -- Swami Beyondananda
21030 What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of
21031 frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the
21032 first law of nature.
21035 A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait.
21036 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
21038 If I wished to punish a province, I would have it governed by philosophers.
21039 -- Frederick the Great
21041 I know that many people have difficulty thinking of spirits in the way I
21042 describe them. There are many spirits described in Tibetan texts related to
21043 specific places in Tibet. I'm not sure, if we live in New York or Tokyo, that
21044 it's very helpful to try to connect to those spirits. When we are in Western
21045 cities, rather than thinking of spirits living in mountain passes or caves, we
21046 might find it easier to think that spirits travel the streets, creating anger
21047 and agitation in the drivers. When we experience aggressive driving, it is a
21048 good idea to breathe evenly and relax. Otherwise, we may find ourselves
21049 connected to traffic demons!
21050 -- "Healing with Form, Energy and Light: The Five Elements in Tibetan
21051 Shamanism, Tantra and Dzogchen", published by Snow Lion Publications
21053 I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools.
21054 Let's start with typewriters.
21055 -- Frank Lloyd Wright
21057 As long as algebra is taught in school, there will be prayer in school.
21060 In Tantra the term bodhicitta assumes a more specific connotation. The essence
21061 of enlightenment or "Buddha-nature," revealed in the sutras of the third
21062 turning of the wheel of Dharma, is equated to the subtle essence (thig le) of
21063 the human body, the coarse aspect of which is present in the seminal fluid and
21064 in the ovum. Thus in Tantra, bodhicitta is recognized as the seed of the
21065 manifestation of the infinite mandalas and deities who are all already
21066 contained in potentiality in the energy structure of the physical body itself,
21067 what is known as the "vajra body." However in spite of this underlying
21068 recognition as its base, tantric practice entails visualization and commitments
21069 of body voice, and mind to achieve the transformation of the energies of impure
21070 vision into the pure dimension of the mandala and of the deities.
21071 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu and Adriano Clemente, in "The Supreme Source: The
21072 Fundamental Tantra of the Dzogchen Semde Kunjed Gyalpo", Snow Lion Pub.
21074 Never lend books, for no one ever returns them; the only books
21075 I have in my library are books that other folks have lent me.
21078 It is impossible to keep a straight face in
21079 the presence of one or more kittens.
21080 -- Cynthia E. Varnardo
21082 I always explain that violence is not the human way. I believe that,
21083 fundamentally, human nature is positive, gentle; therefore, the non-violent way
21084 is the human way. Also, whatever result we achieve through non-violence has no
21085 negative side effect. Through violence, even though we may get some kind of
21086 satisfaction, negative side effects are also incurred. Then, most importantly,
21087 whether we like it or not, we have to live side by side with the Chinese; thus,
21088 in the long future, generation to generation, in order to live happily,
21089 peacefully, it is extremely important, while we are carrying on the struggle,
21090 to accord with the principle of non-violence.
21091 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Art of Peace: Nobel Peace Laureates discuss
21092 Human Rights, Conflict and Reconciliation", Snow Lion Pub.
21096 I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind--
21097 that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have
21098 been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
21099 I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless
21100 to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent,
21101 can be anything but vicious.
21102 I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must
21103 necessarily make war upon liberty...
21104 I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence
21105 of witches, and deserves no more respect.
21106 I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...
21107 I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what
21108 it is made of, and how it is run.
21109 I believe in the reality of progress.
21110 I--But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it
21111 is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be
21112 free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be
21116 The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small
21117 electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying
21118 even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the field is
21119 nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and
21120 the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds
21121 are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre--the man
21122 who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual
21124 The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is
21125 perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the
21126 people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the
21127 plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White
21128 House will be adorned by a downright moron.
21129 -- Henry Louis Mencken, "Bayard vs. Lionheart", Baltimore Evening Sun,
21132 The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of
21133 wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.
21136 There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.
21137 -- Sir Francis Bacon
21139 I say that the art of sculpture is eight times as great as any other art based
21140 on drawing, because a statue has eight views and they must all be equally good.
21141 -- Benvenuto Cellini
21143 When we talk about patience or tolerance, we should understand that there are
21144 many degrees, starting from a simple tolerance, such as being able to bear a
21145 certain amount of heat and cold, progressing toward the highest level of
21146 patience, which is the type of patience and tolerance found in the great
21147 practitioners, the Bodhisattvas on the high levels of the Buddhist path.
21148 Since patience or tolerance comes from a certain ability to remain firm and
21149 steadfast, to not be overwhelmed by the adverse situations or conditions that
21150 one faces, one should not see tolerance or patience as a sign of weakness, but
21151 rather as a sign of strength coming from a deep ability to remain steadfast and
21152 firm. We can generally define patience or tolerance in these terms. We find
21153 that even in being able to tolerate a certain degree of physical hardship, like
21154 a hot or cold climate, our attitude makes a big difference.
21155 If we have the realization that tolerating immediate hardship can have long-
21156 term beneficial consequences, we are more likely to be able to tolerate
21157 everyday hardships. Similarly, in the case of those on the Bodhisattva levels
21158 of the path practicing high levels of tolerance and patience, intelligence also
21159 plays a very important role as a complementary factor.
21160 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
21161 Buddhist Perspective", Snow Lion Publications
21163 One difference between poetry and lyrics is that lyrics sort of fade into the
21164 background. They fade on the page and live on the stage when set to music.
21165 -- Stephen Sondheim
21167 All the good ideas I ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.
21170 Completely pure desirous attachment expresses itself through Buddha Amitabha.
21171 A person guided by desire, attachment, or grasping becomes diffused and loses
21172 power over phenomena. Through completely purified desirous attachment,
21173 however, one is able to gain control over, and to independently coordinate,
21174 everything. This is because the entourage, possessions, merit, and so forth
21175 are controlled by the power of this Buddha. In this way Amitabha grants us the
21176 empowering enlightened activity and the empowering extraordinary achievements.
21177 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, in "Everyday Consciousness and
21178 Buddha-awakening", Snow Lion Pub.
21180 No harm's done to history by making it something someone would want to read.
21181 -- David McCollough
21183 If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and
21184 only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement
21185 would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the
21186 atomic hypothesis (or the atomic fact, if you wish to call it that) that all
21187 things are made of atoms--little particles that move around in perpetual
21188 motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but
21189 repelling upon being squeezed into one another.
21190 -- Richard P. Feynman
21192 The third aspect of the practice of generosity is giving the gift of the
21193 Dharma by making the teachings available. Through the Dharma, we can bring
21194 understanding into the lives of others and help them remove their patterns of
21195 ignorance. We do not have to be great scholars to practice generosity through
21196 the Dharma. We may know just one line of the Dharma, but if we know that one
21197 line clearly and correctly, we can genuinely express it to others and help
21198 them. If we know four lines of the teachings, through those four lines we can
21199 help to clear up someone's ignorance or lessen someone's problems and
21200 sufferings. What counts is not how much we know but how correctly we know it
21201 and how sincerely we use it to help others. We should not wear the mask of the
21202 Dharma, pretending we know a great deal and are doing great things, while
21203 hiding ugliness inside us.
21204 -- Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, in "Dharma Paths", Snow Lion Pub.
21206 One difference between the destructive, negative emotions on the one side and
21207 constructive, positive emotions on the other is that constructive, positive
21208 emotions have a strong grounding in valid experience and reasoning. In fact,
21209 the more we analyze these positive emotions, the more they are enhanced.
21210 Negative, afflictive emotions, by contrast, are usually quite superficial.
21211 They have no grounding in reason and often arise out of habit rather than
21212 reasoned thought processes.
21213 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment",
21214 Snow Lion Publications
21216 Whenever you travel on an airplane, the flight attendants demonstrate what to
21217 do in an emergency. They tell you to put the oxygen mask over your own nose
21218 before putting it over your child's nose. That's not because you should be
21219 selfish, but because if you pass out, you won't be able to help anyone at all.
21220 So you see, the essential point is that we must first subdue our own minds
21221 before we can effectively serve others.
21223 If you have failed to subdue your own mind, even if a thousand Buddhas surround
21224 you, they will be of no benefit. If you want to subdue your enemies, you must
21225 subdue your own mind. If you want to bring about world peace, subdue your
21226 mind. A subdued mind is the Lama. A subdued mind is the Dakini, the chosen
21227 deity, and the Buddha. A subdued mind is the pure land. You are already
21228 imbued with the Buddha-nature. This is your inherent nature. What actual
21229 benefit have you gotten from the essential nature of your mind?
21230 -- Karma Chagme, in "A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on
21231 the Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga", Snow Lion Publications
21233 From: non-verbal sys-admin
21234 To: support technician
21235 Subject: harriet crash
21237 harriet crashed this afternoon
21238 it is back online now
21239 looks like a bad drive in the array
21240 i have an ibm ticket opened
21241 hope to have it serviced sometime tomorrow
21243 the current state or the repair
21244 should not affect core team work in build
21248 From: support technician
21249 To: non-verbal sys-admin
21250 Subject: Re: harriet crash
21253 complete sentences, grammar
21256 I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little,
21257 they become its visible soul.
21260 I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death; but an infinite
21261 ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.
21264 Besides the first degree of eminence in science, a professor with us must be
21265 of sober and correct morals and habits, having the talent of communicating his
21266 knowledge with facility, and of an accommodating and peaceable temper. The
21267 latter is all important for the harmony of the institution.
21268 -- Thomas Jefferson
21270 Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities,
21271 of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements.
21272 -- Queen Elizabeth II
21274 We do not see, or we forget, that the birds that are idly singing around us
21275 mostly live on insects or seeds, and are thus constantly destroying life.
21278 Obstacles to our practice may be external, internal or secret. The external
21279 ones consist of natural disasters, harm inflicted by human and nonhuman
21280 beings, sicknesses and so forth. Internal obstacles are our own disturbed
21281 states of mind and emotions and all the obstructions to liberation and full
21282 knowledge of all phenomena. Secret obstacles are seemingly good
21283 circumstances, which distract the practitioner and make him or her forget
21284 about practice. For instance, one might gain a good reputation as a sincere
21285 practitioner and thereby attract followers and wealth, which in the end make
21286 one neglect one's practice.
21287 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "Eight Verses for Training the Mind",
21290 From Linus Benedict Torvalds Oct 5 1991, 8:53 am
21291 Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
21292 From: torva...@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
21293 Date: 5 Oct 91 05:41:06 GMT
21294 Local: Fri, Oct 4 1991 10:41 pm
21295 Subject: Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT
21297 Do you pine for the nice days of minix-1.1, when men were men and wrote
21298 their own device drivers? Are you without a nice project and just dying
21299 to cut your teeth on a OS you can try to modify for your needs? Are you
21300 finding it frustrating when everything works on minix? No more all-
21301 nighters to get a nifty program working? Then this post might be just
21304 As I mentioned a month(?) ago, I'm working on a free version of a
21305 minix-lookalike for AT-386 computers. It has finally reached the stage
21306 where it's even usable (though may not be depending on what you want),
21307 and I am willing to put out the sources for wider distribution. It is
21308 just version 0.02 (+1 (very small) patch already), but I've successfully
21309 run bash/gcc/gnu-make/gnu-sed/compress etc under it.
21311 Sources for this pet project of mine can be found at nic.funet.fi
21312 (128.214.6.100) in the directory /pub/OS/Linux. The directory also
21313 contains some README-file and a couple of binaries to work under linux
21314 (bash, update and gcc, what more can you ask for :-). Full kernel
21315 source is provided, as no minix code has been used. Library sources are
21316 only partially free, so that cannot be distributed currently. The
21317 system is able to compile "as-is" and has been known to work. Heh.
21318 Sources to the binaries (bash and gcc) can be found at the same place in
21321 ALERT! WARNING! NOTE! These sources still need minix-386 to be compiled
21323 (and gcc-1.40, possibly 1.37.1, haven't tested), and you need minix to
21324 set it up if you want to run it, so it is not yet a standalone system
21325 for those of you without minix. I'm working on it. You also need to be
21326 something of a hacker to set it up (?), so for those hoping for an
21327 alternative to minix-386, please ignore me. It is currently meant for
21328 hackers interested in operating systems and 386's with access to minix.
21330 The system needs an AT-compatible harddisk (IDE is fine) and EGA/VGA. If
21331 you are still interested, please ftp the README/RELNOTES, and/or mail me
21332 for additional info.
21334 I can (well, almost) hear you asking yourselves "why?". Hurd will be
21335 out in a year (or two, or next month, who knows), and I've already got
21336 minix. This is a program for hackers by a hacker. I've enjouyed doing
21337 it, and somebody might enjoy looking at it and even modifying it for
21338 their own needs. It is still small enough to understand, use and
21339 modify, and I'm looking forward to any comments you might have.
21341 I'm also interested in hearing from anybody who has written any of the
21342 utilities/library functions for minix. If your efforts are freely
21343 distributable (under copyright or even public domain), I'd like to hear
21344 from you, so I can add them to the system. I'm using Earl Chews estdio
21345 right now (thanks for a nice and working system Earl), and similar works
21346 will be very wellcome. Your (C)'s will of course be left intact. Drop me
21347 a line if you are willing to let me use your code.
21351 PS. to PHIL NELSON! I'm unable to get through to you, and keep getting
21352 "forward error - strawberry unknown domain" or something.
21354 Question: How do things exist if they are empty of inherent existence?
21356 His Holiness: The doctrines of emptiness and selflessness do not imply the non-
21357 existence of things. Things do exist. When we say that all phenomena are void
21358 of self-existence, it does not mean that we are advocating non-existence, that
21359 we are repudiating that things exist. Then what is it we are negating? We are
21360 negating, or denying, that anything exists from its own side without depending
21361 on other things. Hence, it is because things depend for their existence upon
21362 other causes and conditions that they are said to lack independent self-
21364 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
21365 Snow Lion Publications
21367 You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will,
21368 But the scent of the roses will hang round it still.
21371 Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things,
21372 in which smiles, and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually,
21373 are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort.
21374 -- Sir Humphrey Davy
21376 It is only when I am doing my work that I feel truly alive.
21377 -- Federico Fellini
21379 When you engage in a project or an activity that helps other sentient beings,
21380 there is no question of a time limit. You must do it continuously. This is
21381 how you should train your mind. If you think you will achieve enlightenment or
21382 bodhichitta within a few days or months, and if you think that you will get
21383 enlightened after entering into a retreat for three years and three months, you
21384 are mistaken. When I hear the suggestion that you will attain Buddhahood if
21385 you go into retreat for three years and three months, sometimes I jokingly say
21386 that this is just like communist propaganda. I tell my Western friends that
21387 wanting to practice the most profound and the quickest path is a clear sign
21388 that you will achieve no result. How can you achieve the most profound and the
21389 vast in the shortest way? The story of the Buddha says that he achieved
21390 Buddhahood after three countless aeons. So harboring an expectation to achieve
21391 Buddhahood within a short time-like three years and three months-is a clear
21392 indication that you will make no real progress. We have to be practical.
21393 There is no use in fooling others with your incomplete knowledge.
21394 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Stages of Meditation", Snow Lion Publications
21396 Buddhist moral philosophy is strikingly pragmatic. Something is valuable
21397 insofar as it is relevant to people's lives and useful for achieving their
21398 happiness. If it will bring happiness for oneself and others, pursue it; if it
21399 will bring suffering, better to avoid it. There are no absolute dictates;
21400 ethical personal behavior is seen as simply the most practical way to cope with
21401 the difficulties of the human condition. Although guidelines and copious
21402 illustrations are given, nothing is absolute or definitive. The power and
21403 freedom to make decisions rests with the individual. There is no arbitrary or
21404 mysterious force controlling our lives; there is simply the law of cause and
21405 effect. Of course, decisions are dependent upon many factors. The choices we
21406 make are conditioned by circumstances, both outer and inner, but ultimately
21407 human beings have free will to decide. Individuals make decisions and
21408 experience the consequences of their decisions.
21409 -- from "Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes", edited by Karma Lekshe
21410 Tsomo, Snow Lion Pub.
21412 Chemistry stands at the pivot of science. On the one hand it deals with biology
21413 and provides explanations for the processes of life. On the other hand it
21414 mingles with physics and finds explanations for chemical phenomena in the
21415 fundamental processes and particles of the universe. Chemistry links the
21416 familiar with the fundamental.
21419 In a cat's eyes, all things belong to cats. -- English Proverb
21421 A university is what a college becomes when the faculty
21422 loses interest in students.
21425 Ye can lead a man up to the university, but ye can't make him think.
21426 -- Finley Peter Dunne
21428 The new electronic interdependence recreates the
21429 world in the image of a global village.
21430 -- Marshall McLuhan
21432 One of the ways in which cats show happiness is by sleeping.
21435 For everything that lives is holy, life delights in life. -- William Blake
21437 Love is a kind of warfare. -- Ovid
21439 Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what
21440 is excellent in others belong to us as well.
21441 -- Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire, 1694
21443 From a Buddhist point of view, one might be able to distinguish different
21444 states of dreaming. Generally speaking, a dream is a dream, something you
21445 can't control. But for the highly advanced meditator, there could be
21446 possibilities for gaining certain insights through dreams.
21447 I know some Tibetans who lived in Tibet prior to the 1959 uprising. Before
21448 their escape from Tibet, they did not know about the natural trails and passes
21449 by which to get over the Himalayas into India. Some of these people I met had
21450 very clear dreams of these tracks and, years later, when they actually had to
21451 follow the actual trails, they found that they were already familiar with them
21452 because of the very clear dreams they had had previously.
21453 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations
21454 with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", ed. by Zara Houshmand,
21455 Robert B. Livingston and B. Alan Wallace, Snow Lion Publications
21457 I think, for the rest of my life, I shall refrain from looking up things.
21458 It is the most ravenous time-snatcher I know. You pull one book from the
21459 shelf, which carries a hint or a reference that sends you posthaste to
21460 another book, and that to successive others.
21461 -- Carolyn Wells (1862-1942), Mystery Writer
21463 It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life
21464 that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that
21465 goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.
21468 Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity,
21469 we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second
21470 time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.
21471 -- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
21473 One method for disciples to develop bodhichitta entails recognizing all
21474 beings as having been their mothers in some previous life and focusing on
21475 their mothers' kindness. Similarly, guru-meditation requires focusing on
21476 their mentors' kindness.
21477 Many Westerners, however, have difficulty focusing on the kindness of their
21478 mothers. Unable to find the goodness and kindness in their mothers, most
21479 cannot find any goodness in themselves either. Although they may be desperate
21480 for love and kindness, their mental blocks often prevent them from recognizing
21481 and appreciating the kindness of others, for instance their spiritual mentors.
21482 No matter how much kindness they receive, it is never enough.
21483 One of the reasons for being unable to acknowledge our mothers' kindness
21484 may be that they fail to live up to our models of ideal parents. Similarly,
21485 when our spiritual mentors have shortcomings and do not live up to our models
21486 of ideal teachers, we may also have difficulty recognizing their kindness.
21487 Like children yearning for ideal love, we feel cheated if our mentors fail
21488 to meet our expectations.
21489 -- Alexander Berzin, in "Relating to a Spiritual Teacher: Building a Healthy
21490 Relationship", Snow Lion Publications
21492 Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.
21495 I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis
21496 and I don't deserve that either.
21499 I have come to believe over and over again that what is most
21500 important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at
21501 the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.
21502 -- Audre Geraldine Lorde
21504 The word dharma in Sanskrit means "that which holds". All existents are
21505 dharmas, phenomena, in the sense that they hold or bear their own entity or
21506 character. Also, a religion is a dharma in the sense that it holds persons
21507 back or protects them from disasters. Here the term dharma refers to the
21508 latter definition. In rough terms, any elevated action of body, speech or
21509 mind is regarded as a dharma because through doing such an action one is
21510 protected or held back from all sorts of disasters. Practice of such
21511 actions is practice of dharma.
21512 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "Buddhism of Tibet", Snow Lion Publications
21514 What will survive of us is love. -- Philip Larkin
21516 Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.
21519 Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.
21522 Optimism can make you look stupid but cynicism always makes you look cynical.
21525 An architect proves his skill by turning the defects of a site into advantages.
21526 -- Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini
21528 Physicists and astronomers see their own implications in the world
21529 being round, but to me it means that only one-third of the world is
21530 asleep at any given time and the other two-thirds is up to something.
21533 What is my purpose in life, what is my responsibility? Whether I like it or
21534 not, I am on this planet, and it is far better to do something for humanity.
21535 So you see that compassion is the seed or basis. If we take care to foster
21536 compassion, we will see that it brings the other good human qualities. The
21537 topic of compassion is not at all religious business; it is very important to
21538 know that it is human business, that it is a question of human survival, that
21539 is not a question of human luxury. I might say that religion is a kind of
21540 luxury. If you have religion, that is good. But it is clear that even without
21541 religion we can manage. However, without these basic human qualities we cannot
21542 survive. It is a question of our own peace and mental stability.
21543 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness: An
21544 Anthology of Writings By and About the Dalai Lama", compiled and edited
21545 by Sidney Piburn, published by Snow Lion Publications
21547 Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.
21548 -- Benjamin Disraeli
21550 We often get angry when something we consider undesirable happens. But what
21551 use is this anger? If we can change the situation, then let's go ahead and do
21552 it. There's no need to be angry. It's very useful to think like this when
21553 confronted with social problems and injustice. They can be changed, so rather
21554 than be angry, it's wiser to work calmly to improve the society.
21555 On the other hand, if the situation can't be changed, anger is equally
21556 useless. Once our leg is broken, we can't unbreak it. All of the corruption
21557 in the world can't be solved in a year. Getting angry at something we can't
21558 alter makes us miserable. Worrying about or fearing something that hasn't
21559 happened immobilizes us. Shantideva said in A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way
21561 Why be unhappy about something If it can be remedied? And what is the
21562 use of being unhappy about something If it cannot be remedied?
21563 -- Thubten Chodron, in "Open Heart, Clear Mind", Snow Lion Publications
21565 From the Hacker's Lexicon:
21567 Heisenbug /hi:'zen-buhg/ from Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle in
21568 quantum physics n. A bug that disappears or alters its behavior when one
21569 attempts to probe or isolate it. Antonym of Bohr bug; see also mandelbug,
21570 schroedinbug. In C, nine out of ten heisenbugs result from either
21571 fandango on core phenomena (esp. lossage related to corruption of the
21572 malloc arena) or errors that smash the stack.
21574 Schroedinbug MIT: from the Schroedinger's Cat thought-experiment in
21575 quantum physics n. A design or implementation bug in a program which
21576 doesn't manifest until someone reading source or using the program in an
21577 unusual way notices that it never should have worked, at which point the
21578 program promptly stops working for everybody until fixed. Though this
21579 sounds impossible, it happens; some programs have harbored latent
21580 schroedinbugs for years. Compare heisenbug, Bohr bug, mandelbug.
21582 Bohr bug /bohr buhg/ from quantum physics n. A repeatable bug; one that
21583 manifests reliably under a possibly unknown but well-defined set of
21584 conditions. Antonym of heisenbug; see also mandelbug, schroedinbug.
21586 Mandelbug /mon'del-buhg/ from the Mandelbrot set n. A bug whose
21587 underlying causes are so complex and obscure as to make its behavior
21588 appear chaotic or even non-deterministic. This term implies that the
21589 speaker thinks it is a Bohr bug, rather than a heisenbug. See also
21592 If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in
21593 music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.
21596 Nothing's impossible I have found,
21597 For when my chin is on the ground,
21598 I pick myself up, Dust myself off,
21599 Start all over again.
21602 You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats.
21603 -- Colonial American Proverb
21605 The essence of dharma practice is to bring about a discipline within the mind,
21606 a state of mind free of hatred, lust and harmful intentions. Hence the entire
21607 message of the buddhadharma could be summed up in two succinct statements:
21608 "Help others," and "If you cannot help them, at least do not harm others."
21609 It is a grave error to think that apart from such a disciplining of the
21610 physical and mental faculties there is something else called "the practice of
21611 dharma." Various, and in some cases divergent, methods to achieve such an
21612 inner discipline have been taught in the scriptures by the Buddha.
21613 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Bliss", Snow Lion Publications
21615 It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
21616 nor the most intelligent,
21617 but the one most responsive to change.
21620 As progress is made in dream practice, dreams become clearer and more detailed,
21621 and a larger part of each dream is remembered. This is a result of bringing
21622 greater awareness into the dream state. Beyond this increased awareness in
21623 ordinary dreams is a second kind of dream called the dream of clarity, which
21624 arises when the mind and the prana are balanced and the dreamer has developed
21625 the capacity to remain in non-personal presence. Unlike the samsaric dream, in
21626 which the mind is swept here and there by karmic prana, in the dream of clarity
21627 the dreamer is stable. Though images and information arise, they are based
21628 less on personal karmic traces and instead present knowledge available directly
21629 from consciousness below the level of the conventional self.
21630 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, in "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep",
21631 published by Snow Lion Publications
21633 In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn than to contemplate.
21636 Be careful when reading health books--you might die of a misprint.
21639 The practice of pure perception is effective when it is practiced a lot. In
21640 pure perception, look beyond the surface and imagine that other people are none
21641 other than expressions of buddha-mind. We can choose to focus on positive
21642 attributes. What we attend to becomes our reality and if we attend to the
21643 buddhas in situations, in things, in other people it is the buddhas we engage
21644 with and the reality of the buddhas that becomes our reality.
21645 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "Buddhism with an Attitude: Tibetan Seven-Point
21646 Mind-Training", Snow Lion Publications
21648 Correctness is clearly the prime quality. If a system does not do what it
21649 is supposed to do, then everything else about it matters little.
21652 The path to genuine co-operation is again through sincere compassion and love.
21653 Sometimes we misunderstand compassion as being nothing more than a feeling of
21654 pity. Compassion is much, much more. It embraces not only a feeling of
21655 closeness, but also a sense of responsibility. When you develop compassion, it
21656 will help you enormously to generate inner strength and self-confidence, and to
21657 reduce your feelings of fear and insecurity. So compassion and love, embodied
21658 in an attitude of altruism, are qualities that are of tremendous importance for
21659 the individual, as well as for society and the community at large.
21660 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
21661 Perfection", published by Snow Lion Publications
21663 The value of transmission is not only that of introducing the state of
21664 knowledge, but lies also in its function of bringing about the maturing of the
21665 transmission, right up until one reaches realization. For this reason the
21666 relationship that links master and disciple is a very close one. The master,
21667 in Dzogchen, is not just like a friend who helps and collaborates with the
21668 disciple; rather the master is himself or herself the path. This is because
21669 the practice of contemplation develops through the unification of the state of
21670 the disciple with that of the master. The master is extremely important, too,
21671 at the Sutra and the Tantra levels of teaching, in the former because he or she
21672 is the holder of Buddha's teachings, and in the latter because he or she is the
21673 source of all the manifestations of transformation.
21674 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, in "Dzogchen: The Self-perfected State",
21675 published by Snow Lion Publications
21677 Setting the Appropriate Motivation
21678 It is very important before receiving any Dharma teaching to set a proper
21679 motivation, or reaffirm and enhance that motivation if we already basically
21680 have it. This is important not only for those who are listening to a spiritual
21681 discourse, but also for the person delivering it. If a discourse or
21682 explanation is given with an attitude of pride, competitiveness or jealousy, it
21683 will not do as a Dharma teaching. A Buddhist teaching must be given with the
21684 sincere wish to benefit all beings by means of it.
21685 Likewise, the listeners to a Buddhist teaching must have a proper
21686 motivation, always thinking, "What new point can I learn from this that will
21687 help me be of more benefit to others?" If we sit here with the notion to learn
21688 something about mahamudra so that we can make a display of ourselves and
21689 proudly talk to others about mahamudra so that they will consider us an
21690 erudite, spiritual person, we have a completely wrong motivation.
21691 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra",
21692 published by Snow Lion Publications
21694 There is one simple Divinity found in all things, everything has Divinity
21695 latent within itself. For she enfolds and imparts herself even unto the
21696 smallest beings. Without her presence nothing would have being, because she
21697 is the essence of the existence of the first unto the last being.
21698 -- Giordano Bruno, "The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast", (1582)
21700 Even to have come forth is something, since I see that being able to conquer
21701 is placed in the hands of fate. However, there was in me, whatever I was able
21702 to do, that which no future century will deny to be mine, that which a victor
21703 could have for his own: Not to have feared to die, not to have yielded to any
21704 equal in firmness of nature, and to have preferred a courageous death to a
21706 -- Giordano Bruno, "De Monade"
21708 Thus is the excellence of God magnified and the greatness of his kingdom made
21709 manifest; He is glorified not in one, but in countless suns; not in a single
21710 earth, a single world, but in a thousand thousand, I say in an infinity of
21714 The real story of our times is seldom told in the horse-puckey-filled memoirs
21715 of dopey, self-serving presidents or generals, but in the outrageous, demented
21716 lives of guys like Lenny Bruce, Giordano Bruno, Scott Fitzgerald--and Paul
21717 Krassner. The burrs under society's saddle. The pains in the ass.
21720 The Tibetan word that is usually translated as "blessing" or "inspiration" can
21721 more literally be translated as "to transform into magnificence." We are
21722 asking the Buddhas to transform our minds into magnificence. How that happens
21723 isn't by the Buddha going in and pulling some switches inside our mind.
21724 Because our mind is conditioned and changing, the mental energy of the Buddha's
21725 realizations can affect our energy, so to speak. Conditioned phenomena affect
21726 each other, so the force of Tara's realizations can positively affect our mind.
21727 -- Thubten Chodron, in "How to Free Your Mind", Snow Lion Publications
21729 A botnet is comparable to compulsory military service for windows boxes.
21732 The greatest strength is gentleness. -- Iroquois proverb
21734 Whether or not we actually achieve the realisation of bodhicitta and to what
21735 level or depth we gain such a realisation depends upon the force of our
21736 experience of great compassion. This great compassion, which aspires to free
21737 all sentient beings from suffering, is not confined to the level of mere
21738 aspiration. It has a dimension of far greater power, which is the sense of
21739 commitment or responsibility to personally bring about this objective of
21740 fulfilling others' welfare. In order to cultivate this powerful great
21741 compassion, we need to train our mind separately in two other factors. One is
21742 to cultivate a sense of empathy with or closeness to all sentient beings, for
21743 whose sake we wish to work so that they become free from suffering. The other
21744 factor is to cultivate a deeper insight into the nature of the suffering from
21745 which we wish others to be relieved.
21746 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Lighting the Way", Snow Lion Publications
21748 Religion does not mean just precepts, a temple, monastery, or other external
21749 signs, for these as well as hearing and thinking are subsidiary factors in
21750 taming the mind. When the mind becomes the practices, one is a practitioner
21751 of religion, and when the mind does not become the practices one is not.
21752 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Deity Yoga", Snow Lion Pub.
21754 Hamlet's Cat's Soliloquy
21756 To go outside, and there perchance to stay
21757 Or to remain within: that is the question:
21758 Whether 'tis better for a cat to suffer
21759 The cuffs and buffets of inclement weather
21760 That Nature rains on those who roam abroad,
21761 Or take a nap upon a scrap of carpet,
21762 And so by dozing melt the solid hours
21763 That clog the clock's bright gears with sullen time
21764 And stall the dinner bell.
21765 To sit, to stare Outdoors, and by a stare to seem to state
21766 A wish to venture forth without delay,
21767 Then when the portal's opened up, to stand
21768 As if transfixed by doubt.
21769 To prowl; to sleep;
21770 To choose not knowing when we may once more
21771 Our readmittance gain: aye, there's the hairball;
21772 For if a paw were shaped to turn a knob,
21773 Or work a lock or slip a window-catch,
21774 And going out and coming in were made
21775 As simple as the breaking of a bowl,
21776 What cat would bear the household's petty plagues,
21777 The cook's well-practiced kicks, the butler's broom,
21778 The infant's careless pokes, the tickled ears,
21779 The trampled tail, and all the daily shocks
21780 That fur is heir to, when, of his own free will,
21781 He might his exodus or entrance make
21782 With a mere mitten?
21783 Who would spaniels fear,
21784 Or strays trespassing from a neighbor's yard,
21785 But that the dread of our unheeded cries
21786 And scratches at a barricaded door
21787 No claw can open up, dispels our nerve
21788 And makes us rather bear our humans' faults
21789 Than run away to unguessed miseries?
21790 Thus caution doth make house cats of us all;
21791 And thus the bristling hair of resolution
21792 Is softened up with the pale brush of thought,
21793 And since our choices hinge on weighty things,
21794 We pause upon the threshold of decision.
21797 It is not good to begin many different works, saying "This looks good; that
21798 looks good", touching this, touching that, and not succeeding in any of them.
21799 If you do not generate great desires but aim at what is fitting, you can
21800 actualise the corresponding potencies and become an expert in that. With
21801 success, the power or imprint of that practice is generated.
21802 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Tantra in Tibet", Snow Lion Pub.
21804 Through the skillful methods of tantra, meditators are able to cultivate
21805 pleasure in a way that actually aids in spiritual progress. Afflicted
21806 grasping and desires based on mistaken ideas are the problem, not happiness
21807 and pleasure. If the pursuit of happiness and pleasure can be separated
21808 from afflictive emotions, then it can be incorporated into the path and
21809 will even become a powerful aid to the attainment of enlightenment.
21810 -- John Powers, in "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", Snow Lion Pub.
21813 What kind of refuge does Buddhism offer? How are Buddhists and non-Buddhists
21814 differentiated? From the viewpoint of refuge, a Buddhist is someone who
21815 accepts Buddha, his doctrine, and the spiritual community as the final refuge.
21816 From the viewpoint of philosophy, a Buddhist is someone who asserts the four
21817 views that guarantee a doctrine as being Buddhist. With respect to the three
21818 refuges, called the Three Jewels, it is said that the Buddha is the teacher of
21819 refuge but that the actual refuge is the Dharma, the doctrine. Buddha himself
21820 said, "I teach the path of liberation. Liberation itself depends upon you."
21821 From the same perspective, Buddha said, "You are your own master." The
21822 spiritual community are those who assist one in achieving refuge.
21823 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama at Harvard", Snow Lion
21826 Bodhisattvas are motivated by universal compassion, and they seek the ultimate
21827 goal of buddhahood in order to be of service to others. They embark on this
21828 path with the generation of the mind of enlightenment, which Geshe Rabten
21829 states is "the wish for Supreme Enlightenment for the sake of others. The sign
21830 of the true Bodhicitta is the constant readiness to undergo any sacrifice for
21831 the happines of all beings." Unlike ordinary beings, who think of their own
21832 advantage, bodhisattvas consider how best to benefit others.
21833 -- John Powers, in "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", Snow Lion Publications
21835 Why are there fierce protectors? Peaceful deities such as Tara have a certain
21836 energy that calms and gladdens our mind. But sometimes our mind is so
21837 belligerent and stuck that we need the kind of energy that goes "Pow!" to wake
21838 us up or to pull us out of unproductive behavior. For this reason, the
21839 Buddhas' wisdom and compassion appear in the form of these wrathful deities to
21840 demonstrate clean-clear wisdom and compassion that act directly. This active
21841 wisdom doesn't vacillate and pamper us. This wisdom doesn't say, "Well,
21842 maybe," or, "Poor you. You deserve to be treated well, not like that horrible
21843 person treated you." Instead, it's forceful: "Cut it out! Stop those false
21844 expectations and preconceptions right now!" Sometimes we need that strong,
21845 wise energy to be in our face to wake us up to the fact that our afflictions
21846 and old patterns of thought and behavior are making us miserable.
21847 -- Thubten Chodron, in "How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator"
21849 I never joined the army because at ease was never that easy to me. Seemed
21850 rather uptight still. I don't relax by parting my legs slightly and putting
21851 my hands behind my back. That does not equal ease. At ease was not being
21852 in the military. I am at ease, bro, because I am not in the military.
21855 The human essence of good sense finds no room with anger. Anger, jealousy,
21856 impatience, and hatred are the real troublemakers; with them problems cannot
21857 be solved. Though one may have temporary success, ultimately one's hatred or
21858 anger will create further difficulties. With anger, all actions are swift.
21859 When we face problems with compassion, sincerely and with good motivation, it
21860 may take longer, but ultimately the solution is better, for there is far less
21861 chance of creating a new problem through the temporary "solution" of the
21863 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "Kindness, Clarity and Insight", Snow Lion Pub.
21865 Killing and eating meat are interrelated, so do we have to give up eating
21866 animal products? I myself once tried to give it up, but health problems arose
21867 and two years later my doctors advised me to again use meat in my diet. If
21868 there are people who can give up eating meat, we can only rejoice in their
21869 noble efforts. In any case, at least we should try to lessen our intake of
21870 meat and not eat it anywhere where it is in scarce supply and our consumption
21871 of it would cause added slaughter.
21872 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "The Path to Enlightenment", Snow Lion Publications
21874 The mind is beyond expression, thought and conceptualization, because it is
21875 empty. Yet, there is phenomena and appearance. The objects that you cling to
21876 in this waking reality are dreamlike, but if you do not inquire into the nature
21877 of this dream, you remain attracted as though there were really something here.
21878 Upon examination, you find that these objects have no true existence at all and
21879 are just like space. A practitioner who understands that phenomena lack
21880 inherent existence and resemble space should then examine himself or herself to
21881 discover whether he or she possesses an individual self. Then it will be
21882 discovered that there is no truly existing examiner either.
21883 -- Gyatrul Rinpoche, from "The Generation Stage in Buddhist Tantra",
21884 published by Snow Lion Publications
21886 Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.
21889 In discursive meditations it is imperative that one's growing disenchantment
21890 with mundane existence is complemented with growing confidence in the real
21891 possibility of true freedom and lasting joy that transcends the vicissitudes
21892 of conditioned existence. Without this faith and the yearning for such
21893 liberation, the meditations may easily result in profound depression, in which
21894 everything seems hollow, unreal, and futile. Thus instead of polarizing one's
21895 desires towards the single-pointed pursuit of nirvana, one is reduced to a
21896 debilitating kind of spiritual sloth.
21897 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "Balancing the Mind: A Tibetan Buddhist Approach
21898 to Refining Attention", Snow Lion Publications
21900 I believe that in human actions, the prime mover is motivation. On the spot,
21901 it is important to tackle the symptoms of problems, but in the long run, it is
21902 necessary to look at the motivation and whether there is possibility to change
21903 it. For the long run, this is crucial. As long as the negative motivation is
21904 not changed, then although there might be certain rules and methods to stop
21905 counterproductive actions, human beings have the ability through various ways
21906 to express their negative feeling. Thus, for the long run, we need to look at
21907 our motivation and try to change it. This means that we must try to cultivate
21908 the right kind of motivation and try to reduce the negative motivation.
21909 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Art of Peace: Nobel Peace Laureates Discuss
21910 Human Rights, Conflict and Reconciliation", edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
21911 published by Snow Lion Publications
21913 When we talk of karma or action, it entails action committed by an agent, in
21914 this case, oneself, in the past. So what type of future will come about, to a
21915 large extent, lies within one's own hands and can be determined by the kind of
21916 initiatives that one takes now. Not only that, but karma should not be
21917 understood in terms of passive, static kind of force, but rather in terms of
21918 active process. This indicates that there is an important role for the
21919 individual agent to play in determining the course of the karmic process.
21920 Consider, for instance, a simple act like fulfilling our need for food. In
21921 order to achieve that simple goal one must take action on one's own behalf: one
21922 needs to look for food, to prepare it, to eat it. This shows that even a
21923 simple act, even a simple goal is achieved through action.
21924 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
21925 Buddhist Perspective", Snow Lion Publications
21927 Nothing is easier than to bring others down to our level, particularly in
21928 cultures where it is taken as a sign of keen intelligence to view every person
21929 and situation as a challenge to "name the ten things wrong with this picture."
21930 The presence of Guru Rinpoche in so many forms in our world makes us question
21931 life in a way pre-1959 persons rarely had to. Life isn't the same after
21932 meeting the Dalai Lama or Kyentse Rinpoche and others. We can't erase them
21933 from our minds, as inconvenient as these open doors to enlightenment might be.
21934 We had other plans; we didn't ask to see so vividly another totally different
21936 The question, "How can I integrate this into my daily life?" doesn't plumb
21937 the depth of the inquiry. I have translated for lamas in North America,
21938 Europe, and Asia, and have found this to be the typical North American
21939 question. I think the best answer is, "You can't; don't even try." But I
21940 have to wonder about the question itself. What do you do when an event or an
21941 encounter changes your life? If you won a 10,000,000 dollar jackpot, if a
21942 dear friend dies, or if you fall deeply in love, do you ask, "How can I
21943 integrate this into my daily life?" Some events change us, are earth-
21944 shattering, and are not meant to be integrated into what can sometimes feel
21945 like a rat race existence. Meeting Guru Rinpoche is one such event.
21946 -- Ngawang Zangpo, in "Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times", Snow Lion Pub.
21948 Now in terms of the actual practice, when one is immersed in the contemplation
21949 of the clear light, since all dualistic appearances vanish, it becomes
21950 impossible to distinguish the object from the consciousness perceiving it.
21951 They seem to become as if they were one, like water mixed with water. Of
21952 course, strictly speaking, there are two entities, subject and object, but
21953 within the experience of the clear light this duality is lost.
21954 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
21955 published by Snow Lion Publications
21957 Guardians of the teachings
21958 There are eight principal classes of Guardians each with many subdivisions.
21959 Some are highly realized beings, others not realized at all. Every place--
21960 every continent, country, city, mountain, river, lake or forest--has its
21961 particular dominant energy, or Guardian, as have every year, hour and even
21962 minute: these are not highly evolved energies. The various teachings all have
21963 energies which have special relationships with them: these are more realized
21964 Guardians. These energies are iconographically portrayed as they were
21965 perceived when they manifested to masters who had contact with them, and their
21966 awesome power is represented by their terrifyingly ferocious forms, their many
21967 arms and heads, and their ornaments of the charnel ground. As with all the
21968 figures in tantric iconography, it is not correct to interpret the figures of
21969 the guardians as merely symbolic, as some Western writers have been tempted to
21970 do. Though the iconographic forms have been shaped by the perceptions and
21971 culture of those who saw the original manifestation and by the development of
21972 tradition, actual beings are represented.
21973 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, "The Crystal and the Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra
21974 and Dzogchen, Teachings of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu", compiled and edited by
21975 John Shane, published by Snow Lion Publications
21977 5. When others out of jealousy treat me unreasonably, with abuse, slander, and
21978 so on, I will learn to take all loss and offer the victory to them. When any
21979 type of deserved or undeserved slander, prompted by jealousy, and so forth,
21980 and unpleasant verbal abuse [comes to one], do not lose patience. Keep a
21981 peaceful mind. Further, when problems arise, do not say "It is his fault,
21982 not mine!" Accept the blame, as did Geshe Lang ri thang pa. [Reflect:]
21983 "Whoever created this mess, it includes me! I have [a hand in it] also."
21984 The reason for this is that we must endeavor toward generosity and the various
21985 modes of ethical behavior, for the sake of purifying our many misdeeds and
21986 completing the accumulations [of merit and wisdom].
21987 Therefore, when one shows kindness to slanderers, even if one does not
21988 deserve the abuse and slander, it is said to be necessary for purifying our
21989 misdeeds when problems arise. Taking all blame on ourselves prevents our evil
21990 karma from arising.
21991 Geshe Lang ri thang pa speaks of a person from the Valley of Phan who
21992 sometimes gave a little butter cake to the Lamas, and at other times slandered
21993 them for no reason. The Lamas regarded him with great kindness. This
21994 cleansed their misdeeds and helped their accumulation of the two collections.
21995 They claimed that his slanderous talk was great. Shantideva's
21996 bodhisattvacaryavatara says:
21997 Therefore, since patience can be generated
21998 In dependence upon a very hate filled mind
21999 And because it is the cause of patience,
22000 Make offerings to it as if it was the most excellent doctrine!
22001 More correct even than this statement is that ethics and patience lead to
22002 great merit, and to the end of misdeeds such as anger. Therefore it is said
22003 that the hardest practice is patience. [Learn] the patience that is keeping
22004 still no matter what happens.
22007 I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.
22008 -- Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)
22010 All sentient beings are exactly the same in that every one desires happiness
22011 and seeks to avoid misery. We are not isolated entities disconnected from
22012 each other. The happiness and suffering of other beings affect us. This
22013 mutual relation is obvious. Sentient beings have been kind and have benefited
22014 us directly and indirectly throughout beginningless time. These beings are
22015 intrinsically the same as us in their pursuit of happiness and effort to avoid
22016 suffering. Thus, it is essentially logical for us to train in cultivating an
22017 impartial attitude wishing for the happiness of all beings.
22018 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", Snow Lion Pub.
22020 Our exaggerated sense of self and our compulsion to find happiness for this
22021 larger-than-life self we have fabricated cause us to ignore, neglect and harm
22022 others. Of course, it is our right to love and take care of ourselves, but
22023 not at the expense of others. While "As long as I'm alright" is our motto,
22024 we have no hesitation in acting with total disregard for others.
22025 We may find this description of self-concern altogether too crass to apply
22026 to us. "I'm not like that," we object, but though we may not consciously
22027 think in this way, when self-concern is operating, our behavior shows a cold
22028 indifference to others. Conflicts between partners, parents and children and
22029 with other family members, conflicts between students and teachers and on a
22030 larger scale within and between countries have their source in personal and
22031 collective self-concern.
22032 Buddhas and Bodhisattvas see clearly that our neglect of others, our self-
22033 preoccupation and our disregard for the connection between actions and their
22034 effects are responsible for all our miseries.
22035 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "The Three Principal Aspects of the Path: An
22036 Oral Teaching", translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by
22037 Snow Lion Publications
22039 Ordinarily, it is difficult to remember one's past life. Such recollections
22040 seem to be more vivid when the child is very young, such as two or three, and
22041 in some cases even younger. ...When the present body is fully formed, the
22042 ability to recall past life seems to diminish.
22043 The mental associations with this life become increasingly dominant. There
22044 is a close relationship during the first few years of one's life with the
22045 continuum of consciousness from the previous life. But as experiences of this
22046 life become more developed and elaborate, they dominate.
22047 It is also possible within this lifetime to enhance the power of the mind,
22048 enabling one to reaccess memories from previous lives. Such recollection
22049 tends to be more accessible during meditative experiences in the dream state.
22050 Once one has accessed memories of previous lives in the dream state, one
22051 gradually recalls them in the waking state.
22052 -- H.H Dalai Lama, in "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations with
22053 The Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", Edited by Zara Houshmand,
22054 Robert B. Livingston and B. Alan Wallace, Snow Lion Publications
22056 Relaxation involves a kind of awareness which reverses the normal tendency
22057 that we have. Because, as we have seen, this ordinary sense of self that we
22058 have lacks inherent self existence, it has to keep constructing itself and
22059 that requires a particular kind of effort. The ego's root feeling is that if
22060 I do not hold myself together there will be a falling apart into something
22061 chaotic and difficult. So there is anxiety, an energetic anxiety which is
22062 located in the body, in the whole energetic system of the body and
22063 interpersonal turbulence reminds us again and again "If I don't keep it
22064 together, I will get in trouble." The belief in reincarnation indicates that
22065 for many lifetimes we have been caught up in this anxiety, this nervous
22066 contraction which is holding our ordinary grasping sense of self in place.
22067 -- from "Being Right Here: A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje entitled
22068 'The Mirror of Clear Meaning,'" commentary by James Low, Snow Lion Pub.
22070 Buddhas are always striving for the welfare of beings migrating in cyclic
22071 existence. In every hour and minute they create limitless forms of welfare
22072 for beings throughout billions of emanations of their body, speech and mind.
22073 For instance, in this aeon--an aeon being a period of an extremely great
22074 number of years--they will appear in the aspect of one thousand supreme
22075 Emanation Bodies (Nirmanakaya) as Buddhas, and each will have his own new
22077 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Buddhism of Tibet", Snow Lion Publications
22080 The Buddhist teachings differentiate between flash insights (nyam, nyams),
22081 and stable realizations (togpa, rtogs-pa). A flash insight does not make a
22082 significant change in one's life, but may lead in that direction. A stable
22083 realization, on the other hand, whether it be partial or complete, actually
22084 produces a noticeable improvement that lasts. The distinction we are drawing
22085 here between Dharma instructors and spiritual mentors derives from this
22086 difference. Dharma instructors may have either insight or realization,
22087 whereas spiritual mentors need to have some level of stable realization.
22088 -- Alexander Berzin, in "Relating to a Spiritual Teacher: Building a
22089 Healthy Relationship, published by Snow Lion Publications
22091 Not even computers will replace committees, because committees buy computers.
22092 -- Edward Shepherd Mead
22094 If you can't do what you want, do what you can. -- Lois McMaster Bujold
22096 Human history is work history. The heroes of the people are work heroes.
22097 -- Meridel le Sueur
22099 It is not the man who has too little,
22100 but the man who craves more, that is poor.
22103 Drive-in banks were established so most of the
22104 cars today could see their real owners.
22105 -- E. Joseph Crossman
22107 I base my fashion taste on what doesn't itch. -- Gilda Radner
22109 It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.
22112 You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that
22113 make you want to live to be a hundred.
22116 No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.
22119 Do not look where you fell but where you slipped.
22121 There is nothing more demoralizing than a small but adequate income.
22124 Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done.
22125 -- Elizabeth Barret Browning
22127 Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
22128 -- Robert Louis Stevenson
22130 We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from
22131 artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.
22132 -- Alfred E. Newman, Mad Magazine
22134 The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.
22137 You are what you are--and not what people think you are. -- O.W. Polen
22139 Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.
22142 From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
22145 I touch the future. I teach. -- Christa McAuliffe
22147 Curiosity is one of the permanent and
22148 certain characteristics of a vigorous mind.
22151 People ask for criticism, but they only want praise. -- W. Somerset Maugham
22153 Money is like muck, not good except it be spread. -- Sir Francis Bacon
22155 The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting
22156 otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.
22159 We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.
22160 -- Wernher von Braun
22162 The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and
22163 write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.
22166 Wealth is the possession of whatever gives us happiness,
22167 contentment or a sense of significance.
22170 To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. -- Oscar Wilde
22172 I bought some batteries, but they weren't included. -- Steven Wright
22174 The ability to delude yourself may be an important survival tool.
22177 People who work sitting down get paid
22178 more than people who work standing up.
22181 It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. -- Sir Edmund Hillary
22183 What we should ask of ourselves is growth, not perfection. -- Pat Boone
22185 Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand. -- Unknown
22187 The purpose of life is to fight maturity. -- Dick Wertheimer
22189 Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with. -- Bob Wells
22191 A good mind possesses a kingdom. -- Lucius Anaaeus Seneca
22193 I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the
22194 position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles he has
22195 overcome while trying to succeed.
22196 -- Booker T. Washington
22198 An intelligence test sometimes shows a man how smart
22199 he would have been not to have taken it.
22200 -- Laurence J. Peter
22202 I have not lost my mind--it's backed up on disk somewhere. -- Unknown
22204 Wise men talk because they have something to say;
22205 fools, because they have to say something.
22208 Don't waste a thousand dollars' worth of emotion over a 5-cent triviality.
22211 Fortune does not change men, it unmasks them. -- Suzanne Necker
22213 Some people are born on third base and go
22214 through life thinking they have hit a triple.
22217 I can't understand why people are scared of new ideas.
22218 I'm frightened of the old ones.
22221 It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.
22224 A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on. -- Samuel Goldwyn
22226 When we practice, initially, as a basis we control ourselves, stopping the bad
22227 actions which hurt others as much as we can. This is defensive. After that,
22228 when we develop certain qualifications, then as an active goal we should help
22229 others. In the first stage, sometimes we need isolation while pursuing our
22230 own inner development; however, after you have some confidence, some strength,
22231 you must remain with, contact, and serve society in any field--health,
22232 education, politics, or whatever.
22234 There are people who call themselves religious-minded, trying to show this by
22235 dressing in a peculiar manner, maintaining a peculiar way of life, and
22236 isolating themselves from the rest of society. That is wrong. A scripture of
22237 mind-purification (mind-training) says, "Transform your inner viewpoint, but
22238 leave your external appearance as it is." This is important. Because the
22239 very purpose of practicing the Great Vehicle is service for others, you should
22240 not isolate yourselves from society. In order to serve, in order to help, you
22241 must remain in society.
22242 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness",
22243 Snow Lion Publications
22245 The indivisible nature of mind is said to possess a "mobile quality." This
22246 mobile quality is described as currents of energy which flow through the
22247 channels of various parts of the body, presiding over physical as well as
22248 mental functions, and pass through the nostrils as breathing. Such currents
22249 of energy, called "winds" (rlung, vayu), serve as the bridge between body and
22251 The winds are a blend of two types of energy, one associated with
22252 emotionality, called karmic or conditioned wind (las kyi rlung), and the other
22253 related to the original state of the individual, called pristine awareness
22254 wind (ye shes kyi rlung). Distinguished in terms of the three principles,
22255 darkness (tamas), mobility (rajas), and buoyancy (sattva), winds are of three
22256 types: wind of Rahu, solar wind, and lunar wind. Moreover, the winds are
22257 differentiated as the five root winds (rtsa ba'i rlung), the natures of the
22258 five elements, and five branch winds (yan lag gi rlung), produced through the
22259 five elemental transformations. The winds of the five elements, or five
22260 mandalas, flow back and forth through the right and left nostrils in the order
22261 of generation of the elements and of birth (first space, then wind, fire,
22262 water, earth) and in the order of dissolution of the elements and of death
22263 (first earth, then water, and so on), respectively. In one day, they are
22264 exhaled and inhaled 21,600 times, divided between the two nostrils, a time
22265 corresponding to eight periods or watches (thun). The outward movement of
22266 these energy currents as the breath diminishes the strength of the wind
22267 associated with pristine awareness. Therefore, when outward movement
22268 increases, there occur signs of death. If the winds are held inside,
22269 pristine awareness wind is strengthened. Hence, many extraordinary powers
22270 such as longevity are gained through breath control techniques for "holding
22271 the winds" in the central channel.
22272 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, in "The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Six,
22273 Part Four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra, The Indestructible Way of
22276 When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
22279 ...you should have the deep conviction that cessation of the sufferings and
22280 the delusions is possible, and also that it is possible within your mind.
22281 True cessation is a state where you have destroyed the delusions at their root
22282 so that there remains no potential for their re-emergence. Such a cessation
22283 can be realized only through the true paths that penetrate into the nature of
22285 When you develop this conviction, you will also be able to develop faith in
22286 a being who has really mastered cessation, who is the Buddha--a person who has
22287 fully accomplished the realization of the dharma. If you contemplate along
22288 such lines, you will be able to develop a very deep faith and conviction in
22289 Buddha Shakyamuni and see him as an incomparable master.
22290 What distinguishes Buddhist practitioners from others is the factor of
22291 taking refuge. But merely seeking a refuge out of the fear of suffering is
22292 not unique to Buddhists; non-Buddhists could also have such a motivation. The
22293 unique practice of refuge that Buddhists should have is that of taking refuge
22294 in the Buddha out of a deep conviction in his exceptional qualities and
22295 realizations. If you think in such terms you will be able to understand Lama
22296 Tsongkhapa's profound praise of Buddha Shakyamuni: "Those who are far from his
22297 doctrine always reinforce the illusion of self-existence that they have within
22298 themselves, whereas those who follow his guidance will be able to free
22299 themselves from such confusions."
22300 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Path to Bliss", Snow Lion Publications
22302 ...they say that the initial realization of the nature of the mind is the
22303 first breakthrough. It's a very important point in all Buddhist schools. At
22304 that moment, you cease to be an ordinary person. You become in Buddhist
22305 parlance an arya, a noble one. It doesn't mean you are finished. It doesn't
22306 mean you are a high level bodhisattva. We can fall back from this. But
22307 still, this is a big breakthrough. We now understand what is true and what is
22308 not true. We don't have to take it all on faith any more. It is a direct
22309 non-dual experience. The point is that it is very easy. It's not difficult,
22310 and it's not something that can only be attained after years and years of
22312 Our main obstacle is the fact that we don't know how to relax our minds
22313 enough to be open to this experience. In the back of our minds we keep
22314 thinking this is something so difficult and so advanced. For this reason we
22315 don't recognize what is in front of our face. This is why a teacher can be
22316 extraordinarily helpful. A teacher living within that realization is able--
22317 if the mind of the disciple is completely open--to transmit his or her
22318 experience. The problem here is that we have too many hopes and fears; it
22319 creates a barrier. It is very hard to be open. You can't just will it.
22320 -- Ani Tenzin Palmo, in "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on
22321 Practical Buddhism"
22323 The Level of Initial Capacity
22325 All the essential spiritual practices related primarily to the achievement of
22326 rebirth in the higher realms belong to what Atisha calls the 'small capacity'.
22329 Know that those who by whatever means
22330 Seek for themselves no more
22331 Than the pleasures of cyclic existence
22332 Are persons of the least capacity.
22333 [Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment]
22335 ...the principal means for attaining birth in the higher realms is the ethical
22336 discipline of refraining from the ten negative actions of body, speech and
22337 mind. These comprise three actions of the body--killing, stealing and sexual
22338 misconduct; four verbal actions--lying, divisive speech, harsh speech and
22339 frivolous speech; and three mental actions--covetousness, ill-will and
22340 harbouring wrong views. To live an ethically sound life, it helps to remind
22341 ourselves of what are known as the four reflections, namely the preciousness
22342 of human life; the inevitability of our death and the uncertainty of the time
22343 of death; the infallibility of the law of cause and effect and the workings of
22344 karma; and understanding the nature of suffering. Concerning the first
22345 reflection, some Tibetan masters have said that when we contemplate the
22346 preciousness of this human existence, we should literally cultivate the
22347 determination to make our human life something precious in itself, rather than
22348 allowing it to be wasted or to become a cause of future suffering.
22350 Contemplating these four reflections gives us the courage to engage earnestly
22351 in the practice of the Dharma in order to free ourselves from the possibility
22352 of rebirth in the lower realms. This involves a process of training our mind,
22353 not just at the mental level but also at the level of our emotions and
22354 actions. Living an ethical life is not a case of adhering to a set of
22355 regulations imposed on us from outside, such as the laws of a country. Rather
22356 it involves voluntarily embracing a discipline on the basis of a clear
22357 recognition of its value. In essence, living a true ethical life is living a
22358 life of self-discipline. When the Buddha said that 'we are our own master, we
22359 are our own enemy', he was telling us that our destiny lies in our own hands.
22361 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Lighting the Way", Snow Lion Publications
22363 In his autobiography Freedom in Exile, His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks of
22364 his attachment as a child to the monastery's Master of the Kitchen,
22365 commenting, "I sometimes think that the act of bringing food is one of the
22366 basic roots of all relationships." And the connection between giving food and
22367 understanding the interrelationship of all life is recognized also in stories
22368 about the belated discovery of an enlightened master who lived humbly as a
22369 monastery cook; or the stories of a great lama who gathers his disciples to
22370 test their progress, only to discover that the most highly realized of all is
22371 the cook, who has neither meditated nor studied, but who simply served the
22373 May you have long life,
22374 may the house be filled with grain,
22375 and may you have the luck
22376 to make use of this abundance.
22377 -- Tibetan drinking song
22379 -- Tsering Wangmo and Zara Houshmand, in "The Lhasa Moon Tibetan Cookbook"
22381 The Level of Middling Capacity
22383 In the following verse Atisha describes the characteristics of spiritual
22384 trainees of the middling capacity.
22387 Those who seek peace for themselves alone,
22388 Turning away from worldly pleasures
22389 And avoiding destructive actions
22390 Are said to be of middling capacity.
22391 -- Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment
22393 The phrase "destructive actions" refers to the afflictions that, together with
22394 karma, constitute the origin of suffering. This is why practitioners at the
22395 level of middling capacity concentrate on the spiritual practices that are
22396 primarily aimed at the elimination of the afflictions. Broadly speaking,
22397 these practices fall into two categories. One is training the mind to
22398 cultivate the genuine desire to gain freedom from cyclic existence, which is
22399 often referred to as the cultivation of renunciation. The other is
22400 cultivating the path to bring about the fulfillment of that wish for
22401 renunciation. In order to train one's mind in this way, one needs to reflect
22402 upon the defects of cyclic existence and to develop an understanding of the
22403 causation chain of karma and the afflictions. Through these reflections one
22404 cultivates the wish to gain freedom and then embarks upon the path to bring
22405 about that freedom.
22406 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Lighting the Way", Snow Lion Publications
22408 Number of Recitations
22409 The sixth section of the yoga of speech concerns measuring the accumulation
22410 of mantra recitations. How do you know when you have recited enough of a
22411 particular mantra? Generally speaking, you should count a mantra until you
22412 achieve some common spiritual power and ideally until you achieve the supreme
22413 spiritual attainment. Wouldn't that be the best way?
22414 After all, if you are really hungry, don't you eat until you are satisfied?
22415 Similarly, if you plan a trip to San Francisco, you want to travel until you
22416 arrive at your destination. You would not travel halfway and be satisfied
22417 with that, would you? In the same way, when you recite a mantra, you have a
22418 specific goal in mind: to gain the supreme spiritual attainment--buddhahood.
22419 Wouldn't it be wise to keep on reciting the mantra until you have achieved
22420 your goal, or at least until you achieve some perceptible improvement?
22421 -- Gyatrul Rinpoche, in "The Generation Stage in Buddhist Tantra", published
22422 by Snow Lion Publications
22424 The Level of Great Capacity
22426 Atisha continues his discussion on the three capacities by turning his
22427 attention to spiritual trainees at the highest level.
22430 Those who, through their personal suffering,
22431 Truly want to end completely
22432 All the suffering of others
22433 Are persons of supreme capacity.
22434 -- Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment
22436 Practitioners at this level use their deep understanding of the nature of
22437 suffering, derived from reflection on their personal experience, to recognise
22438 the fundamental equality of oneself and others insofar as the desire to
22439 overcome suffering is concerned. This then leads to the arising of a
22440 spontaneous wish to free all sentient beings from their suffering, a wish
22441 which becomes the powerful impetus for engaging in spiritual practices aimed
22442 at bringing about this altruistic objective.
22444 The most important practice in relation to this altruistic goal is the
22445 generation of bodhicitta, the altruistic aspiration to attain buddhahood for
22446 the benefit of all beings.
22447 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in Lighting the Way, Snow Lion Publications
22449 The Meaning of Empowerment
22450 As for empowerment in general, what does the term wang, or empowerment,
22451 signify? To begin with, our fundamental nature--what we term "the buddha
22452 nature", or tathagatagarbha, the very nature of our mind, is inherently
22453 present within us as a natural attribute. This mind of ours, the subject at
22454 hand, has been going on throughout beginningless time, and so has the more
22455 subtle nature of that mind. On the basis of the continuity of that subtle
22456 nature of our mind rests the capacity we have to attain enlightenment. This
22457 potential is what we call "the seed of buddhahood", "buddha nature", "the
22458 fundamental nature", or tathagatagarbha. We all have this buddha nature, each
22459 and every one of us. For example, this beautiful statue of Lord Buddha here,
22460 in the presence of which we are now sitting, is a representation that honours
22461 someone who attained buddhahood. He awakened into that state of enlightenment
22462 because his nature was the buddha nature. Ours is as well, and just as the
22463 Buddha attained enlightenment in the past, so in the future we can become
22465 In any case, there dwells within us all this potential which allows us to
22466 awaken into buddhahood and attain omniscience. The empowerment process draws
22467 that potential out, and allows it to express itself more fully. When an
22468 empowerment is conferred on you, it is the nature of your mind--the buddha
22469 nature--that provides a basis upon which the empowerment can ripen you.
22470 Through the empowerment, you are empowered into the essence of the buddhas of
22471 the five families. In particular, you are "ripened" within that particular
22472 family through which it is your personal predisposition to attain buddhahood.
22473 So, with these auspicious circumstances established in your mindstream,
22474 and when you reflect on what is taking place and maintain the various
22475 visualizations, the conditions are right for the essence of the empowerment to
22476 awaken within you, as a state of wisdom which is blissful yet empty--a very
22477 special state that is the inseparability of basic space and awareness. As you
22478 focus your devotion in this way, it allows this special quality of mind, this
22479 new capability, as it were, to awaken.
22480 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
22481 Perfection", published by Snow Lion Publications
22483 Value Our Good Circumstances
22484 We often focus on a few circumstances in our life that aren't going well
22485 instead of all those that are. Although we all have problems, when we over-
22486 emphasize their importance, we easily begin thinking that we are incapable and
22487 worthless. Such self-hatred immobilizes us and prevents us from developing
22488 our good qualities and sharing them with others.
22489 When we look at the broad picture, however, we can see many positive things
22490 in our life. We can rejoice that we are alive and appreciate whatever degree
22491 of good health we have. We also have food (often too much!), shelter,
22492 clothing, medicine, friends, relatives, and a myriad of good circumstances.
22493 Many of the people reading this book live in peaceful places, not in war-torn
22494 areas. Many have jobs they like, and family and friends they appreciate. We
22495 shouldn't take these for granted. Most importantly, from a spiritual
22496 viewpoint, we have access to an authentic path, qualified teachers to guide
22497 us, and kind companions who encourage us. We have genuine spiritual
22498 aspirations and the time to cultivate these. Thinking about these good
22499 conditions one by one, we will be filled with joy, and any sense of being
22500 incapable and hopeless will vanish.
22501 -- Thubten Chodron, in "Working with Anger", Snow Lion Publications
22503 15. This fresh state of present awareness, unspoiled
22505 This fresh state of present awareness (da lta'i shes pa)
22506 Unspoiled by dualistic thoughts,
22507 Effortlessly sustained in the natural state,
22508 Is Buddha Kuntu Zangpo's wisdom mind.
22510 Do not hope or fear for good or bad outcomes.
22511 Regardless of what formulation of thought occurs,
22512 they arise and are liberated simultaneously;
22513 Their essential nature is empty awareness.
22514 Reach that unmoving, unassailable state.
22516 I, Jnana, spoke these words immediately In response to
22517 Zangmo's supplication. May this be virtuous!
22518 -- from "Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart Advice" translated and
22519 introduced by Ron Garry, published by Snow Lion
22521 Concern for others to be happy and compassion wishing them to be free from
22522 suffering are needed not only as the basis for a bodhichitta motivation for
22523 mahamudra* practice, but also for keeping that practice on course to its
22524 intended goal. When we have changed our focus in life from the contents of
22525 our experience to the process of experience, there is great danger of becoming
22526 fixated on mind itself. This is because the direct experience of mind itself
22527 is totally blissful--in a calm and serene sense--and entails extraordinary
22528 clarity and starkness. Concern for others is one of the strongest forces that
22529 brings us back down to earth after having been up in the clouds. Although all
22530 appearances exist as a function of mind, other beings do not exist merely in
22531 our head. Their suffering is real and it hurts them just as much as ours
22533 Furthermore, to be concerned about someone does not mean to be frantically
22534 worried about this person. If we are fixated on our child's problems at
22535 school, for example, we lose sight that whatever appearance of the problems
22536 our mind gives rise to is a function of mind. Believing the appearance to be
22537 the solid reality "out there," we again feel hopeless to do anything and thus
22538 become extremely anxious and tense. We worry to the point of becoming sick
22539 and we over-react toward our child, which does not help. If we focus instead
22540 on the process of mind that gives rise to our perception of the problem as if
22541 it existed as some horrible monster "out there," we do not eliminate our
22542 concern for our child, only our worry. This allows us to take whatever clear
22543 and calm action is necessary to alleviate the problem. Thus not only is
22544 compassion necessary for successful practice of mahamudra, but mahamudra
22545 realization is necessary for successful practice of compassion.
22546 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra",
22547 published by Snow Lion Publications
22548 * "Mahamudra" is a Sanskrit word meaning "great seal" and refers to the
22549 nature of all phenomena. Mahamudra also refers to sophisticated Buddhist
22550 systems of meditation and practice to realize this great sealing nature.
22552 Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.
22555 45. This fresh present knowing, unbound
22557 This fresh present knowing,
22558 Unbound by the intellect that clings to meditation,
22559 Is naked unobstructed non-meditation.
22561 And settle in the state of naturalness.
22562 This is the meaning of realization of meditation.
22564 When thoughts move, let them.
22565 Movement arises and is liberated without a trace.
22566 When there is no movement, don't search for it.
22567 This is empty luminosity, naked empty awareness.
22568 Tantric practice without suppression or
22569 cultivation of thoughts
22570 Brings the accomplishment of the destruction
22573 There is nothing more to add to this.
22574 Madman Dudjom said this:
22575 Let it remain like this in your heart.
22576 -- from "Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart Advice", translated and
22577 introduced by Ron Garry, published by Snow Lion Publications
22579 ...karma refers not only to our actions but, more importantly, to the
22580 motivation or intention behind them. The acts themselves are not the primary
22581 cause of our suffering; rather, it arises from the world of our intentions or,
22582 in other words, from our thoughts and emotions. These afflictive states of
22583 mind underlie our negative karma and are therefore the source of our
22586 Obviously, these afflictions won't go away simply by saying prayers or
22587 wishing them away; they can only be eliminated by cultivating their
22588 corresponding remedies or antidotes. To understand how this process of
22589 applying the antidote works we can observe our physical world. For instance,
22590 we can contrast heat and cold: if we are suffering from the effects of too
22591 cold a temperature, then we increase the thermometer on our heater or air-
22592 conditioning unit and adjust it to our comfort. Thus, even in the physical
22593 world we can see instances where opposing forces counter each other.
22595 ...From our own personal experience we recognise that anger and hostility
22596 disturb our peace of mind and, more importantly, that they have the potential
22597 to harm others. Conversely, we recognise that positive emotions like
22598 compassion and loving kindness can engender in us a deep sense of peace and
22599 serenity, beneficial results that we can extend to others as well. This
22600 appreciation of their great value naturally leads to a desire to cultivate
22601 these positive emotions. It is through this gradual process that the
22602 antidotes work in decreasing and eventually eliminating their opposing forces
22603 in the mental realm, the realm of our thoughts and emotions.
22604 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Lighting the Way", published by Snow Lion
22606 Starting Dzogchen Practice
22607 When we start to practice, in order to grasp the normal mind, our first
22608 practice consists in engaging our mind. For example, if we have a problem of
22609 some kind, we may go to a movie to distract ourselves from our problem.
22610 Likewise when we start to practice, we try to calm down our problem-creating
22611 mind in order to be able to observe the nature of thought. The observation of
22612 the arising, abiding, and dissolving of thought in the empty state of the mind
22613 is an essential practice in Dzogchen in order to discover that moving thoughts
22614 are of the same nature as the thoughtless state of the mind. Since we are not
22615 accustomed to meditation, it seems very difficult, and every slight sound or
22616 movement, outside or inside the mind itself, becomes a major distraction
22617 interfering with our ability to continue to practice. In order to overcome
22618 this problem, we engage the mind in a practice so that it is not so easily
22619 distracted, by focusing attention so that the movement of the mind caused by
22620 thought or sense perception does not have the power to divert our
22621 concentration. This first stage, of grasping the mind, is concentration
22622 practice, described in detail in the Bonpo 'Ati' system.
22623 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, in "Wonders of the Natural Mind: The Essence of
22624 Dzogchen in the Native Bon Tradition of Tibet", Snow Lion Publications
22626 Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic
22627 religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and
22628 theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a
22629 religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and
22630 spiritual, as a meaningful unity
22631 -- Albert Einstein in "Albert Einstein: The Human Side", edited by Helen
22632 Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press, 1954
22634 Techniques for Improvement
22635 All of us have attained a human life; we are, in a sense, incomparable among
22636 the various types of sentient beings, as we are able to think about many
22637 topics with a subtler mind and are endowed with vaster capabilities. Dogs,
22638 birds, and so forth do communicate, but only humans can settle and ascertain
22639 deep topics on the basis of words; it is obvious that there are no other
22640 sentient beings capable of as many thoughts and techniques. Nowadays, humans
22641 are engaging in many activities that were not even objects of thought a
22642 century or two ago. The metaphors of the poets of the past, such as "the
22643 wonderful house of the moon", are becoming actualities.
22644 ...People have made great effort right up to this century, thinking to
22645 become free from suffering, but we cannot point to even one person in the
22646 world, no matter how rich he or she is, who has no worry--except for those
22647 who have the inner happiness of renouncing the material way of life. Without
22648 internal renunciation it is difficult to achieve happiness and comfort.
22649 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins from "Deity Yoga",
22650 published by Snow Lion Publications
22652 Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. -- Confucius
22654 Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake,
22655 zucchini bread and pumpkin pie.
22656 -- Jim Davis (Garfield)
22658 A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinions
22659 than anything else in the world.
22660 -- Edmond de Concourt
22662 Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. -- Jimi Hendrix
22664 There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
22665 -- Hamlet (by William Shakespeare)
22667 People who have what they want are fond of telling people
22668 who haven't what they want that they really don't want it.
22671 There are only two ways of telling the complete
22672 truth--anonymously and posthumously.
22675 The easiest way for your children to learn
22676 about money is for you not to have any.
22677 -- Katharine Whitehorn
22679 If you look good and dress well, you don't need a purpose in life.
22682 Do not go where the path may lead, go instead
22683 where there is no path and leave a trail.
22684 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
22686 The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.
22689 I have a simple philosophy.
22692 Scratch where it itches.
22693 -- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
22695 Time is what prevents everything from happening at once.
22696 -- John Archibald Wheeler
22698 You know that children are growing up when they start
22699 asking questions that have answers.
22702 The average man, who does not know what to do with his life,
22703 wants another one which will last forever.
22706 Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is
22707 a broken winged bird that canot fly.
22710 Spare no expense to save money on this one. -- Samuel Goldwyn
22712 It is absurd to divide people into good and bad.
22713 People are either charming or tedious.
22716 If absolute power corrupts absolutely, does absolute
22717 powerlessness make you pure?
22720 Parents were invented to make children happy
22721 by giving them something to ignore.
22724 Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.
22725 -- Jules de Gaultier
22727 I'm a kind of paranoiac in reverse.
22728 I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.
22731 If you find it in your heart to care for
22732 somebody else, you will have succeeded.
22735 Time is an illusion.
22736 Lunchtime doubly so.
22740 A person whom we know well enough to borrow from,
22741 but not well enough to lend to.
22742 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
22744 The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
22745 -- Eleanor Roosevelt
22747 Eighty percent of success is showing up. -- Woody Allen
22749 Pity the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. -- Don Marquis
22751 The only reason some people get lost in thought
22752 is because it's unfamiliar territory.
22755 A child becomes an adult when he realizes that he has
22756 a right not only to be right but also to be wrong.
22759 Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. -- Steven Wright
22761 Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast. -- Oscar Wilde
22763 It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
22764 -- William Shakespeare
22766 If you can find something everyone agrees on, it's wrong. -- Mo Udall
22768 I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money. -- Pablo Picasso
22770 The shortest distance between two points is under construction.
22773 Lack of money is no obstacle.
22774 Lack of an idea is an obstacle.
22777 Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
22778 -- Marcus Valerias Martialis
22780 Great minds discuss ideas;
22781 average minds discuss events;
22782 small minds discuss people.
22783 -- Eleanor Roosevelt
22785 I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there. -- Herb Caen
22787 When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: "Whose?"
22790 Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. -- Mahatma Gandhi
22792 I'm living so far beyond my income that we may
22793 almost be said to be living apart.
22796 I try to avoid looking forward or backward,
22797 and try to keep looking upward.
22798 -- Charlotte Bronte
22800 My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me. -- Henry Ford
22802 Without democracy, religion becomes extreme.
22803 With religion, democracy becomes more spiritual.
22804 -- Mohammad Khatami, president of Iran
22806 For fast acting relief, try slowing down. -- Lily Tomlin
22808 A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.
22811 Poor people have more fun than rich people, they say; and
22812 I notice it's the rich people who keep saying it.
22815 Whatever you are, be a good one. -- Abraham Lincoln
22817 Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
22820 Never spend your money before you have it. -- Thomas Jefferson
22822 Confusion is always the most honest response. -- Marty Indik
22824 Doing nothing is very hard to do... you never know when you're finished.
22827 Free advice is worth the price. -- Robert Half
22829 A person who trusts no one can't be trusted. -- Jerome Blattner
22831 There is nobody so irritating as somebody with
22832 less intelligence and more sense than we have.
22835 He that plants trees loves others besides himself. -- Dr. Thomas Fuller
22837 To find something you can enjoy is far better
22838 than finding something you can possess.
22841 An intellectual is a man who takes more words than
22842 necessary to tell more than he knows.
22843 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
22845 Not everything that can be counted counts, and not
22846 everything that counts can be counted.
22849 Brain, n.: an apparatus with which we think we think.
22850 -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary" 1911
22852 There is always some madness in love.
22853 But there is always some reason in madness.
22854 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
22856 We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
22857 -- Martin Luther King Jr.
22859 Good resolutions are simply checks that men
22860 draw on a bank where they have no account.
22863 The murals in restaurants are on par with the food in mueseums.
22866 Money can't buy friends, but it can get you a better class of enemy.
22869 Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate. -- Thomas Jones
22871 It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.
22872 -- Margaret Bonnano
22874 Yesterday is history.
22875 Tomorrow is a mystery.
22877 That's why it's called the present.
22880 Money is in abundance, where are you? -- Reverend Ike
22882 Santa Claus had the right idea. Visit everyone once a year.
22885 Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.
22888 You cannot fix what you will not face. -- James Baldwin
22890 There are too many people, and too few human beings. -- Robert Zend
22892 Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today.
22895 A good listener is usually thinking about something else. -- Kin Hubbard
22897 If it weren't for baseball, many kids wouldn't
22898 know what a millionaire looked like.
22901 Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
22902 -- George Bernard Shaw
22904 Everybody likes a kidder, but nobody lends him money. -- Arthur Miller
22906 Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off
22907 their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.
22910 If only we'd stop trying to be happy we'd have a pretty good time.
22913 If computers get too organized, we can organize
22914 them into a committee--that will do them in.
22915 -- Bradley's Bromide
22917 It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.
22920 If we stand tall it is because we stand
22921 on the backs of those who came before us.
22924 The trouble with jogging is that, by the time you realize
22925 you're not in shape for it, it's too far to walk back.
22926 -- Franklin P. Jones
22928 I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
22931 By the time we've made it, we've had it. -- Malcolm Forbes
22933 It was such a lovely day I thought it a pity to get up.
22934 -- W. Somerset Maugham
22936 It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
22937 -- Henry David Thoreau
22939 Accomplishing the impossible means only that
22940 the boss will add it to your regular duties.
22943 Government big enough to supply everything you need
22944 is big enough to take everything you have...
22945 The course of history shows that as a government grows,
22947 -- Thomas Jefferson
22949 Computers can figure out all kinds of problems, except
22950 the things in the world that just don't add up.
22953 Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.
22956 The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.
22957 -- Flora Whittemore
22959 When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.
22960 -- Marquis de la Grange
22962 If more of us valued food and cheer and song
22963 above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
22966 While I was in Malaysia, I saw a T-shirt depicting a surfboard aloft huge
22967 waves. Sitting on the surfboard was a figure meditating cross-legged. The
22968 slogan read, "Riding the waves of life, be mindful, be happy." That's it.
22969 Awareness. Being present. Knowing thoughts as thoughts, emotions as
22970 emotions. It's just like riding a surfboard. You gradually develop the
22971 poise to cruise along on the roughest seas until, no longer immersed in
22972 the waves, you are riding on top of them. Of course you have to start
22973 with small waves until you get your balance. Then the higher the wave, the
22974 better! Likewise, when we begin to train in awareness, it is better if we
22975 have an atmosphere which is nonthreatening and peaceful. That's why people
22976 go on retreat. That's also a reason why people set aside regular sitting
22977 periods. But once we learn how to be balanced, we become like a surfer who
22978 finds that the bigger the wave, the greater the fun.
22979 -- Ani Tenzin Palmo, in "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on
22980 Practical Buddhism", Snow Lion Publications
22982 The word "mantra" means "mind-protection". It protects the mind from ordinary
22983 appearances and conceptions. "Mind" here refers to all six consciousnesses--
22984 eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mental consciousnesses--which are to be
22985 freed, or protected, from the ordinary world. There are two factors in mantra
22986 training, pride in oneself as a deity and vivid appearance of that deity.
22987 Divine pride protects one from the pride of being ordinary, and divine vivid
22988 appearance protects one from ordinary appearances. Whatever appears to the
22989 senses is viewed as the sport of a deity; for instance, whatever forms are
22990 seen are viewed as the emanations of a deity and whatever sounds are heard are
22991 viewed as the mantras of a deity. One is thereby protected from ordinary
22992 appearances, and through this transformation of attitude, the pride of being a
22993 deity emerges. Such protection of mind together with its attendant pledges
22994 and vows is called the practice of mantra.
22995 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins in "Tantra in Tibet",
22996 published by Snow Lion Publications
22998 There is nothing new under the sun, but there are
22999 lots of old things we don't know.
23002 Win hearts, and you have all men's hands and purses. -- William Cecil Burleigh
23004 Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world.
23005 Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
23008 He who wonders discovers that this in itself is wonder. -- M. C. Escher
23010 Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn,
23011 whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.
23014 Training in compassion has the capacity to be both profound and vast--both
23015 absolute and relative. Compassion has the quality of being approachable and
23016 at the same time ungraspable. It manifests both the quality of shunyata,
23017 emptiness, or egolessness, as well as the qualities of kindness and joyfulness.
23018 Therefore, from the Mahayana point of view, compassion is the most important
23019 practice we could ever engage in. It can lead us to the full realization of
23020 enlightenment without any need for other practices.
23021 -- from "Trainings in Compassion: Manuals on the Meditation of
23022 Avalokiteshvara", translated by Tyler Dewar under the guidance of The
23023 Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
23025 Question: If the root of all suffering is attachment, are the desire to have a
23026 family and the desire for liberation from suffering contradictory?
23028 Answer: I think that a distinction should be made between desires that are due
23029 to ignorance and desires that are reasoned. In Tibetan, a difference can be
23030 made between "wish" and "desire"; for instance a Bodhisattva is reborn through
23031 his or her own wishes, not out of desire. Similarly, it is suitable to aspire
23032 toward liberation. Also, persons, such as Foe Destroyers, who have completely
23033 overcome all of the afflictive emotions, have thoughts such as, "Such and such
23034 is good; I need it." Merely such thoughts are not afflictive consciousnesses.
23035 Similarly, if we consider the desire for a family, there are persons practicing
23036 the Bodhisattva path who have families; also, in the scriptures of discipline,
23037 Buddha himself set forth vows for lay persons and vows for monks. Hence, there
23038 is no general prohibition of the wish to have a family.
23039 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
23040 Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
23041 Snow Lion Publications
23043 In general, most non-Buddhist religions meditate on the deity as being outside
23044 the physical body. In these cases the deity takes the form of a refuge, or of
23045 a protector or messenger. Thus do they meditate, and of course this is fine.
23046 In the Buddhist tradition, however, the deity is not meditated on as being
23047 outside of the physical body. One meditates on the deity as being one's own
23048 essence expressing itself through oneself arising as the deity. One therefore
23049 thinks, "I am the deity," and with this conviction one meditates. Why is it
23050 justifiable to meditate in this manner? ...our own mind is in essence exactly
23051 the same as the mind of a Buddha. In the philosophical treatises this is
23052 sometimes referred to as "sugatagarbha" or "buddha-nature".
23053 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, in "Everyday Consciousness and Buddha-
23054 Awakening", translated and edited by Susanne Schefczyk, published by
23055 Snow Lion Publications
23057 If things did in fact exist the way they appear--if things did exist so
23058 concretely--then when one looked into and investigated them, this inherent
23059 existence should become even clearer, more obvious. However, when you seek
23060 for the object designated, you cannot find it under analysis.
23061 ...[That] which gives rise to the appearance of I is mind and body, but when
23062 you divide this into mind and body and look for the I, you cannot find it.
23063 Also the whole, body, is designated in dependence upon the collection of parts
23064 of the body; if you divide this into its parts and look for the body, you
23065 cannot find it either. Even the most subtle particles in the body have sides
23066 and hence parts. Were there something partless, it might be independent, but
23067 there is nothing that is partless. Rather, everything exists in dependence on
23068 its parts... There is no whole which is separate from its parts.
23069 ...No matter what the phenomenon is, internal or external, whether it be
23070 one's own body or any other type of phenomenon, when we search to discover
23071 what this phenomenon is that is designated, we cannot find anything that is it.
23072 ...However, these things appear to us as if they do exist objectively and in
23073 their own right, and thus there is a difference between the way things appear
23074 to our minds and the way they actually exist... Since phenomena appear to us
23075 in a way that is different from what we discover when analysing, this proves
23076 that their concrete appearance is due to a fault of our minds.
23077 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, translated and
23078 edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, from "Kindness,
23079 Clarity, and Insight" published by Snow Lion Publications
23081 The Buddhist notion of diligence is to delight in positive deeds. Its
23082 opposite, called "le lo" in Tibetan, has three aspects. Le lo is usually
23083 translated as "laziness," though only its first aspect refers to laziness as
23084 we usually understand it. The first aspect is not doing something because of
23085 indolence, even though we know that it is good and ought to be done. The
23086 second aspect is faintheartedness. This comes about when we underestimate our
23087 qualities and abilities, thinking, "I'm so incompetent and weak. It would be
23088 good to do that, but I could never accomplish it." Not having the confidence
23089 of thinking, "I can do it," we end up doing nothing. The third aspect refers
23090 to being very busy and seeming diligent, but wasting time and energy on
23091 meaningless activities that will not accomplish anything in the long run.
23092 When we do many things for no real purpose, we fail to focus on what is truly
23093 worthwhile and our path has no clear direction. When we refrain from these
23094 three aspects of laziness, we are diligent.
23095 -- Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, in "Daring Steps Toward Fearlessness: The Three
23096 Vehicles of Buddhism", edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs,
23097 published by Snow Lion Publications
23099 All events and incidents in life are so intimately linked with the fate of
23100 others that a single person on his or her own cannot even begin to act. Many
23101 ordinary human activities, both positive and negative, cannot even be
23102 conceived of apart from the existence of other people. Even the committing of
23103 harmful actions depends on the existence of others. Because of others, we
23104 have the opportunity to earn money if that is what we desire in life.
23105 Similarly, in reliance upon the existence of others it becomes possible for
23106 the media to create fame or disrepute for someone. On your own you cannot
23107 create any fame or disrepute no matter how loud you might shout. The closest
23108 you can get is to create an echo of your own voice.
23109 Thus interdependence is a fundamental law of nature. Not only higher forms
23110 of life but also many of the smallest insects are social beings who, without
23111 any religion, law, or education, survive by mutual cooperation based on an
23112 innate recognition of their interconnectedness. The most subtle level of
23113 material phenomena is also governed by interdependence. All phenomena, from
23114 the planet we inhabit to the oceans, clouds, forests, and flowers that
23115 surround us, arise in dependence upon subtle patterns of energy. Without
23116 their proper interaction, they dissolve and decay.
23117 -- Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in "The Compassionate Life"
23119 Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels
23120 ...a buddha is someone who has attained full enlightenment through the
23121 cultivation of compassion and the wisdom of no-self, the absence of self-
23122 existence. From our discussion we also saw how the Dharma jewel is to be
23123 understood as the path by which we can gradually accomplish the same result as
23124 the fully awakened Buddha. Likewise, the Sangha jewel is the community of
23125 sincere practitioners who have directly realised emptiness, the ultimate
23127 For those of us who consider ourselves to be practising Buddhists, it is
23128 crucial to have this kind of deeper understanding of the Three Jewels when we
23129 go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
23130 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Lighting the Way", published by Snow Lion
23132 Being Mindful of Impermanence
23134 Loved ones who have long kept company will part.
23135 Wealth created with difficulty will be left behind.
23136 Consciousness, the guest, will leave the guest house of the body.
23137 Let go of this life--
23138 This is the practice of Bodhisattvas.
23140 Although we have this human life with freedom and richness, which is so
23141 valuable and difficult to get, it cannot last forever. This is because it is
23142 not permanent and is subject to decay moment by moment. This life will
23143 eventually become non-existent because our body and mind will separate.
23144 Although death meditation involves reflecting on the moment by moment changing
23145 nature of our life, it principally entails recognizing that one day it will
23146 come to a complete stop and our mind will leave our body behind. Therefore,
23147 we must take the essence from this life each day and try to fulfill a great
23148 Dharma purpose because we will not have this opportunity for long.
23149 -- from "Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage: An Explanation of
23150 'The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas' ", by Geshe Jampa Tegchok,
23151 edited by Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
23153 What do we mean when we speak of a truly compassionate kindness? Compassion
23154 is essentially concern for others' welfare--their happiness and their
23155 suffering. Others wish to avoid misery as much as we do. So a compassionate
23156 person feels concerned when others are miserable and develops a positive
23157 intention to free them from it. As ordinary beings, our feeling of closeness
23158 to our friends and relatives is little more than an expression of clinging
23159 desire. It needs to be tempered, not enhanced. It is important not to
23160 confuse attachment and compassion.... A compassionate thought is motivated by
23161 a wish to help release beings from their misery.
23162 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Stages of Meditation", translated by Venerable
23163 Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and Jeremy Russell,
23164 published by Snow Lion Publications
23166 Tantric yogis succeed in their cultivation of wisdom more quickly than do
23167 practitioners of the Perfection Vehicle because the tantric yogi, employing
23168 deity yoga, can achieve a mind that is a union of calm abiding and special
23169 insight--a mind of alert one-pointedness that realizes emptiness--in far
23170 less time than the period of countless great aeons required for those who
23171 practice sutra paths alone. Tantric yogis use deity yoga to enhance
23172 meditation on emptiness; their use of deity yoga brings them more quickly to
23173 an initial direct cognition of emptiness by enhancing their ability to combine
23174 meditative stability with analysis.... Also, in Highest Yoga Tantra,
23175 powerful, subtle consciousnesses that realize emptiness are manifested,
23176 whereby the obstructions to liberation and omniscience are quickly overcome.
23177 -- Daniel Cozort, in "Highest Yoga Tantra", Snow Lion Publications
23179 Howard C. Cutler, MD:
23180 Is happiness a reasonable goal for most of us? Is it really possible?
23183 Yes. I believe that happiness can be achieved through training the mind.
23184 When I say "training the mind," in this context I'm not referring to "mind"
23185 merely as one's cognitive ability or intellect. Rather, I'm using the term
23186 in the sense of the Tibetan word Sem, which has a much broader meaning,
23187 closer to "psyche" or "spirit"; it includes intellect and feeling, heart
23188 and mind. By bringing about a certain inner discipline, we can undergo a
23189 transformation of our attitude, our entire outlook and approach to living.
23190 When we speak of this inner discipline, it can of course involve many things,
23191 many methods. But generally speaking, one begins by identifying those factors
23192 which lead to happiness and those factors which lead to suffering. Having
23193 done this, one then sets about gradually eliminating those factors which lead
23194 to suffering and cultivating those which lead to happiness. That is the way.
23195 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD, in "The Art of Happiness:
23196 A Handbook for Living", published by Snow Lion Publications
23198 It can be difficult to accept others and to accept ourselves. "I should be
23199 better. I should be something different. I should have more." All of this
23200 is conception; it's all mental fabrication. It's just the mind churning up
23201 "shoulds," "ought tos," and "supposed tos." All this is conceptual rubbish,
23202 and yet we believe it. Part of the solution is to recognize that these
23203 thoughts are conceptual rubbish and not reality; this gives us the mental
23204 space not to believe them. When we stop believing them, it becomes much
23205 easier to accept what we are at any given moment, knowing we will change in
23206 the next moment. We'll be able to accept what others are in one moment,
23207 knowing that they will be different in the next moment. This is good stuff
23208 for everyday practice; it's very practical.
23209 -- Thubten Chodron, in "How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator",
23210 published by Snow Lion Publications
23212 The nature of samsaric evolution is not such that death is followed by
23213 nothingness, nor that humans are always reborn as humans and insects as
23214 insects. On the contrary, we all carry within us the karmic potencies of all
23215 realms of cyclic existence. Many beings transmigrate from higher to lower
23216 realms, others from lower to higher. The selection of a place of rebirth is
23217 not directly in our own hands but is conditioned by our karma and delusions.
23218 They who possess spiritual understanding can control their destiny at the time
23219 of death, but for ordinary beings the process is very much an automatic chain
23220 reaction of karmic seeds and habitual psychic response patterns....
23221 Our repeated experience of frustration, dissatisfaction and misery does not
23222 have external conditions as its root cause. The problem is mainly our lack of
23223 spiritual development. As a result of this handicap, the mind is controlled
23224 principally by afflicted emotions and illusions. Attachment, aversion and
23225 ignorance rather than a free spirit, love and wisdom are the guiding forces.
23226 Recognizing this simple truth is the beginning of the spiritual path.
23227 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, edited and translated by Glenn H. Mullin, in
23228 "The Path to Enlightenment", published by Snow Lion Publications
23230 If persons who have attained calm abiding keep their minds in calm abiding,
23231 not only does the force of their meditative stabilization remain but their
23232 other good qualities increase and do not degenerate. Similarly, persons who
23233 have achieved special insight have clear perception not only with respect to
23234 the object of observation on which they have been meditating but also with
23235 respect to any other object to which they turn their minds. Persons who
23236 cultivate calm abiding but not special insight will gain the factor of
23237 stability but not that of an intense clarity; they will not be able to
23238 manifest any antidote to the afflictive emotions. One must achieve an
23239 intensity of clarity in order for anything to serve as an antidote to
23240 ignorance, and to achieve that clarity one must cultivate special insight.
23241 -- Geshe Gedun Lodro, in "Calm Abiding and Special Insight: Achieving
23242 Spiritual Transformation through Meditation", translated and edited
23243 by Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by Anne C. Klein and Leah Zahler,
23244 published by Snow Lion Publications
23246 If you haven't found something strange during the day,
23247 it hasn't been much of a day.
23250 Don't try to solve serious matters in the middle of the night.
23253 It is hypocrisy to say that all religions are the same. Different religions
23254 have different views and fundamental differences. But it does not matter, as
23255 all religions are meant to help in bringing about a better world with better
23256 and happier human beings. On this level, I think that through different
23257 philosophical explanations and approaches, all religions have the same goal
23258 and the same potential. Take the concept[s] of the creator and self-creation
23259 for instance. There are big differences between the two, but I feel they have
23260 the same purpose. To some people, the concept of the creator is very powerful
23261 in inspiring the development of self-discipline, becoming a good person with a
23262 sense of love, forgiveness and devotion to the ultimate truth--the Creator or
23264 The other concept is self-creation: if one wants to be good, then it is one's
23265 own responsibility to be so. Without one's own efforts one cannot expect
23266 something good to come about. One's future is entirely dependent on oneself:
23267 it is self-created. This concept is very powerful in encouraging an
23268 individual to be a good and honest person. So you see, the two are different
23269 approaches but have the same goal.
23270 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Live in a Better Way: Reflections on Truth, Love
23271 and Happiness", compiled and edited by Renuka Singh, published by Snow
23274 The wise perceive that all things--persons and phenomena--arise in reliance
23275 upon their own causes and conditions, and that based on this process we impute
23276 mental labels upon things. The phenomena themselves have no true or inherent
23277 existence from their own side. They have no self-nature whatsoever.
23278 Were persons or phenomena to have a self-presence, there would be no need
23279 for them to rely upon causes and conditions. Therefore one can be certain
23280 that even the smallest speck of matter has no true, inherent existence from
23282 Although all things lack even the smallest speck of true existence,
23283 nonetheless conventionally the laws of causes and conditions operate through
23284 them, and conventionally all the phenomena in samsara and nirvana seem to
23285 exist, arising in the same manner as do illusions, dreams and a reflected
23287 -- Glenn H. Mullin, in "The Six Yogas of Naropa: Tsongkhapa's commentary
23288 entitled 'A Book of Three Inspirations: A Treatise on the Stages of
23289 Training in the Profound Path of Naro's Six Dharmas' commonly referred
23290 to as 'The Three Inspirations' ", published by Snow Lion Publications
23292 | George of the Bungle |
23294 And finally, new rule: America must recall the president. That's what this
23295 country needs. A good old-fashioned, California-style, recall election!
23296 Complete with Gary Coleman, porno actresses and action film stars. And just
23297 like Schwarzenegger's predecessor here in California, George Bush is now so
23298 unpopular he must defend his job against... Russell Crowe. Because at this
23299 point I want a leader who will throw a phone at somebody. In fact, let's have
23300 only phone throwers--Naomi Campbell can be the vice-president!
23302 Now I kid, but seriously Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you
23303 anymore. There's no more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't
23304 start another war because you also used up the army. And now, darn the luck,
23305 the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor
23306 people. Yeah, listen to your Mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit card's
23307 maxed out, and no one's speaking to you: mission accomplished. Now it's time
23308 to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. Like you did
23309 with your military service. And the oil company. And the baseball team.
23310 It's time. Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How about cowboy
23313 Now I know what you're saying; you're saying that there's so many other
23314 things that you as President could involve yourself in... Please don't. I
23315 know, I know. There's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela... and
23316 eliminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space program over to the
23317 church... and Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving embryos the vote.
23319 But, Sir, none of that is going to happen now. Why? Because you govern
23320 like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised you haven't
23321 given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man. Herbert
23322 Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire metropolis
23323 to rising water and snakes. On your watch, we've lost almost all of our
23324 allies, the surplus, four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the
23325 Pentagon, and the City of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky!
23327 I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much
23328 worse it could be if you were on the other side. So, yes, God does speak to
23329 you... and what he is saying is: "Take a hint."
23331 -- Bill Maher on Real Time, October 2005
23333 We have the ability and the responsibility to choose to direct our actions
23334 on a virtuous path.
23335 When we weigh a particular act, to determine whether it is moral or
23336 spiritual, our criterion should be the quality of our motivation. When someone
23337 deliberately makes a resolution not to steal, if he or she is simply motivated
23338 by the fear of getting caught and being punished by the law, it is doubtful
23339 whether engaging in that resolution is a moral act, since moral considerations
23340 have not dictated his or her choice.
23341 In another instance, the resolution not to steal may be motivated by fear of
23342 public opinion: "What would my friends and neighbors think? All would scorn
23343 me. I would become an outcast." Though the act of making a resolution may be
23344 positive, whether it is a moral act is again doubtful.
23345 Now, the same resolution may be taken with the thought "If I steal, I am
23346 acting against the divine law of God." Someone else may think, "Stealing is
23347 nonvirtuous; it causes others to suffer." When such considerations motivate
23348 one, the resolution is moral or ethical; it is also spiritual. In the
23349 practice of Buddha's doctrine, if your underlying consideration in avoiding a
23350 nonvirtuous act is that it would thwart your attainment of a state
23351 transcending sorrow, such restraint is a moral act.
23352 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday
23353 Life", edited by Nicholas Vreeland
23355 A conventional enemy may harm us, but patience and a refusal to retaliate
23356 can bring us benefit both in this life and in the future. However, tolerance
23357 towards [our own] hostile disturbing emotions and attempts at peaceful
23358 coexistence with them will never bring us any reward. They will do us nothing
23359 but harm if we don't take steps to drive them out. No conventional enemy can
23360 do us such harm. The most an ordinary enemy can do is to defeat us for a
23361 short space of time or destroy us in this life, but the disturbing emotions
23362 will insure our misery for many lifetimes to come.
23364 All other foes that I appease and wait upon
23365 Will show me favors, give me every aid,
23366 But should I serve my dark defiled emotions,
23367 They will only harm me, draw me down to grief.
23368 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "Eight Verses for Training the Mind: An Oral
23369 Teaching", translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion
23372 There is a story about a princess who had a small eye problem that she felt
23373 was really bad. Being the king's daughter, she was rather spoiled and kept
23374 crying all the time. When the doctors wanted to apply medicine, she would
23375 invariably refuse any medical treatment and kept touching the sore spot on her
23376 eye. In this way it became worse and worse, until finally the king proclaimed
23377 a large reward for whoever could cure his daughter. After some time, a man
23378 arrived who claimed to be a famous physician, but actually was not even a
23380 He declared that he could definitely cure the princess and was admitted to
23381 her chamber. After he had examined her, he exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"
23382 "What is it?" the princess inquired. The doctor said, "There is nothing much
23383 wrong with your eye, but there is something else that is really serious." The
23384 princess was alarmed and asked, "What on earth is so serious?" He hesitated
23385 and said, "It is really bad. I shouldn't tell you about it." No matter how
23386 much she insisted, he refused to tell her, saying that he could not speak
23387 without the king's permission.
23388 When the king arrived, the doctor was still reluctant to reveal his findings.
23389 Finally the king commanded, "Tell us what is wrong. Whatever it is, you have
23390 to tell us!" At last the doctor said, "Well, the eye will get better within a
23391 few days--that is no problem. The big problem is that the princess will grow
23392 a tail, which will become at least nine fathoms long. It may start growing
23393 very soon. If she can detect the first moment it appears, I might be able to
23394 prevent it from growing." At this news everyone was deeply concerned. And the
23395 princess, what did she do? She stayed in bed, day and night, directing all
23396 her attention to detecting when the tail might appear. Thus, after a few
23397 days, her eye got well.
23398 This shows how we usually react. We focus on our little problem and it
23399 becomes the center around which everything else revolves. So far, we have
23400 done this repeatedly, life after life. We think, "My wishes, my interests, my
23401 likes and dislikes come first!" As long as we function on this basis, we will
23402 remain unchanged. Driven by impulses of desire and rejection, we will travel
23403 the roads of samsara without finding a way out. As long as attachment and
23404 aversion are our sources of living and drive us onward, we cannot rest.
23405 -- Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, in "Daring Steps toward Fearlessness: The Three
23406 Vehicles of Buddhism", edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, published
23407 by Snow Lion Publications
23409 buddha mind listens
23410 sound waves crashing over head
23413 time god shits in hand
23414 catapults distraction dung
23415 unstained mind abides
23417 Dr. Cutler: "... one of the reasons I brought up the topic of challenge at
23418 work," I said to the Dalai Lama, "is because it relates to a concept that
23419 seems to come up frequently these days in psychological literature, the
23420 concept of flow.* This concept is increasingly mentioned in articles on human
23421 happiness, and this state can commonly occur at work... while engaged in
23422 activity, there's a feeling of effortlessness, a sense of total control over
23423 what one is doing.... Although flow can occur in any activity, some
23424 investigators have found that Americans experience more flow at work than they
23425 do in their leisure time."
23427 The Dalai Lama: "You really like this flow, Howard!" the Dalai Lama exclaimed
23428 with an amused chuckle. "... no matter how nice that state may be, I don't
23429 think it is the most important source of satisfaction, fulfillment, or
23430 happiness.... For one thing, you can't be in that state at all times.... So
23431 through this flow, even if you get some temporary kind of happiness, it will
23432 not be an ongoing thing. I think this flow state is not reliable or
23433 sustainable, and I think it's much more important to develop other sources of
23434 satisfaction through one's work that are brought about by training one's mind,
23435 shaping one's outlook and attitude, integrating basic human values in the
23436 workplace. For example, dealing with one's destructive emotions while at
23437 work, reducing anger, jealousy, greed, and so on, and practicing relating to
23438 others with kindness, compassion, tolerance, these are much more important and
23439 stable sources of satisfaction than simply trying to create flow as much as
23442 Dr. Cutler: "...To the Dalai Lama, true happiness is associated with a sense
23443 of meaning, and arises on the basis of deliberately cultivating certain
23444 attitudes and outlooks. True happiness may take longer to generate, and
23445 requires some effort, but it is this lasting happiness that can sustain us
23446 even under the most trying conditions of everyday life."
23448 * flow is defined here as [people] being so completely absorbed in their work
23449 that they lose track of time.
23451 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., in "The Art of
23454 Dzogchen could be defined as a way to relax completely. This can be clearly
23455 understood from the terms used to denote the state of contemplation, such as
23456 "leave it just as it is" (cog bzhag), "cutting loose one's tension" (khregs
23457 chod), "beyond effort" (rtsol bral), and so on. Some scholars have classified
23458 Dzogchen as a "direct path," comparing it to teachings such as Zen, where this
23459 expression is often used. In Dzogchen texts, however, the phrases "direct
23460 path" and "nongradual path" (cig car) are never used, because the concept of a
23461 "direct path" implies necessarily that there must be, on the one hand, a place
23462 from which one departs, and on the other, a place where one arrives. But in
23463 Dzogchen there is a single principle of the state of knowledge, and if one
23464 possesses this state one discovers that right from the beginning one is
23465 already there where one wants to arrive. For this reason the state is said to
23466 be "self-perfected" (lhun grub).
23467 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, in "Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State", edited by
23468 Adriano Clemente, translated from the Italian by John Shane, published by
23469 Snow Lion Publications
23471 Since the situation in which we live is much changed but the attitude of
23472 people who are in that situation is at variance with the times, this is one of
23473 the causes of unnecessary pain, unnecessary problems. Therefore, education is
23474 needed to communicate that the concept of violence is counterproductive, that
23475 it is not a realistic way to solve problems, and that compromise is the only
23476 realistic way to solve problems. Right from the beginning, we have to make
23477 this reality clear to a child's mind--the new generation. In this way, the
23478 whole attitude towards oneself, towards the world, towards others, can become
23479 more healthy. I usually call this "inner disarmament." Without inner
23480 disarmament, it is very difficult to achieve genuine, lasting world peace.
23481 ...Through inner disarmament we can develop a healthy mental attitude, which
23482 also is very beneficial for physical health. With peace of mind, a calm mind,
23483 your body elements become more balanced. Constant worry, constant fear,
23484 agitation of mind, are very bad for health. Therefore, peace of mind not only
23485 brings tranquility in our mind but also has good effects on our body.
23486 With inner disarmament, now we need external disarmament. As I mentioned
23487 earlier, according to today's reality, there no longer is room for war, for
23488 destruction. From a compassionate viewpoint, destruction, killing others, and
23489 discriminating even against one's enemy are counterproductive. Today's enemy,
23490 if you treat them well, may become a good friend even the next day.
23491 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama in "The Art of Peace: Nobel Peace Laureates Discuss
23492 Human Rights, Conflict and Reconciliation", edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
23493 published by Snow Lion Publications
23495 What we do for ourselves dies with us.
23496 What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.
23499 Q: Where does hatred come from?
23501 A: That is a question which requires long hours of discussion. From the
23502 Buddhist viewpoint, the simple answer is that it is beginningless. As a
23503 further explanation, Buddhists believe that there are many different levels of
23504 consciousness. The most subtle consciousness is what we consider the basis of
23505 the previous life, this life and future lives. This subtle consciousness is
23506 a transient phenomenon which comes about as a consequence of causes and
23507 conditions. Buddhists have concluded that consciousness itself cannot be
23508 produced by matter. Therefore, the only alternative is to accept the
23509 continuation of consciousness. So that is the basis of the theory of rebirth.
23511 Where there is consciousness, ignorance and hatred also arise naturally.
23512 These negative emotions, as well as the positive emotions, occur right from
23513 beginningless time. All these are a part of our mind. However, these
23514 negative emotions actually are based on ignorance, which has no valid
23515 foundation. None of the negative emotions, no matter how powerful, have a
23516 solid foundation. On the other hand, the positive emotions, such as
23517 compassion or wisdom, have a solid basis: there is a kind of grounding and
23518 rootedness in reason and understanding, which is not the case with afflictive
23519 emotions like anger and hatred.
23521 The basic nature of the subtle consciousness itself is something neutral. So
23522 it is possible to purify or eliminate all of these negative emotions. That
23523 basic nature we call Buddha-nature. Hatred and negative emotions are
23524 beginningless; they have no beginning, but there is an end. Consciousness
23525 itself has no beginning and no end; of this we are certain.
23527 -- H.H. 14th Dalai Lama, in "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
23528 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by
23529 Snow Lion Publications
23531 When the sun is freed from clouds, the sun becomes clear and bright.
23532 Similarly, when obstructions to omniscience are abandoned, wisdom becomes
23534 How does wisdom that is like the sun in a sky free from clouds dawn? It
23535 is described as yogic direct perception. Between ordinary beings--those born
23536 in dependence upon their individual karma--and yogins, here we are considering
23537 yogins. Their wisdom is not speculation from an inferential point of view, as
23538 is the case with ordinary beings. Neither is it pensive and lacking in
23539 clarity. Rather, it sees directly, for which reason it is called yogic direct
23540 perception. When we ordinary beings think about a thing, there is something
23541 in the way, obstruction, due to which we do not see clearly and directly.
23542 When those obstructions--the afflictive obstructions and the obstructions to
23543 omniscience--have been dispelled, then knowledge arises as yogic direct
23545 When yogic direct perception arises, how does it see? It sees phenomena
23546 in a conventional context and it also sees reality in an ultimate context. In
23547 the conventional context, wisdom sees the shapes, colors, and defining
23548 characteristics of whatever things exist in worldly realms, individually and
23549 without mixing them, just as they are. This wisdom knows the varieties of
23550 phenomena. Similarly, in the context of reality, wisdom sees the meaning of
23551 emptiness directly; this wisdom knows the mode of all phenomena. In
23552 dependence upon release from the afflictive obstruction and the obstruction to
23553 omniscience, the wisdoms knowing the modes and the varieties actually arise.
23554 Someone in whom those two wisdoms are present is a buddha.
23556 -- Kenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, in "Essential Practice: Lectures on
23557 Kamalashila's 'Stages of Meditation in the Middle Way School' ",
23558 translated by Jules B. Levinson, published by Snow Lion Publications
23560 Sometimes people mistakenly look on vows and pledges as if these were a
23561 type of punishment, but this is not at all the case. For example, just as
23562 we follow certain methods of eating and drinking to improve our health and
23563 certainly not to punish ourselves, so the rules the Shakymuni Buddha
23564 formulated are for controlling counter-productive ill-deeds and ultimately for
23565 overcoming afflictive emotions, because these are self-ruinous. Thus, to
23566 relieve oneself from suffering, one controls the motivations and deeds
23567 producing suffering for one's own sake. Realizing from his own experience
23568 that suffering stems from one's own afflictive emotions as well as actions
23569 contaminated with them, he sets forth styles of behavior to reduce the problem
23570 for our own profit, certainly not to give us a hard time. Hence, these rules
23571 are for the sake of controlling sources of harm.
23572 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba, and Jeffrey Hopkins, in "Yoga Tantra:
23573 Paths to Magical Feats, published by Snow Lion Publications
23575 Giving with an open heart brings us joy and directly benefits others. Goods
23576 are then shared more equitably within our society and among nations, soothing
23577 the ill-feeling of social inequity and promoting world peace. Sharing is a
23578 source of our continued existence as a species. As His Holiness the Dalai
23579 Lama says, it is not survival of the fittest, but survival of those who
23580 cooperate the most, that makes a species prosper. None of us exists
23581 independently; we have to depend on others simply to stay alive. Thus,
23582 helping others and sharing wealth benefits both self and others. Generosity
23583 makes us happy now, enables our species to continue to prosper, and creates
23584 positive karma that brings us prosperity in the future. In addition, it is an
23585 essential trait of an enlightened being. Who ever heard of a stingy Buddha?
23586 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, in "How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator",
23587 published by Snow Lion Publications
23589 I have made the point in the past that it is not necessary to consider
23590 someone one's guru from the very outset simply because one has heard the
23591 explanation of the Buddha's teachings from that person. At first, it is much
23592 better if one does not have that kind of attitude toward them, simply
23593 regarding them as a Dharma-friend. One gets teachings, and time goes by.
23594 Then, when one feels that one knows that person quite well, and can take them
23595 as one's guru without any danger of transgressing the commitments that
23596 accompany such a relationship, when one has that kind of confidence, then one
23597 can go ahead and take him or her as one's guru. The Lord Buddha himself made
23598 it quite clear in both the Vinaya sutras and in the Mahayana scriptures, and
23599 even in the Tantrayana, in a very detailed fashion, what the qualities of a
23600 teacher should be. This is why I often criticize the Tibetan attitude of
23601 seeing whatever the guru does as good, of respecting everything that the guru
23602 does right from the start without the initial period of examination. Of
23603 course, if the guru is really qualified, then to have such an attitude is
23605 Take the cases of Naropa and Marpa, for example. Sometimes it appears as
23606 though some of the things Tilopa asked of Naropa, or Naropa of Marpa, were
23607 unreasonable. Deep down, however, these requests had great meaning. Because
23608 of their great faith in their gurus, Naropa and Marpa did as instructed.
23609 Despite the fact that they appeared to be unreasonable, because the teachers
23610 were qualified, their actions had some meaning. In such situations, it is
23611 necessary that from the disciple's side all of the actions of the teacher be
23612 respected. But this cannot be compared to the case of ordinary people.
23613 Broadly speaking, I feel that the Buddha gave us complete freedom of choice to
23614 thoroughly examine the person who is to be our guru. This is very important.
23615 Unless one is definite, one should not take them as a guru. This preliminary
23616 examination is a kind of precautionary measure.
23617 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists", edited
23618 by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
23620 13. Transforming suffering into the path
23621 Even if someone tries to cut off your head
23622 When you haven't done the slightest thing wrong,
23623 Out of compassion take all his misdeeds
23625 This is the practice of Bodhisattvas.
23626 -- from "The Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas"
23627 by Gyelsay Togme Sangpo
23628 Although we have done nothing to deserve it, someone may attack us, beat
23629 us, or perpetrate other forms of violence on us. Certainly it is tempting to
23630 get angry in such a situation, but our anger will do no good. In fact, this
23631 person is creating the cause for his own unfortunate rebirth by attacking us,
23632 and the karma he creates is even heavier if we hold any of the three sets of
23633 vows: pratimoksha, Bodhisattva, or tantric. Thus, we cultivate compassion,
23634 and wish to take the person's karma and resultant suffering on ourselves. For
23635 example, if a crazy person attacks a person who is sane, the latter will not
23636 only not fight back but try to help, by giving him medicine and wanting him to
23637 get well. The sane person sees that the crazy person does not know what he is
23638 doing. He is out of control.
23639 Similarly, when someone harms us, we should recognize that he too is out
23640 of control and is being led by his three poisonous attitudes. Similarly, we
23641 can remember that we are experiencing the ripening result of harmful actions
23642 we did in past lives, so why blame the other person? In addition, that person
23643 is causing our negative karma to be exhausted now, rather than later when the
23644 result could be much more difficult to bear. In this way, we will not be
23645 angry or retaliate, but will pray for and try to help the other. In "The
23646 Eight Verses of Thought Transformation," it says, "Whenever I meet a person of
23647 bad nature who is overwhelmed by negative energy and intense suffering, I will
23648 hold such a rare one dear, as if I had found a precious treasure." People like
23649 this suffer greatly because they think only of themselves, not of others, and
23650 thus they are worthy of compassion, the wish that they be free from suffering
23652 Being patient when harmed by others does not mean that we take no action
23653 to prevent harm from occurring. Rather, patience frees our mind from the fog
23654 of anger and gives us the clarity and kindness to respond to a situation in a
23655 helpful way. Free of anger, we look for ways to resolve conflict other than
23657 -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, in "Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage:
23658 An Explanation of 'The Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas' ", edited
23659 by Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
23661 Some people run a race to see who is the fastest.
23662 I run a race to see who has the most guts.
23663 -- Steve Prefontaine
23665 Shantideva expresses tremendous courage, which transcends all boundaries
23666 of space and time, in a verse of his "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life"
23667 (Bodhicaryavatara). He writes:
23668 As long as space endures,
23669 As long as sentient beings remain,
23670 Until then, may I too remain
23671 And dispel the miseries of the world.
23672 When the altruistic intention is supported by insight into emptiness, and
23673 particularly by the direct realization of emptiness, one is said to have
23674 attained the two dimensions of bodhichitta which are known as conventional and
23675 ultimate bodhichitta. With both these practices of compassion and wisdom, the
23676 practitioner has within his or her hands the complete method for attaining the
23677 highest spiritual goal. Such a person is truly great and worthy of
23679 If one is able to cultivate these spiritual qualities within oneself then,
23680 as Chandrakirti writes very poetically in his Entry to the Middle Way
23681 (Madhyamakavatara), with one wing of altruistic intention and another wing of
23682 insight into emptiness, one can traverse the whole of space and soar beyond
23683 the state of existence to the shores of fully enlightened buddhahood.
23684 ...make an effort to contemplate, study and meditate, but without any
23685 shortsighted expectations. You should have the same attitude as Shantideva --
23686 that as long as space exists you will remain to dispel suffering in the world.
23687 When you have that kind of determination and courage to develop your capacity,
23688 then a hundred years, an aeon, a million years are nothing to you.
23689 Furthermore, you will not consider that the different human problems we have
23690 here and there are in any way insurmountable. Such an attitude and vision
23691 bring some kind of real inner strength.
23692 -- H.H. the XIV Dalai Lama, in "Transforming the Mind: Teachings on
23693 Generating Compassion", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, edited by
23694 Dominique Side and Geshe Thupten Jinpa.
23696 The Tantric Way of Purifying One's Views
23697 The second important attitude is the Tantric way of purifying one's views,
23698 which means to transform one's ordinary and dualistic views and conceptions
23699 into a higher spiritual vision.
23700 For instance, you transform the place where teachings are received from an
23701 ordinary classroom into a complete and perfected mandala of the deities. You
23702 view the teacher as a pure form of Shen Lha Okar, the Buddha of Compassion, by
23703 mentally transforming him from an ordinary person into an enlightened one who
23704 has manifested in a human body to guide all sentient beings. You transform
23705 your companions and classmates from ordinary beings into deities and
23706 goddesses, and believe that they all have love, compassion, and care for all
23708 The purpose of transforming your views into pure visions toward these
23709 objects is to realize the extraordinary nature of this experience. This gives
23710 you a special reason to receive blessings and powers from the teacher (lama),
23711 the enlightened ones (Sangye), the deities (yidam), and the female
23712 manifestations of the enlightened ones (khadro), in order to develop your
23713 wisdom and stability. This is the essence of the practice of purifying one's
23714 view according to the Tantric ways.
23715 -- Latri Khenpo and Geshe Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche, in "Opening the Door to
23716 Bon", published by Snow Lion Publications
23718 MENSA: My Ego Never Stops Aching
23720 ...more people are driven insane through religious hysteria
23721 than by drinking alcohol.
23724 Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will
23725 satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good.
23728 Desire is the source of endless problems. The more desires we have, the more
23729 we have to plan and work hard to realize them. Some time ago a businessman
23730 told me that the more he developed his company, the more he felt like making
23731 it even bigger. And the more he tried to make it bigger, the more he found he
23732 had to lie and fight mercilessly against his competitors. He had come to
23733 realize that wanting more and more made no sense, and that he only had to
23734 reduce the size of his business for competition to become less fierce so he
23735 would be able to carry out his work honestly. I found his testimony very
23737 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "365 Dalai Lama: Daily Advice from the Heart",
23738 edited by Matthieu Ricard, translated by Christian Bruyat and Dominique
23741 I--What Is a Treasure?
23742 According to the Nyingma School, the Treasures are most often comprised of
23743 spiritual instructions concealed by enlightened beings for the purpose of
23744 discovery at a later predestined time when their message will invigorate the
23745 Buddhist teaching and deepen spiritual understanding. Central to this process
23746 is the figure of the Treasure revealer (gter ston)--the person who acts as a
23747 medium for the re-emergence of this inspired material into the human world.
23748 Accordingly, beginning in the eleventh century and continuing into the
23749 present, the Nyingma School identifies a large number of Treasure revealers
23750 and grants authoritative status to their discoveries.
23751 The idea that religious truth lies concealed within the world of phenomena
23752 awaiting discovery by spiritually gifted people is by no means a concept
23753 exclusive to the Nyingma School or Tibetan Buddhism as a whole. Throughout
23754 Buddhist literature there are numerous descriptions of teachings being
23755 inherently present in the phenomenal world ready to be perceived by
23756 individuals possessing inspired levels of consciousness and, accordingly,
23757 spiritual revelations have surfaced on numerous occasions throughout the
23758 course of Buddhist history.
23759 -- Andreas Doctor, in "Tibetan Treasure Literature: Revelation, Tradition,
23760 and Accomplishment in Visionary Buddhism", Snow Lion Publications
23762 Patricia Churchland: But do you think that there is something, I am not sure
23763 what to call it--a kind of awareness that can exist independently of the
23764 brain? For example, something that survives death?
23766 Dalai Lama: Generally speaking, awareness, in the sense of our familiar, day-
23767 to-day mental processes, does not exist apart from or independent of the
23768 brain, according to the Buddhist view. But Buddhism holds that the cause of
23769 this awareness is to be found in a preceding continuum of awareness, and that
23770 is why one speaks of a stream of awareness from one life to another. Whence
23771 does this awareness arise initially? It must arise fundamentally not from a
23772 physical base but from a preceding continuum of awareness.
23774 The continuum of awareness that conjoins with the fetus does not depend upon
23775 the brain. There are some documented cases of advanced practitioners whose
23776 bodies, after death, escape what happens to everyone else and do not decompose
23777 for some time--for two or three weeks or even longer. The awareness that
23778 finally leaves their body is a primordial awareness that is not dependent upon
23779 the body. There have been many accounts in the past of advanced practitioners
23780 remaining in meditation in this subtle state of consciousness when they died,
23781 and decomposition of their body was postponed although the body remained at
23783 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations
23784 with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara
23785 Houshmand, Robert B. Livingston and B. Alan Wallace, Snow Lion
23788 The real source of my suffering is self-centeredness: my car, my possession,
23789 my well-being. Without the self-centeredness, the suffering would not arise.
23790 What would happen instead? It is important to imagine this fully and to focus
23791 on examples of your own. Think of some misfortune that makes you want to lash
23792 out, that gives rise to anger or misery. Then imagine how you might respond
23793 without suffering. Recognize that we need not experience the misery, let
23794 alone the anger, resentment, and hostility. The choice is ours.
23796 Let's continue with the previous example. You see that there is a dent in the
23797 car. What needs to be done? Get the other driver's license number, notify
23798 the police, contact the insurance agency, deal with all the details. Simply
23799 do it and accept it. Accept it gladly as a way to strengthen your mind
23800 further, to develop patience and the armor of forbearance. There is no way to
23801 become a Buddha and remain a vulnerable wimp. Patience does not suddenly
23802 appear as a bonus after full enlightenment. Part of the whole process of
23803 awakening is to develop greater forbearance and equanimity in adversity.
23804 Santideva, in the sixth chapter of his Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life,
23805 eloquently points out that there is no way to develop patience without
23806 encountering adversity, and patience is indispensable for our own growth on
23807 the path to awakening.
23808 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "The Seven-Point Mind Training", edited by Zara
23809 Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
23811 In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. -- Aristotle
23813 Now the kilt was only for day-to-day wear. In battle, we donned a full-length
23814 ball gown covered in sequins. The idea was to blind your opponent with luxury.
23815 -- Groundskeeper Willie
23817 Dayata (Om) Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Swaha.
23819 A mantra is that which protects the mind. Through this mantra, which is the
23820 perfection of wisdom itself, we can overcome the demon of ignorance that
23821 possesses us and find unsurpassable happiness. It protects the minds of those
23822 who practice it from all fears and describes how to make the transition from
23823 worldly existence to the supreme state beyond sorrow. It is a mantra of great
23824 knowledge because it saves us from the poison of ignorance and its imprints.
23825 It is an unsurpassable mantra because it frees us from suffering and its
23826 causes as no other path of insight can. The incomparable is the state beyond
23827 suffering. Since it helps us to attain that state, it is comparable to the
23828 incomparable. It totally pacifies suffering because it rids us of all the
23829 troubles of the world and their causes. The world here refers to ordinary
23830 beings like us. Our troubles are many but foremost are birth, aging,
23831 sickness, and death. This mantra does not deceive us and it is true because
23832 wisdom sees things as they actually are without any error or deception. It is
23833 therefore transcendent.
23834 -- from "The Heart Sutra: An Oral Teaching by Geshe Sonam Rinchen",
23835 translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
23837 I am interested not in converting other people to Buddhism but in how we
23838 Buddhists can contribute to human society, according to our own ideas. I
23839 believe that other religious faiths also think in a similar way, seeking to
23840 contribute to the common aim....
23842 Just as Buddha showed an example of contentment, tolerance, and serving others
23843 without selfish motivation, so did Jesus Christ. Almost all of the great
23844 teachers lived a saintly life--not luxuriously like kings or emperors but as
23845 simple human beings. Their inner strength was tremendous, limitless, but the
23846 external appearance was of contentment with a simple way of life.
23848 ...the motivation of all religious practice is similar--love, sincerity,
23849 honesty. The way of life of practically all religious persons is contentment.
23850 The teachings of tolerance, love, and compassion are the same. A basic goal
23851 is the benefit of humankind--each type of system seeking in its own unique
23852 ways to improve human beings. If we put too much emphasis on our own
23853 philosophy, religion, or theory, are too attached to it, and try to impose it
23854 on other people, it makes trouble. Basically all the great teachers, such as
23855 Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, or Mohammed, founded their new teachings with a
23856 motivation of helping their fellow humans. They did not mean to gain anything
23857 for themselves nor to create more trouble or unrest in the world.
23859 Most important is that we respect each other and learn from each other those
23860 things that will enrich our own practice. Ever if all the systems are
23861 separate, since they each have the same goal, the study of each other is
23863 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness", compiled
23864 and edited by Sidney Piburn, published by Snow Lion Publications
23866 Our teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, is one among the thousand Buddhas of this
23867 aeon. These Buddhas were not Buddhas from the beginning, but were once
23868 sentient beings like ourselves. How they came to be Buddhas is this.
23869 Of body and mind, mind is predominant, for body and speech are under the
23870 influence of the mind. Afflictions such as desire do not contaminate the
23871 nature of the mind, for the nature of the mind is pure, uncontaminated by any
23872 taint. Afflictions are peripheral factors of a mind, and through gradually
23873 transforming all types of defects, such as these afflictions, the adventitious
23874 taints can be completely removed. This state of complete purification is
23875 Buddhahood; therefore, Buddhists do not assert that there is any Buddha who
23876 has been enlightened from the beginning.
23877 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Buddhism of Tibet: The Dalai Lama",
23878 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion
23881 ...everbody thinks that compassion is important, and everyone has
23882 compassion. True enough, but the Buddha gave uncommon quintessential
23883 instructions when he taught the methods for cultivating compassion, and the
23884 differences are extraordinarily important.
23885 Generally, everyone feels compassion, but the compassion is flawed. In
23886 what way? We measure it out. For instance, some feel compassion for human
23887 beings but not for animals and other types of sentient beings. Others feel
23888 compassion for animals and some other types of sentient beings but not for
23889 humans. Others, who feel compassion for human beings, feel compassion for the
23890 human beings of their own country but not for the human beings of other
23891 countries. Then, some feel compassion for their friends but not for anyone
23892 else. Thus, it seems that we draw a line somewhere. We feel compassion for
23893 those on one side of the line but not for those on the other side of the line.
23894 We feel compassion for one group but not for another. That is where our
23895 compassion is flawed. What did the Buddha say about that? It is not
23896 necessary to draw that line. Nor is it suitable. Everyone wants compassion,
23897 and we can extend our compassion to everyone.
23898 -- Kenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, in "Lectures on Kamalashila's 'Stages of
23899 Meditation in the Middle Way School' ", translated by Jules B. Levinson,
23900 published by Snow Lion Publications
23902 4. Seven-Limbed Practice
23904 The seven parts of the practice are encompassed by two practices--the
23905 purification of negativities and the enhancing of the store of merit. When
23906 you engage in the practice, it is very important to understand that each and
23907 every one of the seven limbs has its individual purpose and significance, and
23908 only with such knowledge can you engage properly in the practice. The seven
23909 limbs are: prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting to turn
23910 the wheel of the dharma, entreating not to enter into nirvana, and dedication
23912 ...For the practice of confession, which is the third of the seven limbs,
23913 it is very important to have the factor of regret; without this factor there
23914 is no possibility of purifying the negativities.... The great yogi Milarepa
23915 said: "When I examined whether or not confession could purify the
23916 negativities, I found that it is regret that cleanses them." In order to
23917 generate regret, it is important to see the destructive nature of negative
23918 actions and also to understand the law of causality.
23919 Based on a disciplined mind, we experience happiness; based on an
23920 undisciplined, untamed mind, we undergo suffering. We should think that if we
23921 are not able to make any progress from our present state of mind, which always
23922 indulges in negative thoughts, there is not much hope for us. So, if we are
23923 able to think in such terms, we will be able to really see the destructive
23924 nature of negative actions, and also that the store of negative actions that
23925 we have is inexhaustible, like a rich person's bank balance. Without the
23926 recognition of the destructive nature of the negative forces, we will never be
23927 able to develop the deep factor of regret from the depth of our hearts.
23928 If we do not engage in a proper practice of dharma, it seems that we may
23929 expend all our store of merit in mundane pleasures. It is very important to
23930 have this faculty of regret in our practice of purification and confession.
23931 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), in "The Path to Bliss: A Practical
23932 Guide to Stages of Meditation", translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa,
23933 edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
23935 9. Glorious Lama (excerpt)
23937 ...Those with faith have a refuge.
23938 Those with compassion have an altruistic attitude.
23939 Those with incisive knowledge have realization.
23940 Those with respect and devotion have blessings.
23942 Those with shame avoid carelessness.
23943 Those who avoid carelessness have a guarded mind.
23944 Those who have a guarded mind have vows and samaya.
23945 Those who have vows and samaya have spiritual attainments.
23947 Calm and self-control are signs of listening to the Dharma;
23948 Few passions, signs of meditation;
23949 Harmony with everyone is the sign of a practitioner;
23950 Your mind at ease, the sign of accomplishment.
23952 The root of phenomena is your own mind.
23953 If you tame your mind, you are a practitioner.
23954 If you are a practitioner, your mind is tamed.
23955 When your mind is tamed, that is liberation.
23956 -- Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, in "Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart
23957 Advice", translated by Ron Garry, published by Snow Lion Publications
23959 The Special Features of Dzogchen
23961 In the early translation school of the Nyingma, a system of nine yanas is
23962 taught. Three of these--the paths of the Sravaka, pratyekabuddha, and
23963 bodhisattva--constitute the sutra tradition, while the tantric tradition
23964 consists of six levels--the three outer tantras and the three inner tantras.
23965 The tradition of Dzogchen, or Atiyoga, is considered to be the pinnacle of
23966 these nine yanas. The other, lower, yanas are said to be philosophical
23967 systems that depend on ordinary consciousness, and so the path is based on
23968 that ordinary consciousness. Here the distinction being made is between
23969 ordinary mind--sem--and pure awareness--rigpa. The ninth yana, the most
23970 majestic, is beyond ordinary consciousness, for its path is based on rigpa,
23971 not on the ordinary mind.
23972 Throughout beginningless time, there has always been present, within us
23973 all, a pure awareness--that in-dwelling rigpa which in Atiyoga is evoked in
23974 all its nakedness, and which constitutes the practice.
23975 ...The ground for all the phenomena of samsara and nirvana is the
23976 fundamental innate mind of clear light, and these phenomena are its radiance
23977 or display. While we are following the path, in order for all the impure
23978 aspects of our experience to be purified on the basis of that rigpa--or, you
23979 can say, that fundamental innate mind of clear light--there is no other means
23980 apart from that fundamental and innate state itself, which is therefore the
23981 very essence of the path. Finally, when the fruition is made fully evident,
23982 it is just this fundamental innate mind of clear light itself, free from
23983 obscuration, that constitutes the attainment of fruition.
23984 ...Any given state of consciousness is permeated by the clear light of
23985 rigpa's pure awareness. However solid ice may be, it never loses its true
23986 nature, which is water. In the same way, even very obvious concepts... arise
23987 within the expanse of rigpa and that is where they dissolve. On this point,
23988 Dodrupchen Jikme Tenpe Nyima says that all objects of knowledge are permeated
23989 by clear light, just as a sesame seed is permeated by its oil. Therefore,
23990 even while the coarser states of the six consciousnesses are functioning,
23991 their subtle aspect--that of clear light--can be directly introduced by means
23992 of those states themselves, through blessings and through pith instructions.
23993 Here lies the extraordinary and profound implication of the Dzogchen
23994 teachings. When you are basing your path on the fundamental innate mind of
23995 clear light, you will employ skilful means to block the coarse and subtle
23996 states of energy and mind, as a result of which the state of clear light
23997 becomes evident, and on this you base your path. But in Dzogchen, even while
23998 the six consciousnesses are fully functioning, by means of those very states
23999 you can be directly introduced to their subtle aspect of clear light in your
24000 immediate experience, and you then meditate by focusing one-pointedly on that
24001 aspect. As you meditate in this way, resting in this non-conceptual state,
24002 gradually your experience of clear light becomes increasingly profound, while
24003 coarser thoughts and concepts dwindle away.
24004 The most difficult task is to differentiate between ordinary mind and
24005 rigpa. It is easy enough to talk about it. You can say, for example, that
24006 rigpa has never been confused, while ordinary mind has fallen under the
24007 influence of concepts and is mired in confusion. But to be introduced to the
24008 direct experience of the essence of rigpa is far from being easy. And so
24009 Dodrupchen says that although your arrogance might be such that you assume you
24010 are meditating on the ultimate meaning of rigpa, there is a danger that "you
24011 could end up meditating on the clear, empty qualities of your ordinary mind,
24012 which even non-Buddhist practitioners are capable of doing." He is warning us
24014 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
24015 Perfection", translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa and Richard Barron
24016 (Chokyi Nyima), edited by Patrick Gaffney, pub. by Snow Lion Publications
24018 Patience is like a beautiful ornament. When you become a person with
24019 great patience, it brings a certain element of charm to your life. You are
24020 loved by others, and you give no problems to your friends. You bring an
24021 element of joy, happiness, and calmness to other people's lives--your friends,
24022 your family, and the community. You do not have to ask to be accepted;
24023 everyone longs for your presence. Everyone looks up to you and respects you,
24024 not because you have worked for that or expected it, not because you were
24025 competing for their favor, but simply because of the nature of patience. You
24026 are respected and trusted, and you acquire dignity with the practice of
24027 patience. When you are honored, it is with sincerity, and it is something you
24029 ...Just hearing about patience does not mean you are experiencing it now
24030 or will easily develop it. To lay the ground for training the mind, you must
24031 first tame the mind. To tame the mind, it is extremely important to do the
24032 basic shamata [tranquility meditation, calm abiding] practice, which develops
24033 calmness and tranquility. Then you can add the practice of patience,
24034 understanding the benefits of patience and reminding yourself to take
24035 advantage of the available antidotes.
24036 -- Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, in "Dharma Paths", translated by Ngodup
24037 Burkhar and Chojor Radha, edited by Laura M. Roth, published by Snow Lion
24040 No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of
24041 policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets.
24044 We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
24045 -- Winston Churchill
24047 If the government would make up its mind to require for every child a good
24048 education, it might save itself the trouble of providing one. It might leave
24049 to parents to obtain the education where and how they pleased, and content
24050 itself with helping to pay the school fees of the poorer classes of children,
24051 and defraying the entire school expenses of those who have no one else to pay
24055 First, God created idiots.
24056 That was just for practice.
24057 Then He created school boards.
24060 Whence it comes to pass, that for not having chosen the right course,
24061 we often take very great pains, and consume a good part of our time in
24062 training up children to things, for which, by their natural constitution,
24063 they are totally unfit.
24066 There are two types of education...
24067 One should teach us how to make a living,
24068 And the other how to live.
24071 We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for ten or
24072 fifteen years, and come out at last with a belly full of words and
24073 do not know a thing.
24074 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
24076 The Sanskrit word for compassion, karuna, has the implication of "that
24077 which blocks or prevents bliss." In general, when we develop compassion, we
24078 develop very strongly the attitude that cannot bear the suffering of other
24079 beings. We wish for it to end and for them to become free. Although we do
24080 not actually experience others' suffering at that time, the strength of the
24081 attitude that cannot bear their suffering causes our mind also to become
24082 unhappy. This is the general sense in which compassion blocks bliss....
24083 Only the power of a union of method and wisdom--namely the union of
24084 compassion, as a greatly blissful awareness, and the discriminating awareness
24085 of voidness--allows us to attain the total release of supreme nirvana, namely
24087 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra", with
24088 Alexander Berzin, published by Snow Lion Publications
24090 There is a tradition of reciting prayers of request to the spiritual
24091 teachers of the lineage at the beginning of each study session, starting with
24092 the Buddha Shakyamuni and ending with our own personal teachers. What do we
24093 request? As we chant each verse, we take to mind the inspiring qualities of
24094 the great masters mentioned in it and ask them to bless us to develop
24095 compassion, wisdom and power similar to their own. Blessings are experienced
24096 in the form of a transformation which affects our body, speech and mind. Our
24097 mind becomes more serviceable and flexible, our way of speaking and acting
24098 more constructive. We become more open to the message of how to bring about
24099 inner transformation that has been handed down through this long line of
24100 spiritual teachers.
24101 Our teachers pass on the instructions they have received from their own
24102 teachers, the knowledge they have culled from their reading and everything
24103 they have understood and experienced as a result of their personal practice,
24104 without holding anything back. They are motivated by compassion and their
24105 deep wish to help us. To communicate it to us they choose whatever means are
24106 most effective--sometimes stern, sometimes gentle. This process must take
24107 place in an atmosphere of mutual trust, something very rare in relationships
24108 today. In the past the relationship between students and teachers was even
24109 closer and more trusting than that between siblings--and in Tibet brothers and
24110 sisters generally enjoyed a close and loving bond. Today this is a dying
24111 tradition, yet a good relationship between student and teacher is vital even
24112 for the communication of secular knowledge, let alone where spiritual wisdom
24114 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment: An
24115 Oral Teaching", translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow
24118 We have happiness of mind and freedom from anxiety to just the degree that
24119 our minds are tamed.... Once we want happiness and do not want suffering, we
24120 should engage in the means to achieve happiness and eliminate suffering.
24121 Practice is based on reasoning, not force; it is up to oneself.
24122 The time for engaging in these techniques is now. Some feel, "I did not
24123 succeed in this lifetime; I will ask a lama for help in my future life." To
24124 think that we will practise in the future is only a hope. It is foolish to
24125 feel that the next life will be as suitable as this. No matter how bad our
24126 condition is now, since we have a human brain, we can think; since we have a
24127 mouth, we can recite mantra. No matter how old one may be, there is time for
24128 practice. However, when we die and are reborn, we are unable even to recite
24129 om mani padme hum. Thus, it is important to make all effort possible at this
24130 time when we have obtained the precious physical life-support of a human.
24131 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Hopkins, in "Deity Yoga: In Action and
24132 Performance Tantra by Tsong-ka-pa", published by Snow Lion Publications
24134 How would we feel if one of our children was overpowered by a serious disease
24135 and did some terrible things without knowing what he or she was doing? We
24136 should try to view someone dear who suddenly hurts us in the same light. If
24137 we can see that person is out of control and sick with negative emotions, we
24138 will not feel so much hatred and disgust. There may be resentment, and we may
24139 not be able to love that person more than before, but almost automatically
24140 there will be a certain sympathy that will lessen or end our hatred and allow
24142 -- Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, in "Daring Steps Toward Fearlessness: The Three
24143 Vehicles of Buddhism", edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, published
24144 by Snow Lion Publications
24146 Compassion is a theme the Dalai Lama returns to over and over again. I
24147 also know he has meditated on compassion every morning without fail for the
24148 past half century. In an interview, I asked the Dalai Lama to give me his
24149 take on compassion. Lhakdor [his translator], as usual, was by his side.
24150 "Compassion is something like a sense of caring, a sense of concern for
24151 others' difficulties and pain," the Dalai Lama said. "Not only family and
24152 friends, but all other people. Enemies also. Now, if we really analyze our
24153 feelings, one thing becomes clear. If we think only of ourselves, forget
24154 about other people, then our minds occupy a very small area. Inside that
24155 small area, even a tiny problem appears very big. But the moment you develop
24156 a sense of concern for others, you realize that, just like ourselves, they
24157 also want happiness; they also want satisfaction. When you have this sense of
24158 concern, your mind automatically widens. At this point, your own problems,
24159 even big problems, will not be so significant. The result? Big increase in
24160 peace of mind. So, if you think only of yourself, only your own happiness,
24161 the result is actually less happiness. You get more anxiety, more fear."
24162 "I was thirty-two years old when I developed a strong experience of
24163 compassion," he told me.... "Often when I reflect on the meaning and benefits
24164 of altruistic mind, tears came." Lhakdor translated: "...When he meditated on
24165 compassion, he would sometimes be filled with joy and appreciation. And there
24166 is a strong sense of concern for others accompanied by a feeling of
24167 sadness.... And when His Holiness reflected on certain profound explanations
24168 on emptiness, this would also trigger a strong emotion."
24169 "I think that strong conviction or strong emotions actually give more
24170 inner strength," the Dalai Lama explained. "So when I face some problems or
24171 criticism, for example, criticism from the Chinese, of course, little
24172 irritation sometimes..." "But then he'll have this feeling of compassion for
24173 them," Lhakdor translated. "He'll regret they're not making positive
24174 connection with him. But his sentiment is, although there is this negativity,
24175 may it also give positive fruit."
24176 "Now, the understanding of emptiness helps a lot toward developing
24177 compassion. There's no doubt it reinforces compassion," the Dalai Lama said.
24178 Lhakdor elaborated: "Emptiness allows us to have an understanding about
24179 ultimate reality. It helps us to appreciate the wisdom of interdependence--a
24180 fundamental law of nature. We gain an appreciation that we are all basically
24181 related. It is because of this interrelatedness that we are able to empathize
24182 with the suffering of others. With empathy, compassion flows naturally. We
24183 develop genuine sympathy for others' suffering and the will to help remove
24184 their pain. Emptiness thus strengthens positive emotions like compassion."
24185 Emptiness and compassion. Wisdom and method. These are the twin pillars
24186 of the Dalai Lama's practice--everything we need to know about spiritual
24187 practice. Both qualities are needed; they strengthen each other. Once we
24188 realize we are all interconnected, it is difficut not to feel some of
24189 compassion for the problems of our fellow human beings. And once we come by
24190 a feeling of compassion, we start to get a glimpse of the timeless truth of
24191 interdependence, of emptiness.
24192 The Dalai Lama looked thoughtful. After some time, he turned to me, "I
24193 think one thing I'm quite sure," he said. "I can tell you, the twin practice
24194 of emptiness and compassion is... effective." Then he lapsed into Tibetan
24195 again. Lhakdor translated. "His Holiness can say with conviction: if you
24196 meditate on emptiness and compassion, so long as you make the effort, then His
24197 Holiness is sure that, day in and day out, you will get tangible benefit.
24198 Your whole attitude will change." "....These things about compassion are
24199 something living--according to my own experience," the Dalai Lama went on. "I
24200 tell some of my experiences to other people, share some of my feelings, then
24201 other people understand: there is something real, something living."
24202 -- from "The Wisdom of Forgiveness: Intimate Conversations and Journeys by"
24203 His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan, published by Snow Lion
24206 ...it is difficult to recognize an authentic teacher, because these
24207 qualities are internal. We can not depend upon external factors, but external
24208 factors are what we see. It is very difficult to see the inner qualities of
24209 another person. A businessman might be friendlier to us than our best friend,
24210 while his unseen motivation is merely to make a sale. Likewise, if a
24211 "teacher" acts in a very kind and loving manner towards us it does not
24212 necessarily mean that he is compassionate and selfless, because we cannot see
24213 his motivation. We also cannot determine a teacher's qualifications based
24214 upon her fame, or whether she has thousands of students. So the seeker is
24215 left with this paradox.
24216 There is no simple solution, but there are things we can do. First, it is
24217 important that we familiarize ourselves with the characteristics* discussed by
24218 Kongtrul Rinpoche. Second, we must maintain awareness of our own motivation
24219 during the process of finding a teacher. Am I seeking a teacher in order to
24220 attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, or am I seeking
24221 to fulfill my need to acquire the prestige associated with a famous teacher,
24222 or am I merely attracted to a lama's beautiful retreat land or the social
24223 scene of a hip sangha, and so on.
24224 These motivations need to be acknowledged if we are to recognize an
24225 authentic wisdom teacher, because the teacher you find is related to your
24226 karma, and your karma is intimately connected to your motivation.
24227 Fortunately, there are methods that help us purify our motivation and create
24228 the proper conditions for finding a wisdom teacher, such as bringing our
24229 awareness to our motivations as much as possible, doing daily meditation
24230 practice, and praying to the Triple Gem [Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha] that we
24231 will meet and recognize an authentic wisdom teacher.
24232 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, in "The Teacher-Student Relationship: A
24233 Translation of 'The Explanation of the Master and Student Relationship,
24234 How to Follow the Master, and How to Teach and Listen to the Dharma' ",
24235 translated and introduced by Ron Garry, published by Snow Lion Pub.
24237 * "Whatever lama is followed must definitely have these qualities: He holds a
24238 pure lineage since he has not contradicted the commitments and prohibitions of
24239 the three vows.... He should be very learned... clear about the sutras,
24240 tantras, and shastras. His mind-stream should be so saturated with compassion
24241 that he loves all the limitless sentient beings as his only child. He should
24242 be expert in the outer tripitakas and on the inner level he should be expert
24243 in the ritual of the four classes of tantras of the secret mantra. He should
24244 have manifested the outstanding noble qualities of abandomnent and realization
24245 in his mind-stream by having relied upon practicing the meaning of this. He
24246 gathers fortunate disciples by the four ways of attracting: generosity,
24247 pleasant speech, his conduct should benefit others, and he should act in
24248 accord with the dharma."
24251 ...when we talk about the notion of self in Buddhism, it is important to bear
24252 in mind that there are different degrees or types. There are some types of
24253 sense of self which are not only to be cultivated but also to be reinforced
24254 and enhanced. For instance, in order to have a strong determination to seek
24255 Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings, one needs a very strong
24256 sense of confidence, which is based upon a sense of commitment and courage.
24257 This requires a strong sense of self. Unless one has that identity or sense
24258 of self, one will not be able to develop the confidence and courage to
24259 strongly seek this aim. In addition, the doctrine of Buddha-nature gives us a
24260 lot of encouragement and confidence because we realize that there is this
24261 potential within us which will allow us to attain the perfection that we are
24262 seeking. However, there are different types of sense of self which are rooted
24263 in a belief in a permanent, solid, indivisible entity called "self" or "I."
24264 There is the belief that there is something very concrete or objective about
24265 this entity. This is a false notion of self which must be overcome.
24266 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience
24267 from a Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa,
24268 published by Snow Lion Publications
24270 ...by respecting and serving your teachers you exhaust karma whose effects you
24271 would otherwise experience in the miserable realms. Your action of serving
24272 the teacher expends these miserable effects and replaces them with only slight
24273 harm to your body and mind in this lifetime, either in actuality or in dreams.
24274 In addition, the benefits of respecting and serving your teachers are
24275 tremendous, such as a collection of virtue which surpasses even the roots of
24276 virtue that you derive from making offerings to limitless buddhas, and so
24277 forth. As the Sutra of Ksitigarbha says:
24278 "Those whom the teachers care for will purify the karma that would
24279 otherwise cause them to wander through the miserable realms for ten million
24280 limitless eons. They purify this karma with harm to their bodies and minds in
24281 this lifetime. This harm includes sickness such as an infectious disease with
24282 fever and calamities such as famine. They may purify their karma by merely
24283 undergoing something as little as a dream or a scolding. They produce more
24284 roots of virtue in one morning than those who give gifts to, worship, or
24285 observe precepts from limitless tens of millions of buddhas. Those who
24286 respect and serve their gurus are endowed with unimaginable good qualities."
24287 -- Tsong-kha-pa, in "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to
24288 Enlightenment: Lam Rim Chen Mo", translated by the Lamrim Chenmo
24289 Translation Committee under editorial guidance of Joshua Cutler and Guy
24290 Newland, foreword by Robert A.F. Thurman, Snow Lion Publications
24292 ...if we remain clinging to this life even for one day, we are misusing
24293 our time. In this way, we can waste months and years on end. Because we
24294 don't know when our lives will finish, we should remain mindful and well
24295 prepared. Then, even if we die tonight, we will do so without regret. If we
24296 die tonight, the purpose of being well prepared is borne out; if we don't die
24297 tonight, there is no harm in being well prepared, because it will still
24299 But when we leave the world of humans, we do so without a protector or
24300 supporter and the total responsibility falls on us. We only have our own
24301 intelligence to rely on at that time, so we must expend our own effort in
24302 order to protect ourselves. As the Buddha said, "I have shown you the path to
24303 liberation; know that liberation depends on you." We must put strenuous effort
24304 into gaining freedom from the lower migrations, liberation from samsara,
24305 freedom from conventional existence and solitary salvation.
24306 The body is compared to a guest house; it is a place to stay for just a
24307 short time and not permanently. At present, the guest of consciousness is
24308 staying in the guest house of the body, like renting a place to stay. When
24309 the day comes for consciousness to leave, the guest house of the body must be
24310 left behind. Not being attached to friends, the body, wealth and possessions
24311 is the practice of the Bodhisattvas.
24312 -- His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, in "The Heart of Compassion: A Practical
24313 Approach to a Meaningful Life"
24315 ...the Transcendent Conqueror presented the two truths with respect to all
24316 inner and outer things, like sprouts and everything else. Genuine truth is
24317 described as being simply the authentic object of the noble ones' original
24318 wisdom that sees what is authentic and true; there is no identity actually
24319 established there for conceptual mind to find. Relative truth is the false
24320 object seen from the perspective of the conceptual mind whose eye of wisdom is
24321 completely covered by the cataract of ignorance, as is the case with ordinary
24322 beings. It is therefore posited as being this conceptual mind. The object
24323 perceived does not exist in the way that this mind perceives it to be.
24324 Thus, the Teacher explained that every thing found holds two natures
24325 within: a genuine nature and a relative one. From among these two, the object
24326 of the noble ones' authentic vision is the precise nature of reality, genuine
24327 truth, and the object of false seeing is relative truth.
24328 -- Chandrakirti, in "The Moon of Wisdom: Chapter Six of Chandrakirti's
24329 'Entering the Middle Way' with Commentary from the Eighth Karmapa Mikyo
24330 Dorje's 'Chariot of the Dagpo Kagyu Siddhas', translated by Ari Goldfield,
24331 Jules Levinson, Jim Scott and Birgit Scott under guidance of Khenpo
24332 Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
24334 ...we find Agastya, born to a family of Brahmans so illustrious as to be
24335 called "an ornament of the earth," living as an ascetic on the island of Kara
24336 in the Indian Ocean.... "On what accomplishment have you set your hopes?"
24337 Indra asked Agastya the Bodhisattva. "What is the object of your wishes that
24338 has led you to leave your sorrowful friends and relatives, desert a household
24339 and possessions that had been your happiness, and enter this way of life that
24340 destroys all pleasures?"
24341 The Bodhisattva replied according to the Dharma, in a way that immediately
24342 laid Indra's anxiety to rest. "Repeated births tend to great sorrow," he
24343 said. "So do the calamities of old age, sickness and death. All are just a
24344 disturbance to the mind. My vow is to save all sentient beings from these
24346 Relieved, Indra immediately offered, in return for such candid truth, the
24347 fulfillment of any desire Agastya might name. "May the fire of covetousness
24348 that burns insatiably even after obtaining a beloved wife, children, power and
24349 riches never enter my heart," Agastya said. "Excellent, excellent," applauded
24350 Indra and urged Agastya to request the fulfillment of still another desire.
24351 "May the fire of hatred burn far from me," Agastya said. Pleased by this
24352 game, in which Agastya so ingeniously taught the Dharma while appearing to
24353 request the fulfillment of his desires, Indra urged him to go on. But this
24354 time he was startled to hear Agastya's words. "May I never hear, see, speak
24355 to, nor endure the annoyance and pain of staying with a fool," Agastya said.
24356 "What do you mean?" Indra asked. "Those in distress deserve sympathy; the
24357 root of distress is foolishness. How can you claim to be compassionate when
24358 you abhor the very presence of those most due sympathy?"
24359 Then Agastya reasoned in this way, to prove to Indra that one should
24360 associate not with the foolish but with men of wisdom. "A fool cannot be
24361 cured even by medical treatment," he said. "Habituated to wrong conduct
24362 because of a deficiency in moral education, he urges his neighbors to follow
24363 his impetuous way, inflamed by self-conceit and the affectation of wisdom.
24364 When reprimanded, he becomes angry. There is no help for him." "How true,"
24365 Indra said. "Let me hear more jewellike, well spoken sentences."
24366 "May I see, hear, live with and converse with a wise man," Agastya said,
24367 "for these reasons: because the wise man, walking the path of virtue, draws
24368 others along with him, and is never roused to impatience by harsh words spoken
24369 for his own good." Again Indra was delighted.
24370 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by His Holiness the
24371 Dalai Lama XIV on the Jatakamala Garland of Birth Stories", translated by
24374 (2) What one has to abandon: how to get rid of arrogance by means of an
24376 "I'm not beyond my karma, the deeds I've done;
24377 I'll still fall ill, age, die, and leave my friends."
24378 Think like this again and yet again
24379 And with this remedy avoid all arrogance.
24380 "I will be sick, I will grow old, I will die, I will be separated from those
24381 I love, my relations and so forth. In such manner, the fully ripened effect
24382 of my actions will come to me and to no one else, and I am therefore not above
24383 depending on what I did in former lives." To think like this again and again
24384 is the antidote to such things as arrogance: make every effort not to become
24385 arrogant by meditating on this antidote.
24386 -- "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend: with Commentary by Kangyur Rinpoche
24387 by Nagarjuna", translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, published
24388 by Snow Lion Publications
24390 For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.
24391 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
24393 Inwardly, we defend against death by the very structure of our ego. Our ego
24394 claims to have the ability to provide us with happiness based on its belief in
24395 its own permanent existence. On the one hand, to believe in ego results in
24396 denying death. On the other, to accept death is to question the very nature
24397 of ego as a permanent, on-going structure and to confront very strong defense
24398 mechanisms. As a result, we have strong resistance to contemplating death.
24399 This resistance is also the same resistance that comes up when we meditate.
24400 Please recognize it for what it is and move on.
24401 -- Bruce Newman, in "A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism: Notes from a
24402 Practitioner's Journey", published by Snow Lion Publications
24404 Question: Could you please say something on the three kinds of suffering?
24406 His Holiness: One kind of suffering is like a headache or like yesterday's
24407 flu: discomfort in the nose, watery eyes, and so forth. In short, it includes
24408 all of those kinds of gross physical and mental sufferings that in ordinary
24409 parlance we usually call "suffering." This is the first category.
24411 Then the second category is as follows. When we feel hungry and begin to take
24412 food, at first we feel very happy. We take one mouthful, then two, three,
24413 four, five... eventually, though it is the same person, the same food, and
24414 the same time period, we begin to find the food objectionable and reject it.
24415 This is what is meant by the "suffering of change." Practically every worldly
24416 happiness and pleasure is in this second category. Compared to other forms of
24417 suffering, at the beginning these more subtle forms of suffering seem
24418 pleasurable; they seem to afford us some happiness, but this is not true or
24419 lasting happiness, for the more we become acquainted with them, the more
24420 involved we become with them, the more suffering and trouble they bring us.
24421 That is the second category.
24423 Now as for the third category, I think it is fair to say that it is one's own
24424 body. Roughly speaking, this is what it is. It is the body which is the
24425 fruit of afflictions, a body originally created by afflictions. Because the
24426 body is created by such causes, it is of the very nature of suffering. It
24427 comes to act as the basis of suffering. This, then, is the third category.
24428 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
24429 edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
24431 One point I should make here is that some people, especially those who see
24432 themselves as very realistic and practical, are sometimes too realistic and
24433 obsessed with practicality. They may think, "The idea of wishing for the
24434 happiness of all beings, of wanting what is best for every single one, is
24435 unrealistic and too idealistic. Such an unrealistic idea cannot contribute in
24436 any way to transforming the mind or to attaining some kind of mental
24437 discipline, because it is completely unachievable."
24438 ...They feel there is simply no point in thinking about all beings since
24439 there is an infinite number of them. They may conceivably be able to feel
24440 some kind of connection with some fellow human beings on this planet, but they
24441 feel that the infinite number of beings throughout the universe has nothing to
24442 do with their own experience as individuals.
24443 ...What is important here, however, is to grasp the impact of cultivating
24444 such altruistic sentiments. The point is to try to develop the scope of our
24445 empathy in such a way that we can extend it to any form of life with the
24446 capacity to feel pain and experience happiness. It is a matter of recognizing
24447 living organisms as sentient, and therefore subject to pain and capable of
24449 ...Such a universal sentiment of compassion is very powerful, and there is
24450 no need to be able to identify, in specific terms, with every single living
24451 being in order for it to be effective.
24452 ...Given patience and time, it is within our power to develop this kind of
24453 universal compassion.
24454 -- Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in "The Compassionate Life",
24455 edited by David Kittelstrom, sponsored by Richard Gere and the Gere
24459 Different body postures open or compress particular energetic channels and
24460 influence the flow of subtle energy. We use this understanding to aid
24461 specific processes in the practice. The Tibetan tradition considers the
24462 negative emotions to be more closely associated with the primary channel on
24463 the right side of the body in men and on the left in women. When a man sleeps
24464 on his right side, the channel that carries mostly negative prana is forced a
24465 little closed and the left channel opens. Also the lung, the physical organ,
24466 on that side is a bit compressed so the opposite lung is a little more
24467 responsible for the breath. You are probably already familiar with effects
24468 from lying on your side: when you lie on your right side you find it easier to
24469 breathe through your left nostril. For men, we consider this position
24470 beneficial to the movement of the positive wisdom prana through the left
24471 channel. Women benefit from the reverse, opening the wisdom channel that is
24472 on their right side by sleeping on their left. This affects dreams in a
24473 positive fashion and makes the dream practice easier. Opening the flow of the
24474 wisdom prana is a provisional expedient, as ultimately we want the balanced
24475 prana to move into the central channel.
24476 Furthermore, by paying attention to posture, awareness is kept more stable
24477 during sleep. Where I come from, most people sleep on a three-foot by six-
24478 foot Tibetan carpet. If one moves too much, one falls out of bed. But that
24479 does not usually happen, because when one sleeps on something small, the
24480 position of the body is held in the sleeping mind throughout the night....
24481 Here, in the big beds of the West, the sleeper can rotate like the hands of a
24482 clock and not fall, but holding the position anyway will help maintain
24484 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, in "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep",
24485 edited by Mark Dahlby, published by Snow Lion Publications
24487 The term emptiness does not carry here any connotation of void or of absolute
24488 nothingness. It should be understood as the naturally open and serene state
24489 of the mind. Thus, to affirm the emptiness of phenomena does not in any way
24490 mean that they do not exist in the way that the horn of a hare or skyflowers
24491 do not exist. Instead, emptiness refers to the insight that, at the ultimate
24492 level, both interior phenomena--sensations, perceptions and the "I"--and
24493 exterior phenomena--all the appearances of the phenomenal world--have no real
24494 existence, although they do appear in different forms. The Heart Sutra
24495 summarizes this as follows:
24496 Form is emptiness, emptiness is form,
24497 Emptiness is not other than form,
24498 Form is not other than emptiness.
24499 -- Jerome Edou in "Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chod", published
24500 by Snow Lion Publications
24502 Nonviolence does not mean that we remain indifferent to a problem. On the
24503 contrary, it is important to be fully engaged. However, we must behave in a
24504 way that does not benefit us alone. We must not harm the interests of others.
24505 Nonviolence therefore is not merely the absence of violence. It involves a
24506 sense of compassion and caring. It is almost a manifestation of compassion.
24507 I strongly believe that we must promote such a concept of nonviolence at the
24508 level of the family as well as at the national and international levels. Each
24509 individual has the ability to contribute to such compassionate nonviolence.
24510 How should we go about this? We can start with ourselves. We must try to
24511 develop greater perspective, looking at situations from all angles. Usually
24512 when we face problems, we look at them from our own point of view. We even
24513 sometimes deliberately ignore other aspects of a situation. This often leads
24514 to negative consequences. However, it is very important for us to have a
24515 broader perspective.
24516 We must come to realize that others are also part of our society. We can
24517 think of our society as a body, with arms and legs as parts of it. Of course,
24518 the arm is different from the leg; however, if something happens to the foot,
24519 the hand should reach down to help. Similarly, when something is wrong within
24520 our society, we must help.
24521 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday
24522 Life", edited by Nicholas Vreeland, afterword by Khyongla Rato and
24525 According to Highest Yoga Tantra, some persons attain Buddhahood in one
24526 lifetime, and because these persons are not born with a body adorned with the
24527 major and minor marks they must achieve such a body through the practice of
24529 Meditation on oneself as undifferentiable from a deity is the special
24530 cause... for attaining Buddhahood. If one meditated only on emptiness and
24531 did not cultivate any method--either that of the Perfection or that of the
24532 Mantra Vehicle--one would fall to the fruit of a Hinayana Foe Destroyer. In
24533 order to attain the definite goodness of the highest achievement, Buddhahood,
24534 deity yoga is needed. Also, ...one must view one's body clearly as a divine
24535 body and train in the pride of being a deity. Without deity yoga the Mantra
24536 path is impossible; deity yoga is the essence of Mantra.
24537 -- H.H. Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, in "Tantra in Tibet",
24538 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Snow Lion Publications
24540 Often we see other sentient beings as hassles: "This mosquito is
24541 disturbing me. Those politicians are corrupt. Why can't my colleagues do
24542 their work correctly?" and so on. But when we see sentient beings as being
24543 more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel, our perspective completely
24544 changes. For example, when we look at a fly buzzing around, we train
24545 ourselves to think, "My enlightenment depends on that fly." This isn't
24546 fanciful thinking because, in fact, our enlightenment does depend on that fly.
24547 If that fly isn't included in our bodhicitta, then we don't have bodhicitta,
24548 and we won't receive the wonderful results of generating bodhicitta--the
24549 tremendous purification and creation of positive potential.
24550 Imagine training your mind so that when you look at every single living
24551 being, you think, "My enlightenment depends on that being. The drunk who just
24552 got on the bus--my enlightenment depends on him. The soldier in Iraq--my
24553 enlightenment depends on him. My brothers and sisters, the teller at the
24554 bank, the janitor at my workplace, the president of the United States, the
24555 suicide bombers in the Middle East, the slug in my garden, my eighth-grade
24556 boyfriend, the babysitter when I was a kid--my enlightenment depends on each
24557 of them." All sentient beings are actually that precious to us.
24558 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, in "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The
24559 Yoga Method of Chenrezig", published by Snow Lion Publications
24561 We think of ourselves as being the child of specific parents, as belonging
24562 to a certain gender and race, as a citizen of a specific nation, and as a
24563 member of a caste, class and community within that country, etc. Our
24564 identification with these transient reference points, be they racial,
24565 linguistic, cultural, conceptual, or gender-specific, can become lifelong love
24566 affairs, hate affairs, or guilt affairs. What Guru Rinpoche's birth
24567 symbolizes for me is the fact that, from the first moment, he recognized the
24568 unborn and undying nature of his mind, primordially pure awareness. He
24569 identified with that, rather than with his body, wherever it may have come
24570 from, be it a womb, a lotus, a stork, or a cabbage patch. Whatever physical,
24571 linguistic, or conceptual worlds he adopted, he wore as ephemeral ornaments on
24572 the infinite expanse of timeless awareness.
24573 ...Guru Rinpoche was not an individual who followed a spiritual path until
24574 illumination. He was an enlightened being who appeared in different guises
24575 entirely as a manifestation to help others, including the guise of an
24576 individual who followed the spiritual path.
24577 -- Ngawang Zangpo, in "Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times", published by
24578 Snow Lion Publications
24580 ...if a person is experiencing some kind of mental dysfunction, it is
24581 frequently understood that the mind itself has become too withdrawn in upon
24582 itself, and that there is a corresponding physiological process involving the
24583 energies themselves, which are closely associated with consciousness, also
24584 entering into a dysfunctional state.
24585 So, in the Buddhist view, it can happen, for example, that one's mind will
24586 become depressed because of some environmental event. As a result of the mind
24587 becoming depressed, there is a chemical, maybe an electrochemical,
24588 transformation in the brain that has now occurred. The mental dysfunction
24589 will then be aggravated. When that happens, there is a further chemical
24590 response, which then avalanches upon itself.
24591 ...on occasion, without any special external event taking place, there can
24592 simply be a dysfunction or disruption in the balance of the elements within
24593 the body. In that event, the internal circumstances are the dominant,
24595 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations
24596 with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism," edited by Zara
24597 Houshmand, Robert B. Livingston and B. Alan Wallace, published by
24598 Snow Lion Publications
24600 We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.
24603 You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Mahatma Gandhi
24605 Enlightenment is not only... devoid of various types of contaminations,
24606 pollutions, suffering, and afflictive emotions... but is also free from
24607 various dualistic appearances. When you achieve such a state, you are
24608 unfettered from all elaborations in the form of subject-object duality and
24609 appearances of conventionality.
24610 You are free not because the subject-object duality or conventional
24611 appearances are objects of elimination in the sense that they are negative
24612 emotions. Rather, you are free because these elaborations cease to exist when
24613 you reach the state of enlightenment. In such a state, the mind of
24614 enlightenment or omniscience is such that it is totally merged with emptiness.
24615 To such a mind, no elaborations exist.
24616 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Many Ways to Nirvana: Reflections and
24617 Advice on Right Living", edited by Renuka Singh
24620 When we meditate, things from the past come up, and we have to work with
24621 them. We may remember times when we treated others horribly--hurting their
24622 feelings, deceiving them, repaying their kindness with spite, manipulating
24623 them, cheating them. While regret for these actions is appropriate and
24624 necessary to purify these karmas, we often fall into guilt and shame instead.
24625 Guilt and shame are obstacles to overcome on the path, because they keep us
24626 trapped in our self-centered melodrama entitled "How Bad I Am." Regret, on the
24627 other hand, realizes that we erred, leads us to purify, and motivates us to
24628 refrain from acting like that in the future.
24629 How do we counteract guilt and shame? One way is to recognize that the
24630 person who did that action no longer exists. You are different now. Is the
24631 person who did that action five years ago the same person you are now? If she
24632 were exactly the same person, you would still be doing the same action. The
24633 present "you" exists in a continuum from that person, but is not exactly the
24634 same as her. Look back at the person you were with compassion. You can
24635 understand the suffering and confusion she was experiencing that made her act
24637 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga
24638 Method of Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by
24639 Snow Lion Publications
24641 Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted,
24642 the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the
24643 voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil
24647 If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever
24648 that search may lead us. The free mind is no barking dog to be tethered
24649 on a ten-foot chain.
24650 -- Adlai E. Stevenson
24652 Our relationship with our practice must be based on reason and common sense.
24653 The principal subject to be learned is the nature of the two levels of reality
24654 [conventional and ultimate], the stages of which can be approached through a
24655 combination of hearing, contemplation and meditation. It is very important
24656 always to remember contemplation, which is the analysis and investigation of
24657 the teachings through the use of reason. The two truths are speaking about
24658 reality, not some intellectual fabrication. To investigate the teaching
24659 critically is fully encouraged in the same way that medical students are
24660 encouraged to apply their theories to real life and thus to witness their
24661 validity.... Time may flow on, but the essential nature of the deeper
24662 problems and mysteries that human beings encounter in the course of their
24663 lives remains the same. Contemplation of the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni
24664 is merely contemplation of certain facets of reality, and it will cause to
24665 unfold within us a deeper understanding of ourselves, our minds, and the
24666 nature of our sense of being. As the teachings are merely pointing out key
24667 facts of life, facts that, if realized, cause one to evolve in wholesome
24668 directions, a critical investigation of them will only inspire trainees with
24669 confidence. Reason well from the beginning and then there will never be any
24670 need to look back with confusion and doubt.
24671 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, in "The Path to Enlightenment", published by
24672 Snow Lion Publications
24674 b. Keeping bounteousness in mind
24676 Possessions are ephemeral and essenceless
24677 Know this and give them generously to monks,
24678 To brahmins, to the poor, and to your friends:
24679 Beyond there is no greater friend than gift.
24681 Having realized that possessions such as food are inconstant and fluctuate,
24682 that in changing and transforming they are devoid of essence, in order to make
24683 them meaningful try to use them properly, giving to those with good qualities
24684 (monks and brahmins), to those who suffer (the poor, the sick, and so forth),
24685 to those who help you (friends) and to those you venerate (spiritual teachers
24686 and parents). Even beyond the world there is no friend more sublime, more
24687 beneficial, than giving, because it gives rise directly and indirectly to
24688 ripened effects that are inexhaustible.
24690 -- Nagarjuna, "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend: with Commentary by Kangyur
24691 Rinpoche", translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, published by
24692 Snow Lion Publications
24694 A goloptious full-up pot, too,
24695 And I don't know where it's got to,
24696 No, I don't know where it's gone--
24698 -- A.A. Milne, "In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump"
24700 With a determination to accomplish
24701 The highest welfare for all sentient beings
24702 Who surpass even a wish-granting jewel
24703 I will learn to hold them supremely dear.
24705 Never mind neglecting other sentient beings, you should take them as a
24706 treasure through which temporary and final aims can be achieved and should
24707 cherish them one-pointedly. Others should be considered more dear, more
24708 important than yourself. Initially, it is in dependence upon sentient
24709 beings--others--that you generate the altruistic aspiration to highest
24710 enlightenment. In the middle, it is in relation to sentient beings that you
24711 increase this good mind higher and higher and practice the deeds of the path
24712 in order to achieve enlightenment. Finally, in the end, it is for the sake of
24713 sentient beings that you achieve Buddhahood. Since sentient beings are the
24714 aim and basis of all of this marvelous development, they are more important
24715 than even a wish-granting jewel, and should always be treated with respect,
24716 kindness, and love.
24718 You might think, "My mind is so full of the afflictive emotions. How
24719 could I possibly do this?" However, the mind does what it is used to. What
24720 we are not used to, we find difficult, but with familiarity, previously
24721 difficult things become easy. Thus Shantideva's Engaging in the Bodhisattva
24724 "There is nothing which, with time, you cannot get used to."
24726 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, "Kindness,
24727 Clarity, and Insight," edited and translated by Jeffrey Hopkins,
24728 co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow Lion Publications
24730 Eventually, through the power of stabilizing meditation in which the
24731 mind is set one-pointedly on its object of observation, an initial mental
24732 pliancy--a serviceability of mind--is generated. As a sign that mental
24733 pliancy is about to be generated, a tingly sensation is felt at the top of the
24734 head. This pleasant feeling is compared to that of a warm hand placed on top
24735 of the head after it has been shaved. When mental pliancy has been generated,
24736 a favorable wind, or energy, circulates in the body, engendering physical
24737 pliancy. Through this wind, or air, pervading the entire body, the
24738 unserviceability of the body such that it cannot be directed to virtuous
24739 activities in accordance with your wishes is removed. The generation of
24740 physical pliancy, in turn, engenders a bliss of physical pliancy, a sense of
24741 comfort throughout the body due to the power of meditative stabilization.
24742 The bliss of physical pliancy induces a bliss of mental pliancy, making
24743 the mind blissful. At first, this joyous mental bliss is a little too
24744 buoyant, but then gradually it becomes more steady; at this point, one attains
24745 an unfluctuating pliancy. This marks attainment of a fully qualified
24746 meditative stabilization of calm abiding.
24747 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, in "Yoga
24748 Tantra: Paths to Magical Feats", published by Snow Lion Publications
24750 The more we generate an attitude of contentment in our lives, the happier
24751 we will be and the more open we will be to engage in genuine Dharma practice.
24752 Letting go of the eight worldly concerns brings mental peace right now.
24753 The defining characteristic of a thought or action being Dharma is whether
24754 or not we're attached to the happiness of this life. The eight worldly
24755 concerns are completely involved with attachment to the happiness of this
24756 life. How can we practice genuine Dharma when our self-centered mind is
24757 fixated on getting our own way and making everyone and everything around us
24758 suit our preferences and needs?
24759 That doesn't mean the happiness of this life is bad or wrong. The Buddha
24760 did not say that we should suffer in this life so that we'll get our reward in
24761 heaven. The objects we're attached to and have aversion for aren't the
24762 problem; there's nothing wrong with experiencing pleasure and happiness.
24763 Those aren't the issue. Rather, attachment to pleasant feelings and to the
24764 people, objects, and situations that cause them, and aversion to unpleasant
24765 ones--it is these emotions that create trouble. They make us unhappy and
24766 propel us to harm others in order to get what we want. The troublemakers of
24767 attachment and hostility are what we want to abandon, not people and things.
24768 There is nothing wrong with being happy. But when we're attached to it, we
24769 actually create more unhappiness for ourselves.
24770 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator",
24771 published by Snow Lion Publications
24773 When engaging in hearing, it is important to mix the mind, to familiarize the
24774 mind, with what is being heard. The study of religion is not like learning
24775 about history. It must be mixed with your mental continuum; your mind should
24776 be suffused with it. A sutra says that the practices are like a mirror; your
24777 actions of body, speech, and mind are like a face to be seen in the mirror;
24778 and through the practices you should recognize faults and gradually get rid of
24779 them. As it is said in the oral transmission, "If there is enough space
24780 between yourself and the practices for someone else to walk through, then you
24781 are not implementing them properly."
24782 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, in "Kindness,
24783 Clarity, and Insight", edited and translated by Jeffrey Hopkins,
24784 co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow Lion Publications
24786 Question: What is the relationship of the mind and afflictive emotions?
24788 DL: The very entity of the mind, its nature of mere luminosity and knowing, is
24789 not polluted by defilements; they do not abide in the entity of the mind.
24790 Even when we generate afflictive emotions, the very entity or nature of the
24791 mind is still mere luminosity and knowing, and because of this we are able to
24792 remove the afflictive emotions. If you agitate the water in a pond, it
24793 becomes cloudy with mud; yet the very nature of the water itself is not dirty.
24794 When you allow it to become still again, the mud will settle, leaving the
24795 water pure. How are defilements removed? They are not removed by outside
24796 action, nor by leaving them as they are; they are removed by the power of
24797 antidotes, meditative antidotes.
24798 -- The Dalai Lama, "A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and
24799 About the Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, published
24800 by Snow Lion Publications
24802 Every single sentient being wishes to be happy and free of suffering. By
24803 no means does Buddhism say this is wrong; rather, this is where we start from.
24804 The very root of this yearning for happiness, this yearning to be free of
24805 suffering, is the fundamental expression of the buddha-nature. If for the
24806 time being we turn our gaze away from the myriad ways that we can stray from
24807 the agenda--trying to find happiness by buying a more luxurious car, or a
24808 bigger house, or getting a better job--and just come back to the primary
24809 desire of wishing to be happy, we find at the very source of our yearning for
24810 happiness the buddha-nature wanting to realize itself. It's like a seed that
24811 wants to spring into the sunlight. Sometimes it gets terribly contorted, when
24812 we want to injure somebody else for the sake of our own happiness, but the
24813 fundamental yearning is something to be embraced.
24814 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "The Four Immeasurables: Cultivating a Boundless
24815 Heart", edited by Zara Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
24817 No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it
24818 by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.
24819 -- George S. Patton
24821 When you meditate with concentration, there are three particular
24822 experiences that arise: bliss, clarity, and nonthought. Sometimes you feel
24823 great joy, sometimes your mind is very clear, and sometimes there is complete
24824 equanimity. To experience these you do not need to meditate for a long time,
24825 although for a beginner these experiences will not last long because of the
24826 limited ability of a beginner's meditation.
24827 The experience of meditative bliss is greater than ordinary worldly
24828 happiness. Sometimes when you are meditating, a feeling of blissfulness
24829 suddenly arises from the subtle state of your mind and pervades your entire
24830 body. This bliss is healthy and brings out your inner qualities. Some people
24831 use drugs to induce blissfulness and visions, but drugs are external supports
24832 that cannot bring lasting happiness. The bliss experienced in meditation can
24833 last for many days, according to your ability to meditate. When you
24834 experience this kind of bliss, on the outside you might look very poor, but
24835 inside you remain very joyful.
24836 The second main experience in meditation is clarity. Sometimes while
24837 meditating you can suddenly feel that your mind is very clear and bright.
24838 Even if you are meditating in the dark, you do not feel heavy or tired.
24839 Sometimes your body feels very light and your mind is very clear, and many
24840 kinds of reflections appear. Clarity brings great wisdom and the ability to
24841 read other people's minds, as well as to see your own past and future lives.
24842 The third main experience is nonthought, or a state of equanimity without
24843 distractions. Beginners can also experience this. Nonthought is more settled
24844 than the experiences of bliss and clarity. If you have thoughts, they
24845 suddenly dissolve and you can remain continuously in meditation. As your
24846 ability to meditate develops, your mind becomes more and more settled, so that
24847 you can meditate for one hour or one week or one month without being
24848 distracted by thoughts. You simply remain in the natural state for as long as
24850 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal, in "Opening to Our
24851 Primordial Nature", edited by Ann Helm and Michael White, published by
24852 Snow Lion Publications
24854 ...when you probe deeply you will find that no matter how high an
24855 existence a realm may be, even though it may be the highest state of
24856 existence, as long as it is in this cycle of existence the beings there are in
24857 the nature of sufferings, because they have the sufferings of pervasive
24858 conditioning and are therefore under the influence or command of contaminated
24859 actions and delusions. As long as one is not able to be free from such an
24860 influence, there is no place for permanent peace or happiness.
24861 Generally, the experiences that you normally regard as pleasurable and
24862 happy, such as having the physical comfort of good facilities and so forth, if
24863 they are examined at a deeper level, will be revealed to be changeable and
24864 therefore in the nature of suffering. They provide you with temporary
24865 satisfaction; because of that temporary satisfaction you regard them as
24866 experiences of happiness. But if you keep on pursuing them, they will again
24867 lead to the experience of suffering. Most of these pleasurable experiences
24868 are not really happiness in the true sense of the word, but only appear as
24869 pleasure and happiness in comparison to the obvious sufferings that you have.
24870 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, in "Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide
24871 to Stages of Meditation", translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa, edited by
24872 Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
24874 Once the conventional nature of the mind has been identified, then,
24875 through analysing its nature, finally we will gradually be able to identify
24876 the ultimate nature of the mind. If that is done, there is great progress
24877 unlike anything else.
24878 At the beginning we should meditate for half an hour. When we rise from
24879 the session and various good and bad objects appear, benefit and harm are
24880 manifestly experienced. Therefore, we should develop as much as we can the
24881 realisation that these phenomena do not exist objectively and are mere
24882 dependent-arisings of appearances, like illusions [in that they only seem to
24883 be inherently existent]. We should meditate in this way in four formal
24884 sessions: at sunrise, in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
24885 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
24886 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
24888 Bodhichitta is the one practice we cannot do without. Even if we have been
24889 given the precious oral instructions on realizing the nature of mind, they
24890 will not be the sufficient cause for realization if we have not learned to
24891 generate Bodhichitta. The great Dzogchen yogi Patrul Rinpoche said,
24892 If we have only one thing, the precious Bodhichitta is enough.
24893 If we have nothing else, we must have the method of the precious
24895 We should learn to develop Bodhichitta in a twofold way: through our
24896 aspirations and through our actions. Aspiration Bodhichitta is our initial
24897 wish that all sentient beings be liberated from the vast ocean of samsara's
24898 suffering. Action Bodhichitta requires that we first generate aspiration
24899 Bodhichitta, and practice the Six Paramitas as the method to establish the two
24900 benefits of 1) attaining Buddhahood oneself to 2) be of ultimate benefit to
24901 others. The way to practice aspiration and action Bodhichitta was taught by
24902 the omniscient Patrul Rinpoche, who said,
24903 The instructions for aspiration [Bodhichitta] are to practice the
24904 Four Immeasurables;
24905 The instructions for action [Bodhichitta] are to practice the Paramitas.
24906 -- Anyen Rinpoche, "The Union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta", translated by
24907 Allison Graboski, published by Snow Lion Publications
24909 What are the techniques for heightening or lowering the mind? To heighten
24910 the mind, you think about something that enlivens it, but not an object that
24911 would generate desire. For instance, you could reflect on the value of
24912 developing the meditative stabilization of calm abiding or on the value of
24913 having attained a life as a human or on the value of having human
24914 intelligence. Through such reflection, your mind will gain courage, thereby
24915 causing its mode of apprehension to become heightened.
24916 If, despite such a technique, laxity is not cleared away, it is better to
24917 end the session and go to a place that is bright or that is high with a vast
24918 view where you can see a great distance. Or, expose yourself to fresh air, or
24919 throw cold water on your face. Then, return to the session.
24920 When the mind becomes too heightened and thus scattered, what will lower
24921 its mode of apprehension? As a technique to withdraw the mind inside, you
24922 should reflect on a topic that sobers the mind, such as the suffering of
24923 cyclic existence, or think "In the past I have been ruined by distraction, and
24924 again now I will be ruined by distraction. If I do not take care now, it will
24925 not be good." This will lower the mode of apprehension of the mind.
24926 Since this is the case, a person who is cultivating calm abiding needs to
24927 be in a state where such reflections will move the mind immediately.
24928 Therefore, prior to working at achieving calm abiding, it is necessary to have
24929 become convinced about many topics--such as those involved in the four
24930 establishments in mindfulness--through a considerable amount of analysis. In
24931 an actual session of cultivating calm abiding one is performing stabilizing
24932 meditation, not analytical meditation, but if one has engaged in considerable
24933 analysis of these topics previously, the force of the previous reflection
24934 remains with the mind and can be recalled. Thus, when you switch to such
24935 topics in order either to elevate or lower the mind, the mind will be
24936 immediately affected. In this way, if ascertainment has been generated
24937 previously, then reflecting on the value of meditative stabilization or the
24938 value of a human lifetime will immediately heighten the mind, and reflection
24939 on sobering topics such as the nature of the body or the ugliness of objects
24940 of desire will immediately lower its mode of apprehension.
24941 ...recognize when laxity and excitement arise and know the techniques for
24943 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
24944 Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
24945 published by Snow Lion Publications
24947 How is it that mistaken mind overwhelms the unmistaken mind, unmistaken
24948 reality? To give an example, during the day when the sun is shining one does
24949 not see any stars and thus one would think that there are no stars at all,
24950 that they just plain do not exist. Just so, afflictive emotions shine so
24951 brightly and are so powerful that it is as if unmistaken reality, unmistaken
24952 mind, does not exist at all. When you seek out this unmistaken mind from
24953 within, you come to understand that there is an unmistaken mind--a reality of
24954 the mind--that does not die, that does not scurry after pleasure and pain.
24955 This mind that does not follow after pleasure and pain has a mode of being
24956 that is emptiness--but not an emptiness in the sense of an empty house or an
24957 empty vessel; rather, it is endowed with the inconceivable self-effulgence of
24958 unmistaken reality, of pristine wisdom.
24959 When you search for this that is beyond mistaken mind, mistaken mind just
24960 stops; gradually like dawn there comes to be a time when pristine wisdom
24961 manifests a little. With the beginning of dawn there is not just darkness but
24962 some light, and so it is when the self-effulgence, the self-color, the self-
24963 nature of the pristine wisdom shows itself a little; one generates a suspicion
24964 that there is wisdom beyond mistaken mind. As Aryadeva says, "When you
24965 generate doubt thinking that there might be such a reality, cyclic existence
24966 is torn to tatters." How does cyclic existence come to be torn to tatters, or
24967 wrecked, made into a mess by doubt? For instance, if a table is wrecked,
24968 broken up, it cannot perform the function of a table; just so, when the self-
24969 effulgence of unmistaken pristine wisdom begins to dawn with this state of
24970 doubt, cyclic existence is wrecked and torn to tatters.
24971 -- Mi-pam-gya-tso, in "Fundamental Mind: The Nyingma View of the Great
24972 Completeness", practical commentary by Khetsun Sangpo Rinbochay,
24973 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion
24976 The Jewel in the Crown Sutra states, "Donning the armor of loving-
24977 kindness, while abiding in the state of great compassion, practice
24978 meditative stabilization that actualizes the emptiness possessing
24979 the best of all qualities. What is the emptiness possessing the
24980 best of all qualities? It is that which is not divorced from
24981 generosity, ethics, patience, effort, meditative stabilization,
24982 wisdom, or skillful means." Bodhisattvas must rely on virtuous
24983 practices like generosity as means to thoroughly ripen all sentient
24984 beings and in order to perfect the place, body, and manifold retinue.
24985 -- from "Stages of Meditation" by Kamalashila
24987 ...Note that practice of generosity and the other perfections is essential.
24988 This is because the fully enlightened state of Buddhahood is produced by the
24989 realization of favorable causes and conditions. There is no causeless
24990 production and nothing is produced by contrary causes. A Bodhisattva has many
24991 wonderful advantages to help enhance the welfare of sentient beings; every
24992 virtue performed by such a noble being is very powerful and effective.
24993 Therefore, Bodhisattvas earnestly engage in the practice of the method aspects
24994 of the path, including the six perfections, in order to swiftly actualize the
24995 state of Buddhahood.
24996 -- The Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", translated by Venerable Geshe
24997 Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and Jeremy Russell,
24998 published by Snow Lion Publications
25000 Of the three kayas, the Dharmakaya is linked to our mind, Sambhogakaya to
25001 our speech, or communicative principle, and the Nirmanakaya to our ordinary
25003 The process of the three blendings in brief is as follows.
25004 We experience the clear light of the waking state naturally during cIimax,
25005 and it can also be induced with yogic methods. Moreover, we naturally
25006 experience it at the moment of going to sleep, and at the moment of death.
25007 The principle here is that this clear light mind as experienced in each of the
25008 three occasions (waking, sleep and death) is the highest experience of our
25009 consciousness, and in it we dwell in a mental state of blissful, formless non-
25010 duality similar to that of the Dharmakaya wisdom of a buddha. Thus when we
25011 experience the clear light mind in any of these three occasions we should
25012 blend it with the Dharmakaya.
25013 The first movement from this clear light mind is likened to the
25014 Sambhogakaya experience. In the waking state this occurs in our meditation
25015 when we fall out of the clear light that is induced with yogic techniques and
25016 the conceptual mind is aroused. In sleep it occurs after the clear light of
25017 the moment of entering sleep passes and we begin to dream. At death it occurs
25018 when the clear light flash at the moment of death passes and we leave our body
25019 and enter the bardo realm.
25020 A buddha's Sambhogakaya is only visible to an arya, or saint, and not to
25021 an ordinary being; in the same way our thoughts, dreams, and bardo visions are
25022 not visible to ordinary beings but nonetheless are experiences of form. These
25023 subtle form experiences are to be linked to the natural realization of the
25024 illusory, blissful, and perfect nature of being; they are to be seen as an
25025 illusory theater made manifest for the benefit of the world. In other words,
25026 they are to be blended with the Sambhogakaya. This is the second set of three
25028 The third blending is that of blending rebirth with the Nirmanakaya.
25029 Rebirth from the bardo of the waking state occurs every time that we arise
25030 from a meditation session and once more go about our ordinary life; rebirth
25031 from the bardo of the sleep / dream state occurs when we wake up and once more
25032 enter the work-a-day world; and rebirth from the bardo of becoming, or death
25033 bardo, occurs when we complete the unwinding process of the afterlife state
25034 and once again are ready to enter into a new body.
25035 The basic principle underlying these three blendings is that what occurs
25036 to us at the time of death also occurs to us in miniature form at the time of
25037 going to sleep and can be induced in the waking state by means of the inner
25039 -- "Readings on the Six Yogas of Naropa," translated, edited and introduced
25040 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
25042 If you want to tell people the truth,
25044 otherwise they'll kill you.
25047 In the beginning there was nothing.
25048 God said, "Let there be light!"
25049 And there was light.
25050 There was still nothing,
25051 but you could see it a whole lot better.
25054 Now, as [in the past], the concept of a transcendent god as creator has a
25055 powerful and inspiring impact on the lives of those who believe in it. The
25056 sense that their entire destiny lies in the hands of an all-powerful,
25057 omniscient and compassionate being leads them to try to understand the
25058 workings and key message of this transcendent being. Then, when they come to
25059 realise that this transcendent being embodies love and infinite compassion,
25060 they try to cultivate love and compassion towards their fellow beings as the
25061 qualities through which to express love for their creator. They also gain
25062 confidence and inspiration through a sense of intimacy or connectedness to
25063 this loving, transcendent being.
25064 Although, metaphysically speaking, Buddhists reject any notion of a
25065 transcendent creator or god, some individual Buddhists do relate to certain
25066 higher beings, such as the goddess Tara, as an independent and real being with
25067 power over their destiny. For these practitioners Tara is their sole refuge,
25068 their greatest object of veneration and their trusted guardian and protector.
25069 What this suggests is that the inclination to seek refuge in an external
25070 source is something deeply natural for us as human beings.
25071 But it is also clear that for other people the metaphysical concept of a
25072 transcendent being is unacceptable. Questions form in their minds, such as:
25073 who created the creator--in other words--where does the transcendent being
25074 come from? And how can we posit a true beginning? People with this type of
25075 mental disposition look elsewhere for explanations.
25076 -- The Dalai Lama, in "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
25077 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
25079 Due to misunderstanding each other's needs and concerns, miscommunication
25080 occurs on the international level as well [as the personal level]. In all
25081 these situations--personal and international--freeing ourselves from our
25082 narrow understanding of a situation by seeing it from the other's viewpoint is
25083 an effective remedy for anger. We can ask ourselves, "If I had grown up in
25084 that person's family, society, time in history, and cultural conditions, what
25085 would my needs and concerns be in this situation?"
25086 When we look at the situation from the other person's viewpoint, sometimes
25087 we see that she perceives it differently than we thought she did. Other
25088 times, we realize that we have little idea of how a situation appears to
25089 another person or what her needs and concerns are. Therefore, we need to ask
25090 her; and when she responds, we need to listen, without interrupting. It is
25091 all too easy, when someone explains her view to us, to correct her or tell her
25092 that she should not feel the way she does. This only inflames the other
25093 person, and convinces her, with good reason, that we don't understand.
25094 Rather, we need to listen from our heart to what she says. After she has
25095 fully expressed herself, we can share our perspectives, and generally, a
25096 productive discussion will ensue.
25097 -- Thubten Chodron, in "Working with Anger", published by Snow Lion
25100 ...it is extremely important to look inward and try to promote the right
25101 kind of attitude, which is based on awareness of reality. A sense of caring
25102 for others is crucial. And it is actually the best way of caring for oneself.
25103 ...the moment you think of others, this automatically opens our inner door--
25104 you can communicate with other people easily, without any difficulties. The
25105 moment you think just of yourself and disregard others, then because of your
25106 own attitude, you also get the feeling that other people also have a similar
25107 attitude toward you. That brings suspicion, fear. Result? You yourself lose
25108 inner calmness. Therefore, I usually say that although a certain kind of
25109 selfishness is basically right--self and the happiness of that self are our
25110 original right, and we have every right to overcome suffering--but selfishness
25111 that leads to no hesitation to harm another, to exploit another, that kind of
25112 selfishness is blind. Therefore, I sometimes jokingly describe it this way:
25113 if we are going to be selfish, we should be wisely selfish rather than
25115 I feel that the moment you adopt a sense of caring for others, that brings
25116 inner strength. Inner strength brings us inner tranquility, more self-
25117 confidence. Through these attitudes, even though your surroundings may not be
25118 friendly or may not be positive, still you can sustain peace of mind.
25119 -- "The Art of Peace: Nobel Peace Laureates Discuss Human Rights,
25120 Conflict and Reconciliation", by the Dalai Lama and other Nobel
25121 Laureates, edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion
25123 If we do not uncover [our] problems--and I saw this in myself--we risk
25124 placing a veneer of spirituality over deeply buried emotional wounds from
25125 childhood that do not simply go away.
25126 ...When this happens there is greater potential for our spirituality to
25127 become simply another expression of our personal pathology. We can falsify
25128 the qualities valued in the path without realizing it. Renunciation can
25129 become another level of denial and avoidance; compassion can become a sickly
25130 sentimentality that has no substance to it. Our desire to help others can
25131 come from "compulsive caring," or a compulsion to sacrifice ourselves because
25132 we feel worthless. The Buddhist idea of emptiness can likewise be falsified
25133 by the desire to disappear psychologically and merge or lose ego boundaries.
25134 Lack of identity, formless vagueness, and absence of boundaries do not
25135 exemplify the Buddhist idea of emptiness. My own version of this
25136 misconception was to try to live an ideal of the pure and pious only to find
25137 it was a form of repression I could not ultimately sustain.
25138 At the heart of Buddhist practice is the search for a solution to our
25139 fundamental wounds. Healing the emotional damage we often carry within is
25140 truly the object of this practice. If we wish to resolve these problems, we
25141 need to be open and honest about their reality within us. Only when we do
25142 will any spiritual practice address what we need. The aim of Buddhist
25143 practice is not a spiritual transcendence that dissociates from our suffering.
25144 Nor is it the search for salvation in some form of external divine being that
25145 we hope will save us in our distress. As one of my teachers, Lama Thubten
25146 Yeshe, once said, "Buddhism is very practical; you just have to recognize that
25147 your mind is the cause of suffering. If you change your mind, you can find
25148 liberation." This message is very simple but by no means easy to follow. In
25149 order to do so, however, we must begin to recognize where we are
25150 psychologically wounded.
25151 -- Rob Preece, in "The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of
25152 Individuation in Buddhist Life", published by Snow Lion Publications
25155 In the Dzogchen teachings, a teacher explains methods that you can apply
25156 for discovering that state. When you say that you are practicing or following
25157 Dzogchen teachings, it doesn't mean that you are reciting some prayers or
25158 mantras, or doing some visualization. It means that, following a teacher and
25159 using methods, you discover that state. When you have discovered that state,
25160 then you still need many kinds of methods for realizing it. Discovering the
25161 state of your real nature and realizing it are completely different things.
25162 Many people have the idea that when they have had some experience or
25163 discovery, they are enlightened; however, this discovery does not mean they
25164 are enlightened. The state of enlightenment means you have direct knowledge
25165 of what the state of rigpa is, and you are not just learning through
25166 intellectual study. When you follow a teaching in an intellectual way, you
25167 have many ideas at first--thinking, judging, and making analysis. You can
25168 follow or reject these ideas; but when you have many problems, you discover
25169 that perhaps this is not real knowledge. It is like following something
25170 blindly because you haven't had any direct experience. Direct introduction
25171 and discovering our real nature mean we have direct experience through our
25172 senses, and that through these experiences we discover our real nature.
25173 For example, if I show you an object, you can look at it and know its form
25174 and color. Now if I ask you to forget about it, you can't. If I ask you to
25175 change your idea about that object, you can't. Why? Because seeing that
25176 object is your direct experience. Discovering your real nature is similar to
25178 When you are studying in an intellectual way, you are following another
25179 person's idea. For example, you can believe your teacher today, but maybe
25180 what your teacher says will not be true for you tomorrow. You can always
25181 change your ideas. You have this problem because you have not discovered your
25182 state. This is the weak point of intellectual study.
25183 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, "Dzogchen Teachings", edited by Jim Valby and
25184 Adriano Clemente, published by Snow Lion Publications
25186 Howard Cutler: "Have there been situations in your life that you've
25188 Dalai Lama: "Oh, yes. Now for instance there was one older monk who lived
25189 as a hermit. He used to come to see me to receive teachings, although I think
25190 he was actually more accomplished than I and came to me as a sort of
25191 formality. Anyway, he came to me one day and asked me about doing a certain
25192 high-level esoteric practice. I remarked in a casual way that this would be a
25193 difficult practice and perhaps would be better undertaken by someone who was
25194 younger, that traditionally it was a practice that should be started in one's
25195 midteens. I later found out that the monk had killed himself in order to be
25196 reborn in a younger body to more effectively undertake the practice..."
25197 Surprised by this story, I remarked, "Oh, that's terrible! That must have
25198 been hard on you when you heard..." The Dalai Lama nodded sadly. "How did
25199 you deal with that feeling of regret? How did you eventually get rid of it?"
25200 The Dalai Lama silently considered for quite a while before replying, "I
25201 didn't get rid of it. It's still there. But even though that feeling of
25202 regret is still there, it isn't associated with a feeling of heaviness or a
25203 quality of pulling me back. It would not be helpful to anyone if I let that
25204 feeling of regret weigh me down, be simply a source of discouragement and
25205 depression with no purpose, or interfere with going on with my life to the
25206 best of my ability."
25207 At that moment, in a very visceral way, I was struck once again by the
25208 very real possibility of a human being's fully facing life's tragedies and
25209 responding emotionally, even with deep regret, but without indulging in
25210 excessive guilt or self-contempt. The possibility of a human being's wholly
25211 accepting herself or himself, complete with limitations, foibles, and lapses
25212 of judgment. The possibility of recognizing a bad situation for what it is
25213 and responding emotionally, but without overresponding. The Dalai Lama
25214 sincerely felt regret over the incident he described but carried his regret
25215 with dignity and grace. And while carrying this regret, he has not allowed it
25216 to weigh him down, choosing instead to move ahead and focus on helping others
25217 to the best of his ability.
25218 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., in "The Art of
25219 Happiness: A Handbook for Living"
25221 Train yourself in three hard disciplines.
25222 These are the difficult practices of mindfulness, of expulsion and of
25223 'interrupting the flow.'
25224 As for the first of these, the difficult practice of mindfulness, it is
25225 necessary to recognize afflictive emotions as soon as they arise and it is
25226 hard, at first, to remain sufficiently aware to be able to do this. However,
25227 when negative emotions arise, we should identify them as anger, desire or
25228 stupidity. Even when emotions have been recognized, it is not easy to drive
25229 them out with the antidote. If, for instance, an uncontrollably strong
25230 emotion comes over us, so that we feel helplessly in its power, we should
25231 nevertheless confront it and question it. Where are its weapons? Where are
25232 its muscles? Where is its great army and its political strength? We will see
25233 that emotions are just insubstantial thoughts, by nature empty: they come from
25234 nowhere, they go nowhere, they remain nowhere. When we are able to repel our
25235 defiled emotions, there comes the difficult practice of 'interrupting the
25236 flow.' This means that, on the basis of the antidote described, defiled
25237 emotions are eliminated just like a bird flying through the air: no trace is
25238 left behind. These are practices in which we should really strive.
25239 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, in "Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the
25240 Seven-Point Mind Training", translated by The Padmakara Translation
25241 Group, published by Snow Lion Publications
25243 Howard Cutler: "...am I right in assuming that you would consider solitary
25244 meditation to be a productive activity? Would you consider to be productive
25245 our example of a monk who is a hermit, who has little contact with anybody
25246 else and spends his or her life just in meditation, trying to achieve
25248 Dalai Lama: "Not necessarily. From my viewpoint, there can be both
25249 productive meditation and unproductive meditation."
25250 HC: "What's the difference?"
25251 DL: "[Some] practitioners and other kinds of meditators practice different
25252 techniques, some with closed eyes, sometimes open eyes, but the very nature of
25253 that meditation is to become thoughtless, in a state free of thoughts. But in
25254 a way, this is a kind of retreat, like they are running away from trouble.
25255 When they actually face trouble, carry on their daily life and face some real
25256 life problems, nothing has changed. Their attitudes and reactions remain the
25257 same. So that kind of meditation is just avoiding the problem, like going on
25258 a picnic, or taking a painkiller. It's not actually solving the problem.
25259 Some people may spend many years doing these practices, but their actual
25260 progress is zero. That's not productive meditation. Genuine progress occurs
25261 when the individual not only sees some results in achieving higher levels of
25262 meditative states but also when their meditation has at least some influence
25263 on how they interact with others, some impact from that meditation in their
25264 daily life--more patience, less irritation, more compassion. That's
25265 productive meditation. Something that can bring benefit to others in some
25267 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art of
25270 As human beings, we are all the same. So there is no need to build some
25271 kind of artificial barrier between us. At least my own experience is that if
25272 you have this kind of attitude, there is no barrier. Whatever I feel, I can
25273 express; I can call you "my old friend". There is nothing to hide, and no
25274 need to say things in a way that is not straightforward. So this gives me a
25275 kind of space in my mind, with the result that I do not have to be suspicious
25276 of others all the time. And this really gives me inner satisfaction, and
25278 So I call this feeling a "genuine realization of the oneness of the whole
25279 of humanity". We are all members of one human family. I think that this
25280 understanding is very important, especially now that the world is becoming
25281 smaller and smaller. In ancient times, even in a small village, people were
25282 able to exist more or less independently. There was not so much need for
25283 others' co-operation. These days, the economic structure has completely
25284 changed.... We are heavily dependent on one another, and also as a result of
25285 mass communication, the barriers of the past are greatly reduced. Today,
25286 because of the complexity of interdependence, every crisis on this planet is
25287 essentially related with every other, like a chain reaction. Consequently it
25288 is worthwhile taking every crisis as a global one. Here barriers such as
25289 "this nation" or "that nation", "this continent", or "that continent" are
25290 simply obstacles. Therefore today, for the future of the human race, it is
25291 more important than ever before that we develop a genuine sense of brotherhood
25292 and sisterhood. I usually call this a sense of "universal responsibility".
25293 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the
25294 Great Perfection", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron
25295 (Chokyi Nyima), edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion
25298 ...several great Kagyu and Sakya masters... have expressed the stages [of
25299 sutra and tantra paths] in terms of the tradition known as "parting ourselves
25300 from the four forms of clinging."
25301 First we part from clinging to this life. Instead of total involvement
25302 with affairs of this life, we involve ourselves with future lives. We
25303 accomplish this by thinking about our precious human life with all its
25304 freedoms and endowments for spiritual growth, how we lose it because of death
25305 and impermanence, and then the karmic laws of behavioral cause and effect that
25306 shape our future lives. Next we part from clinging to future lives and
25307 involve ourselves, instead, in the quest for liberation. By thinking about
25308 all the suffering of uncontrollably recurring rebirth, or samsara, we generate
25309 sincere renunciation of it--the strong determination to be free and attain the
25310 total liberation that is nirvana.
25311 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, in "The Gelug/Kagyu
25312 Tradition of Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
25315 When we say that we have knowledge, or that we have discovered our real
25316 nature and we are in this nature, that means that we are "being the mirror."
25317 You see, "being the mirror" or "looking in the mirror" are two completely
25318 different things. If we "are the mirror," then we have no concept of
25320 If a reflection manifests in the mirror, why is it manifesting? There are
25321 two reasons. One is because the mirror has the capacity to manifest infinite
25322 reflections. This is the mirror's quality. If there is an object in front of
25323 the mirror, whose capacity it is to reflect, naturally a reflection will
25324 appear in the mirror. Furthermore, the mirror has no idea of checking or
25325 accepting the object it is reflecting. The mirror doesn't need any program
25326 for that. This is what is called its qualification, or infinite potentiality.
25327 In the same way, when we have infinite potentiality, but we are ignorant
25328 of our real nature, then we always conceive that "I am here" and "the object
25329 is there," "I am looking and seeing an object," and so on. We do not discover
25330 that we are like a mirror, and if we never discover this, then of course there
25331 is no way that we can function like the mirror. When you discover that you
25332 are like the mirror, then there is a possibility that you will be the mirror.
25333 When you are the mirror, then you have no problems with reflections--they
25334 can be big, small, nice, ugly, any kind. For you, the reflections are only a
25335 manifestation of your quality, which is like that of a mirror. When you have
25336 no problems with reflections, then you understand self-liberation. You are
25337 not changing or transforming something. You are only being in your real
25339 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, from "Dzogchen Teachings", edited by Jim Valby
25340 and Adriano Clemente, published by Snow Lion Publications
25342 It is important to recognize the difference between an enlightened
25343 experience and the state of enlightenment. To penetrate the veil is to see
25344 the nature of reality for the first time. This enlightened experience in the
25345 Zen tradition might be called a satori. This is a powerful shift of insight
25346 that shakes our reality. No longer can we live with the delusion we may have
25347 once held. Our solidly held concepts about reality begin to crumble. Samsara
25348 shakes, as Lama Yeshe once put it. This experience may not be comfortable.
25349 To come so close to this existential threshold challenges our secure sense of
25350 identity and can be frightening. Indeed, as a Tibetan lama once said, this
25351 fear is a sign that we are close to the edge. We are beginning to recognize
25352 the lack of substance of our ego-identity. Our "wisdom eye" has opened to a
25353 new truth--an ultimate truth, as opposed to relative truth.
25354 When we penetrate the veil, however, the work is not yet done. We may
25355 have had an enlightened experience, but there is further to travel. As Gen
25356 Jhampa Wangdu once said while I was in retreat, it is not difficult to
25357 experience emptiness; the problem is holding it. For this insight to have its
25358 full effect, the mind needs to be able to sustain awareness for prolonged
25359 periods of time. Tibetan teachers will sometimes say we may hit the nail, but
25360 only with a quality of focused attention can we repeatedly do so. With the
25361 development of tranquil abiding, the veil can be cleared completely in the way
25362 the red ring of fire created by the incense burn[ing] slowly expands and
25363 consumes the entire film of tissue paper. The mind is gradually cleansed of
25364 the emotional turmoil and confusion that is generated by the misconceptions we
25365 have about reality.
25366 -- Rob Preece, in "The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of
25367 Individuation in Buddhist Life", published by Snow Lion Publications
25369 ...if we see others in trouble, although we cannot immediately take their
25370 suffering upon ourselves, we should make the wish to be able to relieve them
25371 from their misfortunes. Prayers like this will bear fruit eventually. Again,
25372 if others have very strong afflictive emotions, we should think, "May all
25373 their emotions be concentrated in me." With fervent conviction, we should
25374 persist in thinking like this until we have some sign or feeling that we have
25375 been able to take upon ourselves the suffering and emotions of others. This
25376 might take the form of an increase in our own emotions or of the actual
25377 experience of the suffering and pain of others.
25378 This is how to bring hardships onto the path in order to free ourselves
25379 from hopes and fears--hopes, for instance, that we will not get ill, or fears
25380 that we might do so. They will thus be pacified in the equal taste of
25381 happiness and suffering. Eventually, through the power of Bodhichitta, we
25382 will reach the point where we are free even from the hope of accomplishing
25383 Bodhichitta and the fear of not doing so. Therefore we should have love for
25384 our enemies and try as much as possible to avoid getting angry with them, or
25385 harbouring any negative thoughts towards them. We should also try as much as
25386 possible to overcome our biased attachment to family and relatives. If you
25387 bind a crooked tree to a large wooden stake, it will eventually grow straight.
25388 Up to now, our minds have always been crooked, thinking how we might trick and
25389 mislead people, but this [Bodhichitta] practice, as Geshe Langri Tangpa said,
25390 will make our minds straight and true.
25391 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the
25392 Seven Point Mind Training", translated by the Padmakara Translation
25393 Group, published by Snow Lion Publications
25395 Q: ...what is the nature of the mindstream that reincarnates from lifetime to
25398 A: ...If one understands the term "soul" as a continuum of individuality from
25399 moment to moment, from lifetime to lifetime, then one can say that Buddhism
25400 also accepts a concept of soul; there is a kind of continuum of consciousness.
25401 From that point of view, the debate on whether or not there is a soul becomes
25402 strictly semantic. However, in the Buddhist doctrine of selflessness, or "no
25403 soul" theory, the understanding is that there is no eternal, unchanging,
25404 abiding, permanent self called "soul." That is what is being denied in
25407 Buddhism does not deny the continuum of consciousness. Because of this, we
25408 find some Tibetan scholars, such as the Sakya master Rendawa, who accept that
25409 there is such a thing as self or soul, the "kangsak ki dak" (Tib. gang zag gi
25410 bdag). However, the same word, the "kangsak ki dak," the self, or person, or
25411 personal self, or identity, is at the same time denied by many other scholars.
25413 We find diverse opinions, even among Buddhist scholars, as to what exactly the
25414 nature of self is, what exactly that thing or entity is that continues from
25415 one moment to the next moment, from one lifetime to the next lifetime. Some
25416 try to locate it within the aggregates, the composite of body and mind. Some
25417 explain it in terms of a designation based on the body and mind composite, and
25418 so on.... One of the divisions of [the "Mind-Only"] school maintains there is
25419 a special continuum of consciousness called alayavijnana which is the
25420 fundamental consciousness.
25421 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist
25422 Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by Snow Lion
25425 In the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path Je Tsongkhapa says that
25426 when we are training ourselves in any of the perfections, for instance in
25427 generosity, we should make sure that we practice all the other five
25428 perfections--in this case ethical discipline, patience, enthusiastic effort,
25429 concentration, and wisdom--and the six excellent factors. When we perform a
25430 generous action, ethical discipline will be included if we take care to
25431 refrain from doing anything unethical at the same time. In certain
25432 situations, for instance, we may be tempted to speak harshly or
25433 condescendingly as we give.
25434 Generosity gives rise to abundance, and by insuring that our practice is
25435 complete, we create the right environment to use these resources
25436 constructively. Sometimes when we give, people respond ungratefully. If we
25437 can resist getting upset, we are practicing patience. Giving not out of a
25438 sense of obligation or reluctantly nor with a wish to outdo others but with
25439 joy is the practice of enthusiastic effort. Directing our full attention to
25440 an act of generosity is concentration. Discerning and understanding what is
25441 appropriate to give and what is not, and remembering that the giver, the act
25442 of generosity, and the recipient are all interdependent and empty of inherent
25443 existence are the practice of wisdom. Including these different factors in
25444 our actions will bring many excellent results such as a good body and mind,
25445 the resources we need, a pleasant appearance, supportive companions, the
25446 ability to complete what we undertake, and the focus not to be distracted by
25447 the disturbing emotions and so forth. This is how to insure that we will
25448 enjoy many conducive conditions in a future human life. On the other hand,
25449 our miserliness or impatience now could make us face many difficult
25450 circumstances in the future.
25451 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "How Karma Works: The Twelve Links of Dependent
25452 Arising", translated by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
25454 Shakyamuni Buddha, even when he was a trainee on the path, was solely
25455 concerned in both thought and action with others' welfare. Whenever he found
25456 an opportunity to work for others, no matter what difficulties he faced, he
25457 was never discouraged. He never hated obstacles and hardships encountered on
25458 the way. Instead, the difficult situations facilitated his being more
25459 courageous and determined to accomplish others' welfare. Just because he was
25460 so determined to work for others in the past, even as a trainee on the path,
25461 it is needless to say how much more it is so with him now as a completely
25462 enlightened person.
25463 As the saying goes, "A past life story of a teacher is an enlightening
25464 practice for posterity."
25465 -- "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries of His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV on
25466 the Jatakamala Garland of Birth Stories," translated by Tenzin Dorjee,
25467 edited by Dexter Roberts
25469 When you get tired, it is appropriate to repeat mantra. However, for a
25470 beginner the main part of the meditation revolves around the six deities*,
25471 which should be cultivated carefully and leisurely. This is because clear
25472 appearance of oneself as a deity must be achieved for the sake of amassing the
25473 two collections of merit and wisdom, achieving firm meditative stabilisation,
25474 and transforming all physical and verbal actions into powerful aids for
25475 others' welfare. Hence, before repeating mantra, the yoga of non-dual
25476 profundity (realisation of emptiness) and manifestation (appearance as a
25477 deity) should be sustained, developing clarity in observing the divine form
25478 and in ascertaining its lack of inherent existence. When, having done this
25479 one-pointedly, you become tired, then for the sake of resting begin repeating
25480 mantra. ...Tsong-ka-pa also says that in the approximation phase meditation
25481 is chief, mantra repetition is secondary.
25482 * ultimate, sound, letter, form, seal, and sign
25483 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Deity Yoga In
25484 Action and Performance Tantra", published by Snow Lion Publications
25486 There isn't a single one of us who has never felt hostile and angry, so we
25487 know about the effects of anger. Does it make us feel better or worse? It
25488 stirs us up, makes us miserable and destroys our tranquillity. It is quite
25489 easy to recognize anger as a foe and to see how it harms us because its
25490 destructiveness is apparent. But we find it much harder and are also
25491 reluctant to acknowledge the harm done by attachment because it is a foe
25492 masquerading as a friend. When desire or attachment first arises, it feels
25493 quite pleasurable but eventually it lands us in trouble. It wants to possess
25494 what it has fabricated and we reach out for something which, in fact, does not
25495 exist. Failure to get what we want frustrates us and anger quickly follows.
25496 The third of the poisons, confusion or ignorance, simply stimulates desire and
25497 anger and lies at the root of all the disturbing emotions.
25498 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "Eight Verses for Training the Mind", translated
25499 and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
25501 The Sevenfold Cause-and-Effect Method
25502 If we have been reborn time after time, it is evident that we have needed
25503 many mothers to give birth to us. ...the first cause bringing about
25504 bodhicitta is the recognition that all beings have been our mother.
25505 The love and kindness shown us by our mother in this life would be
25506 difficult to repay. She endured many sleepless nights to care for us when we
25507 were helpless infants. She fed us and would have willingly sacrificed
25508 everything, including her own life, to spare ours. As we contemplate her
25509 example of devoted love, we should consider that each and every being
25510 throughout existence has treated us this way. Each dog, cat, fish, fly, and
25511 human being has at some point in the beginningless past been our mother and
25512 shown us overwhelming love and kindness. Such a thought should bring about
25513 our appreciation. This is the second cause of bodhicitta.
25514 As we envision the present condition of all these beings, we begin to
25515 develop the desire to help them change their lot. This is the third cause,
25516 and out of it comes the fourth, a feeling of love cherishing all beings. This
25517 is an attraction toward all beings, similar to what a child feels upon seeing
25518 his or her mother. This leads us to compassion, which is the fifth cause of
25519 bodhicitta. Compassion is a wish to separate these suffering beings, our
25520 mothers of the past, from their miserable situation. At this point we also
25521 experience loving-kindness, a wish that all beings find happiness. As we
25522 progress through these stages of responsibility, we go from wishing that all
25523 sentient beings find happiness and freedom from suffering to personally
25524 assuming responsibility for helping them enter this state beyond misery. This
25525 is the final cause. As we scrutinize how best to help others, we are drawn to
25526 achieving the fully enlightened and omniscient state of Buddhahood.
25527 -- The Dalai Lama, "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life",
25528 edited by Nicholas Vreeland
25530 Among the seven branches [qualities of Buddhahood]--complete enjoyment,
25531 union, great bliss, non-inherent existence, compassion, uninterrupted
25532 continuity, and non-cessation--three are found only in tantra--complete
25533 enjoyment, union, and great bliss--and the other four are common to both
25534 sutra and tantra, although non-inherent existence can also be put in the group
25535 specific to tantra when it is considered as the object ascertained by a bliss
25536 consciousness.... In Yoga Tantras the bliss arising from holding hands or
25537 embracing is used in the path; in Performance Tantras, from laughing; and in
25538 Action Tantras, from looking. The four tantras are similar in that they all
25539 use desire for the attributes of the desire realm on the path.
25540 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in Tibet",
25541 published by Snow Lion Publications
25543 How then does the mistaken idea, that things exist from their own side,
25544 operate? Whatever appears to the mind appears as if it existed truly from its
25545 own side. ...Now if the object existed as it appears to you, then, when you
25546 searched for it, you could actually find a real [object]. So, we must ask
25547 ourselves whether or not this object, when searched for, is to be found or
25548 not. If the object is not found when it is searched for, we must conclude
25549 that it does not exist from its own side, that when the label is applied to
25550 its basis, it is not so labeled because the basis somehow bears within it
25551 something which is the object. At this point, one must conclude that the
25552 object does not exist as it appears to, but then, one may wonder whether it
25554 Things, however, are not utterly non-existent. They do exist nominally.
25555 So things do exist, but they do not exist from the side of the basis of the
25556 label. And hence, though they do exist, because they do not exist within the
25557 object itself, they must exist only as they are labeled by the subject (the
25558 conceptual mind, for example). There is no other way for the object to exist
25559 apart from the way it is posited by conceptual thought. This is then what we
25560 mean when we say that all phenomena are merely labeled by conceptual thought.
25561 However, things do not appear to us as if they were mere conceptually labeled
25562 entities. Instead, they appear as if they existed from their own side.
25563 Therefore, it is a mistake to think that things exist as they appear.
25564 -- The Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists", edited
25565 by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
25567 Meditation is hard work, but it is also the most rewarding thing we can do
25568 with our time. As we begin to see the mechanisms we previously took for
25569 granted and start to understand them, the knots inside our minds begin to
25570 loosen. We feel a tremendous sense of freedom, space and release inside us.
25571 As we begin to understand our warped thinking patterns and our neuroses, we
25572 see them directly. We begin to develop compassion for ourselves, for our pain
25573 and confusion. Now that we start to look with clarity, we can see the pain
25574 and confusion in the eyes of other people, and we naturally develop compassion
25575 for them. It doesn't matter how outwardly successful people may appear, we
25576 can see their pain when we look into their eyes. It is very rare to come
25577 across people whose eyes are truly sparkling with joy.
25578 -- Tenzin Palmo, "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical
25579 Buddhism", published by Snow Lion Publications
25581 ...recognizing that we have certain obligations, and recognizing at the
25582 same time that spiritual practice is the core of a meaningful life, what do we
25583 do? There really is an answer. It is not easy, but it is tremendously
25584 fruitful, and it keeps on opening and opening further: transform those actions
25585 that are already obligations by applying Dharma to them.
25586 Take eating, for instance. We have to do it two or three times a day, but
25587 we don't have to wolf down the food. There is no one who cannot sit and pause
25588 first for thirty seconds. Even fast-food is worth the thirty seconds it takes
25589 to recognize the immense number of beings who have provided us with this food.
25590 Pausing like this ties us into the community of life, at least on planet
25591 earth, as we recognize that we are indebted to others. We have received, and
25592 as we take the food, let us do it with the aspiration, "May this be returned.
25593 May I use my abilities to the fullest to serve those who have served me." And
25594 that includes everyone, directly or indirectly. The service may occur on a
25595 very mundane level, but insofar as we mature spiritually, our responsibility
25596 increases according to our abilities. Not because someone tells us, "Now you
25597 have to do this," but simply as we gain insight into the nature and sources of
25598 suffering and of contentment, then we have something all the more valuable to
25600 -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Seven-Point Mind Training", edited by Zara
25601 Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
25603 The Paramita of Meditative Concentration
25604 It is said in the Teachings that without taking up the Paramita of
25605 Meditative Concentration, it would be impossible to realize the nature of
25606 mind. We should think of meditative concentration as the practice that brings
25607 stability to our minds, and creates the good conditions to practice unfocused
25608 meditation--in other words, resting in the uncontrived natural state.
25609 If we make a quick examination of our own mind, we can see the reason this
25610 kind of stability is so crucial. Although physics has observed light to be
25611 the fastest traveling phenomenon known to man, actually the speed at which our
25612 minds travel is even faster. We can circle the globe in a matter of seconds,
25613 and our minds generate doubts, emotions, and conceptual thoughts at a speed
25614 that defies that of all other phenomena. Because we lack basic mental
25615 stability, conceptual thoughts arise endlessly. So, if our goal is to realize
25616 the nature of mind, we first have to learn to still our minds, and free
25617 ourselves from distraction. The method for quieting the mind is called
25618 "meditative concentration." Once we have gained some initial mind stability,
25619 it is even more important that we continue our training so that this stability
25620 will increase. Without such stability, it is impossible for us to
25621 successfully learn to abide in the uncontrived view.
25622 -- Anyen Rinpoche, "The Union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta", translated
25623 by Allison Graboski, published by Snow Lion Publications
25625 5. Your present naked awareness
25629 Your present, naked awareness--
25630 Unspoiled by thoughts of past, present, or future,
25631 Not fettered by mind grasping to so-called "meditation"
25632 Nor falling into a pervasive blankness of so-called "non-meditation"--
25633 The natural state nakedly sustained,
25634 Is the practice of Great Perfection.
25636 Regardless of what thoughts arise during that practice,
25637 To reject negative ones or foster positive ones is unnecessary.
25638 Mere recognition liberates them in their own ground.
25639 Take this liberation upon arising as the path's key point.
25641 Destroy whatever meditative experiences arise, and relax.
25642 A tantric practitioner without fixation is deeply content.
25643 You've reached your goal of contentment right now.
25644 What is the use of numerous enumerations of Buddha's teachings
25645 When you discover Buddha Kuntu Zangpo within yourself?
25646 Keep the meaning of these words close to your heart.
25647 -- Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, "Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart
25648 Advice", translated by Ron Garry, a Tsadra Foundation Series book
25649 published by Snow Lion Publications
25651 The Buddhist view is that in the external world there are some elements
25652 that are material, and some that are nonmaterial. And the fundamental
25653 substance, the stuff from which the material universe arises, is known as
25654 space particles. A portion of space is quantized, to use a modern term; it is
25655 particulate, not continuous. Before the formation of the physical universe as
25656 we know it, there was only space, but it was quantized. And it was from the
25657 quanta, or particles, in space that the other elements arose. This accounts
25658 for the physical universe.
25659 But what brought about that process? How did it happen? It is believed
25660 that there existed other conditions, or other influences, which were
25661 nonmaterial, and these were of the nature of awareness. The actions of
25662 sentient beings in the preceding universe somehow modify, or influence, the
25663 formation of the natural universe.
25664 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations
25665 with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara
25666 Houshmand, Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by
25667 Snow Lion Publications
25669 ...meditation on emptiness begins with gaining a sense of the inherent
25670 existence of which phenomena are empty, for without understanding what is
25671 negated, you cannot understand its absence, emptiness.
25672 ...Through carefully watching how you conceive your self, or "I," to be
25673 inherently established, you will determine that the "I" appears to be self-
25674 instituting without depending on the collection of the mental and physical
25675 aggregates, which are its basis of designation, or without depending on any of
25676 them individually, even though the "I" appears with those aggregates. Proper
25677 identification of this appearance is the first essential toward realizing
25678 selflessness--ascertaining the object of negation.
25679 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba, and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra:
25680 Paths to Magical Feats", published by Snow Lion Publications
25682 At the moment the world's spiritual traditions have greatly degenerated.
25683 It is very important in such times that the practitioners themselves make
25684 especially strong efforts to gain realization. To permit the lineages of
25685 transmission to disappear is to allow the world to plunge into darkness. The
25686 great Vasubandhu wrote, "Buddha, who is like the eye of the world, is no
25687 longer to be seen. His great successors, who realized the most profound
25688 teachings, also have passed away. Who equals them?" It might be asked, who
25689 is there today to equal the master Vasubandhu? Who practices as well as did
25690 Milarepa? Such people are rare. We should remember that everything but
25691 Dharma is useless at death, and instead of wasting our lives on meaningless
25692 activities, we should blend our mindstreams with the teachings and with
25693 practice. Doing so benefits us as individuals and benefits the world by
25694 strengthening its spiritual basis.
25695 Each of us has to be able to feel the pride that we ourselves can reach
25696 perfection, we ourselves can attain enlightenment. When even one person
25697 indulges in spiritual practice, it gives encouragement to the guardian spirits
25698 of the land, and to the celestial deities who have sworn to uphold goodness.
25699 These forces then have the ability to release waves of beneficial effects upon
25700 humanity. Thus our practice has many direct and indirect benefits. ...If we
25701 practice the teachings and live the ways of Dharma, all the natural forces of
25702 goodness will be behind us.
25703 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
25704 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
25706 Karmic potentials give rise to a broad array of impulses that affect our
25707 lives. Collective karmic potentials from previous actions of a huge number of
25708 beings--including ourselves--give rise, for example, to the impulse for a
25709 universe to evolve with specific environments and life forms into which we and
25710 these beings subsequently take rebirth. These collective potentials also give
25711 rise to the impulses that drive the physical and biological laws that govern
25712 that universe--ranging from the weather patterns of its planets to the life-
25713 cycle habits of each species on them. They also account for the impulses
25714 behind the instinctive daily behavior characteristic of each life form.
25715 -- Alexander Berzin, "Taking the Kalachakra Initiation", published by Snow
25718 Once the body, channels, and wind are balanced, the next step is to keep
25719 your mind in the natural state through meditation. By simply maintaining the
25720 mind as it is, without adding or subtracting anything, one will reach the
25721 inner nature, which is unchanging and indestructible.
25722 The instructions for this type of meditation are very simple. One begins
25723 by sitting with good posture on a cushion, because it is important to stay
25724 straight. Then, one simply maintains the natural clarity of the mind, without
25725 analyzing one's experiences or being disturbed by thoughts. In the dzogchen
25726 style of meditation, there is actually nothing to do except relax in the
25727 mind's nature of clarity and emptiness. Inner awareness is different than
25728 external awareness; it is called clear-light emptiness. It is helpful to use
25729 the sky as an analogy for the true nature of the mind--when you let your mind
25730 mingle with the open space of the sky, you do not need any particular focus.
25731 Simply maintain the mind naturally, without discrimination or judgments, and
25732 experience its nature as being spacious as the sky.
25733 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche,
25734 "Opening the Door to Our Primordial Nature", Snow Lion Publications
25736 Three things in human life are important.
25737 The first is to be kind.
25738 The second is to be kind.
25739 And the third is to be kind.
25742 Question: A person, particularly in the West, must have the foundation of
25743 humility, honesty and an ethical way of life. Once one has this foundation,
25744 what else does Your Holiness suggest that one cultivate in one's life, if
25745 there is the foundation of virtue, ethics and humility?
25746 DL: The next thing to be cultivated is mental stabilization. Ethics is a
25747 method to control oneself--it is a defensive action. Our actual enemy, you
25748 see, is within ourselves. The afflicted emotions (pride, anger, jealousy) are
25749 our real enemies. These are the real trouble makers, and they are to be found
25750 within ourselves. The actual practice of religion consists of fighting
25751 against these inner enemies.
25752 As in any war, first we must have a defensive action, and in our spiritual
25753 fight against the negative emotions, ethics is our defense. Knowing that at
25754 first one is not fully prepared for offensive action, we first resort to
25755 defensive action and that means ethics. But once one has prepared one's
25756 defenses, and has become somewhat accustomed to ethics, then one must launch
25757 one's offensive. Here our main weapon is wisdom. This weapon of wisdom is
25758 like a bullet, or maybe even a rocket, and the rocket launcher is mental
25759 stabilization or calm abiding. In brief, once you have a basis in morality or
25760 ethics, the next step is to train in mental stabilization and eventually in
25762 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology
25763 of Writings", compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, Forword by Sen.
25764 Claiborne Pell, published by Snow Lion Publications
25766 4. The power of abandonment. In this practice what is being abandoned is
25767 self-grasping. We are reminded again that since beginningless time beyond all
25768 imagination, self-grasping has lain at the very core of all mental distortions
25769 and afflictions. It has brought us to unfavorable rebirths and is responsible
25770 for all the undesirable circumstances that we encounter. It is self-
25771 centeredness that obstructs realization and prevents us from deriving the full
25772 benefit from our spiritual practice. Recognize when self-grasping manifests
25773 in daily life. It is important to notice it especially at times of passion,
25774 when we are aroused or irritated, and try not to succumb to it for even a
25776 To be free of self-centeredness continuously for a whole year may be
25777 difficult, but [rejecting it for] a moment is easy. ...the more of these
25778 moments we can saturate with the cherishing of others, the more we are molding
25779 ourselves into the bodhisattvas that we will become.
25780 -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Seven-Point Mind Training", edited by Zara
25781 Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
25783 As a friend, my request and wish is that... you try to promote a sense of
25784 brotherhood and sisterhood. We must promote compassion and love; this is our
25785 real duty. Government has too much business to have time for these things.
25786 As private persons we have more time to think along these lines--how to make a
25787 contribution to human society by promoting the development of compassion and a
25788 real sense of community.
25789 ...If someone who easily gets angry tries to control his or her anger, in
25790 time it can be controlled. The same is true for a selfish person; first that
25791 person must realize the faults of a selfish motivation and the benefit in
25792 being less selfish. Having realized this, one trains in it, trying to control
25793 the bad side and develop the good. As time goes by, such practice can be
25794 effective. This is the only alternative.
25795 Without love, human society is in a very difficult state; without love,
25796 in the future we will face tremendous problems. Love is the center of human
25798 -- His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, "Kindness, Clarity & Insight", published by
25799 Snow Lion Publications
25801 Love and Attachment
25803 People often wonder how to reconcile the Buddha's teachings on non-attachment
25804 with those on love. How can we love others without being attached to them?
25805 Non-attachment is a balanced state of mind in which we cease overestimating
25806 others' qualities. By having a more accurate view of others, our unrealistic
25807 expectations fall away, as does our clinging. This leaves us open to loving
25808 others for who they are, instead of for what they do for us. Our hearts can
25809 open to care for everyone impartially, wishing everyone to be happy simply
25810 because he or she is a living being. The feeling of warmth that was
25811 previously reserved for a select few can now be expanded to a great number
25813 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Taming the Mind", published by Snow Lion
25816 According to some scientists, emotion is not necessarily negative. Emotion
25817 is a very strong feeling. While some emotions are destructive, others are
25818 constructive. In a meeting with scientists, we concluded that there are
25819 emotions even in the Buddha's mind. There is a strong sense of caring and
25820 compassion and also the realization of emptiness. In the beginning, there is
25821 just a vague feeling of emptiness. At that level, there is no emotion, but
25822 once you become more familiar with it, then that feeling increases. At a
25823 certain level, the realization of emptiness also becomes a kind of emotion.
25824 Therefore, in the practice of developing wisdom and loving-kindness
25825 / compassion, you strengthen these inner qualities and then reach a state
25826 where you have an upsurge of feeling called emotion. We can clearly see
25827 this link between intellect and emotions. Thus, the brain and heart can go
25828 side by side. I think this is the Buddhist approach.
25829 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Many Ways to Nirvana: Reflections and
25830 Advice on Right Living", edited by Renuka Singh
25832 Both mindfulness and discriminative alertness are needed in responding to
25833 sensory input of the three types--attractive, unattractive and neutral.
25834 Once again, in this tradition mindfulness does not mean simply to witness.
25835 It is a more discriminative kind of thing. You are asking yourself, "What
25836 is my response?" and then actively responding by applying the antidotes to
25837 attachment and hostility. The word mindfulness is a little bit different in
25838 different contexts. Here, Mindfulness refers to the mental faculty of being
25839 able to maintain continuity of awareness of an object. Vigilance is concerned
25840 with the quality of mind, watching to see, for example, if the mind is veering
25841 off to other objects.
25842 -- Gen Lamrimpa (Ven. Jampal Tenzin, "Calming the Mind: Tibetan Buddhist
25843 Teachings on Cultivating Meditative Quiescence", translated by B. Alan
25844 Wallace, edited by Hart Sprager, published by Snow Lion Publications
25846 When we say that the ignorant mind is perverse or wrong, we are talking
25847 about the way it misconceives reality. Now the pertinent questions are: What
25848 is reality? How is this mind mistaken about reality? And in what way does
25849 the mind wrongly apprehend reality? Reality or emptiness of true existence is
25850 something that can be established logically. There are sound, or perfect,
25851 reasons to prove the emptiness of inherent existence, and we can gain
25852 conviction in these reasons. On the other hand, there is no logical way to
25853 prove true existence. True existence is what appears to an ordinary,
25854 untrained consciousness. But when it comes under logical scrutiny, true
25855 existence cannot be found. Even in our everyday life we often find
25856 contradictions between the way certain things appear and their actual mode of
25857 existence; that is, the way things actually exist is different from the way
25858 they appear to exist.
25859 ...Our perception of impermanent things like mountain ranges and houses
25860 does not conform to their actual mode of existence. Some of these things have
25861 existed for many centuries, even thousands of years. And our minds perceive
25862 them in just that way--as lasting and permanent, impervious to momentary
25863 change. Yet when we examine these objects on an atomic level, they
25864 disintegrate every moment; they undergo momentary change. Science also
25865 describes a similar pattern of change. These objects appear solid, stable,
25866 and lasting, but in their true nature, they constantly change, not keeping
25867 still even for a moment.
25868 -- The Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", translated by Geshe Lobsang
25869 Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and Jeremy Russell, published by
25870 Snow Lion Publications
25872 If there is someone who always harms us, and we discover that this person
25873 lives in our own house, we think, "This is too much!" Once we figure out
25874 that he is causing all our hardships, we kick him out; we do not see it as a
25875 laughing matter at all. Here, it is worse: we have been wandering in the six
25876 realms of cyclic existence since beginningless time, undergoing great pain and
25877 confusion. What is the main cause of all this? Self-centeredness and its
25878 basis, self-grasping ignorance. These two are right inside us, in our own
25879 mindstream. How can we continue to tolerate that? It is just too much! We
25880 definitely must evict these sources of harm. When we know the antidotes to
25881 them, we will use them, just as we would go to any length to evict a
25882 troublemaker from our home. With strong determination, we will find out what
25883 harms self-centeredness and self-grasping and then go ahead and destroy them.
25884 -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, "Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage: An
25885 Explanation of the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas", edited by
25886 Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
25888 No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of
25889 policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets.
25892 There are many types of meditative stabilisation, but let us explain calm
25893 abiding (samatha) here. The nature of calm abiding is the one-pointed abiding
25894 on any object without distraction of a mind conjoined with a bliss of physical
25895 and mental pliancy. If it is supplemented with taking refuge, it is a
25896 Buddhist practice; and if it is supplemented with an aspiration to highest
25897 enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, it is a Mahayana practice.
25898 Its merits are that, if one has achieved calm abiding, one's mind and body are
25899 pervaded by joy and bliss; one can--through the power of its mental and
25900 physical pliancy--set the mind on any virtuous object one chooses; and many
25901 special qualities such as clairvoyance and emanations are attained.
25902 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
25903 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
25906 Apart from the perfection of wisdom,
25907 All virtuous practices such as
25908 The perfection of giving are described
25909 As skillful means by the Victorious Ones.
25911 The first five perfections--giving, ethical discipline, patience, enthusiastic
25912 effort and concentration--as well as meditation on impermanence, on the
25913 connection between actions and their effects and the cultivation of
25914 compassion, love and the altruistic intention are all skillful means. In fact
25915 all positive practices which do not constitute the cultivation of wisdom fall
25916 into the category of skillful means.
25919 Whoever, under the influence of familiarity
25920 With skillful means, cultivates wisdom
25921 Will quickly attain enlightenment--
25922 Not just by meditating on selflessness.
25924 When stability in practices which develop skillful means has been gained, the
25925 Bodhisattva meditates on the selflessness of persons and other phenomena and
25926 thereby overcomes clinging to their true existence. This leads swiftly to
25927 enlightenment. If we confine our efforts only to understanding reality, our
25928 understanding lacks the power to destroy all the obstructions that prevent
25929 omniscience and we may remain locked in a state of solitary peace.
25930 Cultivation of skillful means prevents this and adds such power to our
25931 understanding of reality that, like a blazing fire, it consumes all
25934 -- "Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment", commentary by Geshe Sonam
25935 Rinchen, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion
25938 As I grow to understand life less and less,
25939 I learn to love it more and more.
25942 The environment where you are doing the meditation should be properly cleaned.
25943 While cleaning, you should cultivate the motivation that since you are engaged
25944 in the task of accumulating great stores of merit by inviting the hosts of
25945 buddhas and bodhisattvas to this environment, it is important to have a clean
25946 place. You should see that all the external dirt and dust around you is
25947 basically a manifestation of the faults and stains within your own mind. You
25948 should see that the most important aim is to purge these stains and faults
25949 from within your mind. Therefore, as you cleanse the environment, think that
25950 you are also purifying your mind. Develop the very strong thought that by
25951 cleaning this place you are inviting the host of buddhas and bodhisattvas who
25952 are the most supreme merit field, and that you will subsequently engage in a
25953 path that will enable you to purge your mind of the stains of delusions.
25954 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, "Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to
25955 Stages of Meditation", translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa, edited by
25956 Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
25958 The entire environment we perceive around us arises, in part, in
25959 dependence upon our sense faculties. The environment we experience does not
25960 truly exist "out there." Sight is dependent upon visual faculties, hearing
25961 is dependent upon auditory faculties, and tactile sensations depend on nerve
25962 endings. Psychologically, all that we experience is dependent upon ourselves.
25963 We do not experience anything purely objectively. The arising and perceiving
25964 of experience is co-emergent between ourselves and the world around us. Yet,
25965 the deep belief persists that the world really exists "out there" now and eons
25966 before we were born.
25967 The Buddhist hypothesis extends beyond the psychological. The Buddhist
25968 hypothesis is this: that which is perceived arises in dependence upon the
25969 perception of it. Things are empty of independent, inherent existence. What
25970 appears to exist "out there" is empty of objective existence from its own
25971 side. This does not mean that nothing exists apart from our perceptions.
25972 Rather, it means that by probing the nature of existence of anything we
25973 experience perceptually or conceptually, we find that nothing exists by its
25974 own independent nature. Another way of phrasing this is that appearance
25975 extends all the way down to the root and there is nothing beyond the
25976 appearances. Appearances extend down to quarks; nothing is there purely
25977 objectively and nothing is there purely subjectively. This is the Buddhist
25979 -- B. Alan Wallace, "Buddhism with an Attitude: The Seven-Point Mind-
25980 Training" , edited by Lynn Quirolo, published by Snow Lion Publications
25982 I consider it very important for religion to have an influence on
25983 politicians. Politicians need religion much more than pious people who have
25984 withdrawn from the world need it. There is a constant increase in the
25985 scandals in politics and business that can be traced back to the lack of self-
25986 discipline on the part of the responsible parties. In India, the minister-
25987 president of West Bengal once said to me with what he considered a humble
25988 attitude that he was a politician and not a religious person. I responded to
25989 him: politicians need religion more than anyone else.
25990 When hermits in solitude are bad persons, the result is that they harm
25991 themselves alone and no one else. But when such influential people as
25992 politicians are full of bad intentions, they can bring misfortune to many.
25993 This is why religion, as continuous work on our inner maturity, is important
25994 for political rulers.
25995 A politician must have moral principles. I am convinced of this. Seen in
25996 this light, politics and religion belong together. In the United States,
25997 church and state may be separate, but when the president takes office, he
25998 makes a vow in the name of God with his hand on the Bible. This means that
25999 God should be the witness that the president will conscientiously fulfill his
26001 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Felizitas Von Schonborn, "Path of Wisdom,
26002 Path of Peace: A Personal Conversation", Foreword by Wei Jingsheng
26004 ...many people, critical of Dzogchen, question why we need to practice at all
26005 if, as according to Dzogchen, the primordial state is already the enlightened
26006 state. If our true nature is already Buddhahood, what is the need to
26007 cultivate enlightenment? We cannot side-step these criticisms since,
26008 according to Dzogchen, Buddhahood is indeed our natural state; we do not
26009 create it, but simply discover it through our meditation. But if we simply
26010 agree with our critics, this would mean there is no need to practice. These
26011 are important things to think about. We must answer that although the natural
26012 state of the mind is primordially pure, there are two ways of being pure.
26013 Defilements, or obscurations, are not in the nature of the mind (sems nyid)
26014 but in the moving mind (sems), so they can be purified. It is as in the
26015 Tibetan story of the old beggar woman who slept on a pillow of gold every
26016 night: she was rich, but since she did not appreciate the value of gold, she
26017 thought she was poor. In the same way, the primordial purity of our mind is
26018 of no use to us if we are not aware of it and do not integrate it with our
26019 moving mind. If we realize our innate purity but only integrate with it from
26020 time to time, we are not totally realized. Being in total integration all the
26021 time is final realization. But many people prefer thinking and speaking about
26022 integration to actualizing it.
26023 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "Wonders of the Natural Mind: The Essence of
26024 Dzogchen in the Native Bon Tradition of Tibet", Foreword by H.H. the
26025 Dalai Lama, edited by Andrew Lukianowicz, published by Snow Lion
26028 External disarmament is very, very important. Already, there is some
26029 movement. My dream is that one day the whole world will be demilitarized, but
26030 we cannot achieve this overnight. Also, we cannot achieve it without a
26031 proper, systematic plan; however, it is important to make the target clear.
26032 Even though it may take one hundred years, or fifty years, that doesn't
26033 matter. Establish a clear idea or clear target; then try to achieve it step
26034 by step. As a first step, we have already started with the elimination of
26035 antipersonnel mines and biological weapons. Also, we are already reducing
26036 nuclear weapons; eventually, there should be a total ban on nuclear weapons.
26037 This is now foreseeable; the idea of its possibility is approaching. These
26038 are great, hopeful signs.
26039 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "The Art of Peace: Nobel Peace Laureates
26040 Discuss Human Rights, Conflict and Reconciliation", edited by Jeffrey
26041 Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
26043 Bare awareness is not easy to develop and maintain because of the mind's
26044 disposition to be constantly preoccupied by thoughts. We easily lose
26045 attention because our mind is so busy. When we do, our emotional life can
26046 creep up on us and take us over. Without mindfulness, the capacity to
26047 maintain attention, disidentification is very difficult, and bare awareness
26048 even more so. Through meditation it is possible to cultivate a quiet,
26049 unintrusive awareness that greatly strengthens our capacity to remain with our
26050 feelings. We simply allow their presence without judging them, or needing to
26051 make them different.
26052 The early stage of meditation focuses attention and cultivates
26053 mindfulness. Mindfulness is our capacity to watch and remain conscious as
26054 emotions, feelings, and thoughts arise. We may begin in meditation by
26055 observing the breath and gradually quietening the mind from the constant
26056 discursive chatter that interrupts our attention. In time a quality of bare
26057 awareness is established free from the conceptual confusion that discriminates
26058 and evaluates what arises and parcels it up in conceptual boxes of good or
26059 bad. Furthermore, this quiet awareness does not become pulled into the
26060 contents of mental activity and drown in their confusion.
26061 -- Rob Preece, "The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra", Foreword by Stephen
26062 Batchelor, published by Snow Lion Publications
26064 In the realm of matter, one and the same object can serve as a cause of
26065 happiness for some living beings, and a cause of suffering for others.
26066 Certain plants, for example, function as medicine for some creatures, but for
26067 other species they can be poisonous. From the point of view of the object
26068 itself there is no difference, but because of the physical constitution and
26069 the material state of the particular living being, that single self-same
26070 object can affect them in different ways. Then, in the sphere of our own
26071 experiences, the same holds true. A certain individual may appear to some as
26072 very friendly, kind and gentle, and so gives them feelings of happiness and
26073 pleasure. Yet to others that same person can appear harmful and wicked, and
26074 so cause them discomfort and unhappiness.
26075 What this kind of example points to is that, although external matter
26076 may act as a cause for our experience of pain and pleasure, the principal
26077 cause that determines whether we experience happiness or suffering lies
26078 within. This is the reason why, when Buddha identified the origin of
26079 suffering, he pointed within and not outside, because he knew that the
26080 principal causes of our suffering are our own negative emotions and the
26081 actions they drive us to do.
26082 -- H.H. The Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
26083 Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron,
26084 Foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published
26085 by Snow Lion Publications
26087 When you have many excuses not to do your work, ask yourself what guarantee
26088 you have of another chance to do what needs to be done. Time lost is lost for
26089 good. No matter how much you promise to improve, no matter what good
26090 intentions you have for making it up, the time is gone for good. Feeling
26091 sorry about the situation will not bring it back. You can never buy back that
26092 precious piece of time. You may think, "Well, that piece of time has passed,
26093 but I still have a long stretch of time left." No, you do not! What guarantee
26094 is there that you will have another piece of time like this one? Wake up and
26095 stop the excuses; they never made sense before and do not make sense now.
26096 Laziness and procrastination have never worked in a sound and helpful way. It
26097 is only sound and helpful to get things moving.
26098 -- Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, "Dharma Paths", translated by Ngodup Burkhar
26099 and Chojor Radha, edited by Laura M. Roth, published by Snow Lion
26102 Any sense of conceit or self-importance gets in the way of cultivating the
26103 genuine altruistic intention, and the most effective remedy against this is
26104 the cultivation of humility.
26105 I can tell you a more recent story to illustrate this point. The great
26106 nineteenth-century Tibetan Dzokchen meditator Dza Patrul Rinpoche always
26107 maintained a demeanour of true humility. At one time, when he was giving a
26108 series of teachings to a large crowd of students, he experienced a forceful
26109 yearning for solitude. So one day he quietly left his residence and
26110 disappeared, dressed like an ordinary pilgrim and carrying a walking staff and
26111 very little else. When he reached a nomadic camp he sought shelter for a few
26112 days with one of the families. While he was staying with them, his hostess
26113 asked him to read some texts and, since he looked just like an ordinary
26114 pilgrim, in return for his food and lodging she asked him to help with the
26115 household chores, which included the disposal of the contents of her chamber
26117 One day, while he was away from the camp attending to this task, some of
26118 his well-dressed monk students came looking for him. When his hostess heard
26119 their description of him, she suddenly realised this was the same person she
26120 had asked to throw away the contents of her chamber pot. (It is said she was
26121 so embarrassed that she just ran away!) Such was the humility of this great
26122 teacher, who had many thousands of students.
26123 ...great practitioners of the altruistic intention also possess a
26124 tremendous courage grounded in real inner strength.... This combination of a
26125 total lack of conceit yet possessing great depth of courage is what is
26126 required in a true practitioner of bodhicitta, the altruistic mind of
26128 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
26129 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
26131 Rejoicing in the actions of others is the major antidote to jealousy. When
26132 we admire the virtuous deeds of ourselves and of others, a great increase of
26133 merit is created. Jealousy is very harmful, and must be destroyed by
26134 rejoicing. If we rejoice in the virtue of someone whose understanding is less
26135 than our own, we gain greater merit than that person. If we rejoice in the
26136 merit of someone with understanding equal to ours, we gain equal merit. If we
26137 rejoice in the realization or virtue of someone more highly realized than we
26138 are, we accumulate some fraction of the merit that they do. We must rejoice
26139 in virtue because we have taken bodhisattva vows. If other beings practice
26140 well it helps us; therefore we should rejoice in their positive actions. This
26141 is the easiest way to accumulate merit with little hardship. With consistent
26142 effort the practice of rejoicing becomes very powerful and is greatly praised
26144 -- Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, "Chod on the Ganden Tradition: the Oral
26145 Instructions of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche", edited by David Molk, published
26146 by Snow Lion Publications
26148 If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint,"
26149 then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.
26150 -- Vincent Van Gogh
26152 ...there are various factors that contribute to attaining that level of
26153 joy and happiness which we conventionally also recognize as sources of
26154 happiness, such as good physical health, ...the wealth that we accumulate,
26155 ...and a circle of friends we trust and with whom we can relate emotionally.
26156 Now all of these are, in reality, sources of happiness, but in order for
26157 one to be able to fully utilize them with the goal of enjoying a happy and
26158 fulfilled life, one's state of mind is crucial. If one harbors hateful
26159 thoughts within, or strong or intense anger somewhere deep down, then it ruins
26160 one's health, so it destroys one of the factors. Even if one has wonderful
26161 possessions, when one is in an intense moment of anger or hatred, one feels
26162 like throwing them--breaking them or throwing them away. So there is no
26163 guarantee that wealth alone can give one the joy or fulfillment that one
26164 seeks. Similarly, when one is in an intense state of anger or hatred, even
26165 a very close friend appears somehow "frosty," cold and distant, or quite
26167 What this indicates is that our state of mind is crucial in determining
26168 whether or not we gain joy and happiness. So leaving aside the perspective of
26169 Dharma practice, even in worldly terms, in terms of our enjoying a happy day-
26170 to-day existence, the greater the level of calmness of our mind, the greater
26171 our peace of mind, and the greater our ability to enjoy a happy and joyful
26173 -- The Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist
26174 Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by Snow
26177 Question: Is there a buildup of awareness that happens by the practice of
26178 recognizing or looking for your own basic nature so that, over time, it
26179 dispels the fear of these emotions?
26181 Rinpoche: Yes, awareness is developed through the discipline of meditation.
26182 Beginning with shamatha meditation, we develop lots of awareness and
26183 mindfulness on the path. Then, in Mahamudra and Dzogchen, we emphasize a
26184 different aspect of mindfulness and awareness. Mindfulness and awareness
26185 come from the discipline of meditation, which continues in our everyday
26186 life. Therefore, formal sitting practice is very important for us. For
26187 that reason, many teachers tell us to sit at least 10-15 minutes every day.
26188 That helps us to generate this continuity of awareness in our everyday life.
26189 There is no easy solution for manifesting awareness or mindfulness in our
26190 everyday life without some discipline in practice. The only problem is
26191 that when a student hears a teacher say that they must sit every day,
26192 that's the time students usually begin to change their guru!
26194 -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
26195 Samantabhadra", published by Snow Lion Publications
26197 We ordinary individuals share the characteristic of having our attempts to
26198 gain happiness thwarted by our own destructive self-centeredness. It is
26199 unsuitable to keep holding onto the self-centered attitude while ignoring
26200 others. If two friends find themselves floundering in a muddy swamp they
26201 should not ridicule each other, but combine their energies to get out. Both
26202 ourselves and others are in the same position of wanting happiness and not
26203 wanting suffering, but we are entangled in a web of ignorance that prevents us
26204 from achieving those goals. Far from regarding it as an "every man for
26205 himself" situation, we should meditate upon the equality of self and others
26206 and the need to be helpful to other beings.
26207 -- Ven. Lobsang Gyatso, "Bodhicitta: Cultivating the Compassionate Mind of
26208 Enlightenment", translated by Ven. Sherab Gyatso, published by Snow Lion
26211 Dalai Lama: "In the traditional [Tibetan] society, most people automatically
26212 did the types of work their families did--nomads, farmers, merchants, and so
26213 on. But some people still engaged in work that was not in keeping with the
26214 principle of nonharm, because there are butchers, metal smiths who make
26215 swords, and so on. But these kinds of work were also generally hereditary."
26217 Howard Cutler: "Speaking of work and the implementation of the concept of
26218 nonharm, ...you mentioned that there was a rule in Tibet that any new
26219 invention had to guarantee that it was beneficial or at least not harmful for
26220 at least seven generations."
26222 DL: "...there do seem to be certain practices and policies that successive
26223 Tibetan governments adopted in Tibet that reflect putting into practice
26224 certain Buddhist ideals, such as the Buddhist principle of respecting the
26225 natural world, particularly the animal world. For example, all the
26226 communities living near the Yamdrok Lake used to rely heavily on fishing in
26227 the past. Recently I heard about a policy that was adopted during the Fifth
26228 Dalai Lama's time where they were discouraged from fishing, and in order to
26229 compensate them, some other communities would band together and provide them
26230 an equivalent value in grain, so that they would be compensated against their
26231 loss. Similarly, in the area near Mount Kailash, around Lake Manasarovar
26232 during a particular season, a lot of waterfowl migrate there. They lay their
26233 eggs on the shores and apparently there was a government policy that during
26234 the egg-laying season, they would appoint people to watch over the eggs to
26235 make sure they were safe. Of course, there might be individuals who in
26236 addition to taking the salary probably ate some of the eggs as well. These
26237 things happen. But overall there is this kind of attitude of nonharm. "So,
26238 even though in Tibet, people didn't always follow the principle of nonharm in
26239 their work ...this principle was still deeply ingrained in the people. "In
26240 general, I think this could be applied in the West. Although not everybody
26241 has options about the work that they do, at least I think it is good to give
26242 serious thought to the kind of work one does, and the impact it has on others.
26243 I think it is best to choose work that does not cause harm to others, that
26244 does not exploit or deceive others, either directly or indirectly. I think
26245 that's the best way."
26246 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Dr. Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art
26247 of Happiness at Work"
26249 If we are feeling very nervous all the time, the first step toward doing
26250 something to remedy the situation is to take ourselves and the quality of our
26251 life seriously. Suppose we are walking down the street and we step on a bug
26252 and partially crush but have not actually killed it. If we continue walking
26253 and ignore the bug's experience of its leg being crushed or severed, we do so
26254 because we do not take the insect and its life seriously. We have no respect
26255 for it. If we treat ourselves no better than we do a bug and ignore our
26256 innermost pains and anguish, that is most unfortunate.
26257 Taking ourselves seriously means actually looking at how we are
26258 experiencing our life and, if there is something unsatisfactory about it,
26259 admitting it to ourselves. Our tension and stress do not go away by denying
26260 them or avoiding taking an honest look. And admitting that something is amiss
26261 is not the same as complaining about it and feeling sorry for ourselves. Nor
26262 does it imply that something is fundamentally wrong with us and we are guilty
26263 of being a bad person because we are nervous. Being objective, not
26264 melodramatic, and remaining non-judgmental are essential for any healing,
26266 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu
26267 Tradition of Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
26269 Wouldn't life be boring without attachment?
26271 No. In fact it's attachment that makes us restless and prevents us from
26272 enjoying things. For example, suppose we're attached to chocolate cake. Even
26273 while we're eating it, we're not tasting it and enjoying it completely. We're
26274 usually either criticizing ourselves for eating something fattening, comparing
26275 the taste of this chocolate cake to other cakes we've eaten in the past, or
26276 planning how to get another piece. In any case, we're not really experiencing
26277 the chocolate cake in the present.
26278 On the other hand, without attachment, we can think clearly about whether
26279 we want to eat the cake, and if we decide to, we can eat it peacefully,
26280 tasting and enjoying every bite without craving for more or being dissatisfied
26281 because it isn't as good as we expected. As we diminish our attachment, life
26282 becomes more interesting because we're able to open up to what's happening in
26284 -- Thubten Chodron, "Buddhism for Beginners", published by Snow Lion
26287 My Grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses.
26288 Drinks right out of the bottle.
26291 We are bits of stellar matter that got cold by accident,
26292 bits of a star gone wrong.
26293 -- Sir Arthur Eddington
26295 Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned. -- Milton Friedman
26297 I have the worst memory ever so no matter who comes up to me--
26298 they're just, like, "I can't believe you don't remember me!"
26299 I'm like, "Oh Dad I'm sorry!"
26302 Question: When a practitioner of the Great Vehicle vows not to enter into
26303 nirvana until all beings are liberated, how is it possible to fulfill this
26306 Answer: Three modes of generating an altruistic intention to become
26307 enlightened are described--like a king, like a boatman, and like a shepherd.
26308 In the first, that like a king, one first seeks to attain a high state after
26309 which help can be given to others. In the second, like a boatman, one seeks
26310 to cross the river of suffering together with others. In the third, like a
26311 shepherd, one seeks to relieve the flock of suffering beings from pain first,
26312 oneself following afterward. These are indications of the style of the
26313 altruistic motivation for becoming enlightened; in actual fact, there is no
26314 way that a Bodhisattva either would want to or could delay achieving full
26315 enlightenment. As much as the motivation to help others increases, so much
26316 closer does one approach Buddhahood.
26317 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard",
26318 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion
26321 A bodhisattva is someone who says from the depth of his or her heart, "I
26322 want to be liberated and find ways to overcome all the problems of the world.
26323 I want to help all my fellow beings to do likewise. I long to attain the
26324 highest state of everlasting peace and happiness, in which all suffering has
26325 ceased, and I want to do so for myself and for all sentient beings."
26326 According to the Buddha's teaching, anyone who makes this firm and heartfelt
26327 commitment is a bodhisattva. We become bodhisattvas from the moment we have
26328 this vast and open heart, called bodhichitta, the mind bent on bringing
26329 lasting happiness to all sentient beings.
26330 Buddhist literature defines three types of bodhisattvas: the kinglike
26331 bodhisattva, the captainlike bodhisattva, and the shepherdlike bodhisattva. A
26332 kinglike bodhisattva is like a good king who first wants everything luxurious
26333 for himself, like a big palace, a large entourage, a beautiful queen, and so
26334 on. But once his happiness has been achieved, he also wants to help and
26335 support his subjects as much as possible. Accordingly, a kinglike bodhisattva
26336 has the motivation, "First, I want to free myself from samsara and attain
26337 perfect enlightenment. As soon as I have reached buddhahood, I will help all
26338 other sentient beings to become buddhas as well."
26339 A captainlike bodhisattva would say, "I would like to become a buddha, and
26340 I will take all other sentient beings along with me so that we reach
26341 enlightenment together." This is just as the captain of a ship crosses the
26342 sea, he takes his passengers with him, and they reach the far shore
26344 A shepherdlike bodhisattva is inspired by thinking, "I want to help all
26345 sentient beings to reach enlightenment and see the truth. Only when this is
26346 achieved and samsara is emptied will I become a buddha myself." In actual
26347 fact it may not happen this way, but anyone who has this motivation is called
26348 a "shepherdlike bodhisattva." In the old days, sheep were not kept in fenced
26349 pastures, and the shepherds had to bring them down from the mountains to
26350 protect them from wolves. They would follow behind the sheep, guiding them
26351 into their pen and lock them in. A shepherd would take care of his sheep
26352 first, and only then would he go home and eat.
26353 The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara developed this shepherdlike motivation and
26354 is therefore considered to be the most courageous and compassionate of beings.
26355 He vowed, "I will not attain complete enlightenment until I have led all
26356 sentient beings to liberation without leaving a single one behind."
26357 -- Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, "Daring Steps Toward Fearlessness: The Three
26358 Vehicles of Buddhism", edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs,
26359 published by Snow Lion Publications
26361 The practice of compassion begins at home. We have our parents, our
26362 children, and our brothers and sisters, who perhaps irritate us the most, and
26363 we begin our practice of loving-kindness and compassion with them. Then
26364 gradually we extend our compassion out into our greater community, our
26365 country, neighbouring countries, the world, and finally to all sentient beings
26366 equally without exception.
26367 Extending compassion in this way makes it evident that it is not very easy
26368 to instantly have compassion for "all sentient beings." Theoretically it may
26369 be comfortable to have compassion for "all sentient beings," but through our
26370 practice we realize that "all sentient beings" is a collection of individuals.
26371 When we actually try to generate compassion for each and every individual, it
26372 becomes much more challenging. But if we cannot work with one individual,
26373 then how can we work with all sentient beings? Therefore it is important for
26374 us to reflect more practically, to work with compassion for individuals and
26375 then extend that compassion further.
26376 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Trainings in Compassion", translated by the
26377 Padmakara Translation Group, published by Snow Lion Publications
26379 It wouldn't be bad if you didn't have statues, but it has become indispensable
26380 to have Buddhist texts which deal with the structured path to train our mind.
26381 If you have Buddhist texts, read them for yourselves and to friends who visit.
26382 That way you can help others to understand Buddhist ideas. For instance, it
26383 is interesting to read Milarepa's life story and songs. We find in them many
26384 enlightening lessons. Buddha's image alone will not purify us of karmic
26385 obscuration.... It is very important to study the scriptures. They are not
26386 to be just stacked up on the altar. They must be cultivated in our mind.
26387 ...[we] take great interest in having the symbolic representations of Buddha's
26388 body, speech and mind. I feel it is more important to acquire and read
26389 scriptures, the symbolic representations of his speech. You can pay homage to
26390 them, you can make offerings to them; above all, you should study them.
26391 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the Dalai
26392 Lama XIV on the Jatakamala", translated by Tenzin Dorjee, edited by
26393 Dexter Roberts, Snow Lion Publications
26395 From the Buddhist point of view, being in a depressed state, in a state of
26396 discouragement, is seen as a kind of extreme that can clearly be an obstacle
26397 to taking the steps necessary to accomplish one's goals. A state of self-
26398 hatred is even far more extreme than simply being discouraged, and this can be
26399 very, very dangerous. For those engaged in Buddhist practice, the antidote to
26400 self-hatred would be to reflect upon the fact that all beings, including
26401 oneself, have Buddha Nature--the seed or potential for perfection, full
26402 Enlightenment--no matter how weak or poor or deprived one's present situation
26403 may be. So those people involved in Buddhist practice who suffer from self-
26404 hatred or self-loathing should avoid contemplating the suffering nature of
26405 existence or the underlying unsatisfactory nature of existence, and instead
26406 they should concentrate more on the positive aspects of one's existence, such
26407 as appreciating the tremendous potential that lies within oneself as a human
26408 being. And by reflecting upon these opportunities and potentials, they will
26409 be able to increase their sense of worth and confidence in themselves.
26410 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art of
26411 Happiness: A Handbook for Living"
26413 An instruction that matches examples and their meanings to show how the
26414 absolute nature permeates everything. (*SG)
26416 These various examples give a general idea of the absolute nature. (*DK)
26418 ...there are four examples and their meanings. Take the example of a
26419 Sugata's body: whichever way one looks at it, it is beautiful. (*Z)
26421 Similarly, everything a realized being does, since it is permeated with the
26422 realization of the unborn nature, is bliss, for he does not have ordinary
26423 attachment and aversion. (*Z & SG)
26425 Whether one looks at a Sugata's face or any other part of his body, one never
26426 feels one has looked enough. It is an example of ultimate beauty. Similarly,
26427 those for whom everything is backed by the realization of the unborn nature no
26428 longer have ordinary attachment and aversion, and such persons can therefore
26429 act like enlightened beings: whatever they do is bliss. Since they have fully
26430 realized the absolute nature, there is no question of telling them, "This is
26431 the right thing to do; that is something you should not do." They have no
26432 concepts or limits, so they can act as they wish. Everything they do will be
26433 nothing but bliss. (DK)
26436 Z: Zurchungpa's root text
26437 DK: Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's commentary
26438 SG: Shechen Gyaltsap's notes
26440 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Zurchungpa's Testament: A Commentary on
26441 Zurchung Sherab Trakpa's Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice", translated
26442 by the Padmakara Translation Group, published by Snow Lion Publications
26444 Unless someone like you cares a whole lot,
26445 nothing is going to get better. It's not.
26446 -- The Lorax, Doctor Seuss
26448 We do what we must, and call it by the best names. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
26450 These days an income is something you can't live without--or within.
26453 Everything is vague to a degree you do not realize
26454 until you have tried to make it precise.
26455 -- Bertrand Russell
26457 The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.
26458 -- Flannery O'Connor
26460 The initial period of deity yoga is called prior approximation because one is
26461 accustoming to a deity through becoming closer and closer to its state,
26462 whereupon the deity grants the feat, either directly or in the sense of
26463 bestowing a capacity to the mind. Actually effecting the achievement of feats
26464 is done by way of carrying out prescribed burnt offerings or repetition of
26465 mantra, etc., after the approximation has been completed. These feats are
26466 then used for the welfare of others in the third stage, which involves
26467 activities of (1) pacification such as overcoming plague or relieving others
26468 of demons, (2) increase of lifespan, intelligence, wealth, and so forth, (3)
26469 control of resources, persons harmful to others' welfare, etc., and (4)
26470 ferocity, such as expelling or confusing harmful beings.
26471 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Deity Yoga
26472 in Action and Performance Tantra", published by Snow Lion Publications
26474 The bodhisattva, as the personification of individuation, discovers a unique
26475 capacity to awaken his or her potential to work for the welfare of others in
26476 whichever way most suits his or her individual disposition. When I consider
26477 my own teachers, one thing I particularly value is their capacity to be
26478 authentically themselves. They each have their unique personality and quality
26479 that is a genuine expression of their individuality. There is no
26480 contradiction between our Western need to be individuals and the Buddhist
26481 path. Buddhism does not demand that we become clones of some ideal. Rather,
26482 it asks us to respond to who we are and awaken our full potential, expressing
26483 it within our particular individual capacity. My Tibetan teachers have
26484 supremely individualistic personalities, something I love and value deeply.
26485 They respond to me as an individual with my own personality, which they would
26486 never ask me to relinquish. The fact that they were each on their own unique
26487 journey within the Buddhist path was, for me, a sublime example of the
26488 bodhisattva as an individuated person who has truly responded to the inner
26490 -- Rob Preece, "The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of Individuation
26491 in Buddhist Life", published by Snow Lion Publications
26493 The view is to believe in and understand the buddha nature, the essence of all
26494 the buddhas. If one knows the buddha nature, then that is to know the
26495 unchanging essence which is free from any limitation, the original primordial
26496 nature of the mind as it is. This is not like a light bulb that suddenly
26497 comes on or something that is newly acquired. It is the nature as it has
26498 always been and always will be: primordially perfect. To recognize the buddha
26499 nature is the view. To fail to recognize the buddha nature is to deviate into
26500 confusion. If you recognize your buddha nature, this is the same as having an
26501 audience with all the buddhas. You will meet face to face with all your root
26503 -- Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, "Meditation, Transformation, and Dream Yoga",
26504 translated by B. Alan Wallace and Sangye Khandro, published by Snow Lion
26507 ...when we ask, what is the substantial cause of the material universe way
26508 back in the early history of the universe, we trace it back to the space
26509 particles which transform into the elements of this manifest universe. And
26510 then we can ask whether those space particles have an ultimate beginning. The
26511 answer is no. They are beginningless. Where other philosophical systems
26512 maintain that the original cause was God, Buddha suggested the alternative
26513 that there aren't any ultimate causes. The world is beginningless. Then the
26514 question would be: Why is it beginningless? And the answer is, it is just
26515 nature. There is no reason. Matter is just matter.
26516 Now we have a problem: What accounts for the evolution of the universe as
26517 we know it? What accounts for the loose particles in space forming into the
26518 universe that is apparent to us? Why did it go through orderly processes of
26519 change? Buddhists would say there is a condition which makes it possible, and
26520 we speak of that condition as the awareness of sentient beings.
26521 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations with
26522 the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara Houshmand,
26523 Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion
26526 Q: Certain associates can say things to me that spark an aggressive reaction.
26527 Why is it so easy to spark this feeling of negativity if there is not an
26528 accumulation of energy behind it?
26530 A: This is because of your pattern of clinging to the idea that you should
26531 have all the good things, and nothing that bothers you should ever happen, as
26532 I explained earlier. This is wishful thinking, because the nature of the
26533 world is not like that at all. The ego game you have planned is itself the
26534 explanation for how easily your anger is sparked. Because you have planned
26535 such a delicate, impossible game, and there are many things that can happen,
26536 anything that jeopardizes the plan of your ego upsets you. It is not an
26537 accumulation of energy but the pattern of clinging that is at fault.
26539 -- Venerable Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, "Dharma Paths", translated by Ngodup
26540 Burkhar and Chojor Radha, edited by Laura M. Roth, published by Snow
26543 Suppose... you try to convert someone from another religion to the
26544 Buddhist religion, and you argue with them trying to convince them of the
26545 inferiority of their position. And suppose you do not succeed, suppose they
26546 do not become Buddhist. On the one hand, you have failed in your task, and on
26547 the other hand, you may have weakened the trust they have in their own
26548 religion, so that they may come to doubt their own faith. What have you
26549 accomplished by all this? It is of no use. When we come into contact with
26550 the followers of different religions, we should not argue. Instead, we should
26551 advise them to follow their own beliefs as sincerely and as truthfully as
26552 possible. For if they do so, they will no doubt reap certain benefits. Of
26553 this there is no doubt. Even in the immediate future, they will be able to
26554 achieve more happiness and more satisfaction.
26555 ...When I meet the followers of different religions, I always praise them,
26556 for it is enough, it is sufficient, that they are following the moral
26557 teachings that are emphasized in every religion. It is enough, as I mentioned
26558 earlier, that they are trying to become better human beings. This in itself
26559 is very good and worthy of praise.
26560 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
26561 edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
26563 Only a Buddha has extinguished all faults and gained all attainments.
26564 Therefore, one should mentally go for refuge to a Buddha, praise him with
26565 speech, and respect him physically. One should enter the teaching of such a
26567 A Buddha's abandonment of defects is of three types: good, complete, and
26568 irreversible. Good abandonment involves overcoming obstructions through their
26569 antidotes, not just through withdrawing from those activities. Complete
26570 abandonment is not trifling, forsaking only some afflictions or just the
26571 manifest afflictions, but forsaking all obstructions. Irreversible
26572 abandonment overcomes the seeds of afflictions and other obstructions in such
26573 a way that defects will never arise again, even when conditions favourable to
26575 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in Tibet",
26576 published by Snow Lion Publications
26578 In commenting on the first instruction spoken by Manjushri, we considered the
26579 question of attachment to this lifetime and the faults that come from this
26580 attachment. However, the question of attachment goes deeper. It is not just
26581 a matter of giving up attachment to this life's rewards but of losing our
26582 taste and affinity for the whole of worldly existence. This is why it is
26583 necessary to contemplate and meditate upon the faults of conditioned
26584 existence. Otherwise, we may imagine that samsara possesses any manner of
26585 attractive qualities. Pondering the shortcomings of samsara should bring
26586 forth in us a tangible sense of disgust, as we are confronted with our own
26587 misguided pursuit of worldly ends.
26588 -- Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, "Parting from the Four Attachments: Jetsun
26589 Drakpa Gyaltsen's Song of Experience on Mind Training and the View",
26590 commentary translated by Thubten Choedak, Root Text and Lineage Prayer
26591 translated by H.H. Sakya Trizin and Jay Goldberg, compiled and edited
26592 by John Deweese, published by Snow Lion Publications
26594 Another problem we face today is the gap between rich and poor. In this
26595 great country of America, your forefathers established the concepts of
26596 democracy, freedom, liberty, equality, and equal opportunity for every
26597 citizen. These are provided for by your wonderful Constitution. However, the
26598 number of billionaires in this country is increasing while the poor remain
26599 poor, in some cases getting even poorer. This is very unfortunate. On the
26600 global level as well, we see rich nations and poor ones. This is also very
26601 unfortunate. It is not just morally wrong, but practically it is a source of
26602 unrest and trouble that will eventually find its way to our door.
26603 ...one of my elder brothers, who is no longer alive, would tell me of his
26604 experiences living in America. He lived a humble life and told me of the
26605 troubles, the fears, the killings, theft, and rape that people endured. These
26606 are, I think, the result of economic inequality in society. It is only
26607 natural that difficulties arise if we must fight day by day in order to
26608 survive while another human being, equal to us, is effortlessly living a
26609 luxurious life. This is an unhealthy situation; as a result, even the
26610 wealthy--the billionaires and millionaires--remain in constant anxiety. I
26611 therefore think that this huge gap between rich and poor is very unfortunate.
26612 ...So, for those of you who are poor, those who come from difficult
26613 situations, I strongly urge you to work hard, with self-confidence, to make
26614 use of your opportunities. The richer people should be more caring toward the
26615 poorer ones, and the poor should make every effort, with self-confidence.
26616 -- The Dalai Lama, "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life",
26617 edited by Nicholas Vreeland, afterword by Khyongla Rato and Richard Gere
26620 Tibetans say that once upon a time all the yaks that live in Tibet were
26621 living in India as water buffalo. It was very, very hot in India so some of
26622 them decided if they were to keep walking to the north they would get to a
26623 place that would be nice and cool. So they climbed up in the mountains, and
26624 as they were climbing their hair started to grow. Because of this the water
26625 buffalo in India often turn their head and look out expectantly and they are
26626 waiting for their brothers who have wandered off. In a similar way at one
26627 time all the buffalo of samsara and nirvana were living together and one day
26628 some of them wandered off and came into samsara. They keep looking around to
26629 see who else is there and where the other half is, because the basic quality
26630 of our ordinary sense of self is that it is very lonely. Something is missing
26631 in our lives and we don't quite know what it is, but we keep looking and
26632 looking to find this missing part. We can look for it in terms of
26633 possessions, we can look for it in terms of the form of our body, trying to
26634 change it through dieting or hair style or whatever. You can look in terms of
26635 friends. Anything. And this keeps us very, very busy. Sometimes the
26636 busyness can be very exhausting, but when we stop then we feel lonely. So we
26637 get busy again. Dharma is very helpful here if you want distraction because
26638 there are many kinds of ways to be busy in the dharma. You can focus on
26639 having lots of dharma possessions. You can focus on learning the text by
26640 heart, on the mantras and mudras, on serving the tsog, on doing meditations.
26641 There is always something to be busy with.
26642 In Tibet many, many people practiced dharma but not so many seem to get
26643 enlightened. There are many kinds of dharma and if we practice in a way that
26644 doesn't focus on the essential point but on secondary and tertiary levels it
26645 is easy to get lost. It is really important, given that we have limited time,
26646 to focus on what is essential. Many people when they get a plate of food will
26647 eat the things they don't like so much first and leave the special thing to
26648 the end. But when when we apply this to life we can make a big mistake. The
26649 time for deep practice is now. You can learn all about Padmasambhava and what
26650 his clothes mean and what his hair style means but if you don't know the
26651 nature of your own mind then knowledge about Padmasambhava is just some more
26653 -- "Being Right Here: A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje entitled
26654 'The Mirror of Clear Meaning' ", with commentary by James Low, published
26655 by Snow Lion Publications
26657 Linguistics is arguably the most hotly contested property in the academic
26658 realm. It is soaked with the blood of poets, theologians, philosophers,
26659 philologists, psychologists, biologists, anthropologists, and neurologists,
26660 along with whatever blood can be got out of grammarians.
26663 What is undistracted calm abiding? It is meditative absorption free of the
26664 six types of distraction. What are these six?
26666 (1) Inherent distraction refers to the eye consciousness and the other
26667 four collections of consciousness. Because they are naturally directed
26668 outward, they [cause one to] emerge from meditative absorption.
26669 (2) External distraction refers to a mental consciousness that reaches out
26670 towards or engages objects.
26671 (3) Internal distraction concerns dullness and agitation, as well as
26672 savoring one's meditative absorption.
26673 (4) The distraction of marks occurs when, trusting in meditative
26674 absorption, one apprehends marks of it and becomes attached.
26675 (5) Distraction brought about by negative tendencies is when directing the
26676 mind involves the apprehending of an ego. This is said to refer to the mental
26677 act of pridefully believing oneself to be superior to others, or [simply any
26678 mental act] that involves apprehending an "I".
26679 (6) The distraction of directing the mind occurs when one is caught up in
26680 the mindset of, and directs the mind in the style of, the Lesser Vehicle.
26682 The undistracted calm abiding that is determined by the elimination of
26683 those six is the unique calm abiding of the Great Vehicle. This is a state of
26684 one-pointed inner rest, a flawless calm abiding. In it, there is no
26685 apprehension of marks, as is the case when inner absorption alone is believed
26686 to bring liberation. Neither does it involve the ego apprehension that occurs
26687 in the concentrations of non-Buddhists. Further, one does not direct the mind
26688 as one would when cultivating the supports for the inferior paths [to
26689 liberation]. This is how the wise should understand the calm abiding of the
26691 -- "Middle Beyond Extremes: Maitreya's 'Madhyantavibhaga' with commentaries
26692 by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham", translated by the Dharmachakra
26693 Translation Committee, published by Snow Lion Publications
26695 Calm abiding is predominantly stabilizing meditation, in which the mind is
26696 kept on a single object, rather than analytical meditation, in which a topic
26697 such as impermanence or emptiness is analyzed with reasoning. The purpose of
26698 developing calm abiding is that, since a mind that is scattered to external
26699 objects is relatively powerless, the mind needs to be concentrated in order to
26700 become powerful. If you do not have concentration in which the mind is
26701 unfluctuatingly stable and clear, the faculty of wisdom cannot know its
26702 object, just as it is, in all its subtleties. Therefore, it is necessary to
26703 have a highly focused mind.
26704 ...In order to set the mind steadily on an object of observation, it is
26705 necessary initially to use an object of observation suited to counteracting
26706 your own predominant afflictive emotion, since its force remains with your
26707 mind now and can easily interrupt any attempt to concentrate the mind.
26708 Therefore, Buddha described many types of objects for purifying behavior:
26709 + For someone whose predominant afflictive emotion is desire, ugliness is
26710 a helpful object of meditation. Here, "ugliness" does not necessarily refer
26711 to distorted forms; the very nature of our body--composed of blood, flesh,
26712 bone, and so forth--might seem superficially to be very beautiful with a good
26713 color, solid and yet soft to touch, but when it is investigated, you see that
26714 its essence is quite different--substances like bone, blood, urine, feces,
26716 + For someone who has predominantly engaged in hatred, the object of
26717 meditation is love.
26718 + For someone who was predominantly sunk in obscuration, the meditation is
26719 on the twelve links of the dependent-arising of cyclic existence because
26720 contemplating its complexity promotes intelligence.
26721 + For someone whose predominant afflictive emotion is pride, the
26722 meditation could be on the divisions of the constituents because, when
26723 meditating on the many divisions, you get to the point where you realize that
26724 there are many things you do not know, thereby lessening an inflated sense of
26726 + Those dominated by conceptuality can observe the exhalation and
26727 inhalation of the breath because, by tying the mind to the breath,
26728 discursiveness diminishes.
26729 A particularly helpful object for all personality types is a Buddha body,
26730 since concentration on a Buddha's body causes your mind to mix with virtuous
26731 qualities. No matter what the object is, this is not a case of meditating
26732 within, looking at an external object with your eyes, but of causing an image
26733 of it to appear to the mental consciousness.
26734 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths
26735 to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published
26736 by Snow Lion Publications
26738 ...an understanding of the doctrine of emptiness is fundamental to tantric
26739 practice. Every sadhana begins with, is structured around, and ends with
26740 meditation upon emptiness. To practice Vajrayana without the wisdom of
26741 emptiness can be very dangerous. For example, a main tantric technique is the
26742 cultivation of a subtle divine pride, a confidence that one is an enlightened
26743 tantric deity, the Lord of the Mandala. One's mind is the Wisdom Body of a
26744 Buddha, one's speech is the Beatific Body, one's form is the Perfect Emanation
26745 Body, and the world and its inhabitants are seen as a mandala inhabited by the
26746 various forms of tantric deities. Thus we have to utterly change our sense of
26747 "I." To do so involves the subject of emptiness. To practice the yoga of
26748 divine pride without an understanding of emptiness will not only be useless,
26749 but could lead to identity problems and other undesirable psychological
26750 effects. Therefore it is said that although the Vajrayana is a quick path
26751 when correctly practiced on the proper spiritual basis, it is dangerous for
26752 the spiritually immature. This type of danger area is one of the reasons why
26753 the Vajrayana must be practiced under the supervision of a qualified vajra
26755 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
26756 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
26758 Self-discipline brings us into relationship with one of the six
26759 perfections of the bodhisattva, that of enthusiastic perseverance, which
26760 implies the willingness to engage in a process with effort and enthusiasm over
26761 a prolonged period. No material or spiritual qualities are gained without
26762 some degree of effort. Perseverance enables the practitioner to carry on and
26763 trust in the process, even when it feels hopeless. It makes it possible to
26764 face difficulties and obstacles in the path with confidence and courage,
26765 rather than giving up because it feels too hard. Self-discipline helps us
26766 remain in the vessel and not run away.
26767 My Tibetan retreat guide described the maintenance of self-discipline over
26768 time like keeping a pot heating on a stove. If we continually remove it from
26769 the heat the pot never boils. Similarly he felt that when someone enters into
26770 the discipline of retreat, it should be maintained as rigorously as possible.
26771 In doing so the alchemical vessel will be maintained, and the "cooking" can
26772 take place. Transformation only occurs when the vessel is maintained in this
26774 -- Rob Preece, "The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra", foreword by Stephen
26775 Batchelor, published by Snow Lion Publications
26777 Installation programs are where programming
26778 and the IT department meet... and fight.
26781 Compassion without attachment is possible. Therefore, we need to clarify the
26782 distinctions between compassion and attachment. True compassion is not just
26783 an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Because of
26784 this firm foundation, a truly compassionate attitude toward others does not
26785 change even if they behave negatively. Genuine compassion is based not on our
26786 own projections and expectations, but rather on the needs of the other:
26787 irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or an enemy, as long
26788 as that person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome
26789 suffering, then on that basis we develop genuine concern for their problem.
26790 This is genuine compassion. For a Buddhist practitioner, the goal is to
26791 develop this genuine compassion, this genuine wish for the well-being of
26792 another, in fact for every living being throughout the universe.
26793 -- Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "The Compassionate Life"
26795 Buddha traveled and taught widely for some forty-five years after his
26796 enlightenment, and his audiences were diverse. Even though India at the time
26797 was a highly literate society, nothing of what he said was written down during
26798 his lifetime. Instead, various individuals were entrusted with memorizing the
26799 gist of each discourse. The work of transcribing his words took place only
26800 with the passage of generations.
26801 Tibetans believe that this reluctance on the part of the Buddha and his
26802 immediate followers to commit the enlightenment teachings to paper, and
26803 instead to preserve them as oral traditions, was a purposeful strategy gauged
26804 to maintain the maximum fluidity and living power of the enlightenment
26805 experience. It only became necessary to write things down when the darkness
26806 of the changing times threatened the very survival of the legacy. An oral
26807 tradition becomes lost to history should its holders pass away without first
26808 passing on their lineages.
26809 This intended fluidity, and the according safeguard against the
26810 establishment of an "enlightenment dogma" is perhaps best demonstrated by a
26811 verse that the Buddha himself said shortly before his death:
26812 Do not accept any of my words on faith,
26813 Believing them just because I said them.
26814 Be like an analyst buying gold, who cuts, burns,
26815 And critically examines his product for authenticity.
26816 Only accept what passes the test
26817 By proving useful and beneficial in your life.
26818 This simple statement empowered future generations of Buddhist teachers to
26819 accept and reject at will anything said by Buddha himself as well by his early
26820 disciples. If something that was said by them did not pass the test of
26821 personal analysis, one could simply discard it as being limited in application
26822 to particular times, people, or situations, and therefore as only contextually
26824 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Dalai Lamas on Tantra", translated, edited and
26825 introduced by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
26827 Many places have been totally changed through the use of police force and
26828 the power of guns--the Soviet Union, China, Burma, the Philippines, many
26829 communist countries, countries in Africa and South America. But eventually,
26830 you see, the power of guns and the power of the will of ordinary human beings
26831 will change places. I am always telling people that our century is very
26832 important historically for the planet. There is a big competition between
26833 world peace and world war, between the force of mind and the force of
26834 materialism, between democracy and totalitarianism. And now within this
26835 century, the force of peace is gaining the upper hand. Still, of course, the
26836 material force is very strong, but there is a kind of dissatisfaction about
26837 materialism and a realization or feeling that something is missing.
26838 ...entering the twenty-first century, I think the basic concerns are human
26839 values and the value of truth. These things have more value, more weight now.
26840 -- "The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and
26841 About the Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, Foreword by
26842 Sen. Claiborne Pell, published by Snow Lion Publications
26844 An inexpressible, self-arisen expanse
26845 Without the names "samsara" and "nirvana."
26847 Here, "self-arisen" means the primordial state. It is not something we
26848 can fully express with words or concepts. It's beyond words or concepts. The
26849 nature of all is not biased; it is not restricted to one or another. The
26850 nature of all exists in one identical state. That ground, that nature, does
26851 not have any name such as samsara or nirvana. That is the foundation, that is
26852 the ground. It is beyond samsara and nirvana. Not knowing the ground means
26853 wandering in samsara. If you recognize this ground, if you truly experience
26854 this ground, buddhahood is attained. That is the fruition. That is the
26855 result of our practice and our path.
26856 ...The ground, that fundamental state of simplicity, is the origin of all
26857 elaborations. This pure basic state is like a simple artist's canvas. We
26858 paint different images on this canvas. We can paint the image of a buddha,
26859 and it becomes very pure, beautiful, and inspiring to look at. We can also
26860 paint a devil on the same canvas, which can create our fundamental suffering,
26861 our basic pain. However, the basis of both is the same simple state of canvas
26862 that is completely pure and totally free from the images we project on it. It
26863 is totally free, whether that image is a buddha or a devil. That is the
26865 -- The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
26866 Samantabhadra", published by Snow Lion Publications
26868 Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.
26869 -- Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh
26871 Setting a Specific Intention for Our Practice
26872 We should think about how we can make the best use of our practice so that
26873 we get the most out of it in the short time we have in this life. We do not
26874 have the leisure of wasting our time here by delaying the benefits of our
26875 practice. We have to use these situations as effectively as we can.
26876 Before you begin any practice, first think very carefully about your
26877 motivation. When we are engaged in the threefold process of study,
26878 contemplation and meditation, we should be very specific, very clear about why
26879 we are doing it. We should remind ourselves, "I am doing this to transcend my
26880 negative emotions and my ego-clinging." This is a general example of a
26881 specific intention. However, to be more precise, we need to consider the
26882 unique make-up of our own individual kleshas [intense states of suffering, and
26883 ignorance]. Once we have identified our strongest emotion, then we can focus
26884 on the practices that will alleviate it. We begin with whichever emotion is
26885 strongest for us and then we move on to the next strongest, followed by the
26887 It is important for us to prioritize our practice in this way. We have
26888 to keep our intention very clear in all three phases--in our study, in our
26889 contemplation and in our meditation. During shamatha or other practices, when
26890 thoughts come up, we recall that our purpose is to overcome our disturbing
26891 emotions and kleshas. We have to have a sense of willpower or determination
26892 in our minds. In order for the remedy to work, we must tell ourselves, "Yes,
26893 I am going to transcend this anger. I am going to work with it." Otherwise,
26894 if we do not have a clear idea, if we simply sit there with an indefinite or
26895 vague intention, then the effect also will be vague. We may have sat for one
26896 hour and although that time will not have been wasted, because it was not
26897 directed in an intentional way, the experience will not be so sharp, to the
26898 point or effective.
26899 -- Dzogchen Ponlop, "Mind Beyond Death", published by Snow Lion
26902 ...particularly in Buddhism while we practice we must use the brain as
26903 well as the heart. On the ethical side, we must practice the quality of a
26904 good and warm heart; also, since Buddhism is very much involved in reasoning
26905 and logic--the wisdom side--intelligence is important. Thus, a combination of
26906 mind and heart is needed. Without knowledge, without fully utilized
26907 intelligence, you cannot reach the depths of the Buddhist doctrine; it is
26908 difficult to achieve concrete or fully qualified wisdom. There may be
26909 exceptions, but this is the general rule.
26910 It is necessary to have a combination of hearing, thinking, and
26911 meditating. The Kadampa teacher Dromton ('brom ston pa, 1004-1064) said,
26912 "When I engage in hearing, I also make effort at thinking and meditating.
26913 When I engage in thinking, I also search out more hearing and engage in
26914 meditation. And when I meditate, I don't give up hearing and don't give up
26915 thinking." He said, "I am a balanced Kadampa," meaning that he maintained a
26916 balance of hearing, thinking, and meditating.
26917 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, "Kindness, Clarity,
26918 and Insight", edited and translated by Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by
26919 Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow Lion Publications
26921 If through listening to this explanation of the Seven Point Mind Training we
26922 come to recognise how important Bodhichitta is, this will be an infallible
26923 cause of our enlightenment. Of all the eighty four thousand different
26924 sections of the doctrine, the precious Bodhichitta is the very essence. By
26925 hearing the words of such a teaching, it is impossible even for demons, whose
26926 nature it is to kill and to do harm, not to have positive thoughts! Kham, a
26927 region in East Tibet, was haunted in the past by many ghosts and evil spirits,
26928 and this was one of the reasons why Patrul Rinpoche used to explain the
26929 Bodhicharyavatara continually to his disciples. Before long, there were no
26930 more ghosts--or at least, no one came to any more harm. Such is the hidden
26931 power of Bodhichitta!
26932 --Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the Seven
26933 Point Mind Training", translated by the Padmakara Translation Group,
26934 published by Snow Lion Publications
26936 Sometimes we face certain situations where, although we have done
26937 something good for others, we may not be able to reap the consequences within
26938 this lifetime. When we are talking about the law of causality, we are not
26939 limiting its operation to the confines of this life alone, but rather are
26940 taking into account both this lifetime and the future. Occasionally people
26941 who do not have a proper knowledge of karmic law say that such and such a
26942 person is very kind and religious and so forth, but he always has problems,
26943 whereas so and so is very deceptive and negative, frequently indulging in
26944 negative actions, but always seems very successful. Such people may think
26945 that there is no karmic law at all. There are others who go to the other
26946 extreme and become superstitious, thinking that when someone experiences
26947 illness, it is all due to harmful spirits.... It is also possible for very
26948 negative people to experience their positive karma ripening immaturely due to
26949 the very strong force of negative actions, and thus to exhaust the potentials
26950 of their virtuous actions. They experience a relative success in this life,
26951 while others who are very serious practitioners, as a result of the force of
26952 their practices, bring upon this lifetime the consequences of karmic actions
26953 which might have otherwise thrown them into rebirth in lower realms of
26954 existence in the future. As a result, they experience more problems and
26955 illnesses in this life.
26956 Just resolving not to indulge in a negative action is not enough. It
26957 should be accompanied by the understanding that it is for your own benefit and
26958 sake that you must live with awareness of the law of karma: if you have
26959 accumulated the causes, you will have to face the consequences; if you desire
26960 a particular effect, you can work to produce its causes; and if you do not
26961 desire a certain consequence, you can avoid engaging in actions that will
26962 bring it about. You should reflect upon the law of causality as follows: that
26963 there is a definite relation between causes and effects; that actions not
26964 committed will never produce an effect; and that once committed, actions will
26965 never lose their potentiality simply through the passage of time. So, if you
26966 wish to enjoy desirable fruits, you should work for the accumulation of the
26967 appropriate causes, and if you want to avoid undesirable consequences, you
26968 should not accumulate their causes.... [Karma] is a natural law like any
26970 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, "Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to
26971 Stages of Meditation", translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa, edited by
26972 Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
26974 Generally speaking, there are two forms of meditation on emptiness. One
26975 is the space-like meditation on emptiness, which is characterised by the total
26976 absence or negation of inherent existence. The other is called the illusion-
26977 like meditation on emptiness. The space-like meditation must come first,
26978 because without the realisation of the total absence of inherent existence,
26979 the illusion-like perception or understanding will not occur.
26980 For the illusion-like understanding of all phenomena to occur, there needs
26981 to be a composite of both the perception or appearance and the negation, so
26982 that when we perceive the world and engage with it we can view all things and
26983 events as resembling illusions. We will recognise that although things appear
26984 to us, they are devoid of objective, independent, intrinsic existence. This
26985 is how the illusion-like understanding arises. The author of the "Eight
26986 Verses for Training the Mind" indicates the experiential result when he
26987 writes: "May I, recognising all things as illusion, devoid of clinging, be
26988 released from bondage."
26989 When we speak of cultivating the illusion-like understanding of the nature
26990 of reality, we need to bear in mind the different interpretations of the term
26991 'illusion-like'.... For example, the Buddhist realist schools explain the
26992 nature of reality to be illusion-like in the sense that, although we tend to
26993 perceive things as having permanence, in reality they are changing moment by
26994 moment and it is this that gives them an illusion-like character.
26995 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
26996 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
26998 Actually, we are all part of the community of humanity. If humanity is
26999 happy, has a successful life, a happy future, automatically, I will benefit.
27000 If humanity suffers, I too will suffer. Humanity is like one body, and we are
27001 part of that body. Once you realize this, once you cultivate this kind of
27002 attitude, you can bring about a change in your way of thinking. A sense of
27003 caring, commitment, discipline, oneness with humanity--these are very relevant
27004 in today's world. I call this secular ethics, and this is the first level to
27005 counter negative emotions.
27006 The second level in this connection is taught by all major religious
27007 traditions, whether Christian or Muslim or Jewish or Hindu. They all carry
27008 the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, and
27009 discipline. These are countermeasures for negative emotions. When anger is
27010 about to surface, when hatred is about to flare up, think of tolerance. It is
27011 important to stop any mental dissatisfaction when we feel it because it leads
27012 to anger and hatred.
27013 Patience is the countermeasure for mental dissatisfaction. Greed and its
27014 self-centeredness bring unhappiness, and also destruction of the environment,
27015 exploitation of others, and increases the gap between the rich and the poor.
27016 The countermeasure is contentment. So practicing contentment is useful in our
27018 ...All religious traditions talk about methods of compassion and
27019 forgiveness. If we accept religion, we should take the religious methods
27020 seriously and sincerely and use them in our daily lives. Then, a meaningful
27022 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Many Ways to Nirvana: Reflections and
27023 Advice on Right Living", edited by Renuka Singh
27025 Actually, if we look around, people whom we don't like and people who harm
27026 us are in the minority. Let's say we're at work, at a social gathering, or at
27027 a Dharma center with thirty people. How many of them do we really dislike?
27028 We may have problems with a few people here and there, but we manage to stay
27029 in a room together, don't we? It's not like we despise them and they hate us.
27030 The number of people we can't stand in this world is actually very small.
27031 These people are rare. To practice patience we need the people that we don't
27032 like. We can't practice patience with our friends or with people who are kind
27033 to us. Finding people that we don't like or who threaten us is not so easy.
27034 So, when we finally find them, they are a precious treasure! They are rare to
27035 find. When we meet them, we can think, "Fantastic, I get to practice patience
27037 They say that high-level bodhisattvas pray to meet disgusting,
27038 uncooperative people because they want to practice patience. Of course, when
27039 you really want to meet obnoxious people, they don't show up! Why don't they
27040 turn up for high-level bodhisattvas? Because high-level bodhisattvas don't
27041 have any anger. We could be sitting in a room with many people whom we
27042 consider unbearable, but high-level bodhisattvas don't see them that way at
27043 all. To them, these people appear lovable. Bodhisattvas have such a hard
27044 time finding detestable people, whereas we come across them so easily! So,
27045 when we find people whom we don't like, feel threatened by, or find
27046 despicable, we should recognize that there aren't so many of them around.
27047 Therefore, we should cherish them and take the opportunity to practice
27048 patience with them.
27049 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga
27050 Method of Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by
27051 Snow Lion Publications
27053 Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.
27056 ...to have greater self-awareness or understanding means to have a better
27057 grasp of reality. Now, the opposite of reality is to project onto yourself
27058 qualities that are not there, ascribe to yourself characteristics in contrast
27059 to what is actually the case. For example, when you have a distorted view of
27060 yourself, such as through excessive pride or arrogance, because of these
27061 states of mind, you have an exaggerated sense of your qualities and personal
27062 abilities. Your view of your own abilities goes far beyond your actual
27063 abilities. On the other hand, when you have low self-esteem, then you
27064 underestimate your actual qualities and abilities. You belittle yourself, you
27065 put yourself down. This leads to a complete loss of faith in yourself. So
27066 excess--both in terms of exaggeration and devaluation--are equally
27067 destructive. lt is by addressing these obstacles and by constantly examining
27068 your personal character, qualities, and abilities, that you can learn to have
27069 greater self-understanding. This is the way to become more self-aware.
27070 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art of
27073 Phowa is a practice which should be done repeatedly, all through our lives so
27074 that we can do it naturally and purposefully at the time of death. I have
27075 heard a story about a Tibetan who was dying and his family called the lama to
27076 be with him. The lama sat beside him and told him to think only of his root
27077 guru and forget everything else. He said, "I can't recall my guru, I can only
27078 think of a sizzling sausage being warmed in the ashes of a fire." The lama was
27079 very skillful: "That is excellent!" he said. "Dewachen, the paradise of the
27080 Amitaba Buddha, is full of sausages; they grow on every tree. You only have
27081 to open your mouth and you will have all the sausages you want. The color of
27082 Amitaba is like the embers of a fire, so think of him and you will go to his
27083 realm." It is said that the man went straight to the pure land of Dewachen.
27084 -- Ringu Tulku, "Mind Training", edited by B.M. Shaughnessy, published
27085 by Snow Lion Publications
27087 "Yogis should at all times avoid fish, meat, and so forth,
27088 should eat with moderation, and avoid foods that are not
27089 conducive to health." --Kamalashila
27091 Meditators need to be physically healthy. Therefore, proper diet is
27092 essential. On the other hand, their minds should be clear and strong and this
27093 will also contribute to physical health. For these reasons, it is recommended
27094 that they give up eating fish, meat, garlic, onions, etc. Appropriate food
27095 should be eaten in moderation, for indigestion can cause havoc with
27096 meditation. What's more, those who overeat can hardly stay awake.
27097 ...If a vegetarian diet does not result in protein deficiency, it is a
27098 wholesome way of living. Even if you cannot be a strict vegetarian, at least
27099 moderating the amount of meat you eat is beneficial. Within the southern
27100 schools of Buddhism eating meat is not strictly prohibited, but the meat of
27101 certain animals, such as those that are not cloven-hoofed or those that have
27102 been slaughtered specifically for your consumption, is forbidden. This means
27103 that meat bought casually in the market is acceptable.... However, certain
27104 scriptures... strictly prohibit eating meat at all times, whereas other
27105 scriptures... seem to permit it.
27106 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", root text by Kamalashila,
27107 translated by Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and
27108 Jeremy Russell, published by Snow Lion Publications
27110 It would be wrong to say, as some do, that if we don't recite prayers while
27111 being aware of their meaning and merely repeat the words mindlessly, it has no
27112 benefit whatsoever--like prayer flags flapping in the wind. However, there
27113 are indeed differences in the level of benefits and blessings derived from
27114 prayers according to the way we recite them. Therefore, keeping this in mind,
27115 at the beginning of the practice, generate bodhicitta. During the main
27116 practice, some will use an object of concentration and some will practice
27117 without an object of concentration; each person should do what is best
27118 according to their level. At the end, one should dedicate the merit in a way
27119 that is pure from the three conceptual spheres to the best of one's ability.
27120 The most important and essential thing in making [prayer] meaningful is to
27121 depend on those three stages of practice--generation of bodhicitta, the main
27122 practice and dedication of merit. All must do the complete three stages of
27124 -- Chatral Rinpoche, "Compassionate Action", edited, introduced, and
27125 annotated by Zach Larson, published by Snow Lion Publications
27127 "When the thought of the internal
27128 And the external as 'I' and 'mine'
27129 Has perished, grasping ceases
27130 And through that cessation birth ceases.
27132 When actions and afflictions cease, there is liberation;
27133 They arise from false conceptions, these arise
27134 From the elaborations [of false views on inherent
27135 Existence]; elaborations cease in emptiness."
27138 Inherent existence has never been validly known to exist; therefore, it is
27139 impossible for there to be any phenomenon that exists through its own power.
27140 Since it is experienced that mere dependent-arisings, which are in fact empty
27141 of inherent existence, do cause all forms of help and harm, these are
27142 established as existent. Thus, mere dependent-arisings do exist. Therefore,
27143 all phenomena exist in the manner of appearing as varieties of dependent-
27144 arisings. They appear this way without passing beyond the sphere or condition
27145 of having just this nature of being utterly non-inherently existent.
27146 Therefore, all phenomena have two entities: one entity that is its superficial
27147 mode of appearance and one entity that is its deep mode of being. These two
27148 are called respectively conventional truths and ultimate truths.
27149 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
27150 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
27152 The cloistered environment stands in stark contrast to the uncontrolled
27153 environment of everyday active life in the modern world. When I was a
27154 graduate student living in a family housing unit at Stanford University, I
27155 meditated early in the morning. At about 7:00 outside our window, a group of
27156 little girls would begin shrieking and driving their plastic tractors and
27157 tricycles across the bricks. I was meditating and these girls were disturbing
27158 my peace. I got to feeling pretty sorry for myself so I phoned my lama,
27159 Gyatrul Rinpoche, and asked for advice. He gave me a one-liner, "Just view
27160 it." This was not just Rinpoche's way of telling me to quit whining, but a
27161 reminder of the more encompassing teaching to embrace obstacles in practice.
27162 And carry on. We can't always control our environment, but we can embrace it,
27163 the good, the bad, and the loud, and integrate it into Dharma practice.
27164 -- B. Alan Wallace, "Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point
27165 Mind-Training", edited by Lynn Quirolo, published by Snow Lion Pub.
27167 He who throws mud only loses ground. -- Fat Albert (Bill Cosby)
27169 Grow old along with me!
27170 The best is yet to be.
27173 It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out;
27174 it's the grain of sand in your shoe.
27177 If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic,
27178 we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world. One
27179 might as well attempt to grasp the game of poker entirely by the use of the
27180 mathematics of probability.
27183 I have a rock garden. Last week three of them died. --Richard Diran
27185 Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history
27186 that man can never learn anything from history.
27187 -- George Bernard Shaw
27189 America believes in education: the average professor earns more
27190 money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week.
27193 We are more ready to try the untried
27194 when what we do is inconsequential.
27195 Hence the fact that many inventions
27196 had their birth as toys.
27199 Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion,
27200 for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
27201 -- Bertrand Russell
27203 Man is most nearly himself when he achieves
27204 the seriousness of a child at play.
27207 If we have been reborn time after time, it is evident that we have needed
27208 many mothers to give birth to us.... the first cause bringing about
27209 bodhicitta is the recognition that all beings have been our mother.
27210 The love and kindness shown us by our mother in this life would be
27211 difficult to repay. She endured many sleepless nights to care for us when we
27212 were helpless infants. She fed us and would have willingly sacrificed
27213 everything, including her own life, to spare ours. As we contemplate her
27214 example of devoted love, we should consider that each and every being
27215 throughout existence has treated us this way. Each dog, cat, fish, fly, and
27216 human being has at some point in the beginningless past been our mother and
27217 shown us overwhelming love and kindness. Such a thought should bring about
27219 ...if all other sentient beings who have been kind to us since
27220 beginningless time are suffering, how can we devote ourselves to pursuing
27221 merely our own happiness? To seek our own happiness in spite of the suffering
27222 others are experiencing is tragically unfortunate. Therefore, it is clear
27223 that we must try to free all sentient beings from suffering.
27224 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday
27225 Life", edited by Nicholas Vreeland, afterword by Khyongla Rato and
27228 3.2.4 The way in which experiences dawn through practicing [Mahamudra]
27230 In beginners, this is similar to water [gushing down] a gorge.
27231 In between, it is the gentle flow of the river Ganga.
27232 Finally, all waters meet like a mother and her child. -- Tilopa
27234 The meditative equipoise of beginners entails intense movement of
27235 thoughts, similar to water gushing down a narrow gorge. The reason for this
27236 is as follows. Though there is some slight resting in equipoise, thoughts
27237 proliferate. Right at that point, through the remedy of alertness and by
27238 considering that you like resting in meditative concentration and dislike not
27239 resting in it, you rest in meditative equipoise again. Through such an
27240 approach, your mind becomes somewhat uplifted.
27241 The meditative equipoise of those who have attained a little bit more
27242 stability than that and are of middling faculties is similar to the gentle
27243 flow of the river Ganga. The reason is as follows. Even if some thoughts
27244 come up, a little here and there, their own face is immediately recognized, so
27245 that the movement of thoughts does not run wild. Without various notions that
27246 chase after these [subtle thoughts] or any physical and mental effort, all
27247 thoughts that come up will dawn slowly. There is also no need to make great
27248 effort in [applying] their remedies. Rather, these happen naturally or of
27250 Finally, in the meditative equipoise of those with highest faculties,
27251 neither thoughts to be relinquished arise nor is there any need to newly
27252 create some remedial wisdom, because there is nothing to be relinquished.
27253 Since existence and peace have become one taste, mother and child luminosity
27254 blend, or, expanse and wisdom have become indifferentiable. Once the
27255 tributary waters and the ocean have become one taste, like a mother and her
27256 child meeting, they cannot be disturbed.
27257 -- The Fifth Shamarpa Goncho Yenla, "Straight from the Heart: Buddhist Pith
27258 Instructions", translated and introduced by Karl Brunnholzl, published
27259 by Snow Lion Publications
27261 The theory of interdependence allows us to develop a wider perspective.
27262 With wider mind, there is less attachment to destructive emotions like anger,
27263 therefore more forgiveness. In today's world, every nation is heavily
27264 interdependent, interconnected. Under these circumstances, destroying your
27265 enemy--your neighbor--means destroying yourself in the long run. You need
27266 your neighbor. More prosperity in your neighbor, you'll get the benefit.
27267 Now, we're not talking about the complete removal of feelings like anger,
27268 attachment, or pride. Just reduction. Interdependence is important because
27269 it is not a mere concept; it can actually help reduce the suffering caused by
27270 these destructive emotions.
27271 We can say the theory of interdependence is an understanding of reality.
27272 We understand that our future depends on global well-being. Having this
27273 viewpoint reduces narrow-mindedness. With narrow mind, one is more likely to
27274 develop attachment, hatred. I think this is the best thing about the theory
27275 of interdependence--it is an explanation of the law of nature. It affects
27276 profoundly, for example, the environment.
27277 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan, "The Wisdom of Forgiveness:
27278 Intimate Conversations and Journeys"
27280 The Suffering of Change
27281 Feelings of suffering change into those of happiness. Feelings of
27282 happiness change into suffering. Both arise in dependence upon internal and
27283 external causes which change. For example, we see food as pleasurable, but if
27284 we eat too much, then it causes suffering. When we are young, we see our
27285 bodies as a source of pleasure. As we become older, the same body becomes a
27286 source of suffering.
27287 Just as a wave is always changing, so the nature of suffering is always to
27288 change. It may be experienced as pleasure or as suffering, but it arises from
27289 the same source. Pleasure arises from suffering. Seeing pleasure as
27290 happiness constitutes suffering.
27291 ...Pain and pleasure are of the same nature. Although they look different
27292 at different times, they both arise from the same sea of delusion and karmic
27293 action. Pleasure or pain, one or the other, arises and then falls back into
27294 the ocean. Thus we can conclude that pleasure and pain within the ocean of
27295 samsara are basically suffering, and dissolve into suffering.
27296 This becomes evident in the wide variety of sudden changes of experience
27297 depicted in films. Love and hatred, happiness and family strife, peace and
27298 war, follow each other in rapid succession. The continuous change, although
27299 exaggerated in films, is characteristic of life in general.
27300 -- Ven. Gen Lobsang Gyatso, "The Four Noble Truths", translated by Ven.
27301 Sherab Gyatso, published by Snow Lion Publications
27303 We feel money and power can bring happiness and solve problems, but they
27304 are not definite causes of those desired states. If that were so, it would
27305 follow that those who have wealth would necessarily have happiness, and those
27306 who do not have wealth would always experience suffering. Money and power
27307 facilitate, but it is clear that they are not the primary causes of, happiness
27308 and solving our problems. It is justified for us to make material and
27309 financial development for building our nation and providing shelter, etc. for
27310 ourselves; we need to do that. But we also need to seek inner development.
27311 As we can see, there are many people who have wealth and power who remain
27312 unhappy, due to which their health declines, and they are always taking
27313 medicines. On the other hand, we find people who live like beggars but who
27314 always remain peaceful and happy.
27315 Therefore, in our daily life a certain way of thinking makes us happy, and
27316 a certain way of thinking makes us unhappy. In other words, there are certain
27317 states of mind which bring us problems, and they can be removed; we need to
27318 make an effort in that direction. Likewise, there are certain states of mind
27319 that bring us peace and happiness, and we need to cultivate and enhance them.
27320 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama XIV, "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries", the
27321 Jatakamala translated by Tenzin Dorjee edited by Dexter Roberts
27323 Focusing the Mind on the Deity
27325 Those with superior mental capacity should refine their ability by
27326 practicing the development stage without any sense of clinging or fixation.
27327 In this approach, the appearance of the deity and its ornaments are visualized
27328 in such a way that they are totally complete, vivid, and distinct from the
27329 very beginning. This is the form of great wisdom, the union of development
27330 and completion. Beyond being an identifiable entity with a precise nature, it
27331 appears clearly yet is devoid of any essence. In other words, clarity and
27332 emptiness are indivisible. Like the reflection of the moon in a lake, its
27333 very nature is to appear in a distinct manner, down to the pupils of the eyes,
27334 while in reality it is empty.
27335 Those with moderate mental capacity should begin their meditation with a
27336 sudden recollection of the deity's complete appearance. The next step is to
27337 meditate on the clear appearance of the head, and, once this is stable, to
27338 then meditate progressively on the right arm, left arm, torso, right and left
27339 legs, and finally on the complete form of the deity and its seat. Training in
27340 the development stage of illusory clear appearance keeps one from straying
27341 into the view of nihilism. When one grows weary of this, the practitioner
27342 should recollect purity and refine his or her ability in the essence of this
27343 process, the vajra-like absorption. This key point keeps one from straying
27344 into the belief in permanence.
27345 For beginners with less mental capacity, it may be difficult to visualize
27346 in either of these ways. When not yet familiar with this process, one's
27347 ability should be refined using a permanent form. Take a consecrated and
27348 well-formed representation of the yidam deity, such as a painting or clay
27349 statue made by a skilled artisan, and place it before you. Without
27350 intentionally meditating, look directly at it from top to bottom without
27351 blinking. This is referred to as the auxiliary practice of setting
27352 mindfulness into motion. At first, the agitated movement of conditioned
27353 thought patterns will be experienced. This is the experience of movement,
27354 which is said to be "like water cascading off a cliff."
27355 -- Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche, and Getse Mahapandita, "Deity, Mantra,
27356 and Wisdom: Development Stage Meditation in Tibetan Buddhist Tantra",
27357 translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee, fore. by Trulshik
27358 Rinpoche, fore. by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion
27361 The reason why we find so much discussion of epistemology, or how to
27362 define something as a valid cognition, in Buddhist writings is because all our
27363 problems, suffering and confusion derive from a misconceived way of perceiving
27364 things. This explains why it is so important for a practitioner to determine
27365 whether a cognitive event is a misconception or true knowledge. For it is
27366 only by generating insight which sees through delusion that we can become
27368 Even in our own experience we can see how our state of mind passes through
27369 different stages, eventually leading to a state of true knowledge. For
27370 instance, our initial attitude or standpoint on any given topic might be a
27371 very hardened misconception, thinking and grasping at a totally mistaken
27372 notion. But when that strong grasping at the wrong notion is countered with
27373 reasoning, it can then turn into a kind of lingering doubt, an uncertainty
27374 where we wonder: "Maybe it is the case, but then again maybe it is not". That
27375 would represent a second stage. When further exposed to reason or evidence,
27376 this doubt of ours can turn into an assumption, tending towards the right
27377 decision. However, it is still just a presumption, just a belief. When that
27378 belief is yet further exposed to reason and reflection, eventually we could
27379 arrive at what is called 'inference generated through a reasoning process'.
27380 Yet that inference remains conceptual, and it is not a direct knowledge of the
27381 object. Finally, when we have developed this inference and constantly
27382 familiarized ourselves with it, it could turn into an intuitive and direct
27383 realization--a direct experience of the event. So we can see through our own
27384 experience how our mind, as a result of being exposed to reason and
27385 reflection, goes through different stages, eventually leading to a direct
27386 experience of a phenomenon or event.
27387 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
27388 Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, foreword by
27389 Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion
27392 Not recognizing their own face, but letting them run wild, one thought leads
27393 to many kinds of [other] thoughts. If you fall into letting this continue,
27394 you wander around in confusion. Through directly looking at the face of
27395 whatever thought that comes up at the very start [of a potential train of
27396 thought], without being able to stand its own ground, just like a rainbow
27397 fading away in space, this thought vanishes into emptiness. Since you arrive
27398 at such within the previous experience of stillness, if you become familiar
27399 with it, the stream of confusion is severed through thoughts coming to rest on
27400 their own and vanishing on their own. Hence, if you know how to sustain this,
27401 even if you regard movement as a flaw and [try to] stop it, you need neither
27402 stop it nor [apply] any other remedy for the movement of thoughts. Rather, by
27403 sustaining the state of realizing their own essence, you realize the essential
27404 point that all the various appearances of happiness and suffering emerge from
27405 the mind and dissolve back into the mind. Through this, you realize the
27406 essential point that all of cyclic existence and nirvana is produced by the
27407 mind, the mind resting naturally settled without being affected by thoughts
27408 about the three times.
27409 -- "Straight From the Heart: Buddhist Pith Instructions", translated and
27410 introduced by Karl Brunnholzl, published by Snow Lion Publications
27412 It's a dangerous business going out your front door. -- JRR Tolkien
27414 The only way to entertain some folks is to listen to them. -- Kin Hubbard
27416 Never face facts; if you do,
27417 you'll never get up in the morning.
27421 I hate it as much as I hate peanuts.
27422 But I can't stop eating peanuts.
27425 One cannot always be a hero, but one can always be a human. -- Goethe
27427 The opposite of talking isn't listening.
27428 The opposite of talking is waiting.
27431 Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal
27432 with the intent of throwing it at someone else;
27433 you are the one who gets burned.
27434 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
27436 Question: Western religions use the term "God", and Buddhism does not. Could
27437 emptiness or nirvana be considered God? If the afflictive obstruction that is
27438 the conception of inherent existence is eliminated, does one realize that
27441 Dalai Lama: If God is interpreted as an ultimate reality or truth, then
27442 selflessness may be considered as God and even as a creator in the sense that
27443 within the nature of emptiness things appear and disappear. In this sense,
27444 emptiness is the basis of everything; because of emptiness, things can change,
27445 and things can appear and disappear. Thus, voidness--emptiness,
27446 selflessness--is this kind of basis.
27448 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
27449 Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
27450 published by Snow Lion Publications
27454 Because such love and compassion have not arisen in their mindstreams,
27455 people don't understand that all sentient beings are their kind mothers. They
27456 hold on to them as friends or foes, and the power of bad karmic action causes
27457 them to experience the immeasurable suffering of cyclic existence. "Wouldn't
27458 it be a joy if I could carry the suffering of those mothers, and if all beings
27459 could have all of my happiness and virtue? In order to establish these
27460 mothers in happiness, what a joy it would be if, until cyclic existence is
27461 empty, their suffering and the cause and effect of suffering, their sins and
27462 the cause and effect of sins, would all ripen in me and these mothers would
27463 become abundantly happy. I give my body, enjoyments, power, prestige, and
27464 roots of virtue in all times for the sake of these mothers. I won't pursue my
27465 own peace and happiness for even a moment. I will work for the welfare of
27466 beings without regard for life or limb. These mothers must have the entire
27467 range of happiness and the causes of happiness." With that thought, meditate
27469 "Furthermore, I will not shrink away from the specific harm done to
27470 sentient beings, or any kind of sickness, suffering, misfortune, enemies, and
27471 obstructions that happen to me for their sakes. What a joy if all the
27472 suffering of beings ripened in me, so that I would have that kind of
27473 suffering. And even a greater joy when those suffering beings are free of
27474 suffering and dwell in exceptional happiness."
27475 Generate an extraordinary attitude with that thinking. It is important
27476 that such joy does not stray into any kind of bias. And if you know it all to
27477 be like a dream or an illusion, free of fixation to true existence, it is
27478 called immeasurable joy.
27479 -- "Machik's Complete Explanation: Clarifying the Meaning of Chod (Dharma)",
27480 translated and edited by Sarah Harding, a Tsadra Foundation Series
27481 book published by Snow Lion Publications
27483 Curiosity is the very basis of education
27484 and if you tell me curiosity killed the cat
27485 I say only that the cat died nobly.
27486 -- Arnold Edinborough
27488 Knowledge will forever govern ignorance
27489 and a people who mean to be their own governors
27490 must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives...
27493 Question: What should you say to a loved one who is talking about a third
27494 person with hatred or anger? On the one hand, you want to show compassion for
27495 the feelings being experienced by the loved one. On the other hand, you don't
27496 want to reinforce or lend approval to that hatred. What might one say?
27498 Dalai Lama: Here I would like to tell a story. Once there was a Kadampa
27499 master called Gampowa who had many responsibilities. One day he complained to
27500 the Kadampa master Dromtonpa that he had hardly any time for his meditation or
27501 for his Dharma practice. So Dromtonpa responded by agreeing with him, "Yes,
27502 that's right. I don't have any time either." Then once an immediate affinity
27503 was established, Dromtonpa skillfully said, "But, you know what I am doing is
27504 for the service of the Dharma. Therefore, I feel satisfied." Similarly, if
27505 you find one of your beloved ones speaking against someone out of anger or
27506 hatred, maybe your initial reaction should be one of agreement and sympathy.
27507 Then once you have gained the person's confidence, you can say, "But...."
27508 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
27509 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published
27510 by Snow Lion Publications
27512 ...if you have not purified ordinary appearances into emptiness, how could
27513 you possibly meditate on the mandala circle? The fact that all phenomena are
27514 emptiness, that samsara and nirvana are inseparable, is the very reason we are
27515 able to actualize this by meditating on the mandala circle. In other words,
27516 emptiness is the basis for the development stage. As it is said, "For the one
27517 to whom emptiness is possible, anything is possible." If all phenomena were
27518 not empty and ordinary appearances were truly present, development stage
27519 meditation would be impossible, as the following quotation points out: "Even
27520 though one might empower wheat to be rice, rice won't actually appear."
27521 However, even if all phenomena are realized to be empty in this way, without
27522 the momentum of great compassion you will not be able to manifest the
27523 rupakayas to benefit others. This is similar to the listeners and solitary
27524 buddhas, who enter into a state of cessation and do not benefit others with
27525 rupakaya emanations.
27526 Once one understands this point, it will be like the following saying:
27527 "All these phenomena are like an illusion and birth is like taking a stroll
27528 in a park...." Said differently, one will no longer dwell in existence, while
27529 through compassion, one will not get caught up in a state of peace either.
27530 This is the great, universal path of the offspring of the victorious ones.
27531 For all these reasons, making sure the three absorptions are not isolated from
27532 one another is a vitally important point.
27533 -- Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche, and Getse Mahapandita, "Deity, Mantra,
27534 and Wisdom: Development Stage Meditation in Tibetan Buddhist Tantra",
27535 translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee, fore. by Trulshik
27536 Rinpoche, fore. by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Pub.
27538 We can experience things without confusion and without being tense. Even
27539 the most disturbed, nervous person has moments of clarity and calmness--even
27540 if only when he or she is peacefully asleep and dreaming pleasant or innocuous
27541 dreams. This demonstrates that confusion and tension are not integral parts
27542 of the nature of mind. Thus confusion can be removed. Not only can it be
27543 removed, but since confusion cannot be validated and can be totally replaced
27544 by understanding, which can be verified, confusion can be eliminated forever.
27545 Thus it is possible for a total absence of confusion to exist. Furthermore,
27546 since confusion limits mind from using its full potentials, once confusion is
27547 gone, a utilization of all potentials can also exist. Therefore, since we all
27548 have a mind, and all minds have the same nature of being able to experience
27549 whatever exists, we can all realize and experience the definitive Three
27551 Thus, if we aim to remove our confusion and realize our potentials as
27552 indicated by the Buddhas, their achievement, their teachings, what they have
27553 built up along the path and those who are progressing along it, we are
27554 traveling through life with a safe, reliable and positive direction. Taking
27555 refuge, then, means to put this realistic, safe direction in our life.
27556 Without it, our practice of mahamudra either has no direction and leads
27557 nowhere, or an unsound direction leading to more confusion and trouble. In
27558 addition, the further we travel in this safe direction through the mahamudra
27559 techniques--in other words, the more we realize the nature of mind and its
27560 relation to reality--the more confident we become in the soundness of this
27561 direction and our ability to reach its goal. The stronger our confidence, the
27562 further we progress along the path.
27563 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
27564 Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
27566 The Rolling Stones have a song that goes,
27567 "Wild horses couldn't drag me away.
27568 Wild, wild horses, we'll ride them some day."
27569 That is the level that we have to reach, where wild horses cannot drag us
27570 away from the present moment of awareness. Once we have reached that level of
27571 training, then even in the bardos of death we will be able to guide our mind
27572 steadily past all difficulties toward awakening, toward freedom from samsara.
27573 There is another well-known image; it compares our wild minds to a mad
27574 elephant in a china shop. When untamed, this elephant can very easily destroy
27575 many things in the shop, and even the shop itself. With one move, the
27576 elephant can destroy a wall; and with another move, another wall. In only
27577 four moves, this elephant can destroy the whole structure. In the same way,
27578 if our minds are not tamed, they can easily destroy our whole collection of
27579 virtue--all the merit and wisdom we have accumulated through the
27580 accomplishment of countless positive deeds.
27581 Vipashyana meditation is the process of taming and training our minds.
27582 How do we do it? We catch our minds with shamatha and we train them with
27583 vipashyana. Then we ride our minds with mindfulness while remaining aware of
27584 the greater environment. Following these methods, we will reach our goal
27585 quite quickly--especially when we remember the thought of impermanence, which
27587 -- Dzogchen Ponlop, "Mind Beyond Death", published by Snow Lion Publications
27589 With or without religion, you would have good people doing
27590 good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good
27591 people to do evil things, that takes religion.
27594 Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.
27597 I was born not knowing and have had only a little
27598 time to change that here and there.
27601 As for me, except for an occasional heart attack,
27602 I feel as young as I ever did.
27605 It is possible to understand the Buddhist teachings as a method of
27606 psychological healing, comparable to psychotherapy, that teaches us how we can
27607 master destructive forces like anger, envy, and greed. Human beings seem to
27608 be a bundle of different qualities and psychological processes. We should
27609 attentively examine our qualities and be alertly aware of our experiences in
27610 order to recognize what we truly feel and think. At the same time, the
27611 personality of human beings is not seen as a unified whole. According to
27612 these teachings, the heart of consciousness is composed of various elements,
27613 the five types of attachment, or skandhas: body, sensations, perceptions,
27614 instinctual forces, and consciousness.
27615 These inner forces impart the false concept of an ego-consciousness. The
27616 basic problem of emotional disorders therefore lies in a false concept of
27617 identity. This I-blindness should therefore be abolished through self-
27618 study.... The goal is not self-realization but selflessness.
27619 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Felizitas Von Schonborn, "Path of
27620 Wisdom, Path of Peace", foreword by Wei Jingsheng
27622 Life would be unbearable if everything stayed the same because human beings
27623 find situations that are fixed and predictable very hard to tolerate. Even in
27624 small matters, we become uneasy if we feel there is no end in sight. I know
27625 of couples who live harmoniously together for ten years then marry and are
27626 divorced within a year. As soon as they feel bound to each other for the rest
27627 of their lives, they begin to fight. Impermanence removes our reasons for
27628 quarrelling with each other. Arguments only break out if we imagine that our
27629 relationships are endless. When we appreciate that our time with our
27630 families, partners, and friends may be shorter than we think, we get on better
27631 with each other. Awareness of impermanence gives us extraordinary inner
27632 strength and resilience.
27633 -- Ringu Tulku, "Mind Training", edited by B.M. Shaughnessy, published by
27634 Snow Lion Publications
27636 Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.
27639 The ability to look at events from different perspectives can be very
27640 helpful. Then, practicing this, one can use certain experiences, certain
27641 tragedies, to develop a calmness of mind. One must realize that every
27642 phenomenon, every event, has different aspects. Everything is of a relative
27643 nature. For example, in my own case, I lost my country. From that viewpoint,
27644 it is very tragic--and there are even worse things. There's a lot of
27645 destruction happening in our country. That's a very negative thing. But if I
27646 look at the same event from another angle, I realize that as a refugee, I have
27647 another perspective. As a refugee there is no need for formalities, ceremony,
27648 protocol. If everything were status quo, if things were okay, then on a lot
27649 of occasions you merely go through the motions; you pretend. But when you are
27650 passing through desperate situations, there's no time to pretend. So from
27651 that angle, this tragic experience has been very useful to me. Also, being a
27652 refugee creates a lot of new opportunities for meeting with many people.
27653 People from different religious traditions, from different walks of life,
27654 those whom I may not have met had I remained in my country. So in that sense
27655 it's been very, very useful.
27656 It seems that often when problems arise, our outlook becomes narrow. All
27657 of our attention may be focused on worrying about the problem, and we may have
27658 a sense that we're the only one that is going through such difficulties. This
27659 can lead to a kind of self-absorption that can make the problem seem very
27660 intense. When this happens, I think that seeing things from a wider
27661 perspective can definitely help--realizing, for instance, that there are many
27662 other people who have gone through similar experiences, and even worse
27663 experiences. This practice of shifting perspective can even be helpful in
27664 certain illnesses or when in pain. At the time the pain arises it is of
27665 course often very difficult, at that moment, to do formal meditation practices
27666 to calm the mind. But if you can make comparisons, view your situation from a
27667 different perspective, somehow something happens. If you only look at that
27668 one event, then it appears bigger and bigger. If you focus too closely, too
27669 intensely, on a problem when it occurs, it appears uncontrollable. But if you
27670 compare that event with some other greater event, look at the same problem
27671 from a distance, then it appears smaller and less overwhelming.
27672 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art of
27673 Happiness: A Handbook for Living"
27675 Three Forms of Compassion
27677 Chandrakirti explained three types of compassion: compassion aimed at
27678 suffering, aimed at phenomena, and unaimed. With the first, we look at
27679 animate beings in light of their suffering and develop the wish for them to be
27680 free from both that suffering and its causes. One source of their suffering
27681 is their unawareness that they even have any problems, let alone their not
27682 knowing the causes of their problems. For example, our friend becomes upset
27683 at the slightest thing that goes wrong and sees this as normal. He or she
27684 does not understand that hypersensitivity is to blame and that something can
27685 be done to remedy this. When we see this sad situation, our compassion for
27686 our friend becomes even stronger.
27687 Compassion aimed at phenomena looks at beings in light of their moment-to-
27688 moment changes. With it, we wish others to be free of suffering and its
27689 causes based on the understanding that these both are impermanent. We also
27690 see that others are unaware of this fact and so, when depressed, for example,
27691 they make their sufferings worse by imagining that they will last forever.
27692 Realizing this further enhances compassion for them.
27693 Unaimed compassion looks at beings in terms of their voidness. It has the
27694 same wish as the other two forms, but is based on not identifying others
27695 concretely with their suffering. Seeing that others do not have this insight
27696 and that consequently they identify themselves with their problems intensifies
27697 our compassion for them even more.
27698 -- Alexander Berzin, "Developing Balanced Sensitivity: Practical Buddhist
27699 Exercises for Daily Life", published by Snow Lion Publications
27701 Don't be confused; the point of Scrum and XP and other agile methodologies is
27702 the same point behind any management technique of the past 100 years--squeeze
27703 every drop of work out of your workers until they are empty husks and can be
27704 thrown away. If you're a programmer and you think Scrum is going to "empower"
27705 you, you could not be more mistaken. Management will hide behind the
27706 principles of Scrum when it suits them and then still do whatever they want
27707 otherwise. When it's pointed out to them that they're violating the agile
27708 principles, they will simply claim that this is how the system is tailored
27709 for our company's "needs" and that we shouldn't blindly follow it. But if you
27710 need to break with an agile practice, oh no, the process is *God* and we must
27711 follow it to the exact letter.
27714 I always believe that each individual human being has some kind of
27715 responsibility for humanity as a whole....
27716 Through my own profession, I try my best to contribute as much as I can.
27717 This proceeds without my being concerned whether another person agrees with
27718 my philosophy or not. Some people may be very much against my belief, my
27719 philosophy, but I feel all right. So long as I see that a human being suffers
27720 or has needs, I shall contribute as much as I can to contribute to their
27722 -- Dalai Lama XIV, "Consciousness at the Crossroads", edited by Zara
27723 Houshmand, Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by
27724 Snow Lion Publications
27726 A Song on Impermanence
27728 With this spouse and these near and dear ones you desire to live together,
27729 Inseparable for all times, but there is no doubt that you will be separated.
27731 From this excellent home you would like to be inseparable forever
27732 And take root in it, but you will surely depart.
27734 From this happiness, well-being, and wealth you want to be inseparable forever
27735 So you can relish them, but it is certain you will lose them.
27737 From this supreme human body with its freedoms and riches you wish to be
27739 And own it until the end of times, but there is no way that you won't die.
27741 From this really great teacher you yearn to be inseparable
27742 And listen to the dharma for all eternity, but there is no question that you
27745 From these good friends you wish to be inseparable forever
27746 So you can hang out together, but it's a sure thing that you will be parted.
27748 Therefore, from today on, don your armor of vigor--
27749 The time has come to travel to the land of inseparable great bliss.
27750 You friends who have developed weariness from the depths of your hearts,
27751 I, a dharma-beggar, request you to do so.
27753 -- The Omniscient Longchen Rabjam, "Straight from the Heart: Buddhist Pith
27754 Instructions", translated and introduced by Karl Brunnholzl, published
27755 by Snow Lion Publications
27757 The wisdom that realizes emptiness, that has gained insight into the
27758 nature of reality, is of varying kinds, depending upon the level of subtlety
27759 of the consciousness perceiving the emptiness. In general, there are rough
27760 levels of consciousness, more subtle levels, and then the innermost subtle
27761 level of consciousness. It is the uncommon characteristic of Tantric practice
27762 that through it one can evoke this most subtle consciousness at will and put
27763 it to use in a most effective way. For example, when emptiness is realized by
27764 this subtlest level of mind, it is more powerful, having a much greater effect
27765 on the personality.
27766 In order to activate or make use of the more subtle levels of
27767 consciousness, it is necessary to block the rougher levels--the rougher or
27768 grosser levels must cease. It is through specifically Tantric practices, such
27769 as the meditations on the chakras and the channels, that one can control and
27770 temporarily abandon the rougher levels of consciousness. When these become
27771 suppressed, the subtler levels of consciousness become active. And it is
27772 through the use of the subtlest level of consciousness that the most powerful
27773 spiritual realizations can come about. Hence, it is through the Tantric
27774 practice involving the most subtle consciousness that the goal of
27775 enlightenment can most quickly be realized.
27776 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
27777 edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
27779 By building up good habits of the mind in meditation, our behavior in daily
27780 life gradually changes. Our anger decreases, we are better able to make
27781 decisions, and we become less dissatisfied and restless. These results of
27782 meditation can be experienced now. But we should always try to have a broader
27783 and more encompassing motivation to meditate than just our own present
27784 happiness. If we generate the motivation to meditate in order to make
27785 preparation for future lives, to attain liberation from the cycle of
27786 constantly recurring problems, or to reach the state of full enlightenment for
27787 the benefit of all beings, then naturally our minds will also be peaceful now.
27788 In addition, we'll be able to attain those high and noble goals.
27789 -- Thubten Chodron, "Buddhism for Beginners", published by Snow Lion
27792 ...all four tantra sets make use of deity yoga, the special tantric means
27793 for amassing the collections of merit and wisdom quickly. Highest Yoga Tantra
27794 has, in addition, techniques for generating subtler minds that realise
27795 emptiness and for using the winds or currents of energy that are the mounts of
27796 these subtler minds as the substantial cause of an actual divine body.
27797 Through this enhancement of the wisdom consciousness the obstructions to
27798 omniscience are quickly removed and Buddhahood is attained.
27799 In the three lower tantras--Action, Performance, and Yoga--deity yoga is
27800 used to bring about the speedy achievement of many common feats and to come
27801 directly under the care of Buddhas and high Bodhisattvas, receiving their
27802 blessings, and so forth. This is done through a threefold process known as
27803 prior approximation, effecting the achievement of feats, and using the feats
27804 in the performance of activities for the welfare of others.
27805 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Deity Yoga in
27806 Action and Performance Tantra", published by Snow Lion Publications
27808 If you are able to think about the meaning of cyclic existence in general and
27809 human life in particular, then it is possible to discipline the mind through
27810 religious practice which is the process of becoming peaceful and anxiety-free.
27811 Otherwise, if too much emphasis is put on the sufferings of the hells and the
27812 imminence of death, there is a chance of falling into paralysing fear. There
27813 is a story in Tibet about an abbot of a monastery who went to give a
27814 discourse. A fellow asked the abbot's servant where the abbot had gone, and
27815 the servant said, "He has gone to frighten old men and women." If you fulfil
27816 the value of a human lifetime through engaging in religious practice, then
27817 there is no point in worrying about death.
27818 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in Tibet",
27819 published by Snow Lion Publications
27821 ...if a fire which consumes
27822 One house moves to another,
27823 It is right to throw out anything
27824 Like straw which could ignite.
27826 Likewise anything to which the mind
27827 Is attached ignites the fire of anger.
27828 Fearing our merit will be consumed,
27829 It should be discarded at once.
27831 If a house is on fire and the fire is spreading, we need to clear away straw,
27832 wood or anything else which is highly flammable and could cause a conflagration
27833 that would consume our entire home and property. Similarly, one way to prevent
27834 desire and attachment is to avoid contact with the objects that stimulate it.
27835 If anything comes between us and what we desire or if the thing to which we're
27836 attached is harmed or threatened, we instantly feel angry. This destroys the
27837 positive energy we've created.
27838 Another way is not to avoid the objects but to contemplate their unappealing
27839 aspects, because desire results from focusing only on their attractive side.
27840 The third way is to contemplate their lack of true existence, since desire and
27841 clinging are based on seeing them as very real and objectively existent.
27842 Whichever technique we employ, the aim is to prevent desire and attachment,
27843 since they bring many other problems.
27844 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas",
27845 translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
27847 Usually when we breathe, we breathe in and, as soon as we have finished
27848 breathing in, we immediately start breathing out. And as soon as we have
27849 finished breathing out, we start breathing in again. There is never any space
27850 or gap in between the in-breath and the out-breath. Now, many different ways
27851 of focusing the mind on the breathing have been taught.... There are
27852 basically six methods taught in the abhidharma. But here we have something
27853 different from any of those. This is called gentle threefold breathing. It
27854 is called gentle because there is no particular attempt to manipulate the
27855 breathing, except that instead of breathing in and then immediately breathing
27856 out, after breathing in, you wait before you breathe out...here the duration
27857 of the inhalation, of the retention, and of the exhalation should all be
27858 equal, three equal periods within each complete breath.
27859 In doing this, some people combine the phases of the breath with the
27860 mental repetition of the three mantra syllables: OM AH HUM (HUNG)--OM
27861 coordinated with the in-breath, AH with the retention of the breath, and HUM
27862 (HUNG) with the out-breath. But what is most important here is simply to
27863 recollect, as they occur, the inhalation, retention, and exhalation, so that,
27864 while you are inhaling, you are aware that you are doing so; while you are
27865 retaining the breath, you are aware that you are doing so; and while you are
27866 exhaling, you are aware that you are doing so. In the beginning, it is
27867 recommended that beginners start with doing, for example, twenty-one of these
27868 breaths as a series, and it is important to practice with enough mindfulness
27869 so that, while you breathe in, and so forth, you maintain an awareness of what
27870 part of the breathing process you are in.
27871 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive
27872 Meaning", edited, introduced and annotated by Lama Tashi Namgyal,
27873 published by Snow Lion Publications
27875 Life is fragile, like the dew hanging delicately on the grass, crystal
27876 drops that will be carried away on the first morning breeze.
27877 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
27879 ...though the emptiness of an impure phenomenon and the emptiness of a
27880 pure phenomenon are the same, there is a difference. What is the difference?
27881 The continuum of an impure substratum will later cease, not existing in
27882 Buddhahood, whereas a pure substratum's continuum of similar type will exist
27883 right through Buddhahood. Since the deity as whom you are imaginatively
27884 meditating yourself is a divine figure that exists in the state of Buddhahood
27885 when all defilements have been abandoned, this substratum is, for your
27887 Hence, it is important when doing deity yoga to put great effort into:
27888 * working at realizing emptiness as much as you can,
27889 * then imagining that the wisdom realizing emptiness appears itself
27890 as a compassionately directed divine body with a face, arms, and
27892 * and then taking this divine figure as the substratum and
27893 continuously meditating on its emptiness.
27894 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths
27895 to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by
27896 Snow Lion Publications
27898 ...when you explain or hear the teachings, if your mind and the teachings
27899 remain separate, then whatever is explained will be inconsequential. Hence,
27900 listen in such a way that you determine how these teachings apply to your
27901 mind. For example, when you want to find out whether or not there is some
27902 smudge, dirt, or whatever, on your face, you look in a mirror and then remove
27903 whatever is there. Similarly, when you listen to the teachings, your faults
27904 such as misconduct and attachment appear in the mirror of the teachings. At
27905 that time, you regret that your mind has become like this, and you then work
27906 to clear away those faults and establish good qualities. Hence, you must
27907 train in the teachings.
27908 --Tsong-kha-pa, "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to
27909 Enlightenment: The Lamrim Chenmo", translated by the Lamrim Chenmo
27910 Translation Committee, Joshua Cutler, Editor in Chief, published
27911 by Snow Lion Publications
27913 if god exists, then god doesn't need me to believe in god. it will not
27914 harm god if i do not believe, because god's existence is not dependent on
27915 my belief. god could contact me directly if god existed and actually cared
27916 what i believed, thus i see no reason to believe in god until then. since
27917 i don't need to believe in god, this frees me from wasting any mental
27918 effort *believing* when that belief will not create god if god doesn't
27919 exist, and when my disbelief will not destroy god if god does exist.
27920 i can't change the state of god's existence one way or the other--i have
27921 realized this limitation in my capabilities.
27922 instead, god needs to believe in me. it's my existence that presumably
27923 requires god's participation in some way, if god does exist. but regardless
27924 of any effort to placate a deity, i feel that i need to be the kind of person
27925 who is worth believing in, by god or by anyone else. my seeking perfection
27926 should not come from fear of an ignored and needy deity. i must build the
27927 best moral and ethical system that i can come up with for myself in this life.
27928 it is my own self-control and my behavior towards others that is the final
27929 word on whether i am worth believing in.
27932 Sometimes doing nothing is doing something.
27933 -- Sir Thomas Robert Dewar
27935 Enjoy now, another now is coming.
27936 -- Sir Thomas Robert Dewar
27938 Less pain, more gain.
27939 -- Sir Thomas Robert Dewar
27941 The pause is a part of the walk.
27942 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
27944 Go ahead, look around.
27945 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
27947 You better wait for the unexpected.
27948 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
27950 Making a mistake is also an achievement.
27953 Leave for tomorrow what you can't do today.
27956 The further you are from a problem, the smaller it gets.
27959 If you think you know it all, you are missing something.
27962 Proper rules are not written.
27963 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
27965 Sometimes a step forward needs a step back.
27968 If you get to the top on your own, who'll take the picture?
27969 -- Sir Thomas Robert Dewar, aka Lord Dewar
27971 When a man says his word is as his bond--get his bond.
27972 -- Sir Thomas Robert Dewar, aka Lord Dewar
27974 Never invest in a going concern until you know which way it is going.
27977 The quality of the article should be its greatest achievement.
27978 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
27980 If you do not advertise, you fossilize.
27981 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
27983 Yesterday's success belongs to yesterday.
27986 In charity there is no excess.
27989 The greatest mistake you can make is to be
27990 continually fearing you will make one.
27993 Life is a one-way street and you're not coming back.
27994 -- Sir Thomas Robert Dewar
27996 Fish stimulates the brain, but fishing stimulates the imagination.
27999 Respectability is the state of never being caught
28000 doing anything which gives you pleasure.
28003 Of two evils, choose the more interesting.
28006 There is no traffic congestion on the straight and narrow path.
28009 We have a great regard for old age when it is bottled.
28012 A philosopher is a man who can look at an empty glass with a smile.
28013 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
28015 A teetotaller is one who suffers from thirst instead of enjoying it.
28016 -- Sir Thomas Dewar
28018 Experience is what you get when you're looking for something else.
28021 Ability without enthusiasm is like a rifle without a bullet.
28024 You can send a boy to college but you can't make him think.
28027 If we are here to help others, I often wonder what the others are here for.
28030 Don't question your wife's judgment; look who she married.
28033 I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we may succeed in
28034 building a better world through human understanding and love, and that in
28035 doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.
28036 -- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech,
28037 Oslo, December 1989, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by
28040 Benefiting living beings is my main practice, and I would like to give a brief
28041 introduction to the three qualities that are its basis: pure love, compassion,
28042 and bodhichitta, the awakened mind. Pure love is the desire that all living
28043 beings have happiness and its causes. Compassion is the desire that living
28044 beings be free of suffering and its causes, such as unwholesome actions.
28045 Bodhichitta is the desire that all living beings be free of suffering and that
28046 we will be able to place them on the unsurpassed level of awakening, or
28048 -- "Music in the Sky: The Life, Art, and Teachings of the 17th Gyalwa
28049 Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje", by Michele Martin, published by Snow
28052 How can we eliminate the deepest source of all unsatisfactory experience?
28053 Only by cultivating certain qualities within our mindstream. Unless we
28054 possess high spiritual qualifications, there is no doubt that the events life
28055 throws upon us will give rise to frustration, emotional turmoil, and other
28056 distorted states of consciousness. These imperfect states of mind in turn
28057 give rise to imperfect activities, and the seeds of suffering are ever planted
28058 in a steady flow. On the other hand, when the mind can dwell in the wisdom
28059 that knows the ultimate mode of being, one is able to destroy the deepest root
28060 of distortion, negative karma and sorrow.
28061 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", translated and
28062 edited by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
28064 It is important to realize that there is nobody else who can wake us up and
28065 save us from samsara. There is no such thing in Buddhism. That may be
28066 Buddhism's biggest drawback, and at the same time its greatest advantage.
28067 This view shows us that there is nobody else in control of our lives, our
28068 experiences, our freedom or our bondage. Who is responsible? Who is in
28069 control? It is us. We are in control. We can bind ourselves further in
28070 samsara or we can free ourselves from it right now. It is all up to us. We
28071 are the ones who have to keep looking at our thoughts, looking for the nature
28072 of our mind. There is no guru, deity, buddha or bodhisattva out there to look
28073 for it for us. Although they would happily do this, it would not help us; it
28074 would only help them. We have to do it for ourselves. That is the key point.
28075 -- Dzogchen Ponlop, "Mind Beyond Death", published by Snow Lion Publications
28077 ...mistakenly apprehending inherent existence in all phenomena
28078 serves as the root of all other delusions...
28080 The opponent force powerful enough to eliminate the delusions should be a
28081 wisdom which combines calm abiding and special insight. In order to cultivate
28082 an advanced meditative stabilization that is free of both subtle mental
28083 sinking and mental excitement, first of all there should be a basis: the
28084 practice of morality, an abstaining from negative actions. Therefore, the
28085 path leading to liberation is comprised of the three higher trainings: the
28086 training of morality as the foundation, the training of meditative
28087 stabilization as the complementing factor, and the actual path which is the
28088 training of wisdom. By enhancing the practice of wisdom and by developing it
28089 to its fullest extent, you will be able to eliminate totally the delusions,
28090 particularly ignorance which misapprehends the mode of being of phenomena.
28091 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Bliss", translated by Geshe Thupten
28092 Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
28094 There is considerable ongoing debate regarding the traditional view of the
28095 guru-disciple relationship, which asserts that seeing the guru as Buddha,
28096 impeccable and without failings, is vital to ripen the disciple's potential to
28097 attain the fruits of the path. This is reinforced by the admonition that to
28098 see faults in one's own guru will result in karmic downfalls and future
28099 suffering for the disciple. Any faults in the teacher should be seen as the
28100 disciple's aberrations projected outside. The tantric teachings insist this
28101 pure view should be held at all times to protect the disciple from accruing
28103 However, underlying this is also the need to preserve the integrity,
28104 authority, and status of the teacher. This leads to a great deal of confusion
28105 when students begin to see evident flaws in teachers, and it would be folly to
28106 explain them away as the students' impure perception. Consequently it has
28107 become necessary to cultivate a less dogmatic, more pragmatic view. A teacher
28108 may not be a perfect carrier of the projection, but this does not contradict
28109 the tantric view that essentially the guru, an inner phenomenon projected
28110 outside, is Buddha.
28111 If we literalize this principle of the teacher as the embodiment of
28112 perfection, we are in danger of blinding ourselves to the reality that most
28113 teachers are human, and therefore not perfect. An individual can have deep
28114 insights into the nature of reality and still have human failings, a shadow
28115 that has not been fully eradicated. According to the teachings on the Ten
28116 Grounds or Stages of the Bodhisattva, until the final ground is reached, there
28117 are still subtle obscurations to full enlightenment that can manifest in
28118 flawed behavior. Believing without question that the outer guru is Buddha
28119 also traps the teacher in an unrealistic, unconscious position. The Dalai
28120 Lama has commented that too much deference harms the teacher, because we never
28121 challenge him or her.
28122 When disciples become devoted to teachers, considerable power and
28123 authority is entrusted to them. While a teacher's role is to support and
28124 empower disciples to discover their own potential, sometimes this does not
28125 happen. Some teachers become caught in the powerful position they have been
28126 endowed with and are unaware of their own desire for power and authority.
28127 They may begin to enjoy their power too much and take advantage of it for
28128 their own needs. This keeps their disciples disempowered, and ultimately does
28129 not allow growth and individual responsibility to emerge. Teachers may be
28130 unconsciously afraid to empower their disciples and allow them to gain a sense
28131 of their own authority and autonomy. They may try to hold on to their
28132 disciples, when to genuinely empower them could lead to their leaving to
28133 engage in their own journey.
28134 --Rob Preece, "The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra", foreword by Stephen
28135 Batchelor, published by Snow Lion Publications
28137 Attachment increases desire, without producing any satisfaction. There
28138 are two types of desire, unreasonable and reasonable. The first is an
28139 affliction founded on ignorance, but the second is not. To live, you need
28140 resources; therefore, desire for sufficient material things is appropriate.
28141 Such feelings as, "This is good; I want this. This is useful," are not
28142 afflictions. It is also desirable to achieve altruism, wisdom, and
28143 liberation. This kind of desire is suitable; indeed, all human development
28144 comes out of desire, and these aspirations do not have to be an affliction.
28145 ...when you have attachment to material things, it is best to desist from
28146 those very activities that promote more attachment. Satisfaction is helpful
28147 when it comes to material things, but not with respect to spiritual practice.
28148 Objects to which we become attached are something to be discarded, whereas
28149 spiritual progress is something to be adopted--it can be developed
28150 limitlessly, even in old age.
28151 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love", translated and edited by
28154 Some people find it helpful to set a determination of a reasonable period
28155 of time during which they will sit in meditation without moving. If you do
28156 this, do not make it into a contest in which you grit your teeth in pain just
28157 to say that you sat without moving for a certain length of time. That isn't
28158 conducive for focusing with wisdom on the object of meditation. On the other
28159 hand, avoid moving whenever you feel the slightest bit of restlessness or
28160 discomfort. Doing that isn't conducive for developing concentration either.
28161 Rather, note when there is the urge to move but don't move. Observe the
28162 sensation: Is it really pain or is it simply restless energy in the body?
28163 Learn to differentiate between these two. Learn, also, to differentiate
28164 between pain and discomfort. Watch and study both of those when they arise in
28165 your field of experience.
28166 In general, when attachment, anger, jealousy, or other distracting
28167 emotions arise, observe them without getting involved in their stories.
28168 Experience the feeling, rather than repeat the story to yourself again and
28169 again. Be aware of what it feels like in your body when you are angry,
28170 jealous, arrogant, or clingy. Be aware of the feeling tone in your mind when
28171 one of these emotions is present. Observe how the feeling changes, never
28172 remaining the same.
28173 ...It is important to avoid criticizing yourself when your mind is
28174 distracted or dull. Do not fall into discouraging thoughts or self-hatred
28175 because these are unproductive and are to be abandoned on the path. Remember
28176 that internal transformation takes time and rejoice in your opportunity to
28177 learn and practice the Dharma. "Slowly, slowly," as Lama Thubten Yeshe used
28178 to say. Learn to be satisfied with what you are able to do now while you
28179 aspire to improve in the future.
28180 -- Ven. Thubten Chodron, "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path",
28181 foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Publications
28183 A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these
28184 minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden.
28185 But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm
28186 that plays havoc with the garden.
28187 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
28189 You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.
28190 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
28192 Buddhists take a vow of morality in the context of first taking refuge--in
28193 Buddha, in the states of realization, and in the spiritual community. Refuge
28194 is the foundation for the practice of morality. Buddha teaches us how to find
28195 refuge from suffering and limitation, but the chief refuge, or source of
28196 protection, is found in the states of realization achieved through practicing
28197 morality, concentrated meditation, and wisdom. ...A lama from the Drukpa
28198 Kagyu tradition and I were very close. We met frequently and always used to
28199 joke, teasing each other back and forth. On one occasion I asked him about
28200 his spiritual experience. He told me that when he was young, he was staying
28201 with his lama who had him perform the preliminary practice of making a hundred
28202 thousand prostrations to the Buddha, the doctrine, and the spiritual
28203 community. Early in the morning and late in the evening he had to make
28204 prostrations on a low platform the length of his body. His lama was
28205 meditating in the dark in the next room; so to trick him into thinking he was
28206 making prostrations he would tap with his knuckles on the prostration
28207 platform. Years later, after his lama passed away, he was taking a meditation
28208 retreat in a cave, during which he recalled his lama's great kindness over
28209 years of training him, and he wept and wept. He almost fainted, but then
28210 experienced the clear light, which he continuously practiced. Subsequently,
28211 after successful meditations he occasionally would remember past lives in
28212 vivid reflections before him.
28213 --His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful
28214 Life", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
28215 http://www.snowlionpub.com/search.php?isbn=HOPRPA
28217 A practitioner needs faith, or trust.... Guru Rinpoche said that we
28218 should meditate in the same way that a sparrow enters a nest. A sparrow
28219 spends some time investigating whether or not it is safe to enter. Once his
28220 examination is over, he then enters unhesitatingly. That's a wonderful
28221 metaphor for practice. First clear up all your doubts about your technique,
28222 then throw yourself into the technique with no separation or self-
28223 consciousness. Of course, it's easy to say, but that is the direction toward
28224 which we should be moving.
28225 Another necessary quality is determination. It's easy to gear oneself up
28226 for counting mantras or prostrations. For some, physical discipline is also
28227 easy. But the determination of the meditator is different. We must be
28228 determined to strive to purify our obscurations until they're completely
28229 gone--in other words, until our buddha-nature unobstructedly shines through.
28230 When we sit, we decide to do our best not to be swayed by our negativity. We
28231 should cultivate this attitude at the beginning of our session. Otherwise, no
28232 matter how much we practice, we will daydream a lot and our meditation will
28233 always be wishy-washy. I know this from experience--I may do my session of
28234 meditation, but it is tepid. Why? I don't have that inner strength to remain
28235 unmoved by the arising of the various mental contents.
28236 -- Bruce Newman, "A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism", published by
28237 Snow Lion Publications
28239 This is the way of peace:
28240 "Overcome evil with good,
28241 falsehood with truth, and
28245 The seeing of Truth cannot be dualistic (a "thing" seen). It cannot be seen
28246 by a see-er, or via a see-er. There can only be a seeing which itself is
28247 Truth. "All Else is Bondage; Non-Volitional Living"
28250 An economist is a surgeon with an excellent scalpel and a rough-edged lancet,
28251 who operates beautifully on the dead and tortures the living.
28252 -- Nicholas Chamfort
28254 A joke's a very serious thing.
28255 -- Charles Churchill
28257 You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.
28260 The five subtler aggregates* will eventually be transformed into the
28261 Buddhas of the five lineages. They are now as if accompanied by mental
28262 defilements. When the defilements are removed, these factors do not become
28263 any coarser or subtler; their nature remains, but [when they] become separated
28264 from the faults of mental pollution, they become the Buddhas of the five
28265 lineages. So if you ask whether the Buddhas of the five lineages are present
28266 now in our continuums, these factors are currently bound by faults, and since
28267 there cannot be a Buddha who has a fault, they are not Buddhas. One is not
28268 yet fully enlightened, but that which is going to become a Buddha is present;
28269 therefore, these factors presently existent in our continuums are Buddha seeds
28270 and are called the Buddha nature, or the essence of the One Gone Thus
28272 * The five consituents that are included within a person's continuum--earth,
28273 water, fire, wind, and space--that will be purified into the five Buddha
28274 lineages [the exalted manifestations of these constituents].
28275 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, "Kindness,
28276 Clarity, and Insight", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
28277 co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow Lion Publications
28279 ...an inherently existent "I" appears to us, but instead of assenting to
28280 that appearance and holding it to be true, we analyze how the "I" actually
28282 At those times in our life when there's a very solid feeling of "I," it's
28283 helpful to examine how that "I" appears. I remember the first time I stayed
28284 out all night in college and my mother didn't know. I came home the next day
28285 with this feeling that "I" really existed: "I did this and my mother doesn't
28286 know!" The feeling of "I" was just enormous, incredibly solid, because I did
28287 something I wasn't supposed to do.
28288 Examine how that "I" appears, that big "I," especially when you have a
28289 strong emotion. Get familiar with that sense of "I." When somebody criticizes
28290 us or accuses us of doing something that we didn't do, this feeling comes up
28291 very quickly. Usually, we're focused not on the feeling of "I," but on
28292 attacking the other person or escaping from him. But if we can step back,
28293 it's an incredible opportunity to study the feeling of "I." The person who
28294 irritates us the most can be our best Dharma asset, because he gives us an
28295 opportunity to look at this sense of "I."
28296 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga
28297 Method of Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by
28298 Snow Lion Publications
28300 One time when I was giving an exposition on Nagarjuna's "Fundamentals of the
28301 Middle Way," which deals explicitly with the topic of emptiness, one student
28302 who did not have a prior background of learning in great treatises made a
28303 comment to another colleague. He said: 'Today's teaching was a little
28304 strange. His Holiness began with the presentation of the Buddha's path and
28305 built up the edifice one layer at a time. Then, all of a sudden, he started
28306 talking about emptiness and the absence of inherent existence, so that this
28307 whole edifice he had spent much time building was completely dismantled.'
28308 He couldn't really see the point. There is that danger. However, if we
28309 understand the importance of the need to generate wisdom into emptiness as a
28310 means of bringing about the cessation of the afflictions, particularly
28311 fundamental ignorance, then we recognise the value of deepening our
28312 realisation of emptiness. Also, as Dharmakirti points out, emotions such as
28313 loving kindness and compassion cannot directly challenge fundamental
28314 ignorance. It is only by cultivating insight into no-self that we can
28315 directly overcome our fundamental ignorance.
28316 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
28317 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
28319 Having committed yourself to certain practices, be steadfast and never
28320 transgress the promises you have made. Let go of everything that could tempt
28321 you to do so and devote yourself entirely and single-mindedly to the
28322 accomplishment of your aims. For six years the Buddha did not waver from his
28323 practice of the meditative stabilization known as "Pervading Space." This
28324 meditation focuses on the fundamental nature of phenomena, which is present
28325 wherever there is space. Everywhere throughout space there are suffering
28326 living beings on whom this meditation also focuses with the compassionate wish
28327 to relieve their suffering and the loving wish to give them happiness. Thus
28328 it combines essential wisdom and skillful means.
28329 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "The Three Principal Aspects of the Path: An Oral
28330 Teaching", translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion
28333 If you're not scared or angry at the thought of a human brain being controlled
28334 remotely, then it could be this prototype of mine is finally starting to work.
28335 -- John Alejandro King
28337 Only fools are positive. -- Moe Howard
28339 Just once, I wish we would encounter an alien menace
28340 that wasn't immune to bullets.
28343 We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by
28344 selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a
28345 shadow that never leaves them.
28348 If you find a good companion, who is following the same spiritual
28349 path, travel together, overcoming obstacles as they arise.
28352 Man is harder than rock and more fragile than an egg.
28353 -- Yugoslav Proverb
28355 That in man which cannot be domesticated is not his evil but his goodness.
28356 -- Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin
28358 Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.
28361 A human being: an ingenious assembly of portable plumbing.
28362 -- Christopher Morley, Human Being
28364 The universe may have a purpose, but nothing we know suggests that, if so,
28365 this purpose has any similarity to ours.
28366 -- Bertrand Russell
28368 Ocean: A body of water occupying two-thirds of a
28369 world made for man--who has no gills.
28372 Man is harder than iron, stronger than stone and more fragile than a rose.
28375 Man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it.
28376 -- John Steinbeck, Sweet Thursday
28378 In nature a repulsive caterpillar turns into a lovely butterfly. But with
28379 humans it is the other way around: a lovely butterfly turns into a repulsive
28383 Man is an intelligence in servitude to his organs.
28386 We are perverse creatures and never satisfied.
28389 Modern man is the missing link between apes and human beings.
28392 Human consciousness arose but a minute before midnight on the geological
28393 clock. Yet we mayflies try to bend an ancient world to our purposes, ignorant
28394 perhaps of the messages buried in its long history. Let us hope that we are
28395 still in the early morning of our April day.
28396 -- Stephen Jay Gould, "Our Allotted Lifetimes," The Panda's Thumb, 1980
28398 Such is the human race, often it seems a pity
28399 that Noah... didn't miss the boat.
28402 There are too many people, and too few human beings.
28405 It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be
28406 nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a
28408 -- David Ormsby Gore
28410 Only on paper has humanity yet achieved glory, beauty, truth, knowledge,
28411 virtue, and abiding love.
28412 -- George Bernard Shaw
28414 The disastrous history of our species indicates the futility of all attempts
28415 at a diagnosis which do not take into account the possibility that homo
28416 sapiens is a victim of one of evolution's countless mistakes.
28417 -- Arthur Koestler, Janus: A Summing Up
28419 Men! The only animal in the world to fear.
28422 The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race.
28425 Man embraces in his makeup all the natural orders;
28426 he's a squid, a mollusk, a sucker and a buzzard;
28427 sometimes he's a cerebrate.
28428 -- Martin H. Fischer
28430 Men are cruel, but Man is kind.
28431 -- Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, 1916
28433 Humanity is on the march, earth itself is left behind.
28434 -- David Ehrenfeld, The Arrogance of Humanism, 1978
28436 Human nature, if healthy, demands excitement; and if it does not obtain its
28437 thrilling excitement in the right way, it will seek it in the wrong. God
28438 never makes bloodless stoics; He makes no passionless saints.
28441 Cabbage: a familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as
28442 large and wise as a man's head.
28443 -- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
28445 Monkeys are superior to men in this:
28446 When a monkey looks into a mirror, he sees a monkey.
28447 -- Malcolm de Chazal
28449 It is human nature to stand in the middle of a thing.
28450 -- Mariane Moore, "A Grave," Collected Poems, 1951
28452 The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in that
28453 procession but carrying a banner.
28454 -- Mark Twain, "Reflections on Being the Delight of God."
28456 Adam ate the apple, and our teeth still ache.
28457 -- Hungarian Proverb
28459 Why was man created on the last day? So that he can be told, when pride
28460 possesses him: God created the gnat before thee.
28463 Man--a creature made at the end of the week's work when God was tired.
28466 I sometimes think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated His ability.
28469 O poor mortals, how ye make this earth bitter for each other.
28470 -- Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution, vol. I, book II, chapter 1
28472 God pulled an all-nighter on the sixth day.
28475 Zoo: An excellent place to study the habits of human beings.
28478 The progress of evolution from President Washington to
28479 President Grant [is] alone enough to upset Darwin.
28480 -- Henry Adams, Education, 1907
28482 Man--a being in search of meaning. -- Plato
28484 Ultimately, aren't we all just talking monkeys with an attitude problem?
28485 -- "Uncle" Ben, as seen on quotes-r-us.org
28487 The more humanity advances, the more it is degraded.
28488 -- Gustave Flaubert
28490 Nothing feebler does earth nurture than man,
28491 Of all things breathing and moving.
28494 Everyone is as God made him, and often a good deal worse.
28495 -- Miguel de Cervantes
28497 Man is a strange animal, he doesn't like to read the handwriting
28498 on the wall until his back is up against it.
28501 It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.
28504 God doesn't measure His bounty, but oh how we do!
28505 -- Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
28507 The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary;
28508 men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.
28509 -- Joseph Conrad, Under Western Eyes, 1911
28511 The human race is governed by its imagination.
28514 Man uses his intelligence less in the care of his own species than he does in
28515 his care of anything else he owns or governs.
28516 -- Abraham Meyerson
28518 Human beings cling to their delicious tyrannies and to their exquisite
28519 nonsense, till death stares them in the face.
28522 Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him
28523 when he shows no mercy to what is under him?
28524 -- Pierre Troubetzkoy
28526 The small percentage of dogs that bite people is monumental proof that the dog
28527 is the most benign, forgiving creature on earth.
28528 -- W.R. Koehler, The Koehler Method of Dog Training
28530 Man was created a little lower than the angels,
28531 and has been getting lower ever since.
28534 We have no choice but to be guilty.
28535 God is unthinkable if we are innocent.
28536 -- Archibald MacLeish, JB, 1958
28538 Human beings invent just as many ways to sabotage their lives
28539 as to improve them.
28540 -- Mark Goulston, Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating
28543 As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a
28544 man a good man upon easier terms than I was formerly.
28547 What is man's greatest bane? His brother man alone.
28548 -- Bias of Priene, Maxims
28550 Acedia is not in every dictionary; just in every heart.
28551 -- Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
28553 The study of crime begins with the knowledge of oneself.
28554 -- Henry Miller, The Air-Conditioned Nightmare, 1945
28556 Is man a savage at heart, skinned o'er with fragile Manners? Or is savagery
28557 but a faint taint in the natural man's gentility, which erupts now and again
28558 like pimples on an angel's arse?
28559 -- John Barth, The Sot-Weed Factor, 1960
28561 God has given a great deal to man, but man would like something from man.
28562 -- Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin
28564 I was surprised just now at seeing a cobweb around a knocker;
28565 for it was not on the door of heaven.
28566 -- Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth,
28567 by Two Brothers, 1827
28569 I sometimes think of what future historians will say of us.
28570 A single sentence will suffice for modern man:
28571 He fornicated and read the papers.
28574 Man, when he is merely what he seems to be, is almost nothing.
28575 -- Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin
28577 Give a man secure possession of a bleak rock, and he will turn it
28578 into a garden; give him nine years' lease of a garden, and he will
28579 convert it into a desert.
28580 -- Arthur Young, Travels in France, 1792
28582 Our behavior is human with a sliver of animal,
28583 our souls animal with a sliver of human.
28586 Occident: The part of the world lying west (or east) of the Orient.
28587 It is largely inhabited by Christians, a powerful subtribe of the
28588 Hypocrites, whose principal industries are murder and cheating, which
28589 they are pleased to call "war" and "commerce." These, also, are the
28590 principal industries of the Orient.
28591 -- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
28593 Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal
28594 that is struck with the difference between what things are and what
28596 -- William Hazlitt, The English Comic Writers, 1819
28598 Nature is neutral. Man has wrested from nature the power to make the world a
28599 desert or to make the deserts bloom. There is no evil in the atom; only in
28603 A simple and irrefutable argument to knock creationism on its ass: (1) Humans
28604 are a mistake--subproof: opposable thumbs and enlarged brain capacity are the
28605 combined number one factor in the increasingly speedy destruction of planet
28606 Earth. (2) God doesn't make mistakes. (3) Therefore, God couldn't have
28608 -- Cassus Garrulitas
28610 Man talks about everything, and he talks about everything as though the
28611 understanding of everything were all inside him.
28612 -- Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin
28614 My dog is usually pleased with what I do, because she is not infected
28615 with the concept of what I "should" be doing.
28618 Man will do many things to get himself loved;
28619 he will do all things to get himself envied.
28620 -- Mark Twain, Following the Equator, 1897
28622 We are all parasites; we humans, the greatest.
28623 -- Martin H. Fischer
28625 Suppose some mathematical creature from the moon were to reckon up the human
28626 body; he would at once see that the essential thing about it was that it was
28627 duplicate. A man is two men, he on the right exactly resembling him on the
28628 left. Having noted that there was an arm on the right and one on the left, a
28629 leg on the right and one on the left, he might go further and still find on
28630 each side the same number of fingers, the same number of toes, twin eyes, twin
28631 ears, twin nostrils, and even twin lobes of the brain. At last he would take
28632 it as a law; and then, where he found a heart on one side, would deduce that
28633 there was another heart on the other. And just then, where he most felt he
28634 was right, he would be wrong.
28635 -- Gilbert Keith Chesterton, "The Paradoxes of Christianity," Orthodoxy
28637 It is the nature of mortals to kick a fallen man.
28638 -- Aeschylus, Agamemnon
28640 God is less careful than General Motors, for He floods the world
28641 with factory rejects.
28642 -- Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
28644 Man's highest merit always is, as much as possible, to rule external
28645 circumstances and as little as possible to let himself be ruled by them.
28646 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
28648 So there he is at last. Man on the moon. The poor magnificent bungler! He
28649 can't even get to the office without undergoing the agonies of the damned, but
28650 give him a little metal, a few chemicals, some wire and twenty or thirty
28651 billion dollars and vroom! there he is, up on a rock a quarter of a million
28652 miles up in the sky.
28653 -- Russell Baker, New York Times, 21 July 1969
28655 Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is
28656 a problem which he has to solve.
28657 -- Erich Fromm, Man for Himself, 1947
28659 When freedom from want and freedom from fear are achieved,
28660 man's remains will be in rigor mortis.
28661 -- Martin H. Fischer
28663 Man is nature's sole mistake.
28666 The average man's judgment is so poor, he runs a risk every time he uses it.
28669 Man--a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal.
28670 -- Alexander Hamilton
28672 We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all
28673 his noble qualities, still bears in his bodily frame the indelible
28674 stamp of his lowly origin.
28675 -- Charles Darwin, Descent of Man, 1871
28677 We're animals. We're born like every other mammal and we live our
28678 whole lives around disguised animal thoughts.
28679 -- Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams
28681 Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not
28682 depend on us. We are not the only experiment.
28683 -- R. Buckminister Fuller
28685 Be a good animal, true to your animal instincts.
28686 -- David Herbert Lawrence, White Peacock, 1911
28688 The question is this: Is man an ape or an angel?
28689 I am on the side of the angels.
28690 -- Benjamin Disraeli
28692 I viewed my fellow man not as a fallen angel, but as a risen ape.
28693 -- Desmond Morris, The Naked Ape
28695 Man desired concord; but nature knows better what is good for his species; she
28696 desires discord. Man wants to live easy and content; but nature compels him
28697 to leave ease... and throw himself into roils and labors.
28698 -- Immanuel Kant, Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan
28701 The thief and the murderer follow nature just as much as the philanthropist.
28702 -- T.H. Huxley, "Evolution and Ethics," 1893
28704 Many people believe that they are attracted by God, or by Nature,
28705 when they are only repelled by man.
28706 -- William Ralph Inge
28708 People are like birds: on the wing, all beautiful;
28709 up close, all beady little eyes.
28710 -- Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
28712 Evolution is individual--devolution is collective.
28713 -- Martin H. Fischer
28715 I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-
28716 contain'd. I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and
28717 whine about their condition.... Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented
28718 with the mania of owning things, not one kneels to another, nor to his kind
28719 that lived thousands of years ago, not one is respectable or unhappy over the
28721 -- Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
28723 As long as people believe in absurdities
28724 they will continue to commit atrocities.
28727 I demand of you, and of the whole world, that you show me
28728 a generic character... by which to distinguish between Man and Ape.
28729 I myself most assuredly know of none.
28730 -- Carl Linnaeus, 1788
28732 In creating the human brain, evolution has wildly overshot the mark.
28735 Evolution: that last step was a doozy!
28738 We have a world for each one, but we do not have a world for all.
28739 -- Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin
28741 Evolution: one small step for man, one giant leap backward for mankind.
28742 -- The Quote Garden
28744 I do not value any view of the universe into which man and the institutions of
28745 man enter very largely and absorb much of the attention. Man is but the place
28746 where I stand, and the prospect hence is infinite.
28747 -- Henry David Thoreau, journal, 2 April 1852
28749 Nature does not deceive us; it is we who deceive ourselves.
28750 -- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762
28752 It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.
28753 -- Niccolo Machiavelli
28755 Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everybody agrees
28756 that it is old enough to know better.
28759 Question: How can one work with deep fears most effectively?
28761 DL: There are quite a number of methods. The first is to think about actions
28762 and their effects. Usually when something bad happens, we say, "Oh, very
28763 unlucky," and when something good happens, we say, "Oh, very lucky." Actually,
28764 these two words, lucky and unlucky, are insufficient. There must be some
28765 reason. Because of a reason, a certain time became lucky or unlucky, but
28766 usually we do not go beyond lucky or unlucky. The reason, according to the
28767 Buddhist explanation, is our past karma, our actions.
28769 One way to work with deep fears is to think that the fear comes as a result of
28770 your own actions in the past. Further, if you have fear of some pain or
28771 suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it.
28772 If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything,
28773 then there is also no need to worry.
28775 Another technique is to investigate who is becoming afraid. Examine the
28776 nature of your self. Where is this I? Who is I? What is the nature of I?
28777 Is there an I besides my physical body and my consciousness? This may help.
28779 Also, someone who is engaging in the Bodhisattva practices seeks to take
28780 others' suffering onto himself or herself. When you have fear, you can think,
28781 "Others have fear similar to this; may I take to myself all of their fears."
28782 Even though you are opening yourself to greater suffering, taking greater
28783 suffering to yourself, your fear lessens.
28784 -- "The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and
28785 About the Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, Foreword
28786 by Sen. Claiborne Pell, published by Snow Lion Publications
28790 When a subject is analyzed, the object to be negated is determined to be
28791 either an appearance or something imagined. It is not logical, [however,] to
28792 negate momentary appearances, because reasonings cannot negate them. To take
28793 an example: for people with eye diseases, the appearances of floaters [bits of
28794 optical debris], double moons, and the like do not stop as long as their
28795 eyesight is impaired. Similarly, as long as beings are not free from
28796 unafflicted ignorance, illusionlike appearances [manifesting] to the six modes
28797 of consciousness do not stop.
28798 It is not necessary to negate [appearances], because our mistakes do not
28799 come from appearances: they arise from fixating on those [appearances]. This
28800 is the case because if we do not fixate on appearances, we are not bound--we
28801 are like a magician who, having conjured up a young woman, has no attachment
28802 towards her. [On the other hand, if,] like naive beings attached to an
28803 illusory young woman, we fixate intensely [on appearances], our karma and
28804 mental afflictions will increase.
28805 To intentionally negate appearances would be wrong because, if they were
28806 negated, emptiness would come to mean the [absolute] nonexistence of things.
28807 Another reason this would be a mistake is that yogins and yoginis meditating
28808 on emptiness would fall into the extreme of nihilism since they would be
28809 applying their minds to a negation that [equals] the [absolute] nonexistence
28811 Thus, [Madhyamikas] set out to negate only what is imagined, because that
28812 is what can be negated. Like a rope mistaken for a snake, what is imagined
28813 does not conform to facts: it is simply the mind's fixations.
28814 -- Kongtrul Lodro Taye, "The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Six, Part Three:
28815 Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy", translated by Elizabeth M. Callahan,
28816 published by Snow Lion Publications
28818 Even though Mac Users may be only 10% of the market,
28819 always remember that we are the top 10%.
28822 While I don't claim to be a great programmer, I try to imitate one. An
28823 important trait of the great ones is constructive laziness. They know that
28824 you get an A not for effort but for results.
28827 We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the
28828 complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is
28832 C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when
28833 you do, it blows away your whole leg.
28834 -- Bjarne Stroustrup
28836 The question of whether computers can think is like the question of whether
28837 submarines can swim.
28840 Consistently separating words by spaces became a general custom about the
28841 tenth century A.D., and lasted until about 1957, when FORTRAN abandoned the
28843 -- Sun FORTRAN Reference Manual
28845 UNIX was never designed to keep people from doing stupid things, because that
28846 policy would also keep them from doing clever things.
28849 Anyone who slaps a "this page is best viewed with Browser X" label on a Web
28850 page appears to be yearning for the bad old days, before the Web, when you had
28851 very little chance of reading a document written on another computer, another
28852 word processor, or another network.
28855 If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use?
28856 Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?
28859 The competent programmer is fully aware of the strictly limited size of his
28860 own skull; therefore he approaches the programming task in full humility; and
28861 among other things he avoids clever tricks like the plague.
28864 A programming language is a tool that has profound influence
28865 on our thinking habits.
28868 The Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is
28870 -- Deep Thought, 2nd greatest Computer in the Universe of Time and Space
28872 If Windows is the solution, can we please have the problem back?
28875 This is a fascinating property: Writing texts in programming languages can not
28876 only be as creative as poetry, the creations more than in poetry, belong to
28877 the real world as soon as run through the machine.
28880 Any problem in computer science can be solved with another layer of
28881 indirection. But that usually will create another problem.
28884 Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. -- Edsger Dijkstra
28886 It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have
28887 had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally
28888 mutilated beyond hope of regeneration.
28891 Good artists copy. Great artists steal. -- Pablo Picasso
28893 I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order I may learn how to do it.
28896 Serious people have few ideas. People with ideas are never serious.
28899 Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
28902 A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.
28905 The debt is like a crazy aunt we keep down in the basement. All the neighbors
28906 know she's down there, but nobody wants to talk about her.
28909 Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
28912 Where true religion has prevented one crime, false religions have afforded a
28913 pretext for a thousand.
28914 -- Charles Caleb Colton
28916 Whatever limits us, we call Fate. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
28918 The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher regard
28919 those who think alike than those who think differently.
28920 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
28922 Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.
28923 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
28925 Men show their characters in nothing more clearly than in what they think
28927 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
28929 It often takes more courage to change ones opinion than to keep it.
28932 Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming
28933 gardeners who make our soul bloom.
28936 It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.
28939 There are only two forces that unite men--fear and interest.
28940 -- Napoleon Bonaparte
28942 If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their
28943 own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have
28944 a paradise in a few years.
28947 The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make sense.
28950 If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward,
28951 then we are a sorry lot indeed.
28954 Your character must be above suspicion and
28955 you must be truthful and self controlled.
28958 Either you live or you are consequential. -- Erich Kaestner
28960 Pedaled curd gets wide--not strong. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
28962 Do not follow where the path may lead.
28963 Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
28964 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
28966 She wore too much rouge last night and not quite enough clothes. Thats always
28967 a sign of despair in a woman.
28970 Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
28973 First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you
28977 Wherever it has been established that it is shameful to be involved with
28978 sexual relationships with men, that is due to evil on the part of the rulers,
28979 and to cowardice on the part of the governed.
28982 We want to be poets of our life--first of all in the smallest
28983 most everyday matters.
28984 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
28986 Without music, life would be an error. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
28988 Joseph LaGrange believed that a mathematician has not thoroughly understood
28989 his own work till he has made it so clear that he can go out and explain it
28990 effectively to the first man he meets on the street.
28993 There is no such thing as an inevitable war. If war comes it will be from
28994 failure of human wisdom.
28995 -- Andres Bonar Law
28997 Perfect nonviolence is the highest bravery. -- Mahatma Gandhi
28999 There never was a good war or a bad peace. -- Benjamin Franklin
29001 There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing
29002 good in war. Except its ending.
29005 I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only
29006 temporary; the evil it does is permanent.
29009 An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. -- Mahatma Gandhi
29011 Trust no one in whom the desire to punish is strong. -- Fyodor Dostoevsky
29013 If we steal thoughts from the moderns, it will be cried down as plagiarism; if
29014 from the ancients, it will be cried up as erudition.
29015 -- Charles Caleb Colton
29017 The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
29020 Ability is nothing without opportunity. -- Napoleon Bonaparte
29022 Never work just for money or for power.
29023 They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night.
29024 -- Marian Wright Edelman
29026 Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their
29027 pleasure takes joy, even as though it were his own.
29028 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
29030 Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power,
29032 -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
29034 Censorship cannot eliminate evil, it can only kill freedom. -- unknown
29036 Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.
29037 -- John G. Riefenbaker
29039 People demand freedom of speech to make up for
29040 the freedom of thought which they avoid.
29041 -- Soren Aabye Kierkegaard
29043 Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the
29044 fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.
29047 If you are a phenomenologist, you can talk about this cocktail and make
29048 philosophy out of it.
29051 I should only believe in a God that would know how to dance.
29052 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
29054 I would not know what the spirit of a philosopher might wish more
29055 to be than a good dancer.
29056 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
29058 Faith means not wanting to know what is true. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
29060 True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen.
29061 -- Francois, Duc de la Rochefoucauld
29063 This war, like the next war, is a war to end war. -- David Lloyd George
29065 How good bad music and bad reasons sound when one marches against an enemy!
29066 -- Friedrich Nietzsche
29068 When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.
29069 -- Rodney Dangerfield
29071 When your mind is trained in self-discipline, even if you are surrounded
29072 by hostile forces, your peace of mind will hardly be disturbed. On the other
29073 hand, if your mind is undisciplined, your mental peace and calm can easily be
29074 disrupted by your own negative thoughts and emotions. The real enemy is
29075 within, not outside. Usually we define our enemy as a person, an external
29076 agent, whom we believe is causing harm to us or to someone we hold dear. But
29077 such an enemy is dependent on many conditions and is impermanent. One moment,
29078 the person may act as an enemy; at yet another moment, he or she may become
29079 your best friend. This is a truth that we often experience in our own lives.
29080 But negative thoughts and emotions, the inner enemy, will always remain the
29081 enemy. They are your enemy today, they have been your enemy in the past, and
29082 they will remain your enemy in the future as long as they reside within your
29084 This inner enemy is extremely dangerous. The destructive potential of an
29085 external enemy is limited when compared to that of its inner counterpart....
29086 In a time when every country is a potential target for the nuclear weapons of
29087 others, human beings still continue to develop defense systems of greater and
29088 greater sophistication. I do not know if it will ever be possible to create a
29089 defense system capable of guaranteeing worldwide protection against all
29090 external forces of destruction. However, one thing is certain: as long as
29091 those destructive internal enemies of anger and hatred are left to themselves
29092 unchallenged, the threat of physical annihilation will always loom over us.
29093 In fact, the destructive power of an external enemy ultimately derives from
29094 the power of these internal forces. The inner enemy is the trigger that
29095 unleashes the destructive power of the external enemy.
29096 Shantideva tells us that as long as these inner enemies remain secure
29097 within, there is great danger. Shantideva goes on to say that even if
29098 everyone in the world were to stand up against you as your enemies and harm
29099 you, as long as your own mind was disciplined and calm, they would not be able
29100 to disturb your peace. Yet a single instance of delusion arising in your mind
29101 has the power to disturb that peace and inner stability.
29102 -- Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "The Compassionate Life"
29104 (Each day before breakfast the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, Thubten
29105 Chodron, gives a morning motivation for residents and guests. We were moved
29106 by these inspiring words, and hope you will be, too.)
29110 Let's recall our motivation in the morning and think that today, the most
29111 important thing I have to do is to guard my body, speech and mind so that I
29112 don't harm anybody through what I do with my body, through what I say, or even
29113 through what I think. That's the most important thing, more important than
29114 anything else today.
29115 The second most important thing is, as much as possible, to be of benefit
29116 to others. Thoroughly cultivate that as your motivation simply for being
29117 alive today. Our purpose for being alive isn't just to keep this body alive,
29118 to eat and sleep, and have pleasure. We have a higher purpose, a higher
29119 meaning: to really work for the benefit of living beings. If the purpose of
29120 our life is simply to keep the body alive and have pleasure, then at the end
29121 of life, we have nothing to show for it. The body dies and all the pleasures,
29122 like last night's dream, have gone. But if we work for a higher motivation, a
29123 higher purpose, to really do what's beneficial for all living beings, then
29124 there's happiness and benefit now.
29125 At the end of the life, the benefit that we've given to others continues,
29126 as do all the imprints of the attitude of kindness, the attitude of care
29127 towards others. All the imprints of having generated that positive mind go on
29128 with us into the next life. So even at the time of death, that kind heart
29129 brings incredible benefit and carries through into the next life.
29130 And then let's also generate a third motivation--a really long-term
29131 motivation--to become fully enlightened. In other words, to have the wisdom,
29132 compassion, and skill so that in the long term, we'll be able to be of the
29133 greatest benefit to all living beings, even being able to lead them on the
29134 path to enlightenment. That's our really long-term purpose.
29135 As we change and develop a kind heart, that influences every single living
29136 being we encounter in a positive way. Then, through the influence on them, it
29137 spreads out to all the people they know. So, just spending one day with a
29138 positive, long-term motivation may seem like a small thing, but when we think
29139 of the ripple effect it has now, and the benefit it has in future lives and
29140 for progressing along the path to liberation and enlightenment, we see that
29141 even one day spent with this motivation of kindness, directly and indirectly
29142 benefiting sentient beings, has tremendous outcomes--many, many good results.
29143 -- Thubten Chodron, who is the author of many books, including her latest
29144 work, "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path", published by
29145 Snow Lion Publications
29147 ...We can't blame one individual for what happens in our world. I think
29148 we should blame our entire society. Society produces our leaders and
29149 politicians, and if we try to develop a more compassionate and affectionate
29150 society, we will have human beings with a more peaceful nature. Leaders,
29151 politicians, and businesspeople coming from such a society would offer hope
29152 for a better world. Our long-term responsibility--everyone's responsibility,
29153 whether they are believers or nonbelievers--is to find ways to promote a
29154 peaceful and compassionate society.
29155 I think one way is quite simple. Each individual must try to ensure peace
29156 and compassion in his [or her] family. Put together ten peaceful,
29157 compassionate homes, or one hundred, and that's a community. The children in
29158 such a society would receive affection in their family and in their schools
29159 from the educators concerned. We might have one or two setbacks, but
29160 generally I think we could develop a sensible society. Sensible here means a
29161 sense of community, a sense of responsibility, and a sense of commitment.
29162 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Many Ways to Nirvana: Reflections
29163 and Advice on Right Living", edited by Renuka Singh, published by
29164 Snow Lion Publications
29166 We can see that there are many ways in which we actively contribute to our
29167 own experience of mental unrest and suffering. Although, in general, mental
29168 and emotional afflictions themselves can come naturally, often it is our own
29169 reinforcement of those negative emotions that makes them so much worse. For
29170 instance when we have anger or hatred towards a person, there is less
29171 likelihood of its developing to a very intense degree if we leave it
29172 unattended. However, if we think about the projected injustices done to us,
29173 the ways in which we have been unfairly treated, and we keep on thinking about
29174 them over and over, then that feeds the hatred. It makes the hatred very
29175 powerful and intense. Of course, the same can apply to when we have an
29176 attachment towards a particular person; we can feed that by thinking about how
29177 beautiful he or she is, and as we keep thinking about the projected qualities
29178 that we see in the person, the attachment becomes more and more intense. But
29179 this shows how through constant familiarity and thinking, we ourselves can
29180 make our emotions more intense and powerful.
29181 We also often add to our pain and suffering by being overly sensitive,
29182 overreacting to minor things, and sometimes taking things too personally. We
29183 tend to take small things too seriously and blow them up out of proportion,
29184 while at the same time we often remain indifferent to the really important
29185 things, those things which have profound effects on our lives and long-term
29186 consequences and implications.
29187 So I think that to a large extent, whether you suffer depends on how you
29188 respond to a given situation.
29189 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art of
29190 Happiness: A Handbook for Living"
29192 Realizations come only if we practice joyfully, with confidence and
29193 courage. Realization doesn't grow within a timid or weak state of mind--it
29194 blossoms in the mind free of doubt and hesitation. Realization is fearless.
29195 When we see the true nature of reality, there's nothing hidden, nothing left
29196 to fear. At last we're seeing reality as it is, full of joy and peace.
29197 Our habitual patterns can only be removed by understanding the great
29198 emptiness aspect of true nature, that which is named the Mother of all the
29199 buddhas. Emptiness is freedom; emptiness is great opportunity. It is
29200 pervasive and all phenomena arise from it. As the great master Jigme Lingpa
29201 said, "The entire universe is the mandala of the dakini." The Mother's mandala
29202 is all phenomena, the display of the wisdom dakini.
29203 Without this ultimate great emptiness, the Mother of the buddhas, the
29204 universe would be without movement, development, or change. Because of this
29205 great emptiness state of the Mother, we see phenomena continually arising.
29206 Each display arises, transforms, and radiates, fulfilling its purpose and then
29207 dissolving back into its original state. This dramatic dance of energy is the
29208 activity, ability, or mandala of the wisdom dakini. Thus, the combination of
29209 the great emptiness or openness state, together with the activities of love
29210 and compassion, is both the ultimate Mother and the ultimate wisdom dakini.
29211 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche,
29212 "Tara's Enlightened Activity: An Oral Commentary on 'The Twenty-one
29213 Praises to Tara' ", published by Snow Lion Publications
29215 Just as your innermost wish is to be free from suffering and to abide in
29216 happiness, so too is it the aspiration of all other beings. But, they, like
29217 you, encounter sufferings and problems in their lives, and often their
29218 difficulties are much worse than your own. Examine your capacity to help
29219 them. At this time your ability to help them is quite limited, but if you
29220 reduce your own ignorance, anger, attachment, and other faults, and increase
29221 your good qualities such as generosity, patience, loving-kindness, compassion,
29222 and wisdom, you will be of greater benefit. If you become fully enlightened,
29223 you will be of the greatest possible benefit to all beings. Thus generate the
29224 altruistic intention to become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient
29225 beings most effectively.
29226 -- Thubten Chodron, "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path",
29227 foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Publications
29229 ...at Bodh Gaya, [Shakyamuni] displayed the ways of becoming fully
29230 enlightened. Then in stages he turned the three renowned wheels of doctrine.
29231 In the first period, at Varanasi, Buddha turned the wheel of doctrine that
29232 is based on the four noble truths; he did this mainly in consideration of
29233 those having the lineage of Hearers (Sravaka). In the middle period, at
29234 Grdhrakuta, he set forth the middle wheel of doctrine, which is based on the
29235 mode of non-inherent existence of all phenomena; he did this mainly in
29236 consideration of trainees of sharp faculties who bear the Mahayana lineage.
29237 In the final period, at Vaisali, he set forth the final wheel [which is based
29238 on discriminating between those phenomena that do and those that do not truly
29239 exist]; he did this mainly in consideration of trainees of middling and lower
29240 faculties who bear the Mahayana lineage. The teacher Buddha also appeared in
29241 the body of Vajradhara, setting forth tantric doctrines.
29242 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
29243 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
29245 There are different levels of faith. First, clear faith refers to the joy and
29246 clarity and change in our perceptions that we experience when we hear about
29247 the qualities of the Three Jewels and the lives of the Buddha and the great
29248 teachers. Longing faith is experienced when we think about the latter and are
29249 filled with a great desire to know more about their qualities and to acquire
29250 these ourselves. Confident faith comes through practicing the Dharma, when we
29251 acquire complete confidence in the truth of the teachings and the
29252 enlightenment of the Buddha. Finally, when faith has become so much a part of
29253 ourselves that even if our lives were at risk we could never give it up, it
29254 has become irreversible faith.
29255 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "The Excellent Path to Enlightenment",
29256 translated by The Padmakara Translation Group, published by Snow
29259 ...when seeking work, or if you already have a job, it is important to
29260 keep in mind that a human being isn't meant to be some kind of machine
29261 designed only for production. No. Human life isn't just for work, like [a
29262 socialistic] vision where everyone's purpose is just to work for the state,
29263 and there is no individual freedom, where the state even arranges the person's
29264 vacations and everything is planned out for the individual. That is not a
29265 full human life. Individuality is very important for a full human life, and
29266 then accordingly some leisure time, a bit of holiday, and time spent with
29267 family or friends. That is the means to a complete form of life.... If your
29268 life becomes only a medium of production, then many of the good human values
29269 and characteristics will be lost--then you will not, you cannot, become a
29271 So if you're looking for work and have a choice of a job, choose a job
29272 that allows the opportunity for some creativity, and for spending time with
29273 your family. Even if it means less pay, personally I think it is better to
29274 choose work that is less demanding, that gives you greater freedom, more time
29275 to be with your family, or to do other activities, read, engage in cultural
29276 activities, or just play. I think that's best.
29277 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Dr. Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The
29278 Art of Happiness at Work"
29280 Our painful experiences have brought the five poisons* right into our
29281 world. Our heavy sense of being a separate person has led to an anxiety about
29282 our safety in the world. This leads us to aversion and attachment, as we long
29283 to predict and control our relation with the environment. From this all the
29284 other fixed and defensive positions arise. And so the world that we encounter
29285 is covered over and suffused with many subtle moods of hopes and fears,
29286 doubts, jealousies, pride. So even here on a dharma retreat, as we look
29287 around the room, we have a complex sense of whose faces we can look at, and
29288 who we might have to look away from. This is not at all a neutral place. The
29289 force of projections, interpretations and impulsive reactions keeps us busy in
29290 trying to stay ahead of the game....
29291 However in dzogchen we are trying to get to the essential point where
29292 nirvana and samsara separate. This is like a great weed killer: If you spray
29293 it once all the weeds, all the confusion, all the pain and suffering will
29294 vanish. You don't need to pluck out each weed by itself. Believing that you
29295 are a bad person is very unhelpful for the practice of dzogchen. Also
29296 believing that you are a good person is not very helpful in the practice of
29297 dzogchen. You are not a person! Resting in the unborn state we are a pure
29298 awareness free of the least defilement. When you give up your ego identity,
29299 your samsara citizenship, you tear up your identity card and all the problems
29300 and sins and police records linked to that identity vanish immediately.
29301 * Five poisons (dug nga)--the five poisonous mental afflictions are
29302 desire, aggression, ignorance, pride, and jealousy. (Penetrating Wisdom)
29303 -- "Being Right Here: A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje Entitled 'The
29304 Mirror of Clear Meaning' ", with commentary by James Low, published by
29305 Snow Lion Publications
29307 And just as men depend upon
29308 A boat for traversing the sea,
29309 So does the mental body need
29310 The matter-body for occurrence.
29311 And as the boat depends upon
29312 The men for traversing the sea,
29313 So does the matter-body need
29314 The mental body for occurrence.
29315 Depending each upon the other
29316 The boat and men go on the sea.
29317 And so do mind and matter both
29318 Depend the one upon the other.
29319 -- Visuddhimagga (XVIII, 36)
29321 There is a Buddhist practice in which one imagines giving joy and the
29322 source of all joy to other people, thereby removing all their suffering.
29323 Though of course we cannot change their situation, I do feel that in some
29324 cases, through a genuine sense of caring and compassion, through our sharing
29325 in their plight, our attitude can help alleviate their suffering, if only
29326 mentally. However, the main point of this practice is to increase our inner
29327 strength and courage.
29328 I have chosen a few lines that I feel would be acceptable to people of all
29329 faiths, and even to those with no spiritual belief. When reading these lines,
29330 if you are a religious practitioner, you can reflect upon the divine form that
29331 you worship. Then, while reciting these verses, make the commitment to
29332 enhance your spiritual values. If you are not religious, you can reflect upon
29333 the fact that, fundamentally, all beings are equal to you in their wish for
29334 happiness and their desire to overcome suffering. Recognizing this, you make
29335 a pledge to develop a good heart. It is most important that we have a warm
29336 heart. As long as we are part of human society, it is very important to be a
29337 kind, warm-hearted person.
29338 May the poor find wealth,
29339 Those weak with sorrow find joy.
29340 May the forlorn find new hope,
29341 Constant happiness and prosperity.
29343 May the frightened cease to be afraid,
29344 And those bound be free.
29345 May the weak find power,
29346 And may their hearts join in friendship.
29347 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday
29348 Life", edited by Nicholas Vreeland, afterword by Khyongla Rato
29351 Although there are as many categories of emptiness* as there are types of
29352 phenomena, when you realize the emptiness of one specific phenomenon, you also
29353 realize the emptiness of all phenomena. The ultimate nature, or emptiness, of
29354 all phenomena is of equal taste and of the same undifferentiable nature. Even
29355 though the nature of emptiness of all phenomena is the same, and all the
29356 different aspects of phenomena, such as whether they are good or bad, or the
29357 way they change, arise from the sphere of emptiness, you should understand
29358 that emptiness cannot be found apart from the subject or the object.
29359 Emptiness refers to an object's being free of intrinsic existence. Things
29360 depend on causes and conditions. This very dependence on causes and
29361 conditions signifies that phenomena lack independent, or intrinsic, existence.
29362 It also demonstrates how all the diverse aspects of things that we experience
29363 arise because they are by nature empty. When we talk about emptiness, we are
29364 not dealing with those different aspects, we are dealing with phenomena's
29366 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", trans. by Ven. Geshe
29367 Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and Jeremy Russell,
29368 published by Snow Lion Publications
29370 The Treasure Discoverers
29371 Most of the influential terma [hidden treasures or teachings] were
29372 purportedly secreted by Padmasambhava or his immediate disciples, and specific
29373 instructions were also laid down for each terma at the time of its
29374 concealment. The theory behind this system is that certain teachings would be
29375 especially effective at particular points in the future, and so they were
29376 hidden in a "time release" system which assured that at the appropriate time a
29377 terton would locate the teaching and disseminate it. When Padmasambhava hid
29378 these treasures, he prophesied the circumstances for the discovery of each
29379 terma and the terton who would find it. He predicted that there would be
29380 three "grand" tertons, eight "great" ones, twenty-one "powerful" ones, one
29381 hundred eight "intermediate," and one thousand "subsidiary" tertons. Most of
29382 these were to be recognized as emanations of Padmasambhava or his chief
29384 ...Many hidden treasures still remain undiscovered, awaiting the proper
29385 time for their dissemination. They continue to reinvigorate the Nyingma
29386 tradition, and a number have been incorporated into other lineages. The
29387 institution of terma serves as a link with the past of the tradition, a link
29388 that periodically revitalizes the present and points the way to the future.
29389 The system reflects the Mahayana ideal of skill in means, the ability to adapt
29390 teachings to changing circumstances.
29391 -- John Powers, "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", published by Snow Lion
29394 Practicing compassion will bring about the recognition of emptiness* as
29395 the true nature of the mind. When you practice virtuous actions of love and
29396 compassion on the relative level, you spontaneously realize the profound
29397 nature of emptiness, which is the absolute level. In turn, if you focus your
29398 meditation practice on emptiness, then your loving-kindness and compassion
29399 will spontaneously grow.
29400 These two natures, the absolute and the relative, are not opposites; they
29401 always arise together. They have the same nature; they are inseparable like a
29402 fire and its heat or the sun and its light. Compassion and emptiness are not
29403 like two sides of a coin. Emptiness and compassion are not two separate
29404 elements joined together; they are always coexistent.
29405 In Buddhism, emptiness does not mean the absence of apparent existence.
29406 Emptiness is not like a black hole or darkness, or like an empty house or an
29407 empty bottle. Emptiness is fullness and openness and flexibility. Because of
29408 emptiness it is possible for phenomena to function, for beings to see and
29409 hear, and for things to move and change. It is called emptiness because when
29410 we examine things we cannot find anything that substantially and solidly
29411 exists. There is nothing that has a truly existent nature. Everything we
29412 perceive appears through ever-changing causes and conditions, without an
29413 independent, solid basis. Although from a relative perspective things appear,
29414 they arise from emptiness and they dissolve into emptiness. All appearances
29415 are like water bubbles or the reflection of the moon in water.
29416 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche,
29417 "Opening to our Primordial Nature", published by Snow Lion Publications
29419 [Preceding story: Before reaching enlightenment, the Buddha was born as Prince
29420 Visvantara, who, despite facing many challenges and adversity, brought all of
29421 his heart and courage to bear against a single enemy--human suffering.]
29423 In giving we not only find wealth while in cyclic existence but we achieve the
29424 zenith of prosperity in supreme enlightenment. Therefore we all have to
29425 practice giving. A Bodhisattva's giving is not just overcoming miserliness
29426 and being generous to others; a pure wish to give is cultivated, and through
29427 developing more and more intimacy with it, such giving is enhanced infinitely.
29428 Therefore it is essential to have the firm mind of enlightenment rooted in
29429 great love and compassion and, from the depths of one's heart, to either give
29430 one's body, wealth and virtues literally to sentient beings as infinite as
29431 space, or to dedicate one's body, wealth and virtues for them while striving
29432 in all possible ways to enhance the wish to give infinitely. As mentioned in
29433 Engaging in Bodhisattva Activities and in The Precious Garland, we should
29434 literally give material help to the poor and needy, give teaching to others,
29435 and give protection to them, even the small insects, as much as we can. In
29436 the case of things which we are not able to part with, we should cultivate the
29437 wish to give them away and develop more and more intimacy with that wish.
29438 -- "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the Dalai Lama XIV on the
29439 Jatakamala", translated by Tenzin Dorjee, edited by Dexter Roberts
29441 Mad yogins are known in virtually every tradition in Tibet, but most often
29442 in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages, and also in the Shije (Pacification) and
29443 Chod traditions. The Nyingma, Kagyu, and Chod traditions are the three with
29444 which Tangtong Gyalpo had the closest ties. One of the texts in Tangtong's
29445 Oral Transmission, a collection of teachings originally passed down from
29446 Tangtong, quotes the great yogini Machik Labdron's statement concerning proper
29447 yogic conduct following realization. In response to a question by one of her
29448 sons, Machik recommended that a practitioner act like a child with unfeigned
29449 spontaneity, like a lunatic with no regard for what is conventionally
29450 acceptable, like a leper with no attachment to his or her own physical health,
29451 and like a wild animal wandering in isolated and rough terrain.
29452 ...Guru Padmasambhava himself prophesied that Tangtong Gyalpo would care
29453 for living beings by means of unpredictable actions. Tangtong's unusual
29454 conduct began to manifest at an early age, and resembled traits noted in the
29455 lives of other mad yogins. He was first called insane by his father and the
29456 members of his village when, as a child, he subdued a malicious spirit
29457 responsible for an epidemic. Several other early incidents are mentioned in
29458 the biographies. When he went to take scholastic examinations at the renowned
29459 monastery of Sakya he earned the nickname Tsondru Nyonpa (Crazy Tsondru)
29460 because of his disinterest in explaining the scriptural definitions of the
29461 highest states of realization. He preferred to spend his time absorbed in
29462 actually experiencing these states. When he was later practicing deliberate
29463 behavior secretly in a vast and empty wasteland, the dakinis gave him five
29464 names indicating his high realization, one of which was Lungtong Nyonpa
29465 (Madman of the Empty Valley).
29466 -- Cyrus Stearns, "King of the Empty Plain: The Tibetan Iron Bridge
29467 Builder Tangtong Gyalpo", a Tsadra Foundation book, published by
29468 Snow Lion Publications
29470 ...In the Buddhist teachings, when we search for the causes of suffering,
29471 we find what is called 'the truth of the origin of suffering', namely that
29472 negative actions--karma--and the negative emotions that induce such actions
29473 are the causes of suffering.
29474 Talking about causes, if we take a step further and investigate more
29475 deeply, we find that the cause alone is not sufficient for bringing about the
29476 results. Causes themselves have to come in contact with co-operative
29477 circumstances or conditions. For instance, say we search for a material or
29478 substantial cause for this plant, we will find that it has a continuity
29479 stretching back into beginningless time.
29480 There are certain Buddhist texts that speak of space particles, existing
29481 before the evolution of this present universe. According to these texts, the
29482 space particles serve as the material and substantial cause for matter, such
29483 as this plant. Now if the essential and substantial cause for matter is
29484 traced to these space particles, which are all the same, how do we account for
29485 the diversity that we see in the material world? It is here that the question
29486 of conditions and circumstances comes into play. When these substantial
29487 causes come in contact with different circumstances and conditions, they give
29488 rise to different effects, that is, different kinds of matter. So we find
29489 that the cause alone is not sufficient for bringing about a result. What is
29490 required is an aggregation of many different conditions and circumstances.
29491 Although you can find certain differences among the Buddhist philosophical
29492 schools about how the universe came into being, the basic common question
29493 addressed is how the two fundamental principles--external matter and internal
29494 mind or consciousness--although distinct, affect one another. External causes
29495 and conditions are responsible for certain of our experiences of happiness and
29496 suffering. Yet we find that it is principally our own feelings, our thoughts
29497 and our emotions, that really determine whether we are going to suffer or be
29499 -- H.H. The Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
29500 Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, Foreword
29501 by Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion
29504 Right now many of us wish for liberation, yet sometimes we cannot keep
29505 ourselves from creating the causes for cyclic existence. When we understand
29506 true suffering well, our wish for liberation will become firm. At present our
29507 resolve to reach liberation is not firm because we think of suffering, but not
29508 deeply. The deluded attitude believing that the unsatisfactoriness of change
29509 is true happiness easily arises in us because we are not yet deeply convinced
29510 that all happiness in cyclic existence is contaminated and is in fact only a
29511 variety of suffering. To remedy this, we should meditate on true suffering
29512 more often and explore its meaning deeply. Then our wish for liberation will
29514 We consider many things--clothes, food, good health, nice possessions,
29515 financial security, the higher rebirths--as true happiness. As a result, we
29516 are attached to them and create more causes for suffering in cyclic existence
29517 in order to gain them. Thinking that the human birth is something marvelous,
29518 we work at creating the causes that propel us toward it. In fact all we are
29519 doing is creating the cause for yet another rebirth in cyclic existence,
29520 together with all the problems that such a rebirth involves.
29521 If we understand that by its nature, cyclic existence is unsatisfactory,
29522 we will have a deep aversion to it. If we do not have a deep aversion to it,
29523 we will not be determined to be free, and therefore will not be able to
29524 destroy our self-grasping ignorance, which is the root of cyclic existence.
29525 In that case, we will not be able to attain liberation. However, when we
29526 deeply feel the extent to which we suffer in cyclic existence, we will
29527 automatically want to abandon the true origin of suffering, attain the true
29528 cessation, and meditate on the true path. Having realized true suffering, we
29529 will easily realize the other three of the four noble truths. Thus it is
29530 said: suffering is to be known. The origin is to be abandoned. The cessation
29531 is to be attained. The path is to be practiced. The determination to be free
29532 is the wish for ourselves to be free of cyclic existence. When we wish others
29533 to be free, that is compassion.
29534 -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, "Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage:
29535 An Explanation of the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas", edited by
29536 Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
29538 Mantras are invocations to buddhas... prayers, or a combination of these.
29539 Tantric practitioners repeat them in order to forge karmic connections between
29540 themselves and meditational deities and to effect cognitive restructuring
29541 through internalizing the divine attributes that the mantra represents. A
29542 person who wishes to develop greater compassion, for instance, might recite
29543 the mantra of Avalokitesvara, who embodies this quality: om mani padme hum...
29544 [a] mantra [that] is well known to Tibetans. It represents for them the
29545 perfect compassion of Avalokitesvara, who they believe has taken a special
29546 interest in the spiritual welfare of the Tibetan people. He epitomizes
29547 universal compassion that is unsullied by any trace of negative emotions or
29548 mental afflictions.
29549 Among ordinary beings there are, of course, many acts of compassion, but
29550 these are generally tinged by self-interest, pride, or desire for recognition.
29551 Avalokitesvara's compassion, by contrast, is completely free from all
29552 afflictions and is so vast that it encompasses all sentient beings without
29553 exception and without distinction. People who wish to develop such a
29554 perspective recite Avalokitesvara's mantra over and over, meditating on its
29555 significance, and in so doing they try to restructure their minds in
29556 accordance with the cultivation of his exalted qualities. According to the
29558 'mani'... symbolizes the factors of method--the altruistic intention to
29559 become enlightened, compassion, and love. Just as a jewel is capable of
29560 removing poverty, so the altruistic mind of enlightenment is capable of
29561 removing the poverty, or difficulties, of cyclic existence and of solitary
29562 peace.... The two syllables, 'padme'... symbolize wisdom. Just as a lotus
29563 grows forth from mud but is not sullied by the faults of mud, so wisdom is
29564 capable of putting you in a situation of non-contradiction whereas there would
29565 be contradiction if you did not have wisdom.... Purity must be achieved by an
29566 indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable
29567 'hum', which indicates indivisibility.... Thus the six syllables, 'om mani
29568 padme hum', mean that in dependence on a path which is an indivisible union of
29569 method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into
29570 the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha.
29571 -- John Powers, "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", published by Snow
29574 "Now let's look at ultimate reality," the Dalai Lama said, pointing a
29575 little finger to his mug. "What exactly is it? We're seeing color, shape.
29576 But if we take away shape, color, material, what is mug? Where is the mug?
29577 This mug is a combination of particles: atoms, electrons, quarks. But each
29578 particle is not 'mug.' The same can be said about the four elements, the
29579 world, everything. The Buddha. We cannot find the Buddha. So that's the
29580 ultimate reality. If we're not satisfied with conventional reality, if we go
29581 deep down and try to find the real thing, we ultimately won't find it."
29582 Thus, the Dalai Lama was saying, the mug is empty. The term "mug" is
29583 merely a label, something we use to describe everyday reality. But each mug
29584 comes into existence because of a complex web of causes and conditions. It
29585 does not exist independently. It cannot come into being by itself, of its own
29587 For example: suppose I decide to make a black mug. To do this, I mix
29588 black clay and water, shape it to my liking, and fire the resulting mixture in
29589 an oven. Clay plus water turns into a mug because of my actions. But it
29590 exists because of the myriad different ways that atoms and molecules interact.
29591 And what about me, the creator of the black mug? If my parents had never met,
29592 the black mug might never have existed.
29593 Therefore the mug does not exist independently. It comes into being only
29594 through a complex web of relationships. In the Dalai Lama's own words, and
29595 this is the key concept in his worldview, the mug is "dependently originated."
29596 It came to be a mug because of a host of different factors, not under its own
29597 steam. It is empty. "Empty" is shorthand for "empty of intrinsic, inherent
29598 existence." Or to put it another way, empty is another word for
29600 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan, "The Wisdom of
29601 Forgiveness: Intimate Conversations and Journeys"
29603 Buddha teaches that one should not practice extremes.... As Nagarjuna's
29604 "Precious Garland of Advice" says,
29605 Practice is not done
29606 By mortifying the body,
29607 Since you have not forsaken injuring others
29608 And are not helping others.
29609 When you disregard the basic needs of the body, you harm the many sentient
29610 organisms that live within the body. You should also avoid the opposite
29611 extreme of living in great luxury. It is possible to make use of good food,
29612 clothing, residence, and furnishings without producing afflictive emotions
29613 such as attachment, pride, and arrogance. The crucial point is the control of
29614 internal factors such as lust and attachment; external factors are not in and
29615 of themselves good or bad. It is not suitable if attachment increases toward
29616 even mediocre food, clothing, and so forth.
29617 Contentment is the key. If you have contentment with material things, you
29618 are truly rich. Without it, even if you are a billionaire, you will not have
29619 happiness. You will always feel hungry and want more and more and more,
29620 making you not rich but poor. If you seek contentment externally, it will
29621 never happen. Your desire will never be fulfilled. Our texts speak of a king
29622 who gained control over the world, at which point he began thinking about
29623 taking over the lands of the gods. In the end his good qualities were
29624 destroyed by pride. Contentment is necessary for happiness, so try to be
29625 satisfied with adequate food, clothing, and shelter.
29626 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving
29627 Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
29629 There is another way of speaking about the two types of meditation. In this
29630 case, they are differentiated into 1) meditation that perceives the object and
29631 2) meditation in which our mind is transformed into a specific affective
29632 state. An example of the former is meditating on impermanence and emptiness.
29633 These are subtle objects that we must use analytical meditation to perceive.
29634 An example of the latter is meditation on the four immeasurables
29635 (brahmaviharas)--love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Here we are not
29636 trying to perceive a subtle object, but are practicing to transform our minds
29637 into those mental states. For example, everyone admires the quality of love,
29638 but we cannot just say, "I should love everyone," and expect our deepest
29639 feelings to change. First, we must free our minds from the gross obstacles of
29640 attachment to friends, hostility to people who threaten or harm us, and apathy
29641 towards strangers. On this basis, we then train our mind to recognize the
29642 kindness of others, which arouses in us a natural wish to reciprocate and
29643 share our kindness with them. After this we meditate on love and cultivate a
29644 genuine wish for all sentient beings to have happiness and its causes.
29645 Initially that feeling will arise in us but will not be stable. Anger may
29646 still flash into our mind making our good feelings towards others disappear.
29647 We need to cultivate love continuously and do so with a focused mind. The
29648 greater our concentration, the more stable and penetrative the experience
29650 -- Thubten Chodron, "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path",
29651 foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Publications
29653 ...for the Christian practitioner, the Creator and the acceptance of the
29654 Creator as almighty, is a very important factor within that tradition in order
29655 to develop self-discipline, compassion, or forgiveness and to increase them in
29656 one's intimate relationship with God. That's something very essential. In
29657 addition, when God is seen as absolute and almighty, the concept that
29658 everything is relative becomes a little bit difficult. However, if one's
29659 understanding of God is in terms of an ultimate nature of reality or ultimate
29660 truth, then it is possible to have a kind of unified approach.
29661 ...As to one's personal religion, I think this must be based on one's own
29662 mental disposition.... Generally speaking, I think it is better to practice
29663 according to your own traditional background, and certainly you can use some
29664 of the Buddhist techniques. Without accepting rebirth theory or the
29665 complicated philosophy, simply use certain techniques to increase your power
29666 of patience and compassion, forgiveness, and things like that.
29667 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
29668 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Thupten Jinpa, published by Snow
29671 When we compare two ancient spiritual traditions like Buddhism and
29672 Christianity, what we see is a striking similarity between the narratives of
29673 the founding masters: in the case of Christianity, Jesus Christ, and in the
29674 case of Buddhism, the Buddha. I see a very important parallel: in the very
29675 lives of the [founders] the essence of their teachings is demonstrated. For
29676 example... the essence of the Buddha's teaching is embodied in the Four Noble
29677 Truths: the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the
29678 truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path leading to this
29679 cessation. These Four Noble Truths are very explicitly and clearly
29680 exemplified in the life of... the Buddha himself. I feel [it] is the same
29681 with the life of Christ. If you look at the life of Jesus, you will see all
29682 the essential practices and teachings of Christianity exemplified. And in the
29683 lives of both Jesus Christ and the Buddha, it is only through hardship,
29684 dedication and commitment, and by standing firm on one's principles that one
29685 can grow spiritually and attain liberation. That seems to be a central and
29687 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", compiled and edited
29690 With the achievement of quiescence, the attention is drawn inwards and is
29691 maintained continuously, single-pointedly upon its object. Tsongkhapa
29692 emphasizes that genuine quiescence is necessarily preceded by an experience of
29693 an extraordinary degree of mental and physical pliancy, which entails an
29694 unprecedented sense of mental and physical fitness and buoyancy.
29695 In the state of meditative equipoise, only the aspects of awareness,
29696 clarity, and joy of the mind appear, and all one's other sense faculties
29697 remain dormant. Thus, while one's consciousness seems as if it has become
29698 indivisible with space, one lacks any sensation of having a body; and when
29699 rising from that state, it seems as if one's body is suddenly coming into
29700 being. When genuine quiescence is achieved, one's attention can effortlessly
29701 be maintained for hours, even days, on end, with no interference by either
29702 laxity or excitation.
29703 -- B. Alan Wallace, "Balancing the Mind: A Tibetan Buddhist Approach
29704 to Refining Attention", published by Snow Lion Publications
29706 In Mahayana Buddhism, when one takes the bodhisattva vow, one pledges to
29707 work tirelessly in this life and all future lives to awaken oneself and purify
29708 oneself in order to help all other beings attain freedom from suffering
29709 through spiritual enlightenment. One vows to help beings whenever possible,
29710 and a profound way of doing this is to give a being the gift of life through
29711 an act of kindness. This can take the form of helping an animal in danger
29712 cross the road to safety before being struck by a vehicle or freeing an animal
29713 that is in captivity before it is killed by buying it from the captor and
29714 letting it roam free. If one is in a position to help save another's life--
29715 whether a human or an animal--one must practice fearless kindness to help the
29716 other being in danger.
29717 In Tibetan Buddhism, it is believed that due to the countless incarnations
29718 all beings have undergone throughout time, at one point or another any given
29719 living creature has been one's mother in a past life. Therefore, it is viewed
29720 as an obligation to repay the kindness of those who are referred to as "mother
29721 sentient beings." If your own mother in this life were in danger, you would
29722 certainly do whatever you could to save her life. Similarly, dedicated
29723 holders of the bodhisattva vow feel this kind of urgency to save the lives of
29724 all "mother sentient beings."
29725 -- Chatral Rinpoche, "Compassionate Action", edited, introduced and
29726 annotated by Zach Larson, published by Snow Lion Publications
29728 In the frenzy of modern life we lose sight of the real value of humanity.
29729 People become the sum total of what they produce. Human beings act like
29730 machines whose function is to make money. This is absolutely wrong. The
29731 purpose of making money is the happiness of humankind, not the other way
29732 around. Humans are not for money, money is for humans. We need enough to
29733 live, so money is necessary, but we also need to realize that if there is too
29734 much attachment to wealth, it does not help at all. As the saints of India
29735 and Tibet tell us, the wealthier one becomes, the more suffering one endures.
29736 ...Eating, working, and making money are meaningless in themselves.
29737 However, even a small act of compassion grants meaning and purpose to our
29739 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life",
29740 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
29742 Unlike the Lesser Vehicle tenet systems, which teach only a selflessness of
29743 persons, the Great Vehicle tenet systems teach that the most profound reality,
29744 the most subtle and important type of selflessness, is a selflessness, or
29745 emptiness, that is a quality of all phenomena. They hold that the bodhisattva
29746 trains in altruistically motivated meditation on the emptiness of all
29747 phenomena, thus preparing for the omniscience of buddhahood. Some Great
29748 Vehicle systems maintain that Lesser Vehicle practitioners do not realize the
29749 profound emptiness of phenomena at all and are therefore unable to overcome
29750 the obstructions to omniscience. However, the highest system, the Middle Way
29751 Consequence system, holds that persons on Lesser Vehicle paths do realize
29752 emptiness, but are unable to achieve omniscience on their paths because their
29753 wisdom is not empowered by association with altruism and altruistically
29754 motivated actions of giving, ethics, patience, etc.
29755 -- Guy Newland, "Appearance and Reality: The Two Truths in the Four
29756 Buddhist Tenet Systems", published by Snow Lion Publications
29758 Selflessness in Context: Ultimate Bodhichitta
29759 Let us return for a moment to the beginning of [the Heart] Sutra where the
29760 Buddha enters into the meditative absorption called "appearance of the
29761 profound" and Avalokiteshvara beholds the practice of the profound perfection
29762 of wisdom. Generally speaking, the expression "appearance of the profound"
29763 refers to the bodhisattva deeds, which are encompassed in the practice of the
29764 six perfections. Here, however, the expression refers particularly to the
29765 perfection of wisdom, known in Sanskrit as prajnaparamita. What the text
29766 means by "perfection of wisdom" is a direct, unmediated realization of
29767 emptiness that is also called "ultimate bodhichitta." This is not the direct
29768 realization of emptiness alone; rather it is this direct realization in union
29769 with bodhichitta--the aspiration to become a buddha in order to free all
29770 beings. This union of wisdom and method constitutes the first bhumi, or level
29771 of bodhisattva attainment.
29772 The importance of this altruistic aspiration cannot be overstated.
29773 Bodhichitta is not only important as a motivating factor at the beginning of
29774 practice, it is also important as a complementary and a reinforcing factor
29775 during every stage of the path. The bodhichitta aspiration is twofold,
29776 comprised both of the wish to help others and of the wish to become
29777 enlightened so that one's assistance will be supremely effective.
29778 --from Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart of Wisdom
29779 Teachings by H.H. the Dalai Lama, translated & edited by Thupten Jinpa
29781 From "The Prayer Requested by Namke Nyingbo" by Padmasambhava
29783 All these things of the outer environment and the beings therein
29784 That come into sight as the objects of your eyes like this,
29785 They may appear, but leave them in the sphere free from clinging to a self.
29786 Since they are pure of perceiver and perceived, they are the luminous-empty
29788 I pray to the guru in whom attachment is self-liberated,
29789 I pray to Padmasambhava from Uddiyana.
29791 All these sounds, taken as pleasant or unpleasant,
29792 That resound as the objects of your ears like this,
29793 Leave them in the sphere of inconceivable, empty resonance.
29794 Empty resonance, unborn and unceasing, is the Victor's speech.
29795 I pray to the words of the Victor that resound and yet are empty,
29796 I pray to Padmasambhava from Uddiyana.
29798 However these thoughts of afflictions' five poisons,
29799 Which stir as objects in your mind like this, may appear,
29800 Do not mess around with them through a mind that rushes ahead into the future
29801 or lingers in the past.
29802 Through leaving their movement in its own place, they uncoil as the
29804 I pray to the guru whose awareness is self-liberated,
29805 I pray to Padmasambhava from Uddiyana.
29807 Grant your blessings that the mind stream of someone like me is liberated
29808 Through the compassion of the Tathagatas of the three times,
29809 So that objects, appearing as if perceived outside, become pure,
29810 That my very mind, perceiving as if inside, becomes liberated,
29811 And that, in between, luminosity will recognize its own face.
29813 -- "Straight from the Heart: Buddhist Pith Instructions", translated and
29814 introduced by Karl Brunnholzl, published by Snow Lion Publications
29816 Some people feel that although it may be right to curb feelings of intense
29817 hatred which can cause us to be violent and even to kill, we are in danger of
29818 losing our independence when we restrain our emotions and discipline the mind.
29819 Actually, the opposite is true. Like their counterparts of love and
29820 compassion, anger and the afflictive emotions can never be used up. They
29821 have, rather, a propensity to increase, like a river flooding in summer when
29822 the snow melts, so that far from being free, our minds are enslaved and
29823 rendered helpless by them. When we indulge our negative thoughts and
29824 feelings, inevitably we become accustomed to them. As a result, gradually we
29825 become more prone to them and more controlled by them. And we become
29826 habituated to exploding in the face of displeasing circumstances.
29827 Inner peace, which is the principal characteristic of happiness, and anger
29828 cannot coexist without undermining one another. Indeed, negative thoughts and
29829 emotions undermine the very causes of peace and happiness. In fact, when we
29830 think properly, it is totally illogical to seek happiness if we do nothing to
29831 restrain angry, spiteful, and malicious thoughts and emotions. Consider that
29832 when we become angry, we often use harsh words. Harsh words can destroy
29833 friendship. Since happiness arises in the context of our relationships with
29834 others, if we destroy friendships, we undermine one of the very conditions of
29836 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Ethics for the New Millennium", edited by
29837 Alexander Norman, translated by Dr. Thupten Jinpa
29841 Psychologists talk about people who are co-dependent because they don't
29842 have a sense of self. What psychologists mean when they say a person has no
29843 sense of self is very different from what the Buddha meant by no-self or
29844 selflessness. People with psychological problems actually have a very strong
29845 sense of self in the Buddhist sense, although they may not in the
29846 psychological sense of the word. Psychologically, they don't see themselves
29847 as efficacious individuals in the world, but they still have a very strong
29848 sense of "I": "I am worthless." When somebody criticizes them, they don't
29849 like it. They get into co-dependent relationships to protect or to please
29850 this "I." When they fall into self-pity, their sense of an inherently
29851 existent "I" is very strong. Thus they still have self-grasping even though
29852 they lack a psychologically healthy sense of self.
29853 Buddhism recognizes two kinds of sense of self. There's one sense of self
29854 that is healthy and necessary to be efficacious on the path. The object of
29855 this sense of self is the conventionally existent "I." The other sense of
29856 self grasps at an inherently existent self that never has and never will
29857 exist. Within Buddhism, when we talk about realizing emptiness, we're
29858 negating the false self, this self that appears inherently existent to us.
29859 -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of
29860 Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion
29863 Question: If a person views the self and other phenomena as being empty of
29864 any inherent existence, is it then, in that state, possible for them to take
29865 any animate or inanimate phenomenon as their object, and through the power of
29866 imputation or words, enable that object to actually take on a manifesting role
29867 with the qualities which we view objects to have?
29869 His Holiness: This is an instance of not properly understanding the
29870 meaning of "lack of inherent existence." If we think that "emptiness" means
29871 things cannot function, then, with an improper understanding of the view of
29872 emptiness, one will have fallen into nihilism. So, because one has failed to
29873 reconcile emptiness and the fact that things work, this view is incorrect.
29874 That is why it is said that the meaning of emptiness is to be understood in
29875 terms of dependent arising.
29876 Now, since the meaning of emptiness is to be explained in terms of
29877 dependent arising, we can only explain something as arising dependently if
29878 there is a basis, that is, some thing that is dependent. Hence, such a basis
29879 must exist. We see then that when we speak of dependent arising, we are
29880 indicating that things work. Dependent arising proves that things have no
29881 inherent existence, through the fact that things work in dependence on each
29882 other. The fact that things work and the fact that they do so in dependence,
29883 one on the other, eliminates the possibility of their being independent. This
29884 in turn precludes the possibility of inherent existence, since, to inherently
29885 exist means to be independent. Hence, the understanding of emptiness, of the
29886 the emptiness of a kind of inherent existence that is independent, boils down
29887 to understanding dependent arising.
29888 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
29889 edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
29891 In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the most profound and commonly
29892 practiced teachings are those of the Vajrayana. Within this powerful system
29893 of skillful means, the supreme view and most potent methods are found in the
29894 teachings and practices of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection. These instructions
29895 are regarded as the pinnacle of the teachings and as the most direct path to
29896 realizing the nature of mind and the reality of the world.
29897 The instructions of the Dzogchen lineage are used to directly point out
29898 the nature of mind and bring the experience of enlightenment into our ordinary
29899 life. These teachings are known as "pith instructions," the pure,
29900 quintessential knowledge that cuts through all confusion and gets straight to
29901 the point. There is a saying, "Don't beat around the bush," meaning, "Get to
29902 the point." That is Dzogchen.
29903 In many ways, these teachings go beyond scripture and the formality of
29904 spiritual techniques. These two do have their place, since it is important to
29905 study scripture and meditate in a step-by-step manner. Yet, at some point we
29906 also must connect directly with the nature of mind. We have to strike the
29907 crucial point, the enlightened state, and leap directly into experiencing and
29908 realizing the true nature of our mind.
29909 -- The Third Dzogchen Rinpoche, "Great Perfection: Outer and Inner
29910 Preliminaries", trans. by Cortland Dahl, intro. by Dzogchen Ponlop,
29911 published by Snow Lion Publications
29913 Dzogchen teaches that practice conducted with contriving, rough, fleeting
29914 minds cannot bring enlightenment. Only practice with the deep awareness of
29915 non-contriving rigpa--pure awareness--can bring us to the state of a Buddha.
29916 We can understand this in the same way as we do the statement that practice of
29917 the yoga class of tantras and below cannot bring us enlightenment by itself.
29918 The ultimate, deepest reason why it cannot is that the pathways of practice of
29919 these levels of teaching cannot by themselves make manifest the deep awareness
29920 of subtlest clear light mind. Without the manifestation of the deep awareness
29921 of clear light mind, we do not have the perpetrating causes for an
29922 enlightening body and enlightening mind of a Buddha--causes that are in the
29923 same uncommon category of phenomena as a Buddha's body and mind. Therefore,
29924 no matter how much we practice with pathway minds of yoga tantra and below, we
29925 are never able to attain to enlightenment on their basis alone.
29926 ...when we make clear light mind of deep awareness prominent or enhanced
29927 through techniques presented in the anuttarayoga tantra texts, and then
29928 transform it into the nature of being a pathway mind, only then do we have
29929 what can actualize an enlightening body and enlightening mind of a Buddha.
29930 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
29931 Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
29933 Whenever you consider there is bliss, and the objective conditions for
29934 bliss occur, if you fall under the control of that by becoming arrogant or
29935 conceited, then that will fester as an obstruction to the spiritual path.
29936 Rather than thinking about what has caused this happiness, which most probably
29937 is the accumulation of merit or the removal of obscurations, as soon as the
29938 bliss occurs, you think, "That's my nature." Based on that, you become
29939 arrogant or lazy, thinking, "Well, I've accomplished it." This is the
29940 greatest obstacle to the spiritual path. This is what creates the realms
29941 of deva-gods. Oftentimes it is said that people can handle only a little bit
29942 of felicity, but they can handle a lot of adversity. This is because
29943 happiness on the spiritual path is the most difficult thing to handle. Once
29944 it arises, that's where the path stops.
29945 This does not mean that it is necessary to give it all up. Giving up
29946 happiness is not the practice. The main point is not to become mesmerized by
29947 happiness as the end result. You realize that, "Ah, now, the good quality of
29948 this is that I am fortunate, and this is another result of the great fortune
29949 of the path and the result of the accumulation of merit and wholesome deeds.
29950 Even more than ever, I will carry on with the work at hand to achieve
29951 liberation from cyclic existence." So with more diligence and more courage,
29952 you continue listening to teachings, contemplating, meditating, and
29953 appreciating this precious human rebirth.
29954 -- Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, "Meditation, Transformation, and Dream Yoga",
29955 translated by Sangye Khandro and B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow
29958 As to what might be the mechanism through which karma plays a causal role
29959 in the evolution of sentience, I find helpful some of the explanations given
29960 in the Vajrayana traditions, often referred to by modern writers as esoteric
29961 Buddhism. According to the Guhyasamaja tantra, a principal tradition within
29962 Vajrayana Buddhism, at the most fundamental level, no absolute division can be
29963 made between mind and matter. Matter in its subtlest form is prana, a vital
29964 energy which is inseparable from consciousness. These two are different
29965 aspects of an indivisible reality. Prana is the aspect of mobility, dynamism,
29966 and cohesion, while consciousness is the aspect of cognition and the capacity
29967 for reflective thinking. So according to the Guhyasamaja tantra, when a world
29968 system comes into being, we are witnessing the play of this energy and
29969 consciousness reality.
29970 ...Despite the success of the Darwinian narrative, I do not believe that
29971 all the elements of the story are in place. To begin with, although Darwin's
29972 theory gives a coherent account of the development of life on this planet and
29973 the various principles underlying it, such as natural selection, I am not
29974 persuaded that it answers the fundamental question of the origin of life.
29975 Darwin himself, I gather, did not see this as an issue. Furthermore, there
29976 appears to be a certain circularity in the notion of "survival of the
29977 fittest." The theory of natural selection maintains that, of the random
29978 mutations that occur in the genes of a given species, those that promote the
29979 greatest chance of survival are most likely to succeed. However, the only
29980 way this hypothesis can be verified is to observe the characteristics of
29981 those mutations that have survived. So in a sense, we are stating simply
29982 this: "Because these genetic mutations have survived, they are the ones that
29983 had the greatest chance of survival."
29984 From the Buddhist perspective, the idea of these mutations being purely
29985 random events is deeply unsatisfying for a theory that purports to explain the
29986 origin of life. ...One empirical problem in Darwinism's focus on the
29987 competitive survival of individuals, which is defined in terms of an
29988 organism's struggle for individual reproductive success, has consistently been
29989 how to explain altruism, whether in the sense of collaborative behavior, such
29990 as food sharing or conflict resolution among animals like chimpanzees or acts
29991 of self-sacrifice. There are many examples, not only among human beings but
29992 among other species as well, of individuals who put themselves in danger to
29994 ...From the scientific view, the theory of karma may be a metaphysical
29995 assumption--but it is no more so than the assumption that all of life is
29996 material and originated out of pure chance.
29997 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Universe in a Single Atom: Convergence of
29998 Science and Spirituality"
30000 Praising others should be part of our daily life and a component of our
30001 Dharma practice. Imagine what our life would be like if we trained our minds
30002 to dwell on others' talents and good attributes. We would feel much happier
30003 and so would they! We would get along better with others, and our families,
30004 work environments, and living situations would be much more harmonious. We
30005 plants the seeds from such positive actions on our mindstream, creating the
30006 cause for harmonious relationships and success in our spiritual and temporal
30008 An interesting experiment is to try to say something nice to or about
30009 someone every day for a month. Try it. It makes us much more aware of what
30010 we say and why. It encourages us to change our perspective so that we notice
30011 others' good qualities. Doing so also improves our relationships
30013 A few years ago, I gave this as a homework assignment at a Dharma class,
30014 encouraging people to try to praise even someone they didn't like very much.
30015 The next week I asked the students how they did. One man said that the first
30016 day he had to make something up in order to speak positively to a fellow
30017 colleague. But after that, the man was so much nicer to him that it was easy
30018 to see his good qualities and speak about them!
30019 -- Thubten Chodron, "Taming the Mind", published by Snow Lion Publications
30021 Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. -- Unknown
30023 To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
30026 He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
30027 -- Benjamin Franklin
30029 If, after having performed a virtuous action and accumulated its potency,
30030 that potency remained without degenerating until its fruit issued forth in
30031 either this or a future life, it would not be so fragile. But that is not the
30032 case. Rather, the generation of a strong nonvirtuous state of mind, such as
30033 anger, overpowers the capacity of a virtuously established potency so that it
30034 cannot issue forth, much like scorching a seed. Conversely, the generation of
30035 a strong virtuous attitude overpowers potencies established by nonvirtues,
30036 making them unable to issue their effects. Thus it is necessary not only to
30037 achieve many powerful constructive causes but also to avoid contrary forces
30038 that would cause those beneficial causes to degenerate.
30039 The good actions required for accumulating these causes, or potencies,
30040 arise from a tamed mind, whereas bad actions arise from an untamed mind.
30041 Common beings like us have been accustomed to an untamed mind since
30042 beginningless time. Given this predisposition, we can conclude that actions
30043 performed with an untamed mind are more powerful for us and actions performed
30044 with a tamed mind are weaker. It is important to appreciate that this
30045 excellent life support of a human body that we now possess is a wholesome
30046 result of many powerful good actions from a tamed mind in the past. It was
30047 very difficult to gain, and, since it is very rare, you must take care to use
30048 it well, making sure that it is not wasted.
30049 ...If this human endowment, so difficult to attain, were stable and
30050 permanent--not prone to deterioration--there would be time later to make use
30051 of it. However, this life-support system is fragile and easily disintegrates
30052 from many external and internal causes. Aryadeva's "Four Hundred Stanzas on
30053 the Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas" says that once the body depends on the four
30054 elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, which themselves oppose each other,
30055 physical happiness is just an occasional balance of these elements, not an
30057 ...So this human body is a precious endowment, potent and yet fragile.
30058 Simply by virtue of being alive, you are at a very important juncture, and
30059 carry a great responsibility. Powerful good can be achieved for yourself and
30060 others, so becoming distracted by the minor affairs of this lifetime would be
30061 a tremendous waste. You should make wishes to use this lifetime in this body
30062 effectively and make petitions to your guru, the three refuges, and other
30063 sources of help. In doing so, urge yourself on from the inside and seek
30064 assistance from the outside.....
30065 In sum, since this human body, which supports your life, is beneficial,
30066 was difficult to gain, and easily disintegrates, you should use it for your
30067 benefit and that of others. Benefits come from a tamed mind: When your mind
30068 is peaceful, relaxed, and happy, external pleasures such as good food,
30069 clothing, and conversation make things even better, but their absence does not
30070 overpower you. If your mind is not peaceful and tamed, no matter how
30071 marvelous the external circumstances are, you will be burdened by frights,
30072 hopes, and fears. With a tamed mind, you will enjoy wealth or poverty, health
30073 or sickness, you can even die happily. With a tamed mind, having many friends
30074 is wonderful, but if you have no friends, it is all right, too. The root of
30075 your own happiness and welfare rests with a peaceful and tamed mind.
30076 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Mind of Clear Light: Advice on Living Well
30077 and Dying Consciously", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D.
30079 One of the reasons there is a need to adopt a strong countermeasure
30080 against someone who harms you is that, if you let it pass, there is a danger
30081 of that person becoming habituated to extremely negative actions, which in the
30082 long run will cause that person's own downfall and is very destructive for the
30083 individual himself or herself. Therefore a strong countermeasure, taken out
30084 of compassion or a sense of concern for the other, is necessary. When you are
30085 motivated by that realization, then there is a sense of concern as part of
30086 your motive for taking that strong measure.
30087 ...One of the reasons why there is some ground to feel compassionate
30088 toward a perpetrator of crime or an aggressor is that the aggressor, because
30089 he or she is perpetrating a crime, is at the causal stage, accumulating the
30090 causes and conditions that later lead to undesirable consequences. So, from
30091 that point of view, there is enough ground to feel compassionate toward the
30093 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
30094 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published
30095 by Snow Lion Publications
30097 What do you think would be the chief obstacle in recognizing that each
30098 individual person has been kind to you? In my case, I was afraid of having to
30099 return the kindness, because then I'd be under the control of these people. I
30100 didn't want to do what my parents wanted me to do, although they gave me a lot
30101 of slack--I left college after my first year, went to the woods of Vermont,
30102 went to Tahiti, all on my own with whatever cash I earned. I didn't fit into
30103 the upper-middle-class community where we lived. I didn't want their control;
30104 the lifestyle they were pushing on me was completely unappealing. Therefore,
30105 I refused to recognize their kindness.
30106 However, assuming a debt with respect to every sentient being differs
30107 greatly from having a debt to a few. In this meditation, you start with
30108 friends, then neutral persons, and then enemies and contemplate: "I will
30109 return the debt of kindness that I have with this person through helping her
30110 or him achieve happiness." It is easy to determine that the response to all
30111 sentient beings' kindness cannot be to do everything they want, since, with so
30112 many people, what they want from you would be at cross-purposes. You cannot
30113 even do everything your mother of this lifetime wants you to do, though you
30114 know her advice is, for the most part, motivated by kindness....
30115 Those who help us--our parents, for instance--often attain power over us
30116 for that very reason: "Do as I say because I have helped you." Thus, for some,
30117 it becomes almost a mental habit to refuse to recognize those who have helped
30118 us, because they otherwise would attain some power over us. Still, we know we
30119 should return their many kindnesses. That is one reason why the practice of
30120 reflecting, "This person has helped me in many intimate ways and thus I must
30121 do something in return," gets to be uncomfortable, but when it is extended to
30122 more and more beings, we have to find a way of intending to return their
30123 kindness without coming under their misguided influence.
30124 ...one cannot do everything all those sentient beings want. There are so
30125 many of them, and they want such contradictory things. Besides, to fulfill
30126 what they temporarily want may not be the best way to help them. The greatest
30127 of all ways to return their kindness is to help them become free from all
30128 suffering and to assist in the process of becoming liberated from cyclic
30129 existence and attaining the bliss of Buddhahood. It is important to realize
30130 here in the step of developing an intention to return others' kindness that
30131 acknowledging a debt does not mean that you must do what they say. Otherwise,
30132 you might hold back from the truth of their attentive care.
30133 --Jeffrey Hopkins, "A Truthful Heart: Buddhist Practices for Connecting
30134 with Others", foreword by the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion
30137 ...Nagarjuna's Fundamental Treatise says, "That which arises dependently
30138 we explain as emptiness. This [emptiness] is dependent designation; this is
30139 the middle way." His Refutation of Objections says, "I bow down to the
30140 Buddha, the unequaled, supreme teacher, who taught that emptiness, dependent
30141 arising, and the middle way hold a single meaning."
30142 For Tsong-kha-pa, the compatibility of emptiness and dependent arising is
30143 the very heart of the Madhyamaka view and the key to the path. Dependent
30144 arising means that things come into being in dependence upon causes and
30145 conditions. Understanding dependent arising correctly refutes the idea that
30146 things exist in and of themselves--because they must depend on other things.
30147 In the same moment, it also refutes the nihilist extreme--because it shows
30148 that things do arise, they do come into existence, and they affect one
30149 another. Thus, Tsong-kha-pa advises that if you think that you may have found
30150 the profound view of emptiness, you should check to see if you have negated
30151 too much. Can this "emptiness" you have discovered be reconciled with the
30152 mere existence of things that arise interdependently? If not, then you are
30153 certainly mistaken.
30154 ...The point is that one cannot become a buddha without both compassionate
30155 action and nondual wisdom--and one cannot have these two types of path without
30156 both of the two truths, conventional and ultimate. If only emptiness existed
30157 and there were, in fact, no conventional truths, then there would be no living
30158 beings, no suffering to relieve; thus there would be no compassionate action;
30159 and thus there would be no buddhahood. Therefore, maintaining the
30160 compatibility of the two truths--the compatibility of emptiness and dependent
30161 arising--is crucial to the whole of the Dharma.
30162 -- Guy Newland, "Introduction to Emptiness: As Taught in Tsong-kha-pa's
30163 Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path", published by Snow Lion
30166 Anything that can be done chemically can be done by other means.
30167 -- William S. Burroughs
30169 ...let us discuss true sources of suffering. The fact that sufferings are
30170 not always produced but are produced in some places at some times and cease at
30171 some times and in some places indicates that they are caused. Logically, it
30172 can be said that sufferings are caused because of being produced occasionally.
30173 If sufferings were produced causelessly, either they would never exist or they
30174 would always exist.
30175 Since sufferings are caused, one needs to look into what their causes are.
30176 In the Buddhist systems, the causes are explained to be contaminated actions
30177 and afflictive emotions....
30178 For instance, if I had an angry feeling, this could serve as a motivating
30179 force that would lead to a harsh attitude, harsh speech, and harsh physical
30180 gestures. Since the anger that serves as the motivating factor is a
30181 defIlement--an afflictive emotion--the physical and verbal actions done
30182 through that motivating force are negative karmas, negative actions. Through
30183 them, the atmosphere immediately changes into one of tension. Right away, I
30184 might not feel the effects of those actions, perhaps even feeling that I had
30185 gained a victory over someone, even shouting, "I have won." However, later I
30186 will feel very sorry and shy, deep down experiencing a guilty conscience.
30187 Similarly, those around me would immediately lose their tranquility and peace.
30188 These are painful results of actions impelled by a bad motivation. This is
30189 the law of karma--motivation, action, result.
30190 Conversely, a good, open, sincere motivation such as compassion with a
30191 deep respect for others impels verbal and physical actions that immediately
30192 create a peaceful, harmonious, enjoyable atmosphere. Due to that, I feel
30193 happy and calm, enjoying that atmosphere, and others around me also enjoy the
30194 same. Therefore, bad motivation creates problems, suffering, and pain,
30195 whereas good motivation creates happiness and peacefulness--something good.
30196 This is the general explanation. On a deeper level, right at the time of
30197 an action, predisposing potencies are instilled in the consciousness. The
30198 performance of an action establishes a predisposing potency in the mind that,
30199 in the future, will serve as the causal condition for one's experiencing a
30200 good or bad effect.
30201 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
30202 Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
30203 published by Snow Lion Publications
30205 (Each day before breakfast the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, Thubten
30206 Chodron, gives a morning motivation for residents and guests. Below is a
30207 teaching given during March 2008.)
30211 Have you ever had this experience? You walk outside, and all of a sudden
30212 the silence strikes you--it's in such sharp contrast to the chatter that's
30213 going on in the mind.
30214 We live in a very quiet place. We walk outside and it's pretty quiet--a
30215 few birds chirping, sun shining. Then suddenly the chatter in the mind stops
30216 because we see that it's just chatter. It's in such stark contrast to the
30217 silence that's outside.
30218 We want to learn to notice that chatter before we even have to walk
30219 outside. And we want to be able to find that quiet place inside ourselves and
30220 keep it with us, so that even when we're in a place where there is a lot of
30221 noise, the mind can be quiet.
30222 All that mental chatter is basically negative conceptualization. If we
30223 were thinking about emptiness or developing compassion with that kind of
30224 mental activity, fine! Continue that outside, inside, everywhere. But most
30225 of the time what's going on is, "I like this. I don't like this. I want
30226 this. I don't want that. Why does this person do this? Why don't they do
30227 that?" That kind of mental activity makes the mind quite stressful as well
30228 as accumulates negative karma and wastes a great deal of time.
30229 As soon as we can catch it and be aware of what's going on in our mind,
30230 and come back to that silent space inside, the more peaceful we'll be. Our
30231 lives will be more productive in terms of having the Dharma grow in our
30232 hearts, and we'll be more focused in whatever daily activities we're doing.
30233 We won't be quite so distracted.
30234 -- Thubten Chodron, author of numerous books, including Buddhism for
30235 Beginners; Taming the Mind; Open Heart, Clear Mind; and Working
30238 ...if people have compassion, naturally that's something they can count
30239 on; even if they have economic problems and their fortune declines, they still
30240 have something to share with fellow human beings. World economies are always
30241 so tenuous and we are subject to so many losses in life, but a compassionate
30242 attitude is something that we can always carry with us.
30243 ...Of course, in attempting to explain to someone the importance of
30244 compassion, in some cases, you might be dealing with a very hardened,
30245 individualistic, and selfish person, someone concerned only with her or his
30246 own interests. And it is even possible that there are people who may not have
30247 the capacity to empathize with even someone whom they love or who may be close
30248 to them. But even to such people, it is still possible to present the
30249 importance of compassion and love on the grounds that it's the best way to
30250 fulfill their self-interests. They wish to have good health, live a longer
30251 life, and have peace of mind, happiness, and joy. And if these are things
30252 that they desire, I've heard that there is scientific evidence that these
30253 things can be enhanced by feelings of love and compassion.
30254 ...educating someone about these facts and scientific studies could
30255 certainly encourage some people to cultivate a more compassionate state of
30256 mind. But I think that, even aside from scientific studies, there are other
30257 arguments that people could understand and appreciate from their own practical
30258 or direct everyday experience. For example, you could point out that lack of
30259 compassion leads to a certain ruthlessness. There are many examples
30260 indicating that at some level deep down, ruthless people generally suffer from
30261 a kind of unhappiness and discontent, people like Stalin and Hitler. Such
30262 people suffer from a kind of nagging sense of insecurity and fear. Even when
30263 they are sleeping I think that sense of fear remains... these people lack
30264 something that you can find in a more compassionate person--a sense of
30265 freedom, a sense of abandonment, so when you sleep you can relax and let go.
30266 Ruthless people never have that experience. Something is always gripping
30267 them; there is some kind of hold on them, and they aren't able to experience
30268 that feeling of letting go, that sense of freedom.
30269 ...There are always different degrees of benefit that one might receive
30270 from practicing various methods and techniques, depending on one's particular
30271 circumstances.... First, through learning, thoroughly understanding the value
30272 of compassion--this gives you a feeling of conviction and determination.
30273 Then, employing methods to enhance empathy, such as using your imagination,
30274 your creativity, to visualize yourself in another's situation. And certain
30275 exercises or practices that you can undertake, such as Tong-Len, serve to
30276 strengthen your compassion. But I think it's important to remember that these
30277 techniques... were developed to help as many as possible, at least some
30278 portion of the human population. But it was never expected that these
30279 techniques could help 100 percent of people, the entire human population.
30280 ...the main point really, if we are talking about various methods to
30281 develop compassion, the important thing is that people make a sincere effort
30282 to develop their capacity for compassion. If they make their best efforts to
30283 be kinder, to cultivate compassion and make the world a better place, then at
30284 the end of the day they can say, "At least I've done my best!"
30285 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art of
30286 Happiness: A Handbook for Living"
30288 In ascertaining luminous clarity at the time of the path, the general
30289 technique is to rest evenly in the very essence of luminous clarity. Telopa
30292 Rest relaxed within the uncontrived native state;
30293 Bonds are released and freedom is sure.
30295 This and other such instructions are expressed unanimously by the mighty
30296 adepts. Accordingly, with the body in the seven-point posture of meditative
30297 stability, the mind rests without support, relaxed and uncontrived. This will
30298 create the unerring yogic direct perception of emptiness. This is the
30299 ultimate esoteric instruction of the completion phase found in the profound
30300 tantras. The reason is that once the vital points of the vajra body, which is
30301 the support, are bound, the mind, eyes, and energy currents remain in a state
30302 of nonthought. Because of the special interconnection between body and mind,
30303 the movement in the right and left channels is stopped and immobilized within
30304 the central channel, causing the direct experience of mahamudra, emptiness
30306 Therefore the luminous mind, which is the supported, is realized as empty
30307 appearance arising as the mahamudra of forms of emptiness. This, again,
30308 depends on the dissolution of the energy currents of the right and left
30309 channels in the central channel, the supreme support. There is no more
30310 profound method for affecting this dissolution than resting the mind once it
30311 is uncontrived and relaxed. Therefore, in all the esoteric instructions of
30312 highest tantra, this is called "the esoteric instruction of withdrawal" in the
30314 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, "The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Eight, Part
30315 Four: Esoteric Instructions, A Detailed Presentation of the Process of
30316 Meditation in Vajrayana", trans. and annot. by Sarah Harding, foreword
30317 by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
30319 Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
30322 Dignity does not consist in a silk dress. -- A saying from the Orient
30324 To solve the problems humanity is facing, we need to organize meetings of
30325 scholars, educators, social workers, neuroscientists, physicians, and experts
30326 from all fields to discuss the positive and negative sides of what we have
30327 done thus far, as well as what needs to be introduced and what needs to be
30328 changed in our educational system. Proper environment plays a crucial role in
30329 the healthy growth of a child. All problems, including terrorism, can be
30330 overcome through education, particularly by introducing concern for all others
30331 at the preschool level.
30332 Living in society, we must share the suffering of our fellow citizens and
30333 practice compassion and tolerance not only toward our loved ones but also
30334 toward our enemies. This is the test of our moral strength. We must set an
30335 example by our own practice. We must live by the same high standards of
30336 integrity we seek to convey to others. The ultimate purpose is to serve and
30338 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to See Yourself As You Really Are",
30339 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D.
30341 "When Tibet was still free, we cultivated our natural isolation,
30342 mistakenly thinking that we could prolong our peace and security that way.
30343 Consequently, we paid little attention to the changes taking place in the
30344 world outside. Later, we learned the hard way that in the international
30345 arena, as well as at home, freedom is something to be shared and enjoyed in
30346 the company of others, not kept to yourself." Budapest, 1994
30347 "I believe that Tibet will be free only when its people become strong, and
30348 hatred is not strength. It is a weakness. The Lord Buddha was not being
30349 religious, in the popular sense of the term, when he said that hatred does not
30350 cease by hatred. Rather, he was being practical. Any achievement attained
30351 through hatred [can only invite] trouble sooner or later." Statement, 10 March
30353 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama" compiled and edited by
30356 Persons from orally oriented cultures, writes Ong, tend to project their
30357 sensibilities, to see them expressed in the world around them. More widely
30358 literate cultures create persons who tend to withdraw for insight into their
30359 own personal psyches. Orally oriented peoples may thus be more inclined than
30360 persons in print-dominated cultures to set their feelings or experiences in
30361 the space around them, including the invisible spirits presumed to occupy that
30362 space, and less likely to project these feelings and experiences onto
30363 individual persons. In Tibet lineages or sects are the most likely targets of
30364 negative projections. Western print-oriented persons are more likely to
30365 project their feelings onto other individuals, especially people in
30366 significant relationships with them. Unlike Tibet, or the premodern West, the
30367 contemporary West tends to identify the mind as the exclusive locus of ideas,
30368 feelings, and values. With this localization, the mind becomes "psychic" in a
30369 new sense, distinct from bodily soma and from the larger world.
30370 This very different configuration of personhood affects the way Westerners
30371 are likely to understand the Great Bliss Queen practice. For example, there
30372 is a tendency among Westerners for "visualization" to be a more disembodied
30373 practice than it is for Tibetans. The point in imagining oneself as the Great
30374 Bliss Queen is not just to replace one visual image of oneself with another,
30375 as if observing a changing scene in a movie theater, but to experience a
30376 physical as well as mental shift from deep inside the body.
30377 -- Anne Carolyn Klein, "Meeting the Great Bliss Queen: Buddhists, Feminists,
30378 and the Art of the Self", published by Snow Lion Publications
30380 ...when you recognize how kind someone has been to you, you are using an
30381 ordinary worldly attitude to help keep you from responses of hatred. For
30382 instance, if someone gave me a grant with a blank check to form a team of
30383 translators of Tibetan thought, I would be more than extremely pleased. Now
30384 if the person who gave me the money came by someday and gave me a hard time, I
30385 would feel a measure of restraint due to reflecting on the person's kindness.
30386 I would seek other means to work things out with the person. When you reflect
30387 how kind every person has been, there is that restraint to the point where,
30388 believe it or not, trained Buddhists will look at a fly or an ant walking
30389 across the table and think, "This is someone who bore me in her womb in a
30390 former lifetime, who took care of me."
30391 If you watch how mothers take precautions for a child in the womb, it is
30392 clear that they do a great deal to help it. They eat nourishing foods and
30393 avoid harmful substances like coffee, alcohol, nicotine, and drugs. If you
30394 reflect on how such a mother takes care of the child in the womb and extend
30395 this reflection to all sentient beings, I think that because your field of
30396 awareness is no longer just a few sentient beings but is gradually expanding
30397 to more and more, you can reflect on the mother's kindness without doing it
30398 merely because you were helped. The staggering debt deflates your sense of
30399 exaggerated importance. The boil is pricked.
30400 -- Jeffrey Hopkins, "A Truthful Heart: Buddhist Practices for Connecting
30401 with Others", foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, published by
30402 Snow Lion Publications
30404 He that can have patience can have what he will. -- Benjamin Franklin
30406 One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade.
30409 Most men are within a finger's breadth of being mad. -- Diogenes the Cynic
30411 Fashion is something that goes in one year and out the other. -- Unknown
30413 I'm a born-again atheist. -- Gore Vidal
30415 Buddha's teachings on non-manifest phenomena, such as the extremely subtle
30416 presentations of actions and their effect--which are very hidden phenomena--
30417 cannot be proved with reasoning. How then can they be verified?
30418 There is no need to verify manifest phenomena through reasoning because
30419 they appear directly to the senses. The slightly hidden, however, can be
30420 proved with reasoning that generates inferential understanding, and since
30421 emptiness is very profound but only slightly hidden, it is accessible to
30423 ...very hidden phenomena cannot be proved with reasoning, and it seems
30424 that Buddha can say whatever he likes. However, through our own experience we
30425 can confirm Buddha's teachings on more important topics such as emptiness, the
30426 altruistic mind of enlightenment, love, and compassion, for no matter who
30427 analyses--Buddhist or non-Buddhist--or how much one analyses, if the person is
30428 not biased through desire or hatred, these teachings can bear analysis and
30429 serve as powerful sources of thought. When you see that Buddha does not err
30430 with regard to these more important phenomena, you can accept his other
30432 ...The process of cyclic existence and the eradication of it can be proved
30433 by the reasoning that establishes the misconception of inherent existence as
30434 its root cause and establishes the wisdom cognising emptiness as its antidote.
30435 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in
30436 Tibet", published by Snow Lion Publications
30438 Meditation on [or cultivation of] the six deities is like faith or love
30439 meditation in that the mind is being generated into the entity of the object
30440 meditated. When faith or love are meditated, those two are not the object
30441 observed but the entity into which the consciousness is being generated.
30442 Meditation on impermanence or emptiness, on the other hand, means to take
30443 these as the object and meditate on them. Thus, there are two types of
30444 meditation--of a subjective aspect and on an objective aspect. Meditation on
30445 the six deities is the former, for first one generates a wisdom consciousness
30446 knowing the sameness in suchness of oneself and the deity--the ultimate--and
30447 then causes it to appear as the sounds, letters, and finally the form of the
30449 --His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins,
30450 "Deity Yoga in Action and Performance Tantra", published by Snow
30453 Once we realize emptiness, all phenomena are included within this reality,
30454 which is not separate from the cause and effect of karma and which is free of
30455 mental constructs. On this ultimate level of realization, it is possible to
30456 state that there is no wholesome or unwholesome action. When we have realized
30457 the nature of all phenomena, negative actions naturally subside and positive
30458 ones are spontaneously accomplished. Until this time, however, we would be
30459 slipping into nihilism if we said that the phenomena of relative truth, such
30460 as positive and negative actions or karma, do not exist.
30461 Just knowing this authentic view, however, is not enough. For others to
30462 be able to experience it, we must also know the scriptures and reasonings so
30463 that we can teach. Without the support of this knowledge, it will be
30464 difficult for others to trust what we say, and so Milarepa speaks of scripture
30465 and reasoning as an adornment to realization.
30467 Dissolving thoughts into the dharmakaya--
30468 Is this not meditation naturally arising?
30469 Join it with experience
30470 To make it beautifully adorned.
30472 One way to understand meditation is to see it as a practice of working
30473 with the many thoughts that arise in our mind. With realization they arise as
30474 mere appearances of the dharmakaya, the natural arising of mind's essential
30475 nature. Being clear about this true nature of thought is called "attaining
30476 the level of natural arising." At this point, there is no difference in any
30477 thought that may arise, because we see the nature of each thought to be
30478 emptiness, arising as the dharmakaya. Meditation could be defined as
30479 realizing the dharmakaya of the Buddha.
30480 -- Michele Martin, "Music in the Sky: The Life, Art & Teachings of the
30481 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje", published by Snow Lion Publications
30483 Who is the supreme friend
30484 always helpful in times of need?
30485 Mindfulness of the spiritual instructions
30486 learned through study and contemplation.
30487 -- The Seventh Dalai Lama
30489 Ordinary friends desert us when we fall on hard times or become an
30490 inconvenience in their lives. Others simply disappear into their own
30491 destinies. Even our spiritual teachers eventually die and leave us behind.
30492 Our practice of the Dharma, however, that has been cultivated by means of
30493 study, contemplation and meditation, is the one sure anchor that keeps our
30494 ship stable when the seas become choppy. In fact, the more difficult the
30495 situation we encounter, the more helpful it is to us.
30496 When the Buddha had become very old and was preparing to pass away,
30497 several of his disciples were overcome with grief. They asked him, "What
30498 will we do after you are gone?" He replied, "Whenever you rely upon my
30499 teachings, at that time I am there with you."
30500 The Second Dalai Lama wrote, "When we know how to rely on the Dharma, we
30501 are able to be happy in every situation. Where could one find a more
30502 trustworthy and reliable friend?"
30503 -- Glenn H. Mullin, "Gems of Wisdom from the Seventh Dalai Lama",
30504 published by Snow Lion Publications
30506 I always believe that each individual human being has some kind of
30507 responsibility for humanity as a whole. Particularly, I always believe that
30508 as scientists, you have a special responsibility. Besides your own
30509 profession, you have a basic motivation to serve humanity, to try to produce
30510 better, happier human beings. Whether we understand consciousness or not, we
30511 must produce warm-hearted persons. That is important. I want to express
30512 that. Whenever I meet scientists, I always have to say this.
30513 Through my own profession, I try my best to contribute as much as I can.
30514 This proceeds without my being concerned whether another person agrees with my
30515 philosophy or not. Some people may be very much against my belief, my
30516 philosophy, but I feel alright. So long as I see that a human being suffers
30517 or has needs, I shall contribute as much as I can to contribute to their
30518 benefit. Scientists and medically qualified people can contribute especially.
30519 That's different; that's a particular context. A human being needs to be
30520 cared for according to your professional calling. You can contribute; that's
30521 your shared professional responsibility
30522 -- H. H. the Dalai Lama, "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations
30523 with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara
30524 Houshmand, Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by
30525 Snow Lion Publications
30527 ...while walking in a park the body may be in the park while the mind is
30528 off working in the office, or at home, or talking to a distant friend, or
30529 making a list of groceries. That means the mind has disconnected from the
30530 body. Instead, when looking at a flower, really look at it. Be fully
30531 present. With the help of the flower, bring the mind back to the park.
30532 Appreciation for sensory experience reconnects mind and body. When the
30533 experience of the flower is felt throughout the body, a healing occurs; this
30534 can be the same when seeing a tree, smelling smoke, feeling the cloth of your
30535 shirt, hearing a bird call, or tasting an apple. Train yourself to vividly
30536 experience sensory objects without judgment. Try completely to be the eye
30537 with form, the nose with smell, the ear with sound, and so on. Try to be
30538 complete in experience while remaining in just the bare awareness of the
30540 When this ability is developed, reactions will still occur. Upon seeing
30541 the flower, judgements about its beauty will arise, or a smell may be judged
30542 to be foul. Even so, with practice the connection to the pure sensory
30543 experience can be maintained rather than continuing to become lost in the
30544 mind's distraction. Being distracted by a cloud of concepts is a habit and it
30545 can be replaced with a new habit: using bodily sensual experience to bring us
30546 to presence, to connect us to the beauty of the world, to the vivid and
30547 nourishing experience of life that lies under our distractions. This is the
30548 underpinning of successful dream yoga.
30549 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep",
30550 edited by Mark Dahlby, published by Snow Lion Publications
30552 To succeed in practicing any form of tantra, it is necessary first to
30553 train in developing the altruistic intention to become enlightened. Dzong-
30554 ka-ba says that this needs to be done "in accordance with the quintessential
30555 instructions," these being found in his Great Exposition of the Stages of the
30556 Path to Enlightenment. Specifically, such an altruistic intention is
30557 generated by way of the seven cause and effect quintessential instructions or
30558 the equalizing and switching of self and other. To do those, it is necessary
30559 to identify what liberation is and to develop an awareness seeking liberation,
30560 for which it is necessary to reflect on the three types of suffering and
30561 develop an intention to turn away from over-emphasizing the appearances of
30562 this life and then to turn away from over-emphasizing the appearances of
30563 future lives, developing an intention to leave such cyclic existence entirely,
30564 whereupon it is possible to reflect on how others suffer and develop
30565 compassion. Done continuously over a long period of time, at best one should
30566 develop a fully qualified altruistic intention to become enlightened, and at
30567 least one should develop such an intention from the depths of the heart.
30568 With such altruism as your basic motivation it is possible to receive
30569 initiation and take the pledges that lay out a type of behavior conducive to
30571 ...nowadays some people look on the practice of religion as if it were
30572 something that causes them to lose their freedom. Opposite to this, rules
30573 [for controlling counter-productive ill-deeds and overcoming afflictive
30574 emotions] are for the sake of utilizing your freedom to develop the limitless
30575 qualities of Buddhahood, in the quest for which you should never be satisfied.
30576 Toward material things, which necessarily have a limit, it is best to be
30577 satisfied with what you have, but with regard to the limitless development of
30578 spiritual qualities, you should never be satisfied with a mere portion, but
30579 continually seek higher development. The rules themselves make your mind
30580 conducive to such progress, so there is no reason to be uptight about them.
30581 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra:
30582 Paths to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
30583 published by Snow Lion Publications
30585 The practice of Dzogchen may begin with doing fixation on an object, in
30586 order to calm one's thoughts. Then one relaxes the fixation, dissolving the
30587 dependence on the object, and one fixes one's gaze in open space. Then, when
30588 one succeeds in making the calm state stable, it is important to work with the
30589 movement of one's thoughts and one's energy, integrating this movement with
30590 the presence of contemplation. At this point one is ready to apply
30591 contemplation in one's daily life. The system of practice just described is
30592 characteristic of the Series of the Nature of the Mind, but that is not to say
30593 that in Dzogchen one must necessarily begin with fixation and meditation on a
30594 calm state. In the Series of Primordial Space, and the Series of Secret
30595 Instructions, for example, one enters directly into the practice of
30596 contemplation. Particularly in the former, there are very precise
30597 instructions on how to find the pure state of contemplation. In the latter,
30598 on the other hand, the explanations are mainly concerned with how one
30599 continues in contemplation in all circumstances.
30600 The practice of contemplation is concisely explained in the line that
30601 reads, "but vision nevertheless manifests: all is good." Even if the
30602 condition of "what is" cannot be grasped with the mind, the whole
30603 manifestation of the primordial state, including our karmic vision, does
30604 nevertheless exist. All the various aspects of forms, colours, and so on,
30605 continue to arise without interruption. When we find ourselves in
30606 contemplation, this doesn't mean that our impure vision just disappears
30607 and pure vision manifests instead. If we have a physical body, there is a
30608 karmic cause for that, so there would be no sense in trying to abandon or
30609 deny the situation we find ourselves in. We just need to be aware of it.
30610 If we have a vision of the material, physical level of existence, which is
30611 the cause of so very many problems, we need to understand that this vision
30612 is only the gross aspect of the colours, which are the essence of the elements.
30613 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, "Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State", edited by
30614 Adriano Clemente, translated by John Shane, published by Snow Lion Pub.
30616 Don't think there are no crocodiles because the water is calm.
30619 A tantric yogi who has gained control of the subtle energies of the body
30620 and the subtle levels of consciousness will have control over the inner and
30621 outer elements and consequently can transform his or her ordinary samsaric
30622 form into a joyous rainbow body. But until we can do this, we have to accept
30623 the fact that our physical basis is a magnet attracting every kind of
30624 discomfort and pain.
30625 ...This samsaric body keeps us running all of our lives. We have to run
30626 to fulfill its endless needs, to keep it away from things that may harm it,
30627 and to protect it from anything unpleasant. We have to give it pleasure and
30628 comfort. We become ordained, and at first this is very satisfactory; but soon
30629 our body makes it so difficult for us that we think our practice would be less
30630 disturbed if we were to live as a layperson. So we give up and return to
30631 ordinary life; but then we end up with a family to support, leaving us with no
30632 time or energy for meditation. We have the pressing tasks of feeding,
30633 clothing, and sheltering our children, and of arranging their education and so
30634 forth. Our lives are spent alternating between work and worry, with
30635 occasional short periods of pleasure, and then we have to die; but even this
30636 we cannot do in peace, for, when we lie down to die, our last thoughts are
30637 worried ones concerning the family we are leaving behind. Such is the nature
30638 of worldly existence.
30639 ...To care for our old people--these ones who have given us our body, our
30640 life, and our culture--is a sacred duty of humanity. But most humans act more
30641 like animals than people, and often we see old people who have been abandoned
30642 by their families. Family units were very strong in Tibet, and old people
30643 were usually cared for directly by relatives. The national care for the old
30644 that we see in the West is something very good, a healthy sign, although
30645 perhaps here the spiritual and psychological basis is somewhat lacking.
30646 The suffering of old age is something we all must face, unless we die
30647 prematurely. There is nothing we can do about it. Gone will be that false
30648 sense of personal ability and strength that made us so proud when we were
30649 young. Instead, helpers or friends will bathe us, dress us, spoonfeed us, and
30650 have to take us to the toilet. Rather than live under the delusion of
30651 permanence, we should engage in spiritual training so that we can enter old
30652 age at least with the grace of wisdom.
30653 ...So we can see that this body indeed causes us much grief in this life
30654 and, sadly, in their quest to satisfy its many needs, most people just collect
30655 an endless stream of negative karmic instincts that will lead them to lower
30656 rebirths in the future. These are the sufferings of the human world.
30657 ...The important point here is to become aware of the third type of
30658 suffering, the subtle suffering that pervades all imperfect existence, the
30659 all-pervading misery concomitant with having a perishable, samsaric base....
30660 [All are] enmeshed in suffering because the nature of their body and mind is
30661 bound with compulsive cyclic processes. Until we develop the wisdom that is
30662 able to free the mind from these compelling forces, there is no doubt that we
30663 shall experience suffering throughout our lives, and that we shall continue to
30664 wander endlessly in the wheel of birth, life, death, and rebirth where the
30665 presence of misery can always be felt.
30666 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
30667 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
30669 Observing the Mind Itself
30671 The primary meditative technique of great perfection is remaining in the
30672 state of pure awareness. This is accomplished by calming the mind and then
30673 abiding in comprehension of its basic clear light nature. The meditative
30674 practice involves being cognizant of the arising and passing away of feelings,
30675 emotions, sensations, etc., but understanding them within the context of pure
30676 awareness. The more one does this, the more one realizes that all phenomena
30677 arise from mind and remerge into it. They are of the nature of pure awareness
30678 and are a projection of luminosity and emptiness. Through cultivating this
30679 understanding, mental phenomena of their own accord begin to subside, allowing
30680 the clear light nature of mind to become manifest. They appear as reflections
30681 on the surface of a mirror and are perceived as illusory, ephemeral, and
30683 Those who succeed in this practice attain a state of radical freedom:
30684 there are no boundaries, no presuppositions, and no habits on which to rely.
30685 One perceives things as they are in their naked reality. Ordinary beings view
30686 phenomena through a lens clouded by concepts and preconceptions, and most of
30687 the world is overlooked or ignored. The mind of the great perfection adept,
30688 however, is unbounded, and everything is possible. For many beginners, this
30689 prospect is profoundly disquieting, because since beginningless time we have
30690 been constricted by rules, laws, assumptions, and previous actions. One who
30691 is awakened, however, transcends all such limitations; there is no ground on
30692 which to stand, no limits, nothing that must be done, and no prohibitions.
30693 This awareness is bottomless, unfathomable, immeasurable, permeated by joy,
30694 unboundedness, and exhilaration. One is utterly free, and one's state of mind
30695 is as expansive as space. Those who attain this level of awareness also
30696 transcend physicality and manifest the "rainbow body" ('ja lus), a form
30697 comprising pure light that cannot decay, which has no physical aspects, and
30698 which is coterminous with the nature of mind.
30699 -- John Powers, "A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", published by
30700 Snow Lion Publications
30702 Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.
30705 In a democracy it's your vote that counts;
30706 in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
30709 You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. -- Indira Gandhi
30711 Luck is what you have left over after you give 100 percent.
30712 -- Langston Coleman
30714 Every child is an artist. The problem is how to
30715 remain an artist once he grows up.
30718 Among Tibetans, at least traditionally, the economic conditions are such
30719 that this nine-to-five daily employment isn't really an important part of
30720 [working life]. In Tibet, either you are a farmer or a nomad or a merchant.
30721 The work is seasonal.... During the season they work very hard, and when they
30722 finish they come back and don't have any employment.
30723 ...in modern society, and particularly in industrialized nations, the
30724 issue of unemployment is a very difficult situation. There are no easy
30725 answers. One has no choice but to try to cope, and make one's best effort to
30726 find new work. There is just no other solution.
30727 However, the basic attitude of the individual plays a very significant
30728 role, and can make a big difference in how someone responds. While we may not
30729 have control over our situation, our attitude is something that we have some
30730 control over. So first, what we need to realize is that uncertainty and
30731 change are very much a part of the modern economy, particularly with regard to
30732 employment. That is a serious problem, but a fact that we have to accept.
30733 There is no guarantee that there will be a job tomorrow if you are working
30734 today. So, if we understand this ahead of time, it may change how we respond
30735 when that happens. Then we won't feel so surprised, as if we are singled out.
30736 We understand that the loss of a job has many factors, the result of many
30737 causes and conditions. We will understand that, in many cases, it may even
30738 have roots in global economic issues. This way, we won't become so upset by
30739 taking it personally, or looking around us for someone to blame for our
30740 problems. This alone may help reduce our mental agitation. Of course, here
30741 we are talking about unemployment due to some wider causes or layoffs, not due
30742 to being fired because of one's own incompetence.
30743 So there might be different ways in which individuals will respond to the
30744 challenges of change. What is important is to acknowledge this fact and try
30745 to work out how best to cope with the immediate problem itself. For example,
30746 if you need employment as a means of your livelihood and if you become
30747 unemployed, then all your efforts should be put into looking for new
30748 employment so that your livelihood will be secure. But there are two
30749 different responses. One person may feel demoralized and become sort of
30750 paralyzed, thinking, There is no hope, I lost my job, what am I supposed to
30751 do? But another individual in the same situation might look at it as an
30752 opportunity to make some changes. As a challenge. So that is the more
30753 positive way, the more proactive way of dealing with this problem. But of
30754 course it is not easy.
30755 There may also be other ways that might help at least reduce the mental
30756 anxiety of dealing with the situation, so that a person can use all their
30757 mental energy to find new work. For Buddhists, there are certain thought
30758 processes and considerations that help--for example, the belief in karma
30759 [one's actions] and ultimately taking responsibility for one's own karma.
30760 Although this kind of mental attitude may not have any effect in physically
30761 resolving the situation, at least it will help ease the individual from the
30762 psychological effect of losing the job, and so on. And of course, believers
30763 in other religious systems can also take some consolation in their own
30765 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Dr. Howard C. Cutler, M.D.,
30766 "The Art of Happiness at Work"
30768 Compassion and love are not man-made. Ideology is man-made, but
30769 compassion and love are produced by nature. It is important to recognize
30770 natural qualities, especially when we face a problem and fail to find a
30771 solution. For example... in religious business, sometimes even due to
30772 religion, we create a problem. If we try to solve that problem using
30773 religious methods, it is quite certain that we will not succeed. So I feel
30774 that when we face those kinds of problems, it is important to return to our
30775 basic human quality. Then I think we will find that solutions come easier.
30776 Therefore, I usually say that the best way to solve human problems is with
30777 human understanding.
30778 It is very important to recognize the basic nature of humanity and the
30779 value of human qualities. Whether one is educated or uneducated, rich or
30780 poor, or belongs to this nation or that nation, this religion or that
30781 religion, this ideology or that ideology, is secondary and doesn't matter.
30782 When we return to this basis, all people are the same. Then we can truly say
30783 the words brother, sister; then they are not just nice words--they have some
30784 meaning. That kind of motivation automatically builds the practice of
30785 kindness. This gives us inner strength.
30786 ...Next, let us talk about the human being as a social animal. Even if we
30787 do not like other people, we have to live together. Natural law is such that
30788 even bees and other animals have to live together in cooperation. I am
30789 attracted to bees because I like honey--it is really delicious. Their product
30790 is something that we cannot produce, very beautiful, isn't it? I exploit them
30791 too much, I think. Even these insects have certain responsibilities, they
30792 work together very nicely. They have no constitution, they have no law, no
30793 police, nothing, but they work together effectively. This is because of
30794 nature. Similarly, each part of a flower is not arranged by humans but by
30795 nature. The force of nature is something remarkable. We human beings, we
30796 have constitutions, we have law, we have a police force, we have religion, we
30797 have many things. But in actual practice, I think that we are behind those
30799 Sometimes civilization brings good progress, but we become too involved
30800 with this progress and neglect or forget about our basic nature. Every
30801 development in human society should take place on the basis of the foundation
30802 of the human nature. If we lose that basic foundation, there is no point in
30803 such developments taking place.
30804 -- "The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and
30805 About the Dalai Lama" compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, Foreword by
30806 Sen. Claiborne Pell, published by Snow Lion Publications
30808 Emphasizing neither renunciation nor transformation, though incorporating
30809 both into its preparatory practices, the Great Completeness provides a
30810 method know as "self-liberation" (rang 'grol), sometimes described as
30811 "liberation in its own spot" (rang sar 'grol). Liberation takes place in the
30812 situation just as it is, because one's mind and all things are, despite
30813 powerful appearances to the contrary, primordially pure. If one has not yet
30814 made this essential discovery, the Great Bliss Queen ritual can prepare one
30815 for it. If one is familiar with the Great Completeness perspective, one
30816 performs the visualization and recitation of the Great Bliss Queen ritual
30817 entirely within an experience of innate awareness. In either case, the ritual
30818 encompasses the three nondualisms already discussed.
30819 One way of accessing the primordial purity so important to the Great
30820 Completeness tradition is a practice known as "pure vision." This involves
30821 visualizing companions, family, surroundings, and so forth as creations of
30822 light, the habitat of an enlightened being. From the viewpoint of the Great
30823 Completeness, such pure vision is not an imaginative overlay, but a move
30824 toward understanding things as they are. As Khetsun Sangpo taught it, this
30825 practice allows you to understand that apparently ordinary things and persons
30826 have "been [primordially pure] from the beginning" so that "you are
30827 identifying their own proper nature. Your senses normally misrepresent what
30828 is there, but through this visualization you can come closer to what actually
30829 exists." In short, by identifying one's body, companions, and world with
30830 those of the Great Bliss Queen, one develops the ability to discover what has
30831 always been there. This being so, there is no need to renounce or change
30832 anything, only to see it more completely. This is the Great Completeness
30833 tradition's special mix of ontological and cognitive nondualisms. Unlike the
30834 tantric traditions, in which it is necessary to cease the coarse sense and
30835 mental consciousness in order for the most subtle mind of clear light to
30836 appear, the Dalai Lama observes that "in the Old [Nyingma] Translation School
30837 of the Great Completeness it is possible to be introduced to the clear light
30838 without the cessation of the six operative consciousnesses." Hence the
30839 possibility of "discovering" what is already in our midst. Such discovery
30840 reveals a spontaneous presence (yon dan hlun gyis grub ba) of collateral
30841 qualities such as clarity and spontaneous responsiveness. Thus, comments
30842 Longchen Rabjam, "primordially pure primordial wisdom is free in the face of
30843 thought and the primordial wisdom, with a nature of spontaneity, abides as
30844 primordial radiance, and profound clarity."
30845 -- Anne Carolyn Klein, "Meeting the Great Bliss Queen: Buddhists, Feminists,
30846 and the Art of the Self", by published by Snow Lion Publications
30848 Why is it that meeting our yidam deity directly and receiving the deity's
30849 blessing are so important? If we are studying texts and wish to become great
30850 scholars, there are an inconceivable number of the Buddha's teachings along
30851 with the treatises that comment on them. All these have to be studied
30852 diligently so that we can come to a basic understanding of their meaning;
30853 beyond this, it is extremely difficult to enter into the more subtle levels.
30854 In all of this practice and study, it is our own mind that is central.
30855 Without a great blessing or without awakening the generative power of previous
30856 habitual patterns, it will be extremely difficult to realize primordial
30858 Lord Maitreya stated that bodhisattvas abiding on the various levels are
30859 not able to attain omniscience immediately, and he also affirmed that we do
30860 not need to become expert in all five traditional Buddhist sciences. Among
30861 these are all classifications of the inner science that deals with the mind.
30862 In the practice of the Secret Mantrayana, it is said that as long as objects
30863 continue to arise in our minds, so long will the classifications of the Secret
30864 Mantrayana last. As long as we have not realized the simultaneity of concepts
30865 and liberation, as long as we have not been blessed with the knowledge that
30866 knowing the nature of one phenomenon liberates us into knowing the nature of
30867 all, we need to train from lifetime to lifetime in the many aspects of the
30868 teachings. If we try to become expert in all five sciences or try to know all
30869 the objects of knowledge, our training will be endless. For these reasons, it
30870 is extremely important to seek accomplishments and blessings from the yidam
30871 deity, for through the blessing of the deity, our positive habitual patterns
30872 from the past will be awakened and the doubts that cloud our minds will be
30874 -- "Music in the Sky: The Life, Art and Teachings of the Seventeenth
30875 Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje" by Michele Martin, published by Snow Lion
30879 When someone whom I have helped
30880 Or in whom I have placed great hopes
30881 Mistreats me in extremely hurtful ways
30882 May I regard him still as my precious teacher.
30883 -- Shantideva, "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life"
30885 According to worldly norms of human behaviour, when we help someone and
30886 place great trust in them and they mistreat us in return, it is seen as
30887 reasonable to be angry with them because we have been hurt. However,
30888 practitioners of bodhicitta must not give in to this type of conventional
30889 thinking. Instead, we should learn to view such people in a special way, as
30890 objects for our practice of forbearance and loving kindness. We must in fact
30891 recognise these people as our spiritual teachers.
30892 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
30893 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
30895 Advanced meditators develop the ability to create environments of their
30896 own choosing, and they are able to transcend the sufferings that seem so real
30897 to ordinary beings who are bound by mundane conceptions. According to Tsong
30898 Khapa, for one who attains advanced levels of meditation, painful cognitions
30899 no longer occur, no matter what external experiences one encounters. All of
30900 one's cognitions are a union of bliss and emptiness. One recognizes that
30901 nothing is inherently what it appears to be. Whatever occurs is perceived by
30902 one's unshakably blissful consciousness as the sport of luminosity and
30905 "for a Bodhisattva who has attained the meditative stabilisation of
30906 bliss pervading all phenomena, only a feeling of pleasure arises with
30907 respect to all objects; pain and neutrality do not occur, even though
30908 [pieces from his body] the size of a small coin are cut or even though
30909 his body is crushed by elephants, only a discrimination of bliss is
30911 -- Tsong-ka-pa on Ratnarakshita's Commentary
30913 Tantric texts stress that such bodhisattvas are not creating a delusional
30914 system in order to hide from the harsher aspects of reality. Rather, they are
30915 transforming reality, making it conform to an ideal archetype. Since all
30916 phenomena are empty of inherent existence, they have no fixed nature. No one
30917 ever apprehends an object as it is in its true nature, because there is no
30918 such nature. Even if phenomena had fixed essences, we would still never be
30919 able to perceive them, since all we ever experience are our cognitions of
30920 objects, which are overlaid with conceptions about them. All our perceptions
30921 are ideas about things, and not real things. These ideas are also empty,
30922 arising from nothingness and immediately dissolving again into nothingness,
30923 leaving nothing behind. Tantric adepts develop the ability to reconstitute
30924 "reality," which is completely malleable for those who train in yogas
30925 involving blissful consciousnesses realizing emptiness. The sense of bliss
30926 pervades all their cognitions, and their understanding of emptiness allows
30927 them to generate minds that are manifestations of bliss and emptiness.
30928 -- John Powers, "A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", published
30929 by Snow Lion Publications
30931 Beware the flatterer; he feeds you with an empty spoon. -- Cosino DeGregrio
30933 Republicans are for both the man and the dollar, but in case of conflict
30934 the man before the dollar.
30937 Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of
30938 labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is
30939 the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.
30942 For those of you who are not able to devote all your time to meditation,
30943 there is nevertheless the possibility of engaging in practice in a serious
30944 way. For example, the students at the monastic universities in South India
30945 can, with some effort, do meditations during the prayers. When you recite the
30946 prayers, you can mentally do the contemplation. The lifestyle and daily
30947 routine at these monasteries have been structured by the great masters of the
30948 past in a way that is most conducive to individual practice as well as to the
30949 flourishing of the dharma.
30950 If you find that your mind is in a very fluctuating emotional state--
30951 displaying anger, hatred, attachment and so forth--then you should first try
30952 to calm down that state of strong emotion. This should be done by first
30953 transforming it into a neutral state of mind, because there is no way that one
30954 can switch directly from a negative state of mind to a positive one.
30955 Therefore, you should first reduce the force of these emotions and
30956 fluctuations and try to bring about some sort of calmness, using any means--
30957 such as taking a stroll or concentrating on the inhalation and exhalation of
30958 the breath--that will enable you to forget what you are immediately feeling.
30959 This will help you to reduce the force of strong emotion, thereby giving you
30960 the calmness necessary for the practice of dharma. Like a white piece of
30961 cloth which could be dyed any color that you desire, such a neutral state of
30962 mind could then be transformed into a virtuous state of mind.
30963 You could also engage in the preliminary practices of performing 100,000
30964 prostrations, recitations of the Vajrasattva mantra, and so forth. When you
30965 undertake these practices, you should do them properly, not being only
30966 concerned about the number. Many great masters of the past of all traditions
30967 have emphasized the importance of these preliminary practices--they will
30968 enable you to have a very firm start. If through them you can acquire a
30969 fertile mind, then when the seed of meditation is planted, it will readily
30970 bear the fruits of realizations.
30971 Having successfully neutralized the emotional fluctuations within your
30972 mind and having restored a reasonable degree of calmness, engage in the
30973 practice of taking refuge and generating the altruistic aspiration to attain
30974 full enlightenment. Taking refuge in the Three Jewels is the factor that
30975 distinguishes one's practice from that of an erroneous path, and the
30976 generation of the altruistic mind makes it superior to the paths aiming at
30977 individual liberation.
30978 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Bliss", translated by Geshe Thupten
30979 Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
30981 ...if you consider just the subtlest mind and the wind or energy that
30982 serves as its mount, the mere factor of luminosity and knowing of the subtlest
30983 mind itself as well as the energy associated with it are what will be
30984 transformed into the mind and body of a Buddha. This is the mind that will
30985 turn into an omniscient consciousness--a Buddha's mind; it is this mind which
30986 will be transformed, not some other mind coming from the outside. In other
30987 words, the Buddha nature is inherent; it is not imported from somewhere else.
30988 This is true because the very entity of the mind, its nature of mere
30989 luminosity and knowing, is not polluted by defilements; they do not abide in
30990 the entity of the mind. Even when we generate afflictive emotions, the very
30991 entity or nature of the mind is still mere luminosity and knowing, and because
30992 of this we are able to remove the afflictive emotions.
30993 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, "Kindness,
30994 Clarity, and Insight", edited and translated by Jeffrey Hopkins,
30995 co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow Lion Publications
30997 The recognition that worldly attainments just do not provide enduring
30998 happiness, and that we need to work on the internals, rather than the
30999 externals, is an important motivation. It is also the basis of achieving
31000 nirvana, often represented by the lotus flower. It is no accident that most
31001 statues of Buddha have him sitting on cushions resting on a lotus flower--the
31002 symbol of renunciation.
31003 But what if we achieve nirvana? What if, through extreme diligence, we
31004 attain its supreme peace and happiness? Would that be enough, or is there a
31005 more profound level of motivation still?
31006 Some years ago a number of tourists were kidnapped by terrorists in the
31007 Philippines, and held hostage in the jungle for many months. Finally they
31008 were released in small groups. I will never forget the reaction of one
31009 hostage who was interviewed at the airport on his way home to join his wife,
31010 who had been freed just days earlier.
31011 You would think that after months of extreme privation and the constant
31012 threat of uncertainty and death, returning safely to one's wife, home, and
31013 family would be a cause for joyful celebration. But the hostage, while
31014 relieved, could only think of the group of hostages he'd left behind. Those
31015 who, in the preceding months, had been his fellow prisoners, whom he now knew
31016 better than anyone else, and with whom in several cases, he had formed unique
31017 and profound bonds of attachment. His overriding concern was to ensure that
31018 those still being held captive would be safely released to experience the same
31019 freedom he had now. Only then would he really be able to celebrate.
31020 -- David Michie, "Buddhism for Beginners: Finding Happiness in an Uncertain
31021 World", published by Snow Lion Publications
31023 The term "meditation" carries with it a burden of trendy, pseudo-mystical
31024 connotations. The biggest mistake people make is to think that they will "get
31025 something" out of meditation. It would be more accurate to think they will be
31026 getting rid of something. Awareness practice undermines our unwitting
31027 subjugation to hypermentation. It cuts through the cascade of thoughts and
31028 feelings that distract us from the present moment where life actually happens.
31029 The inner newsreel, with its imagined or distorted dramas, becomes less urgent
31030 and seductive. The unexamined hopes and fears that have thrown us into
31031 automatic or reflexive behavior lose their power to toss us about. What we
31032 get rid of, initially, is a great deal of compelling noise with no point or
31033 real substance to it. Even by becoming aware of its nature we de-reify it,
31034 render it less solid and intractable.
31035 ...How can we sort out our neuroses when the mind is a wild, chaotic mess
31036 of fragmented thought? How can we work with our anger when we experience it
31037 as a deluge of highly charged, urgent impulses, all mixed in with fleeting
31038 bits of narrative, physical sensations, whispers of memory, rushes of fear,
31039 and the visceral press to act? We can't. Every beginning meditator discovers
31040 very quickly that the mind has a mind of its own. No beginner sits down,
31041 says, "Peace! Be still!" and accomplishes enlightenment. It's enough at the
31042 start just to see, discover, and acknowledge the chatter. That, in itself, is
31043 a great step towards self-awareness. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche taught that the
31044 awareness of our confusion is the first step towards clarity.
31045 Over time, we can learn to just take note of whatever arises without being
31046 pushed and pulled emotionally. We can sit still and not respond reflexively
31047 to our hypermentation. We can allow ourselves to rest, to gently release
31048 thoughts, to find a quiet space apart from the discursive jumble. We can
31049 choose to be simply and quietly aware. In these quiet moments, experiences
31050 arise much more clearly and distinctly. Only then can we discover the source
31051 of our suffering and our anger.
31052 I once attended a conference between a highly esteemed Tibetan lama,
31053 Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, and a group of psychiatrists. Someone asked
31054 Rinpoche: "What is meditation?" Rinpoche looked playfully puzzled, pretended
31055 not to understand, and after a brief consultation with his translator,
31056 answered: "Meditation? Meditation? I don't know what that means. We have
31057 another word for it which means 'paying attention to.' " Whatever the style,
31058 to meditate is to pay attention.
31059 -- Ron Leifer, M.D., "Vinegar into Honey: Seven Steps to Understanding and
31060 Transforming Anger, Aggression, and Violence", published by Snow Lion
31063 ...practice must be carried out in terms of one's own thought. If one
31064 knows how to bring the teachings into one's own thought, all physical and
31065 verbal deeds can be made to accord with practice. If one does not know how to
31066 bring them into one's own thought, even though one might meditate, recite
31067 scriptures, or spend one's life in a temple, it will not help; thought is
31068 therefore important for practice. Thus, taking refuge in the Three Jewels
31069 (Buddha, his Doctrine and the Spiritual Community), taking into account the
31070 relationship between actions and their effects, and generating an attitude of
31071 helping others, are most important.
31073 Formerly in Tibet there was a famous lama called Drom. One day Drom saw a
31074 man walking around a reliquary. 'Walking around a reliquary is good,' he
31075 said. 'Practice is even better.' The man thought, 'Then, reading a holy book
31076 would be good.' He did so, and one day while he was reading, Drom saw him and
31077 said, 'Reading a holy book is good; practice is even better.'
31079 The man thought, 'This also does not seem to be sufficient. Now if I do
31080 some meditation, that will certainly be practice.' Drom saw him in meditation
31081 and said, 'Meditation is good; practice is even better.' The man was amazed
31082 and asked, 'How does one practise?' Drom answered, 'Do not be attached to this
31083 life; cause your mind to become the practices.' Dram said this because
31084 practice depends on thought.
31086 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
31087 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
31089 Dampa said, "If these practitioners want buddhahood, they must reverse their
31092 [Kunga] asked, "What is wrong with their present behavior?"
31096 They practice thinking that what are in actuality obstacles are
31098 They meet the liberating path, but doubting and striving, they part from
31100 Doubting if they should refrain from their ill-omened actions, they
31102 The speech of those without experience has become Dharma--supposedly the
31104 Kunga is never parted from his prayers for the three village girls!
31105 Now, draw your own conclusions!
31111 When I see people clinging to illusions as real, compassion arises with a
31113 If one considers the sufferings of the six realms in terms of oneself, one
31114 has no time to remain ordinary.
31115 When one sees that the characteristic of samsara is suffering, a mind
31116 wanting nothing whatsoever is born!
31117 When one sees the various bases as rootless, self-grasping is not born!
31118 When impermanence is born in the mind, faith and perseverance will come
31120 Those who grasp at permanence will not destroy persistent grasping at
31122 Kunga! Internalize truthlessness and throw the kitchen sauce into the
31124 -- Lion of Siddhas: The Life and Teachings of Padampa Sangye, translated
31125 by David Molk, with Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche, published by Snow
31128 Books have the same enemies as people:
31129 fire, humidity, animals, weather, and their own content.
31132 In Buddhism there are basically two types of practices: Sutra and
31133 Tantra.... The special purpose of Tantra is to provide a faster path so that
31134 qualified practitioners can be of service to others more quickly. In Tantra
31135 the power of imagination is harnessed to meditation in a practice called deity
31136 yoga. In this practice you imagine 1) replacing your mind as it ordinarily
31137 appears, full of troubling emotions, with a mind of pure wisdom motivated by
31138 compassion; 2) substituting your body as it ordinarily appears (composed of
31139 flesh, blood, and bone) with a body fashioned from compassionately motivated
31140 wisdom; 3) developing a sense of a pure self that depends on purely appearing
31141 mind and body in an ideal environment, fully engaged in helping others. As
31142 this distinctive practice of Tantra calls for visualizing yourself with a
31143 Buddha's body, activities, resources, and surroundings, it is called "taking
31144 imagination as the spiritual path."
31145 Let us consider a qualm about this practice. You are considering yourself
31146 to have Buddha qualities which you presently do not have. Is this, then, a
31147 correct type of meditative consciousness? Yes. Your mind is involved in
31148 understanding reality, out of which you are appearing as a deity. Therefore,
31149 your mind, from this viewpoint, is correct. Also, you are purposely imagining
31150 yourself as having a divine body even if you do not presently possess one.
31151 This is an imaginative meditation; you are not convinced from the depths that
31152 you actually have pure mind, body, and selfhood. Rather, based in clear
31153 imagination of ideal body and mind, you are cultivating the sense of being a
31154 deity, compassionately helping others.
31155 ...to engage in Tantra at any level demands a powerful intention to become
31156 enlightened for the sake of others, and a feeling that this needs to be done
31158 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful
31159 Life", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
31161 Why do we want to be wise and compassionate? If it's because we would simply
31162 like to be wise and compassionate, we are off course, because the "I" cannot
31163 attain wisdom and compassion. Wisdom and compassion can only be revealed once
31164 the "I" has disappeared. When we reach this level, we will be able to benefit
31165 others. In the meantime, it is the blind leading the blind. All true
31166 religions seek to gain access to that level of consciousness which is not ego-
31167 bound. In Buddhism, it is called the unconditioned, the unborn, the
31168 deathless. You can call it anything you like. You can call it atman. You
31169 can call it anatman. You can call it God. The fact is, there is a subtle
31170 level of consciousness which is the core of our being, and it is beyond our
31171 ordinary conditioned state of mind. We can all experience this. Some people
31172 experience it through service, others through devotion. Some even think they
31173 can experience it through analysis and intellectual discipline. Buddhists
31174 usually try to access it through meditation. That's what we are doing.
31175 Breaking through to the unconditioned in order to help others break through to
31176 the unconditioned. But we have to start where we are, from right here. We
31177 start with these minds, these bodies, these problems, these weaknesses, and
31179 -- Venerable Tenzin Palmo, "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings
31180 on Practical Buddhism", published by Snow Lion Publications
31182 Over the last few days I have been meeting scientists, mainly specialists
31183 on the brain, as well as psychologists and psychotherapists.... The majority
31184 of them agreed... that the key cause of the mental unrest and depression so
31185 prevalent today... is lack of sympathy and affection.
31186 I think you might find the following story quite interesting. A few weeks
31187 ago I met someone whose mind, I was told, is severely disturbed. At the
31188 beginning, I used all of my reasoning to encourage him, explaining that, as a
31189 human being, there was no need for him to be discouraged, because we have such
31190 a good human brain and intelligence. I pointed out how, with determination,
31191 we can solve all our human problems and overcome all obstacles, and so there
31192 is no reason to worry or be discouraged or depressed. Personally, I always
31193 find this kind of reasoning is quite effective, but this time it failed. He
31194 was not impressed by this line of thinking. On the contrary, instead of
31195 showing any appreciation, he developed a rather contrary attitude. After
31196 listening to what I had to say, he became even more agitated, and asked me,
31197 "Why are you concerned about my problem? How do I know if your attitude is
31198 sincere or not?" I felt really sad. I was quite moved as well, and as I was
31199 explaining something or other, my hand reached out and caressed his arm. It
31200 was a natural gesture, a sincere expression of how I felt. Gradually, his
31201 mood altered; I could see his face beginning to change, and finally a smile
31202 began to appear. Then as I gained confidence, I increased that expression of
31203 affection. At last a big smile spread right across his face.
31204 I told him, "Please consider me as an old friend. Any time, you can come
31205 to see me. Whatever I can do to help you, I am ready to do. I am at your
31206 service." When I said this, then his mood, it was clear, became very happy
31207 and joyful. The following day he came to see me again. When he arrived, he
31208 already had a happy air about him, but nevertheless he was trying to pretend
31209 otherwise and was not smiling. Anyway, what this incident really gave me was
31210 another confirmation of how powerful genuine compassion, love, or altruism can
31211 be, to affect other people's minds. And how they can remove fear and
31212 suspicion, and alleviate feelings of insecurity and mistrust.
31213 So I always consider compassion as the key, not only for achieving and
31214 maintaining our own mental calmness, stability and happiness, but also as
31215 something extraordinarily useful for creating a healthy human society. By
31216 that I mean a happier and less harmful human society. Therefore--whether it
31217 be in individual cases, on a family level, a national level, or an
31218 international level--altruism, love and compassion are the basis for success,
31219 for happiness, and for a happy environment.
31220 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
31221 Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron,
31222 Foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published
31223 by Snow Lion Publications
31225 According to Tibetan Buddhism, ordinary beings are born into life situations
31226 in which they are destined to suffer and die. This is the result of former
31227 contaminated actions and afflictions, which have been accumulated since
31228 beginningless time. Because of this process, physical and mental afflictions
31229 are deeply rooted in sentient beings, and so it is generally considered
31230 necessary to prepare oneself for tantric practice by engaging in the
31231 "preliminary practices," or ngondro (sngon 'gro, purvagama), in order to begin
31232 to reverse one's negative conditioning. These practices combine physical
31233 movements with visualization in order to transform the mind from one that is
31234 fixated on mundane concerns and desires into one that is primarily oriented
31235 toward religious practice for the benefit of others. Some teachers consider
31236 these preparatory trainings to be so essential to successful tantric practice
31237 that they will not give tantric initiations to those who have not completed
31238 them, and even teachers who are willing to waive them generally stress their
31239 importance. The preliminary practices are: (1) taking refuge; (2)
31240 prostration; (3) Vajrasattva meditation; (4) mandala offering; and (5) guru
31242 -- John Powers, "A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism",
31243 published by Snow Lion Publications
31245 [It] is quite clear to me is that the moment you think only of yourself,
31246 the focus of your whole reality narrows, and because of this narrow focus,
31247 uncomfortable things can appear huge and bring you fear and discomfort and a
31248 sense of feeling overwhelmed by misery. The moment you think of others with a
31249 sense of caring, however, your view widens. Within that wider perspective,
31250 your own problems appear to be of little significance, and this makes a big
31252 If you have a sense of caring for others, you will manifest a kind of
31253 inner strength in spite of your own difficulties and problems. With this
31254 strength, your own problems will seem less significant and bothersome to you.
31255 By going beyond your own problems and taking care of others, you gain inner
31256 strength, self-confidence, courage, and a greater sense of calm. This is a
31257 clear example of how one's way of thinking can really make a difference.
31258 One's own self-interest and wishes are fulfilled as a byproduct of
31259 actually working for other sentient beings. As the well-known fifteenth-
31260 century master Tsongkhapa points out in his Great Exposition of the Path to
31261 Enlightenment, "The more the practitioner engages in activities and thoughts
31262 that are focused and directed toward the fulfillment of others' well-being,
31263 the fulfillment or realization of his or her own aspiration will come as a
31264 byproduct without having to make a separate effort." Some of you may have
31265 actually heard me remark, which I do quite often, that in some sense the
31266 bodhisattvas, the compassionate practitioners of the Buddhist path, are
31267 "wisely selfish" people, whereas people like us are the "foolishly selfish."
31268 We think of ourselves and disregard others, and the result is that we always
31269 remain unhappy and have a miserable time.
31270 ...we find that kindness and a good heart form the underlying foundation
31271 for our success in this life, our progress on the spiritual path, and our
31272 fulfillment of our ultimate aspiration, the attainment of full enlightenment.
31273 Hence, compassion and a good heart are not only important at the beginning but
31274 also in the middle and at the end. Their necessity and value are not limited
31275 to any specific time, place, society, or culture.
31276 Thus, we not only need compassion and human affection to survive, but they
31277 are the ultimate sources of success in life. Selfish ways of thinking not
31278 only harm others, they prevent the very happiness we ourselves desire. The
31279 time has come to think more wisely, hasn't it? This is my belief.
31280 -- Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "The Compassionate Life"
31282 ...all apparent phenomena are nothing but delusion and there is, moreover,
31283 no freedom from delusion to be achieved by dispelling delusion. Delusion is,
31284 by its own essence, completely pure and, hence, enlightened. All phenomena
31285 are, in this way, primordially, fully, and completely enlightened. Phenomena
31286 appearing as various attributes are, therefore, indeed the mandala of vajra
31287 body, speech, and mind. They are like the Buddhas of the three times, never
31288 transcending the essence of complete purity. Sentient beings and Buddhas are
31289 not differentiated in terms of their essence. Just like distinct causes and
31290 results appearing in a dream, they are nothing but perceptions of individual
31291 minds brought forth by the power of imputation.
31292 Here the issue might be raised, "although the scriptures do teach this,
31293 there is no certainty whether it is to be taken at face value or requires
31294 interpretation. Therefore the essential purity of phenomena may well be
31295 established, but it is unreasonable to say that precisely the nature of that
31296 which appears as subjects with attributes is primordially enlightened. For,
31297 if it were that way, thorough affliction and samsara would be entirely absent.
31298 There can't be a reasoning that establishes such a philosophy." The
31299 conceptual mind that takes objects that appear in the experience of sentient
31300 beings as valid is, since beginningless time, deluded. It accepts or negates
31301 with reference to the way things appear to it. With such dialectics it is,
31302 indeed, not possible to establish the vast and profound meaning. Nevertheless,
31303 since the nature of phenomena is inconceivable, it is not the case that there
31304 is no way to realize it by means of discriminating knowledge. Thus it is not
31305 in any way a mistake if one, rather than that, is inclined to approach simply
31306 by faith, regarding the scriptures and oral instructions as valid. One will
31307 then gain access through trust.
31308 One may object, "Well, if one cannot prove [the primordial mandala] with
31309 reasoning, one cannot gain access to it either." We can prove it as follows:
31310 That phenomena are fully enlightened as the mandala of vajra body, speech, and
31311 mind is proven with the reasoning of the intrinsic nature. Just as it is
31312 stated in a sutra, "Form is empty by nature. Why is that? It is so because
31313 that is its nature." All phenomena are pure by their intrinsic nature and,
31314 therefore, there is not a single phenomenon that is impure. This is the
31315 intrinsic nature of phenomena. Complete purity is, therefore, also the
31316 intrinsic nature of body, speech, and mind, and their complete purity is
31317 enlightenment. Therefore, body, speech, and mind, distinguished by their
31318 complete purity, are inseparable, free from mental constructs, and perfectly
31319 pervasive. One must in this way understand them to be the mandala of vajra
31320 body, speech, and mind.
31321 -- Heidi I. Koppl, "Establishing Appearances as Divine: Rongzom
31322 Chozang on Reasoning, Madhyamaka, and Purity", published by
31323 Snow Lion Publications
31325 Because spirits can be positive or negative in relation to humans, it is
31326 wise to be careful with practices that connect the practitioner to a spirit.
31327 It is currently popular for people to take drum journeys in their imaginations
31328 and to look for guardian spirits and power animals and so on. Although
31329 usually this is beneficial, or at least harmless, there really are beings with
31330 whom the rare individual will connect. Not all of them are beings anyone
31331 should want to connect with. There seems to be little regard for who the
31332 being is; this can be a dangerous practice. People are much more careful
31333 about choosing a business partner or a roommate than they seem to be about
31334 choosing a non-physical being for a guide or guardian.
31335 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "Healing with Form, Energy and Light:
31336 The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra and Dzogchen",
31337 published by Snow Lion Publications
31339 ...reflect upon the negative consequences of our strong attachment to
31340 friends and hostility toward enemies. Our feelings for a friend or a loved
31341 one sometimes blind us to certain of his or her aspects. We project a quality
31342 of absolute desirability, absolute infallibility, upon that person. Then,
31343 when we see something contrary to our projections, we are stunned. We swing
31344 from the extreme of love and desire to disappointment, repulsion, and
31345 sometimes even anger. Even that sense of inner contentment and satisfaction
31346 in a relationship with someone we love can lead to disappointment,
31347 frustration, and hatred. Though strong emotions, like those of romantic love
31348 or righteous hatred, may feel profoundly compelling, their pleasure is
31349 fleeting. From a Buddhist point of view, it is far better not to be in the
31350 grip of such emotions in the first place.
31351 What are the repercussions of becoming overpowered by intense dislike?
31352 The Tibetan word for hatred, shedang, suggests hostility from the depth of
31353 one's heart. There is a certain irrationality in responding to injustice or
31354 harm with hostility. Our hatred has no physical effect on our enemies; it
31355 does not harm them. Rather, it is we who suffer the ill consequences of such
31356 overwhelming bitterness. It eats us from within. With anger we slowly begin
31357 to lose our appetite. We cannot sleep at night and often end up just rolling
31358 back and forth, back and forth, all night long. It affects us profoundly,
31359 while our enemies continue along, blissfully unaware of the state we have been
31361 Free of hatred or anger, we can respond to actions committed against us
31362 far more effectively. If we approach things with a cool head, we see the
31363 problem more clearly and judge the best way to address it. For example, if a
31364 child is doing something that could be dangerous to himself or others, such as
31365 playing with matches, we can discipline him. When we behave in such a
31366 forthright manner, there is a far greater chance that our actions will hit the
31367 mark. The child will respond not to our anger but to our sense of urgency and
31369 This is how we come to see that our true enemy is actually within us. It
31370 is our selfishness, our attachment, and our anger that harm us. Our perceived
31371 enemy's ability to inflict harm on us is really quite limited. If someone
31372 challenges us and we can muster the inner discipline to resist retaliating, it
31373 is possible that no matter what the person has done, those actions do not
31375 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in
31376 Everyday Life", edited by Nicholas Vreeland, afterword by Khyongla
31377 Rato and Richard Gere
31379 "All phenomena should be understood as lacking an end and a middle, just
31380 as the mind does not have an end or a middle. With the knowledge that the
31381 mind is without an end or a middle, no identity of the mind is perceived.
31382 What is thoroughly realized by the mind, too, is realized as being empty.
31383 By realizing that, the very identity, which is established as the aspect
31384 of the mind, like the identity of physical form, and so forth, is also
31385 ultimately not perceived. In this way, when the person does not ultimately
31386 see the identity of all phenomena through wisdom, he will not analyze
31387 whether physical form is permanent or impermanent, empty or not empty,
31388 contaminated or not contaminated, produced or non-produced, and existent
31389 or non-existent. Just as physical form is not examined, similarly feeling,
31390 recognition, compositional factors, and consciousness are not examined.
31391 When the object does not exist, its characteristics also cannot exist.
31392 So how can they be examined?"
31393 -- Stages of Meditation by Kamalashila
31395 The above passage deals with ultimate reality; its meaning is that in the
31396 ultimate sense the object of imputation is not findable. In this context we
31397 find in the Heart Sutra phrases like: "There is no physical form, no sound, no
31398 smell, no taste, and no object of touch." The mind, too, is not findable in
31399 the ultimate sense. Since in the ultimate sense such things are non-existent,
31400 there is no point examining whether they are permanent or impermanent.
31401 Ultimately all phenomena, including the aggregates and so forth, are devoid of
31402 true existence. Within the notion of ultimate reality, things are devoid of
31403 true existence. In the same way, suchness, which is an attribute of
31404 phenomena, is also devoid of true existence. This is important. Even when we
31405 understand that phenomena like physical form and so forth are devoid of true
31406 existence, there is a danger of thinking that ultimate reality may have true
31408 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", root text by Kamalashila,
31409 translated by Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and
31410 Jeremy Russell, published by Snow Lion Publications
31412 We usually discriminate strongly between someone who intends to harm us
31413 and someone who doesn't. We think, "That's all right; he didn't mean it"; or
31414 the person who has harmed us can say, "Why do you blame me so much? I didn't
31415 mean to." But we get really angry when we know people mean to harm us. How
31416 could we possibly see such people as intimate, close, dear--as dear as our
31418 If you can retain a little compassion when people harm you
31419 unintentionally, you have made progress. But if you retain it when someone
31420 intends to harm you, you are really successful. It's not that you think,
31421 "This person is marvelous; she's trying to rob me," but you don't take these
31422 facts as reasons for hating the person. You recognize the intention and put
31423 your wallet in your front pocket. You take such measures, but the conditions
31424 that prompted them no longer serve as reasons for hatred. Our wish to love
31425 everyone and the actual attitudes we have under pressure are in constant
31426 conflict. That's just the way we are. We've been wandering in cyclic
31427 existence since beginningless time, because of desire and hatred, and it's
31428 going to take a lot of familiarization to change this. Be relaxed about it.
31429 Don't put pressure on yourself, thinking things like, "Oh, I'm a scumbag
31430 because I hate so deeply." Rather, try this attitude: "I have to admit it.
31431 As much as my ideals say I should love so-and-so--or at least be neutral--I
31432 have to face the fact that I don't." Go easy on yourself.
31433 -- Jeffrey Hopkins, "A Truthful Heart: Buddhist Practices for Connecting
31434 with Others", foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, published by
31435 Snow Lion Publications
31437 Many types of valid consciousnesses derive from basic, natural, and
31438 obvious perception. All of us have an innate "I," although if we try to
31439 locate this "I," we get into a lot of difficulties. This sense of "I" gives
31440 us a well-founded aspiration to happiness and a wish not to suffer.
31441 There are different levels of happiness and different kinds of suffering.
31442 Material things usually correspond to physical happiness, whereas spiritual
31443 development corresponds to mental happiness. Since our "I" has these two
31444 aspects--physical and mental--we need an inseparable combination of material
31445 progress and internal, or spiritual, progress. Balancing these is crucial to
31446 utilizing material progress and inner development for the good of human
31448 Big schemes for world development arise from this wish to gain happiness
31449 and relieve suffering. But there are higher levels of happiness beyond these
31450 worldly forms, in which one seeks something longer-term, not just confined to
31451 this lifetime. Just as we need a long-range perspective that protects the
31452 environment, we need an internal long-range perspective that extends to future
31454 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of
31455 Loving Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
31458 Desire is painful because of not getting,
31459 Anger is painful through lack of might,
31460 And confusion through not understanding.
31461 Because of this, these are not recognized.
31463 Desire produces suffering when one does not encounter what one badly
31464 wants. Anger produces suffering when one lacks might to crush the strong.
31465 Confusion* induces suffering when one fails to understand a subtle matter
31466 thoroughly. The inability to recognize these forms of suffering when one is
31467 overwhelmed by desire and so forth is great suffering indeed. Therefore,
31468 persevere in getting rid of the disturbing emotions. It is like a poor man's
31469 son who suffered because he wanted a queen.
31470 A certain poor man wanted a queen, but kings keep their queens heavily
31471 guarded, and because he could not get her, his desire made him suffer. He
31472 felt anger toward the king for guarding his queens well, and since he could
31473 not do the slightest harm to the king, he suffered acutely on account of his
31474 anger. Blinded by desire and anger his confusion grew, and unable to
31475 understand the situation properly, he was tormented by the suffering it caused
31478 * confusion's function is to feed desire and anger.
31480 -- "Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way: with Commentary by
31481 Gyel-tsap by Aryadeva and Gyeltsap, additional commentary by Geshe Sonam
31482 Rinchen", translated by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
31484 Never hope more than you work. -- Rita Mae Brown
31486 To lead the people, walk behind them. -- Lao Tzu
31488 To consider those things which are existent, there are many phenomena
31489 which are produced only occasionally. For example, certain plants grow only
31490 during certain seasons, not all the time. That shows that they have been
31491 produced by their causes and conditions. On the other hand, certain phenomena
31492 exist permanently. Those are the two types of phenomena. In the case of
31493 phenomena which arise only occasionally for a certain period of time then
31494 cease to exist, their production is evidence used to prove their dependence on
31495 their causes and conditions. But permanent phenomena are not dependent on
31496 causes and conditions. Generally speaking, almost all phenomena which are
31497 beneficial or harmful to us belong to the category of the occasional, the
31498 dependent--the impermanent. Even our mind, which is to be disciplined and
31499 subdued, belongs to that category.
31500 Within the kind of phenomena which are existent, we can talk about
31501 different types: those which are animate and those which are inanimate; those
31502 with form and those formless; visible and invisible; audible and inaudible.
31503 And there are phenomena which definitely exist but can be experienced only by
31504 our mind, not our sense perceptions; in other words, we can talk about two
31505 types of phenomena, external matter and internal consciousness. When we talk
31506 about subduing mind, we refer to internal consciousness, that which has
31507 clarity and cognitive power and is capable of experiencing objects. Although
31508 our mind has arisen depending upon its causes and conditions, we need to find
31509 out to what extent it can be transformed, for it is through the transformation
31510 of our mind that we can subdue it. The way of transformation is to pacify the
31511 mind's faults and to cultivate and enhance its good qualities. Although there
31512 are certain phenomena which, having arisen from their causes and conditions,
31513 remain as they are and cannot be changed by any means, there are others,
31514 including our mind, which can be. To establish that kind of distinction, the
31515 reasons provided in the Lam-rim section on analytical meditation to generate
31516 special insight are especially important and useful.
31517 -- "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries", H.H. the Dalai Lama XIV on the
31518 Jatakamala translated by Tenzin Dorjee edited by Dexter Roberts
31520 Whatever appears, nothing has moved from the absolute nature.
31522 Decide that nothing is extraneous to the absolute nature, taking the
31523 example of gold jewelry.
31524 Once we know how to remain in the absolute nature, the manifold thoughts
31525 that arise in the mind are no different from gold jewelry. One can make all
31526 sorts of things out of gold, such as earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, but
31527 although they have a variety of different shapes, they are all made of gold.
31528 Likewise, if we are able to not move from the absolute nature, however many
31529 thoughts we might have, they never depart from the recognition of the absolute
31530 nature. A yogi for whom this is the case never departs from that realization,
31531 whatever he does with his body, speech, and mind. All his actions arise as
31532 the outer display or ornament of wisdom. All the signs one would expect from
31533 meditating on a deity come spontaneously without him actually doing any formal
31534 practice. The result of mantra recitation is obtained without his having to
31535 do a large number of recitations. In this way everything is included in the
31536 recognition that nothing is ever extraneous to the absolute nature.
31537 In that state one does not become excited at pleasant events or depressed
31538 by unpleasant ones.
31539 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Zurchungpa's Testament: A Commentary on
31540 Zurchung Sherab Trakpa's 'Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice'", based
31541 on Shechen Gyaltsap's Annotated Edition, translated by the Padmakara
31542 Translation Group, published by Snow Lion Publications
31544 crashola in second life:
31545 due to having been in a vehicle which crossed into forbidden land and got
31546 taken away, my avatar was left in an indeterminate and very unhealthy state.
31547 i was unable to move, deep underground, and i saw this object off down to
31548 my left, so i clicked on it and picked 'edit'. i realized as i was doing
31549 it, that this was my disembodied hair, which had flown off for some reason.
31550 once i clicked edit, *crunch*, no more second life.
31552 It makes no sense to brood anxiously on the harmful actions we have committed
31553 in the past to the point where we become paralyzed. They are done, it is
31554 over. If the person is a believer in God, the appropriate action is to find
31555 some means of reconciliation with Him. So far as Buddhist practice is
31556 concerned, there are various rites and practices for purification. When the
31557 individual has no religious beliefs, however, it is surely a matter of
31558 acknowledging and accepting any negative feelings we may have in relation to
31559 our misdeeds and developing a sense of sorrow and regret for them. But then,
31560 rather than stopping at mere sorrow and regret, it is important to use this as
31561 the basis for resolve, for a deep-seated commitment never again to harm others
31562 and to direct our actions all the more determinedly to the benefit of others.
31563 The act of disclosure, or confession, of our negative actions to another--
31564 especially to someone we really respect and trust--will be found to be very
31565 helpful in this. We are quite wrong if we merely acknowledge the gravity of
31566 our actions inwardly and then, instead of confronting our feelings, give up
31567 all hope and do nothing. This only compounds the error. Above all, we should
31568 remember that as long as we retain the capacity of concern for others, the
31569 potential for transformation remains.
31570 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Ethics for the New Millennium"
31572 According to Buddhism, compassion is an aspiration, a state of mind,
31573 wanting others to be free from suffering. It's not passive--it's not empathy
31574 alone--but rather an empathetic altruism that actively strives to free others
31575 from suffering. Genuine compassion must have both wisdom and lovingkindness.
31576 That is to say, one must understand the nature of the suffering from which we
31577 wish to free others (this is wisdom), and one must experience deep intimacy
31578 and empathy with other sentient beings (this is lovingkindness). Let's
31579 examine these two elements.
31580 The suffering from which we wish to liberate other sentient beings,
31581 according to Buddha's teachings, has three levels. The first level includes
31582 the obvious physical and mental sensations of pain and discomfort that we can
31583 all easily identify as suffering. This kind of suffering is primarily at the
31584 sensory level--unpleasant or painful sensations and feelings. The great
31585 Tibetan master Panchen Losang Chokyi Gyaltsan, tutor to the fifth Dalai Lama,
31586 reminds us that even animals seek to avoid physical suffering and pain.
31587 The second level of suffering is the suffering of change. Although
31588 certain experiences or sensations may seem pleasurable and desirable now,
31589 inherent within them is the potential for culminating in an unsatisfactory
31590 experience. Another way of saying this is that experiences do not last
31591 forever; desirable experiences will eventually be replaced by a neutral
31592 experience or an undesirable experience. If it were not the case that
31593 desirable experiences are of the nature of change, then, once having a happy
31594 experience, we would remain happy forever! In fact, if desirability were
31595 intrinsic to an experience, then the longer we remained in contact with it,
31596 the happier we would become. However, this is not the case. In fact, often,
31597 the more we pursue these experiences, the greater our level of
31598 disillusionment, dissatisfaction, and unhappiness becomes.
31599 ...But the third level of suffering is the most significant--the pervasive
31600 suffering of conditioning. This refers to the very fact of our unenlightened
31601 existence, the fact that we are ruled by negative emotions and their
31602 underlying root cause, namely our own fundamental ignorance of the nature of
31603 reality. Buddhism asserts that as long as we are under the control of this
31604 fundamental ignorance, we are suffering; this unenlightened existence is
31605 suffering by its very nature.
31606 If we are to cultivate the deepest wisdom, we must understand suffering at
31607 its deepest, most pervasive level. In turn, freedom from that level of
31608 suffering is true nirvana, true liberation, the true state of cessation.
31609 Freedom from the first level of suffering alone--merely being free of
31610 unpleasant physical and psychological experiences--is not true cessation of
31611 suffering. Freedom from the second level is again not true cessation.
31612 However, freedom from the third level of suffering--being completely free from
31613 the very source of suffering--that is genuine cessation, genuine liberation.
31614 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart
31615 of Wisdom Teachings", translated & edited by Geshe Thupten Jinpa
31617 The only conclusion that can legitimately be reached is that the self is a
31618 fiction, a mere label superimposed onto the aggregates, a concept created and
31619 reified by the mind but lacking any substantial reality. This reasoning
31620 process alone does not eliminate the idea, however; it merely weakens it.
31621 Because it is so deeply ingrained, the idea of self is only eliminated through
31622 repeated meditation on the reasonings of no-self, which enable the yogin to
31623 become progressively more familiar with the understanding that no self or
31624 essence exists. The Dalai Lama concludes that "when such a realization is
31625 maintained and reinforced through constant meditation and familiarization, you
31626 will be able to develop it into an intuitive or direct experience." (From Path
31628 Many Westerners reject this notion, contending that it would be a sort of
31629 cognitive suicide. The idea that the self (which is assumed even by people
31630 who reject religions that propound the idea) does not exist is profoundly
31631 disturbing to many non-Buddhists, but in Buddhist thought the denial of self
31632 is not seen as constituting a loss, but rather is viewed as a profoundly
31633 liberating insight. Since the innate idea of self implies an autonomous,
31634 unchanging essence, if such a thing were in fact the core of one's being, it
31635 would mean that change would be impossible, and one would be stuck being just
31636 what one is right now. Because there is no such self, however, we are open
31637 toward the future. One's nature is never fixed and determined, and so through
31638 engaging in Buddhist practice one can exert control over the process of change
31639 and progress in wisdom, compassion, patience, and other good qualities. One
31640 can even become a buddha, a fully awakened being who is completely liberated
31641 from all the frailties, sufferings, and limitations of ordinary beings. But
31642 this is only possible because there is no permanent and static self, no soul
31643 that exists self-sufficiently, separated from the ongoing process of change.
31644 -- John Powers, "A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", published
31645 by Snow Lion Publications
31647 I often encounter people in and our of my office who seem to be lost in
31648 thought. I sometimes ask them what they are thinking about. They are usually
31649 startled by the question. They look at me blankly and are often surprised to
31650 hear themselves admit with embarrassment that they don't know or can't say.
31651 Or they describe one small, fleeting fragment of disconnected thought. The
31652 "normal" human state of mind is constant, incessant thinking--an enigmatically
31653 linked stream of consciousness, sensations, memories, feelings, desires,
31654 fears, and chatter. And at the center of the narrative, the star of the show
31655 is always--ME! This is why the first leg of the journey requires courage. To
31656 become familiar with the chaotic, egotistical, and often nonsensical narrative
31657 of our own mind stream is disconcerting and painful. To discover directly
31658 that we are literally "lost in thought" can be frightening. But this is where
31659 we are and where we must begin.
31660 It's consoling to remember that everyone is neurotic, each one of us. The
31661 "normal" mind suffers from a complex of conflicting desires and aversions.
31662 The best we can do is to become aware of our neuroses, to become wiser in our
31663 thinking and our conduct of life. In my experience, meditation is the most
31664 direct and efficient method for developing self-awareness. Self-awareness is
31665 not a steady state because experience is not a steady state. Through the
31666 practice of meditation, we can learn to watch our ever-fluctuating mental
31667 processes from a more detached, aerial perspective. Without necessarily
31668 understanding ourselves in some intellectual way, we can directly discover how
31669 the mind works. The mind has its causes and effects, its motivations and
31670 intentions, and its awareness and evaluation of their possible consequences.
31671 -- Ron Leifer, M.D., "Vinegar Into Honey: Seven Steps to Understanding and
31672 Transforming Anger, Aggression, and Violence", published by Snow Lion
31675 "The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow,
31676 "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow
31677 old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to
31678 the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world
31679 about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the
31680 sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn. Learn
31681 why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can
31682 never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust,
31683 and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what
31684 a lot of things there are to learn."
31685 -- T. H. White, "The Once and Future King"
31687 In Chapter 4 we looked at the when and where of meditation. Whatever
31688 works best for you, given your personal circumstances and temperament, the
31689 important thing is to do it regularly, preferably every day.
31690 I would also recommend that you keep the session to a length of time that
31691 feels comfortable. This is because in the early stages of meditation it's
31692 easy to become discouraged and have thoughts along the lines of: "This might
31693 work for other people, but I don't have the right personality/mind/lifestyle/
31694 partner for meditation." Or: "I've been doing this for six months and my
31695 concentration is no better than when I started." With thoughts like these, you
31696 may start to resent the time you spend meditating and consider giving up.
31697 Much better to keep your practice light and easy to begin with; short
31698 sessions, and concentrated attention, especially towards the end of your
31699 practice so that you "finish like a winner" and feel encouraged for the next
31700 day. Better to end a short session thinking you could have gone on longer
31701 than keep glancing at your watch with the thought that has passed through the
31702 mind of every meditator at some stage--"My watch must have stopped. It's been
31703 longer than two minutes--surely?!"
31704 Having reviewed the meditation practices outlined in the previous chapter,
31705 you may decide you quite like the sound of several of them. On what basis
31706 should they be practiced? My own preference is to have a simple calendar of
31707 activity so that, for example, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are breath-
31708 counting days; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are visualization days; and
31709 Sundays are for whatever I'm in the mood to do.
31710 On this point, I once asked a high-ranking Tibetan lama which of a number
31711 of meditation practices I should focus on. He gave me an indulgent smile and
31712 said simply, "Whichever you enjoy the most." D'oh!
31713 -- David Michie, "Hurry Up and Meditate: Your Starter Kit for Inner Peace
31714 and Better Health", published by Snow Lion Publications
31716 "Always be sustained by cheerfulness."
31718 The effectiveness of our practice can be measured by looking at our mood.
31719 If we are in better spirits, the practice is working. We can take heart
31720 because we have a purpose, to exchange whatever sadness we meet for joy. The
31721 smallest personal damage can be put to use to dissolve great suffering and do
31722 away with negativity. If there is a way, we try to stop unfortunate things
31723 from happening, but when unhappy events occur we meet them optimistically. We
31724 never let negativity discourage us or injure our ability to help.
31725 Setting out on any adventure demands determination. We may have to toil
31726 and struggle with setbacks along the way but the trials we face are short-
31727 lived. We can endure them because we have a great end in mind: to benefit all
31728 sentient beings. Remaining good-natured and enthusiastic shows that our
31729 efforts are succeeding. Being cheerful is the sign of a good practitioner.
31730 -- Ringu Tulku, "Mind Training", edited by B.M. Shaughnessy, published
31731 by Snow Lion Publications
31733 Once we take ourselves and the quality of our life seriously, and
31734 acknowledge the difficulties we may be experiencing, the next step is to have
31735 confidence that (1) it is possible to overcome them, (2) there is a way to
31736 accomplish this, and (3) we are capable of achieving it [Buddha-nature]. This
31737 bring us to the topics of refuge and Buddha-nature.
31738 Taking refuge is not a passive act of placing ourselves in the hands of a
31739 higher power that will do everything for us, as the English word "refuge"
31740 might imply. It is an active process of putting a safe, reliable and positive
31741 direction in our life. That direction is indicated by the Buddhas, the Dharma
31742 and the Sangha--the Three Precious Gems. They are precious in the sense that
31743 they are both rare and valuable....
31744 In short, the definitive level of the Three Precious Gems of Buddha,
31745 Dharma and Sangha presents the goal we would like to achieve. Their
31746 interpretable level indicates what we rely on, externally, to bring ourselves
31747 there. But we also have internal factors that we need to rely on as well.
31748 These refer to our Buddha-nature.
31749 We are capable of eliminating our problems and achieving the definitive
31750 Three Precious Gems because everyone has Buddha-nature, namely the various
31751 factors or working materials that make it possible. Of all our natural
31752 resources, the most important is mind. We all have a mind which, in its
31753 nature, is unhampered by anything from experiencing whatever exists. No
31754 matter what happens--no matter how confused, stressed or unhappy we may be--we
31755 experience it. Even death is something that we experience when it occurs.
31756 Therefore, because we have a mind that allows us to experience whatever
31757 exists, we have the basic resource that allows us to experience a total
31758 absence of confusion and a utilization of all possible good qualities for
31759 helping others--provided that such a total absence and utilization actually
31760 exist. In other words, if we can establish that it is possible for these two
31761 things to exist--and that they are not just objects of nice but totally
31762 unrealistic wishes--we can be confident that we are capable of attaining them,
31763 simply because we have a mind.
31764 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition
31765 of Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
31767 Actually, we Buddhists are supposed to save all sentient beings, but
31768 practically speaking, this may be too broad a notion for most people. In any
31769 case, we must at least think in terms of helping all human beings. This is
31770 very important. Even if we cannot think in terms of sentient beings
31771 inhabiting different worlds, we should nonetheless think in terms of the human
31772 beings on our own planet. To do this is to take a practical approach to the
31773 problem. It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our
31774 daily lives. If we find we cannot help another, the least we can do is to
31775 desist from harming them. We must not cheat others or lie to them. We must
31776 be honest human beings, sincere human beings.
31777 On a very practical level, such attitudes are things which we need.
31778 Whether one is a believer, a religious person, or not, is another matter.
31779 Simply as an inhabitant of the world, as a member of the human family, we need
31780 this kind of attitude. It is through such an attitude that real and lasting
31781 world peace and harmony can be achieved. Through harmony, friendship, and
31782 respecting one another, we can solve many problems in the right way, without
31784 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
31785 edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
31787 We may have all come on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now.
31788 -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
31790 ...Maitreya, in his text the Sublime Continuum, gives three reasons on the
31791 basis of which one can conclude that the essence of Buddhahood permeates the
31792 minds of all sentient beings. First, he says that the Buddha's activities
31793 radiate in the heart of all sentient beings. Now this can be understood in
31794 two different ways: one is that we can understand that in every sentient being
31795 there is a seed of virtue, and one could see the seed of virtue as an act of
31796 the completely enlightened, compassionate Buddha. But one could also see it
31797 in deeper terms, that is, that all sentient beings possess the potential for
31798 perfection. Therefore, there is a kind of perfected being inherent within all
31799 sentient beings, radiating. So one can understand it in these ways. Second,
31800 so far as the ultimate nature of reality is concerned, there is total equality
31801 between the samsaric state and nirvana. Third, we all possess a mind which
31802 lacks intrinsic reality and independent existence, which allows us to then
31803 remove the negativities and delusory states that obscure it. For these three
31804 reasons, Maitreya concludes that all sentient beings possess the essence of
31806 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
31807 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by
31808 Snow Lion Publications
31810 ...Compassion diminishes fright about your own pain and increases inner
31811 strength. It gives you a sense of empowerment, of being able to accomplish
31812 your tasks. It lends encouragement.
31813 Let me give you a small example. Recently, when I was in Bodh Gaya, I
31814 fell ill from a chronic intestinal infection. On the way to the hospital, the
31815 pain in my abdomen was severe, and I was sweating a great deal. The car was
31816 passing through the area of Vulture Peak (Buddha taught here) where the
31817 villagers are extremely poor. In general, Bihar State is poor, but that
31818 particular area is even more so. I did not even see children going to or
31819 coming from school. Just poverty. And sickness. I have a very clear memory
31820 of a small boy with polio, who had rusty metal braces on his legs and metal
31821 crutches up to his armpits. It was obvious that he had no one to look after
31822 him. I was very moved. A little later on, there was an old man at a tea
31823 stop, wearing only a dirty piece of cloth, fallen to the ground, left to lie
31824 there with no one to take care of him.
31825 Later, at the hospital, my thoughts kept circling on what I had seen,
31826 reflecting on how sad it was that here I had people to take care of me but
31827 those poor people had no one. That is where my thoughts went, rather than to
31828 my own suffering. Though sweat was pouring out of my body, my concern was
31830 In this way, though my body underwent a lot of pain that prevented sleep
31831 (a hole had opened in my intestinal wall), my mind did not suffer any fear or
31832 discomfort. It would only have made the situation worse if I had concentrated
31833 on my own problems. This is an example from my small experience of how an
31834 attitude of compassion helps even oneself, suppressing some degree of physical
31835 pain and keeping away mental distress, despite the fact that others might not
31836 be directly helped.
31837 Compassion strengthens your outlook, and with that courage you are more
31838 relaxed. When your perspective includes the suffering of limitless beings,
31839 your own suffering looks comparatively small.
31840 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Mind of Clear Light: Advice on Living
31841 Well and Dying Consciously", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
31844 ...blissful light, with a Chenrezig on the tip of each ray, streams out of
31845 you and touches each and every sentient being--those whom you like, those whom
31846 you don't, and those you don't know. When this glowing light touches each
31847 sentient being, it performs two functions: it purifies them of their
31848 negativities, and it inspires them to realize all the stages of the path to
31849 enlightenment. We may start imagining the light touching the beings in the
31850 room and gradually spreading out to those in the area, the country, the
31851 continent, the world, and the universe. Or we can start with our friends and
31852 family, then radiate light to strangers, and finally to those who have harmed
31853 us or of whom we're afraid. Or, we can first radiate light to human beings,
31854 then animals, hungry ghosts, hell beings, demi-gods, and gods. We can use our
31855 creativity and imagination when doing this visualization. Each meditation
31856 session can have a different emphasis.
31857 It's very easy to love sentient beings in a general way. But it's more
31858 effective to be specific in our visualizations. Send light to the guy who cut
31859 you off on the highway. Send light to the IRS employee who questioned your
31860 tax return. Send light to the terrorist who thinks that killing others in the
31861 name of God will cause him to be reborn in heaven. Send light to government
31862 leaders who think that bombing others solves problems. Send light to your
31863 teenager who leaves his room a mess and gets mad when you comment on it. Send
31864 light to specific people you know and care about, people who are having
31865 problems, strangers, and people you don't like. Send it to hospitals, the
31866 Middle East, the inner cities, and Beverly Hills. There's suffering
31867 everywhere. The light frees sentient beings from their suffering.
31868 -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method
31869 of Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion
31872 In Tibetan drenpa means "mindfulness," and sheshin means "awareness."
31873 Drenpa also means "mindfulness and memory." It means that one is mindful of
31874 what one is doing and remembers what one has to do whether one is meditating,
31875 whether one has lost the power of concentration, and so on. Mindfulness is
31876 like a causal condition and awareness is like the result. If one has very
31877 concentrated mindfulness, one immediately notices a thought arising and this
31878 becomes awareness, which becomes sheshin, and one knows what is occurring.
31879 Normally, one does not know what is in one's mind or what one is thinking, so
31880 there is no awareness. But if one has mindfulness, then it is said to the
31881 extent that mindfulness brings mental stability, one has awareness. So when
31882 one has mindfulness, it is through one's awareness of what is happening.
31883 At this level of pacification we become aware of the negative qualities of
31884 distraction. Santideva explains this by saying that when the mind is
31885 distracted, it is between the fangs of the wild animal of the kleshas
31886 [emotional obscurations], and from mental distractions come all the
31887 difficulties and mental hardships of this and future lives. Being in a state
31888 of distraction will increase the negative qualities of the mind more and more.
31889 However, being aware of the negative qualities motivates us to meditate.
31890 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "The Practice of Tranquillity and Insight:
31891 A Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Meditation", translated by Peter Roberts,
31892 published by Snow Lion Publications
31894 Developing a flexible approach to living is not only instrumental in
31895 helping us cope with everyday problems--it also becomes the cornerstone for a
31896 key element of a happy life: balance.
31897 Settling comfortably into his chair one morning, the Dalai Lama explained
31898 the value of leading a balanced life.
31899 "A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid
31900 extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one's everyday
31901 existence. It is important in all aspects of life. For instance, in planting
31902 a sapling of a plant or a tree, at its very early stage you have to be very
31903 skillful and gentle. Too much moisture will destroy it, too much sunlight
31904 will destroy it. Too little will also destroy it. So what you need is a very
31905 balanced environment where the sapling can have a healthy growth. Or, for a
31906 person's physical health, too much or too little of any one thing can have
31907 destructive effects. For example, too much protein I think is bad, and too
31909 "This gentle and skillful approach, taking care to avoid extremes,
31910 applies to healthy mental and emotional growth as well."
31911 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., "The Art of
31912 Happiness: A Handbook for Living"
31914 ...Idle talk is usually considered a destructive action because it wastes
31915 our time. But if our friend is depressed and can't listen to wise advice, we
31916 can joke, tell silly stories, and use small talk to lighten his mood. Because
31917 our motivation is kind, our joking and chatting are positive.
31918 Laughing and having a good time aren't in opposition to Dharma. The more
31919 we leave behind attachment, anger, jealousy, and pride, the more we'll enjoy
31920 whatever we're doing. Our hearts will open to others and we can laugh and
31921 smile with ease. The holy beings I've been fortunate to meet have a wonderful
31922 sense of humor and are very friendly.
31923 In Buddhist groups, it's important for people to get to know each other
31924 and have a sense of fellowship. We can share experiences with our Dharma
31925 friends and encourage each other on the path. Buddhism isn't an isolated
31926 path, and it's important for Buddhists to cultivate group unity and
31928 It's not beneficial to retreat inside ourselves, thinking, "Every time I
31929 talk to someone I'm motivated by attachment. Therefore I'll concentrate on
31930 meditation and chanting and won't socialize with others." One of the
31931 fundamental principles of Buddhism is care and compassion for others.
31932 Although at times we may need to distance ourselves from others in order to
31933 settle our own minds, whenever possible we should actively develop genuine
31934 love for others. To do this, we must be aware of what's happening in others'
31935 lives, care about them as we do ourselves, and offer help whenever possible.
31936 Our ability to act with love develops with time and practice, and it has to be
31937 balanced with our need for private contemplation.
31938 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Taming the Mind", published by Snow Lion
31941 Young men and young women may work systematically six days in the week and
31942 rise fresh in the morning, but let them attend modern dances for only a few
31943 hours each evening and see what happens. The Waltz, Polka, Gallop and other
31944 dances of the same kind will be disastrous in their effects to both sexes.
31945 Health and vigor will vanish like the dew before the sun. It is not the
31946 extraordinary exercise which harms the dancer, but rather the coming into
31947 close contact with the opposite sex. It is the fury of lust craving
31948 incessantly for more pleasure that undermines the soul, the body, the sinews
31949 and nerves. Experience and statistics show beyond doubt that passionate
31950 excessive dancing girls can hardly reach twenty-five years of age and men
31951 thirty-one. Even if they reached that age they will in most instances be
31952 broken in health physically and morally. This is the claim of prominent
31953 physicians in this country.
31954 -- Quote from a 1910 periodical.
31956 Why I Can't Go Out With You: I'd LOVE to, but...
31957 -- I'm trying to see how long I can go without saying yes.
31958 -- I'm attending the opening of my garage door.
31959 -- The monsters haven't turned blue yet, and I have to eat more dots.
31960 -- I'm converting my calendar watch from Julian to Gregorian.
31961 -- I have to fulfill my potential.
31962 -- I don't want to leave my comfort zone.
31963 -- It's too close to the turn of the century.
31964 -- I have to bleach my hare.
31965 -- I'm worried about my vertical hold knob.
31966 -- I left my body in my other clothes.
31968 I remember most vividly my first lesson on epistemology as a child, when I
31969 had to memorize the dictum "The definition of the mental is that which is
31970 luminous and knowing." Drawing on earlier Indian sources, Tibetan thinkers
31971 defined consciousness. It was years later that I realized just how
31972 complicated is the philosophical problem hidden behind this simple
31973 formulation. Today when I see nine-year-old monks confidently citing this
31974 definition of consciousness on the debating floor, which is such a central
31975 part of Tibetan monastic education, I smile.
31976 These two features--luminosity, or clarity, and knowing, or cognizance--
31977 have come to characterize "the mental" in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist thought.
31978 Clarity here refers to the ability of mental states to reveal or reflect.
31979 Knowing, by contrast, refers to mental states' faculty to perceive or
31980 apprehend what appears. All phenomena possessed of these qualities count as
31981 mental. These features are difficult to conceptualize, but then we are
31982 dealing with phenomena that are subjective and internal rather than material
31983 objects that may be measured in spatiotemporal terms. Perhaps it is because
31984 of these difficulties--the limits of language in dealing with the subjective--
31985 that many of the early Buddhist texts explain the nature of consciousness in
31986 terms of metaphors such as light, or a flowing river. As the primary feature
31987 of light is to illuminate, so consciousness is said to illuminate its objects.
31988 Just as in light there is no categorical distinction between the illumination
31989 and that which illuminates, so in consciousness there is no real difference
31990 between the process of knowing or cognition and that which knows or cognizes.
31991 In consciousness, as in light, there is a quality of illumination.
31992 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Universe in a Single Atom: Convergence
31993 of Science and Spirituality"
31995 False conceptions are exaggerated modes of thought that do not accord with
31996 the facts. Even if an object--an event, a person, or any other phenomenon--
31997 has a slightly favorable aspect, once the object is mistakenly seen as
31998 existing totally from its own side, true and real, mental projection
31999 exaggerates its goodness beyond what it actually is, resulting in lust. The
32000 same happens with anger and hatred; this time a negative factor is
32001 exaggerated, making the object seem to be a hundred percent negative, the
32002 result being deep disturbance. Recently, a psychotherapist told me that when
32003 we generate anger, ninety percent of the ugliness of the object of our anger
32004 is due to our own exaggeration. This is very much in conformity with the
32005 Buddhist idea of how afflictive emotions arise.
32006 At the point when anger and lust are generated, reality is not seen;
32007 rather, an unreal mental projection of extreme badness or extreme goodness is
32008 seen, evoking twisted, unrealistic actions. All of this can be avoided by
32009 seeing the fuller picture revealed by paying attention to the dependent-
32010 arising of phenomena, the nexus of causes and conditions from which they arise
32011 and in which they exist.
32012 Looked at this way, the disadvantages of afflictive emotions are obvious.
32013 If you want to be able to perceive the actual situation, you have to quit
32014 voluntarily submitting to afflictive emotions, because in each and every
32015 field, they obstruct perception of the facts.....
32016 Love and compassion also involve strong feelings that can even make you
32017 cry with empathy, but they are induced not by exaggeration but by valid
32018 cognition of the plight of sentient beings, and the appropriateness of being
32019 concerned for their well-being. These feelings rely on insight into how
32020 beings suffer in the round of rebirth called "cyclic existence," and the depth
32021 of these feelings is enhanced through insight into impermanence and
32022 emptiness.... Though it is possible for love and compassion to be influenced
32023 by afflictive emotions, true love and compassion are unbiased and devoid of
32024 exaggeration, because they are founded on valid cognition of your relationship
32025 to others. The perspective of dependent-arising is supremely helpful in
32026 making sure that you appreciate the wider picture.
32027 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to See Yourself As You Really Are",
32028 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D.
32030 The Prajna Paramita is a very profound philosophical doctrine, and I will just
32031 outline the main ideas in it in order to clarify the Chod. First we start off
32032 with the confused egocentric state of mind. This state of mind causes us to
32033 suffer, and so, to alleviate the suffering, we start to practice meditation.
32034 What happens in meditation is that the speedy mind begins to slow down and
32035 things begin to settle, like the mud sinking to the bottom of a puddle of
32036 water when it is left undisturbed. When this settling has occurred, a kind of
32037 clear understanding of the way things work in the mind takes place. This
32038 understanding is prajna, profound cognition. Then, according to Buddhist
32039 doctrine, through the use of this prajna, we begin to see that, in fact,
32040 although we think that we have a separate and unique essence, or self, which
32041 we call the "ego," when we look closely, we are a composite of form, sense-
32042 perceptions, consciousness, etc., and are merely a sum of these parts. This
32043 realization is the understanding of sunyata, usually translated as emptiness,
32044 or voidness. It means there is no self-essence, that we are "void of a self."
32045 If we are void of a self, there is no reason to be egocentric, since the whole
32046 notion of a separate ego is false. Therefore we can afford to be
32047 compassionate, and need not continually defend ourselves or force our desires
32049 -- Tsultrim Allione, "Women of Wisdom", published by Snow Lion Publications
32051 There is a film called "Groundhog Day," which is really a Buddhist movie
32052 because this is exactly what the plot is about. For those of you who haven't
32053 seen it, it's about somebody who had to relive the same day again and again
32054 until he got it right. He started out with an extremely negative attitude,
32055 and so throughout the first day he created a lot of negative causes. People
32056 related back to him from his own level of negativity, and so he had a very bad
32057 day. Then the next day he had to experience the same day all over again.
32058 Then again, and again. He became desperate to find a way out. He attempted
32059 suicide many times, but the next morning, there he was again in the same room
32060 and the same bed. The date hadn't changed, and the same song was playing on
32061 the radio. His attitude underwent many, many changes, until in the end he
32062 spent most of his time trying to help people. He forestalled tragedies he
32063 knew were going to happen because he had lived the day over so many times, and
32064 his whole attitude gradually turned around into working out ways to help
32065 others. As his inner attitude transformed, the day gradually got better and
32066 better. Finally, he was able to break through to a new day.
32067 The important thing is how we respond to our situation. We can transform
32068 anything if we respond in a skillful way. This is precisely what karma is
32069 about. If we greet situations with a positive attitude, we will eventually
32070 create positive returns. If we respond with a negative attitude, negative
32071 things will eventually come our way. Unlike the scenario in the movie, it
32072 doesn't always happen right away. We can be very nice people but still have
32073 lots of problems. On the other hand, we can be awful people and have a
32074 wonderful time. But from a Buddhist perspective, it's just a matter of time
32075 before we receive the results of our conduct. And usually it is true that
32076 people with a positive attitude encounter positive circumstances. Even if the
32077 circumstances do not appear positive, they be transformed through a positive
32078 view. On the other hand people with negative minds complain even when things
32079 are going well. They also transform circumstances, but they transform
32080 positive ones into negative ones!
32081 Both our present and our future depend on us. From moment to moment, we
32082 are creating our future. We are not a ball of dust tossed about by the winds
32083 of fate. We have full responsibility for our lives. The more aware we
32084 become, the more capable we are of making skillful choices.
32085 -- Venerable Tenzin Palmo, "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings
32086 on Practical Buddhism", published by Snow Lion Publications
32088 Why is endeavor necessary? If we consider material progress, we see that
32089 research started by one person can always be continued by another. But this
32090 is not possible with spiritual progress. The realization we talk about in the
32091 Buddhadharma is something that has to be accomplished by the individual. No
32092 one else can do it for us. Of course, it would be wonderful if in the future
32093 we could attain realization through some sort of new injection or by means of
32094 a new generation of computers, without having to go through any difficulties.
32095 If we could be absolutely certain that such a time would come, we could simply
32096 lie back and wait to get enlightened. But I doubt that this will ever happen.
32097 It is better to make an effort. We have to develop endeavor.
32099 Thus with patience I will practice diligence,
32100 For it is through zeal that I will reach enlightenment.
32101 If there is no wind, then nothing stirs;
32102 Neither is there merit where there is no diligence.
32103 We can be patient in various ways, such as by not thinking ill of those
32104 who harm us or by accepting suffering as the path. Of these two, the latter
32105 is the more important for generating endeavor, and it is endeavor that enables
32106 us to attain enlightenment. As Shantideva says, "It is through zeal that I
32107 will reach enlightenment." In the same way that protecting a lamp from the
32108 wind allows the flame to burn without flickering, endeavor enables the
32109 virtuous mind to grow undisturbed.
32110 What is endeavor? It is finding joy in doing what is good. To do that,
32111 it is necessary to remove anything that counteracts it, especially laziness.
32112 Laziness has three aspects: having no wish to do good, being distracted by
32113 negative activities, and underestimating oneself by doubting one's ability.
32114 Related to these are taking undue pleasure in idleness and sleep and being
32115 indifferent to samsara as a state of suffering.
32116 -- Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "A Flash of
32117 Lightning in the Dark of Night: A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of
32118 Life", translated by The Padmakara Translation Group.
32120 Western women emerging from crisis situations often choose to live alone,
32121 intuitively knowing that the confrontation with oneself that this brings will
32122 lead to a deeper understanding. These women in our society (which sees them
32123 as pitiable and unfortunate) can take strength from the stories of Tibetan
32125 These Western women also seek the support of other women or
32126 psychotherapists to help them to emerge from their descents, just as the
32127 yoginis sought the guidance of their teachers and spiritual friends, and the
32128 Greeks needed the help of the "therapeutes" [helpers] to make sense of the
32129 memories they brought back from the oracle cave.
32130 Speaking of the descent myth in terms of her experiences in controlled
32131 therapeutic regressions, Jungian analyst M.L. Von Franz describes the descent
32132 process in relation to the story of "The Handless Maiden":
32133 In the Middle Ages there were many hermits, and in Switzerland there
32134 were the so-called Wood Brothers and Sisters. People who did not want
32135 to live a monastic life but who wanted to live alone in the forest had
32136 both a closeness to nature and also a great experience of spiritual
32137 inner life. Such Wood Brothers and Sisters could be personalities on
32138 a high level who had a spiritual fate and had to renounce active life
32139 for a time and isolate themselves to find their own inner relation to
32140 God. It is not very different from what the shaman does in the Polar
32141 tribes, or what medicine men do all over the world, in order to seek
32142 an immediate personal religious experience in isolation.
32143 ...If we avoid the descent because of fear of what we will discover about
32144 ourselves in the "underworld," we block ourselves off from a powerful
32145 transformative process. This process has been recognized by modern
32146 psychologists and ancient mystery religions alike.
32147 -- Tsultrim Allione, "Women of Wisdom", published by Snow Lion Publications
32149 The modes of thought in pride and in courageous thought are entirely
32151 Depression caused by disintegration of the ego probably comes from not
32152 being able to posit a conventionally existent I. Still, when some
32153 understanding of emptiness develops, you have a different feeling of I than
32154 that to which you previously were accustomed. Our usual feeling is that the I
32155 is something solid, really independent, and very forceful. Such no longer
32156 remains, but at the same time there is a sense of a mere I that accumulates
32157 karma and performs actions. Such a sense of self is not at all a source of
32159 If you have difficulty positing a merely nominal I as well as merely
32160 nominal cause and effect of actions--if you get to the point where if you
32161 assert selflessness, you cannot posit dependent-arising--then it would be
32162 better to assert dependent-arising and give up selflessness. Indeed, there
32163 are many levels of understanding selflessness, and Buddha, out of great
32164 skillfulness in method, taught many different schools of tenets that posit
32165 coarser levels of selflessness for those temporarily unable to understand the
32166 more subtle levels. It is not the case that only if the most profound level
32167 is immediately accessible, it is suitable, and if it is not accessible, the
32168 whole endeavor should be thrown away. You have to proceed step by step with
32169 whatever accords with your level of mind. Between emptiness and dependent-
32170 arising, you should value dependent-arising more highly.
32171 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the
32172 Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins,
32173 published by Snow Lion Publications
32175 Puba Supoche asked, "Dampa, tell me what it's like when you really
32176 practice sincerely! I understand neither heads nor tails of it!"
32177 Dampa said, "View is the destruction of extreme ideas regarding things!
32178 Cutting pride of self with confidence is realization! Being without support
32179 in luminosity is meditation! In insight, absence of recognition is the
32180 innate! Finding nowhere to place the mind among shifting phenomena is
32181 subsequent attainment! In their absence, there is no antidote but natural
32182 intensity! Naked awareness without grasping is dharmakaya! Disappearance
32183 without being anything is experience! Don't you wonder whether all this truly
32185 -- Padampa Sangye, "Lion of Siddhas: The Life and Teachings of Padampa
32186 Sangye", translated by David Molk, with Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche,
32187 published by Snow Lion Publications
32189 [do you have any thoughts about how a person could go about increasing their
32190 feeling of autonomy or freedom at work?]
32192 ...it will completely depend on the person's individual circumstances,
32193 what position they are in. Let's take the example of a prisoner. Now of
32194 course it is best not to be in prison, but even in that situation, where a
32195 person may be deprived of freedom, he or she may discover small choices that
32196 they are able to make. And even if somebody is in prison, with very rigid
32197 rules, they can undertake some spiritual practices to try to lessen their
32198 mental frustrations, try to get some peace of mind. So they can work on
32199 internal development...if people can do this under the extreme conditions of
32200 prison, in the workplace people may try to discover small things, small
32201 choices that they can make in how to go about their work. And of course,
32202 somebody may work on an assembly line with little variation in how to do their
32203 tasks, but they still have other kinds of choices in terms of their attitudes,
32204 how they interact with their co-workers, whether they utilize certain inner
32205 qualities or spiritual strengths to change their attitude at work even though
32206 the nature of the work may be difficult. Isn't it? So, perhaps that would
32208 Of course, when you are talking about rigid rules and lack of freedom,
32209 that doesn't mean that you are required to blindly follow and accept
32210 everything others tell you. In instances where the worker might be exploited,
32211 where the employer thinks of nothing but profit and pays a small salary and
32212 demands a lot of overtime, or where one may be asked to do things that are not
32213 appropriate or are unethical, one should not simply think, "Well, this is my
32214 karma," and take no action. Here it is not enough to think, "I should just be
32216 If there is injustice, then I think inaction is the wrong response. The
32217 Buddhist texts mention what is called "misplaced tolerance," or "misplaced
32218 forbearance." So...misplaced patience or forbearance refers to the sense of
32219 endurance that some individuals have when they are subject to a very
32220 destructive, negative activity. That is a misplaced forbearance and
32221 endurance. Similarly, in the work environment, if there is a lot of injustice
32222 and exploitation, then to passively tolerate it is the wrong response. The
32223 appropriate response really is to actively resist it, to try to change this
32224 environment rather than accept it. One should take some action...perhaps one
32225 could speak with the boss, with the management, and try to change these
32226 things. One needs to actively resist exploitation. And in some cases, one
32227 may simply need to quit and to look for other work.
32228 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Dr. Howard C. Cutler, M.D.,
32229 "The Art of Happiness at Work"
32231 The purpose of Buddha's coming to the world was for the sake of sentient
32232 beings' attaining the wisdom that he achieved. The paths that he taught are
32233 only a means leading to Buddhahood; he does not lead sentient beings with a
32234 low vehicle that is not a method leading to Buddhahood. He establishes
32235 sentient beings in the powers and so forth that exist in his own state.
32237 "Manjushri, all the doctrines that I teach to sentient beings are for
32238 the sake of attaining omniscient wisdom. Flowing into enlightenment
32239 and descending into the Mahayana, they are means of achieving
32240 omniscience, leading completely to one place. Therefore, I do not
32241 create different vehicles."
32242 -- from "Chapter of the True One Sutra".
32244 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in Tibet",
32245 published by Snow Lion Publications
32247 We are aiming to develop a strong feeling of love and compassion with
32248 respect to everyone, but this cannot be done without first seeing an equality
32249 of all beings throught meditatively cultivating equanimity. Otherwise, you'll
32250 easily be able to generate love and compassion for friends and may be able to
32251 extend a little of this to neutral people, but even minor enemies will remain
32252 a huge problem. Thus at first it is necessary to recognize how friends,
32253 neutral persons, and enemies are equal.
32254 This is done in two ways. One way to break down rigid classifications of
32255 people is by reflecting first with respect to friends, then neutral persons,
32257 "Just as I want happiness and don't want suffering, so this friend
32258 wants happiness and doesn't want suffering. And equally, this neutral
32259 person wants happiness and doesn't want suffering. And equally, this
32260 enemy wants happiness and doesn't want suffering."
32261 Another way is to reflect on what your relationships have been with others
32262 over the course of lifetimes, beginning with neutral persons, then friends,
32263 and finally enemies. An enemy in this lifetime wants to do you in, but over
32264 the course of lifetimes was this person just an enemy? No. If you do not
32265 believe in rebirth, utilize the rebirth game, the rebirth perspective, as a
32266 technique for making your mind more flexible.
32267 Either of these techniques will work:
32268 - Reflecting on the similarity of yourself and others in the basic
32269 aspiration to gain happiness and be rid of suffering.
32271 - Reflecting on the changeability of relationships over the course
32273 -- Jeffrey Hopkins, "A Truthful Heart: Buddhist Practices for Connecting
32274 with Others", foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, published by
32275 Snow Lion Publications
32277 What is wisdom? It is as explained in the perfection of supreme knowledge
32278 teachings: all phenomena are free from elaborations, and when the perceiving
32279 subject as well becomes equally free from elaborations, that is wisdom. In
32280 particular, the wisdom of the buddha consists in the pacification of the
32281 elaborations and their habitual tendencies in relation to suchness. It is the
32282 inseparability of the expanse and wisdom. It is free from singularity and
32283 multiplicity, quality and qualified. It realizes the nonduality of subjects
32284 and objects. In it all phenomena--samsara and nirvana, faults and qualities,
32285 and so on--are always undifferentiable and equal. Outside of that, there is
32286 no way to posit wisdom.
32287 In a nonanalytical context of repeating what others accept, we Followers
32288 of the Middle Way describe knowable objects as existing. The wisdom of the
32289 buddhas is the same. Since we speak of all phenomena as existing from the
32290 perspective of others (even though from our own perspective they are free of
32291 the elaborations of existence and nonexistence), it is unreasonable to debate
32292 solely about the existence or nonexistence of the wisdom of buddhas.
32293 -- "The Karmapa's Middle Way: Feast for the Fortunate by the Ninth Karmapa,
32294 Wangchuk Dorje", trans. by Tyler Dewar, published by Snow Lion
32297 Well timed silence hath more eloquence than speech. -- Martin Fraqhar Tupper
32299 A diplomat is a man who says you have an open mind,
32300 instead of telling you that you have a hole in the head.
32303 To achieve great things, two things are needed;
32304 a plan, and not quite enough time.
32305 -- Leonard Bernstein
32307 To bend a bamboo, start when it is a shoot. -- Malaysian Proverb
32309 Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.
32312 No shade tree? Blame not the sun, but yourself. -- Chinese Proverb
32314 'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool,
32315 than to speak and remove all doubt.
32318 Art is either plagiarism or revolution. -- Paul Gauguin
32320 When this world initially formed, there seem to have been two types of
32321 events or entities, one sentient, the other insentient. Rocks, for instance,
32322 are examples of nonsentient entities. You see, we usually consider them to
32323 have no feelings: no pains and no pleasures. The other type, sentient beings,
32324 have awareness, consciousness, pains and pleasures.
32325 But there needs to be a cause for that. If you posit there is no cause
32326 for consciousness, then this leads to all sorts of inconsistencies and logical
32327 problems. So, the cause is posited, established. It is considered certain.
32328 The initial cause must be an independent consciousness. And on that basis
32329 is asserted the theory of continuation of life after death. It is during the
32330 interval when one's continuum of awareness departs from one's body at death
32331 that the subtle mind, the subtle consciousness, becomes manifest. That
32332 continuum connects one life with the next.
32333 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations
32334 with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara
32335 Houshmand, Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by
32336 Snow Lion Publications
32338 Channels and cakras represent the inner structure of the human body,
32339 referred to in the tantric teachings as the 'vajra body'. 'Vajra' means
32340 'indestructible', and 'vajra body' refers to the dimension of the three
32341 fundamental components: the channels and cakras, the prana that flows through
32342 them, and the bindu or thigle, the white and red seed-essences of the physical
32343 body that form the basis for practices such as the Tummo.
32344 In the tantras of the Upadesa section of Dzogchen, it is explained that
32345 after the conception of a human being the first thing to develop is the navel
32346 cakra. Then from this, through a channel, the head cakra develops followed by
32347 the other main cakras of the throat and the heart. This channel or meridian,
32348 known as the life-channel, develops into the spinal cord and spine. At the
32349 same time it remains as the fundamental energy of the central channel.
32350 The central channel, known as Uma in Tibetan, is connected with the two
32351 lateral channels called Roma and Kyangma. The Roma channel, which is white
32352 and corresponds to lunar energy, is on the right side in men and on the left
32353 in women. Ro means 'taste', and the main function of this channel is to give
32354 the sensation of pleasure. The Kyangma channel, red and corresponding to
32355 solar energy, is on the left side in men and on the right in women. Kyang
32356 means 'sole', and unlike the Roma, this channel is not connected with many
32357 secondary channels. Control of this channel is fundamental in order to
32358 cultivate the experience of emptiness. These are the characteristic features
32359 of the two channels, which are related to the two principles of upaya or
32360 method, and of prajna or energy. Method denotes everything pertaining to the
32361 visible or material dimension; while 'prajna', which generally means
32362 discriminating wisdom, in this context denotes the energy of emptiness that is
32363 the base of any manifestation.
32364 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, "Yantra Yoga: The Tibetan Yoga of Movement",
32365 translated by Adriano Clemente, published byy Snow Lion Publications
32367 Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them.
32370 The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bends.
32373 You can't depend on the man who made the mess to clear it up.
32376 You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket. -- John Adams
32378 Kissing is like drinking salted water; you drink and your thirst increases.
32381 The eye is a menace to clear sight, the ear is a menace to subtle hearing, the
32382 mind is a menace to wisdom, every organ of the senses is a menace to its own
32383 capacity.... Fuss, the god of the Southern Ocean, and Fret, the god of the
32384 Northern Ocean, happened once to meet in the realm of Chaos, the god of the
32385 center. Chaos treated them very handsomely and they discussed together what
32386 they could doto repay his kindness. They had noticed that, whereas everyone
32387 else had seven apertures, for sight, hearing, eating, breathing and so on,
32388 Chaos had none. So they decided to make the experiment of boring holes in
32389 him. Every day they bored a hole, and on the seventh day, Chaos died.
32392 Everybody loves to talk about calm and peace, whether in a family,
32393 national, or international context. But without inner peace how can we make
32394 real peace? World peace through hatred and force is impossible. Even in the
32395 case of individuals, there is no possibility to feel happiness through anger.
32396 If in a difficult situation one becomes disturbed internally, overwhelmed by
32397 mental discomfort, then external things will not help at all. However, if
32398 despite external difficulties or problems, internally one's attitude is of
32399 love, warmth, and kind-heartedness, then problems can be faced and accepted.
32401 The necessary foundation for world peace and the ultimate goal of any new
32402 international order is the elimination of violence at every level. For this
32403 reason the practice of non-violence surely suits us all. It simply requires
32404 determination, for by its very nature non-violent action requires patience.
32405 While the practice of non-violence is still something of an experiment on this
32406 planet, if it is successful it will open the way to a far more peaceful world
32407 in the next century.
32408 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by
32411 On the tenth night of the twelfth month, Gyal Dawa, the girl, came again.
32412 She said, "Don't neglect my request for a prayer. It is very important."
32413 That's the dream she had. I thought, "I'll write it on the full moon day."
32414 So on the night of the fourteenth I prayed with single-pointed devotion to
32415 Guru Rinpoche to grant blessing that the prayer would be beneficial and then
32416 fell asleep. Early in the morning of the fifteenth I dreamed I was sitting in
32417 front of the shrine in a very large building that looked like a temple.
32418 Suddenly a young white man dressed in white with his hair falling loosely over
32419 his shoulder appeared at the entrance. He was playing the cymbals melodiously
32420 and dancing the swirling, joyous dance of the Ging. He came closer and
32423 If you want to establish the dharma,
32424 Establish it in your mind.
32425 In the depth of mind, you will find Buddha.
32426 If you wish to visit the buddha fields,
32427 Purify ordinary deluded attachment.
32428 The perfectly comfortable buddha field is close by.
32429 Develop the joyful effort to practice,
32430 That is the essence of the teaching.
32431 Without practice, who can gain the siddhis?
32432 It is hard to see one's faults,
32433 But to see them nakedly is powerful advice.
32434 In the end when faults have been cleared away,
32435 The enlightened qualities increase and shine forth.
32437 At the end of this he rolled his cymbals. Then he crashed them together,
32438 and I awoke. After I woke up, I did not forget what he had said. I
32439 understood it to have been advice on practicing what to accept and what to
32440 reject. I was sad that although I had actually seen the face of my only
32441 father, Guru Padmasambhava, I had not recognized him.
32442 I, Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, old father of the Nyingma, wrote this from my own
32443 experience. Sarva Mangalam [May all be auspicious].
32444 -- Khenpo Tsewaang Dongyal Rinpoche, "Light of Fearless Indestructible
32445 Wisdom: The Life and Legacy of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche", published
32446 by Snow Lion Publications
32448 The modern economy has no national boundaries. When we talk about ecology,
32449 the environment, when we are concerned about the ozone layer, one individual,
32450 one society, one country cannot solve these problems. We must work together.
32451 Humanity needs more genuine cooperation. The foundation for the development
32452 of good relations with one another is altruism, compassion, and forgiveness.
32453 For small arguments to remain limited, in the human circle the best method is
32454 forgiveness. Altruism and forgiveness are the basis for bringing humanity
32455 together. Then no conflict, no matter how serious, will go beyond the bounds
32456 of what is truly human.
32457 -- "The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and
32458 About the Dalai Lama", compiled and edited bby Sidney Piburn, Foreword
32459 by Sen. Claiborne Pell, published by Snow Lion Publications
32461 Creation in four vajra steps entails meditation on emptiness; generating a
32462 moon, sun, and seed-syllable from which light emanates and then converges; the
32463 full manifestation of the deity resulting from the convergence of the light
32464 and transformation of the seed-syllable; and visualization of three syllables
32465 at the deity's three places. [The syllables om, ah, and hum are imagined at
32466 the forehead, throat, and heart, respectively.]
32467 ...Kongtrul explains that all the varieties of the creation phase
32468 incorporate the four key elements of form, imagination, result, and
32469 transformative power. "Form" means meditating on forms that represent the
32470 aspects of awakening and generating clear images of these forms, thereby
32471 stopping impure appearances. "Imagination" means using the force of creative
32472 imagination to convert the visualized forms of awakening into reality.
32473 "Result" means meditating on the result, that is, the very goal to be
32474 attained, and thereby achieving that goal. "Transformative power" means
32475 turning the ordinary body and mind into pristine awareness by relying on the
32476 transformative powers of awakened beings. Among these, Kongtrul points out,
32477 the most important element for realization of the path is the transformative
32478 power of the vajra master combined with one's own devotion to that master.
32479 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taaye, "The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Eight,
32480 Part Three: The Elements of Tantric Practice", translated by Ingrid
32481 Loken McLeod and Elio Guarisco, published by Snow Lion Publications
32483 From The Prayer Requested by Namke Nyingbo
32486 All these things of the outer environment and the beings therein
32487 That come into sight as the objects of your eyes like this,
32488 They may appear, but leave them in the sphere free from clinging to a self.
32489 Since they are pure of perceiver and perceived, they are the
32490 luminous-empty body of the deity.
32491 I pray to the guru in whom attachment is self-liberated,
32492 I pray to Padmasambhava from Uddiyana.
32494 All these sounds, taken as pleasant or unpleasant,
32495 That resound as the objects of your ears like this,
32496 Leave them in the sphere of inconceivable, empty resonance.
32497 Empty resonance, unborn and unceasing, is the Victor's speech.
32498 I pray to the words of the Victor that resound and yet are empty,
32499 I pray to Padmasambhava from Uddiyana.
32501 However these thoughts of afflictions' five poisons,
32502 Which stir as objects in your mind like this, may appear,
32503 Do not mess around with them through a mind that rushes ahead into the
32504 future or lingers in the past.
32505 Through leaving their movement in its own place, they uncoil as the dharmakaya.
32506 I pray to the guru whose awareness is self-liberated, I pray to
32507 Padmasambhava from Uddiyana.
32509 Grant your blessings that the mind stream of someone like me is liberated
32510 Through the compassion of the Tathagatas of the three times,
32511 So that objects, appearing as if perceived outside, become pure,
32512 That my very mind, perceiving as if inside, becomes liberated,
32513 And that, in between, luminosity will recognize its own face.
32515 -- "Straight from the Heart: Buddhist Pith Instructions", translated
32516 and introduced by Karl Brunnholzl, published by Snow Lion Publications
32518 The actual method of cultivating the correct attitudes towards the
32519 spiritual master is to practice contemplative meditation upon the guru's good
32520 qualities and the beneficial effects that he or she introduces into one's
32521 life. By reflecting again and again on the great kindness the guru performs,
32522 a confidence suitable for spiritual training under him or her is born. This
32523 process of reflecting on the role of the guru is important in the beginning as
32524 well as in the higher practices, for as we sit in contemplation we become
32525 faced with a stream of reactions, which if understood at an early stage can
32526 clear the mind of much doubt, confusion and superstition.
32527 The spiritual master is the source of all spiritual progress. In this
32528 context, Geshe Potowa once said, "If even those who want to learn a common
32529 worldly trade must study under a qualified teacher, how much more so must we
32530 who seek enlightenment? Most of us have come from the lower realms and have
32531 no background or experience in the paths and stages to enlightenment; and, if
32532 we wish to gain this experience, why should we not study with someone
32533 qualified to teach us the methods that develop it?"
32534 In the beginning of his Great Exposition, Lama Tsongkhapa writes, "The
32535 root of spiritual development is to cultivate an effective relationship with a
32536 master." This means that we must cultivate the correct attitudes and then
32537 demonstrate them correctly in action. This is the root that, if made strong,
32538 supports the trunk, branches, leaves and flowers of practice. When the roots
32539 of a tree are strong, the entire tree becomes strong, whereas when the roots
32540 are weak, the entire tree will remain weak.
32541 ...We should engender respect such that we see the guru as a Buddha. If
32542 we can do this, then we experience the guru as we would a Buddha and
32543 consequently are sufficiently inspired to practice what he or she teaches.
32544 The instruction to see the guru as a Buddha is not unreasonable, for in many
32545 ways the spiritual master is Buddha himself.
32546 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
32547 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Liion Publications
32549 ...when you start practicing, you should not expect too much. We live in
32550 a time of computers and automation, so you may feel that inner development is
32551 also an automatic thing for which you press a button and everything changes.
32552 It is not so. Inner development is not easy and will take time. External
32553 progress, the latest space missions and so forth, have not reached their
32554 present level within a short period but over centuries, each generation making
32555 greater developments based on those of the previous generation. However,
32556 inner development is even more difficult since internal improvement cannot be
32557 transferred from generation to generation. Your past life's experience very
32558 much influences this life, and this life's experience becomes the basis for
32559 the next rebirth's development, but transference of inner development from one
32560 person to another is impossible. Thus, everything depends on yourself, and it
32562 I have met Westerners who at the beginning were very enthusiastic about
32563 their practice, but after a few years have completely forgotten it, and there
32564 are no traces of what they had practiced at one time. This is because at the
32565 beginning they expected too much. Shantideva's Engaging in the Bodhisattva
32566 Deeds emphasizes the importance of the practice of patience--tolerance. This
32567 tolerance is an attitude not only towards your enemy but also an attitude of
32568 sacrifice, of determination, soo that you do not fall into the laziness of
32569 discouragement. You should practice patience, or tolerance, with great
32570 resolve. This is important.
32571 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatsoo, "Kindness,
32572 Clarity, and Insight 25th Anniversary Edition", edited and translated
32573 by Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow
32576 I take refuge until I am enlightened in the Buddhas,
32577 the Dharma, and the Sangha.
32578 By the positive potential I create by practicing generosity
32579 and the other far-reaching attitudes (ethical discipline,
32580 patience, joyous effort, meditative stabilization, and wisdom),
32581 may I attain Buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient beings.
32583 It takes only a few moments to think in this way and to recite the prayer,
32584 yet doing so has a significant effect on the rest of our day. We'll be more
32585 cheerful and will be sure of our direction in life. Especially if we don't do
32586 a regular meditation practice, starting the day in this way is extremely
32588 In the evening, after reviewing the day's activities and freeing our minds
32589 from any remaining afflictions that may have arisen during the day, we again
32590 take refuge and generate the altruistic intention.
32591 Before going to sleep, we can envision the Buddha, made of light, on our
32592 pillow. Placing our head in his lap, we fall asleep amidst the gentle glow of
32593 his wisdom and compassion. Instead, we can learn the guidelines and try to
32594 implement them as much as we can, reviewing them periodically to refresh our
32595 minds. We may choose one guideline to emphasize this week in our daily lives.
32596 Next week, we can add another, and so on. In that way, we'll slowly build up
32597 the good habits of practicing all of them.
32598 -- Ven. Thubten Chodron, "Taming the Mind", published by Snow Lion
32601 Compassion is the wish for another being to be free from suffering;
32602 love is wanting them to have happiness.
32603 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Compassionate Life"
32605 The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past,
32606 worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present
32607 moment wisely and earnestly.
32610 Our patience will achieve more than our force. -- Edmund Burke
32612 The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his tax return,
32613 it's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.
32614 -- Arthur C. Clarke
32616 Despite all the material progress in this and the last century we still
32617 experience suffering, especially in relation to mental well-being. In fact,
32618 if anything, the complex way of life created by modernisation or globalisation
32619 is causing new problems and new causes of mental unrest. Under these
32620 circumstances I feel that the various religious traditions have an important
32621 role to play in helping to maintain peace and the spirit of reconciliation and
32622 dialogue, and therefore harmony and close contact between them is essential.
32623 Whether we are believers or non-believers and, within the category of the
32624 believers, whether we hold this or that belief, we must respect all the
32625 traditions. That's very important.
32626 I always tell people in non-Buddhist countries that followers of other
32627 religions should maintain their own tradition. To change religion is not
32628 easy, and people can get into trouble as a result of confusion. So it is much
32629 safer to keep to one's own tradition, while respecting all religions. I'm
32630 Buddhist--sometimes I describe myself as a staunch Buddhist--but, at the same
32631 time, I respect and admire the works of other traditionss' figures such as
32632 Jesus Christ. Basically, all the religious traditions have made an immense
32633 contribution to humanity and continue to do so, and as such are worthy of our
32634 respect and admiration.
32635 When we contemplate the diversity of spiritual traditions on this planet
32636 we can understand that each addresses the specific needs of different human
32637 beings, because there is so much diversity in human mentality and spiritual
32638 inclination. Yet, fundamentally, all spiritual traditions perform the same
32639 function, which is to help us tame our mental state, overcome our negativities
32640 and perfect our inner potential.
32641 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
32642 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
32644 ...For one who abides in thought
32645 Feats do not arise.
32646 Therefore abandon thought
32647 And think a mantra form.
32649 'Abandon thought' refers to the eradication of thought conceiving self
32650 [inherent existence] through the wisdom of selflessness; it does not mean to
32651 stop any and all types of thought. 'Think a mantra form' means to meditate on
32652 a deity. The measure of firmness in deity yoga is indicated by 'whether
32653 going, standing, or sitting is always immovable though moving about'. When
32654 one has attained the capacity to hold the mind on the divine body in all types
32655 of behaviour--whether in meditative equipoise or not--without moving to
32656 something else, one has the capacity to remove the pride of ordinaariness.
32657 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins,
32658 "Deity Yoga in Action and Performance Tantra", published by Snow
32661 A person who is liberated, who has freed his or her mind of all mental
32662 afflictions, still experiences physical suffering. The difference between us
32663 and an arhat, a person who has freed the mind from mental affliction, is that
32664 an arhat doesn't identify with pain. Arhats experience physical pain vividly
32665 but don't grasp onto it; they can take action to avoid or alleviate pain, but
32666 whether they do so or not, the physical pain doesn't come inside. What an
32667 arhat does not experience is mental suffering. A buddha, one who is perfectly
32668 spiritually awakened, has gone a further step. A buddha has no mental
32669 suffering of his or her own, but is vividly and non-dually aware of the
32670 suffering of others.
32671 Superficially, the arhat who is free from mental suffering can seem to us
32672 who lack this realization as numb and detached, in a state of existential
32673 anesthesia. A buddha, one who is fully awakened, presents the paradox of
32674 being free from suffering and also non-dually present with other people's joys
32675 and sorrows, hopes and fears. A buddha taps into immutable bliss, the
32676 ultimate ground state of awareness beyond the dichotomy of stimulus-driven
32677 pain and pleasure. The mind of a buddha has been purified of all obscuration
32678 and from its own nature there naturally arises immutable bliss, like a spring
32679 welling up from the earth. With the unveiling of the buddha-nature of
32680 unconditioned bliss, there is also a complete erosion of an absolute
32681 demarcation between self and other. The barrier is gone. This is why buddhas
32682 are vividly and non-dually aware of the suffering of others, their hopes and
32683 fears, the whole situation, and at the same time are not disengaged from the
32684 purity and bliss of their own awareness. The mind of a buddha doesn't block
32685 out anything and nothing is inhibited, and this is why the awareness of an
32686 awakened being is frequently described as "unimaginable."
32687 -- B. Alan Wallace, "Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point
32688 Mind Training", published by Snow Lion Publications
32690 The fifth Tara is known as Wangdu Rigje Lhamo. She is Kurukulle in
32691 Sanskrit and Rigjema or Rigje Lhamo in Tibetan. Wangdu means power of
32692 "gathering, summoning," or "magnetizing." We can think of it as attracting
32693 everything beneficial, to benefit all beings. Rigjema means "she who
32694 precisely understands everything" and Lhamo is "divine lady." So she is known
32695 as the Tara who precisely understands the power of magnetizing.
32696 Kurukulle's practice is very extensively taught throughout Tibetan
32697 Buddhism. She is often named the "Red Tara" because of her color. Her Praise
32699 CHAG TSHAL TUT TA RA HUNG YI GE
32700 Homage, Mother, filling all regions, sky, and the realm of desire
32702 DO DANG CHOG DANG NAM KHA GANG MA
32703 With the sounds of TUTTARA and HUNG,
32705 JIG TEN DUN PO ZHAB CHI NEN TE
32706 Trampling the seven worlds with her feet,
32708 LU PA ME PAR GUG PAR NU MA
32709 Able to summon all before her.
32710 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab annd Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal, "Tara's Enlightened
32711 Activity: An Oral Commentary on 'The Twenty-one Praises to Tara'",
32712 published by Snow Lion Publications
32714 The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
32717 Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed
32718 is more important than any one thing.
32721 Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless-like water. Now you put water into a
32722 cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle,
32723 you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can
32724 crash. Be water, my friend.
32727 All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability.
32728 The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.
32731 A wise man can learn more from a foolish question
32732 than a fool can learn from a wise answer.
32735 The remembrance of youth is a sigh. -- Oriental Maxim
32737 Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life.
32738 -- Herbert Henry Asquith
32740 The freethinking of one age is the common sense of the next.
32741 -- Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)
32743 What we play is life. -- Louis Armstrong
32745 Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain
32746 the whole truth, or the only truth.
32749 Some say the glass is half empty,
32750 some say the glass is half full,
32751 I say, are you going to drink that?
32754 Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. -- Carl Jung
32756 Since a politician never believes what he says,
32757 he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.
32758 -- Charles de Gaulle
32760 On the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it's so valuable.
32761 The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the
32762 other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out
32763 is getting lower and lower all the time. So you have these two fighting
32764 against each other.
32765 -- Stewart Brand at the first Hackers' Conference in 1984
32767 Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.
32768 -- William Ruckelshaus
32770 Those who get too big for their briches will be exposed in the end. -- Anon.
32772 "We're not talking about the same thing," he said. "For you the world is weird
32773 because if you're not bored with it you're at odds with it. For me the world
32774 is weird because it is stupendous, awesome, mysterious, unfathomable; my
32775 interest has been to convince you that you must accept responsibility for being
32776 here, in this marvelous world, in this marvelous desert, in this marvelous
32777 time. I wanted to convince you that you must learn to make every act count,
32778 since you are going to be here for only a short while, in fact, too short for
32779 witnessing all the marvels of it."
32780 -- Don Juan, Yaqui Shaman
32782 Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.
32785 People prefer to believe what they prefer to be true. -- Francis Bacon
32787 The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling,
32788 but in rising every time we fall.
32791 Stapp's Ironical Paradox:
32792 The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any
32793 human accomplishment an incredible miracle.
32794 -- Col. John P. Stapp
32796 When the only tool you own is a hammer,
32797 every problem begins to resemble a nail.
32800 Peace is not a little white dove. It is you and me. -- Rigoberta Menchu Tum
32802 If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
32805 The reserve of modern assertions is sometimes pushed to extremes,
32806 in which the fear of being contradicted leads the writer to strip
32807 himself of almost all sense and meaning.
32808 -- Sir Winston Churchill
32810 Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is? -- Frank Scully
32812 Money often costs too much. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
32814 The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with.
32817 The true meaning of life is to plant trees
32818 under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
32819 -- Nelson Henderson
32821 The first human being who hurled an insult instead
32822 of a stone was the founder of civilization.
32825 When the weight of the world has got you down
32826 and you want to end your life.
32827 Bills to pay, a dead-end job,
32828 and problems with the wife.
32829 But don't throw in the tow'l,
32830 'cuz there's a place right down the block...
32831 Where you can drink your misery away...
32832 At Flaming Moe's.... (Let's all go to Flaming Moe's...)
32833 When liquor in a mug (Let's all go to Flaming Moe's...)
32834 can warm you like a hug. (Flaming Moe's...)
32835 And happiness is just a Flaming Moe away...
32836 Happiness is just a Flaming Moe away...
32837 -- Flaming Moe's Theme Song, The Simpsons.
32839 Stop living for what's around the corner
32840 and start enjoying the walk down the street.
32843 Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom. -- George Iles
32845 One day Ananda, who had been thinking deeply about things for a while, turned
32846 to the Buddha and exclaimed: "Lord, I've been thinking--spiritual friendship
32847 is at least half of the spiritual life!" The Buddha replied: "Say not so,
32848 Ananda, say not so. Spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life!"
32849 -- Samyutta Nikaya, Verse 2
32851 There are moments when one feels free from one's own identification with human
32852 limitations and inadequacies. At such moments one imagines that one stands on
32853 some spot of a small planet, gazing in amazement at the cold yet profoundly
32854 moving beauty of the eternal, the unfathomable; life and death flow into one,
32855 and there is neither evolution nor destiny; only Being.
32858 A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but
32859 together can decide that nothing can be done.
32862 An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
32863 -- Robert A. Humphrey
32865 The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best--and therefore
32866 never scrutinize or question.
32867 -- Stephen Jay Gould
32869 41. One's own awareness, fresh and uncontrived
32870 One's own awareness, fresh and uncontrived,
32871 Is the primordially present ultimate Lama
32872 From whom you have not been separated for even an instant.
32873 This meeting with the original abiding nature--how amazing!
32874 I, Jnana, wrote this in response to Changchub Palmo's request.
32875 -- "Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart Advice", translated by
32876 Ron Garry, a Tsadra Foundation Series book, published by Snow Lion
32878 I hunted up statistics, and was amazed to find that after all the glaring
32879 newspaper headings concerning railroad disasters, less than three hundred
32880 people had really lost their lives by those disasters in the preceding twelve
32881 months. The Erie road was set down as the most murderous in the list. It had
32882 killed forty-six.or twenty-six, I do not exactly remember which, but I know
32883 the number was double that of any other road. But the fact straightway
32884 suggested itself that the Erie was an immensely long road, and did more
32885 business than any other line in the country; so the double number of killed
32886 ceased to be matter for surprise.
32887 By further figuring, it appeared that between New York and Rochester the
32888 Erie ran eight passenger trains each way every day.sixteen altogether; and
32889 carried a daily average of 6,000 persons. That is about a million in six
32890 months.the population of New York city. Well, the Erie kills from thirteen
32891 to twenty-three persons out of its million in six months; and in the same
32892 time 13,000 of New York's million die in their beds! My flesh crept, my hair
32894 "This is appalling!" I said. "The danger isn't in travelling by rail, but
32895 in trusting to those deadly beds. I will never sleep in a bed again."
32896 --Mark Twain on Risk Analysis, 1871
32898 The activities of this degenerate age are like a madman's performance of dance.
32899 No matter what we do, there is no way to please others.
32900 Think about what is essential.
32901 This is my heart's advice.
32902 --Bhande Dharmaradza
32904 In any group of people, there is always some misunderstanding. You cannot
32905 satisfy everyone, no matter what you do. The Bodhicaryavatara says that every
32906 individual has a different way of thinking. Thus, it is very difficult to
32907 please everyone. Even the Buddha could not do it, so how can we? Instead of
32908 trying to please others, please yourself by applying yourself fully to
32910 Investigate your situation carefully, according to the Dharma. For us, it is
32911 more important to know what is best than to know how to please everyone. Know
32912 what is right, and on the basis of your own wisdom and skill, just do it.
32913 Don't expect that other people will be pleased with you or that they will be
32914 happy about what you do. Rather, do what's best, what's helpful for yourself
32915 and for others. If they are happy about it, that's fine. If they are not
32916 happy, what can you do?
32917 -- "A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path", by Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen,
32918 edited by Khenmo Trinlay Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
32920 Lochen Gyurme Dechen, nephew of the great accomplished master Tangtong
32921 Gyalpo, sang this song, a prayer of the Six Doctrines, called "The Rain
32924 Nama Shri Jnana Daki Nigupta-ye!
32926 Lady of the celestial realms, compassionate one,
32927 Chief of wisdom dakinis, Niguma,
32928 When I, your child, pray fervently to you,
32929 In your expanse free from formulations, please think of me.
32930 Lady who reveals the sacred circle of great secrets,
32931 Bestow now the empowerment of the four joys!
32932 Lady who opens the door to the unborn state,
32933 Clear away now my negative acts and obscurations with the purification
32935 Lady who emits fire from the short Ah,
32936 Burn now my soiled aggregates and sense elements!
32937 Lady who draws great bliss from the syllable Ham,
32938 Bestow now coemergent wisdom!
32939 Lady who reveals the natural experience of illusion,
32940 Destroy now my attachment to the reality of anger and desire!
32941 Lady who emanates and transforms during lucid dreams,
32942 Lady who makes spontaneous luminosity arise,
32943 Dispel now the darkness of my stupidity!
32944 Lady who leads above at the time of departure,
32945 Guide me now to the celestial realms!
32946 Lady who overcomes the appearances of delusion in the intermediate state,
32947 Grant me now the invincible body of enlightenment's perfect rapture.
32949 This prayer was sung by the religious teacher Gyurme Dechen.
32951 -- "Timeless Rapture: Inspired Verse of the Shangpa Masters", compiled by
32952 Jamgon Kongtrul, translated & edited by Ngawang Zangpo, a Tsadra
32953 Foundation Series book, published by Snow Lion Publications
32955 ...ngondro, the foundational practices, are ways to bring body, speech, or
32956 energy, and all aspects of mind into increasingly effortless harmony with the
32957 oceanic expanse central to Dzogchen teachings. This expanse is another name
32958 for reality, the heart of our being, and thus for mind-nature. Its vastness
32959 challenges the cramped and reified self-images that temporarily obstruct our
32960 view of the whole. Finitudes of any kind--the sense of being small and
32961 contained, the familiar urgent rush of business, passions, or plans--are
32962 simply conceptions. These conceptions are both cause and effect of energetic
32963 holdings in the body. The foundational practices illuminate these holdings
32964 and, in the end, lead to their dissolution into the expanse. As Khetsun
32965 Sangpo Rinpoche has said, "Like a fire that burns fuel, the mind consumes
32966 thought by working with it."
32967 In the Tibetan traditions, teaching and practice sessions typically open
32968 with a reference, brief or extensive, to the foundational practices. Every
32969 lineage has its own variations, but the basic structure and principles of
32970 these practices are virtually identical. After an acknowledgment of one's
32971 guru or lineage and the intention to benefit all beings, the sequence usually
32972 begins with the four thoughts. These are reflections on (1) the preciousness
32973 of one's own life, (2) the fragility of life and the uncertainty of death's
32974 timing, (3) the inexorable nature of karma, and (4) the impossibility of
32975 avoiding suffering so long as ignorance holds one in samsara. In addition,
32976 there are two other contemplations: (5) the benefits of liberation compared to
32977 life in samsara and (6) the importance of a spiritual guide. These six are
32978 known as the outer foundational practices.
32979 These six are combined with five inner practices, each of which is repeated
32980 one hundred thousand times. The first inner foundational practice is refuge.
32981 Refuge, writes Adzom Drukpa, is the cornerstone of all paths. Without it, he
32982 adds, quoting Candrakirti, all vows come to nothing. Most succinctly, refuge
32983 helps us cultivate a quality vital to the path and to human interaction in
32984 general: this is the quality of trust, the ability to fruitfully rely on
32985 someone or something other than oneself. Adzom Paylo Rinpoche once said that
32986 whereas relying on others in the context of samsara generally leads us astray,
32987 relying on the Dharma increases our good qualities.
32988 -- "Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse: A Story of Transmission", by Anne C.
32989 Klein, foreword by Adzom Paylo Rinpoche, preface by Tulku Thondup
32990 Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
32992 1.18 Fruition of the Seed of Enlightenment
32994 When we engage in virtuous actions, we realize they are beneficial not only
32995 for others, but also for ourselves. Our good deeds can earn the praise and
32996 appreciation of others, and the benefits of our work come back to us through
32997 others. When we are involved with virtuous works, people respect us and hold
32998 us in high esteem. And we know we must be doing something good, because we
32999 experience a wholesome, pleasant feeling about our life's work. We quickly
33000 begin to see the short-term benefits of our involvement in virtuous action as
33001 our bodies and minds become more peaceful in our daily lives.
33002 This serenity in turn increases our longevity as our body and mind become
33003 more harmonized. Even after our death, we will be reincarnated in higher
33004 realms of existence as a result of our involvement with virtuous works during
33005 this life. Yet a higher rebirth is merely a short-term benefit, a temporary
33006 relief from the sufferings of samsara, for until we achieve liberation from
33007 samsara we remain trapped in the cycle of suffering, and "whatever goes up,
33009 Within the mundane world, when our evil deeds are common knowledge, no one
33010 sings their praises. If such deeds are remembered at all, it is in infamy.
33011 However, when a being lives with a mind of true bodhichitta and does great
33012 works of pure altruism, their deeds are remembered for centuries. Of such
33013 cases we have many examples within the Kagyu lineage alone: the historical
33014 Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, Milarepa, the Karmapas, and countless others. Yet it
33015 is also important to remember that virtuous action eventually leads us to the
33016 liberation of buddhahood; this is the ultimate long-term benefit of planting
33017 the seed of enlightenment of which we speak. Hence, as we make this journey
33018 towards liberation, it is extremely important for us to learn to recognize
33019 which of our actions are virtuous and which are not.
33020 -- Lama Dudjom Dorjee, "Heartfelt Advice", Snow Lion Publications
33022 Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, addressing those who have or will undertake a
33023 retreat, gives this advice:
33025 "You will fall sick, experience pain, and encounter many adverse
33026 circumstances. At such times do not think, 'Although I am practicing the
33027 Dharma, I have nothing but trouble. The Dharma cannot be so great. I have
33028 followed a teacher and done so much practice, and yet hard times still befall
33029 me.' Such thoughts are wrong views. You should realize that through the
33030 blessing and power of the practice, by experiencing sickness and other
33031 difficulties now, you are purifying and ridding yourself of negative
33032 actions.... By purifying them while you have the chance, you will later go
33033 from bliss to bliss. So do not think, 'I don't deserve this illness, these
33034 obstacles, these negative influences.' Experience your difficulties as
33035 blessings...when you do experience such difficulties, you should be very happy
33036 and avoid having adverse thoughts like, 'Why are such terrible things
33039 As Rinpoche advises, relating to hardship properly depends on the strength
33040 of one's view. In general, having a view is knowing exactly where you want
33041 to go and how to get there. It is the vision of knowing what you want. For
33042 example, if you have the view to become a doctor, your vision guides you
33043 through financial burdens, physical and emotional difficulties, and obstacles
33044 that get in your way. You know it will be difficult and involve sacrifice,
33045 but with a strong view, you forge to the finish line.
33046 Similarly, if you want to become spiritually awakened, it is the power of
33047 your view that gets you there. If you are having a hard time getting to the
33048 meditation cushion, or engaging in the necessary study, it is because your
33049 view is not strong enough or is incomplete. A partial view, in this case, is
33050 one that doesn't include hardship. You can strengthen your view and
33051 accelerate progress by understanding how you lose your view in the fog of
33052 hardship, and therefore lose sight of your path.
33053 -- Dr. Andrew Holecek, "The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual
33054 Hardship into Joy", published by Snow Lion Publications
33056 Chod is a very powerful path to buddhahood. Its power comes from working
33057 with the practitioner's afflictive emotions. Chod is purposely performed in
33058 frightening places to help the practitioner heighten his fear so that he has
33059 the opportunity to cut through it.
33060 -- adapted from Chod Practice in the Bon Tradition, by Alejandro Chaoul,
33061 published by Snow Lion Publications
33063 Under the heading of the great way's [Mahayana's] perspective, we read of how
33064 the Buddha merely demonstrates the process of enlightenment in this world,
33065 something he has done and will do repeatedly. Kongtrul quotes the Buddha in
33066 an important discourse:
33068 "In the past, countless ages ago, in a world-system that united as many
33069 realms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, I attained enlightenment as
33070 Transcendent Buddha Crown of the Powerful One, aided beings, and transcended
33071 sorrow. Then once again, from that point until the present age, I have
33072 repeatedly demonstrated the inconceivable process of enlightenment.
33073 "I will continue, until cyclic existence is empty, to demonstrate [this
33074 process of] enlightenment beginning with the initial development of the mind
33075 of awakening as an ordinary being."
33077 While such statements do not help us grasp the nature of the Buddha's
33078 enlightenment, they do underline the fact that enlightenment is a specific
33079 experience, the result of a known and knowable process that the Buddha
33080 deliberately demonstrates time and again so that we might follow his example,
33081 no guesswork involved.
33082 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, "Treasury of Knowledge, Books Two, Three,
33083 and Four: Buddhism's Journey to Tibet" translated and introduced by
33084 Ngawang Zangpo, published by Snow Lion Publications
33088 The essence of thoughts that suddenly arise is without any nature. Do not
33089 inhibit their appearance in any way, and without thinking of any essence, let
33090 them arise clearly, nakedly, and vividly. Likewise, if one thought arises,
33091 observe its nature, and if two arise, observe their nature. Thus, whatever
33092 thoughts arise, let them go without holding onto them. Let them remain as
33093 fragments. Release them unimpededly. Be naked without an object. Release
33094 them without grasping. This is close to becoming a Buddha. This is the self-
33095 extinction of samsara, samsara is overwhelmed, samsara is disempowered, and
33096 samsara is exhausted. Knowledge of the path of method and wisdom, appearances
33097 and emptiness, the gradual stages, the common and special paths, and the 84,
33098 000 entrances to the Dharma is made perfectly complete and fulfilled in an
33099 instant. This is self-arisen, for it is present like that in the very nature
33100 [of awareness]. Natural liberation is the essence of all the stainless paths,
33101 and it bears the essence of emptiness and compassion.
33102 -- Karma Chagme, "A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the
33103 Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga", commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche, trans.
33104 by B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications
33106 We must learn to trust ourselves when we practice the doctrines of the Buddha.
33107 In time, we come to trust the infallibility of karmic cause and effect and of
33108 the interdependence of all actions. We must come to know and trust the
33109 importance of the accumulation of merit and wisdom, in the same way we know
33110 and trust that even the smallest drops of water falling into a bucket will
33111 eventually fill it.
33112 We must learn to trust that our own dharma practice will remove our entire
33113 jungle of kleshas [unwholesome qualities], much like knowing a raging wildfire
33114 can clear an entire forest from the earth. All of our negativities can be
33115 swept away by the firestorm of our compassionate wisdom. We must trust that
33116 all of our happiness and sadness is completely dependent on, and a result of,
33117 our previous karma; when we trust this process we can begin the accumulation
33118 of virtuous actions immediately.
33119 No one achieves perfection in anything meaningful the very first time they
33120 try; however, we've heard the phrase over and over again that "practice makes
33121 perfect." It is true that with multiple repetitions and patience everyone can
33122 achieve perfection over time. I don't know of anyone who has sat down to
33123 meditate for the very first time and immediately attained enlightenment, but
33124 just like the drops of water that we trust will eventually fill our bucket,
33125 consistent dharma practice will eventually lead us to liberation.
33126 -- Lama Dudjom Dorjee, "Heartfelt Advice", published by Snow Lion
33128 Unbroken practice is like a watchful guard.
33129 It is simply unscattered and is free from acceptance or rejection.
33130 There is no duality of things to be abandoned and their antidotes.
33131 This is my heart's advice.
33133 This verse and the following instructions concern how to continue with
33134 Mahamudra practice. Once we have received instructions, we have to accomplish
33135 them and perfect the practice. Continuity of practice is essential for the
33136 perfection of enlightenment.
33137 Unbroken practice means that one is mindful all the time, like a watchful
33138 guard. Thieves and robbers may come at any time, so the guard of a mansion
33139 containing great treasure must be alert twenty-four hours a day. In the same
33140 way, it is important to watch our mind since the thieves of attachment,
33141 desire, anger, and forgetfulness can come at any time and steal the wealth of
33142 our compassion and wisdom, along with our realization of Mahamudra.
33143 Once mindfulness is continuously established, an unscattered mind is "just
33144 there," on the spot, whether we are walking, eating, driving, or performing
33145 other activities. We can watch the mind and see how our mental state shapes
33146 our world. But when we watch it, we should just relax. Milarepa advises us
33149 Rest naturally, like a small child.
33150 Rest like an ocean without waves.
33151 Rest with clarity, like a candle flame.
33152 Rest without self-concern, like a corpse.
33153 Rest unmoving like a mountain.
33155 -- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, "A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path",
33156 edited by Khenmo Trinlay Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
33158 Every time we begin to practice, it helps not to plunge in right away.
33159 Instead, take a few moments to stop your ordinary chain of thoughts. This is
33160 especially relevant if you are very busy and have only five minutes for your
33161 daily practice, but even ordinarily we have this constant stream of thoughts.
33162 Suppose that just before practice you have a fight with your fianc�. This
33163 will probably trigger a chain of thoughts about what you want to say to your
33164 partner. If you start your practice in the midst of all this, it is not going
33165 to go so well. This is why it helps to put a stop to this chain of thoughts
33166 for just a few moments.
33167 I have found this to be very, very useful. There are actually countless
33168 methods for stopping the chain of thoughts, but for me, before I practice, I
33169 just sit for a while. Every time a thought comes along, I try to stop it by
33170 cultivating a sense of renunciation, and I do this over and over again. I
33171 think about how I am now forty-years-old and, even if I live to be eighty, I
33172 only have half of my life left. I think that out of this forty years, I am
33173 going to sleep the equivalent of twenty years. So now there are only twelve
33174 hours a day that could actually be termed living. If we then factor in
33175 watching at least one movie a day, eating, and gossip, we have maybe five
33176 hours or so left. Out of forty years that means eight years remain, and most
33177 of that will go to indulging our paranoia, anxiety, and all that.... There is
33178 actually very little time for practice!
33179 This should give you an idea of how to stop the chain of thoughts. Don't
33180 immediately throw yourself into the practice; instead, just watch yourself,
33181 watch your life, and watch what you are doing. If you are doing ten minutes
33182 of practice every day, you should try to stop the chain of thoughts for at
33183 least two to three minutes. We do this to transform the mind by invoking a
33184 sense of renunciation. When we think, "I am dying. I am coming closer to
33185 death" and other such thoughts, it really helps.
33186 -- Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in the commentary to "Entrance to the Great
33187 Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminary Practices", compiled,
33188 translated, and introduced by Cortland Dahl, published by Snow Lion
33191 Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that
33192 something else is more important than fear.
33195 Good timber does not grow with ease;
33196 the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.
33199 Q: Does every kind of desire lead to pain?
33201 A: Not all desire leads directly to pain. However, the very word expresses
33202 the sense of sticking to something. It does not permit freedom. It binds.
33203 When attached and fastened to something, we cannot move far away. It is as if
33204 the desired object pulls us back, and we cannot free ourselves from it. For
33205 this kind of desire we use a term meaning attachment. So long as we are
33206 attached, we stick there and cannot achieve liberation. However, this does
33207 not necessarily entail chaos and pain.
33209 Q: Does that mean that some desire is actually beneficial?
33211 A: In the Tibetan language, desire names an attachment that harms ourselves
33212 and others. The source of benefit for ourselves and others receives a
33213 different name; we call that "longing."
33215 -- "Essential Practice: Lectures on Kamalashila's Stages of Meditation in
33216 the Middle Way School by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche", translated and
33217 introduced by Jules B. Levinson, published by Snow Lion Publications
33219 He who plants a tree plants hope. -- Lucy Larcom
33221 We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with
33222 nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a
33223 presumption that once our eyes watered.
33226 The great thing about democracy is that it gives every voter a chance to do
33230 It is our earth, not yours or mine or his. We are meant to live on it,
33231 helping each other, not destroying each other.
33234 When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one
33235 finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and
33236 appreciates them, one is free of fear.
33239 In Buddhism, there is a teaching called the "three bodies" (sanjin), also
33240 called the "three properties" or the "three enlightened properties". These
33241 are the three kinds of form that a Buddha may manifest as: 1) the Dharma Body
33242 (dharmakaya or hosshin) is the form in which a Buddha transcends physical
33243 being and is identical with the undifferentiated unity of being or Suchness
33244 (Skt. tathata, Jp. shinnyo); 2) the Bliss or Reward Body (sambhogakaya or
33245 hojin) is obtained as the "reward" for having completed the bodhisattva
33246 practice of aiding other beings to end their suffering and having penetrated
33247 the depth of the Buddha's wisdom. Unlike the Dharma Body, which is
33248 immaterial, the Bliss Body is conceived of as an actual body, although one
33249 that is still transcendent and imperceptible to common people; 3) the
33250 Manifested Body (nirmanakaya or ojin) is the physical form in which the Buddha
33251 appears in this world in order to guide sentient beings. It is considered
33252 that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is nirmanakaya. Honen believed that
33253 Amida is sambhogakaya.
33255 Sometimes we put our glasses in our pockets or on our heads and later we ask,
33256 "Where are my glasses?" This is quite common. We look everywhere else without
33257 finding our glasses. That is why we need the guru, who can say to us, "There
33258 are your glasses." That is all that the Mahamudra and Dzogchen teachers do:
33259 they simply point out. What they are pointing out is something that you
33260 already have. It is not something that they give you. They do not give you
33261 new glasses. They cannot afford to give you new glasses, but they can afford
33262 to point out where you can find your own glasses.
33263 When we receive pointing-out instructions from our root teacher, we are
33264 being introduced directly and nakedly to the reality of mind's nature. These
33265 instructions become very effective if we have prepared ourselves to receive
33267 ...Pointing-out is similar to pointing to the sky when it is very cloudy and
33268 saying to someone, "There is the blue sky." The person will look up and say,
33269 "Where?" You may reply, "It is there--behind the clouds." The person to whom
33270 you are pointing out the blue sky will not see it at first. However, if even
33271 a patch of blue sky appears, then you can say, "Look--the blue sky is like
33272 that." The person then gets a direct experience. He or she knows
33273 experientially that there is blue sky, which will be fully visible when the
33275 -- The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, "Mind Beyond Death", published by Snow
33278 In general, clear light is of two types--the objective clear light that is
33279 the subtle emptiness [of inherent existence], and the subjective clear light
33280 that is the wisdom consciousness realizing this emptiness.
33281 -- Lati Rinbochay, "Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth"
33283 [At the time of Buddha, a farmer asked to be ordained as a monk. Shariputra
33284 did not see his merit. But, with a great, compassionate mind, the Buddha took
33285 his hand and said, "I will give you ordination. You do have a seed to attain
33287 The Buddha explained, "Thousands and thousands of kalpas ago, this man was
33288 born as a fly. He was sitting on a pile of cow dung when a sudden rush of
33289 water caught the cow dung, along with the fly, and sent them into the river.
33290 Downstream, someone had placed a prayer wheel in the water, and that cow dung
33291 and fly swirled around and around it. Because of that circumambulation, this
33292 man now has a seed to attain arhatship in this lifetime."
33293 Cause and result are so subtle that only omniscient wisdom can perceive
33294 every detail. That is why we must be very careful that our actions are truly
33296 Reciting just one mantra, protecting the life of even one small bug, giving
33297 a small thing--we should not ignore such actions by saying, "This is nothing;
33298 it makes no difference if I do it or not." Many small actions will gather and
33299 swell like the ocean. These are not merely Buddhist beliefs; these are the
33300 causes that create our world no matter who we are. Our study and practice
33301 give us the opportunity to understand this and to be sincere with ourselves
33302 even in small things.
33303 -- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, "A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path",
33304 edited by Khenmo Trinlay Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
33306 Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right.
33309 What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we
33310 open and shut our eyes!
33311 -- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
33313 Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an
33314 acquaintance, or a stranger.
33315 -- Franklin P. Jones
33317 Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.
33318 Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame,
33319 but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the
33323 Whosoever has heard the law of virtue and vice is as one who has eyes and
33324 carries a lamp, seeing everything and will become completely wise.
33327 ...in Dzogchen, one applies specific practices in order to create a variety of
33328 sensations, so that the practitioner is more clearly enabled to distinguish
33329 the state of presence--which always remains the same--from the sensations
33330 which change according to the practice being carried out. This obviously
33331 enables one to 'no longer remain in doubt' as to what the state of pure
33332 presence is. The practices known as the twenty-one Semdzin found in the
33333 Dzogchen Mennagde, or Upadesha, series, have this particular function,
33334 enabling the practitioner to separate the ordinary, reasoning mind from the
33335 nature of the mind.
33336 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, "The Crystal and the Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra
33337 and Dzogchen", compiled and edited by John Shane, published by Snow Lion
33340 People often wonder how to reconcile the Buddha's teachings on non-attachment
33341 with those on love. How can we love others without being attached to them?
33342 Non-attachment is a balanced state of mind in which we cease overestimating
33343 others' qualities. By having a more accurate view of others, our unrealistic
33344 expectations fall away, as does our clinging. This leaves us open to loving
33345 others for who they are, instead of for what they do for us. Our hearts can
33346 open to care for everyone impartially, wishing everyone to be happy simply
33347 because he or she is a living being. The feeling of warmth that was
33348 previously reserved for a select few can now be expanded to a great number of
33350 -- Ven. Thubten Chodron, "Taming the Mind", published by Snow Lion Pub.
33352 Even in this world, and even now, there are said to be many hidden yogis or
33353 discreet yogis, called bepay naljor in Tibetan. It means those realized ones
33354 who are not generally recognized as great spiritual sages or saints, but have
33355 deeply tasted the fruit of enlightenment, and are living it. Perhaps they are
33356 anonymously doing their good works here among us right now!
33357 The infinite vast expanse is one's own inconceivable nature. Who can say
33358 who has realized it and who hasn't? When we travel around the world or
33359 experience other dimensions, there are so many beings who have tasted it. We
33360 can see it in their behavior, in their countenance, and in stories that are
33361 told--not just in the Dzogchen tradition or the Buddhist tradition, but in any
33362 tradition, and in our Western world too.
33363 This true nature is so vast and inconceivable that even some birds and
33364 animals and beings in other unseen dimensions can be said to have realized it,
33365 as in some of the ancient Indian Jataka stories and other teaching tales. It
33366 is always said that everything is the self-radiant display of the primordial
33367 Buddha Samantabhadra. There are infinite numbers of Buddhas and infinite
33368 numbers of beings. Who can say who is excluded from it?
33369 -- Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche and Lama Surya Das, "Natural Great Perfection:
33370 Dzogchen Teachings and Vajra Songs", published by Snow Lion Publications
33372 Many spiritual seekers are not yet ready to become the disciples of
33373 spiritual mentors. Their present levels of commitment may suit working only
33374 with Buddhism professors, Dharma instructors, or meditation or ritual
33375 trainers. Even if they are ready to commit themselves to the Buddhist path
33376 and to spiritual mentors, they may not yet have found properly qualified
33377 mentors. Alternatively, the spiritual teachers available to them may be
33378 properly qualified and may even have shown them great kindness. Yet, none
33379 seem right to be their mentors. They feel they can relate to them only as
33380 their Buddhism professors. Nevertheless, the Kadam style of guru-meditation
33381 may still help such seekers to gain inspiration from these teachers at the
33382 present stages of their spiritual paths.
33383 Unless our spiritual teachers are total charlatans or complete scoundrels,
33384 all of them have at least some good qualities and exhibit at least some level
33385 of kindness. Our Buddhism professors, Dharma instructors, or meditation or
33386 ritual trainers may lack the qualities of great spiritual mentors. Still,
33387 they have some knowledge of the Dharma, some insight from applying the Dharma
33388 to life, or some technical expertise in the practice. Our teachers are kind
33389 to instruct us, even if their motivations contain the wish to earn a living.
33390 If we correctly discern and acknowledge whatever qualities and levels of
33391 kindness that our professors, instructors, or trainers in fact possess, we may
33392 derive inspiration, through guru-meditation, by focusing on them with
33393 conviction and appreciation.
33394 -- Dr. Alexander Berzin, "Wise Teacher, Wise Student: Tibetan Approaches to
33395 a Healthy Relationship", published by Snow Lion Publications
33397 A tenth-century Bengali pandita named Palden Atisha reintroduced Buddhism
33398 into Tibet. He had a servant who was really awful. He was abusive to Atisha,
33399 disobedient, and generally a big problem. The Tibetans asked Atisha what he
33400 was doing with such an awful guy who was so completely obnoxious. They said,
33401 "Send him back. We'll take care of you." Atisha replied, "What are you
33402 talking about? He is my greatest teacher of patience. He is the most
33403 precious person around me!"
33404 Patience does not mean suppression, and it doesn't mean bottling up our
33405 anger or turning it in on ourselves in the form of self-blame. It means
33406 having a mind which sees everything that happens as the result of causes and
33407 conditions we have set in motion at some time in this or past lives. Who
33408 knows what our relationship has been with someone who is causing us
33409 difficulties now? Who knows what we have have done to him in another life!
33410 If we respond to such people with retaliation, we are just locking ourselves
33411 into that same cycle. We are going to have to keep replaying this part of
33412 the movie again and again in this and future lifetimes. The only way to break
33413 out of the cycle is by changing our attitude.
33414 -- "Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism by
33415 Venerable Tenzin Palmo", published by Snow Lion Publications
33417 [Understanding through the merging of sound and meaning takes place when one
33418 immediately understands the meaning of a teaching through hearing the sound of
33421 One might ask what these words are in the key instructions on the Three
33422 Words That Strike the Vital Point. The sound and the word are the same. For
33423 example, the word "mother" can be understood as indicating someone who is very
33424 kind. If one says "mother," the meaning of what that word expresses is
33425 pointed out. What is known as "the three words" is like that.
33426 What are the three words? "View," "meditation," and "action." What does it
33427 mean to "strike the vital point" with these three words? If one wants to kill
33428 a man and strikes his heart with a weapon, the man will not live another hour.
33429 He will die immediately. What vital point do these three words strike? Just
33430 as oil is present in a mustard seed, all of us, all sentient beings, have
33431 buddha nature. Though it is present, we do not recognize it, because our
33432 minds are obscured by delusions. When, as a result of the view, meditation,
33433 and action, we come to recognize these delusions, we can get rid of them in a
33434 moment. In one day sentient beings can be transformed into buddhas--that is
33435 the ultimate view, meditation, and action of dzogchen. Such a power of
33436 transformation is called "striking the vital point."
33437 -- Dilgo Khyentse, "The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse", edited by
33438 Matthieu Ricard and Vivian Kurz, excerpt from Volume 3: "Primordial
33439 Purity", published by Snow Lion Publications
33441 If we can attain nondual, nonconceptual awareness in meditation, we are
33442 engaged in profound political activity, even though we may lose this awareness
33443 during the times we are not formally meditating (the buddha's awareness in
33444 post-meditation is the same as during meditation). Meditating in nondual,
33445 nonconceptual awareness, which is meditating on the dharmadhatu, immediately
33446 begins systematically to destroy in ourselves the structure of dualistic
33447 consciousness with all its attendant cognitive obscurations and emotional
33448 affiictions. From the standpoint of duality, since this dualistic
33449 consciousness also involves other sentient beings as the other pole of our
33450 duality, our activity in dissolving this consciousness has a profound impact
33452 While our nondualistic, nonconceptual meditation is purifying our own
33453 obscurations and afflictions and thereby transforming our personal experience
33454 of others, it is also becoming a spark of buddha activity in those others. As
33455 our meditation becomes effective, the attitude of others towards us begins to
33456 change, and they themselves begin to turn inward and to search with greater
33457 conscientiousness through the stuff of their own minds and lives for spiritual
33458 solutions to their own problems. And as the power of our meditation
33459 increases, this effect reaches ever-widening concentric circles of sentient
33460 beings with whom we have karmic interdependence, which in this day and age
33461 includes not only our immediate family and friends, working associates, and
33462 local communities, but also everyone with whom we are connected through all
33463 the media of our lives.
33464 --Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive
33465 Meaning", edited, introduced and annotated by Lama Tashi Namgyal,
33466 published by Snow Lion Publications
33468 Realizations come only if we practice joyfully, with confidence and courage.
33469 Realization doesn't grow within a timid or weak state of mind--it blossoms in
33470 the mind free of doubt and hesitation. Realization is fearless. When we see
33471 the true nature of reality, there's nothing hidden, nothing left to fear. At
33472 last we're seeing reality as it is, full of joy and peace.
33473 ...Thinking of Tara will bring total calm, peace, and protection from all
33474 fears and all frightening situations. Tara's practice removes the two
33475 obscurations: negative emotions and subtle conceptual thinking. It will
33476 increase the two merits: accumulation merit and wisdom merit. From the moment
33477 you start praying to and practicing Tara, your life will be always under the
33478 protection of the Great Mother. From then on rebirth in the lower realms will
33479 be prevented. If you do this prayer for others, it will bring them the same
33480 benefits; it will protect them in their lifetimes as well as uproot future
33481 births in the lower realms. So there is great benefit.
33482 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal in "Tara's Enlightened
33483 Activity: An Oral Commentary on 'The Twenty-one Praises to Tara'",
33484 published by Snow Lion Publications
33486 Realizations come only if we practice joyfully, with confidence and courage.
33487 Realization doesn't grow within a timid or weak state of mind--it blossoms in
33488 the mind free of doubt and hesitation. Realization is fearless. When we see
33489 the true nature of reality, there's nothing hidden, nothing left to fear. At
33490 last we're seeing reality as it is, full of joy and peace.
33491 ...Thinking of Tara will bring total calm, peace, and protection from all
33492 fears and all frightening situations. Tara's practice removes the two
33493 obscurations: negative emotions and subtle conceptual thinking. It will
33494 increase the two merits: accumulation merit and wisdom merit. From the moment
33495 you start praying to and practicing Tara, your life will be always under the
33496 protection of the Great Mother. From then on rebirth in the lower realms will
33497 be prevented. If you do this prayer for others, it will bring them the same
33498 benefits; it will protect them in their lifetimes as well as uproot future
33499 births in the lower realms. So there is great benefit.
33500 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal in "Tara's Enlightened
33501 Activity: An Oral Commentary on 'The Twenty-one Praises to Tara'",
33502 published by Snow Lion Publications
33504 6. Meditation on the Buddha
33505 Begin by observing your breath for a few minutes to calm the mind.
33506 Think of the qualities of infinite love, compassion, wisdom, skillful means,
33507 and other wonderful qualities you aspire to develop. What would it feel like
33508 to have those qualities? Get a sense of the expansiveness and peace of having
33509 a wise and kind heart that reaches out impartially to work for the benefit of
33511 Those qualities of love, compassion, wisdom, skillful means, and so on now
33512 appear in the physical form of the Buddha, in the space in front of you. He
33513 sits on an open lotus flower, and flat sun and moon disks. His body is made
33514 of radiant, transparent light, as is the entire visualization. His body is
33515 golden and he wears the robes of a monk. His right palm rests on his right
33516 knee and his left is in his lap, holding a bowl of nectar, which is medicine
33517 to cure our afflictions and other hindrances. The Buddha's face is very
33518 beautiful. His smiling, compassionate gaze looks at you with total acceptance
33519 and simultaneously encompasses all sentient beings. His eyes are long,
33520 narrow, and peaceful. His lips are red and his earlobes long.
33521 Rays of light emanate from each pore of the Buddha's body and reach every
33522 part of the universe. These rays carry countless miniature Buddhas, some
33523 going out to help beings, others dissolving back into the Buddha after having
33524 finished their work.
33525 The Buddha is surrounded by the entire lineage of spiritual teachers, all
33526 meditational deities, innumerable other Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, dakas,
33527 dakinis, and Dharma protectors. To the side of each spiritual master is an
33528 elegant table upon which are arranged volumes of Dharma teachings.
33529 Surrounding you are all sentient beings appearing in human form, with your
33530 mother on your left and your father on your right. The people you do not get
33531 along with are in front of you. All of you are looking to the Buddha for
33533 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the
33534 Path", foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion
33537 If we investigate on a deeper level, we will find that when enemies inflict
33538 harm on us, we can actually feel gratitude toward them. Such situations
33539 provide us with rare opportunities to put to test our own practice of
33540 patience. It is a precious occasion to practice not only patience but the
33541 other bodhisattva ideals as well. As a result, we have the opportunity to
33542 accumulate merit in these situations and to receive the benefits thereof.
33543 The poor enemy, on the other hand, because of the negative action of
33544 inflicting harm on someone out of anger and hatred, must eventually face the
33545 negative consequences of his or her own actions. It is almost as if the
33546 perpetrators of the harm sacrifice themselves for the sake of our benefit.
33547 Since the merit accumulated from the practice of patience was possible only
33548 because of the opportunity provided us by our enemy, strictly speaking, we
33549 should dedicate our merit to the benefit of that enemy. This is why the Guide
33550 to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life speaks of the kindness of the enemy.
33551 --Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "The Compassionate Life"
33553 If our practice does not diminish self-grasping, or perhaps even enhances
33554 it, then no matter how austere and determined we are, no matter how many hours
33555 a day we devote to learning, reflection, and meditation, our spiritual
33556 practice is in vain.
33557 A close derivative of self-grasping is the feeling of self-importance. Such
33558 arrogance or pride is a very dangerous pitfall for people practicing Dharma.
33559 Especially in Tibetan Buddhism, with its many levels of practice, the exalted
33560 aspirations of the bodhisattva path, and the mystery surrounding initiation
33561 into tantra, we may easily feel part of an elite. Moreover, the philosophy of
33562 Buddhism is so subtly refined and so penetrating that, as we gain an
33563 understanding of it, this also can give rise to intellectual pride.
33564 But if these are the results of the practice, then something has gone awry.
33565 Recall the well-known saying among Tibetan Buddhists that a pot with a little
33566 water in it makes a loud noise when shaken, but a pot full of water makes no
33568 People with very little realization often want to tell everyone about the
33569 insights they have experienced, the bliss and subtleties of their meditation,
33570 and how it has radically transformed their life. But those who are truly
33571 steeped in realization do not feel compelled to advertise it, and instead
33572 simply dwell in that realization. They are concerned not to describe their
33573 own progress, but to direct the awareness of others to ways in which their own
33574 hearts and minds can be awakened.
33575 -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Seven-Point Mind Training", edited by Zara
33576 Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
33578 What is method, within the context of the unity of method and wisdom? It is
33579 a dedicated heart of bodhichitta, based on love and compassion. It apprehends
33580 its object, enlightenment, with the intention to achieve it in order to
33581 benefit others. Compassion, as its basis, apprehends its object, the
33582 suffering of others, with the wish to remove it.
33583 Wisdom, on the other hand, is a correct view that understands voidness--the
33584 absence of fantasized, impossible ways of existing. Even if it is aimed at
33585 the same object as method, it apprehends that object as not existing in an
33587 The ways wisdom and compassion each apprehend their object are not at all
33588 the same. Therefore, we need to actualize these two, as method and wisdom,
33589 first separately and then together.
33590 Even if we speak about the mahamudra* that is method and wisdom, inseparable
33591 by nature in the ultimate tantric sense, the first stage for its realization
33592 is understanding the abiding nature of reality.
33593 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
33594 Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
33596 In Buddhism we speak of three types of phenomena: First, there are evident
33597 phenomena that are perceived directly.
33598 Second, there are slightly hidden phenomena, which are not accessible to
33599 immediate perception. There are differences of opinion on this even within
33600 Buddhist philosophy. Generally speaking, we think this second type of
33601 phenomena can be known indirectly by inference.
33602 One example of something known by inference is that anything arising in
33603 dependence upon causes and conditions is itself subject to disintegration and
33604 momentary change. This momentary change is not immediately evident to your
33605 senses. You can look at something with your eyes, and it does not appear to
33606 be changing right now, but by inference you can know that it is momentarily
33607 changing. This is an example of the second category of phenomena.
33608 Third, there are very concealed phenomena, which cannot be known by either
33609 of the two preceding methods. They can be known only by relying upon
33610 testimony of someone such as the Buddha.
33611 -- "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on
33612 Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara Houshmand, Robert B.
33613 Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications
33615 I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in
33616 magnificent glow, than asleep and permanent as a planet.
33619 Sometimes our life can feel devoid of meaning even though we may try in
33620 different ways to put meaning into it.... Meaning comes when we go deeply
33621 within, wait, listen, and open. It begins to come when we genuinely open to
33622 the suffering of those around us with a compassionate heart. Equally, it
33623 comes as we respond to the environment within which we live with care and
33625 The meaning or purpose to be found in bodhichitta is less associated with
33626 what we do than with the quality we bring to what we engage in. Small, simple
33627 aspects of our life can be profoundly meaningful and have deep impact both for
33628 ourselves and others. Meaning lies in the quality of heart that we put into
33630 It is not, therefore, the outer manifestation of what we can achieve that is
33631 the root of meaning. It is the undercurrent of bodhichitta's intention or
33632 purpose and meaning that flows within. What bodhichitta implies is that in
33633 attuning to our buddha nature or buddha potential, we touch a source of
33634 meaning in ourselves that will come through whatever we do.
33635 This root of meaning gives the bodhisattva the capacity to live a relatively
33636 ordinary life and transform adverse circumstances into the path. Even small
33637 things become meaningful, like the way we respond to someone's distress or a
33638 gesture of friendliness that lifts someone's day. This deeper sense of
33639 purpose is reflected in the care we give to our relationships and the
33641 Being present and responsive to what arises may mean that the eventual goal
33642 of our sense of purpose is less crucial. We are seldom, if ever, able to see
33643 fully where our path will take us, and once we are open to the meaning present
33644 in bodhichitta, the ego must surrender ambitions and allow the journey to
33646 -- Rob Preece, "The Courage to Feel: Buddhist Practices for Opening to
33647 Others", published by Snow Lion Publications
33649 We have to admit impermanence into our lives. It's important to live with
33650 impermanence as a frame of reference so that we can approach each moment or
33651 each day with a sense of humility about what we are able to do and what we are
33652 not able to do and relinquish control over things we cannot have control over.
33653 It is important to live as if things are as permanent as stone.
33654 You have to invest yourself in love and concern for people, accept people's
33655 love as if that's the only thing that exists. The commitment to living as if
33656 everything is always there forever with the acceptance that nothing is going
33658 --David Hodge and Hi-Jin Kang Hodge, "Impermanence: Embracing Change",
33659 published by Snow Lion Publications
33661 We are the people our parents warned us about. -- Jimmy Buffett
33663 To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid,
33664 you must also be well-mannered.
33667 I won't take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth.
33670 Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time.
33671 Hatred ceases through love.
33672 This is an unalterable law.
33673 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
33675 The Tibetan controversies about instantaneous enlightenment through
33676 recognition of the nature of the mind have been studied by David Jackson.
33677 As he shows, it is mainly members of the Kagyu traditions in Tibet who have
33678 maintained this doctrine, although it is certainly common in Chinese Ch'an
33679 Buddhism and in the teachings of the Great Perfection in Tibet. Dolpopa
33680 quotes the position that is the object of his refutation: "Recognizing the
33681 very essence naturally purifies them, without rejection." This expresses the
33682 view that through recognition of the essence of the thoughts as the dharmakaya
33683 they are purified or dissolved into the dharmakaya, and also the idea that any
33684 affliction that arises is actually a manifestation or self-presencing of
33685 primordial awareness itself. Thus there is no need to reject thoughts or
33686 afflictions, which are naturally purified by means of the recognition. This
33687 type of viewpoint is widespread in Tibetan Buddhism.
33688 In contrast to these views, Dolpopa claims that the definition of an
33689 ordinary sentient being or a buddha, and of samsara or nirvana, is determined
33690 by the presence or absence of the incidental and temporary obscurations that
33691 veil the true nature of reality. It is not determined solely by recognition
33692 of the nature of the mind or the thoughts.
33693 ...While the ground buddhahood of the dharmakaya and the resultant
33694 buddhahood of the dharmakaya have not the slightest difference in essence,
33695 they are distinguished as ground and result by means of the presence or
33696 absence of incidental stains.
33697 -- Cyrus Stearns, "The Buddha from Dolpo: A Study of the Life and Thought
33698 of the Tibetan Master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen", a Tsadra Foundation
33699 Series book, published by Snow Lion Publications
33701 We live in an ocean of cyclic existence whose depth and extent cannot be
33702 measured. We are troubled again and again by the afflictions of desire and
33703 hatred as if repeatedly attacked by sharks.
33704 Our mental and physical aggregates are impelled by former contaminated
33705 actions and afflictions and serve as a basis for present suffering as well as
33706 inducing future suffering. While such cyclic existence lasts, we have various
33707 thoughts of pleasure and displeasure: 'If I do this, what will people think?
33708 If I do not do this, I will be too late; I won't make any profit.' When we see
33709 something pleasant we think, 'Oh, if I could only have that!'
33710 ...Day and night, night and day we spend our lives in the company of the
33711 afflictions, generating desire for the pleasant and anger at the unpleasant,
33712 and continue thus even when dreaming, unable to remain relaxed, our minds
33713 completely and utterly mixed with thoughts of desire and hatred without
33715 To what refuge should we go? A source of refuge must have completely
33716 overcome all defects forever; it must be free of all faults. It must also
33717 have all the attributes of altruism--those attainments which are necessary for
33718 achieving others' welfare. For it is doubtful that anyone lacking these two
33719 prerequisites can bestow refuge; it would be like falling into a ditch and
33720 asking another who is in it to help you out. You need to ask someone who is
33721 standing outside the ditch for help; it is senseless to ask another who is in
33722 the same predicament. A refuge capable of protecting from the frights of
33723 manifold sufferings cannot also be bound in this suffering but must be free
33725 Furthermore, the complete attainments are necessary, for if you have fallen
33726 into a ditch, it is useless to seek help from someone standing outside it who
33727 does not wish to help or who wishes to help but has no means to do so.
33728 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in Tibet",
33729 published by Snow Lion Publications
33731 If we were forced to choose between a sense of practical application and
33732 learnedness, a sense of practical application would be more important, for one
33733 who has this will receive the full benefit of whatever he knows. The mere
33734 learnedness of one whose mind is not tamed can produce and increase bad states
33735 of consciousness, which cause unpleasantness for himself and others instead of
33736 the happiness and peace of mind that were intended. One could become jealous
33737 of those higher than oneself, competitive with equals and proud and
33738 contemptuous towards those lower and so forth. It is as if medicine had
33740 Because such danger is great, it is very important to have a composite of
33741 learnedness, a sense of practical application and goodness, without having
33742 learnedness destroy the sense of practical application or having the sense of
33743 practical application destroy learnedness.
33744 -- The Dalai Lama, "A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and
33745 About the Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, Foreword
33746 by Sen. Claiborne Pell, published by Snow Lion Publications
33748 A bodhisattva, having generated a sincere and spontaneous desire to attain
33749 full enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, enters the Mahayana
33750 path of accumulation. Here the bodhisattva cultivates the four mindfulnesses
33751 and develops mental quiescence, then passes on to the path of application,
33752 where she or he strives for a conceptual insight into emptiness. When
33753 quiescence and insight are combined in examining emptiness, the bodhisattva
33754 attains a direct, non-conceptual realization of emptiness, and thus becomes an
33755 arya, on the path of seeing.
33756 The path of seeing corresponds to the first of the ten bhumis, i.e. stages,
33757 levels, or grounds said to be traversed by a bodhisattva. The other nine
33758 bodhisattva stages are coextensive with the path of development, during the
33759 course of which the disciple completely eliminates not only the defilements
33760 that are obstacles to liberation but even the traces of defilement, which are
33761 obstacles to full enlightenment.
33762 When the path of development is completed, the disciple is ready to enter
33763 the path of no-more-training; this marks the attainment of full enlightenment,
33764 the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya of an omniscient, compassionate,
33765 and powerful buddha.
33766 -- Geshe Lhundub Sopa, Roger Jackson, John Newman, "The Wheel of Time: The
33767 Kalachakra in Context", edited by Beth Simon, published by Snow Lion
33770 "If you fear you are running after the objects of the six senses, hold
33771 yourself with the hook:"
33772 'Employ the watchman that is mindfulness.'
33774 Someone who has been captured with a hook has no option but to go wherever
33775 he is led. In the same way, if we catch hold of our mind--which risks being
33776 distracted by the objects of the six senses--with the hook of mindfulness, and
33777 with vigilance and carefulness, this will be of enormous benefit. We should
33778 use this watchman to constantly check how many positive or negative thoughts
33779 and actions we produce during the day. When we are able to control our minds
33780 through mindfulness, everything that appears in samsara and nirvana becomes an
33781 aid in our practice and serves to confirm the meaning of the teachings. All
33782 appearances are understood as being dharmakaya. We perceive everything in its
33783 natural purity, and there is nothing we can call impure.
33784 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Zurchungpa's Testament: A Commentary on
33785 Zurchung Sherab Trakpa's 'Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice'", based on
33786 Shechen Gyaltsap's Annotated Edition, translated by the Padmakara
33787 Translation Group, published by Snow Lion Publications
33789 A committee can make a decision that is dumber than any of its members.
33792 Art is science made clear. -- Jean Cocteau
33794 A specification that will not fit on one page of 8.5x11 inch paper
33795 cannot be understood.
33798 A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff
33799 that nature replaces it with.
33800 -- Tennessee Williams
33802 The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all of your time.
33803 -- Willem de Kooning
33805 We need to understand the essential nature of the broad diversity of
33806 phenomena. For example, if we are obliged to be involved frequently with a
33807 man who exhibits a personality that is true only on the surface, as well as
33808 another basic personality, it is important for us to know both of them. To
33809 engage in a relationship with this person that does not go awry, we must know
33810 both aspects of his personality. To know only the facade that he presents is
33811 insufficient; we need to know his basic disposition and abilities. Then we
33812 can know what to expect from him; and he will not deceive us.
33813 Likewise, the manifold events in the world are not non-existent; they do
33814 exist. They are able to help and hurt us--no further criterion for existence
33815 is necessary. If we do not understand their fundamental mode of existence, we
33816 are liable to be deceived, just as in the case of being involved with a person
33817 whose basic personality we do not know.
33818 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Transcendent Wisdom", translated, edited and
33819 annotated by B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications
33821 One has to be cautious when one is very successful since at that time there
33822 is danger of becoming prideful and becoming involved in the non-religious, and
33823 one has to be cautious also when one has undergone lack of success and so
33824 forth since there is a danger of becoming discouraged--the life of the mind,
33825 so to speak, dying--due to which harm to one's practice could be incurred.
33826 ...Specifically, in situations of low self-esteem, Shantideva recommends
33827 reflection this way:
33828 "Even very tiny bugs and worms have the Buddha nature and thus, when they
33829 encounter certain conditions, through the power of effort they can achieve
33830 the non-abiding nirvana of a Buddha. Now, I have been born as a human with
33831 the capacity to understand what is to be adopted in practice and what is to
33832 be discarded; thus, there is no reason for me to be discouraged. The great
33833 saints and so forth of the past who achieved a high level were people with
33834 a life-basis such as I have, not something separate."
33835 Through such reflection, a resurgence of will can be generated.
33836 -- "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace by
33837 H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso", translated and edited by
33838 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
33840 When we understand the evolution of our unsatisfactory experiences in cyclic
33841 existence, we will see that meditating on emptiness is their antidote. All
33842 knowable things--people and phenomena--appear to our minds to be inherently
33843 existent. We then grasp at them as existing inherently. Our inappropriate
33844 attention focuses on them, and that gives rise to the various disturbing
33845 attitudes of anger, attachment, and so on. These disturbing attitudes
33846 motivate our actions, which in turn leave karmic imprints on our mindstreams.
33847 When these imprints ripen, we meet with suffering.
33848 -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, "Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage: An
33849 Explanation of the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas", edited by
33850 Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
33852 The essential point about this condition of potentiality is that, although
33853 there is a causal relationship between the physical world and the world of
33854 mental phenomena, in terms of their own continuum one cannot be said to be the
33855 cause of the other. A mental phenomenon, such as a thought or an emotion,
33856 must come from a preceding mental phenomenon; likewise, a particle of matter
33857 must come from a preceding particle of matter.
33858 Of course, there is an intimate relationship between the two. We know that
33859 mental states can influence material phenomena, such as the body; and,
33860 similarly, that material phenomena can act as contributory factors for certain
33861 subjective experiences. This is something that we can observe in our lives.
33862 Much of our gross level of consciousness is very closely connected to our
33863 body, and in fact we often use terminology and conventions which reflect this.
33864 For example, when we say 'human mind' or 'human consciousness' we are using
33865 the human body as the basis to define a particular mind state. Likewise, at
33866 the gross levels of mind such as our sensory experiences, it is very obvious
33867 that these are heavily dependent upon our body and some physiological states.
33868 When a part of our body is hurt or damaged, for instance, we immediately
33869 experience the impact on our mental state. Nevertheless, the principle
33870 remains that mental phenomena must come from preceding phenomena of the same
33872 If we trace mental phenomena back far enough, as in the case of an
33873 individual's life, we come to the first instant of consciousness in this life.
33874 Once we have traced its continuum to this point of beginning, we then have
33875 three options: we can either say that the first instant of consciousness in
33876 this life must come from a preceding instant of consciousness which existed in
33877 the previous life. Or we can say that this first instant of consciousness
33878 came from nowhere--it just sort of 'popped up'. Or we can say that it came
33879 from a material cause.
33880 From the Buddhist point of view, the last two alternatives are deeply
33881 problematic. The Buddhist understanding is that, in terms of its continuum,
33882 consciousness or mind is beginningless. Mental phenomena are beginningless.
33883 Therefore, the person or the being--which is essentially a designation based
33884 on the continuum of the mind--is also devoid of beginning.
33885 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
33886 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
33888 If someone wants a sheep, then that means that he exists.
33889 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
33891 If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? -- Abraham Lincoln
33893 There is something about the outside of a horse
33894 that is good for the inside of a man.
33895 -- Sir Winston Churchill
33897 Life is a party on death row. Recognizing mortality means we are willing to
33898 see what is true. Seeing what is true is grounding. It brings us into the
33899 present and, eventually, into presence. It also brings us into our bodies,
33900 especially if we combine meditation on impermanence with an energetic
33901 awareness at the base of the spine. At first, the important thing about
33902 impermanence seems to be the limited time we have in this precious life. This
33903 is crucial and foundational, and yet it is not the whole story.
33904 The teachings on impermanence concern the death of a self that never
33905 existed. Our sense of such a false and finite self, which initially is
33906 inseparable from our wish to practice, can dissolve. Understanding
33907 impermanence, Khetsun Rinpoche says, will lead you into the natural clarity of
33908 your own mind. To know impermanence is thus not only a path leading to what
33909 Dzogchen traditions speak of as "unbounded wholeness" (thigle nyag cig), it is
33910 also integral to that wholeness.
33911 -- Anne C. Klein, "Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse: A Story of
33912 Transmission", foreword by Adzom Paylo Rinpoche, preface by Tulku
33913 Thondup Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
33915 Now, you see, world peace through mental peace is an absolute. It is the
33916 ultimate goal. But as for the method, there are many factors that must be
33917 taken into consideration. Under a particular set of circumstances, a certain
33918 approach may be useful while under other circumstances another may be useful.
33919 This is a very complicated issue which compels us to study the situation at a
33920 particular point of time. We must take into account the other side's
33921 motivation, etc., so it is a very complex matter.
33922 But we must always keep in mind that all of us want happiness. War, on the
33923 other hand, only brings suffering--that is very clear. Even if we are
33924 victorious, that victory means sacrificing many people. It means their
33925 suffering. Therefore, the important thing is peace. But how do we achieve
33926 peace? Is it done through hatred, through extreme competition, through anger?
33927 It is obvious that through these means it is impossible to achieve any form of
33928 lasting world peace. Hence, the only alternative is to achieve world peace
33929 through mental peace, through peace of mind. World peace is achieved based
33930 only on a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood, on the basis of compassion.
33931 The clear, genuine realization of the oneness of all mankind is something
33932 important. It is something we definitely need. Wherever I go, I always
33933 express these views.
33934 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
33935 edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
33937 koan for dependency inversion:
33939 High-level modules should not depend upon low-level modules.
33940 Both should depend upon abstractions.
33942 Abstractions should not depend upon details.
33943 Details should depend upon abstractions.
33945 People harm others only when they are unhappy. No one wakes up in the morning
33946 and says, "I feel so great today! I think I'll go out and harm someone!" When
33947 we can allow ourselves to know the depth of the pain and confusion felt by
33948 those who have harmed us, compassion--the wish that they be free from such
33949 suffering--can easily arise. Thinking in this way does not mean whitewashing
33950 or denying harm that was done. Rather, we acknowledge it, but go beyond
33951 amassing resentment, because we know that grudges help neither ourselves nor
33953 -- Thubten Chodron, "Working with Anger", published by Snow Lion Publications
33955 The reason why the qualities of a teacher are described at such length in
33956 the scriptures is because we should know what to look for when seeking a guru
33957 capable of opening up the Buddhist paths within us. To take up training under
33958 an unqualified teacher can be disastrous. It is said in the tantric
33959 scriptures that one is not unwise to examine a guru for twelve years before
33960 accepting that person as one's teacher. The choice of teachers is an
33961 important one and must be made carefully.
33962 Not only does the guru perform the work of the Buddhas and thus equal them
33963 in activity, in terms of kindness the guru surpasses them. Of all Buddhas of
33964 the past who have manifested as universal teachers, it is said that Buddha
33965 Shakyamuni is kindest to us; for it is with his teachings that we have come
33966 into contact...even though Buddha Shakyamuni is most kind of the past Buddhas,
33967 still we are unable to receive teachings from him or witness his inspiring
33969 Were all the Buddhas and lineage masters of the past to manifest before us
33970 at this very moment, we would not be able to recognize them as enlightened
33971 beings. Due to our not having a sufficiently strong karmic connection with
33972 them, they would be unable to affect us. The guru performs the great kindness
33973 of coming to us in an ordinary form which we can perceive and to which we can
33974 relate, and carries out the work of the Buddhas in our lives. The fact that a
33975 donkey like us is brought into the family of spiritual beings is purely due to
33976 the kindness of the guru. The Buddhas can only come to us through him or her.
33977 Thus if we do not respect the guru and heed his or her teachings, what hope do
33978 we have? We should meditate upon the guru's unexcelled kindness and give
33979 birth to profound appreciation.
33980 The reason why we have been wandering unceasingly in cyclic existence since
33981 time immemorial is because we have not met a spiritual master before; or even
33982 if we have met one we did not cultivate an effective relationship with him or
33983 her. We should determine to take the opportunities afforded by our present
33984 human situation and cultivate a spiritual practice under the guidance of a
33986 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
33987 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
33989 There was once a Spartan boy,
33990 who, one night, stole a fox.
33991 In order not to be caught,
33992 he hid it under his cloak.
33993 He stood stock still as his
33994 elder looked him over,
33995 but all the while the fox
33996 chewed away at his insides.
33997 The boy bit his lip against
33998 the pain until he inevitably fell,
33999 dead to the ground.
34002 An exalting task for all humankind
34003 The West is fascinated by efficiency. And there is no doubt that in many
34004 areas its efficiency is quite admirable. That is why I would like to ask this
34005 question, which seems natural to me: why not apply this technical efficiency
34006 to protect all forms of life? This would be an exalting task for all
34007 humankind, especially as we seem to lack a truly large-scale project or ideal.
34008 It is difficult, yet it is absolutely necessary. If the question of human
34009 survival is not solved, there will be nobody left to solve the problem. And
34010 Buddhism can help here.
34011 -- "The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Inner Peace: The Essential Life and
34012 Teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama"
34014 If you continue to practice meditation, then your experience will gradually
34015 increase and there will be greater and greater stability and greater and
34016 greater lucidity. However, the experiences that can arise in meditation can
34017 take various different forms. And in spite of the fact that the person has a
34018 real recognition of the mind's nature, there is still the possibility or
34019 probability of fluctuation in experience even after that.
34020 Sometimes you may feel that you have amazing, tremendous meditation, and at
34021 other times you may feel that you have no meditation at all. This
34022 characterizes meditation experience, which fluctuates a great deal.
34023 Realization, which is distinct from experience, does not change, but
34024 experiences can fluctuate a great deal or alternate between good and bad.
34025 There will still be times when you will have what you regard as good
34026 experiences and, in contrast, what you regard as bad experiences. When that
34027 occurs, just keep on looking. Don't get distracted or sidetracked by the
34028 experience. Whatever meditation experience arises, you should recognize that
34029 it is transitory. As is said, "meditation experience is like mist, it will
34031 Experiences are different from the actual fact of the recognition itself.
34032 Because they are ephemeral experiences, they aren't worth investing in. So if
34033 you have a bad meditation experience, do not be alarmed, because it too will
34034 vanish. If you have a good meditation experience, you need to continue; if
34035 you have a bad meditation experience, you need to continue. In either case,
34036 you simply need to continue to rest in this recognition of the mind's nature.
34037 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "Pointing Out the Dharmakaya", published by
34038 Snow Lion Publications
34040 The person witnessing another person's suffering has only one appropriate
34041 response: "How can I help?" When karma comes to fruition and causes suffering,
34042 the response should never be, "This is your karma. It's your destiny, so I
34043 can't help." Your own karma may very well present itself as an opportunity to
34044 help a suffering person. Misunderstanding actions and their consequences can
34046 From the Buddhist perspective, the type of fortune we encounter, happiness
34047 or sorrow, is not due to somebody doing something to us. If I win the
34048 lottery, it is not because Buddha selected me for a bonus. No god or buddha
34049 is responsible for what happens to us....This does not imply that a suffering
34050 person is morally degenerate any more than suffering the consequences of
34051 eating contaminated food does. The suffering we experience is due to karma
34052 accumulated under the influence of delusion and mental afflictions. This is
34053 true for all sentient beings.
34054 The Buddhist response to the non-virtues we all commit while strapped to the
34055 wheel of samsara can be inspiring and encouraging. The Buddhist teaching is
34056 that it is possible to neutralize negative karmic seeds embedded in the stream
34057 of consciousness. Deeds cannot be undone, but it is possible to purify one's
34058 mind-stream so that the impact of karmic seeds will be nullified.
34059 The method used to purify the mind-stream is the "four remedial powers"
34060 [remorse, reliance, resolve, and purification]. The metaphor for the
34061 effectiveness of the four remedial powers is that of burning a seed. Karma,
34062 like a seed, can be scorched in the fire of purification so that it will not
34063 sprout. The seed won't vanish, but it will not sprout.
34064 -- B. Alan Wallace, "Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point
34065 Mind Training", published by Snow Lion Publications
34067 ...it is said that through the power of believing one's own body, speech,
34068 and mind to be undifferentiable from the deity's exalted body, speech, and
34069 mind all one's physical actions and movements are seals and all one's speech
34070 is mantra. In this way the Vajrapani Initiation Tantra says:
34071 "A son or daughter of lineage* who has seen a mandala, who generates the
34072 mind of enlightenment, who is compassionate, skilled in means and in teaching
34073 the ways of letters--the door of Secret Mantra--should think thus, 'Separate
34074 from speech, there is no mind. Separate from mind, there is no speech.
34075 Separate from mind, there is no divine form. Mind itself is speech; speech
34076 itself is mind; divine form itself is also mind, and speech itself is also
34078 "If a mantra practitioner believes in this way that these are
34079 undifferentiable, he attains purity of mind. At those times when he has a
34080 pure mind, he always views in all ways his own body to be the same as the
34081 deity's body, his own speech to be the same as the deity's speech, and his own
34082 mind to be the same as the deity's mind; then, he is in meditative equipoise."
34083 * One who is a suitable vessel for the teaching.
34084 -- "Deity Yoga in Action and Performance Tantra", by His Holiness the Dalai
34085 Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Pub.
34087 My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but
34088 tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward not forward,
34089 and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
34090 -- Kodos gives a speech, "Treehouse of Horror VII"
34092 Mind is empty like an illusion;
34093 Separate from body, it cannot achieve.
34094 Body also is like a wall;
34095 Separate from mind it is without activity.
34096 Similarly the yoga of seals....
34099 Mind separate from body cannot openly display activities; body separate from
34100 mind is the same. Rather, actions must be done upon the aggregation of mind
34101 and body. Just so, here when practicing techniques for transforming basic--or
34102 ordinary--body, speech, mind, and activities into those of the fruit stage of
34103 Buddhahood, it is necessary both to cultivate (1) internal meditative
34104 stabilization on a divine body, on a vajra on a moon disc at the heart, on a
34105 seed syllable on a vajra in the throat, and on a vajra at the heart, and (2)
34106 at the same time to construct the appropriate gesture, or seal, with the
34107 hands. These must be done in unison, for it is said in Yoga Tantra ritual
34108 texts that if you fail to construct seals with the hands, the rite is
34109 nullified. Unlike on other occasions, it is not just that if the hand-seals
34110 are constructed, it is better, but if not, there is no fault of nullifying the
34111 rite. Here, they must be done.
34112 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths
34113 to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by
34114 Snow Lion Publications
34116 Following the Vajrayana teachings, we do not give up or reject anything;
34117 rather we make use of whatever is there. We look at our negative emotions and
34118 accept them for what they are. Then we relax in this state of acceptance.
34119 Using the emotion itself, it is transformed or transmuted into the positive,
34120 into its true face.
34121 When, for instance, strong anger or desire arises, a Vajrayana practitioner
34122 is not afraid of it. Instead he or she would follow advice along the
34123 following lines: Have the courage to expose yourself to your emotions. Do not
34124 reject or suppress them, but do not follow them either. Just look your
34125 emotion directly in the eye and then try to relax within the very emotion
34126 itself. There is no confrontation involved. You don't do anything.
34127 Remaining detached, you are neither carried away by emotion nor do you reject
34128 it as something negative. Then, you can look at your emotions almost casually
34129 and be rather amused.
34130 When our usual habit of magnifying our feelings and our fascination
34131 resulting from that are gone, there will be no negativity and no fuel. We can
34132 relax within them. What we are trying to do, therefore, is to skillfully and
34133 subtly deal with our emotions. This is largely equivalent to the ability of
34134 exerting discipline.
34135 -- Ringu Tulku, "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha", edited and
34136 translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, published by Snow Lion Publications
34138 Although we did not have the fortune to see Buddha Shakyamuni himself in
34139 person, we do have the great fortune of having access to his own precious
34140 teachings, which is actually superior to seeing him in person. The same is
34141 the case with masters like Nagarjuna and his immediate disciples. If we make
34142 the necessary effort, and undertake the practice and study, we can fully enjoy
34143 a benefit equal to that of having met them in person.
34144 ...So visualize in space, in front of you, all the exalted masters,
34145 including Buddha Shakyamuni, Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, eighty mahasiddhas, the
34146 Nyingma masters, Atisha, the Kadampa masters, the five great masters of the
34147 Sakya tradition, the lineages of Lamdre practice, the great masters of the
34148 Kagyu lineage, such as Marpa, Milarepa, and also the great masters of the
34149 Gelugpa lineage, Lama Tsongkhapa, and all of their followers.
34150 Around you also are the protectors who have taken the oath in the presence
34151 of Buddha Shakyamuni to safeguard and protect the precious doctrine of Buddha.
34152 Visualize as well the harmful spirits--actually an embodiment of your own
34153 delusions--from which you are being protected by the guardians. Also
34154 visualize various emanations of the buddhas actively working for the benefit
34155 of all living beings. Surrounding you are all sentient beings...undergoing
34156 the sufferings of their individual realms of existence. Now generate a strong
34157 force of compassion directed towards all these sentient beings, particularly
34159 Having created this mental image, question yourself as to how all these
34160 objects of refuge, the buddhas and the masters of the past, achieved such a
34161 high state of realization and reached a state where they can provide
34162 protection to all living beings. You will find that it is because of their
34163 having made effort in the practice of dharma in general and, in particular,
34164 the practice of bodhicitta*. Think as follows: "I shall, from today, follow
34165 in the footsteps of these great masters, and take the initiative of generating
34167 * The aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all beings.
34168 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Bliss", translated by Geshe Thupten
34169 Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
34171 To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.
34174 I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire
34175 to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
34178 The question then is "How do we cultivate and develop this bodhicitta, the
34179 mind of enlightenment?" The key, and the root, is great compassion.
34180 Compassion here refers to a state of mind that makes it utterly unbearable for
34181 us to see the suffering of other sentient beings. The way to develop this is
34182 through understanding how we feel about our own suffering. When we become
34183 conscious of our own suffering, we have a spontaneous wish to be free from it.
34184 If we are able to extend that feeling to all other beings, through realizing
34185 the common instinctive desire we all have to avoid and overcome suffering,
34186 then that state of mind is called 'great compassion'.
34187 All of us have the potential to develop that kind of compassion, because
34188 whenever we see people who are suffering, especially those close to us, we
34189 immediately feel empathy towards them, and witness a spontaneous response
34190 within our minds. So all we have to do is to bring that potential out, and
34191 then to develop it to become so impartial that it can include all sentient
34192 beings within its embrace, whether friend or foe.
34193 To cultivate this great compassion within ourselves, first of all we need to
34194 develop what is called loving-kindness, a feeling of connectedness or
34195 closeness with all living creatures. This closeness and intimacy should not
34196 be confused with the kind of feeling we normally have toward our loved ones,
34197 which is tainted by attachment...ego and selfishness. On the contrary, we are
34198 seeking to develop a feeling of closeness towards other sentient beings, and
34199 affection for them, by reflecting on the fact that suffering is inherent in
34200 their very nature, on the helplessness of their situation, and on the
34201 instinctive desire they all have to overcome suffering.
34202 The greater the force of our loving kindness towards other beings, the
34203 greater the force of our compassion. And the greater the force of our
34204 compassion, the easier it will be for us to develop a sense of responsibility
34205 for taking upon ourselves the task of working for others. The greater that
34206 sense of responsibility, the more successful we will be in generating
34207 bodhicitta, the genuine altruistic aspiration to attain buddhahood for the
34209 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
34210 Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, Foreword by
34211 Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion Pub.
34213 Understanding the power of the path provides the inspiration that keeps us
34214 going forward; exploring its pain provides the understanding of what holds us
34215 back. It doesn't take long to discover the power, nor to feel the pain.
34216 Waking up hurts. And if we don't understand why, we will run from the pain
34217 and abandon the path. There are countless people who have become spiritual
34218 dropouts, or who are lost in detours because they have not understood
34220 When your arm falls asleep, it prickles and burns as it returns to life.
34221 Frozen fingers sting when they thaw; we jolt awake when the alarm clock rings.
34222 But physical instances of anesthesia are mild compared to the anesthesia born
34223 of ignorance, and so is the level of discomfort upon awakening. The longer
34224 something has been asleep, the more painful it is to wake it up. If your
34225 fingers are merely cold, it is easy to warm them up. But if your fingers are
34226 frozen solid, it hurts like hell when they thaw. According to the traditions,
34227 unless one is already a buddha, an "awakened one," one has been snoring from
34228 beginningless time, and it can really hurt before we completely wake up.
34229 Mingyur Rinpoche writes,
34230 "I'd like to say that everything got better once I was safely settled among
34231 the other participants in the three-year retreat.... On the contrary,
34232 however, my first year in retreat was one of the worst in my life. All the
34233 symptoms of anxiety I'd ever experienced--physical tension, tightness in the
34234 throat, dizziness, and waves of panic--attacked in full force. In Western
34235 terms, I was having a nervous breakdown. In hindsight, I can say that what I
34236 was actually going through was what I like to call a 'nervous breakthrough'."
34237 -- Dr. Andrew Holecek, "The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual
34238 Hardship into Joy", published by Snow Lion Publications
34240 Through our eyes the universe is perceiving itself, and through our ears the
34241 universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witness through which the
34242 universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.
34243 -- McMurdo Station Forklift Driver paraphrasing Alan Watts
34245 As human beings we are deeply insecure and we do not know who we truly are.
34246 Of course this problem does not show on the surface of our lives. We are
34247 always telling ourselves who we are, based on this notion that we are separate
34248 from everything else. This sense that "I am separate" is the ground of our
34249 sense of self. It is reinforced by various false identities that we cling to,
34250 notions that "I am this" or "I am that." Whatever beliefs we have about
34251 ourselves are just another extension. Most of the time when we look around,
34252 we immediately see that our surroundings are validating these false
34253 identities. For this very reason, it is a challenging endeavor to deconstruct
34254 this illusion of self.
34255 Every time we look into our mirror we might have some thought about
34256 ourselves. Each of these thoughts adds up. They become the conceptual bricks
34257 we use to keep building this illusory castle of self. Yet, there is a
34258 suspicion that this notion of self might be very fragile and transient, and
34259 this thought is silently lurking somewhere in our consciousness. Most of the
34260 time this suspicion is not brought into the light of awareness, but if it is,
34261 some deep, inner wisdom will arise without choice.
34262 Our suspicion of the fragility of this false notion of self can go in one of
34263 two directions. In general it becomes a source of fear, anxiety, and
34264 insecurity. We often see people who are fearful and overly defensive when it
34265 comes to their own identity. We ourselves tend to become fearful if our
34266 identity is threatened. But at other times the suspicion can go another way.
34267 When that happens, it can be a life-changing revelation that can lead us to
34268 the realization of the highest level of truth. This idea is not some new,
34269 lofty theory. It is timeless wisdom that has been realized by many people in
34270 human history. Buddha taught this wisdom, and in his tradition it is called
34271 anatman or "no self." Anatman, or "no self," is the term used to mean that one
34272 has seen through this false sense of self. One has seen that this false sense
34273 of self is merely an identification with one's roles in life. It is just a
34274 mask, not the truth.
34275 -- Anam Thubten, "No Self, No Problem", edited by Sharon Roe, published by
34276 Snow Lion Publications
34278 It is common worldly knowledge that by believing untrue information to be
34279 true we fall into confusion and are harmed. Similarly, by believing phenomena
34280 to be inherently existent when in fact they are not inherently existent, we
34281 are also harmed. For example, with respect to the different ways in which
34282 there can be a consciousness of 'I', there is a definite difference between
34283 the way the 'I' is apprehended when desire, hatred, pride and so forth are
34284 generated based on this 'I', and the way the 'I' is apprehended when we are
34285 relaxed without any of those attitudes being manifest.
34286 Similarly, there is the mere consciousness that apprehends an article in a
34287 store before we buy it, and there is the consciousness apprehending that
34288 article after it has been bought, when it is adhered to as 'mine' and grasped
34289 with attachment. Both these consciousnesses have the same object, and in both
34290 cases the mode of appearance of the article is the appearance of it as
34291 inherently existent. However, there is the difference of the presence or
34292 absence of our adhering to it as inherently or independently existent.
34293 ...a consciousness conceiving inherent existence precedes any bad
34294 consciousness, leading it on by the nose, and also accompanies, or aids, many
34295 other bad consciousnesses as well. Thus, if there were no ignorance
34296 conceiving inherent existence, then there would be no chance for desire,
34297 hatred and so forth to be generated.
34298 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
34299 Jeffrey Hopkins, with Anne Klein, published by Snow Lion Publications
34303 As practitioners we will face many obstacles and sidetracks on our path to
34304 liberation, and these will provide us with many challenges along the way. We
34305 shouldn't allow our practice to become interrupted due to these obstacles and
34306 sidetracks, such as the appearance and disappearance of the many friends we
34307 will have over the course of our lives.
34308 We also shouldn't allow our practice to become interrupted by a change in
34309 the availability or quality of food and shelter. And we shouldn't allow our
34310 practice to become interrupted by the obstacles and sidetracks presented by
34311 the many distractions of mind that are readily available in the mundane world
34312 of our external environment. We shouldn't allow our practice to be
34313 interrupted by obstacles and sidetracks that arise due to the desire and
34314 attachment we feel for loved ones, or our aversion to enemies, or our
34315 indifference towards others. Finally, we should not allow our practice to
34316 become interrupted by our desire to accumulate wealth, or by our attachment to
34317 our material possessions. Only an advanced practitioner, motivated by deep
34318 bodhichitta, can get through these obstacles and avoid these sidetracks to
34319 reach their goal of liberation from samsara.
34320 -- Lama Dudjom Dorjee, "Heartfelt Advice", published by Snow Lion Pub.
34322 Cultivating an aspiration to help other sentient beings becomes a cause for
34323 wanting to achieve Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. These are
34324 the two levels of the awakening mind of bodhichitta.
34325 Such a mind cannot be cultivated in a mere few months or years, but this
34326 does not mean it cannot be cultivated at all. If you continue your practice
34327 to cultivate bodhichitta, a time will come when you will be successful. For
34328 example, in the initial stage you may not even understand the meaning of the
34329 word bodhichitta. You might wonder how you could ever cultivate such a mind.
34330 But through repeated practice and familiarity, you will gradually come closer
34332 It is the nature of conditioned things that they change depending on causes
34333 and conditions. So it is important to recall the advantages and benefits of
34334 such a mind and cultivate a strong determination to achieve it. Make ardent
34335 prayers. Whether you sleep, walk, or sit, you should think: "How good it
34336 would be if I could cultivate such a mind." Try to cultivate bodhichitta even
34337 on an aspirational level. If you spend your days in such repeated and
34338 persistent practice, you can definitely develop it. Make the determination to
34339 cultivate it even if it will take many aeons. As Shantideva prays in his
34340 Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life:
34342 As long as space endures
34343 And as long as sentient beings remain,
34345 To dispel the sufferings of all sentient beings.
34347 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", root text by Kamalashila,
34348 translated by Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and
34349 Jeremy Russell, published by Snow Lion Publications
34351 The theory of dependent-arising can be applied everywhere. One benefit of
34352 applying this theory is that viewing a situation this way gives you a more
34353 holistic picture, since whatever the situation is--good or bad--it depends on
34354 causes and conditions. An event is not under its own power but depends on
34355 many present causes and conditions as well as many past causes and conditions.
34356 Otherwise, it could not come into being.
34357 When you think from this viewpoint, you can see much more of the whole
34358 picture, and from this wider perspective, you can see the reality of the
34359 situation, its interdependence. With the help of this relational outlook, the
34360 action that you take will be realistic.
34361 ...Failure to look at the whole picture means realism is lost. The attitude
34362 that money alone is sufficient leads to unforeseen consequences. Money is
34363 certainly necessary; for instance, if you thought that religious retreat in
34364 meditation alone was sufficient, you would not have anything to eat. Many
34365 factors have to be considered. With awareness of the fuller picture, your
34366 outlook becomes reasonable, and your actions become practical, and in this way
34367 favorable results can be achieved.
34368 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to See Yourself As You Really Are",
34369 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D.
34371 Fear and Fearlessness.
34373 Perhaps the first reaction we have to our own suffering is fear. Fear
34374 arises in us almost automatically when we experience strong emotions or pain.
34375 We don't have to sit there and generate fear--it just arises. When we
34376 experience a disturbing emotion such as jealousy we think, "No, I don't want
34377 this." We would rather not experience it. However, if we examine fear
34378 closely, we see that it is a thought to which we have been habituating our
34379 mind for a very long time. We have repeated this thought pattern of fear for
34380 many years, and from a Buddhist point of view, many lifetimes.
34381 In just the same way, when we habituate our minds to being fearless, to
34382 being brave and open towards our emotions, fearlessness will also arise
34383 naturally. In order for this to happen, we must train in applying antidotes
34384 to our thought patterns that are caught up in fear. In this way, we transcend
34385 fear first through a conceptual process, which later becomes nonconceptual, a
34386 natural fearlessness. In order to become fearless in this way, we need
34387 determination and the willingness to face our emotions. With that strong
34388 determination and courage, fearlessness will arise effortlessly.
34389 -- "Trainings in Compassion: Manuals on the Meditation of Avalokiteshvara",
34390 trans. by Tyler Dewar under the guidance of The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche,
34391 published by Snow Lion Publications
34393 There is both a reason and a purpose for cultivating the meditative
34394 stabilization observing exhalation and inhalation of the breath. The reason
34395 is mainly to purify impure motivations. What exactly is to be purified? The
34396 main of these are the three poisons--desire, hatred, and obscuration. Even
34397 though we have these at all times and even though the meditator will still
34398 retain them, she or he is seeking to suppress their manifest functioning at
34399 that time. The specific purpose for cleansing impure motivations before
34400 meditation is to dispel bad motivations connected with this lifetime, such as
34401 having hatred toward enemies, attachment to friends, and so forth.
34402 In terms of the practice I am explaining here, even the thought of a
34403 religious practitioner of small capacity is included within impure
34404 motivations; such a person engages in practice mainly for the sake of a good
34405 future lifetime. Similarly, if on this occasion one has the motivation of a
34406 religious practitioner of middling capacity--that of only oneself escaping
34407 from cyclic existence, this is also impure.
34408 What is a pure motivation? To take as one's aim the welfare of all sentient
34409 beings. This is the motivation of a religious practitioner of great capacity.
34410 Meditators should imagine or manifest their own impure motivation in the form
34411 of smoke, and with the exhalation of breath should expel all bad motivation.
34412 When inhaling, they should imagine that all the blessings and good qualities
34413 of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, in the form of bright light, are inhaled into
34414 them. This practice is called purification by way of the descent of ambrosia.
34415 There are many forms of this purification, but the essence of the practice is
34417 -- Geshe Gedun Lodro, "Calm Abiding and Special Insight: Achieving Spiritual
34418 Transformation Through Meditation", translated and edited by Jeffrey
34419 Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
34421 Tsongkhapa pays homage to the "foremost holy lamas," for it is in dependence
34422 upon a qualified lama that the three principal aspects of the path are
34424 The high title "lama" alone does not qualify someone as a lama; the good
34425 qualities associated with the title must also be present. The three words--
34426 foremost, holy, and lama--set forth the three qualities of a lama.
34427 "Foremost" describes a person who has diminished emphasis on this lifetime
34428 and is primarily concerned with future lifetimes and deeper topics. Such a
34429 person has a longer perspective than the shortsighted one of those who mainly
34430 look to the affairs of this life and thus, in relation to common beings whose
34431 emphasis is mainly on this life, is the foremost, or a leader.
34432 "Holy" refers to one who, as a result of developing renunciation for all
34433 forms of cyclic existence, is not attached to any of its marvels and is
34434 seeking liberation. A holy person has turned his or her mind away from
34435 attachment outside to the better things of cyclic existence and focused it
34437 In the word "lama", "la" means high, and "ma" is a negative, which indicates
34438 that there is none higher; this is a person who has turned away from self-
34439 cherishing to cherishing others, has turned away from the lower concern for
34440 personal benefit in order to achieve the higher purpose of attaining benefit
34442 -- "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight 25th Anniversary Edition", by The
34443 Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, edited and translated
34444 by Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow Lion
34447 ...beginning with an attitude
34448 Of love for all living creatures,
34449 Consider beings, excluding none,
34450 Suffering in the three bad rebirths,
34451 Suffering birth, death and so forth.
34453 The" attitude of love" to which the text refers is the affection which sees
34454 all living beings as lovable. The stronger our affection the more easily
34455 compassion arises and the more intense and steadfast it is. Compassion can
34456 arise without it, but it will not be consistent. Unless we see all living
34457 beings as near, dear, appealing and beloved, we won't care what happens to
34458 them. On the contrary, we may even wish more suffering on those we dislike.
34459 That affection is what a doting mother feels for the apple of her eye, what a
34460 dog-owner feels for a beloved pet--a warm feeling that makes you want to hug
34461 and pat and say, "Adorable!"
34462 At present our feelings of affection are restricted to those we like and,
34463 even then, vanish quite quickly if they do something that goes against our
34464 wishes. It's a tall order to ask us to feel affection toward all living
34465 beings. It doesn't come naturally, which is why we need to train ourselves to
34466 see them in a new way.
34467 -- "Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment", commentary by Geshe Sonam
34468 Rinchen, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion
34471 Why should one work so hard to please people, doing all sorts of things for
34472 others in order to make them feel happy? If one can't bear one's enemy's
34473 happiness, then why should one do all sorts of things to make anyone else
34475 Shantideva explains an inconsistency regarding this issue. He notes that
34476 when praise is directed toward oneself, when people speak highly of oneself,
34477 one not only feels happy but also expects others to be happy when they hear
34478 this praise. However, this is totally inconsistent with one's attitude toward
34479 others. When people praise others, then not only does one disapprove of
34480 others' happiness but one's own peace of mind and happiness are destroyed as
34481 well. So there seems to be an inconsistency when it comes to relating to
34482 praise directed toward oneself and praise directed toward others.
34483 Then, especially for a Bodhisattva practitioner who has dedicated his or her
34484 life to bringing about joy and happiness in others and leading them to the
34485 ultimate state of happiness, to be jealous of others' happiness and joy is
34486 totally inappropriate. In fact, one should feel that if other sentient beings
34487 of their own accord, from their own efforts, gain any little experience of
34488 happiness and joy here and there, we should be all the more grateful, because
34489 without our helping them, they have been able to achieve these joyful
34490 experiences and happiness.
34491 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
34492 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by
34493 Snow Lion Publications
34495 What is meant by going for refuge is that you are seeking refuge from some
34496 fear. All the objects [Buddha, lama, guru, etc.] in front of you are what is
34497 known as the causal refuge, because they serve as the cause for bringing about
34498 the resultant refuge within you. You should entrust yourself to these objects
34499 from the depth of your heart, and you should see the objects as protectors.
34500 The resultant state of your own future realizations, becoming an arya being
34501 and attaining buddhahood--which depends on your own actualization of the path-
34502 -is called the resultant refuge. Someone in difficulty seeking the assistance
34503 of a high official is analogous to someone seeking refuge in the causal
34505 But depending upon others' protection forever is not a courageous way of
34506 life; therefore, one has to try to achieve a state where one is no longer
34507 dependent upon such a refuge, and this is likened to taking refuge in the
34508 resultant buddha, dharma, and sangha. That is the process of taking refuge by
34509 a person of high faculty and courage. This practice should be done not for
34510 the sake of oneself alone but rather for the sake of all other sentient
34511 beings. When you cultivate such an aspiration focused toward the achievement
34512 of the omniscient state, it is very much like the generation of the
34514 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Union of Bliss and Emptiness: Teachings on the
34515 Practice of Guru Yoga", translated by Thupten Jinpa, published by Snow
34518 Many of the methods of practicing Dharma that are learned during waking can,
34519 upon development of dream awareness, be applied in the dream condition. In
34520 fact, one may develop these practices more easily and speedily within the
34521 Dream State if one has the capacity to dream lucidly. There are even some
34522 books that say that if a person applies a practice within a dream, the
34523 practice is nine times more effective than when it is applied during the
34525 The dream condition is unreal. When we discover this for ourselves within
34526 the dream, the immense power of this realization can eliminate obstacles
34527 related to conditioned vision. For this reason, dream practice is very
34528 important for liberating us from habits. We need this powerful assistance in
34529 particular because the emotional attachments, conditioning, and ego
34530 enhancement which compose our normal life have been strengthened over our
34532 In a real sense, all the visions that we see in our lifetime are like the
34533 images of a dream. If we examine them well, the big dream of life and the
34534 smaller dreams of one night are not very different. If we truly see the
34535 essential nature of both, we will find that there really is no difference
34536 between them. If we can finally liberate ourselves from the chains of
34537 emotions, attachments, and ego by this realization, we have the possibility of
34538 ultimately becoming enlightened.
34539 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, "Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light",
34540 ed. & intro. by Michael Katz, published by Snow Lion Publications
34542 Cultivating Memory and Joyful Effort
34544 [This] foundational practice is engaged upon awaking in the morning. It
34545 further cultivates strong intention and also strengthens the capacity to
34546 remember the events of the night.
34547 Begin by reviewing the night. The Tibetan term for this preparation is
34548 literally "remembering." Did you dream? Were you aware that you were in a
34549 dream? If you dreamt but did not attain lucidity, you should reflect, "I
34550 dreamt but did not recognize the dream as a dream. But it was a dream."
34551 Resolve that next time you enter a dream you will become aware of its true
34552 nature while still in the dream.
34553 If you find it difficult to remember dreams, it can be helpful, throughout
34554 the day and particularly before sleep, to generate a strong intention to
34555 remember dreams. You can also record dreams in a notepad or with a tape
34556 recorder, as this will reinforce the habit of treating your dreams as
34557 something valuable. The very act of preparing the notebook or recorder at
34558 night serves to support the intention to recall the dream upon waking. It is
34559 not difficult for anyone to remember dreams once the intention to do so is
34560 generated and sustained, even over just a few days.
34561 If you did have a lucid dream, feel joy at the accomplishment. Develop
34562 happiness relative to the practice and resolve to continue to develop the
34563 lucidity the following night. Keep building intention, using both successes
34564 and failures as occasions to develop ever stronger intent to accomplish the
34565 practice. And know that even your intention is a dream.
34566 --Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep",
34567 published by Snow Lion Publications
34569 On some occasions, people faint. Even when your breath temporarily stops,
34570 during that moment, there is a reduced level of consciousness. Consciousness
34571 is most reduced late in the course of dying. Even after all physical
34572 functions cease, we believe that the "I," or "self," still exists. Similarly,
34573 just at the beginning of life, there must be a subtle form of consciousness to
34574 account for the emergence of consciousness in the individual.
34575 We must explore further the point at which consciousness enters into a
34576 physical location. At conception, the moment when and the site where
34577 consciousness interacts with the fertilized egg is something to be discovered,
34578 although there are some reference to this in the texts.... The Buddhist
34579 scriptures do deal with it, but I am interested to see what science has to say
34580 about this. During this period we believe that without the subtle
34581 consciousness, there would be a life beginning without consciousness. If that
34582 were the case then no one could ever recollect experiences from their past
34583 life. It is also in terms of Buddhist beliefs relating to this topic that
34584 Buddhism expounds its theory of cosmology: how the universe began and how it
34586 Based on this metaphysical reasoning and other arguments, and based on the
34587 testimony of individuals who are able to recollect their experiences in past
34588 lives very vividly, Buddhists make this claim. I am a practitioner, so based
34589 on my own limited experiences, and the experiences of my friends, I cannot say
34590 with one hundred percent certainty that there is a subtle consciousness.
34591 Scientists don't posit consciousness in the same sense that Buddhists do.
34592 At the moment of conception, however, there has to be something that prevents
34593 the sperm and egg from simply rotting, and causes it to grow into a human
34594 body. When does that occur? Why does that occur?
34595 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations with
34596 the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara Houshmand,
34597 Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion
34598 Taking the reins is the key to happiness
34600 The state of mind of a Buddhist practitioner should be stable, and should
34601 not be subject to too many conflicting events. Such a person will feel both
34602 joy and pain, but neither will be too weak or too intense. Stability is
34603 developed through discipline. The heart and mind become more full of energy,
34604 more resolute, and therefore less susceptible to being blown about by outside
34606 Deep within the human being abides the wisdom that can support him or her in
34607 the face of negative situations. In this way, events no longer throw him
34608 because he is holding the reins. Similarly, when something good happens it is
34609 also possible to rein it in. Taking the reins is the key to happiness. In
34610 Tibet we have a saying: "If you are beside yourself with joy, tears are not
34611 far behind." This shows how relative what we call joy and pain are.
34612 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Inner
34613 Peace: The Essential Life and Teachings"
34615 From a Buddhist perspective, busying ourselves with worldly activities is a
34616 form of laziness, because we're lax in self-cultivation. Our lives are so
34617 busy in modern society: Our appointment books are completely full and we're
34618 always running here and there. We often complain there isn't enough time for
34620 However, whenever we have a spare moment, we work overtime or call some
34621 friends to fill in the gap. We always have time to eat, but we hardly ever
34622 have time to nourish ourselves spiritually by attending Dharma classes or
34623 meditating. When the temple has entertainment and free meals, we go; but when
34624 there is meditation or lessons, we're busy.
34625 This hindrance to spiritual progress comes because we're attached to worldly
34626 pleasures: food, money, reputation, amusement, and friends. The harm comes
34627 from our inappropriate way of relating to them. Attached, we selfishly
34628 indulge in them. However, these things in and of themselves aren't bad.
34629 Through pacifying our afflictions, we can enjoy these things with a good
34630 motivation--to improve ourselves for the benefit of others.
34631 -- Ven. Thubten Chodron, "Taming the Mind", published by Snow Lion Pub.
34633 It is important to note that we should make sure that our meditation suits
34634 our mind. If we feel comfortable doing analytical meditation on the various
34635 topics in a progressive way, we should go ahead with it. If, on the other
34636 hand, we find it difficult and it is not compatible with our mind, we should
34637 meditate on whatever topic we like.
34638 If we enjoy meditation on emptiness, we should go ahead with this. If it
34639 suits us and we derive pleasure from meditating principally on the altruistic
34640 intention, we can emphasize this. At some point if we find that we cannot
34641 really get into whatever analytical meditation we have been doing, but doing
34642 prostrations, chanting mantra, visualizing a meditation deity, or reciting
34643 aspirational prayers brings peace and pleasure to our mind, we should do that
34645 -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, "Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage: An
34646 Explanation of the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas", edited by
34647 Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
34649 Attaining realization is not such a long path once we become able to
34650 integrate all our movements of energy in our practice, because then every
34651 action is governed by presence and becomes a step on the path and an
34652 expression of virtue.
34653 Practice is not only sitting in meditation, reciting mantras, or chanting.
34654 It is the application of practice in daily life that is most difficult,
34655 working with our energy in every life situation, with every sense perception,
34656 with every person we meet, whether we want to encounter that person or not.
34657 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "Wonders of the Natural Mind: The Essence of
34658 Dzogchen in the Native Bon Tradition of Tibet", published by Snow Lion
34660 When we focus our attention on the passage of breath, we break the usually
34661 continuous flow of thoughts of attachment, hostility and so forth, whatever
34662 they might be. This causes such thoughts to subside for the moment. Thus, by
34663 occupying the mind with our breath, we cleanse it of all positive and negative
34664 conceptual thoughts and thus remain in a neutral state of mind unspecified as
34665 either constructive or destructive. This is the meaning of the line in the
34666 root text, "Thoroughly clean out your state of awareness." This unspecified or
34667 neutral state of mind, cleaned out of all positive and negative conceptual
34668 thoughts, is the most conducive one to work with. Because an unspecified
34669 state of mind like this is unburdened and supple, it is relatively easy to
34670 generate it into a constructive state.
34671 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
34672 Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
34675 "You may ask: If there is no sentient being, whose is the goal? We grant
34676 that desire [for liberation, etc.] is indeed delusive. Still, in order to
34677 eradicate suffering, effective delusion, whose result [is understanding of
34678 the ultimate] is not prevented."
34682 If sentient beings do not exist, who is it that attains the fruition of the
34683 spiritual path--full awakening? And while on the path, for whom does one
34684 cultivate compassion?
34687 Sentient beings do exist. It is for them that compassion is felt, and
34688 compassion is cultivated by existent people. Whatever is designated by
34689 delusion is to be acknowledged. Due to cultivating compassion while on the
34690 spiritual path, the fruition of full awakening is attained. Who attains
34691 awakening? That, too, is to be established conventionally, without [ultimate]
34692 examination or analysis. In order to pacify the suffering of oneself and
34693 others, impure appearances that arise due to ignorance are not to be rejected.
34694 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Transcendent Wisdom", translated, edited and
34695 annotated by B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications
34697 The object of meditation this time is emotion. In other words, we
34698 specifically focus on the emotions that arise from our feelings of good, bad,
34699 and indifferent. In the first of the equanimity meditations, we made the
34700 choice to not follow up these emotions. This time we make the choice to
34701 meditate on them. We might choose to meditate on sensations and feelings that
34702 arise in our immediate, present environment. We might also choose to meditate
34703 on an event or person that sets off strong sensations, feelings, and emotions.
34704 Let's say you choose to base your meditation on an event such as a family
34705 argument. This time you contemplate an aspect of that event and try to
34706 disentangle the sensations, feelings, and emotions. Sensations are what you
34707 feel with your body. Feelings assess whether that sensation is nice, nasty,
34708 or neutral. What emotions arise as a result of those sensations and feelings?
34709 As we now know, equanimity means not getting caught in further
34710 exaggerations: "Oh, I am so bad because this is what I did," "Look how good I
34711 am," "How could anyone love someone like me?" and so on. In this meditation,
34712 equanimity means not judging whether we are good or bad people, but just
34713 noting what happened.
34714 -- Chonyi Taylor, "Enough! A Buddhist Approach to Finding Release from
34715 Addictive Patterns", published by Snow Lion Publications
34717 Everyone tries to remove superficial pain, but there is another class of
34718 techniques concerned with removing suffering on a deeper level--aiming at a
34719 minimum to diminish suffering in future lives and, beyond that, even to remove
34720 all forms of suffering for oneself as well as for all beings. Spiritual
34721 practice is of this deeper type.
34722 These techniques involve an adjustment of attitude; thus, spiritual practice
34723 basically means to adjust your thought well. In Sanskrit it is called dharma,
34724 which means "that which holds." This means that by adjusting counterproductive
34725 attitudes, you are freed from a level of suffering and thus held back from
34726 that particular suffering. Spiritual practice protects, or holds back,
34727 yourself and others from misery.
34728 From first understanding your own situation in cyclic existence and seeking
34729 to hold yourself back from suffering, you extend your realization to other
34730 beings and develop compassion, which means to dedicate yourself to holding
34731 others back from suffering. It makes practical sense...by concentrating on
34732 the welfare of others, you yourself will be happier.
34733 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Mind of Clear Light: Advice on Living Well
34734 and Dying Consciously", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D.
34736 Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me eight
34737 times, I must be a f**king idiot.
34738 -- Jon Stewart, on the last eight presidents vowing to end America's
34739 addiction to foreign oil
34741 A lot of disappointed people have been left standing on the street corner
34742 waiting for the bus marked "Perfection".
34745 In his closing discussion on loving-kindness, Buddhaghosa asks: "What is the
34746 proximate cause of loving-kindness?" The answer is the observation of
34747 lovableness in the person to whom you are attending.
34748 Bring to mind right now someone whom you find lovable. It could be a person
34749 you have a romance with, or a child, or a dear friend, or a great teacher--
34750 someone to whom your heart would leap like a deer in the forest if this person
34751 were to walk through the door, someone whose presence is so lovable that a
34752 gladness arises on seeing him or her. If you can sense that in a dear friend,
34753 then try to seek out the lovableness of a neutral person. Then, finally, when
34754 you break down all the barriers, see it in a person who has done you injury.
34755 It's a great key if you can seek out something to love, even in the enemy.
34756 Bear clearly in mind that this does not endorse or embrace evil. The crucial
34757 point here is to be able to slice through like a very skilled surgeon,
34758 recognizing vicious behavior that we would love to see annihilated as separate
34759 from the person who is participating in it. The doctor can be optimistic. A
34760 cure is possible: the person is not equivalent to the action or the
34761 disposition. Moreover there is something there that we can hold in affection,
34762 with warmth. That really seems to be a master key that can break down the
34763 final barrier and complete the practice.
34764 One way of approaching this is to look at the person you hold in contempt,
34765 and try to find any quality he might share with someone you deeply admire and
34766 respect. Is there anything at all noble to be seen, anything that would be
34767 akin to what a truly great spiritual being would display? Focus on that:
34768 There is something there that you can love. The rest is chaff, that hopefully
34769 will be blown away quickly, to everyone's benefit. It is as if you could see
34770 a little ray of light from within, knowing that its source is much deeper than
34771 the despicable qualities on the outside. That light is what you attend to.
34773 -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart",
34774 edited by Zara Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
34776 Question: I have the strong wish to be reborn in any of the realms in a
34777 position to truly help other sentient beings in that realm. Is it wrong for
34778 me in these circumstances not to have the strong wish to leave the wheel of
34781 Answer: Your wish to stay in order to help is certainly right. One of
34782 Shantideva's prayers, roughly translated is, "As long as there is space, I
34783 will remain with sentient beings, to serve and help them." Therefore, I also
34784 am trying to practice this. Helping others is the real purpose of life; it
34785 will bring the most satisfaction. The one action of helping others out of a
34786 sincere motivation brings two results--satisfaction for yourself and benefit
34787 to others. It is most beautiful.
34788 One might ask whether there is a contradiction between a Bodhisattva's
34789 developing a determination to leave cyclic existence by viewing it as faulty
34790 and a Bodhisattva's wishing to remain in cyclic existence in order to help
34791 others. An answer to this is given in Bhavaviveka's Heart of the Middle Way:
34792 ...because of being under the influence of love and compassion, one is not
34793 captivated by the idea of retreating into solitary peace and, with an attitude
34794 of seeking to bring about the welfare of other sentient beings, remains in
34795 cyclic existence. This attitude is really marvelous. Though you are really
34796 fed up with cyclic existence, still because of a willingness and a
34797 determination to serve others, you voluntarily accept to remain.
34798 However, as is indicated by the frequently cited example of a lotus that is
34799 produced from mud but not polluted by it, a Bodhisattva stays in cyclic
34800 existence but is not affected by its faults. It would indeed be hypocritical
34801 to claim from one's mouth that one had taken up the practice of a Bodhisattva
34802 but actually to be happily stuck in cyclic existence with great attachment.
34804 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet Tenzin Gyatso, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard:
34805 Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey
34806 Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
34808 Sutras, tantras, esoteric instructions, and experiences teach
34809 The vital point of deathlessness, awakening without meditating:
34810 How this body of karma fully ripening
34811 Arises as a naturally pure awareness body.
34812 Visualize the fully ripening karmic body as the deity's form
34813 And meditate without fixation on it.
34814 It is itself inseparable from mind.
34815 No essence of mind is established,
34816 So where is something that dies?
34817 "Death" is just a concept.
34818 The hosts of concepts are nonexistent phenomena of samsara and nirvana.
34821 According to this and other statements, since one's own mind in essence has
34822 no real existence whatsoever, it was always unborn. Therefore the great
34823 natural liberation of deathlessness is attained. As for this body of fully
34824 ripening karma, since it is a conglomeration of inert matter, it is not a
34825 basis on which to attribute the designations of birth or death. In fact, the
34826 body even arises as a mere appearance of mind.
34827 When one gains confidence in the realization that the mind is unborn and
34828 undying, then the body appears as the deity's form in mahamudra and one
34829 becomes bound to basic space without erring into the path of deluded
34830 appearance. By this kind of instruction one discovers the kaya of union in
34831 this lifetime. Even just hearing it can cause one to get enlightened in the
34832 intermediate state as the sambhogakaya of the victors. Of the Five Golden
34833 Dharmas, it is said to be like the ripened fruit. (p. 248)
34834 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, "The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Eight, Part
34835 Four: Esoteric Instructions, A Detailed Presentation of the Process of
34836 Meditation in Vajrayana", translated by Sarah Harding, published by Snow
34839 Buddhas and Bodhisattvas see clearly that our neglect of others, our self-
34840 preoccupation and our disregard for the connection between actions and their
34841 effects are responsible for all our miseries. The feeling that it doesn't
34842 matter what we do as long as we can get away with it kills our chances of
34843 liberation and enlightenment. Our selfishness robs us of worldly and
34844 supramundane good qualities, leaving us naked and empty-handed. It separates
34845 us from happiness now and in the future and fetters us to suffering.
34846 Resolve never again to let yourself be dominated by this mean and selfish
34847 way of thinking and do everything in your power to combat it. Your happiness
34848 begins the moment you recognize self-cherishing as your chief foe. There are
34849 many good reasons why cherishing others makes sense. Shantideva says:
34850 The state of Buddhahood is accomplished
34851 Equally through living beings and Victorious Ones.
34852 What kind of behavior then is it to revere
34853 Victorious Ones but not living beings?
34854 ...If we truly want to please Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and all those noble
34855 beings in the world whom we admire and whose sole guiding principles are their
34856 affection, love and compassion for others, we can do nothing better than to
34857 cherish living beings. (p. 100)
34858 -- "The Three Principal Aspects of the Path", an oral teaching by Geshe
34859 Sonam Rinchen, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow
34862 How Purification Works
34864 During Nyungne [fasting] practice, true purification is possible primarily
34865 because of the power of Chenrezig's compassion and blessing, as well as our
34866 faith, devotion, and correct motivation to do the practice. When such causes
34867 and conditions come together, a result inevitably occurs, and this result is
34868 understood as the interdependently-arising nature of all phenomena.
34869 For the most part, enlightened and unenlightened phenomena all arise due to
34870 this interdependently-arising nature. As a spiritual practitioner, the basic
34871 qualities one must bring to the practice are faith, devotion, and a trust in
34872 the power of the practice and Chenrezig. These qualities stem from our own
34873 pure nature of mind, a purity that is identical to Chenrezig's heart, that is,
34874 unceasing love and compassion. When these two things are combined together,
34875 our devotion and faith and Chenrezig's love and compassion, one could say
34876 miracles happen; a true purification takes place.
34877 It has been said that when one is sitting before the mandala of Chenrezig,
34878 one should believe that although Chenrezig is not physically visible to us, in
34879 fact he is really there in front of us. Just as we would be very careful of
34880 our thoughts and behavior if we were in the presence of a powerful and
34881 clairvoyant enlightened guru, in the same way we must generate vigilance so
34882 that we don't act shamefully in front of this great being. If we develop such
34883 vigilance and noble habit, then our negativities will automatically decrease.
34885 -- Wangchen Rinpoche, "Buddhist Fasting Practice: The Nyungne Method of
34886 Thousand-Armed Chenrezig", published by Snow Lion Publications
34888 Reflect on the basic pattern of our existence. In order to do more than
34889 just barely survive, we need shelter, food, companions, friends, the esteem of
34890 others, resources, and so on; these things do not come about from ourselves
34891 alone but are all dependent on others. Suppose one single person were to live
34892 alone in a remote and uninhabited place. No matter how strong, healthy, or
34893 educated this person were, there would be no possibility of his or her leading
34894 a happy and fulfilling existence.... Can such a person have friends? Acquire
34895 renown? Can this person become a hero if he or she wishes to become one? I
34896 think the answer to all these questions is a definite no, for all these
34897 factors come about only in relation to other fellow humans.
34898 When you are young, healthy, and strong, you sometimes can get the feeling
34899 that you are totally independent and do not need anyone else. But this is an
34900 illusion. Even at that prime age of your life, simply because your are a
34901 human being, you need friends, don't you? This is especially true when we
34902 become old and need to rely more and more on the help of others: this is the
34903 nature of our lives as human beings.
34904 In at least one sense, we can say that other people are really the principal
34905 source of all our experiences of joy, happiness, and prosperity, and not only
34906 in terms of our day-to-day dealings with people. We can see that all the
34907 desirable experiences that we cherish or aspire to attain are dependent upon
34908 cooperation and interaction with others. It is an obvious fact.
34909 Similarly, from the point of view of a Buddhist practitioner, many of the
34910 high levels of realization that you gain and the progress that you make on
34911 your spiritual journey are dependent upon cooperation and interaction with
34912 others. Furthermore, at the stage of complete enlightenment, the
34913 compassionate activities of a buddha can come about spontaneously only in
34914 relation to other beings, for those beings are the recipients and
34915 beneficiaries of those enlightened activities. (p.5)
34916 -- Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "The Compassionate Life"
34918 The difficulty with a purely materialistic interpretation of life is that,
34919 in addition to ignoring an entire dimension of the mind, it does not deal
34920 effectively with the problems of this life. A materialistic mind is an
34921 unstable mind, for its happiness is built on transient, physical
34922 circumstances. Mental disease is as high among the affluent as it is among
34923 the poor, which is a clear indication of the limitations of the approach.
34924 Although it is essential to maintain a reasonable material basis on which to
34925 live, the emphasis in one's life should be on cultivating the mental and
34926 spiritual causes of happiness. The human mind is very powerful and our
34927 worldly needs are not so great that they must demand all of our attention,
34928 especially in light of the fact that materialistic success solves so few of
34929 the many challenges and problems that confront men and women throughout their
34930 lives, and it does nothing for them at death.
34931 On the other hand, if one cultivates spiritual qualities such as mental
34932 harmony, humility, non-attachment, patience, love, compassion, wisdom and so
34933 forth, then one becomes equipped with a strength and intelligence able to deal
34934 effectively with the problems of this life; and because the wealth one is
34935 amassing is mental rather than material, it will not have to be left behind at
34936 death. There is no need to enter the after-death state empty-handed. (31)
34937 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
34938 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
34940 The bardo* of this life does not last forever. We know that, like a guest
34941 in a hotel, our mind is only temporarily sheltered in this body. As we face
34942 the challenges of this life and the impending challenges of the bardos to
34943 come, how does engaging in the three-stage process of study, contemplation and
34944 meditation help us? By applying ourselves to these three, we acquire the
34945 skills to stabilize our mind and we develop actual insight into how our mind
34946 functions. First we gain an understanding of the nature of mind; then, we
34947 experience that nature; and finally, we arrive at the ultimate benefit, which
34948 is fully realizing that nature.
34949 When we practice these stages of the path, it is like accumulating the exact
34950 things we will need to take with us on our trip. When we are ready to pack
34951 our suitcase, we will have what we need without looking further. We will not
34952 have to go out at the last minute and buy a map or a guidebook. We will not
34953 have to worry about whether we are forgetting something crucial.
34954 We have knowledge and experience that has blossomed into realization;
34955 therefore we can handle any situation. We have confidence in ourselves, in
34956 the teachings, and the guidance of our lineage teachers. At this point, we
34957 can let go of all our doubt and hesitation. We can simply relax and be who we
34958 are, wherever we are. (p.58)
34959 * in-between state, interval
34960 -- The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, "Mind Beyond Death", published by Snow
34963 The thoughts that in this year and month
34964 I will put right all my tasks and plans
34965 And then start a perfect dharma practice
34966 Is in fact the devil which brings all downfalls.
34968 The lack of death awareness prevents one from undertaking the practice of
34969 dharma. This is very true: If one is not aware of the eventuality of death,
34970 one will be totally concerned and preoccupied with the affairs of this
34971 lifetime alone, and with actions that are just for the benefit of this
34972 lifetime. Such ventures may take all one's time and energy, but no matter how
34973 important they appear to be, since they are directly related to this lifetime
34974 alone, their benefits are limited--once one leaves the present body, their
34975 benefit ends. Even though one might have a best friend, when one has to leave
34976 the body, one cannot take the friend along.
34977 ...Think that after twenty or thirty years even the Dalai Lama will also be
34978 no more. While I am alive, there will be people who are, from the depths of
34979 their hearts, prepared to give their lives for my sake, but on the day when I
34980 have to leave, I cannot take even one among them with me. Neither will I be
34981 able to take any of my possessions, even the body which I have always
34982 preserved and protected. This also will be left behind. At that time of my
34983 death, what will benefit is only the positive seeds that are imprinted upon my
34984 consciousness. No other factors will help at that time. (p.106)
34985 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Bliss", translated by Geshe Thupten
34986 Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
34988 At the beginning of the process of deity meditation and mantra repetition
34989 one meditates on emptiness, settling the non-inherent existence of oneself and
34990 the deity through a reasoning such as that of dependent-arising--the fact that
34991 both oneself and the deity arise in dependence on their respective bases of
34992 designation. One's own final nature and the final nature of the deity are the
34993 same, an emptiness of inherent existence.
34994 To perform deity yoga one does not just withdraw ordinary appearances and
34995 then appear as a deity but causes the mind realising emptiness itself to
34996 appear as a deity. Thus, it is essential initially to meditate on emptiness,
34997 cleansing all appearances in emptiness. One then uses that wisdom
34998 consciousness realising emptiness as the basis of emanation of a divine body.
34999 This must be done at least in imitation of a consciousness actually doing
35000 this, for meditation on a truly existent divine body, instead of helping, will
35001 only increase adherence to inherent existence. Meditated properly, the
35002 appearance of a divine figure is the sport of the ultimate mind of
35003 enlightenment, first in imitation and later in fact. (p.39)
35004 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Deity
35005 Yoga in Action and Performance Tantra", published by Snow Lion Pub.
35007 If one could attain the state of perfect buddhahood that is free from all
35008 faults, that sees directly all aspects of the qualities to be cultivated and
35009 faults overcome in the quest for enlightenment, and that is physically adorned
35010 with the marks and signs of perfection, the mere perception of which is
35011 beneficial, then one would be beyond the distinction of feeling attraction or
35012 aversion toward the infinite sentient beings. One would regard all beings
35013 with an equal compassion, and would have the ability to really benefit them.
35014 Think, "I should make every effort to attain this all-beneficial state."
35015 In brief, the motivation should be, "For the ultimate benefit of the
35016 sentient beings, who are as infinite as the sky is vast, I must attain the
35017 state of a peerless, perfect, pure buddha." This is the aspirational aspect of
35019 -- Glenn Mullin, "The Practice of Kalachakra", foreword by H.H. the Dalai
35020 Lama, published by Snow Lion Publications
35022 After suffering severe puncture wounds without shooting any goop on my
35023 opponent, I realized I was simply outgunned. Never bring caulk to a
35025 -- Stephanie S. Thompson
35027 My cat Elea added a trick to her repertoire this morning.
35028 I sleep in a bit on the weekend, and both cats protest by
35029 visiting the bed every few minutes until I get up.
35030 Elea, being toothless, is afflicted with a mean case of drool when
35031 she's hungry. So this morning I got a "drool shower" since she
35032 sat next to my face and shook her head vigorously,
35033 flinging drool everywhere (especially onto my face).
35034 I know this wasn't just a fluke because a few minutes later
35035 she came back and did it again.
35038 On Arcadia Asylum, pioneering creator in Second Life...
35039 "Nope, she can't log into Arcadia, Aley Arai, nor Lora Lemon. She's great
35040 at building, but she doesn't think she should have to pay the Lindens for
35041 anything, so she doesn't, and they get mad about that and close her
35044 The important thing is the obvious thing nobody is saying.
35045 -- William S. Burroughs
35047 Our fundamental nature--what we term 'the buddha nature', the very nature of
35048 our mind, is inherently present within us as a natural attribute. This mind
35049 of ours, the subject at hand, has been going on throughout beginningless time,
35050 and so has the more subtle nature of that mind. On the basis of the
35051 continuity of that subtle nature of our mind rests the capacity we have to
35052 attain enlightenment. This potential is what we call 'the seed of
35053 buddhahood', 'buddha nature', 'the fundamental nature', or 'tathagatagarbha'.
35054 We all have this buddha nature, each and every one of us. For example, this
35055 beautiful statue of Lord Buddha here, in the presence of which we are now
35056 sitting, is a representation that honours someone who attained buddhahood. He
35057 awakened into that state of enlightenment because his nature was the buddha
35058 nature. Ours is as well, and just as the Buddha attained enlightenment in the
35059 past, so in the future we can become buddhas too.
35060 ...In any case, there dwells within us all this potential which allows us to
35061 awaken into buddhahood and attain omniscience. The empowerment process draws
35062 that potential out, and allows it to express itself more fully. When an
35063 empowerment is conferred on you, it is the nature of your mind--the buddha
35064 nature--that provides a basis upon which the empowerment can ripen you.
35065 Through the empowerment, you are empowered into the essence of the buddhas of
35066 the five families. In particular, you are 'ripened' within that particular
35067 family through which it is your personal predisposition to attain buddhahood.
35069 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
35070 Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, Foreword by
35071 Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion Pub.
35073 For achieving calm abiding... your mind must have two qualities:
35074 -great clarity of both the object and the consciousness itself
35075 -staying one-pointedly on the object of observation.
35076 Two factors prevent these from developing--laxity and excitement. Laxity
35077 prevents the development of clarity, and excitement prevents the stability of
35078 staying with the object.
35079 That which interferes with the steadiness of the object of observation and
35080 causes it to fluctuate is excitement, which includes any scattering of the
35081 mind to an object other than the object of meditation. To stop that, withdraw
35082 your mind more strongly inside so that the intensity of the mode of
35083 apprehension of the object begins to lower. If you need a further technique
35084 to withdraw the mind, it helps to leave the object of meditation temporarily
35085 and think about something that makes you more sober, such as the imminence of
35086 death. Such reflections can cause your heightened mode of apprehension of the
35087 object, the mind's being too tight, to lower or loosen somewhat, whereby you
35088 are better able to stay on the object of observation.
35089 It is not sufficient just to have stability; clarity is also needed. That
35090 which prevents clarity is laxity, which is a case of the mind's becoming too
35091 relaxed, too loose, lacking intensity--the tautness of the mind having become
35092 weak, caused by over-withdrawal inside. Heaviness of mind and body can lead
35093 to becoming lax, which can lead to a type of lethargy in which, losing the
35094 object of observation, you have as if fallen into darkness; this can lead even
35095 to sleep. When this begins to occur, it is necessary to raise, to heighten,
35096 this excessive declination of the mind by making it more taut, more tight. To
35097 accomplish this, it helps to brighten the object of meditation or, if that
35098 does not work, to leave the object of meditation temporarily and think on
35099 something that makes you joyous, such as the wonderful opportunity that a
35100 human lifetime affords for spiritual practice. If that does not work, you can
35101 even leave off meditating and go to a high place or where there is a vast
35102 view. Such techniques cause your deflated mind to heighten, to sharpen.
35103 While holding the object of observation with mindfulness, investigate with
35104 introspection from time to time to see whether the mind has come under the
35105 influence of laxity or excitement and determine the best practice for lowering
35106 or heightening it. In time, your will develop a sense of the proper level of
35107 tautness of the mind such that you will be able to catch laxity and excitement
35108 just before they arise and prevent their arising. (p.50)
35109 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths
35110 to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow
35113 The position of the body [during meditation] is very important because the
35114 channels within the body will follow the external disposition of the body.
35115 The way the body is placed will set the channels; and the winds, of course,
35116 flow inside the channels, so if they are properly set, the winds will flow
35117 properly. Mind follows the wind. To focus the mind properly, the winds must
35118 also be functioning properly. (p.39)
35119 -- Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, "The Practice of Mahamudra", translated
35120 by Robert Clark, ed. by Ani K. Trinlay Chodron, published by Snow Lion
35122 The real source of my suffering is self-centeredness: my car, my possession,
35123 my well-being. Without the self-centeredness, the suffering would not arise.
35124 What would happen instead? It is important to imagine this fully and to focus
35125 on examples of your own. Think of some misfortune that makes you want to lash
35126 out, that gives rise to anger or misery. Then imagine how you might respond
35127 without suffering. Recognize that we need not experience the misery, let
35128 alone the anger, resentment, and hostility. The choice is ours.
35129 Let's continue with an example. You see that there is a dent in the car.
35130 What needs to be done? Get the other driver's license number, notify the
35131 police, contact the insurance agency, deal with all the details. Simply do it
35132 and accept it. Accept it gladly as a way to strengthen your mind further, to
35133 develop patience and the armor of forbearance. There is no way to become a
35134 Buddha and remain a vulnerable wimp.
35135 Patience does not suddenly appear as a bonus after full enlightenment. Part
35136 of the whole process of awakening is to develop greater forbearance and
35137 equanimity in adversity. Santideva, in the sixth chapter of his Guide to the
35138 Bodhisattva's Way of Life, eloquently points out that there is no way to
35139 develop patience without encountering adversity, and patience is indispensable
35140 for our own growth on the path to awakening. (p.66)
35141 -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Seven-Point Mind Training", edited by Zara
35142 Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
35144 While the great adept [Tangtong Gyalpo] did not stray from vajralike
35145 meditative concentration on the peak of glorious Riwoche, the ornamental wheel
35146 of his inexhaustible enlightened body, speech, and mind manifested in three
35147 great regions of Kham.
35148 At Gyalmorong, a person who had received the Path with the Result at Sakya,
35149 and who meditated single-mindedly on the Time of the Path during four sessions
35150 and on the Profound Path Guruyoga, saw the great adept to be Vajradhara, the
35151 lord of all spiritual families, and made countless prostrations.
35152 ...A person who recited a thousand of the heart-mantra of Tara every day,
35153 declared, "This isn't Avalokiteshvara. It's Tara."
35154 Also, a person said, "This is the Great Adept of Iron Bridges. O great
35155 adept, why do different visual manifestations appear to us?" The great adept
35157 By bringing the vital winds
35158 and mind under control,
35159 taking control of how things appear to myself,
35160 overwhelming how things appear to others,
35161 and positioning magical bodies,
35162 I display whatever will tame sentient beings
35163 according to their various inclinations.
35165 -- Cyrus Stearns, "King of the Empty Plain: The Tibetan Iron Bridge Builder
35166 Tangtong Gyalpo", a Tsadra Foundation Series book, published by Snow Lion
35168 When I was a boy, Ling Rinpochay, who was then my junior tutor, was always
35169 very stern; he never smiled, not even a little. This bothered me a lot. By
35170 wondering why he was so humorless, I examined more and more what I was doing
35171 in my own mind. This helped me develop self-awareness with regard to my
35172 motivation. By my early twenties when I had matured, Ling Rinpochay
35173 completely changed; he always had a big smile when we were together.
35174 Effective practice of the morality of individual liberation depends upon
35175 sound, long-term motivation. For example, one should not become a monk or a
35176 nun to avoid having to work at a worldly job for food and clothing. Also, it
35177 is not sufficient merely to seek to avoid difficulty in this lifetime. To be
35178 motivated by such trifling purposes does not help to achieve freedom from
35179 cyclic existence--the ultimate reason to practice the morality of individual
35181 This is confirmed by Buddha's life story. One day Shakyamuni slipped
35182 outside the palace wall to experience life for himself. For the first time he
35183 saw a sick person, an old person, and a corpse. Deeply troubled by the
35184 suffering of sickness, aging, and death, he came to the conclusion that
35185 worldly life is without substance. Later, inspired by several religious
35186 practitioners, Buddha became captivated by the possibility of a higher, more
35187 meaningful, spiritual life. At that point he escaped from the palace, leaving
35188 his ordinary life behind to pursue that vision.
35189 What does this teach us? Like Buddha we need to begin by becoming concerned
35190 about the suffering of cyclic existence and by turning away from temporary
35191 distractions. Influenced by this new attitude, we must take up a system of
35192 morality by renouncing cyclic existence and by taking vows of pure behavior
35193 through seeking to avoid the ten nonvirtues. (p.29)
35194 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful
35195 Life", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
35197 Tsong-ka-pa's intention in praising Buddhism is not to insult other
35198 teachers. Statements of the greatness of Buddhism are made in order to
35199 develop one-pointedness of mind toward practice, for one who is able to
35200 practise Buddhism must generate effort to do so. It is necessary for him to
35201 have confidence in Buddha's teaching from the round orb of his heart.
35202 There is a Tibetan saying that one cannot sew with a two-pointed needle or
35203 achieve aims with a two-pointed mind. Similarly, if a practitioner is
35204 hesitant, he will not put great force into the practice of any one system.
35205 Tsong-ka-pa states that Buddhism is the best in order that persons who would
35206 be helped more through engaging in the Buddhist path than through another
35207 system might not be diverted to another path. (p.48)
35208 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in Tibet",
35209 published by Snow Lion Publications
35211 At the level of conventional truth we all naturally possess both the desire
35212 and the potential to overcome suffering and to attain happiness. In this
35213 context, we can reflect upon the Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths
35214 and the Two Truths, and on the basis of such reflection we gradually develop
35215 an understanding of how we can gain freedom from suffering and of the
35216 potential we possess within ourselves for accomplishing such a goal.
35217 We can reflect further that: 'Just like me, all other sentient beings
35218 possess this same desire and potential to be happy and overcome suffering',
35219 and ask ourselves: 'If I continue to be guided by my own self-centredness and,
35220 through my single-pointed concern for my own well-being, continue to ignore
35221 the well-being of others, what will the consequences be?'
35222 Then we can reflect: 'From beginningless lifetimes I have harboured this
35223 self-cherishing attitude and have grasped onto the notion of an intrinsically
35224 real, enduring self. I have nurtured these two thoughts of self-cherishing
35225 and self-grasping deep in my heart as if they are twin jewels. But where has
35226 this way of being led me? By pursuing the dictates of my self-grasping and
35227 self-centredness, have I actually managed to attain the fulfilment of my self-
35228 interest? If it were possible, surely by now I should have achieved my goal.
35229 But I know that this is not the case.'
35230 We should then compare ourselves to enlightened beings such as the Buddha
35231 Shakyamuni who achieved total victory over all defilements and perfected all
35232 qualities of goodness. We should then ask ourselves: 'How did the Buddha
35233 accomplish this?' Through contemplation we will come to recognise that, at a
35234 certain point in his existence, the Buddha reversed the normal way of thinking
35235 and being. In the place of self-cherishing he cultivated the thought of
35236 cherishing the well-being of other sentient beings, and in place of self-
35237 grasping he cultivated the wisdom realising the absence of self-existence. In
35238 this way he attained full awakening. (p.30)
35239 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
35240 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
35242 In the history of the Nyungne tradition, many practitioners have been able to
35243 overcome incurable disease through the practice of Nyungne. We could say
35244 miracles like this literally do take place, although in the Buddhist
35245 understanding, overcoming great obstacles and disease would be considered
35246 blessings. A miracle is something else. It is the enlightened power that is
35247 demonstrated by enlightened masters. A true miracle in the Buddhist sense
35248 would be like the miracle of Milarepa entering into a little horn while his
35249 student, Rechungpa, sees him in his usual size yet he is inside the horn. Or
35250 like the miracle of Milarepa sitting on a lake and people seeing that he
35251 hasn't become any larger nor has the lake shrunk in size, yet he is completely
35252 covering it. These are real, enlightened miracles.(p.13)
35253 -- Wangchen Rinpoche, "Buddhist Fasting Practice: The Nyungne Method of
35254 Thousand-Armed Chenrezig", published by Snow Lion Publications
35256 [In listening to teachings one] of the defects is to listen in a way that is
35257 like a container with holes. This means that even though we are listening to
35258 the teachings, we do not retain their contents. In this case we lack
35259 mindfulness and memory. Practice of Dharma means that we should be able to
35260 benefit from what we have heard. It is not a pastime, like listening to a
35261 story. The teachings give us guidance on how to live meaningful lives and how
35262 to develop proper attitudes. So in order to benefit from the teachings, we
35263 must retain them with mindfulness.
35264 In all kinds of learning processes, listening, reading, etc., we must pay
35265 full attention and should endeavor to remember their contents. When our
35266 interest is halfhearted, we only remember half the points, and we retain them
35267 for only a short time. We should reflect and think about whatever we have
35268 heard, over and over again. In this way, the knowledge will stay in our mind
35269 for a long time. Another technique for remembering instructions is debate as
35270 it is practiced in the traditional debating schools. (p.22)
35271 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", root text by Kamalashila,
35272 translated by Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and
35273 Jeremy Russell, published by Snow Lion Publications
35275 We are duped by maya. The whole display of our senses has tricked us into
35276 believing it and thus seduces us into the world of suffering. And the
35277 illusionist is that old trickster, one's own mind. But when this illusory
35278 nature is recognized to be just that, one is released from the bondage of the
35279 magic show, at which time it becomes a wonderful spectacle, even a display of
35280 the unimpeded creativity and freedom of mind. Then maya itself is both the
35281 medium for this realization and the expression of it.
35282 This conscious and intentional method of relating to all phenomena as
35283 illusion is thus cast in a totally positive light on the spiritual path, a
35284 complete turn-around from the original negative valuation of it as deceit.
35285 Now illusion is seen as illumination and opportunity. The nature of our
35286 relationship with it is the salient point, rather than its own nature, which
35287 certainly does not exist anyway, in any way.
35289 Since everything is an illusory display,
35290 it is possible to attain enlightenment.
35291 The transformation of the maya concept from something to escape to something
35292 to engage may be loosely correlated with the shift of emphasis on
35293 understanding emptiness that emerged in the mahayana teachings. A further
35294 development may be seen in the vajrayana teachings with the esoteric
35295 instruction known as Illusory Body (sgyu lus). This occurs as one of the Six
35296 Dharmas of Niguma and in other configurations of completion stage practices in
35297 many lineages. (p.40)
35298 -- Sarah Harding, "Niguma, Lady of Illusion", a Tsadra Foundation Series
35299 book, published by Snow Lion Publications
35301 Afflictions are classed as peripheral mental factors and are not themselves
35302 any of the six main minds [eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mental
35303 consciousnesses]. However, when any of the afflicting mental factors becomes
35304 manifest, a main mind [a mental consciousness] comes under its influence, goes
35305 wherever the affliction leads it, and 'accumulates' a bad action.
35306 There are a great many different kinds of afflictions, but the chief of them
35307 are desire, hatred, pride, wrong view and so forth. Of these, desire and
35308 hatred are chief. Because of an initial attachment to oneself, hatred arises
35309 when something undesirable occurs. Further, through being attached to oneself
35310 the pride that holds one to be superior arises, and similarly when one has no
35311 knowledge of something, a wrong view that holds the object of this knowledge
35312 to be non-existent arises.
35313 How do self-attachment and so forth arise in such great force? Because of
35314 beginningless conditioning, the mind tightly holds to 'I, I' even in dreams,
35315 and through the power of this conception, self-attachment and so forth occur.
35316 This false conception of 'I' arises because of one's lack of knowledge
35317 concerning the mode of existence of things. The fact that all objects are
35318 empty of inherent existence is obscured and one conceives things to exist
35319 inherently; the strong conception of 'I' derives from this. Therefore, the
35320 conception that phenomena inherently exist is the afflicting ignorance that is
35321 the ultimate root of all afflictions. (p.26)
35322 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
35323 Jeffrey Hopkins, with Anne Klein, published by Snow Lion Publications
35325 With regard to awareness of the present moment, our mind is utterly
35326 insubstantial and yet has this characteristic of luminosity (Tib. salwa).
35327 "Luminosity" here simply means the cognitive capacity, the fact that our mind
35328 can know, experience, feel, and so on. This awareness always occurs in the
35329 present. When we are not thinking of the past or thinking of the future, when
35330 we're letting our mind simply rest in the direct experience of the present
35331 moment, then this awareness or lucidity emerges as an unfabricated
35333 Initially we do this very briefly, for one moment, two moments, and so on,
35334 but as we work with this, it starts to take on a momentum. However, it's
35335 important not to interfere with the naturalness of this awareness by
35336 appraising what is occurring, which means that we shouldn't think, "Well, this
35337 is happening, that is happening, I'm aware of this, I'm aware of that." Nor
35338 should we judge what's happening by thinking, "Well, this is good, this is
35339 what's supposed to be happening," or, "This is bad, this isn't what's supposed
35341 On the other hand, we do need to "plant the watchman of mindfulness and
35342 alertness," which means that we maintain some intentional awareness of what is
35343 occurring. Here, mindfulness means a simple, direct recollection of what
35344 we're trying to do. In other words, mindfulness is recollecting that we are
35345 trying to rest in a direct experience of the present moment. Alertness then
35346 is that faculty of mind that becomes aware when we become distracted from this
35347 present experience. However, this watchfulness or, this watchman, has to be
35348 very relaxed and gentle. It can't be too heavy-handed, otherwise the whole
35349 thing becomes a conceptual judgement. The technique of mind is to rest in
35350 this awareness of the present moment with a gentle watchman of mindfulness and
35352 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "Pointing Out the Dharmakaya", foreword by
35353 the Dalai Lama, introduction by Lama Tashi Namgyal, published by Snow
35356 The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet. -- William Gibson
35358 Complete spiritual fulfillment requires the ability to act compassionately,
35359 and that involves making practical distinctions. Therefore, Tsong-kha-pa
35360 insists upon the clarifying power of analysis that is not ultimate, analysis
35361 that operates within the constraints and boundaries of conventional fact and
35362 language so as to illuminate what does and what does not exist, what is and
35363 what is not helpful.
35364 Not all useful analysis need immediately reduce everything to emptiness. In
35365 other words, we can learn valuable, practical things by analyzing which car is
35366 good to drive, which action is good to do, which seed is good to plant,
35367 without at each step interrogating the final ontological status of the car,
35369 ...A pervasive sense that things are real and solid and exist just as they
35370 appear is woven right into the fabric of the world as we experience it. While
35371 tables do exist, we have yet to see them just as they are. Our very
35372 perception of them--while a valid source of information--is at the same time
35373 contaminated with a layer of distortion. That distortion is the appearance of
35374 the table as something that is able to be there on its own power, something
35375 that exists in and of itself.
35376 Thus when we begin to see, or even to suspect, that things lack essence and
35377 are not at all as we had supposed, we may feel terrified, as though our world
35378 is coming apart at the seams or evaporating beneath our feet. We calm those
35379 fears by again remembering that it is not that there is nothing. There is
35380 dependent arising, just as there has always been. Analysis threatens nothing
35381 but the false overlay, the distorting superimposition, which has caused us and
35382 others so much misery. (p.43)
35383 -- Guy Newland, "Introduction to Emptiness: As Taught in Tsong-kha-pa's
35384 Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path", published by Snow Lion Pub.
35386 The play of this divine mind,
35387 The union of bliss, the supreme father, and emptiness,
35388 Is unlimited and thus beyond concept.
35389 -- The Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso
35391 Cultivate a state of mind focused on bliss and emptiness as forcefully as
35392 possible. The wisdom of bliss and emptiness is compared to space, which is
35393 non-obstructive and expansive. Because offerings are the manifestation of the
35394 wisdom of bliss and emptiness, these substances are called "offerings of
35395 Samantabhadra (All-Good)."
35396 Generally speaking, a bodhisattva named Samantabhadra is renowned for his
35397 elaborate offerings to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. But here the term all-
35398 good (samantabhadra) refers most appropriately to the wisdom of bliss and
35399 emptiness. It is all-good from the viewpoint of emptiness and also from the
35400 viewpoint of bliss. This emptiness is the ultimate truth and also the
35401 ultimate virtue. And the wisdom of great bliss is the clear light wisdom:
35402 With a feeling of joy, imagine that offerings having such a nature pervade
35403 entire space. (p.64)
35404 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Union of Bliss and Emptiness: Teachings on the
35405 Practice of Guru Yoga", translated by Thupten Jinpa, published by Snow
35408 The spiritual path is truly simple. It is simple because it is not about
35409 acquiring, accumulating, or achieving anything. It is all about giving up
35410 what we don't need. It's about giving up what isn't useful instead of
35411 acquiring things with the idea of going somewhere or achieving something.
35412 That was the old game. That game which we have been playing for a long time
35413 is like a vicious circle. It has no end.
35414 Sometimes the spiritual search itself prevents us from seeing the truth that
35415 is always one with us. We have to know when to stop the search. There are
35416 people who die while they are searching for the highest truth with
35417 philosophical formulas and esoteric techniques. For them spiritual practice
35418 becomes another egoic plot which simply maintains and feeds delusions.
35419 Amazing! Buddha, God, truth, the divine, the great mystery, whatever you have
35420 been searching for, is here right now. (p.37)
35421 -- Anam Thubten, "No Self, No Problem", edited by Sharon Roe, published
35422 by Snow Lion Publications
35424 Practice of the morality of individual liberation, whether lay or monastic,
35425 leads to contentment.... Examine your attitudes toward food, clothes, and
35426 shelter. By reducing expectations you will promote contentment. The extra
35427 energy which is released should be devoted to meditation and to achieving
35428 cessation of problems, corresponding to the fourth and third noble truths. In
35429 this way, contentment is the basis, and the resulting action is called "liking
35430 meditation and abandonment."
35431 We should be contented in material areas, for those are bound by limitation,
35432 but not with regard to the spiritual, which can be extended limitlessly.
35433 Though it is true that a discontented person who owned the whole world might
35434 want to own a tourist center on the moon, that person's life is limited, and
35435 even the amount that can be owned is limited. It is better right from the
35436 beginning to be contented.
35437 However, with regard to compassion and altruism there is no limit, and thus
35438 we should not be content with the degree that we have. We are just the
35439 opposite; in the spiritual field we are content with slight amounts of
35440 practice and progress, but materially we always want more and more. It should
35441 be the other way around. Everyone needs to practice this, whether lay or
35443 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful
35444 Life", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
35446 If we view the world's religions from the widest possible viewpoint and
35447 examine their ultimate goal, we find that all of the major world religions,
35448 whether Christianity or Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, are dedicated to the
35449 achievement of permanent human happiness. They are all directed toward that
35450 goal. All religions emphasize the fact that the true follower must be honest
35451 and gentle, in other words, that a truly religious person must always strive
35452 to be a better human being. To this end, the different world religions teach
35453 different doctrines which will help transform the person. In this regard, all
35454 religions are the same, there is no conflict. This is something we must
35455 emphasize. We must consider the question of religious diversity from this
35456 viewpoint. And when we do, we find no conflict.
35457 ...Different kinds of food have different tastes: one may be very hot, one
35458 may be very sour, and one very sweet. They are opposite tastes, they
35459 conflict. But whether a dish is concocted to taste sweet, sour, or hot, it is
35460 nonetheless made in this way so as to taste good. Some people prefer very
35461 spicy, hot foods with a lot of chili peppers. Many Indians and Tibetans have
35462 a liking for such dishes. Others are very fond of bland tasting foods. It is
35463 a wonderful thing to have variety. It is an expression of individuality; it
35464 is a personal thing. Likewise, the variety of the different world religious
35465 philosophies is a very useful and beautiful thing. (p.13)
35466 -- "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists by the Dalai Lama", edited
35467 by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
35469 The basic principles and precepts of all true religions are very pure. What
35470 you see as impure is simply the inability of those who adhere to them. So as
35471 Buddhists, for instance, if you fail to embrace and internalize the basic
35472 principles and precepts of the practice, then your mind is always going to be
35473 overrun by the five mental afflictions. These negative afflictions are
35474 desire, hatred, jealousy, pride, and ignorance. They are the basic obstacles
35475 which impede you from making any true progress on the path. It is, in fact,
35476 the function of the preliminary training to prepare the field of the mind so
35477 that you are actually able to put to rest the gross delusions and give rise to
35478 your innermost qualities. This allows you to actualize your true bodhicitta
35479 nature, the mind which cares about others more than self.
35480 Leaving aside the idea of the so-called spiritual path, or religion, if you
35481 are able to uproot these delusions, the stones and boulders, from the field of
35482 your mind, then you will become an honorable person, respected in the world,
35483 with an easier, flexible attitude toward yourself and others. If you are
35484 able, through your development of wisdom and skillful means, to unite the
35485 teachings with your life, then true results will be achieved. (p.96)
35486 -- Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche, "Meditation, Transformation, and Dream Yoga",
35487 trans. by B. Alan Wallace and Sangye Khandro, published by Snow Lion
35489 What premises or grounds do we have for accepting that mental afflictions
35490 can be ultimately rooted out and eliminated from our mind? In Buddhist
35491 thought, we have three principal reasons for believing that this can happen.
35492 One is that all deluded states of mind, all afflictive emotions and thoughts,
35493 are essentially distorted in their mode of apprehension, whereas all the
35494 antidotal factors such as love, compassion, insight, and so on not only are
35495 undistorted, but they also have grounding in our varied experience and in
35497 Second, all these antidotal forces also have the quality of being
35498 strengthened through practice and training. Through constant familiarity, one
35499 can enhance their capacity and increase their potential limitlessly. So the
35500 second premise is that as one enhances the capacity of these antidotal forces
35501 and increases their strength, one is able to correspondingly reduce the
35502 influences and effects of delusory states of mind.
35503 The third premise is that the essential nature of mind is pure; in other
35504 words, there is the idea that the essential nature of mind is clear light or
35506 So it is on these three premises that Buddhism accepts that delusions, all
35507 afflictive emotions and thoughts, can be ultimately eliminated through
35508 practice and meditation. (p.38)
35509 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
35510 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published
35511 by Snow Lion Publications
35513 As we become aware of the working of our mind, we'll find ourselves
35514 grappling with an inner trickster. Pay attention! The mind in which anger
35515 arises is also the mind that holds it, hides it, fans it, justifies it, or
35516 suppresses it. That's why this first step is crucial--before we can
35517 understand, befriend, tame, and transform our anger, we have to recognize it
35518 clearly and acknowledge it frankly. This is no small task.
35519 Self-awareness is a precondition for understanding and healing our anger.
35520 If we become aware of the workings of our mind we can discover the means by
35521 which we create our anger and the key to healing it. If we become aware that
35522 we are harboring irrational beliefs, ideas with false premises, mistaken
35523 assumptions or flawed logic, we can examine them and correct them. If we
35524 discover that we cherish ideas which are not in harmony with the realities of
35525 life and nature we can learn to relax into existence. If we find that we
35526 harbor desires, hopes, and expectations which cannot be achieved we have the
35527 option of letting them go.
35528 ...To develop awareness is to take a journey within--into the heart of our
35530 -- Ron Leifer, M.D., "Vinegar into Honey: Seven Steps to Understanding and
35531 Transforming Anger, Aggression, and Violence", published by Snow Lion
35533 A kind heart is the essential cause of happiness. Being kind to others is
35534 the nicest thing we can do for ourselves. When we respect others and are
35535 considerate of their needs, opinions and wishes, hostility evaporates. It
35536 takes two people to fight, and if we refuse to be one of them, there is no
35538 ...A kind heart is the root of harmony and mutual respect. It prevents us
35539 from feeling estranged or fearful of others. It also protects us from
35540 becoming angry, attached, closed-minded, proud or jealous. When opportunities
35541 arise to help others we won't lack courage or compassion. If political
35542 leaders had impartial minds and kind hearts, how different our world would be!
35543 As all problems arise from the self-cherishing attitude, it would be wise
35544 for each of us, as individuals, to exert ourselves to subdue it. World peace
35545 doesn't come from winning a war, nor can it be legislated. Peace comes
35546 through each person eliminating his or her own selfishness and developing a
35547 kind heart...we can each do our part beginning today. The beneficial result
35548 in our own lives will immediately be evident. (p.76)
35549 -- Thubten Chodron, "Open Heart, Clear Mind", foreword by His Holiness
35550 the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Publications
35552 In order to have strong consideration for others' happiness and welfare, it
35553 is necessary to have a special altruistic attitude in which you take upon
35554 yourself the burden of helping others. In order to generate such an unusual
35555 attitude, it is necessary to have great compassion, caring about the suffering
35556 of others and wanting to do something about it. In order to have such a
35557 strong force of compassion, first you must have a strong sense of love which,
35558 upon observing suffering sentient beings, wishes that they have happiness--
35559 finding a pleasantness in everyone and wishing happiness for everyone just as
35560 a mother does for her sole sweet child.
35561 In order to have a sense of closeness and dearness for others, you first
35562 train in acknowledging their kindness through using as a model a person in
35563 this lifetime who was very kind to yourself and then extending this sense of
35564 gratitude to all beings. Since, in general, in this life your mother was the
35565 closest and offered the most help, the process of meditation begins with
35566 recognizing all other sentient beings as like your mother. (p.44)
35567 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, "Kindness,
35568 Clarity, and Insight 25th Anniversary Edition", edited and translated
35569 by Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow
35572 Most people feel cozy enough in samsara. They do not really have the
35573 genuine aspiration to go beyond samsara; they just want samsara to be a little
35574 bit better. It is quite interesting that "samsara" became the name of a
35575 perfume. And it is like that. It seduces us into thinking that it is okay:
35576 samsara is not so bad; it smells nice! The underlying motivation to go beyond
35577 samsara is very rare, even for people who go to Dharma centers. There are
35578 many people who learn to meditate and so forth, but with the underlying motive
35579 that they hope to make themselves feel better. And if it ends up making them
35580 feel worse, instead of realizing that this may be a good sign, they think
35581 there is something wrong with Dharma. We are always looking to make ourselves
35582 comfortable in the prison house. We might think that if we get the cell wall
35583 painted a pretty shade of pale green, and put in a few pictures, it won't be a
35585 ...There are two basic reasons we follow a spiritual path and look for
35586 liberation. One reason is that we want to be free. Let's take the
35587 traditional example of a burning house: your whole house is on fire, and you
35588 run out from it. But all your family--your partner, your children, your
35589 parents, even your pet dog--are all still inside. What are you going to do?
35590 You don't just say, "Well, I'm out. So too bad. Do your best to get out,
35591 too." Naturally this leads to the second basic reason for following a
35592 spiritual path: we will try to pull them out as well. (p.71)
35593 -- Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, "Into the Heart of Life", foreword by H.H. the
35594 Gyalwang Drukpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
35596 "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form."
35598 We are empty, or rather the matter of which we are composed is empty. But I
35599 must emphasize that emptiness does not mean nothingness. Some commentators
35600 have been mistaken when they have accused Buddhism of being nihilistic. We
35601 believe that the world in which we live is part of a flux, a stream of events.
35602 This does not mean it is nothing. Everything depends on everything else.
35603 Nothing exists on its own. On account of all the influences that come to bear
35604 upon them, things appear, exist, and disappear, and then reappear again. But
35605 they never exist independently. Form is therefore empty, by which we mean it
35606 is not separate and independent. Form depends on a multitude of different
35607 factors. And emptiness is form because all forms emerge from emptiness, from
35608 this absence of independent existence. Emptiness exists only to give rise to
35610 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Inner
35611 Peace: The Essential Life and Teachings".
35613 When we understand the empty nature of our own mind, then the consequences
35614 of merit and sin will not be realized. In the state of emptiness, there
35615 exists no objective merit or sin.
35616 ...The nature of the mind is like a mirror; merits and sins are like the
35617 reflections in this mirror; and reflections in no way affect or modify the
35618 nature of the mirror. When we are in a state of contemplation, we are living
35619 in the condition of the mirror. At the time when all phenomena are exhausted
35620 and pass into the nature of reality, then our virtuous and vicious deeds will
35621 cause no benefit or harm to us. There is no basis for effect--all
35622 limitations, all frames of reference, all solid ground having been eliminated.
35623 But if we do not understand the nature of the mind and intrinsic awareness
35624 through direct personal experience, it will be a very dangerous situation for
35626 Indeed, it is not sufficient merely to understand these teachings
35627 intellectually; one must first practice and attain realization from this
35628 practice. Otherwise the virtuous and the vicious acts we commit in this life
35629 will create and accumulate karma, leading us again inevitably into
35630 transmigration. From the present time until we realize the ultimate
35631 exhausting of all phenomena into the nature of reality, our behavior must be
35632 refined; it must be heedful and scrupulous. Otherwise our view is only so
35633 much empty intellectual talk. (p.66)
35634 -- "Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness", translation and
35635 commentary by John Myrdhin Reynolds, foreword by Namkhai Norbu, published
35636 by Snow Lion Publications
35638 The attainment of shamata is a serenely stilled state of mind, settled on
35639 mind itself. Although the attainment of such a meditational state focused on
35640 mind is the foundation for developing the highest attainments and is, of
35641 course, very excellent, by itself it is insufficient for reaching those goals.
35642 When we achieve a mind focused on mind with the perfect placement of
35643 absorbed concentration, free from all faults of dullness or flightiness, we
35644 increasingly experience an element of bliss accompanying our meditation. When
35645 we experience serene joy, on both a physical and mental level, brought on by
35646 the force of total absorption of mind on mind, we achieve a meditational state
35647 that fulfills the definition of shamata.
35648 Our ordinary mind is like raw iron ore that needs to be made into a steel
35649 sword. Progressing through the stages for attaining shamata is like forging
35650 the iron into steel. All the materials are there at our disposal. But since
35651 the mind wanders after external objects, then although it is the material for
35652 attaining shamata, it cannot yet be used as this product. We have to forge
35653 our mind through a meditational process. It is like putting the iron ore into
35655 To fashion the steel into a sword, or in this analogy to fashion the mind
35656 into an instrument that understands voidness, our serenely stilled and settled
35657 mind needs to come to decisive realization of voidness as its object. Without
35658 such a weapon of mind, we have no opponent with which to destroy the
35659 disturbing emotions and attitudes. (p.142)
35660 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
35661 Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
35663 The Yolmo Valley has many different aspects that are beneficial to
35664 practitioners. Ian Baker writes:
35665 Chatral Rinpoche said that specific [places] in Yolmo are conducive to
35666 particular kinds of practice. Places with waterfalls inspire reflection on
35667 impermanence. Places with steep cliffs where the rocks are dark and jagged
35668 are good for meditating on wrathful deities. Places with rolling hills and
35669 flowering meadows support meditation on peaceful deities....
35670 Chatral Rinpoche clarified that the beyul [hidden lands] that Padmasambhava
35671 established in Tibet are not literal arcadias, but paradises for Buddhist
35672 practice, with multiple dimensions corresponding to increasingly subtle levels
35673 of perception. Beyond Yolmo's visible terrain of mountains, streams, and
35674 forests, he said, lies an inner level, corresponding to the flow of intangible
35675 energies in the physical body. Deeper still, the subtle elements animating
35676 the environment merge with the elements present within the practitioner--the
35678 Finally, at the beyul's innermost level--yangsang--lies a paradisiacal, or
35679 unitary dimension revealed through an auspicious conjunction of person, place,
35680 and time.... Chatral Rinpoche contended that yangsang is not merely a
35681 metaphor for the enlightened state, but an ever-present, if hidden, reality.
35683 -- Chatral Rinpoche, "Compassionate Action", edited and annotated by Zach
35684 Larson, published by Snow Lion Publications
35686 Distinguishing between constructive and destructive emotions is right there
35687 to be observed in the moment when a destructive emotion arises--the calmness,
35688 the tranquillity, the balance of the mind are immediately disrupted. Other
35689 emotions do not destroy equilibrium or the sense of well-being as soon as they
35690 arise, but in fact enhance it--so they would be called constructive.
35691 Also there are emotions that are aroused by intelligence. For example,
35692 compassion can be aroused by pondering people who are suffering. When the
35693 compassion is actually experienced, it is true that the mind is somewhat
35694 disturbed, but that is more on the surface. Deep down there is a sense of
35695 confidence, and so on a deeper level there is no disturbance. A consequence
35696 of such compassion, aroused by intelligent reflection, is that the mind
35698 The consequences of anger--especially its long-term effects--are that the
35699 mind is disturbed. Typically, when compassion moves from simply being a
35700 mental state to behavior, it tends to manifest in ways that are of service to
35701 others, whereas when anger goes to the point of enactment it generally, of
35702 course, becomes destructive. Even if it doesn't manifest as violence, if you
35703 have the capacity to help, you would refrain from helping. That too would be
35704 a kind of destructive emotion. (p.158)
35705 -- "Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them?" A Scientific Dialogue
35706 with the Dalai Lama narrated by Daniel Goleman
35708 I love smiles. That is a fact. How to develop smiles? There are a variety
35709 of smiles. Some smiles are sarcastic. Some smiles are artificial-diplomatic
35710 smiles. These smiles do not produce satisfaction, but rather fear or
35711 suspicion. But a genuine smile gives us hope, freshness. If we want a
35712 genuine smile, then first we must produce the basis for a smile to come.
35713 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
35715 Suffering is something very concrete, which everyone knows and wants to
35716 avoid if possible, and the Buddha therefore began his teaching by talking
35717 about it in his famous formulation of the Four Noble Truths.
35718 The first truth draws our attention to the fact that we suffer, pointing out
35719 the existence of the basic dissatisfaction inherent in our condition; the
35720 second truth explains the cause of dissatisfaction, which is the dualistic
35721 state and the unquenchable thirst (or desire) inherent in it: the subject
35722 reifies its objects and tries to grasp them by any means, and this thirst (or
35723 desire) in turn affirms and sustains the illusory existence of the subject as
35724 an entity separate from the integrated wholeness of the universe.
35725 The third truth teaches that suffering will cease if dualism is overcome and
35726 reintegration achieved, so that we no longer feel separate from the plenitude
35727 of the universe. Finally, the fourth truth explains that there is a Path that
35728 leads to the cessation of suffering, which is the one described by the rest of
35729 the Buddhist teachings.
35730 All the various traditions are agreed that this basic problem of suffering
35731 exists, but they have different methods of dealing with it to bring the
35732 individual back to the experience of primordial unity. (p.47)
35733 -- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, "The Crystal and the Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra,
35734 and Dzogchen", compiled and edited by John Shane, published by Snow Lion
35736 To disciples of increasing purity, ability, and rarity the Buddha gave more
35737 private guidance in the subtle mysteries. It appears that such teachings are
35738 included in the Mahayana sutras. There is no certainty, however, that all of
35739 the tantras were taught while the historical Buddha was alive. To an
35740 extremely small number of pure disciples the Buddha could appear today. They
35741 could encounter Vajradhara, the King of the Tantras, and he could reveal
35742 tantras and quintessential guidance to them.
35743 This is possible even though more than twenty-five hundred years have gone
35744 by since the historical Buddha passed away. There is no possibility, after
35745 the Buddha's death, of additions being made to his public discourses. But I
35746 think that teachings to disciples of pure action do not necessarily have to be
35747 given during the historical Buddha's lifetime. (pg.44)
35748 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Transcendent Wisdom", translated, edited and
35749 annotated by B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications
35752 Since the five perfections without wisdom
35753 Cannot bring perfect enlightenment,
35754 Along with skillful means cultivate the wisdom
35755 Which does not conceive the three spheres [as real]
35756 This is the practice of Bodhisattvas.
35757 -- Gyelsay Togmay Sangpo
35759 Practice of the five perfections without the understanding of reality
35760 remains contaminated, and though it may yield boundless happiness, it doesn't
35761 lead to omniscience. Love and compassion without the understanding of reality
35762 cannot help us to escape from worldly existence.
35763 On the other hand, we may easily remain trapped in a state of personal peace
35764 if we have understood reality but lack enough love and compassion. It is
35765 therefore the practice of Bodhisattvas to combine the two--skillful means and
35766 wisdom. Which of us can say we don't want to possess knowledge, kindness and
35767 pure conduct? Our text is a manual of instruction on how to gain these
35768 qualities and become a fully developed human being. (p.70)
35769 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas",
35770 translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
35772 "The Buddhas have already achieved all their own goals, but remain in the
35773 cycle of existence for as long as there are sentient beings. This is because
35774 they possess great compassion. They also do not enter the immensely blissful
35775 abode of nirvana like the Hearers. Considering the interests of sentient
35776 beings first, they abandon the peaceful abode of nirvana as if it were a
35777 burning iron house. Therefore, great compassion alone is the unavoidable
35778 cause of the non-abiding nirvana of the Buddha."
35781 Compassion's importance cannot be overemphasized. Chandrakirti paid rich
35782 tribute to compassion, saying that it was essential in the initial,
35783 intermediate, and final stages of the path to enlightenment.
35784 Initially, the awakening mind of bodhichitta is generated with compassion as
35785 the root, or basis. Practice of the six perfections and so forth is essential
35786 if a Bodhisattva is to attain the final goal.
35787 In the intermediate stage, compassion is equally relevant. Even after
35788 enlightenment, it is compassion that induces the Buddhas not to abide in the
35789 blissful state of complacent nirvana. It is the motivating force enabling the
35790 Buddhas to enter non-abiding nirvana and actualize the Truth Body, which
35791 represents fulfillment of your own purpose, and the Form Body, which
35792 represents fulfillment of the needs of others. Thus, by the power of
35793 compassion, Buddhas serve the interests of sentient beings without
35794 interruption for as long as space exists. This shows that the awakening mind
35795 of bodhichitta remains crucial even after achieving the final destination.
35797 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, root text by Kamalashila, "Stages of Meditation",
35798 translated by Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and
35799 Jeremy Russell, published by Snow Lion Publications
35801 [During sleep and waking states] there are physiological processes that
35802 correspond to different mental states, and these are associated with
35803 subjectively experienced energies in the body.
35804 In the waking state, these energies tend to be drawn into a locus in the
35805 center of the head, at the level of the forehead. In the dreaming stage,
35806 these energies will be even more drawn to a point in the throat. In the deep
35807 sleep state, these energies are more drawn into the heart. The location is
35808 not the physical heart, the organ, but the heart center which is right in the
35809 center of the chest.
35810 Certain events are experienced in meditation that seem to corroborate this
35811 theory. For example, in meditation, it is possible to bring your awareness
35812 into the heart cakra, and sometimes when this happens, the person will faint.
35813 On other occasions, the meditative awareness, finely concentrated, may be
35814 brought into the area of the navel. And at this juncture, it has been found
35815 experientially that heat is produced by such concentration. If you look at
35816 the anatomy of the body, you don't find these cakra points. (p.106)
35817 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations with
35818 the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism", edited by Zara Houshmand,
35819 Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Pub.
35821 When you meditate with concentration, there are three particular experiences
35822 that arise: bliss, clarity, and nonthought.
35823 The experience of meditative bliss is greater than ordinary worldly
35824 happiness. Sometimes when you are meditating, a feeling of blissfulness
35825 suddenly arises from the subtle state of your mind and pervades your entire
35826 body. This bliss is healthy and brings out your inner qualities. Some people
35827 use drugs to induce blissfulness and visions, but drugs are external supports
35828 that cannot bring lasting happiness. The bliss experienced in meditation can
35829 last for many days, according to your ability to meditate. When you
35830 experience this kind of bliss, on the outside you might look very poor, but
35831 inside you remain very joyful.
35832 The second main experience in meditation is clarity. Sometimes while
35833 meditating you can suddenly feel that your mind is very clear and bright.
35834 Even if you are meditating in the dark, you do not feel heavy or tired.
35835 Sometimes your body feels very light and your mind is very clear, and many
35836 kinds of reflections appear. Clarity brings great wisdom and the ability to
35837 read other people's minds, as well as to see your own past and future lives.
35838 The third main experience is nonthought, or a state of equanimity without
35839 distractions. Beginners can also experience this. Nonthought is more settled
35840 than the experiences of bliss and clarity. If you have thoughts, they
35841 suddenly dissolve and you can remain continuously in meditation. As your
35842 ability to meditate develops, your mind becomes more and more settled, so that
35843 you can meditate for one hour or one week or one month without being
35844 distracted by thoughts. You simply remain in the natural state for as long as
35846 Bliss, clarity, and nonthought are the main qualities of concentration.
35847 However, it is important not to be attached to them or concerned about whether
35848 they arise or not; one should simply continue to practice. (p.29)
35849 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche,
35850 "The Buddhist Path: A Practical Guide from the Nyingma Tradition of
35851 Tibetan Buddhism", published by Snow Lion Publications
35853 The Buddha's teachings can be divided into two main categories: the
35854 scriptures and realization. A verse states:
35856 The teachings of the Teacher have two aspects:
35857 Scripture and realization presented as they truly are.
35858 There is nothing else to do but
35859 Sustain them, speak of them, and practice them.
35861 When we practice listening, reflecting, and meditating, the teachings will
35862 free us from the heavy darkness of suffering. They are like a never-setting
35863 sun whose luminous rays reach to the farthest corners of this world. Among
35864 the eighty-four thousand teachings of the Buddha are those found in Tibet that
35865 maintain the unity of the sutra and mantra traditions. These teachings are
35866 like a tree trunk with numerous branches: a variety of lamas hold lineages
35867 within diverse traditions.
35868 ...In showing how to cut through the delusion of duality, these teachings
35869 open up to every living being the possibility of attaining true mastery over
35870 the immense and profound gates to the eighty-four thousand teachings. They
35871 are precious because they make nonconceptual wisdom manifest and bring forth
35872 the amrita of all-pervading emptiness. Like placing a perfect fruit in the
35873 palm of our hand, these teachings bring about two kinds of wisdom: the wisdom
35874 that sees the multitude of all phenomena distinctly and the wisdom that sees
35875 clearly into their nature.
35876 Relying on an appropriate path allows the fruition of practice to manifest.
35877 This result is possible because buddha nature is found in the mindstream of
35878 all living beings. (p.160)
35879 -- "Music in the Sky: The Life, Art and Teachings of the Seventeenth
35880 Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje", by Michele Martin, published by Snow Lion
35882 All is neither real nor delusive--
35883 Held to be like [a reflection of] the moon on water by the learned.
35884 Just this ordinary mind
35885 Is called "dharmadhatu" and "Heart of the victors."
35886 --Venerable Rangjung Dorje
35888 ...Thus, seeming reality consists of the adventitious stains that are like
35889 [mistakenly seeing] a [white] conch as being yellow. Ultimate reality is the
35890 tathagata heart, which is like the [natural] white of the conch. Except for
35891 the mere appearances from the perspective of a mistaken [perceiving] subject,
35892 within the object--the conch--there is nothing white or yellow to be added or
35893 to be removed. Therefore, the pith instruction is to rest naturally and
35895 In brief, what are called "samsara" and "nirvana" are set up from the point
35896 of view of mere seeming appearances, while the nature of both--luminosity free
35897 from reference points--is called tathagata heart. Consequently, in terms of
35898 the definitive meaning, mere appearances and their nature cannot be separated,
35899 just like fire and its heat. For this reason, the mother [sutras] say:
35900 "Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form. Emptiness is nothing other than
35901 form. Form is nothing other than emptiness." (p.165)
35902 -- "Gone Beyond: The Prajnaparamita Sutras, The Ornament of Clear
35903 Realization, and Its Commentaries in the Tibetan Kagyu Tradition", Volume One
35904 translated and introduced by Karl Brunnholzl, a Tsadra Foundation Series book,
35905 published by Snow Lion Publications
35907 In the Mahayana 'cause and effect' refer to totally supreme emptiness and
35908 supreme immutable bliss. The Brief Explication of Initiations (Shekhoddesha)
35909 [included in the Kalachakra cycle] says:
35911 That bearing the form of emptiness is the cause,
35912 That bearing immutable compassion is the effect.
35913 Emptiness and compassion indivisible
35914 Are called the mind of enlightenment.
35916 The indivisibility of these two is a Cause Vehicle in the sense of being the
35917 means by which one progresses, and it is an Effect Vehicle in the sense of
35918 being that to which one is progressing. Such a Vajra Vehicle has reference to
35919 Highest Yoga Tantra and cannot occur in the lower tantras. For the supreme
35920 immutable bliss can only arise when one has attained the branch of meditative
35921 stabilisation (in the system of the Kalachakra) and thus the branches of
35922 mindfulness and those below must be the means of achieving it. The three
35923 lower tantras do not have all the factors that are included in these causal
35925 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra in Tibet",
35926 published by Snow Lion Publications
35928 ...one of the things you can learn from history is that men have learned
35929 to live with machinery at least as well as, and probably a good deal better
35930 than, they have learned to live with one another.
35931 -- E. E. Morison, from "Computers and the World of the Future"
35933 Everything is perfect in the universe--even your desire to improve it.
35938 I encourage you to conduct your own research on the results of practicing in
35939 various environments. Tibetan yogis are especially attracted to places with
35940 an enormous amount of open space and distant vistas. I have greatly enjoyed
35941 meditating in the high desert of the eastern Sierra Nevada range, where the
35942 views extend to peaks sixty miles away. The ability to direct the attention
35943 to such distant points gives a very expansive feeling to the intervening
35945 In such a spacious environment, allow your awareness to come out, with your
35946 eyes open and your gaze resting vacantly in the space in front of you. The
35947 experience in a vast space is very different from that in a tiny room. Gazing
35948 up at a clear night sky studded with stars is a wonderful way to experience
35949 the sheer enormity of space.
35950 It is important to distinguish between the contents of a space and the space
35951 itself. Colors and shapes constitute the contents of visual space. These are
35952 aspects or representations of ordinary phenomena in the visual field.
35953 Attending to the space of the mind means attending to that space from which
35954 all such contents emerge, in which they are present, and into which they
35955 dissolve; it is the space that lingers in between discrete events. (p.220)
35956 -- B. Alan Wallace, "Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness",
35957 published by Snow Lion Publications
35959 "Through analytical meditation, you come to a point of clarity and decisive
35960 insight, and at this point it is beneficial to abide in that revelation. Your
35961 insight will grow gradually like a sprout. Simply be present and settle your
35962 mind in the absolute nature of reality. Remain in a state of meditative
35963 equipoise, and do not think of this as a waste of your time. If you think you
35964 should rather be actively engaged in such practices as circumambulations or
35965 the stage of generation, it is the time for you to be simply present in
35966 meditative equipoise. But do not just sit and space out."
35969 In some scholarly discursive meditations in the sutra tradition, one
35970 continually seeks out the mind, and there is a tradition in which
35971 investigation is needed. Here, in the tradition of Mahamudra and Atiyoga, it
35972 is enough to seek and investigate during this phase of Dharma practice, but
35973 afterwards it is not necessary to continue the search. In the Katok
35974 tradition, the investigation of the mind is said to takes months, for one
35975 examines for three days each of the points of the mind's color and shape as
35976 well as the exterior and the interior of the body. Our tradition does not
35977 take so long, so it is important for you to seek out the mind without even a
35978 moment's distraction. (p.100)
35979 -- Karma Chagme, "A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the
35980 Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga", commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche, trans. by B.
35981 Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications
35983 When the root of duality--dualistic clinging, dualistic perceptions, deluded
35984 perceptions--is severed, all the leaves, the branches, and even the tree trunk
35985 of samsara and nirvana naturally wither on their own and topple in their own
35986 time. Then this great spreading tree of samsara and nirvana, of duality, of
35987 worldliness, of conditioned being, does not need to be chopped down: it is
35988 already as if dead. We can relax; done is what had to be done, as the Buddha
35990 This is the whole point of the Dharma, of spiritual awakening, of
35991 Buddhahood; this is its ultimate evolution or unfolding. If we aspire to
35992 experience such an awakening, there is nothing else to do except recognize the
35993 true nature of our primordial awareness, our own essential being, our own
35994 birthright, which is within. This is the intrinsic nature of our own heart-
35995 mind, also known as bodhicitta or bodhi-mind. It is our own being, our own
35996 nature, this renowned buddha-nature. It is not a Buddha anywhere else. (p.103)
35997 -- Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche and Lama Surya Das, "Natural Great Perfection:
35998 Dzogchen Teachings and Vajra Songs", published by Snow Lion Publications
36000 A common [Tibetan Buddhist] motif is the "Wheel of Life," symbolizing the
36001 workings of cyclic existence. This is frequently found at the doorway to a
36002 main assembly hall and serves to remind the inhabitants of the dangers of
36003 mundane existence. This striking image has a large central circle divided
36004 into two halves. The top half has three sections, representing the three
36005 "happy transmigrations"--humans, demi-gods, and gods. The lower half also has
36006 three sections, indicative of the three bad transmigrations--animals, hungry
36007 ghosts, and hell beings. A pigeon symbolizes the mental affliction of desire,
36008 a snake represents hatred, and a pig--symbol of ignorance--holds the tails of
36009 the first two in its mouth. These three afflictions are the primary factors
36010 that bind people to cyclic existence, causing them to transmigrate helplessly
36011 from birth to birth.
36012 The theme of cause and effect is further illustrated by twelve sections
36013 around the rim of the wheel, symbolizing the twelve links of dependent arising
36014 (a summary of the process of transmigration). The whole wheel is held in the
36015 jaws of the Lord of Death, indicating that death is inevitable for those who
36016 are caught up in this cycle. Outside of the wheel are buddhas and
36017 bodhisattvas, often shown teaching the dharma, which provides an avenue of
36018 escape for those who are perceptive enough to recognize this and follow their
36019 instructions. (p.239)
36020 -- John Powers, "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism", published by Snow Lion
36023 Is Anger Beneficial?
36025 We generally consider something beneficial if it promotes happiness. But
36026 when we ask ourselves, "Am I happy when I'm angry?" the answer is undoubtedly
36027 no. We may feel a surge of physical energy due to physiological reasons, but
36028 emotionally we feel miserable. Thus, from our own experience, we can see that
36029 anger does not promote happiness.
36030 In addition, we don't communicate well when we're angry. We may speak
36031 loudly as if the other person were hard of hearing or repeat what we say as if
36032 he had a bad memory, but this is not communication. Good communication
36033 involves expressing ourselves in a way that the other person understands. It
36034 is not simply dumping our feelings on the other. Good communication also
36035 includes expressing our feelings and thoughts with words, gestures, and
36036 examples that make sense to the other person. Under the sway of anger,
36037 however, we neither express ourselves as calmly nor think as clearly as usual.
36038 Under the influence of anger, we also say and do things that we later
36039 regret. Years of trust built with great effort can be quickly damaged by a
36040 few moments of uncontrolled anger.... If we could tame our anger, such
36041 painful consequences could be avoided.(p.23)
36042 -- Thubten Chodron, "Working with Anger", published by Snow Lion Pub.
36044 Why should we want to help our enemies or to give them happiness? Here are
36045 various useful ideas to consider. One approach is to think that the harm they
36046 have done us is, in fact, the result of our own past negative actions through
36047 which we have set ourselves up as a target for their harm. We could also
36048 consider how those who harm us are totally driven by their disturbing
36050 If someone in our family, someone we love dearly, becomes insane and tries
36051 to harm us, we wouldn't think of taking revenge but would try to help them
36052 regain a normal state of mind. Living beings, our mothers, are crazed by
36053 their disturbing emotions. Those who harm us are in particular need of our
36054 love and compassion. (p.52)
36055 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "The Bodhisattva Vow", translated and edited by
36056 Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
36058 On top of the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death, we encounter
36059 the pains of facing the unpleasant, separating from the pleasant, and not
36060 finding what we want. The basic problem lies with the type of mind and body
36061 that we have. Our mind-body complex serves as a basis for present sufferings
36062 in the form of aging, sickness, and death, and promotes future suffering
36063 through our usual responses to painful situations.
36064 By reflecting on birth and on the nature of mind and body, you will be moved
36065 from the depths of your heart to seek relief, thinking, "If I could only be
36066 free from a life driven by afflictive emotions and karma!" Without such
36067 reflection on pain, your knowledge of your own condition will be limited,
36068 which itself will put a limit on your compassion. As Tsonghkapa says:
36069 "If you do not cultivate a genuine sense of disenchantment with cyclic
36070 existence--whose nature is a mind-body complex under the sway of afflictive
36071 emotions and karma--you will have no chance to develop a genuine attitude
36072 intent on liberation, and there will be no way to develop great compassion for
36073 beings wandering in cyclic existence. Therefore, it is crucial to reflect on
36074 your situation." (p.151)
36075 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Becoming Enlightened", trans. and ed. by
36076 Jeffrey Hopkins, PhD
36078 When I was a young boy, Tantra was just a matter of blind faith. At age
36079 twenty-four I lost my own country, and then after coming to India started
36080 really reading Tsongkhapa's explanations on emptiness. Then, after moving to
36081 Dharamsala, I put more effort into the study and practice of the stages of the
36082 path, emptiness, and Tantra. So it was only in my late twenties after gaining
36083 some experience of emptiness that deity yoga made sense.
36084 One time in the main temple in Dharamsala I was performing the ritual of
36085 imagining myself as a deity of Highest Yoga Tantra, called Guhyasamaja. My
36086 mind continuously remained on the recitation of the ritual text, and when the
36087 words "I myself" came, I completely forgot about my usual self in relation to
36088 my combination of mind and body: Instead, I had a very clear sense of "I" in
36089 relation to the new, pure combination of mind and body of Guhyasamaja that I
36090 was imagining. Since this is the type of self-identification that is at the
36091 heart of Tantric yoga, the experience confirmed for me that with enough time I
36092 could definitely achieve the extraordinary, deep states mentioned in the
36093 scriptures. (p.188)
36094 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful
36095 Life", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
36097 In Buddhism, one speaks of three different levels of understanding, which
36098 are sequential--an understanding arrived at through learning and studying, an
36099 understanding developed as a result of deep reflection and contemplation, and
36100 an understanding acquired through meditative experience.
36101 There is a definite order in the sequence of this three. So on the basis of
36102 study and learning--which is the first level--we deepen our understanding of a
36103 given topic by constantly reflecting upon it until we arrive at a point where
36104 we gain a high degree of certainty or conviction that is firmly grounded in
36105 reason. At this point, even if others were to contradict our understanding
36106 and the premises upon which it is based we would not be swayed, because our
36107 conviction in the truth has arisen through the power of our own critical
36108 reflection. This is the second level of understanding which, however, is
36109 still at the level of the intellect.
36110 If we pursue this understanding further and deepen it through constant
36111 contemplation and familiarity with the truth, we reach a point where we feel
36112 the impact at the emotional level. In other words, our conviction is no
36113 longer at the level of mere intellect. This is the third level of
36114 understanding, which is experiential, and this is referred to in the Buddhist
36115 texts as an understanding derived through meditative experience.... You will
36116 need to deepen your understanding still further by engaging in regular
36117 meditation so that you can progress to the third level of understanding.
36118 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
36119 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
36121 Shortly after attaining enlightenment under the bodhi tree, the Buddha gave
36122 a sermon in Varanasi sharing the fruits of his realization. This sermon is
36123 referred to as the "first turning of the wheel of Dharma." The word Dharma
36124 here refers to the Buddha's teachings themselves. It was this sermon in which
36125 the Buddha developed what would become the framework for the entirety of his
36126 teachings: the four noble truths.
36127 These four truths are the truth of suffering, the truth of its origin, the
36128 truth of the possibility of its cessation, and the truth of the path that
36129 leads to that cessation. In essence, the four noble truths say that we all
36130 naturally desire happiness and do not wish to suffer--and that the suffering
36131 we wish to avoid comes about as a result of a chain of causes and conditions
36132 begun even before our birth. If we are to pursue our aspiration to gain
36133 freedom from suffering, we need to clearly understand the causes and
36134 conditions that give rise to suffering and strive to eliminate them.
36135 Additionally, we must clearly understand the causes and conditions that give
36136 rise to happiness as well, and actively practice them. This is the essence of
36137 the four noble truths.
36138 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's
36139 Heart of Wisdom Teachings", translated & edited by Geshe Thupten Jinpa
36141 In Dzogchen, while thoughts are active, rigpa permeates them all, so that
36142 even at the very moment when powerful thoughts like attachment and aversion
36143 are arising, there remains a pervasive quality of clear light rigpa.
36144 Dodrupchen says, "in Dzogchen, since the clear light's natural way of being is
36145 like the sun and its rays, inseparable, if you are able, through this, to
36146 bring out the radiance of genuine mind, you will be able to maintain the
36147 experience of clear light in meditation, without it fluctuating, or coming and
36149 Longchen Rabjam speaks of self-arising wisdom, which is in fact rigpa:
36150 "Self-arising wisdom is rigpa that is empty, clear and free from all
36151 elaboration, like an immaculate sphere of crystal. Its very being is such
36152 that it never explores objects of the senses."
36153 This "self-arising wisdom" is rigpa, which in essence is primordially pure.
36154 Longchenpa describes it as "empty and clear". To call it empty is to refer to
36155 its essence, primordially pure. To call it clear is to speak of its nature,
36156 spontaneously present. As such, it is "free from all elaboration", and free
36157 from the elaborations of adventitious phenomena. So it is like a flawless
36158 crystal sphere, and truly "its very being is such that it never explores
36159 objects of the senses". (p.180-5)
36160 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
36162 There is an Indian saying: if you are struck by a poisonous arrow, it is
36163 important first to pull it out, there is no time to ask who shot it, what sort
36164 of poison it is and so on. First handle the immediate problem, and later we
36165 can investigate. Similarly, when we encounter human suffering, it is
36166 important to respond with compassion rather than question the politics of
36167 those we help. Instead of asking whether their country is enemy or friend, we
36168 must think, "These are human beings, they are suffering, and they have a right
36169 to happiness equal to our own."
36170 Our attitude towards suffering is very important because it can affect how
36171 we cope with it when it arises. Our usual attitude consists of an intense
36172 aversion and intolerance of our own pain and suffering. However, if we can
36173 transform our attitude, adopt an attitude that allows us greater tolerance of
36174 it, this can do much to help counteract feelings of mental unhappiness,
36175 dissatisfaction and discontent. (p.92)
36176 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by
36179 Why should we want to help our enemies or to give them happiness? Here are
36180 various useful ideas to consider. One approach is to think that the harm they
36181 have done us is, in fact, the result of our own past negative actions through
36182 which we have set ourselves up as a target for their harm. We could also
36183 consider how those who harm us are totally driven by their disturbing
36185 If someone in our family, someone we love dearly, becomes insane and tries
36186 to harm us, we wouldn't think of taking revenge but would try to help them
36187 regain a normal state of mind. Living beings, our mothers, are crazed by
36188 their disturbing emotions. Those who harm us are in particular need of our
36189 love and compassion. (p.52)
36190 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "The Bodhisattva Vow", translated and edited by
36191 Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
36193 If you are totally concerned and preoccupied with the affairs of this
36194 lifetime, there is a great danger of causing your own downfall. If by such
36195 concern you were able to achieve the desired happiness, that is okay, but this
36197 We all let ourselves be caught in this web of preoccupation with the
36198 activities and confusion of this lifetime. Having too much worldly
36199 involvement ends in confusion. We spend our whole lives thinking that this
36200 might be better than that, I should do this, or perhaps something else is
36201 better and I should do that. If you reflect upon the underlying
36202 dissatisfaction, then you will be able to find that, well, after all, whatever
36203 they might be, the affairs of this lifetime are not that important, because
36204 they yield a limited benefit. This does not mean that you should not work for
36205 your own livelihood, but it does indicate that you should not be preoccupied
36206 with that alone. (p.107)
36207 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Bliss", translated by Geshe Thupten
36208 Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications
36210 Do you understand who the enemy is? You do not need to beat anyone up, and
36211 you do not need a weapon to kill your enemy. You do not need money to buy a
36212 weapon. It is all very easy.
36213 How is liberation accomplished? The offering of liberation is accomplished
36214 by abandoning the dualistic mind of discursive thoughts. The sharp weapon of
36215 primordial wisdom, which completely annihilates the dualistic mind, is the
36216 means for achieving this separation. This "weapon" has been part of your
36217 continuum for a long time now. With this weapon you can completely devastate
36218 the dualistic mind, leaving not even a trace behind, thus liberating the mind
36219 into the sphere of unborn truth. The enemy will never return. This is called
36221 I must emphasize that primordial wisdom is not something you can buy, get
36222 from your best friend or have handed to you by a buddha in heaven. It is not
36223 something that someone else has but you do not. Abandon such concepts.
36224 Primordial wisdom does not come from an external source. It is simply your
36225 true nature. It is something that you and everyone else have as the very
36226 essence of your mind.
36227 You should know what your qualities and capabilities are. (p.79)
36228 -- Gyatrul Rinpoche, "The Generation Stage in Buddhist Tantra", published
36229 by Snow Lion Publications
36231 With regard to ordinary study, except for the fact that there is a limit to
36232 our lifetime, it is not that you arrive at a point where there is no more room
36233 in your brain. No matter how much you study, even if you study a hundred
36234 thousand million words, the mind can still retain them. This indicates that
36235 the basis of these qualities, consciousness, is stable and continuous.
36236 The other day, I made a joke to someone who was asking about the brain. I
36237 said that if, like a computer, you needed a cell for each moment of memory,
36238 then as you become more and more educated, your head would have to get bigger
36240 Because of these reasons--that compassion, wisdom, and so forth are
36241 qualities that depend on the mind, and the mind is stable and continuous--they
36242 can be developed to a limitless degree.
36243 It is from this point of view that it is said that the conception of
36244 inherent existence can be extinguished. When one removes the conception of
36245 inherent existence, one thereby also ceases the afflictive emotions generated
36246 in dependence upon that ignorance. Also, since the ignorance that drives
36247 contaminated actions has ceased, this class of actions ceases. Once the
36248 motivator of the action and the actions cease, the results of those actions
36249 will cease. That is how the third noble truth--true cessation--comes to be.
36251 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, "The Dalai Lama at
36252 Harvard: Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and
36253 edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
36255 "Accumulating merit" can be approached from a psychological perspective that
36256 lends itself to experiential verification or from a spiritual dimension that
36257 requires some faith. "Merit" can be understood as "spiritual power" that
36258 manifests in day-to-day experience. When merit, or spiritual power, is
36259 strong, there is little resistance to practicing Dharma and practice itself is
36261 Tibetans explain that people who make rapid progress in Dharma, gaining one
36262 insight after another, enter practice already having a lot of merit. By the
36263 same theory, it is possible to strive diligently and make little progress.
36264 Tibetans explain this problem as being due to too little merit. Merit is the
36265 fuel that empowers spiritual practice.
36266 How do you accumulate merit? Engaging in virtue of any sort, with your
36267 mind, your speech, or your body results in merit. Just as merit can be
36268 accumulated, it can also be dissipated by doing harm. In general, mental
36269 afflictions dissipate merit. The mental affliction that is like a black hole
36270 sucking up merit, worse than all the others, is anger. Attachment or sensual
36271 craving can get you in a lot of trouble, but it doesn't have the debilitating
36272 impact upon spiritual practice that anger does. Remember the warrior
36273 metaphor--standing at the gateway of the mind, vigilant, spear ready. The
36274 spear is for mental afflictions, especially anger. Nip anger in the bud. (p.208)
36275 -- B. Alan Wallace, "Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind
36276 Training", published by Snow Lion Publications
36278 It is necessary to alternate stabilising meditation and analytical
36279 meditation... by merely cultivating non-conceptuality and non-analysis it is
36280 impossible to enter into the yoga of signlessness.
36281 Even after emptiness has been realised, powerful and repeated analysis is
36282 needed. Merely to set one's mind on the meaning of emptiness is the mode of
36283 cultivating calm abiding observing emptiness; in order to cultivate special
36284 insight it is necessary to analyse again and again. These two modes of
36285 meditation--stabilising and analytical--are alternated until analysis itself
36286 induces even greater stablisation, at which point stabilisation and wisdom are
36287 of equal strength, this being a union of calm abiding and special insight.
36288 In Performance as well as in Action Tantra the meditative stabilisation
36289 which is a union of calm abiding and special insight is used to gain feats for
36290 the sake of aiding sentient beings and accumulating merit quickly. (p.42)
36291 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Deity
36292 Yoga in Action and Performance Tantra", published by Snow Lion Pub.
36294 Seeking a Place of Refuge.
36296 A spiritual aspirant requires a model, something he or she can look up to as
36297 an ideal and thus find guidance and inspiration. In Buddhism this is the
36298 Triple Gem, or the Three Jewels of Refuge: the Buddhas, Dharma and Sangha.
36299 When we think of the fully enlightened Buddhas--the beings who have purified
36300 their minds of all stains and obscurations and who have expanded their wisdom
36301 to the limits of existence--we feel very attracted and awed; but somehow there
36302 always seems to be a great distance between the Buddhas and us. Therefore,
36303 there is the refuge of Sangha, the community of spiritual aspirants, the
36304 assembly of practitioners dwelling in the various stages of practice and
36306 These beings provide us with a perspective on the path. We have to look up
36307 to the Sangha, but not as far as to the Buddhas. The Sangha make us think,
36308 "This person is not that far ahead of me. If I just make a bit more
36309 effort...." They give us confidence for spiritual practice. Sometimes they
36310 make us feel like we can even race them to enlightenment. These are the
36311 Sangha of spiritual friends.
36312 Thoughts of the Buddhas make us numb with admiration; thoughts of the Sangha
36313 cause us to jump to it and to apply ourselves with zeal to the spiritual path.
36314 This path and the methods for traversing it are the third Jewel of Refuge, the
36315 Dharma. This is the collection of teachings to be practiced and the
36316 realizations to be attained. (p.97)
36317 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
36318 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
36320 Suppose there is this religious group building thousands of childcare
36321 facilities and hospices.... Although these religious workers are doing a lot
36322 of caring work, there is no wish to enlighten sentient beings. Their aim is
36323 just to provide food and education. At the same time, imagine there is one
36324 hermit living somewhere in the mountains of the Himalayas who is doing none of
36325 this. In fact, within close range of him, there are a lot of babies dying,
36326 yet outwardly he is doing nothing about it. Inwardly, however, he is actually
36327 meditating, "May all sentient beings be enlightened!" and he continues to do
36328 this every day. Purely because of the enlightenment aspect, this person is
36329 worthier of homage than the first group. Why? Because it is so difficult to
36330 truly and genuinely wish for the enlightenment of others. It is much easier
36331 to give people food and educate them.
36332 Most of us don't really appreciate this fact. We have never before
36333 genuinely wished for someone else to achieve enlightenment. Likewise, if
36334 someone were to come over and say to us: "Here you go, you have a ticket for
36335 enlightenment. There is only one ticket." I don't think we would even think
36336 about giving it to someone else! We'd grab it and go for it. Enlightenment
36337 is such a valuable thing.
36338 Actually, enlightenment is much too large a subject, so let's not take that
36339 as an example. Instead, let's say someone comes along with a potion that
36340 promises you clairvoyance or omniscience. We would drink it ourselves, not
36341 even sharing half of it with others!
36342 Just think how often we are jealous when someone is a better practitioner.
36343 How often do we get jealous when someone receives a better or a higher
36344 teaching than we do? If you have genuine bodhichitta, you should be happy,
36345 shouldn't you? After all, isn't that what you wished for? Their getting
36346 enlightenment means your wish is at last coming true. Their receiving higher
36347 teachings, or becoming better practitioners, means that your aspiration is
36348 finally being fulfilled! But we don't feel this way, instead we feel jealous
36349 or envious. Some of us may be so-so Dharma practitioners, so we don't really
36350 feel jealous or envious, but we still feel left behind. Who cares? If you
36351 are a genuine bodhisattva, you shouldn't care about these things. (p.123)
36352 -- "Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminary
36353 Practices", compiled, translated, and introduced by Cortland Dahl,
36354 published by Snow Lion Publications
36356 It is very difficult to help somebody overcome his or her problems when the
36357 problems are unstructured, when in a certain way this person does not have any
36358 problems, though deep inside all the problems are there. It is very difficult
36359 for a human being whose problem is confused, whose ego is ill-defined and
36360 without foundation, to really purify, clarify, and develop anything.
36361 The same principle applies to praying. As long as we have our self, our
36362 ego, we pray to the Buddha: "Please bless me so that my prayers for the
36363 benefit of all sentient beings be fulfilled." Otherwise our prayer does not
36364 follow any line or direction. It would be like going to a big five-star hotel
36365 with five hundred rooms and not knowing your room number, or taking an
36366 elevator without knowing which floor to go to--this would be a big problem.
36367 This is the reason for calling upon the great compassion of the Buddha and
36368 asking him to consider our prayers. The reason is not that the Buddha only
36369 listens to someone who prays to him; rather, without praying to the Buddha we
36370 are not developed enough to have the condition necessary to receive his
36371 blessing. Rain might be falling for ten thousand years, yet if our cup is
36372 upside down it will remain empty. Through praying we open up, we turn our cup
36373 to let the water get inside. (p.48)
36374 -- XII Khentin Tai Situpa Rinpoche, "The Third Karmapa's Mahamudra Prayer",
36375 translated and edited by Rosemarie Fuchs, published by Snow Lion Pub
36377 Catproof is an oxymoron, childproof nearly so. -- unknown
36379 In Tibetan there is no word for "emotion."
36380 Bearing in mind that the fundamental goal of Buddhist practice is the
36381 achievement of nirvana, when you study the mind what you're really concerned
36382 with is what specific mental states impede the accomplishment of that end.
36383 That's what the six primary states and twenty derivative states (the
36384 unwholesome mental factors) all have in common. Some are emotions and some
36385 are not, but it doesn't really matter. What's important is they all share
36386 that common factor of being impediments.
36387 In contrast, modern psychology does not have the aim of nirvana. My
36388 conjecture, in terms of trying to understand why the West places such a strong
36389 emphasis on identifying emotion, is that, going back to the Enlightenment,
36390 even as far back as Aquinas, there is an enormous priority placed on reason
36391 and intelligence. What can impede reason? Emotion.
36392 You have two categories that are set in opposition to each other. The fact
36393 that there is a specific term for emotion in Western thought does not
36394 necessarily imply that there was a special emphasis placed on understanding
36395 the nature of emotion. Perhaps initially the motive for labeling something as
36396 emotion was to enhance reason by identifying something that is unreasonable,
36397 something that is irrational. (p.159)
36398 -- "Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them? A Scientific Dialogue
36399 with the Dalai Lama", narrated by Daniel Goleman, foreword by the Dalai
36402 The solution of this problem is trivial and is left as an exercise for the reader.
36403 -- Standard textbook cookie
36406 Your Holiness and other teachers tell us to be sincerely joyful about
36407 others' worldly achievements, happiness, and acquisitions. But if we know
36408 with certainty that a person has acquired or achieved something through
36409 unskillful or non-virtuous means, such as lying, stealing, cheating, harming,
36410 in what manner should that happiness for them be experienced and expressed?
36413 One's attitude toward superficial successes that are achieved through wrong
36414 means of livelihood such as lying, stealing, cheating, and so on, should not
36415 be the same as for achievements and happiness which are genuine. However,
36416 here you must bear in mind that if you examine this carefully, you will find
36417 that although the immediate circumstances that gave rise to a person's joy and
36418 happiness may be a wrong means of livelihood, that is merely the immediate
36419 circumstance: the actual cause of that happiness is the individual's merit in
36421 So one has to see the difference between immediate circumstances and long-
36422 term causes. One of the characteristics of karmic theory is that there is a
36423 definite, commensurate relationship between cause and effect. There is no way
36424 that negative actions or unwholesome deeds can result in joy and happiness.
36425 Joy and happiness, by definition, are the results or fruits of wholesome
36426 actions. So, from that point of view, it is possible for us to admire not so
36427 much the immediate action, but the real causes of joy. (p.119)
36428 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
36429 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by
36430 Snow Lion Publications
36432 At all times, do not lose courage in your inner awareness; uplift yourself,
36433 while assuming a humble position in your outer demeanor. Follow the example
36434 of the life and complete liberation of previous accomplished masters (siddha).
36435 Do not blame your past karma; instead, be someone who purely and flawlessly
36436 practices the Dharma. Do not blame temporary negative circumstances; instead,
36437 be someone who remains steadfast in the face of whatever circumstances may
36439 In brief, taking your own mind as witness, make your life and practice one,
36440 and at the time of death, with no thought of anything left undone, do not be
36441 ashamed of yourself. This itself is the pith instruction of all practices.
36442 Eventually, when the time of death arrives, completely give up whatever
36443 wealth you possess, and do not cling to even one needle. Moreover, at death,
36444 practitioners of highest faculty will be joyful; practitioners of middling
36445 faculty will be without apprehension; and practitioners of the lowest faculty
36446 will have no regrets. When realization's clear light becomes continuous day
36447 and night, there is no intermediate state (bardo): death is just breaking the
36448 enclosure of the body.
36449 If this is not the case, but if you have confidence that you will be
36450 liberated in the intermediate state, whatever you have done in preparation for
36451 death will suffice. Without such confidence, when death arrives, you can send
36452 your consciousness to whichever pure land you wish and there traverse the
36453 remaining paths and stages to become enlightened. (p.58)
36454 -- "Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart Advice", translated by Ron Garry,
36455 a Tsadra Foundation Series book, published by Snow Lion Publications
36457 There are many different forms of bodywork that can purify and heal in the
36458 context of preparing for tantric practice. Trauma held in the body from early
36459 experiences is cleared only when we are able to work therapeutically in the
36460 body. Whether it is body-centered therapy or the various practices of
36461 acupuncture, osteopathy, homeopathy, and so on, if the practice releases and
36462 transforms trauma, then it is beneficial as a preliminary to any further
36463 tantric practice. I often suggest to people I teach that they follow some
36464 form of body-energy healing in order to further their release of trauma.
36465 Also, after trauma has been released, it is often extremely useful to then
36466 explore some form of psychotherapy.
36467 We should not assume that the traditional practices will do it all for us.
36468 It is simply idealistic and naive to think that all our ills can be resolved
36469 by doing the traditional preliminary practices or, indeed, by classical
36470 "dharma practice" alone. We should consider a healthy body-mind-life
36471 relationship as a necessary part of our practice. When we get this balance
36472 right, we create the basis for a sound dharma practice.
36473 The practice of tantra in particular needs this healthy, balanced basis
36474 because when we work with tantric practices, we stimulate processes in the
36475 body that are often very powerful. If we have a sound base for practice and
36476 have a level of emotional and energetic maturity, then the effects of tantra
36477 can be held and grounded without creating the potential for problems to arise.
36478 Without a sound relationship to the body, the practice of tantra has no real
36479 base from which to unfold.(p.53)
36480 -- Rob Preece, "Preparing for Tantra: Creating the Psychological Ground
36481 for Practice", published by Snow Lion Publications
36483 During a visit to America, Winston Churchill was invited to a buffet luncheon
36484 at which cold fried chicken was served. Returning for a second helping, he
36485 asked politely, "May I have some breast?" "Mr. Churchill," replied the
36486 hostess, "in this country we ask for white meat or dark meat." Churchill
36487 apologized profusely. The following morning, the lady received a magnificent
36488 orchid from her guest of honor. The accompanying card read: "I would be most
36489 obliged if you would pin this on your white meat."
36493 What are the methods for causing one's own mind to become the practices?
36494 Initially, one should take refuge and think about actions and their effects.
36495 The refuge is the Three Jewels: Buddha, his Doctrine and the Spiritual
36498 [Buddha] When a sentient being purifies the taints of his own mind as well
36499 as their latent predispositions, he is free of all defects that act as
36500 obstructions. Thus, he simultaneously and directly knows all phenomena. Such
36501 a being is called a Buddha, and he is a teacher of refuge, like a physician.
36503 [Dharma] The Doctrine jewel is the superior paths--the chief right paths
36504 which remove the taints as well as their latent predispositions--and the
36505 absences which are states of having removed what is to be removed. The
36506 Doctrine is the actual refuge, like medicine.
36508 [Sangha] The Spiritual Community jewel is all persons, whether lay or
36509 ordained, who have generated a superior path in their continuum. They are
36510 friends helping one to achieve refuge, like nurses.
36512 The three refuges that have been achieved and presently exist in other
36513 beings' continuums are one's own causal refuge; one relies on a protector just
36514 as a weak person takes refuge in a stronger person. The three refuges that
36515 one will attain in the future are one's own effect refuge. One who relies on
36516 the Three Jewels from the point of view of knowing that he is to attain them,
36517 must cause them to be generated in his own continuum.(p.35)
36518 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Buddhism of Tibet", translated and edited by
36519 Jeffrey Hopkins, with Anne Klein, published by Snow Lion Publications
36521 Buddhism was extremely helpful to me during the process of my sister's
36522 lingering death two years ago. She was forty-five years old and had very few
36523 spiritual aspirations. She was actually fearful and closed to any suggestions
36524 that she might find comfort in expanding her degree of awareness and
36525 understanding. At first I was extremely upset by her attitude, but then I
36526 realized it was not for me to decide what she should or should not do with the
36527 last few months of her life. I was with her for support and comfort and not
36528 to force her to view her life in a way which was foreign and threatening to
36530 Enabling a person to accomplish a sense of having lived purposefully and
36531 with significance is a major goal of caregivers and loved ones. Being able to
36532 support someone during their dying trajectory, regardless of what they are
36533 thinking or feeling is probably one of the most valuable services one person
36534 can offer to another. But, it is difficult to stay close to someone who is
36535 dying. Not trying to evade an open encounter with the intense psychic pain
36536 that usually accompanies the recognition of impending death is one of the most
36537 valuable contributions that a nurse or any other caregiver or loved one can
36538 make to the patient who wishes to discuss his or her circumstances. Facing
36539 forthrightly the situation of dying, however, requires feeling comfortable
36540 with one's own feelings about death and the frailty of being human.
36541 Buddhism has taught me that death need not be approached only as a tragedy;
36542 it is also an event from which a profound understanding can unfold. (p.44)
36543 -- "Buddhism through American Women's Eyes", edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo,
36544 published by Snow Lion Publications
36546 Offerings should not be influenced by fluctuations of motivation and they
36547 should not be procured by devious means--offerings procured through wrong
36548 means are not good offerings. They should be arranged with proper motivation.
36549 As explained in the precepts of refuge, you should make offerings of the first
36550 portion of your food or drink of the day, whether it be food, milk or tea.
36551 Offerings should be made of what is edible; it is not helpful to arrange a
36552 torma that could not be eaten and then to say OM AH HUM, OM AH HUM. If you
36553 can in reality transform something into delicious food just by reciting OM AH
36554 HUM three times, then it is alright! On the other hand, if your offerings
36555 remain as mere tsampa (roasted barley flour) after having repeated OM AH HUM a
36556 thousand times, it will not help much. The offerings should be the best you
36557 can afford. At least you can offer the first portion of your daily food, as
36558 no one can live without food! Our offerings should be something which is
36559 edible.... [Even] if you make water offerings in a proper manner, you can
36560 generate great merit.(p.35)
36561 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Union of Bliss and Emptiness: Teachings on the
36562 Practice of Guru Yoga", translated by Thupten Jinpa, published by Snow
36565 Hundreds of people may be more popular, powerful, and wealthy than we are,
36566 but from the point of view of the Dharma, no one is more fortunate. We have a
36567 very precious opportunity to make the best of our lives by working toward the
36568 attainment of buddhahood. We have obtained this precious human birth and have
36569 come in contact with the teachings and spiritual friends. All the favorable
36570 conditions are available--we could not ask for more. Yet this is only for a
36571 very short period of time. Within this very short time, the best thing we can
36572 do for ourselves is commit ourselves fully and wholeheartedly to practicing
36573 the disciplines, which are an essential part of the practice of the teachings.
36574 ...The practice of discipline is very profound. In terms of the
36575 effectiveness of the practice of the Dharma, there is a hundredfold difference
36576 between someone who follows some level of discipline and someone who does not.
36577 Whether visualizing a deity, practicing basic meditation, or reciting mantras,
36578 the benefit is a hundredfold greater when we have the ground of discipline.
36579 The teachings of the Buddha say that if we take dust from the footprint of a
36580 person who embodies discipline and put it on our heads, it is a blessing.
36581 Even the king of the devas would do that, because of the sacredness of
36582 discipline. There is a tradition, followed to this day in India, of touching
36583 the feet of a holy person or touching the doorstep before entering his or her
36584 door, and then touching our foreheads. This is not merely a cultural
36585 tradition, but is acknowledging something very profound.(p.73)
36586 -- Khenpo Karthar, "Dharma Paths" 2nd Edition, translated by Ngödup Burkhar
36587 and Chöjor Radha, edited by Laura M. Roth, published by Snow Lion
36590 According to the lower schools of Buddhist thought, when a being, like
36591 Sakyamuni Buddha, attains mahaparinirvana and passes away, he ceases to exist,
36592 there is no further continuity of consciousness. Therefore, according to the
36593 Vaibhasika school, for example, after this point there is no more being, no
36594 more consciousness. Only the name remains. And yet, they believe that this
36595 being who has now disappeared can influence the course of those who follow him
36596 due to the virtues that he created in the past.
36597 This is not accepted by the higher schools of thought, however, that instead
36598 believe that there are two kinds of bodies, those that are pure in nature and
36599 those that are impure. The latter is more gross, whereas a body that has been
36600 purified is more subtle. Now, for example, when Sakyamuni Buddha gave up his
36601 body, there still remained the more subtle one. So, according to these
36602 schools of thought, at the stage of Buddhahood, there are two bodies: a mental
36603 body and a physical one. I don't know whether the English word "body" is the
36604 most appropriate one. In Sanskrit, the words used to signify these two bodies
36605 of the Buddha are dharmakaya and rupakaya. The first is of the nature of
36606 mind, whereas the latter is material. So when the Buddha passes away, there
36607 is still this more subtle body, which is of the nature of mind, and since the
36608 mental continuum is also present, we can say that the personality is still
36609 there. Even today, the Buddha remains as a living being. I think this is
36610 better, don't you?(p.91)
36611 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists",
36612 edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
36614 Blame everything on one thing. It simplifies life incredibly, and yet it
36615 truly is not simplistic. If we believe from our hearts that all of our
36616 misfortunes can be attributed to self-centeredness, this must radically
36617 transform our lives.
36618 Do we have reservations? Isn't there some part of the mind that says,
36619 "Self-centeredness is not such a bad idea. It got me my job, a good salary,
36620 my house and car. How can this be my enemy?" On the surface self-centeredness
36621 may seem like an aide who looks after our interests. There is one powerful
36622 answer to this: insofar as self-centeredness dominates our lives, it brings us
36623 into conflict with virtually everyone else. Because most people are dominated
36624 by self-centeredness, their interests are at odds with our own. There is
36625 bound to be conflict, and conflict gives rise to suffering.
36626 Imagine what life would be like without self-centeredness. Would we give
36627 away all our possessions, waste away from malnutrition, and die prematurely of
36628 disease? No. This would be a partial lack of self-centeredness combined with
36629 a large part of stupidity. If we are to serve others effectively, we must
36630 take care of ourselves. A bodhisattva has no self-centeredness, but there
36631 have been people in all stations of life, including kings, who are
36632 bodhisattvas. If we free ourselves of self-centeredness and really concern
36633 ourselves with the cherishing of others, then our own welfare comes as a kind
36635 -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Seven-Point Mind Training", edited by Zara
36636 Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
36638 When we achieve a mind focused on mind with the perfect placement of
36639 absorbed concentration, free from all faults of dullness or flightiness, we
36640 increasingly experience an element of bliss accompanying our meditation. When
36641 we experience serene joy, on both a physical and mental level, brought on by
36642 the force of total absorption of mind on mind, we achieve a meditational state
36643 that fulfills the definition of shamata.
36644 Our ordinary mind is like raw iron ore that needs to be made into a steel
36645 sword. Progressing through the stages for attaining shamata is like forging
36646 the iron into steel. All the materials are there at our disposal. But since
36647 the mind wanders after external objects, then although it is the material for
36648 attaining shamata, it cannot yet be used as this product. We have to forge
36649 our mind through a meditational process. It is like putting the iron ore into
36651 To fashion the steel into a sword, or in this analogy to fashion the mind
36652 into an instrument that understands voidness, our serenely stilled and settled
36653 mind needs to come to decisive realization of voidness as its object. Without
36654 such a weapon of mind, we have no opponent with which to destroy the
36655 disturbing emotions and attitudes.(p.142)
36656 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin, "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
36657 Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
36659 Focusing the mind on the object of meditation is like planting a seed for
36660 the arisal of the realization.... Even in the beginning stages one might
36661 become impatient, thinking, "I really want to get this done quickly." One
36662 might think that by exerting more effort, by adding more and more stuff, by
36663 changing things this way or that way the process can be made to go faster.
36664 The good gardener knows that too much water or fertilizer is harmful, not
36665 helpful. The mature meditator must understand this as well. The Kadampa
36666 masters of old gave this counsel: First, pay great heed to getting the proper
36667 causes and conditions together. Next, engage in the practice without
36668 agitation and without anxiety. Then, with the mind at ease, carry on to the
36670 --Gen Lamrimpa, "How to Practice Shamatha Meditation: The Cultivation of
36671 Meditative Quiescence", translated by B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow
36674 The Need for Reasoning
36676 All Buddhist schools agree that the analytical reasoning process which leads
36677 to an inference (a conceptual realization) derives from basic, shared, direct
36678 perception. As an example let us consider the following reasoning:
36680 A plant does not inherently exist because of being a dependent-arising.
36682 You begin by reflecting on the fact that a plant is a dependent-arising
36683 because its production depends on certain causes and conditions (such as a
36684 seed, soil, sunlight, and water), but eventually the reasoning process must be
36685 supported by direct perception, or it cannot stand. We can see with our eyes
36686 that plants change; they grow; mature, and finally dry up. In this sense,
36687 inference is blind, since it must eventually rely on direct perception.
36688 Inference depends on reasoning, which in turn rests on basic, shared,
36689 indisputable experience through direct perception. (p.153)
36690 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful
36691 Life", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
36693 The root of all qualities of the Bodhisattva vehicle is caring for sentient
36694 beings. We admire and respect the Buddha because he has reached the state
36695 free of all faults and possessing all good qualities, knows the method to
36696 reach that state, and teaches it to us. If we do as the Buddha did, by
36697 meditating on love and compassion for all sentient beings, not harming or
36698 getting angry with them, we too can become a Buddha.
36699 Our enlightenment depends on the Buddhas and on sentient beings, and from
36700 this point of view, they are equally important to us. Thus when we look at
36701 any sentient being, we should recognize that she is indispensable to our
36702 attainment of enlightenment. Our enlightenment comes from cherishing sentient
36703 beings; it does not come from cherishing only ourselves. Understanding this,
36704 whenever we encounter people in our lives, it becomes easy to feel, "May this
36705 person be happy and free from suffering."
36706 Caring for sentient beings means freeing them from the suffering of
36707 unfortunate rebirths and of cyclic existence in general, teaching the Dharma
36708 to those who want to hear it, providing the means for them to eliminate the
36709 causes which bring suffering temporarily and ultimately, not harming them, not
36710 lying to them, not creating discord among them, not speaking harshly to them,
36711 and so on. Through caring about them now, excellent results will follow, for
36712 us and for them.(p.179)
36713 -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, "Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage: An
36714 Explanation of the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas", edited by
36715 Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
36717 The term 'karma' literally means 'action', and more specifically refers to
36718 the process of cause and effect, where the intention of an agent or being is
36719 involved. So here karma means an intentional act committed or carried out by
36720 a being who possesses a sentient nature and who is also capable of having a
36721 sentient experience.
36722 ...Buddhist texts state that only a buddha's omniscient mind can penetrate
36723 the subtlest aspects of the workings of karma, and know at the most
36724 microscopic level which specific causes and conditions give rise to which
36725 specific consequences. At our level, we can only recognise that an intimate
36726 relationship exists between the external elements of the material world and
36727 the internal elements of our mental world; and, based on that, we can learn to
36728 detect varying levels of subtlety within our mental and emotional experiences.
36730 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
36731 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
36733 All attachment and aversion come from what we have mentally created. We
36734 have made an image and that is our mind as we normally experience it. In
36735 order to solve this problem in a more profound and permanent way, we have to
36736 look at our mind and see its true nature. In our innate, unfabricated nature,
36737 which is the basic state of our mind, there is no problem. We make all our
36738 problems by creating concepts and all kinds of mental conditioning.
36739 Seeing the true nature of mind means experiencing the way the mind is when
36740 we do not fabricate and contrive anything. We need to look at our mind when
36741 it is devoid of our creations and free from mental elaborations. If we can
36742 see this state of mind, there is no grasping, no grasped object, and no
36743 subject doing the grasping. There is simply perception or seeing, which in
36744 itself does not cause a problem.
36745 When the true nature of mind is seen, there are just appearances without any
36746 evaluation. One thing arises in the mind and then another thing arises. The
36747 arising that is pleasant is no better than the one that is unpleasant. They
36748 are simply different manifestations of the mind. There is no need to grasp
36749 one and reject the other. Once this is seen clearly, we see the true nature
36750 of mind. This is something that we need to experience directly. When we see
36751 the truth, we become liberated from our struggle within the nets of aversion
36752 and attachment.(p.97)
36753 --Ringu Tulku, "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha", edited and
36754 translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, published by Snow Lion Publications
36756 In general, most non-Buddhist religions meditate on the deity as being
36757 outside the physical body. In these cases the deity takes the form of a
36758 refuge, or of a protector or messenger. Thus do they meditate, and of course
36759 this is fine. In the Buddhist tradition, however, the deity is not meditated
36760 on as being outside the physical body. One meditates on the deity as being
36761 one's own essence expressing itself through oneself arising as the deity. One
36762 therefore thinks, "I am the deity," and with this conviction one meditates.
36763 Why is it justifiable to meditate in this manner? As previously seen, the
36764 five afflictions are actually self-expressions of the five kinds of primordial
36765 awareness; thus our own mind is in essence exactly the same as the mind of a
36766 Buddha. In the philosophical treatises this is sometimes referred to as
36767 'sugatagarbha' or 'buddha-nature'.
36768 Because all beings possess this innately pure buddha-nature, they are pure
36769 by nature and not at all impure. Being pure by nature it is perfectly
36770 justified to meditate that you are the deity, because this is exactly how it
36772 --Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "Everyday Consciousness and Primordial
36773 Awareness", translated and edited by Susanne Schefczyk, published by Snow
36776 In day to day life if you lead a good life, honestly, with love, with
36777 compassion, with less selfishness, then automatically it will lead to
36778 nirvana....We must implement these good teachings in daily life. Whether you
36779 believe in God or not does not matter so much; whether you believe in Buddha
36780 or not does not matter so much; as a Buddhist, whether you believe in
36781 reincarnation or not does not matter so much. You must lead a good life.
36782 And a good life does not mean just good food, good clothes, good shelter.
36783 These are not sufficient. A good motivation is what is needed: compassion,
36784 without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that
36785 others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their rights and human
36786 dignity. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human
36787 capacities. We must share in other peoples' suffering; even if you cannot
36788 help with money, to show concern, to give moral support and express sympathy
36789 are themselves valuable. This is what should be the basis of activities;
36790 whether one calls it religion or not does not matter.... In my simple
36791 religion, love is the key motivation.(p.20)
36792 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, "Kindness,
36793 Clarity, and Insight 25th Anniversary Edition", edited and translated by
36794 Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by Elizabeth Napper, published by Snow Lion
36796 All beings suffer in the same way as we do, and some are even more deeply
36797 immersed in sorrow. Yet all of these beings wish to experience only happiness
36798 and to avoid all suffering, frustration, and pain. They wish lasting
36799 happiness but do not know how to cultivate its causes, and they wish to avoid
36800 misery but automatically collect only causes of further misery. As Shantideva
36801 said, "Although seeking happiness, they destroy their own causes of happiness
36802 as they would an enemy. And although seeking to avoid misery, they treat its
36803 causes as they would a close friend."
36804 Were the countless sentient beings unrelated to us, or were they not to mind
36805 their sufferings, perhaps there would be no need for us to bother with their
36806 welfare. In reality, however, all are related to us and not one of them
36807 wishes to suffer. Over the billions of lifetimes that we have experienced
36808 since beginningless time, we have known all the living beings again and again.
36809 Sometimes they have been parents to us, sometimes friends or mates, sometimes
36810 enemies. Without exception, each of them has been even a mother to us again
36811 and again, performing all the kindnesses of a mother. How can we be
36812 indifferent to them?
36813 Wishing them to have only happiness and its causes and to be free of
36814 suffering and its causes, we ourselves should generate a sense of
36815 responsibility for their well-being. Finally, as only an omniscient
36816 Enlightened One is effectively able to benefit beings in deep, lasting, and
36817 ultimate ways, we must quickly attain enlightenment. This is the wishing
36818 bodhimind, the inner basis of Mahayana practice.(p.136)
36819 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
36820 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
36822 Recalling our interconnectedness, we begin to recognize our total
36823 interdependence and that whatever we enjoy in our life comes through others--
36824 through their efforts, their work, their hardships.
36825 It does not necessarily require that others had a specific intention to
36826 enable us to enjoy the things of our life. If we think of this in terms of
36827 the obvious examples like food and clothing, we can immediately see the global
36828 meaning of this contemplation. Our food comes from all over the world and if
36829 we consider the people and other creatures involved in its production,
36830 picking, packaging, transportation, and selling so that we can enjoy it, the
36831 numbers are vast. It is through their labor, their efforts, their struggles
36832 that we enjoy what we eat. Often their lives are terribly hard, and to feed a
36833 family they must work for very little--yet we enjoy the fruits of their labor.
36834 This is something to feel a huge gratitude for.
36835 If we begin to look more closely at our Western life, we can see how much we
36836 are dependent upon people in considerably poorer circumstances all over the
36837 world for what we consume. What we often don't consider is the impact of this
36838 consumption on those who produce it. In this meditation, it can be very
36839 useful to spend some time dwelling upon this so that we really feel the
36840 profound depth of appreciation for our interdependence upon others for our
36841 lives. This can counter the tendency to take our good fortune for granted and
36842 can open up a sense of gratitude for the kindness of those around. If guilt
36843 arises, it can be used to increase our awareness of the responsibility we have
36845 Gradually, we may begin to see the complete interdependent nature of our
36846 relationship with the countless other beings around us. We cannot overlook
36847 this connectedness to others and the kindness and benefit we have gained
36848 through them. When we come to feel this deeply, we will be able to hold
36849 others dear and automatically respond to others with a greater sense of care
36851 -- Rob Preece, "The Courage to Feel: Buddhist Practices for Opening to
36852 Others", published by Snow Lion Publications
36854 If you cannot stop worrying over something in the past or what might happen in
36855 the future, shift your focus to the inhalation and exhalation of your breath.
36856 Or recite this mantra: om mani padme hum (pronounced "om mani padmay hum").
36857 Since the mind cannot concentrate on two things simultaneously, either of
36858 these meditations causes the former worry to fade.(p.133)
36859 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful
36860 Life", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
36862 When serving society or others in general, it is very important to set a
36863 proper motivation at the start of each day. When we wake up each morning, we
36864 reflect, 'Today I am not going to come under the power of either attachment or
36865 hostility. Today I am going to be of benefit and help to others.' Thus we
36866 consciously set the tone for the entire day so that we go through it within
36867 the context of a pure, altruistic motivation and attitude.
36868 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, excerpted from "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of
36869 Mahamudra", published by Snow Lion Publications
36871 We all have a certain style for doing things--how we drive, how we cook, how
36872 we dress. Some of us are shy or cautious, others assertive or flamboyant.
36873 We've refined that style over the years based on how successful it is, but
36874 it's not usually something of which we're completely aware. As long as it
36875 gets the job done, as long as we get the appropriate feedback from others, our
36876 style goes unnoticed, and when questioned we'll say, "That's just the way I
36878 When we begin meditation, it is inevitable that we will meditate with the
36879 same style with which we do everything else, because it's who we think we are.
36880 Furthermore, this style has proven to be reasonably successful in our other
36881 activities. However, in this case, it is not at all appropriate. If there is
36882 any style, there is a hidden agenda and an implicit judgment of the various
36883 phenomena of meditation. There is not the true detachment or choiceless
36884 awareness of real meditation. Our style contains our unacknowledged attitudes
36886 ...What's the problem in meditating with an attitude? First, a large amount
36887 of energy goes into maintaining the attitude. To make this clearer, if we are
36888 trying to be aware of our breathing, 100 percent of our attention should be on
36889 our breathing. If we're thinking, "I'm a shy person and I'm a little afraid
36890 of what's going on here," even if we're not consciously aware of that thought,
36891 it will be taking our energy away from the breathing and keeping it tied up in
36892 the world of ego. Consequently, this energy is not available for our
36893 practice. And your evaluation of your practice and progress will be based on
36894 your agenda rather than on the Buddha's teaching.
36895 Of course, no one is a perfect meditator. It's not like we have to wait
36896 until we have a perfect attitude before we begin. If that were the case, we
36897 would never start..With time, the purity of your attitude will grow...refining
36898 one's approach is a lifetime's work and is at the same time the practice
36900 -- Bruce Newman, "A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism", published by
36901 Snow Lion Publications
36903 Developing a sense of good cheer in the face of adversity, you can
36904 specifically use adversity as the support for refuge and true spiritual
36905 development. I am discussing how you relate to your suffering, how you relate
36906 to your adversity, as it affects you in life and on the path.
36907 Now, as you know, whenever you are suffering by way of the body, speech, and
36908 mind, be it physical illness or a mental affliction, this is a very big deal
36909 to you. Usually it appears as something major. Even if it's minor, you make
36910 it into some great distress. If you lose a little money or if someone speaks
36911 nastily to you, it invokes a strong reaction. This is called "appearances
36912 arising as the enemy." When your habituation to adversity reaches such a
36913 point that you actually fall prey to appearances arising as the enemy, it
36914 means that you no longer have patience for suffering.
36915 ...If you can't bear the minor aspects of adversity in this, the best
36916 rebirth in cyclic existence, the precious human rebirth, what will you do when
36917 you're reborn in the three lower realms? Samsara is so vast, so deep and
36918 limitless, and the number of sentient beings within samsara are equal to that.
36919 All of them want to be free; all of them desire liberation. You should
36920 consider then how unnecessary or pointless it is to think that your small
36921 problems in this fortunate life are so great, when in fact they really are
36923 Any rebirth in this ocean of cyclic existence will by nature bring this type
36924 of discontent or suffering. Since you've been in this cycle of rebirths from
36925 beginningless time until now and you are still not free, it points out the
36926 fact that help is needed. Refuge is necessary. Adversity then becomes the
36927 support for training in refuge, which demonstrates that adversity is used to
36928 your advantage.(p.44)
36929 -- Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche, "Meditation, Transformation, and Dream Yoga",
36930 trans. by B. Alan Wallace and Sangye Khandro, published by Snow Lion Pub.
36932 The practice of Dharma is to pacify the afflictions and concepts that fill
36933 our minds. When we blend the teachings with our minds, the power of the
36934 Dharma can act upon and pacify afflictions and concepts. If on the outside we
36935 look like Dharma practitioners while on the inside our Dharma practice has not
36936 diminished our afflictions or concepts, we merely call ourselves practitioners
36937 without actually being one. This is not to say that outer behavior, our
36938 reflection in the world, is not important, but what is crucial is to train in
36940 What we tame are the three main afflictions: ignorance, attachment, and
36941 aversion. Ignorance, the root of the two others, is defined as the continual
36942 fixation on our self that we assume to be permanent and independent. This
36943 ego-clinging is the main cause for our cycling in samsara. We wish to be in
36944 paradise for our own advantage; we wish to erase all suffering for our own
36945 advantage. We cling to this "I" of ours, thinking that it is so special that
36946 we should not be bothered with problems but enjoy wealth, power, and charisma.
36947 If we honestly look into our minds, it is quite easy to see this kind of
36948 coarse and obvious grasping to a self.
36949 There are also subtle forms of fixating on the self ("I") and what belongs
36950 to it ("mine"), like the quick thought of ourselves before another one comes.
36951 When practicing Dharma, we are taming this coarse and subtle clinging to an
36952 ego. If this does not happen, we will merely be able to suppress the
36953 afflictions temporarily, distancing ourselves for the time being. To cut
36954 through them completely, we must steadily apply ourselves to practice.(p.187)
36955 -- "Music in the Sky: The Life, Art and Teachings of the Seventeenth
36956 Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje", by Michele Martin, published by Snow
36959 "The mantra of the perfection of wisdom--the mantra of great knowledge,
36960 the unexcelled mantra, the mantra equal to the unequalled, the mantra
36961 that quells all suffering--is true because it is not deceptive."
36964 The perfection of wisdom is called "the mantra of great knowledge" because
36965 thoroughly understanding its meaning eliminates the three poisons of craving,
36966 hatred, and delusion. It is called the "unexcelled mantra" because there is
36967 no greater method than the perfection of wisdom for saving one from the
36968 extremes of cyclic existence and the isolated peace of individual nirvana. It
36969 is called the mantra "equal to the unequalled" because the Buddha's
36970 enlightened state is unequalled, and, through the deepest realization of this
36971 mantra, one attains a state equal to that state. Finally, the perfection of
36972 wisdom is known as the "mantra that quells all suffering" because it quells
36973 manifest sufferings and also removes all propensities for future suffering.
36974 The perfection of wisdom is the ultimate truth, thus the statement "it is
36975 true." In the realm of the ultimate truth, there is no disparity, as there is
36976 in conventional reality, between appearance and reality, and thus this
36977 manifest ultimate truth is "not deceptive." This nondeceptiveness also
36978 suggests that, through actualization of this mantra, the perfection of wisdom
36979 can enable one to attain total freedom from suffering and its causes. From
36980 this perspective too, we can say that it is the truth.
36981 "The mantra of the perfection of wisdom is proclaimed: tadyatha gate gate
36982 paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha! Shariputra, the bodhisattvas, the great
36983 beings, should train in the perfection of wisdom in this way."
36984 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart
36985 of Wisdom Teachings", translated & edited by Geshe Thupten Jinpa
36987 For as long as space endures
36988 And for as long as sentient beings remain,
36989 Until then may I too abide,
36990 To dispel the misery of the world.
36991 -- Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life
36993 Global Responsibility
36995 Occasionally I notice that people are making a convenient distinction
36996 between ethics on the personal level and ethics on the wider social level. To
36997 me, such attitudes are fundamentally flawed, as they overlook the
36998 interdependence of our world.
36999 That individual ethics--or rather their absence--can have an impact on the
37000 lives of many is powerfully demonstrated by the global financial crisis that
37001 began in 2008, the repercussions of which are still being felt around the
37002 world. It revealed the way unbridled greed on the part of a few can adversely
37003 affect the lives of millions. So, just as in the wake of the 9/11 attacks we
37004 started to take the dangers of religious extremism and intolerance seriously,
37005 so too, in the wake of the financial crisis, should we take the dangers of
37006 greed and dishonesty seriously. When greed is seen as acceptable, even
37007 praiseworthy, there is clearly something wrong with our collective value
37009 In this age of globalization, the time has come for us to acknowledge that
37010 our lives are deeply interconnected and to recognize that our behavior has a
37011 global dimension. When we do so, we will see that our own interests are best
37012 served by what is in the best interests of the wider human community. By
37013 contrast, if we concentrate exclusively on our inner development and neglect
37014 the wider problems of the world, or if, having recognized these, we are
37015 apathetic about trying to solve them, then we have overlooked something
37016 fundamental. Apathy, in my view, is itself a form of selfishness. For our
37017 approach to ethics to be truly meaningful, we must of course care about the
37018 world. This is what I mean by the principle of global responsibility, which
37019 is a key part of my approach to secular ethics.(p.84)
37020 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole
37021 World", trans. by Thupten Jinpa Langri
37023 Speech that is not harmful is the meaning of "right speech." It is wise
37024 speech. Wise people can still be quite firm and decisive when that is what is
37025 needed. It means finding generous and productive ways of saying things.
37026 There are times when we need to be strict, but we do not have to denigrate or
37027 harm the person or child who is out of line. Firm speech can also be wise
37029 Wise speech is another tool that can be practiced. We can begin by
37030 practicing wise speech to ourselves--replacing the inner voice of guilt that
37031 is putting us down and opening a space to listen to our deeper needs.
37032 What can I say which will be helpful to someone? What tone of voice will I
37033 use? And when is it wise to say nothing? Imagine yourself actually saying
37034 something helpful and supportive. Imagine the difference it would make in
37035 your life if you could say just one helpful thing to one person. Imagine your
37036 life if your speech always came from wisdom.(p.136)
37037 -- Chonyi Taylor, "Enough! A Buddhist Approach to Finding Release from
37038 Addictive Patterns", published by Snow Lion Publications
37040 The famous nineteenth-century dzogchen master Paltrul Rinpoche explained self-
37041 liberation concretely and precisely:
37043 The practitioner of self-liberation is like an ordinary person as far as
37044 the way in which the thoughts of pleasure and pain, hope and fear,
37045 manifest themselves as creative energy. However, the ordinary person,
37046 taking these really seriously and judging them as acceptable or rejecting
37047 them, continues to get caught up in situations and becomes conditioned by
37048 attachment and aversion.
37050 Not doing this, a practitioner, when such thoughts arise, experiences
37051 freedom: initially, by recognizing the thought for what it is, it is freed
37052 just like meeting a previous acquaintance; then it is freed in and of
37053 itself, like a snake shedding its skin; and finally, thought is freed in
37054 being unable to be of benefit or harm, like a thief entering an empty
37057 ...Freeing or liberating thought does not mean ignoring, letting go of, being
37058 indifferent to, observing, or even not having thoughts. It means being
37059 present in hope and fear, pain and pleasure, not as objects before us, but as
37060 the radiant clarity of our natural state. Thus anger, for example, when
37061 experienced dualistically, is an irritation which we may indulge in or reject,
37062 depending on our conditioning. Either way we are caught up in it and act out
37063 of it. But when aware of anger as a manifestation of clarity, its energy is a
37064 very fresh awareness of the particulars of the situation. However, these
37065 particulars are no longer irritating.(p.77)
37067 -- Longchenpa, "You Are the Eyes of the World", translated by Kennard Lipman
37068 and Merrill Peterson, introduction by Namkhai Norbu, published by Snow
37071 In this practice one recollects negativity, contemplates its nature,
37072 generates apprehension of its karmic implications, and resolves to purify
37073 one's mind of the negative traces. On the basis of this resolve one takes
37074 refuge, develops the bodhimind and enters the Vajrasattva meditation or
37075 whatever method is being used. One can also do exercises such as prostrations
37076 and so forth. This concentration of purifying energies destroys the potency
37077 of negative karmic imprints like the germ of a barley seed roasted in a fire.
37078 Here it is important to begin the meditation session with a contemplative
37079 meditation and then to transform this into settled meditation for a prolonged
37080 period of time. One abides in the settled meditation until it begins to lose
37081 intensity, and then temporarily reverts to contemplative meditation in order
37082 to invigorate the mind, returning to fixed meditation once a contemplative
37083 atmosphere has been restored.
37084 Generally our mind is habituated to directing all of our energies into
37085 things that benefit this life alone, things of no spiritual consequence. By
37086 performing these types of meditations, our natural attachment to the
37087 meaningless activities of this life subsides and we begin to experience an
37088 inner appreciation for spiritual values. When spontaneously one's mind
37089 appreciates spiritual rather than mundane goals one has become an active
37090 practitioner of initial perspective.(p.117)
37091 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
37092 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
37094 When doing lamrim meditations, it is important to know clearly the state of
37095 mind you want to reach as a conclusion to the meditation. Lamrim texts
37096 describe the purpose of each meditation, and we want to make sure that our
37097 mind arrives at that conclusion and not at an incorrect or irrelevant
37098 conclusion. For example, when meditating on the disadvantages of the self-
37099 centered thought, our mind may twist that meditation and conclude, "I'm a
37100 horrible person because I'm so selfish." This is the wrong conclusion to reach
37101 from that meditation. The Buddha didn't teach the disadvantages of self-
37102 centeredness so that we would deride ourselves.
37103 If you meditate on a lam rim topic and arrive at an incorrect conclusion,
37104 the meditation hasn't been done correctly. In the above case, thinking, "I'm
37105 a bad person because I'm so selfish," indicates that we have misunderstood the
37106 purpose of the meditation and probably have fallen into an old pattern of
37107 putting ourselves down. Stop and ask yourself,
37108 "What conclusion does the Buddha want me to reach from this meditation? He
37109 wants me to ascertain that the self-centered mind is the actual 'enemy' that
37110 destroys my happiness. Self-centeredness is not an intrinsic part of me; it
37111 is not who I am. It's an incorrect, but deeply entrenched, thought that
37112 creates problems for me. I can free myself from it. Since I want to be
37113 happy, I will realize this selfish attitude for what it is and will stop
37114 following it! Instead, I will cultivate love and compassion for all beings."
37115 This is the conclusion you want to reach.(p.58)
37116 -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the
37117 Path", foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion
37119 Greed is a form of desire. However, it is an exaggerated form of desire,
37120 based on overexpectation. The true antidote of greed is contentment.
37121 For a practicing Buddhist, for a Dharma practitioner, many practices can act
37122 as a kind of counterforce to greed: the realization of the value of seeking
37123 liberation or freedom from suffering, recognizing the underlying
37124 unsatisfactory nature of one's existence, and so on. These views also help an
37125 individual to counteract greed. But in terms of an immediate response to
37126 greed, one way is to reflect upon the excesses of greed, what it does to one
37127 as an individual, where it leads. Greed leads one to a feeling of
37128 frustration, disappointment, a lot of confusion, and a lot of problems.
37129 When it comes to dealing with greed, one thing which is quite characteristic
37130 is that although it arises from the desire to obtain something, it is not
37131 satisfied by obtaining it. Therefore, it becomes limitless or boundless, and
37132 that leads to trouble. The interesting thing about greed is that although the
37133 underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, as I pointed out, even after
37134 obtaining the object of one's desire, one is still not satisfied. On the
37135 other hand, if one has a strong sense of contentment, it doesn't matter
37136 whether one obtains the object or not; either way, one is still content.(p.32)
37137 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
37138 Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by
37139 Snow Lion Publications
37141 We will hereby start scouring the net for people who say git is hard to
37142 understand and use, and just kill them. They clearly are just polluting
37148 What is the Bodhisattva's Way of life? It is the way of life that follows
37149 naturally from having cultivated the awakening mind of bodhicitta.
37150 Omniscience is achieved only through the process of purifying the disturbing
37151 emotions within your mind. It cannot be achieved merely through wishes and
37152 prayers. We have to train in eliminating all the specific disturbing emotions
37153 within your mind. We have to train in eliminating all the specific disturbing
37154 emotions by relying on specific antidotes.
37155 All the activities of a Bodhisattva can be included in two major categories:
37156 the practice of skillful means and the practice of wisdom. If the practices
37157 of giving, ethics, and so forth are to be perfected, they should be supported
37158 and influenced by the practice of wisdom. Without the practice of wisdom, the
37159 first five of the six perfections cannot actually become practices of
37160 perfection. In order to cultivate such wisdom, you must first cultivate the
37161 genuine unmistaken philosophical view that is known as the view of the Middle
37162 Way, or Madhyamika.
37163 ...even when you have understood the wisdom realizing emptiness, that alone
37164 will not become a powerful antidote to ignorance if it is not supported by
37165 other practices such as giving, ethics, patience, and so forth. Mere
37166 understanding of selflessness is not sufficient to defeat the disturbing
37168 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Stages of Meditation", root text by Kamalashila,
37169 translated by Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and
37170 Jeremy Russell, published by Snow Lion Publications
37172 The many tantras of both the Ancient and New traditions unanimously agree
37173 that these, and others, are the consequences of violating the pledges.
37175 Means of Restoration
37176 The proclaimers' vows, like a clay pot, once broken cannot be repaired;
37177 The awakening mind commitments, like gold or silver, can be restored;
37178 The tantric pledges, like a dented vessel, are restored by the
37179 practitioner's strength.
37182 When is it possible to restore a vow that has been transgressed? All the
37183 tantras and transmissions state that if a monk has incurred a defeat with
37184 concealment, the transgressed vow, like a broken clay pot, cannot be repaired.
37185 An awakening mind commitment that has been transgressed is like a cracked gold
37186 or silver vase which can still be soldered by a blacksmith. A violated vow or
37187 pledge in this Secret Mantra system is likened to a dented golden vessel,
37188 which can be straightened out by the practitioner's own strength.
37189 Pledges are restored through action, precious substances, earnest desire,
37190 contemplation, and reality.
37191 The Great Cleansing can purify all transgressions.(p.296)
37192 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, "Treasury of Knowledge--Book Five: Buddhist
37193 Ethics", trans. by the Kalu Rinpoche Translation Group, under the
37194 direction of Ven. Bokar Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
37196 How to Become a Receptacle Suitable for Cultivating the Paths.
You are
37197 made into a vessel suitable for cultivating the path through entering a
37198 mandala such as that of the Vajra Element, receiving initiation, and receiving
37199 the pledges and vows.
37200 Concerning this, there are two types: those who merely enter a mandala and
37201 those who enter and receive initiation, of which there are two types. The
37202 former are those who cannot hold the vows of the five lineages but who hold
37203 the Bodhisattva vows; only the initiation of a student is granted to them.
37204 However, to those who can hold both Bodhisattva and mantra vows the full
37205 initiation of a vajra master is granted.(p.78)
37206 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths
37207 to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by
37208 Snow Lion Publications
37210 Awareness as virtue. Beyond choosing more virtuous forms of speech, you can
37211 also try to cultivate awareness of the subtle vibration underlying your speech
37212 and of how your speech manifests from there. Is your voice creating the right
37214 In dzogchen the concept of virtuous speech is taken to its highest level.
37215 For example, the A-Tri system of dzogchen offers a group of successive
37216 practices in which one learns to maintain awareness while engaging in various
37217 virtuous, neutral, and nonvirtuous activities.
37218 One initially tries to stay present amid virtuous activity such as praying
37219 or chanting mantras. Once that experience is stabilized, one integrates
37220 presence with neutral speech, such as conversing casually with a friend about
37221 cooking or gardening. Finally, one tries to integrate with negative speech
37222 such as lying, arguing, or giving insults. It is easier if you can establish
37223 your intent for self-awareness before you get drawn into an angry argument.
37224 For example, think of how courtroom lawyers argue a case: although they may
37225 use strong, sharp language, they are never driven by their emotions--every
37226 word is carefully chosen for its impact and is guided by intent, if not
37228 From this perspective "nonvirtuous speech" might be defined as speech that
37229 is driven and not guided and through which you lose connection with your self.
37230 In dzogchen practice you aim to arrive at a place where all activity of body,
37231 speech, and mind becomes an expression of contemplative awareness and an aid
37232 to spiritual development--therefore virtuous in the truest sense of the word.
37234 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "Tibetan Yogas of Body, Speech, and Mind",
37235 edited by Polly Turner, published by Snow Lion Publications
37237 Bodhisattvas give solely out of concern for others, without a self-
37238 cherishing attitude. That is the proper way of giving. Courageous
37239 Bodhisattvas risk even their lives to help others, and so, when we are in
37240 relatively better, more comfortable situations, we must certainly practice
37241 giving. Even if they are threatened, the courageous ones will not engage in
37242 improper actions. Instead, after examining the situation carefully, when they
37243 find that certain actions are correct and justified, on the basis of reason,
37244 they engage in them even at the risk of their lives. That is the way of the
37245 decent, civilized and courageous ones, who do not follow misleading paths.(p.20)
37246 -- H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the
37247 Dalai Lama XIV on the Jatakamala, Garland of Birth Stories", translated
37248 by Tenzin Dorjee, edited by Dexter Roberts
37250 Merely understanding the mind is not good enough. Recognizing it as the
37251 source of happiness and suffering is good, but great results come only from
37252 looking inward and meditating on the nature of the mind. Once you recognize
37253 its nature, then you need to meditate with joyful effort. Joyful meditation
37254 will actualize the true nature of the mind, and maintaining the mind in this
37255 natural state will bring enlightenment. This type of meditation reveals the
37256 innermost, profound wisdom that is inherent in the mind.
37257 Meditation can transform your body into wisdom light, into what is known as
37258 the rainbow body of wisdom. Many masters in the history of the Nyingma
37259 lineage have achieved this, as can anyone who practices these methods of
37260 meditation. The wisdom aspect of our nature exists at all times in each of
37261 us. You have always had this nature and it can be revealed through
37262 meditation. When you maintain the mind in its natural state, wonderful
37263 qualities shine out like light from the sun. Among these qualities are
37264 limitless compassion, limitless loving-kindness, and limitless wisdom.
37265 -- Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche,
37266 "The Buddhist Path: A Practical Guide from the Nyingma Tradition of
37267 Tibetan Buddhism", published by Snow Lion Publications
37269 In order for the wisdom of special insight to remove impediments to proper
37270 understanding, and to remove faulty mental states at their very roots, we need
37271 concentrated meditation, a state of complete single-mindedness in which all
37272 internal distractions have been removed.
37273 Single-minded meditation involves removing subtle internal distractions such
37274 as the mind's being either too relaxed or too tight. To do so we must first
37275 stop external distractions through training in the morality of maintaining
37276 mindfulness and conscientiousness with regard to physical and verbal
37277 activities--being constantly aware of what you are doing with your body and
37278 your speech. Without overcoming these obvious distractions, it is impossible
37279 to overcome subtler internal distractions. Since it is through sustaining
37280 mindfulness that you achieve a calm abiding of the mind, the practice of
37281 morality must precede the practice of concentrated meditation.(p.23)
37282 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life",
37283 translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
37285 Buddha means one who is fully enlightened. In other words, a buddha has
37286 fully awakened from the sleep of delusion. He is free from all obscurations,
37287 both gross and subtle, and has revealed the two intrinsic wisdom awarenesses.
37288 Buddhahood is the spontaneously established, uncompounded nature that does not
37289 depend on any other conditions. A buddha has perfect wisdom, has perfectly
37290 accomplished the nature of compassion, and has every ability to manifest all
37291 excellent activities.
37292 There are many buddhas in the past, present, and future. In fact, there are
37293 as many buddhas as there are particles of dust. Basically, the term buddha
37294 refers to anyone whose mind is fully awakened and who is free from all
37295 suffering and its causes. When we point to Buddha Shakyamuni as a buddha, he
37296 is an example of this. A buddha has four forms, all of which emanate from the
37298 1. Nirmanakaya is a buddha who has emanated in a physical form. A
37299 nirmanakaya can emanate anywhere as anything animate or inanimate--as a human
37300 being, an animal, or even a bridge, if necessary...
37301 2. Sambhogakaya is the expression of the complete, perfect manifestation
37302 of the Buddha's excellent, infinite qualities, called the enjoyment body--
37303 splendid and glorious. All the buddhas appear and manifest in the limitless
37304 buddha fields in this form...
37305 3. Dharmakaya is one's own perfection, fully free from all delusion and
37306 suffering. It is infinite and transcends all boundaries...
37307 4. Svabhavikakaya is the indivisible nature of the other three forms.(p.165)
37308 -- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, "A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path",
37309 edited by Khenmo Trinlay Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications
37311 Boundless joy is the joy you should feel when you see gifted and learned
37312 beings who are happy, famous or influential. Instead of feeling uneasy and
37313 envious of their good fortune, rejoice sincerely, thinking, "May they continue
37314 to be happy and enjoy even more happiness!" Pray too that they may use their
37315 wealth and power to help others, to serve the Dharma and the Sangha, making
37316 offerings, building monasteries, propagating the teachings and performing
37317 other worthwhile deeds. Rejoice and make a wish: "May they never lost all
37318 their happiness and privileges. May their happiness increase more and more,
37319 and may they use it to benefit others and to further the teachings."
37320 Pray that your mind may be filled with boundless equanimity, loving-
37321 kindness, compassion and joy--as boundless as a Bodhisattva's. If you do so,
37322 genuine bodhichitta will certainly grow within you.
37323 The reason these four qualities are boundless, or immeasurable, is that
37324 their object--the totality of sentient beings--is boundless; their benefit--
37325 the welfare of all beings--is boundless; and also their fruit--the qualities
37326 of enlightenment--is boundless. They are immeasurable like the sky, and they
37327 are the true root of enlightenment.(p.49)
37328 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "The Excellent Path to Enlightenment",
37329 translated and edited by The Padmakara Translation Group, published by
37330 Snow Lion Publications
37332 Regarding an online merchant... I think I have bought a couple things from
37333 them before, and my "cornholio sense" is not tingling (a power I got from
37334 being bitten by a radioactive asshole), so I don't think they were jerks when
37335 I used them last time.
37338 External circumstances are not what draw us into suffering. Suffering is
37339 caused and permitted by an untamed mind. The appearance of self-defeating
37340 emotions in our minds leads us to faulty actions. The naturally pure mind is
37341 covered over by these emotions and troubling conceptions. The force of their
37342 deceit pushes us into faulty actions, which leads inevitably to suffering.
37343 We need, with great awareness and care, to extinguish these problematic
37344 attitudes, the way gathering clouds dissolve back into the sphere of the sky.
37345 When our self-defeating attitudes, emotions, and conceptions cease, so will
37346 the harmful actions arising from them.
37347 As the great Tibetan yogi Milarepa says, "When arising, arising within space
37348 itself; when dissolving, dissolving back into space." We need to become
37349 familiar with the state of our own minds to understand how to dissolve ill-
37350 founded ideas and impulses back into the deeper sphere of reality. The sky
37351 was there before the clouds gathered, and it will be after they have gone. It
37352 is also present when the clouds seem to cover every inch of the sky we can
37354 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving
37355 Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
37357 Usually the reason that we can't experience transcendent bliss is because
37358 our consciousness is actually chained by the illusion called "I." It is
37359 chained because this concept literally ties our consciousness to the prison of
37360 duality, the prison of concepts and ideas. What most people experience is
37361 that their consciousness is chained by that illusion.
37362 But now and then there are people who find the so-called spiritual path.
37363 This is another quite strange and sneaky way that ego can actually keep
37364 binding our consciousness once again to another form of prison, the prison of
37365 duality, the prison of concepts and ideas. Transcendent bliss comes from
37366 breaking every chain.
37367 Breaking all chains, losing every concept, every idea, sounds very
37368 frightening to the ego's mind. But actually when we let go of every concept,
37369 we land on this infinite ground of eternal bliss, and that bliss is not some
37370 kind of religious or mystical experience, some altered state of consciousness.
37371 That bliss is not the result of doing something to our consciousness, rather
37372 it is the pure state of our consciousness.(p.74)
37373 -- Anam Thubten, "The Magic of Awareness", edited by Sharon Roe, published
37374 by Snow Lion Publications
37376 The all-base consciousness* works like a savings bank. Continuously money
37377 is paid into the bank and continuously it is taken out again. In the same way
37378 karmic imprints are absorbed by the all-base, are stored there, and can
37379 therefore be brought forth again.
37380 Learning, for example, occurs through the mind consciousness. The mind
37381 consciousness itself vanishes. Nevertheless, on the next day we have a memory
37382 of what we learned. At this time of remembrance, the mind consciousness of
37383 what we learned is no longer actually present, since it has ceased to exist.
37384 Yet, still we did not forget what we learned previously. What we learned was
37385 seized by the all-base in the form of karmic imprints, and stored. Due to the
37386 'all-base of complete ripening' these imprints can be re-awakened, so that the
37387 mind consciousness perceives them afresh. This is why we learn things. It is
37388 similar with strong mental afflictions.
37389 ...The example of the savings bank is particularly effective, especially in
37390 the context of karmic actions. Whoever puts money into the bank can get it
37391 out again later, often including interest!(p.37)
37393 * The all-base consciousness is the general basis for the whole mind, all
37394 aspects of the mind.
37396 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "Everyday Consciousness and Primordial
37397 Awareness", translated and edited by Susanne Schefczyk, published by
37398 Snow Lion Publications
37400 Q: How can Dzogchen help us in our daily jobs and careers?
37402 HHDL: In the first place, it is quite difficult to have an experience of
37403 Dzogchen. But once you do have that experience, it can be extremely
37404 beneficial in dealing with your day to day life, your job, and your career.
37405 This is because that kind of experience will give you the ability to prevent
37406 yourself from being overwhelmed by circumstances, good or bad. You will not
37407 fall into extreme states of mind: you will not get over-excited or depressed.
37408 Your attitude toward circumstances and events will be as if you were someone
37409 observing the mind, without being drawn away by circumstances.
37410 For example, when you see a reflection of a form in a mirror, the reflection
37411 appears within the mirror but it is not projected from within. In the same
37412 way, when you confront the situations of life, or deal with others, your
37413 attitude too will be mirror-like.
37414 Also, when a reflection appears in the mirror, the mirror does not have to
37415 go after the object that is reflected: it simply reflects, spontaneously, on
37416 the surface. The same with you: since there is no attachment or agitation at
37417 having these 'reflections' in your mind, you will feel tremendous ease and
37418 relief. You are not preoccupied by what arises in the mind, nor does it cause
37419 you any distress. You are free from conceptuality or any form of
37420 objectifying. And so it really does help you, in allowing you to be free from
37421 being caught up in the play of emotions like hatred, attachment, and the like.
37423 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great
37424 Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, foreword by
37425 Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion Pub.
37427 The quality of one's rebirth in the next life is determined by the quality
37428 of one's mental activity in this life. Generally speaking, we have no power
37429 to choose how we are born; it is dependent on karmic forces. However, the
37430 period near the time of death is very influential in terms of activating one
37431 from among the many karmas that a person has already accumulated, and,
37432 therefore, if one makes particular effort at generating a virtuous attitude at
37433 that time, there is an opportunity to strengthen and activate a virtuous
37434 karma. Moreover, when one has developed high realization and has gained
37435 control over how one will be reborn, it is possible to take what is called
37436 "reincarnation" rather than mere rebirth.(p.42)
37437 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard:
37438 Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey
37439 Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
37441 Without an acute awareness of our personal suffering and a deep, heartfelt
37442 determination to be completely rid of both this suffering and its causes,
37443 there is no way to begin the spiritual quest authentically. For just as
37444 Prince Siddhartha's sudden and unexpected visions of old age, sickness and
37445 death shocked him out of mistaking the world to be a pleasure palace, so too
37446 must all spiritual seekers confront the unsatisfactory nature of their lives
37447 so directly that they become thoroughly disenchanted with the ordinary human
37449 If we do not take a long, hard look at the uncomfortable truths of our
37450 impermanent existence, we can easily waste the time between now and our
37451 inevitable death in essentially worthless pursuits, never taking advantage of
37452 this precious opportunity to do something truly meaningful with our life.
37453 Like the foolish prisoner who becomes so accustomed to the confines of his
37454 cell that he turns a blind eye to all chances of escape, we shall be
37455 condemning ourselves to spiritual stagnation and the endlessly recurring
37456 miseries of cyclic existence.
37457 Yet it is not enough merely to become discontent with our present condition;
37458 everyone experiences discontent at one time or another but very few do
37459 anything of real significance about it. In fact, the usual ways of dealing
37460 with problems and disappointment--blaming them on someone else or drowning
37461 them in forgetfulness--only bind us tighter to the wheel of suffering. What
37462 we must do is recognize that the true causes of all our misery lie rooted in
37463 our own ignorant misconceptions and that these can only be eradicated through
37464 the development of a clear, penetrating insight into the nature of reality.
37465 Only through the continued cultivation of such penetrating wisdom will it
37466 eventually be possible to attain liberation from all states of existence
37467 conditioned by ignorance and be free of suffering.(p.45)
37468 -- "Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice", by Jonathan Landaw
37469 and Andy Weber, published by Snow Lion Publications
37471 We must distinguish between pride and self-confidence. Self-confidence is
37472 necessary. It is what enables us, in certain situations, not to lose courage
37473 and to think with some justification, 'I am capable of succeeding.' Self-
37474 confidence is quite different from excessive self-assurance based on a false
37475 appreciation of our capacities or circumstances.
37476 If you feel able to accomplish a task that other people cannot manage, then
37477 you cannot be called proud as long as your assessment is well founded. It is
37478 as if someone tall came across a group of short people who wanted to get
37479 something too high for them to reach, and said to them, 'Don't exert
37480 yourselves, I can do it.' This would simply mean that he was more qualified
37481 than the others to carry out a particular task, but not that he is superior to
37482 them or that he wants to crush them.(p.259)
37483 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "365 Dalai Lama: Daily Advice from the
37484 Heart", edited by Matthieu Ricard, translated by Christian Bruyat,
37485 published by Snow Lion Publications
37487 What is progress? How do we recognize it? The teachings are like a mirror
37488 before which we should hold our activities of body, speech, and mind. Think
37489 back to a year ago and compare the stream of activities of your body, speech,
37490 and mind at that time with their present condition. If we practice well, then
37491 the traces of some improvement should be reflected in the mirror of Dharma.
37492 The problem with having expectations is that we usually do not expect the
37493 right things. Not knowing what spiritual progress is, we search for signs of
37494 it in the wrong areas of our being. What can we hope for but frustration? It
37495 would be far better to examine any practice with full reasoning before
37496 adopting it, and then to practice it steadily and consistently while observing
37497 the inner changes one undergoes, rather than expecting this or that fantasy to
37499 The mind is an evolving organism, not a machine that goes on and off with
37500 the flip of a switch. The forces that bind and limit the mind, hurling it
37501 into unsatisfactory states of being, are impermanent and transient agents.
37502 When we persistently apply the practices to them, they have no option but to
37503 fade away and disappear.
37504 Ignorance and the "I"-grasping syndrome have been with us since
37505 beginningless time, and the instincts of attachments, aversion, anger,
37506 jealousy and so forth are very deeply rooted in our mindstreams. Eliminating
37507 them is not as simple as turning on a light to chase away the darkness of a
37508 room. When we practice steadily, the forces of darkness are undermined, and
37509 the spiritual qualities that counteract them and illuminate the mind are
37510 strengthened and made firm. Therefore, we should strive by means of both
37511 contemplative and settled meditation to gain stability in the various Lam Rim
37513 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
37514 by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
37516 We are beings of the Desire Realm, and thus our minds are also included
37517 within Desire Realm minds. If we cultivate great compassion, our own minds
37518 are the basis for great compassion. By contemplating countless sentient
37519 beings and meditating to develop great compassion, one eventually achieves
37520 great compassion. At that point, the mental basis--one's own mind--has become
37521 of the entity of great compassion. There is no distinguishing the two at that
37522 time. Meditating on great compassion does not mean taking compassion as an
37523 object and looking at it; it means taking sentient beings as one's object and
37524 developing compassion for them such that the mind comes to be of the nature of
37526 The texts frequently speak of different mental bases: the basis for calm
37527 abiding, the basis for meditative absorption, the basis for achieving a path.
37528 The way of understanding all of these is the same. You may wonder whether,
37529 when one cultivates a certain path, the mind becomes of the entity of that
37530 path. It is important to understand this question because that is, in fact,
37531 what occurs when one cultivates calm abiding. The mental basis becomes of the
37532 nature of calm abiding.
37533 -- Geshe Gedun Lodro, "Calm Abiding and Special Insight: Achieving Spiritual
37534 Transformation Through Meditation", translated and edited by Jeffrey
37535 Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
37537 Nature's law dictates that, in order to survive, bees must work together.
37538 As a result, they instinctively possess a sense of social responsibility.
37539 They have no constitution, no law, no police, no religion or moral training,
37540 but because of their nature, they labor faithfully together. Occasionally,
37541 they may fight, but in general, based on cooperation, the whole colony
37543 We human beings have a constitution, laws and a police force. We have
37544 religion, remarkable intelligence and a heart with a great capacity for love.
37545 We have many extraordinary qualities, but in actual practice, I think we are
37546 lagging behind those small insects. In some respects I feel we are poorer
37548 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by
37551 Nagarjuna offers us encouragement in terms of someone of modest potential
37552 accomplishing the practice, in verse 116:
37554 And even those who realized the truth
37555 Did not fall from the heavens, nor emerge
37556 Like crops of corn from earth's dark depths, but once
37557 Were ruled by kleshas and were ordinary men.
37559 Not one of all the sublime beings who have appeared--individuals who had
37560 direct realization of the Dharma of the four truths--was already a sublime
37561 being right from the beginning: they did not fall from the sky, nor did they
37562 emerge from the darkness of the earth like a crop. In the past they were
37563 subject to afflictive emotions ['kleshas']--they were ordinary people
37564 dominated by the afflictive emotions. They are therefore worth following as
37565 an example for accomplishing the path.(p.150)
37566 -- Nagarjuna, "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend: with Commentary by Kangyur
37567 Rinpoche", with commentary by Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kyabje Kangyur
37568 Rinpoche, translated by The Padmakara Translation Group, published by
37569 Snow Lion Publications
37573 As long as we cling to some notion of objective existence--the idea that
37574 something actually exists in a concrete, identifiable way--emotions such as
37575 desire and aversion will follow. When we see something we like--a beautiful
37576 watch, for example--we perceive it as having some real quality of existence
37577 among its parts. We see the watch not as a collection of parts, but as an
37578 existing entity with a specific quality of watch-ness to it. And if it's a
37579 fine mechanical timepiece, our perception is enhanced by qualities that are
37580 seen to exist definitely as part of the nature of the watch. It is as a
37581 result of this misperception of the watch that our desire to possess it
37583 In a similar manner, our aversion to someone we dislike arises as a result
37584 of attributing inherent negative qualities to the person. When we relate this
37585 process to how we experience our own sense of existence--how the thought "I"
37586 or "I am" arises--we notice that it invariably does so in relation to some
37587 aspect of our physical or mental aggregates.
37588 Our notion of ourselves is based upon a sense of our physical and emotional
37589 selves. What's more, we feel that these physical and mental aspects of
37590 ourselves exist inherently. My body is not something of which I doubt the
37591 specificity. There is a body-ness as well as a me-ness about it that very
37592 evidently exists. It seems to be a natural basis for my identifying my body
37593 as "me." Our emotions such as fear are similarly experienced as having a valid
37594 existence and as being natural bases for our identifying ourselves as "me."
37595 Both our loves and our hates serve to deepen the self sense. Even the mere
37596 feeling "I'm cold" contributes to our sense of being a solid and legitimate
37598 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "A Profound Mind: Cultivating Wisdom in Everyday
37599 Life", edited by Nicholas Vreeland, afterword by Richard Gere
37601 In the Mahayana, there exist the vows of the Bodhisattva... but in Dzogchen,
37602 there exist no such rules or vows.
37603 When the Indian Buddhist master Atisa came to Tibet in the eleventh century,
37604 he met the famous Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangpo. Atisa asked him how he
37605 practiced the Tantras which he had translated, and he replied that he
37606 practiced them meticulously one after the other. But Atisa told him that this
37607 was not the correct way. He pointed out to the translator that all of the
37608 Tantras could be condensed and integrated into a single Upadesa and one need
37609 only practise that in order to maintain all of the transmissions which he had
37611 The same is true with Dzogchen. If we really understand this single
37612 teaching here which comes directly from Guru Padmasambhava, we can attain
37613 liberation. But we must grasp this vital core of the teaching. No matter
37614 what we are doing, which ever among the four modes of behavior--walking,
37615 sitting, lying down, or eating, we must always hold to awareness, never
37616 forgetting, never losing this awareness. This is the real meaning of Rigdzin,
37617 one who is totally aware. In Dzogchen, there is only one rule--always be
37618 aware in whatever we do, never be distracted!(p.68)
37619 -- "Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness", translation and
37620 commentary by John Myrdhin Reynolds, foreword by Namkhai Norbu,
37621 published by Snow Lion Publications
37623 Our mind needs to stretch to encompass emptiness. Our minds are so stuck in
37624 the idea, "Things exist the way they appear to me. What I see is reality. It
37625 is 100 percent true. There's nothing to doubt. Things exist exactly as they
37626 appear to my senses, exactly as they appear to my mental consciousness." We
37627 hardly ever doubt that. Not only do we have the appearance of inherent
37628 existence to our sense consciousnesses and mental consciousness, but also our
37629 mental consciousness grasps on to that appearance and says, "Yes! Everything
37630 really exists in this findable, independent way. Everything is real as it
37632 When we believe there's a real "me," then we have to protect that self and
37633 bring it happiness. Thus, we are attached to things that are pleasurable and
37634 become angry at anything unpleasant. Pride, jealousy, laziness, and the whole
37635 gamut of negative emotions follow. Motivated by these, we act physically,
37636 verbally, and mentally. These actions, or karma, leave seeds on our
37637 mindstream, and when these ripen, they influence what we experience. We again
37638 relate to these experiences ignorantly, so more emotions arise, motivating us
37639 to create more karma. As a result, cyclic existence with all its difficulties
37640 continues on and on, created by our mind, dependent on the ignorance that
37641 misconceives the nature of ourselves and all other phenomena.
37642 ...However, when we investigate more deeply and look beyond appearances, we
37643 realize that it's impossible for things to exist in the way they appear.
37644 Seeing this gives us a kind of spaciousness and freedom because, if samsara
37645 were inherently existent and everything really did exist the way it appears to
37646 us, then transformation and change could not occur...and the best we could
37647 ever have is what we have right now. Thinking about the emptiness of inherent
37648 existence shows us the possibility for change. Beauty can come forth because
37649 nothing is inherently concrete, fixed, or findable.(p.105)
37650 -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of
37651 Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Pub.
37655 If one does not sow the seed
37656 Of appreciation for a perfect guru,
37657 The tree of spiritual power is not born.
37658 With undivided mind entrust yourself.
37660 Human life is rare and precious,
37661 Yet if not inspired by thoughts of death,
37662 One wastes it on materialism:
37663 Be ready to die at any moment.
37665 All living beings have been our mothers,
37666 Three circles of suffering always binding them.
37667 Ignoble it would be not to repay them,
37668 Not to strive to attain enlightenment. (p.100)
37670 The colophon [inscription] for this poem reads, "Written at the request of
37671 Ritropa Samdrub, an Amdo monk from Dechen Monastery, who begged for a short
37672 teaching...." The Seventh Dalai Lama advises him to establish three central
37673 pillars in his spiritual practice: (1) a disciplined spiritual connection with
37674 his teacher; (2) awareness of the preciousness of life, and the uncertainty of
37675 the time of death; and (3) the mind of love and compassion for all living
37676 beings, coupled with the aspiration to enlightenment as the best means of
37677 fulfilling that love and compassion.
37678 -- The Seventh Dalai Lama, "Meditations to Transform the Mind", translated,
37679 edited, and introduced by Glenn Mullin, published by Snow Lion Pub.
37681 Courageous Bodhisattvas risk their lives to help others, and so, when we are
37682 in relatively better, more comfortable situations, we must certainly practice
37683 giving. Even if they are threatened, the courageous ones will not engage in
37684 improper actions. Instead, after examining the situation carefully, when they
37685 find that certain actions are correct and justified, on the basis of reason,
37686 they engage in them even at the risk of their lives. That is the way of the
37687 decent, civilized and courageous ones, who do not follow misleading paths.(p.20)
37688 -- H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the
37689 Dalai Lama XIV on the Jatakamala, Garland of Birth Stories", translated
37690 by Tenzin Dorjee, edited by Dexter Roberts
37692 One day, when a very learned scholar or geshe and I were discussing the fact
37693 that the self is an elusive phenomenon, that it is unfindable in either body
37694 or mind, he remarked: 'If the self did not exist at all, in a sense that would
37695 make things very simple. There would be no experience of suffering and pain,
37696 because there would be no subject to undergo such experiences. However, that
37697 is not the case. Regardless of whether we can actually find it or not, there
37698 is an individual being who undergoes the experience of pain and pleasure, who
37699 is the subject of experiences, who perceives things and so on. Based on our
37700 own experience we do know that there is something--whatever we may call it--
37701 that makes it possible for us to undergo these experiences. We have something
37702 called discernment or the ability to perceive things.'
37703 In fact, when we examine the experience of suffering, although some
37704 sufferings are at the sensory or bodily level, such as physical pain, even the
37705 very experience of pain is intimately connected with consciousness or mind and
37706 therefore is part of our mental world. This is what distinguishes sentient
37707 beings from other biological organisms, such as plants, trees and so on.
37708 Sentient beings have a subjective dimension, which we may choose to call
37709 experience, consciousness or the mental world.
37710 ....One thing we can understand, both through scientific analysis and also
37711 from our own personal experience or perception, is that whatever experiences
37712 we have now are consequences of preceding conditions. Nothing comes into
37713 being without a cause. Just as everything in the material world must have a
37714 cause or condition that gives rise to it, so must all experiences in the
37715 mental world also have causes and conditions.(p.74)
37716 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
37717 Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
37719 Meditation, when learned skillfully, can enable a return to awareness of the
37720 body, our sensations, and feelings. When we are not given specific guidance
37721 to ground our meditation within the body, however, meditation can easily
37722 perpetuate a disembodied spiritual practice. This is accentuated if our view
37723 of spirituality sees the body as some kind of problem to be transcended.
37724 Unfortunately, this view can prevail even within the Buddhist world, despite
37725 being counter to the essential principle of mindfulness and presence. When,
37726 however, we cultivate the capacity to remain present in our felt experience
37727 within the body, our relationship to ourselves changes. We can begin to feel
37728 more grounded in our life and more stable in our identity.
37729 Engaging in a disembodied spirituality is no solution to our life demands.
37730 It may be a way of experiencing states of mind that can be very seductive,
37731 even addictive. Seldom does it address the roots of our emotional problems.
37732 Transformation comes when we are willing and able to restore or develop a
37733 sound relationship to our body in a healthy way. With many Buddhist
37734 practices, such as Tantra, this is essential, for the body contains the
37735 vitality that is the heart of our innate creative potential.
37736 Embodiment therefore implies a full engagement in life with all of its
37737 trials and tribulations, rather than avoidance through disembodied spiritual
37738 flight. The value of meditation is that it can enable this engagement because
37739 it cultivates the capacity to be present and remain open, not grasping at or
37740 rejecting what arises. When meditation emphasizes presence rather than
37741 transcendence, this openness is a natural outcome.(p.143)
37742 -- Rob Preece, "The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of Individuation
37743 in Buddhist Life", published by Snow Lion Publications
37745 Those training in great love should forsake self-centeredness and engage in
37746 the Buddha's practice, the root of which is compassion. You may be thinking,
37747 Love is indeed very profound, but I do not have the skill to practice it; I
37748 will focus my efforts on practices aimed at getting myself out of cyclic
37749 existence instead. On one hand, this is true, because you should choose a
37750 path of development appropriate to your ability. On the other hand, there is
37751 great advantage in attempting the highest degree of love you can.
37752 Even if you cannot actually implement the practices of love and compassion,
37753 merely hearing about them establishes powerful predispositions for future
37754 success. This can be amplified by planting prayer-wishes aspiring to
37755 altruism. Do not be discouraged; it is difficult to absorb such a profound
37756 perspective. Be courageous and think of your future potential. It is
37757 particularly important to do the best you can.(p.82)
37758 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving
37759 Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
37761 What is very important for us to recognise is our own falsity. This is not
37762 a judgement that sometimes we are authentic and sometimes we are false. It
37763 means that everything about us in our ordinary sense of self is false because
37764 it is grounded on a misapprehension of the nature of reality.... It is like
37765 somebody in University who is having their final examinations. They go into
37766 the wrong examination room and not reading the questions very clearly they
37767 write very long answers on their own subject that is unfortunately not the one
37768 they are being examined on. It does not matter how good the answer is they
37769 will fail, for they are not addressing the question.
37770 The basic question is always: "Who are you?", "Who am I?" but we do not
37771 understand it and so we answer with a ceaseless narrative of self definition.
37772 This covers over the freshness of the question, the possibility of looking and
37773 seeing, and so all our answers are stale, the reworking of self-protective
37774 versions constructed out of unexamined elements. We have many, many, many
37775 answers and all of them are false. That's why it is very important when you
37776 do meditations, to put your full energy one-pointedly into the practice, to
37777 try to repair the initial basic fault that has torn subject and object apart.
37778 It is very important to stop being ashamed of being false. For we have to
37779 see how falsity arises, how obscuration develops. We want to look directly at
37780 our falsity and learn its tricks so that we will not be caught by them. This
37781 helps to open the space in which we can recognise our own nature.
37782 "When you understand the falsity of your confusion remain unartificially,
37783 effortlessly in the natural mode (dharmakaya)."(p.90)
37784 -- "Being Right Here: A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje entitled 'The
37785 Mirror of Clear Meaning' with commentary by James Low", published by Snow
37789 this is an event that can be caused by strong intoxication of various sorts.
37790 the sufferer passes out while seated at a table, such that he or she then has
37791 their head thud down onto the table. after a brief rest, the unlucky person
37792 wakes up again, and starts to rise off the table. when the head rises to a
37793 certain point, where blood pressure starts to increase, the effect of the
37794 intoxication takes over again, and they pass out once more. bam. hence, the
37795 head repeatedly banging into the table: a groundhog daze.
37796 i have seen this happen. it's not fun to watch. well, maybe a little.
37799 We are the source of healing and happiness. Our generosity and concern
37800 pacify every negative situation. As we send out kindness, we grow accustomed
37801 to being strong and kind. In this way, our positive feelings are constantly
37802 renewed and can never be exhausted.
37803 Perhaps you know the story about the man who arrived in heaven and when
37804 asked by God where he wanted to go replied that he wanted to see both heaven
37805 and hell. First, he went to hell. There was a large table with all the
37806 inhabitants of hell sitting around it. The center of the table was full of
37807 delicious food. Each person had two very long chopsticks. They could reach
37808 the food but they could not get it into their mouths because their chopsticks
37809 were too long. They were miserable. No one was eating and everyone went
37810 hungry. Next he was taken to visit heaven. All the inhabitants of heaven
37811 were also sitting around a big table full of delicious food but they were
37812 happy. They too had very long chopsticks but they were eating and enjoying
37813 themselves. They used the chopsticks to feed each other across the table.
37814 The people in heaven had discovered that it was in their interest to
37815 collaborate unselfishly.(p.69)
37816 -- Ringu Tulku, "Mind Training", published by Snow Lion Publications
37818 When you are in a fluctuating state of mind, like when you are angry or have
37819 lost your temper, then it is good to bring back calmness by concentrating on
37820 breathing. Just count the breaths, completely forgetting about anger.
37821 Concentrate on breathing and count in/out "one, two, three," up to twenty.
37822 At that moment when your mind concentrates fully on breathing, the breath
37823 coming and going, the passions subside. Afterwards it is easier to think
37825 Since all activities, including meditation, depend very much on the force of
37826 intention or motivation, it is important that, before you begin to meditate,
37827 you cultivate a correct motivation... The correct motivation is the
37828 altruistic attitude.(p.69)
37829 -- Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Cultivating a Daily
37830 Meditation", published by Snow Lion Publications
37832 The crazy elephant of the mind behaving wildly
37833 Is tied to the pillar of an object of observation
37834 With the rope of mindfulness.
37835 By degrees it is brought under control with the hook of wisdom.
37838 "Wisdom" here is introspection. Hence, the example of taming an elephant
37839 indicates the achievement of a serviceable mind by way of the two--mindfulness
37840 and introspection. The subtle vajra that is the base on which the mind is
37841 being set is like a stable pillar to which an elephant is tied. The
37842 unserviceable mind is like an untamed elephant. Causing the mind not to be
37843 distracted from its object of observation through relying on mindfulness is
37844 like using a rope to tie an elephant. Setting the mind free from fault--when
37845 it does not hold the object of observation as originally set--through
37846 immediately recognizing such by means of introspection is like a herder's
37847 hitting an elephant with a hook and correcting it when it strays from the tie-
37850 Hence, there are two important factors with regard to holding the mind:
37851 + From the beginning, stay on the object of observation without being
37852 distracted to anything other than it.
37853 + Then if distracted, immediately recognize such, and again focus the mind
37855 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths
37856 to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by
37857 Snow Lion Publications
37859 Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor
37860 technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or
37861 defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this
37862 you will awaken from your dreams.
37863 -- Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo
37865 LEEEEEEEROYYYY JENNNNNKINZZZ!!!
37866 -- To be yelled before irrationally throwing away all plans and jumping into
37867 the worst possible situation.
37869 what is an inference?
37870 someone says, "my hand stinks because my butt stinks."
37871 an inference you could draw:
37872 that hand has probably been too close to that butt.
37874 What Do We Mean by Bodhisattva?
37876 Bodhi means enlightenment, the state devoid of all defects and endowed with
37877 all good qualities. Sattva refers to someone who has courage and confidence
37878 and who strives to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. Those who
37879 have this spontaneous, sincere wish to attain enlightenment for the ultimate
37880 benefit of all beings are called bodhisattvas. Through wisdom, they direct
37881 their minds to enlightenment, and through their compassion, they have concern
37882 for beings. This wish for perfect enlightenment for the sake of others is
37883 what we call bodhichitta, and it is the starting point on the path.
37887 When we talk about the notion of self in Buddhism, it is important to bear
37888 in mind that there are different degrees or types. There are some types of
37889 sense of self which are not only to be cultivated but also to be reinforced
37890 and enhanced. For instance, in order to have a strong determination to seek
37891 buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings, one needs a very strong
37892 sense of confidence, which is based upon a sense of commitment and courage.
37893 This requires a strong sense of self. Unless one has that identity or sense
37894 of self, one will not be able to develop the confidence and courage to
37895 strongly seek this aim.
37896 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
37898 Genuine peace of mind is rooted in affection and compassion. There is a very
37899 high level of sensitivity and feeling involved. So long as we lack inner
37900 discipline, an inner calmness of mind, then no matter what external facilities
37901 or conditions we may have, they will never give us the feeling of joy and
37902 happiness that we seek. On the other hand, if we possess this inner
37903 quality--that is, calmness of mind, a degree of stability within--then even
37904 if we lack various external facilities that are normally considered necessary
37905 for a happy and joyful life, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful
37907 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
37909 Complicated Simplicity
37911 Emptiness is the simplest and most unelaborated thing we could imagine, but
37912 then there is this whole literature about all these very discursive details
37913 with all their subpoints. There are five paths and ten bhumis, and each path
37914 is divided into a number of stages, with certain numbers of obscurations
37915 having to be relinquished on each one of those subpaths. Most people just
37916 think, "Who wants or needs to know all that? Don't we have too many
37917 thoughts already? I thought this was about letting go of all reference
37919 Of course nobody really wants to know all those details and in a sense we
37920 all know them already, because they are the details of the many reference
37921 points that we already have in our mind. The fact that these sutras and their
37922 commentaries talk about our obscurations is precisely the point why they seem
37923 so endless and complicated--because our minds are complicated. Emptiness is
37924 extremely simple, but our convoluted minds that do not get this simplicity are
37925 very complicated. It is not that the Buddha and the other speakers in the
37926 sutras and the commentaries really like to, but they need to address each one
37927 of those knots in our minds, which are like knots in space.
37929 If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have
37930 to be a horrible warning.
37933 The mind of clear light
37935 Is spiritual practice really worthwhile? Is it really possible to eliminate
37936 from within ourselves the forces that give rise to suffering? As is said,
37937 "The ultimate nature of mind is clear light." Consciousness has many
37938 levels, and although the coarser levels are affected by the defiling forces,
37939 the most subtle level remains free of gross negativities. In the Vajrayana
37940 this subtle level of consciousness is called the mind of clear light.
37941 The delusions and emotional afflictions as well as the dualistic mind of
37942 right and wrong, love and hatred, etc., are associated only with the coarse
37943 levels of consciousness. At the moment, we are totally absorbed in the
37944 interplay of these coarse states, so we must begin our practice by working
37945 within them. This means consciously encouraging love over hate, patience in
37946 place of anger, emotional freedom rather than attachment, kindness over
37947 violence, and so forth. Doing this brings immediate peace and calm to the
37948 mind, thus making higher meditation possible.
37949 Then, because grasping at a self and at phenomena as being truly existent is
37950 the cause of all the vast range of distorted states of mind, one cultivates
37951 the wisdom that eliminates this ego-grasping. To overcome ego-grasping is to
37952 overcome the entire host of mental distortions.
37953 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
37955 It is the general Buddhist procedure that one's own pleasure and pain are
37956 acheived by oneself and not from the outside, and that, therefore, sentient
37957 beings themselves must understand and implement practices to bring about their
37958 own happiness. Thus, the most efficacious way to help others is through
37959 teaching what should be adopted in practice and what should be discarded from
37960 among current behavior. There is no way to do this unless you come to know
37961 all of the topics involved in what should be adopted in practice and what
37962 should be discarded--you must become omniscient. As mentioned earlier, there
37963 is no way to accomplish this except by removing the obstructions to
37964 omniscience, and one who has overcome, utterly and forever, the obstructions
37965 to omniscience is a Buddha.
37966 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
37968 In meditation, imagine that in front of you are three persons--an enemy, a
37969 friend, and a neutral person. At that time, in our minds we have (1) a sense
37970 of closeness for one of them, thinking, "This is my friend"; (2) a sense
37971 of dislike even when imagining the enemy; and (3) a sense of ignoring the
37972 neutral person. Now, we have to think about the reasons why we generate these
37973 feelings--the reasons being that temporarily one of them helped us whereas
37974 the other temporarily harmed us, and the third did neither. However, when we
37975 think in terms of the long course of beginningless rebirth, none of us could
37976 decide that someone who has helped or harmed us in this life has been doing so
37978 When you contemplate this way, eventually you arrive at a point where a
37979 strong generation of desire or hatred appears to you to be just senseless.
37980 Gradually, such a bias weakens, and you decide that one-sided classification
37981 of persons as friends and enemies has been a mistake.
37982 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
37984 Generally speaking, even if money brings us happiness, it tends to be the
37985 kind that money can buy: material things and sensory experiences. And these,
37986 we discover, become a source of suffering themselves. As far as actual
37987 possessions are concerned, we must admit that they often cause us more, not
37988 less, difficulty in life. The car breaks down, we lose our money, our most
37989 precious belongings are stolen, our house is damaged by fire. Or we worry
37990 about these things happening.
37991 The problem is not materialism as such. Rather it is the underlying
37992 assumption that full satisfaction can arise from gratifying the senses alone.
37993 Unlike animals whose quest for happiness is restricted to survival and to the
37994 immediate gratification of sensory desires, we human beings have the capacity
37995 to experience happiness at a deeper level, which, when achieved, can overwhelm
37996 unhappy experiences.
37997 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
37999 We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of
38000 others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like
38001 it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives in which we do not benefit
38002 from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most
38003 of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others. Nor
38004 is it so remarkable that our greatest joy should come when we are motivated by
38005 concern for others. But that is not all. We find that not only do altruistic
38006 actions bring about happiness, but they also lessen our experience of
38007 suffering. Here I am not suggesting that the individual whose actions are
38008 motivated by the wish to bring others happiness necessarily meets with less
38009 misfortune than the one who does not. Sickness, old age, mishaps of one sort
38010 or another are the same for us all. But the sufferings which undermine our
38011 internal peace--anxiety, doubt, disappointment--these are definitely less.
38012 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38014 If we view the world's religions from the widest possible viewpoint and
38015 examine their ultimate goal, we find that all of the major world religions,
38016 whether Christianity or Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, are dedicated to the
38017 achievement of permanent human happiness. They are all directed toward that
38018 goal. All religions emphasize the fact that the true follower must be honest
38019 and gentle, in other words, that a truly religious person must always strive
38020 to be a better human being. To this end, the different world religions teach
38021 different doctrines which will help transform the person. In this regard, all
38022 religions are the same, there is no conflict. This is something we must
38023 emphasize. We must consider the question of religious diversity from this
38024 viewpoint. And when we do, we find no conflict.
38025 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38027 Emptiness vs. Non-Existence
38029 The doctrines of emptiness and selflessness do not imply the non-existence of
38030 things. Things do exist. When we say that all phenomena are void of self-
38031 existence, it does not mean that we are advocating non-existence, that we are
38032 repudiating that things exist. Then what is it we are negating? We are
38033 negating, or denying, that anything exists from its own side without depending
38034 on other things. Hence, it is because things depend for their existence upon
38035 other causes and conditions that they are said to lack independent self-
38037 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38039 If we view the world's religions from the widest possible viewpoint and
38040 examine their ultimate goal, we find that all of the major world religions,
38041 whether Christianity or Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, are dedicated to the
38042 achievement of permanent human happiness. They are all directed toward that
38043 goal. All religions emphasize the fact that the true follower must be honest
38044 and gentle, in other words, that a truly religious person must always strive
38045 to be a better human being. To this end, the different world religions teach
38046 different doctrines which will help transform the person. In this regard, all
38047 religions are the same, there is no conflict. This is something we must
38048 emphasize. We must consider the question of religious diversity from this
38049 viewpoint. And when we do, we find no conflict.
38050 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38052 The process of overcoming our defilements goes in conjunction with gaining
38053 higher levels of realisation. In fact, when we speak of gaining higher levels
38054 of realisation in Buddhism we are speaking primarily of the processes through
38055 which our wisdom and insight deepen. It is actually the wisdom aspect that
38056 enables the practitioner to move from one level to the next on the path.
38057 The attainment of the levels of the path is explained in condensed form in
38058 the Heart Sutra, where we find the mantra tadyatha om gate gate paragate
38059 parasamgate bodhi svaha. Tadyatha means It is thus; gate gate means go, go;
38060 paragate means go beyond and transcend; parasamgate means go utterly beyond,
38061 go thoroughly beyond; and bodhi svaha means firmly rooted in enlightenment.
38062 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38066 It is often seen that human beings can endure problems quite well, but
38067 cannot endure success. When we are successful and have everything we desire,
38068 it can easily go to our heads. There is a great danger of losing our common
38069 sense and becoming careless and arrogant. As it is said, "Nothing corrupts a
38070 person more than power." Very powerful people sometimes become so proud that
38071 they no longer care about their actions or about the effect they have on
38072 others. Losing any sense of right and wrong, they create severe problems for
38073 themselves and everyone else.
38074 Even if we have all the success we could dream of--fame, wealth, and so
38075 on--we must understand that these things have no real substance. Attachment
38076 does not come from having things, but from the way our mind reacts to them.
38077 It is fine to participate in good circumstances, provided we can see that they
38078 have no real essence. They may come and they may go. When seeing this, we
38079 will not become so attached. Even if we lose our wealth we will not be badly
38080 affected, and while it is there we will enjoy it without being senseless and
38082 -- Ringu Tulku, from "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha",
38083 edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, page 92.
38085 The role of other sentient beings
38087 In relation to the attainment of liberation from cylic existence, which is
38088 known also as "definite goodness," the role of other sentient beings is
38089 indispensable. In the Buddhist understanding, the key spiritual practices
38090 that lead to the attainment of liberation are the Three Higher
38091 Trainings--higher training in morality, in meditation, and in wisdom. The
38092 last two are based upon the foundation of the first, namely the training in
38093 morality. As I said before, the presence of other sentience beings is
38094 indispensable for this training. This is how we come to the powerful
38095 realisation that the role of other sentient beings is essential in all areas
38096 of our mundane and spiritual activities.
38097 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38099 To avoid being hurt by thorns and brambles, we might consider covering all
38100 the mountains with leather. That would be impossible, but putting on shoes
38101 would serve the same purpose. Similarly, if we tried to subdue all our outer
38102 enemies, we would never succeed. Once one was eliminated, another would rise
38103 against us. While doing this, our anger would continue to breed new foes.
38104 The only way to overcome our enemies is to turn inward and kill the real one,
38105 which is our own hatred.
38106 -- Ringu Tulku, from "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha",
38107 edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs.
38109 One should not view one's dharma practice as being something decorative,
38110 regarding statues and images as material possessions or as furnishings for
38111 one's house, or thinking that because there is an empty space on a wall one
38112 might as well put up a thangka for decoration. That kind of attitude should
38113 not be cultivated. When you arrange the statues or thangkas, you should do so
38114 out of a deep respect from the mind, moved by your faith and conviction. If
38115 you can arrange these physical representations--statues and so forth--out of
38116 deep respect and faith, that's all right. On the other hand, the attitude
38117 that they are merely material possessions is dangerous and destructive. I
38118 think that some people who have a cupboard or the like in which they keep all
38119 their precious possessions may arrange an altar on it just for the sake of
38120 decoration. This is very wrong.
38121 Having such motivations is not the proper way to become a Buddhist; the
38122 proper way to become a Buddhist is to bring about some positive change within
38123 the mind. Any practice that can give you more courage when you are undergoing
38124 a very difficult time and that can provide you with some kind of solace and
38125 calmness of mind is a true practice of the dharma.
38126 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38128 The environment where you are doing the meditation should be properly cleaned.
38129 While cleaning, you should cultivate the motivation that since you are engaged
38130 in the task of accumulating great stores of merit by inviting the hosts of
38131 buddhas and bodhisattvas to this environment, it is important to have a clean
38132 place. You should see that all external dirt and dust around you is basically
38133 a manifestation of the faults and stains within your own mind. You should see
38134 that the most important aim is to purge these stains and faults from within
38135 your mind. Therefore, as you cleanse the environment, think that you are also
38136 purifying your mind. Develop the very strong thought that by cleaning this
38137 place you are inviting the hosts of buddhas and bodhisattvas who are the most
38138 supreme merit field, and that you will subsequently engage in a path that will
38139 enable you to purge your mind of the stains and delusions.
38140 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38142 From the point of view of one who seeks enlightenment, it is far better to
38143 be a human being than to be born even in the heavens of the gods, where there
38144 is nectar to live on and all wishes are granted by the wish-fulfilling tree;
38145 where there is neither fatigue nor difficulty, neither sickness nor old age.
38146 It is as humans, possessed of the eight freedoms and the ten endowments, and
38147 not as gods, that every one of the thousand Buddhas of this age has attained,
38148 or will attain, enlightenment. This human existence, moreover, is not to be
38149 achieved by force or mere chance; it is the result of positive actions. And
38150 because it is rare for beings to accomplish positive actions, a precious human
38151 existence is indeed difficult to obtain.
38152 Nevertheless, we have now managed to be born into such a state; we have
38153 encountered the Buddadharma, have entered the path and are now receiving
38154 teachings. But if we are unable to practise them, simply listening to the
38155 teachings will not in itself liberate us from samsara, and will be of no help
38156 to us when we are confronted by the hardships of birth, disease, old age and
38157 death. If we do not follow the doctor's prescription when we are sick, then
38158 even if the doctor sits constantly by our side, the pain will not go away.
38159 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, from "Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the
38160 Seven-Point Mind Training", translated by Padmakara Translation Group.
38162 The realization of the nature of the mind is not something we can find by
38163 searching for it from afar. It is present within the essence of the mind
38164 itself. If we do not alter or change that in any way, that is enough. It is
38165 not as if we were lacking something before, so we need to make something new
38166 through our meditation. It is not as if we are bad and have to go through all
38167 sorts of efforts to make ourselves good. Goodness is something we all have.
38168 It has always been with us, but we have just not looked for it or seen it yet,
38169 so we have become confused. Therefore all we need to do is to just rest
38170 within it without changing it. We see where it stays and rest there, so we
38171 are like a kusulu. This means that we rest free and easy with nothing to do,
38172 very simply. We do not need to think that we are making something good or
38173 that we need to meditate properly. It is enough just to know what we already
38175 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from "Vivid Awareness", in "The Best Buddhist
38176 Writing 2012", edited by Melvin McLeod and the editors of the Shambhala
38177 Sun, pages 196–197.
38179 We all have to recognize the tremendous opportunity that we have. As humans
38180 we have this rare intelligence, but there is a real danger that we will waste
38181 it. Death is certain, but when we will die is totally unpredictable. We
38182 could lose our precious human existence at any moment. With such reflections,
38183 we must motivate ourselves to do something meaningful right now. The best way
38184 to make your human existence meaningful is to really engage in the practice of
38185 Dharma. During formal sitting meditation and in between sessions, in
38186 different ways, be mindful and introspectively vigilant. Keep constant watch
38188 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38190 In order to carry out a practice--such as constantly watching the mind--you
38191 should form a determination, make a pledge, right when you wake up: "Now, for
38192 the rest of this day, I will put into practice what I believe just as much as
38193 I can." It is very important that, at the start of the day, we should set out
38194 to shape what will happen later. Then, at the end of every day, check what
38195 happened. Review the day. And if you carried through for that whole day your
38196 morning's determination, then rejoice. Reinforce further your motivation to
38197 continue in the same line. However, when you do your reviewing, you may
38198 discover that you did things during the day that are contrary to your
38199 religious values and beliefs. You should then acknowledge this and cultivate
38200 a deep sense of remorse. Strengthen your resolve not to indulge in these
38201 actions in the future.
38202 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38204 There are two different ways in which we can understand the term "ordinary
38205 mind." One way is to not take control over anything and end up following our
38206 afflictions. When a thought of anger arises, we follow it; when greed arises,
38207 we lose control of ourselves to it. Similarly, we lose control of ourselves
38208 to our pride and jealousy. Although we might think of this as our ordinary
38209 state of mind, it is not what we mean here. Here it does not mean losing
38210 control of ourselves to negative emotions. Instead, it means that we do not
38211 need to do anything at all to the essence of the mind itself.
38212 We do not need to alter this essence in any way. We do not have to worry
38213 about what we are thinking, what is pleasant, or what is painful. We can
38214 leave this mind as it is. If we try to alter the mind in any way, thoughts
38215 will arise. But if we do not do anything to it and let it rest easily, then
38216 it is unaltered. The Kagyu masters of the past called this the ordinary mind,
38217 or the natural state. They called it this out of their experience. This
38218 ordinary mind itself is the dharma expanse and the essence of the buddhas; it
38219 is our buddha-nature.
38220 -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from "Vivid Awareness" in "The Best Buddhist
38221 Writing 2012", edited by Melvin McLeod and the editors of the Shambhala
38224 If your engagement with others is tainted by strong attachment, craving,
38225 aversion, anger, and so forth, then that form of grasping is undesirable. But
38226 on the other hand, when you are interacting with other living beings and
38227 become aware of their needs or suffering or pain, then you need to fully
38228 engage with that and be compassionate. So there can be positive attachment in
38229 this sense of active engagement.
38230 Buddhist masters have long used the term attachment to describe the quality
38231 of compassion for others. For example, a verse from Haribhadra's Clear
38232 Meaning Commentary refers to compassion that is attached to other living
38233 beings. And as we have seen, Nagarjuna teaches that attachment for other
38234 living beings will arise spontaneously in the person who realizes emptiness.
38235 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38237 Kongtrul Rinpoche suggested we pray to the guru, buddhas, and bodhisattvas and
38238 ask them to grant their blessings, "So I may give birth to the heart of
38239 sadness." But what is a "heart of sadness"? Imagine one night you have
38240 a dream. Although it is a good dream, deep down you know that eventually you
38241 will have to wake up and it will be over. In life, too, sooner or later,
38242 whatever the state of our relationships, or our health, our jobs and every
38243 aspect of our lives, everything, absolutely everything, will change. And the
38244 little bell ringing in the back of your head to remind you of this
38245 inevitability is what is called the "heart of sadness." Life, you realise,
38246 is a race against time, and you should never put off dharma practice until
38247 next year, next month, or tomorrow, because the future may never happen.
38248 -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-
38249 Called Preliminary Practices"
38251 What we want to eliminate is grasping that is grounded upon falsification of
38252 the object, distortions that arise as afflictions grasp at the apparent
38253 substantial existence of an object. Some texts say that mental states such as
38254 compassion and faith are, by their very nature, virtuous and thus cannot at
38255 the same time be afflicted mental states. Yet there are other texts that
38256 refer to "afflicted compassion" or "afflicted faith." For those of us
38257 who have not realized emptiness, when we generate strong devotion toward the
38258 Buddha perhaps there is within that faith, within that devotion, an element of
38259 grasping at the Buddha as substantially real. This makes it an instance of
38260 so-called "afflicted devotion."
38261 Still, it is important to distinguish grasping rooted in falsification and
38262 distortion from the attachment, focus, or holding that we associate with
38263 compassion. In our immediate experience, these two forms of grasping may seem
38264 the same, but in terms of the overall mental environment they are quite
38265 different. Compassion is fact-based, while distorted grasping is not.
38266 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38268 By and large, human beings tend to prefer to fit in to society by following
38269 accepted rules of etiquette and being gentle, polite, and respectful. The
38270 irony is that this is also how most people imagine a spiritual person should
38271 behave. When a so-called dharma practitioner is seen to behave badly, we
38272 shake our heads over her audacity at presenting herself as a follower of the
38273 Buddha. Yet such judgments are better avoided, because to "fit in" is not
38274 what a genuine dharma practitioner strives for.
38275 Think of Tilopa, for example. He looked so outlandish that if he turned up
38276 on your doorstep today, odds are you would refuse to let him in. And you
38277 would have a point. He would most likely be almost completely naked; if you
38278 were lucky, he might be sporting some kind of G-string; his hair would never
38279 have been introduced to shampoo; and protruding from his mouth would quiver
38280 the tail of a live fish. What would your moral judgment be of such a being?
38281 "Him! A Buddhist?" This is how our theistic, moralistic, and judgmental
38282 minds work. Of course, there is nothing wrong with morality, but the point of
38283 spiritual practice, according to the vajrayana teachings, is to go beyond all
38284 our concepts, including those of morality.
38285 -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-
38286 Called Preliminary Practices".
38288 Because it is a reality that we are by nature social animals, bound to depend
38289 on each other, we need to cultivate affection and concern for other people if
38290 we really desire peace and happiness. Look at wild animals and birds. Even
38291 they travel together, flock together, and help each other. Bees do not have a
38292 particular legal system, they do not follow any spiritual practice, but for
38293 their livelihood and survival they depend on each other--that is their
38294 natural way of existence. Even though we intelligent human beings must also
38295 depend on each other, we sometimes misuse our intelligence and try to exploit
38296 each other. That goes against human nature. For those of us who profess to
38297 believe in a particular religious practice, it is extremely important that we
38298 try to help each other and cultivate a feeling of affection for each other.
38299 That is the source of happiness in our life.
38300 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38302 It's important to differentiate a thought from an emotion. We say things
38303 such as, "I feel like they don't accept me." Actually, that is a thought.
38304 We may feel hurt or frustrated, and it's because we're thinking that others
38305 don't accept us. How do we know they don't accept us? We don't. We
38306 haven't asked them. Instead, on the basis of how they looked at us or a
38307 comment they made, our mind constructs a story that we believe.
38308 As soon as you hear yourself saying, "I feel like...," stop and recognize
38309 that you can't "feel like" something. You are thinking. After you have
38310 identified the thought, ask yourself, "Is that true? How do I know it's true?
38311 What evidence do I have to prove the validity of that thought?" It's really
38312 startling to see how often we assume our interpretation of a situation is true
38313 when in fact it is based on flimsy evidence.
38314 -- Thubten Chodron, from "Don't Believe Everything You Think: Living with
38315 Wisdom and Compassion"
38317 We are all human beings, and from this point of view, we are the same. We all
38318 want happiness and we do not want suffering. If we consider this point, we
38319 will find that there are no differences between people of different faiths,
38320 races, colors, or cultures. We all have this common wish for happiness.
38321 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38323 Enlightenment is not anything new or something we create or bring into
38324 existence. It is simply discovering within us what is already there. It is
38325 the full realization of our intrinsic nature. In Tibetan, buddha is sang
38326 gyay. Sang means that all of the faults have been cleared away, while gyay
38327 means "full realization"; just as from darkness, the moon waxes, likewise
38328 from ignorance, the qualities of the mind's intrinsic nature emerge.
38329 -- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
38331 The fundamental teaching of the Buddha is that we should view others as being
38332 more important than we are. Of course, you cannot completely ignore yourself.
38333 But neither can you neglect the welfare of other people and other sentient
38334 beings, particularly when there is a clash of interest between your own
38335 welfare and the welfare of other people. At such a time you should consider
38336 other people's welfare as more important than your own personal well-being.
38337 Compare yourself to the rest of sentient beings. All other sentient beings
38338 are countless, while you are just one person. Your suffering and happiness
38339 may be very important, but it is just the suffering and happiness of one
38340 individual, whereas the happiness and suffering of all other sentient beings
38341 is immeasurable and countless. So, it is the way of the wise to sacrifice one
38342 for the benefit of the majority and it is the way of the foolish to sacrifice
38343 the majority on behalf of just one single individual. Even from the point of
38344 view of your personal well-being, you must cultivate a compassionate
38345 mind--that is that source of happiness in your life.
38346 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38348 Attachment and love are similar in that both of them draw us to the other
38349 person. But in fact, these two emotions are quite different. When we're
38350 attached we're drawn to someone because he or she meets our needs. In
38351 addition, there are lots of strings attached to our affection that we may or
38352 may not realize are there. For example, I 'love' you because you make me feel
38353 good. I 'love' you as long as you do things that I approve of. I 'love' you
38354 because you're mine. You're my spouse or my child or my parent or my friend.
38355 With attachment, we go up and down like a yo-yo, depending on how the other
38356 person treats us. We obsess, "What do they think of me? Do they love me?
38357 Have I offended them? How can I become what they want me to be so that they
38358 love me even more?" It's not very peaceful, is it? We're definitely stirred
38360 On the other hand, the love we're generating on the Dharma path is
38361 unconditional. We simply want other to have happiness and the causes of
38362 happiness without any strings attached, without any expectations of what these
38363 people will do for us or how good they'll make us feel.
38364 -- Thubten Chodron, "Don't Believe Everything You Think: Living with Wisdom
38367 Because we don't recognize our essential nature--we don't realize that
38368 although appearances arise unceasingly, nothing is really there--we invest
38369 with solidity and reality the seeming truth of self, other, and actions
38370 between self and others. This intellectual obscuration gives rise to
38371 attachment and aversion, followed by actions and reactions that create karma,
38372 solidify into habit, and perpetuate the cycles of suffering. This entire
38373 process needs to be purified.
38374 -- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, from "In the Presence of Masters: Wisdom from 30
38375 Contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Teachers", edited by Reginald A. Ray.
38377 Effort is crucial in the beginning for generating a strong will. We all
38378 have the Buddha nature and thus already have within us the substances through
38379 which, when we meet with the proper conditions, we can turn into a fully
38380 enlightened being having all beneficial attributes and devoid of all faults.
38381 The very root of failure in our lives is to think, "Oh, how useless and
38382 powerless I am!" It is important to have a strong force of mind thinking,
38383 "I can do it," this not being mixed with pride or any other afflictive
38385 Moderate effort over a long period of time is important, no matter what you
38386 are trying to do. One brings failure on oneself by working extremely hard at
38387 the beginning, attempting to do too much, and then giving it all up after a
38388 short time. A constant stream of moderate effort is needed. Similarly, when
38389 meditating, you need to be skillful by having frequent, short sessions; it is
38390 more important that the session be of good quality than that it be long.
38391 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight"
38393 We Buddhists are supposed to save all sentient beings, but practically
38394 speaking, this may be too broad a notion for most people. In any case, we
38395 must at least think in terms of helping all human beings. This is very
38396 important. Even if we cannot think in terms of sentient beings inhabiting
38397 different worlds, we should nonetheless think in terms of the human beings on
38398 our own planet. To do this is to take a practical approach to the problem.
38399 It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily
38400 lives. If we find we cannot help another, the least we can do is to desist
38401 from harming them. We must not cheat others or lie to them. We must be
38402 honest human beings, sincere human beings.
38403 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38405 How things appear and how they actually exist differ greatly. A person
38406 engaging in practice of the perfection of wisdom does this kind of analysis
38407 and then examines how things appear in ordinary experience, alternating
38408 analysis and comparison with the usual mode of appearance in order to notice
38409 the discrepancy between the actual mode of subsistence of phenomena and their
38411 In this way the inherent existence which is the object of negation will
38412 become clearer and clearer. As much as the object of negation becomes
38413 clearer, so much deeper will your understanding of emptiness become. Finally,
38414 you will ascertain a mere vacuity that is a negative of inherent existence.
38415 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38417 Three attitudes prevent us from receiving a continual flow of blessings.
38418 They are compared to three "pots": a full pot, a pot with poison in it,
38419 and a pot with a hole in the bottom.
38420 The pot that's filled to the brim is like a mind full of opinions and
38421 preconceptions. We already know it all. We have so many fixed ideas that
38422 nothing new can affect us or cause us to question our assumptions.
38423 The pot containing poison is like a mind that's so cynical, critical, and
38424 judgmental that everything is poisoned by this harshness. It allows for no
38425 openness and no willingness to explore the teachings or anything else that
38426 challenges our righteous stance.
38427 The pot with a hole is like a distracted mind: our body is present but
38428 we're lost in thought. We're so busy thinking about our dream vacation or
38429 what's for dinner that we're completely deaf to what's being said.
38430 Knowing how sad it is to receive blessings and not be able to benefit,
38431 Shantideva wants to save himself grief by remaining open and attentive.
38432 Nothing will improve, he says, unless we become more intelligent about cause
38433 and effect. This is a message worth considering seriously.
38434 -- Pema Chödrön, from "No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the
38437 Shantideva cites three benefits of pain. First, it is valuable because
38438 through sorrow, pride is driven out. No matter how arrogant and condescending
38439 we've been, great suffering can humble us. The pain of a serious illness or
38440 loss of a loved one can be transformative, softening us and making us less
38442 The second benefit of pain is empathy: the compassion felt for those who
38443 wander in samsara. Our personal suffering brings compassion for others in the
38444 same situation. A young woman was telling me that when her baby died, she
38445 felt a deep connection to all the other parents who had lost children. This
38446 was, as she put it, the unexpected blessing of her sorrow.
38447 The third value of suffering is that evil is avoided and goodness seems
38448 delightful. When we practice according to Shantideva's instructions, we can
38449 get smarter about cause and result. Based on this understanding, we'll have
38450 less inclination to cause harm, and more desire to gather virtue and benefit
38452 -- Pema Chödrön, from "No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the
38455 Since emptiness, from between positive and negative phenomena, is a negative
38456 phenomenon and, from between affirming negatives and non-affirming negatives,
38457 is a non-affirming negative, when it appears to the mind, nothing will appear
38458 except an absence of such inherent existence--a mere elimination of the
38459 object of negation. Thus, for the mind of a person realizing emptiness there
38460 is no sense of, "I am ascertaining emptiness," and there is no thought,
38461 "This is emptiness." If you had such a sense, emptiness would become
38462 distant. Nevertheless, the emptiness of inherent existence is ascertained and
38464 After such realization, even though whatever phenomena appear appear to
38465 exist in their own right, you understand that they do not exist that way. You
38466 have a sense that they are like a magician's illusions in that there is a
38467 combination of their appearing one way but actually existing another way.
38468 Though they appear to exist inherently, you understand that they are empty of
38469 inherent existence.
38470 When phenomena are seen this way, the conceptions that superimpose a sense
38471 of goodness or badness on phenomena beyond what is actually there and serve as
38472 a basis for generating desire and hatred lessen; this is because they are
38473 based on the misconception that phenomena are established in their own right.
38474 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38476 Rely on timeless awareness, which is free of elaboration, without
38477 identity, and the very essence of being;
38478 do not rely on ordinary consciousness, which is a mind fixated
38479 on characteristics and concepts.
38481 Timeless awareness entails (a) understanding that the way in which phenomena
38482 actually abide is, from the ultimate perspective, free of all limitations
38483 imposed by elaborations of origination, cessation, and so forth; (b)
38484 realization of the nonexistence of the two kinds of identity; and (c) unerring
38485 knowledge of sugatagarbha as utter lucidity, the way in which things actually
38486 abide, beyond any context of speculative value judgments. It is on this
38487 awareness that one should rely.
38488 Ordinary consciousness entails (a) belief that what one immediately
38489 perceives constitutes something truly existent; (b) conceptualization in terms
38490 of characteristics, such as the sense of personal identity and the mind-body
38491 aggregates; and (c) mental states that are conditioned, for example, by
38492 attitudes of naively fixating on the pleasures of the senses. One should not
38493 rely on such consciousness.
38494 -- Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Taye, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven
38495 and Book Eight, Parts One and Two"
38497 Such is the process of karma: it is ineluctable; its results are greatly
38498 magnified; actions not committed have no effect; and the effects of actions
38499 committed never expire on their own.
38500 Generally speaking, whether you are an ordinary mortal individual or a
38501 spiritually advanced being, all positive experiences that carry with them any
38502 pleasant sensation--down to even the slightest pleasure caused by a cool
38503 breeze for beings reborn in a hell realm--occur due to positive karma
38504 reinforced in the past; it is not in accord with the nature of things that
38505 happiness be due to negative karma. And all negative experiences that carry
38506 with them any unpleasant sensation--down to even the slightest suffering that
38507 could occur in the experience of an arhat--occur due to negative karma one
38508 has reinforced in the past; for it is not in accord with the nature of things
38509 that suffering be due to positive karma.
38510 -- Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Taye, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven
38511 and Book Eight, Parts One and Two"
38513 "That which is seen and that which is touched are of a dream-like and
38514 illusion-like nature. Because feeling arises together with the mind,
38515 it is not [ultimately] perceived." --Shantideva
38517 There is nothing whatever that has a true mode of existence. Nevertheless,
38518 this does not suggest that a person who experiences feelings and the feelings
38519 themselves--pleasant and unpleasant--are utterly non-existent. They do
38520 exist, but in an untrue fashion. Thus, the things that we see and touch have
38521 a dream-like and illusion-like quality.
38522 In the second line the author refutes the true existence of the mind that
38523 experiences feelings. Since feelings arise in conjunction with the mind,
38524 feelings are not perceived by the mind that is simultaneous with them. There
38525 must be a causal relationship between the experienced object and the
38526 experiencing subject. If two entities are substantially distinct and exist
38527 simultaneously, there could be neither a causal relationship nor an identity
38528 relationship between them.
38529 For this reason the author denies that either [intrinsic] relationship could
38530 hold for the feelings and the awareness that is simultaneous with them. Two
38531 mental events that arise in conjunction with each other are not able to
38532 apprehend one another. This holds true for all states of awareness. Thus,
38533 feelings are not observed by the awareness that arises in conjunction with
38534 them and that exists simultaneously with them.
38535 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38537 Any happiness there is in the world ultimately turns to pain. Why? Consider
38538 the two sides of a coin: just because what we desire is to be seen on the
38539 front does not mean that dislike won't soon appear on the back. Likewise,
38540 hope and fear are a single coin, one entity with two faces--on the other side
38541 of a moment in which we hope for more happiness will be our fear of more
38542 suffering. Until attachment is eliminated, we can be certain of having both
38543 hope and fear. As long as there is hope and fear, the delusions of samsara
38544 will be perpetuated and there will be constant suffering. Thus attachment is
38545 the nature of both hope and fear: looking at the ultimate emptiness of the
38546 self-envisioned magical illusion of hope and fear, we should hang loosely in
38548 --Tulku Pema Rigtsal, "The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the
38549 Nonduality of Dzogchen", translated by Keith Dowman
38551 The feelings of joy and sorrow do not exist from their own side. Although
38552 they exist as conceptual imputations, you cling to them as existing from their
38553 own side. Feelings do not exist by their own intrinsic nature; rather, they
38554 are identified on the basis of contributing circumstances.
38555 Therefore, this analysis is cultivated as an antidote for that [false
38556 conception of intrinsic existence]. The meditative absorption that arises
38557 from the field of discriminative investigation is the food of the
38558 contemplative.--Shantideva
38559 Feelings do not truly exist; they are not found when sought through
38560 analysis; they do not exist independently, but exist by the power of
38561 convention. Thus, the means for overcoming the misconception of the true
38562 existence of feelings is meditation on their lack of such existence. This
38563 entails analyzing the mode of existence of feelings.
38564 Such investigation is an aid to meditative absorption and leads to the
38565 integration of meditative quiescence and insight. That increases the physical
38566 vitality of the contemplative and enhances the power of his [or her] spiritual
38567 practice. Thus it is called the nourishment of the contemplative.
38568 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Transcendent Wisdom".
38570 It is not enough merely to look into the space of happiness or sadness; it is
38571 important to have pure presence constant in that flow. If the power of
38572 meditation is not constant, it is impossible to remain long in the place of
38573 nondual perception. Thoughts that arise intermittently will break the
38574 continuity, and radiating out from this, like ripples on a pond, the poisonous
38575 taste of emotion will arise to obstruct the meditation. As gross thoughts
38576 increase, ripples become rough waves that intensify the emotion. Until subtle
38577 emotions are left behind, we cannot eradicate suffering, so it is crucially
38578 important to sustain the state of meditation. When we gain strong familiarity
38579 by staying in that space for a long time, then no matter what thoughts arise,
38580 whether gross or subtle, they will not be able to dislodge us: upon
38581 recognizing the first thought, whatever thought it may be, in that very
38582 moment, we realize it to be the play of the spontaneous creativity of
38583 dharmakaya. Like a wave falling back into the ocean, the thought vanishes
38584 into the dharmakaya. In that space of naked empty pure presence that is the
38585 view, always cherishing thoughts of the five poisonous emotions and all the
38586 movements of body, speech, and mind, and the acts of eating, sleeping, moving,
38587 and sitting, we are known as the yogins and yoginis who stand guard over the
38588 shifting dharmakaya display. This is the supreme method of sustaining the
38589 essence of meditation. According to Dzogchen teaching, this is unadulterated
38590 by any kind of focus; it is called "the great meditation that is
38592 --Tulku Pema Rigtsal, "The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the
38593 Nonduality of Dzogchen", translated by Keith Dowman.
38595 Who is more shameless in this world,
38596 Than one who abandons to samsara's ocean of suffering
38597 All the mothers who have tenderly cared for him since beginningless time
38598 And instead strives toward the peace of a solitary nirvana?
38599 --Shechen Gyaltsap Pema Namgyal
38601 In each of our lives since beginningless time, our mother carried us within
38602 her body for nine months. She took care of us when we were helpless babies;
38603 she gave us food, education, and protection. In return, we feel love and
38604 gratitude for her kindness.
38605 Why not extend our respect and appreciation for our mother to everyone else?
38606 If we take a broader perspective, we can consider that, within the countless
38607 existences we have lived, every being has been our mother at one time or
38608 another. Don't they also deserve our kindness now? We can extend the same
38609 debt of gratitude that we owe our present mother to all sentient beings. By
38610 doing so, we naturally begin to develop a deep concern for the happiness of
38611 others, and this feeling makes sense to us.
38612 We take the refuge vow not just for our own sake, but also for the sake of
38613 all sentient beings. This is bodhichitta, or the altruistic mind, which aims
38614 for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.
38615 --Shechen Rabjam, "The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the Notion
38616 of Reality: Steps in Meditation on the Enlightened Mind"
38618 Direct perfect enlightenment [with regard to] all aspects,
38619 and abandonment of the stains along with their imprints
38620 [are called] buddha and nirvana respectively.
38621 In truth, these are not two different things.
38624 All aspects of the knowable--all absolute and relative phenomena--are
38625 directly known. Through this knowledge one is immediately and perfectly
38626 enlightened. This is the aspect of realization. All the adventitious
38627 defilements--the two veils along with their remaining imprints--are
38628 abandoned without any exception. This is the aspect of abandonment. These
38629 two qualities have been led to ultimate perfection. They are therefore named
38630 "perfect buddha" ["perfectly awakened and expanded"] from the
38631 viewpoint of the former aspect, and "nirvana" ["gone beyond any torment
38632 and pain"] from the viewpoint of the latter aspect. These two aspects are
38633 contained in one and the same meaning, the meaning of the tathagatagarbha,
38634 whereas a difference only lies in the convention of the different terms. In
38635 the sense of the absolute field of experience of the noble ones' primordial
38636 wisdom the qualities of realization and abandonment are therefore completely
38637 inseparable and do not exist as two different things.
38638 -- Arya Maitreya, "Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with
38639 Commentary", with commentary by Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Thaye
38641 "Vehicle" (yana) has two meanings: the means by which one progresses and
38642 the destination to which one is progressing. Mahayana in the sense of the
38643 vehicle by which one progresses means to be motivated by the mind of
38644 enlightenment--wishing to attain highest enlightenment for the sake of all
38645 sentient beings, one's objects of intent--and means to engage in the six
38647 Seeing reason and need, Buddha set forth many systems and vehicles, but
38648 these did not arise due to his being intimate with some and alien to others.
38649 The trainees who were listening to his teaching had various dispositions,
38650 interests, and abilities, and thus he taught methods that were suitable for
38651 each of them. For those who temporarily did not have the courage to strive
38652 for Buddhahood or who did not at all have the capacity of obtaining Buddhahood
38653 at that time, Buddha did not say, "You can attain Buddhahood." Rather, he
38654 set forth a path appropriate to the trainees' abilities. Buddha spoke in
38655 terms of their situation, and everything that he spoke was a means of
38656 eventually attaining highest enlightenment even though he did not always say
38657 that these were means for attaining Buddhahood.
38658 Since the purpose of a Buddha's coming is others' realization of the
38659 wisdom of Buddhahood, the methods for actualizing this wisdom are one vehicle,
38660 not two. A Buddha does not lead beings by a vehicle that does not proceed to
38661 Buddhahood; he establishes beings in his own level. A variety of vehicles are
38662 set forth in accordance with temporary needs.
38663 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38665 You do not have to seek out loneliness--it is always there. Egolessness is a
38666 concept, a philosophy, but loneliness is a reality that you experience. A
38667 feeling of loneliness is part of the journey. As for me, I feel that way
38668 constantly, and I think it's a very healthy feeling, a very real feeling.
38669 When you sense that you are not you anymore and that nothing can replace that
38670 state, you begin to make discoveries. You discover devotion, and you discover
38671 a quality of richness and artistic expression that is very special. Being
38672 you, but not being you, is very resourceful. You become a complete mountain
38673 man: you know how to make fire and cook food. But it doesn't mean anything.
38674 You are still nobody. That is the inspiration.
38675 -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma, Volume
38676 One: The Individual Path of Liberation"
38678 Interdependence is our reality, whether we accept it or not. In order to
38679 live productively within such a reality, it is better to acknowledge and work
38680 with interdependence, wholeheartedly and without resistance. This is where
38681 love and compassion come in. It is love that leads us to embrace our
38682 connectedness to others, and to participate willingly in the relations created
38683 by our interdependence. Love can melt away our defenses and our painful sense
38684 of separation. The warmth of friendship and love makes it easy for us to
38685 accept that our happiness is intimately linked to that of others. The more
38686 widely we are able to love others, the happier and more content we can feel
38687 within the relations of interdependence that are a natural part of our life.
38688 Love is possible in all our relationships because all people want happiness.
38689 No one wants to suffer. This is true of the people we love. It is also true
38690 of those we dislike. We are all absolutely identical in this respect. I
38691 think this universal wish for happiness is something we can easily grasp
38692 intellectually. When we learn to also feel and respect this in our heart,
38693 love naturally flourishes within us.
38694 -- The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart is Noble: Changing the World
38695 from the Inside Out"
38697 Day and night, night and day we spend our lives in the company of the
38698 afflictions, generating desire for the pleasant and anger at the unpleasant,
38699 and continue thus even when dreaming, unable to remain relaxed, our minds
38700 completely and utterly mixed with thoughts of desire and hatred without
38702 To what refuge should we go? A source of refuge must have completely
38703 overcome all defects forever; it must be free of all faults. It must also
38704 have all the attributes of altruism--those attainments which are necessary
38705 for achieving others' welfare. For it is doubtful that anyone lacking these
38706 two prerequisites can bestow refuge; it would be like falling into a ditch and
38707 asking another who is in it to help you out. You need to ask someone who is
38708 standing outside the ditch for help; it is senseless to ask another who is in
38709 the same predicament. A refuge capable of protecting from the frights of
38710 manifold sufferings cannot also be bound in this suffering but must be free
38711 and unflawed. Furthermore, the complete attainments are necessary, for if you
38712 have fallen into a ditch, it is useless to seek help from someone standing
38713 outside it who does not wish to help or who wishes to help but has no means to
38715 Only a Buddha has extinguished all faults and gained all attainments.
38716 Therefore, one should mentally go for refuge to a Buddha, praise him with
38717 speech, and respect him physically. One should enter the teaching of such a
38719 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38721 All that is has me--universal creativity,
38722 pure and total presence--as its root.
38723 How things appear is my being.
38724 How things arise is my manifestation.
38725 Sounds and words heard are my messages
38726 expressed in sounds and words.
38727 All the capacities, forms, and pristine
38728 awareness of the buddhas;
38729 The bodies of sentient beings, their
38730 habituations, and so forth;
38731 All environments and their inhabitants,
38732 life forms, and experiences;
38733 Are the primordial state of pure and total
38736 Without understanding me, the creativity of
38738 But investigating the phenomena that I
38740 You perceive everything dualistically due
38741 to your attachment and longing.
38742 Impermanent, apparitional things will fade
38744 They are aimless, like a blind man.
38746 All that is experienced and
38747 Your own mind are the unique primary reality.
38748 They cannot be conceptualized according to
38749 the cause and effect systems of thought.
38750 Investigate your mind's real nature
38751 So that your pure and total presence will
38752 actually shine forth.
38754 -- Longchenpa, "You Are the Eyes of the World"
38756 Devotion, or mögü in Tibetan, can be divided into two aspects: möpa and
38757 küpa. Möpa means "longing" or "wanting," and küpa means "humility,"
38758 "respect," or "being without arrogance." With küpa, you are not pretending
38759 to be somebody who has reached a higher level of wisdom. So in devotion,
38760 longing and humbleness are put together. That state of mind brings openness
38761 to the teacher and to the dharma.
38762 With küpa, the longing of möpa does not become purely an emotional
38763 indulgence or demand on the part of either the student or the teacher. The
38764 devotion of küpa is the respect or sacredness that comes from that experience
38765 of aah [the space before first thought]! Küpa arises because every highlight
38766 in your life has always been touched by the sacredness of vajrayana, even
38767 before you knew it.
38768 -- Chogyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma,
38769 Volume Three: The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness"
38771 All suffering in this life and others is created by the unsubdued mind.
38772 Similarly, the basis of all the practices of the six paramitas, such as
38773 generosity, moral discipline, and so on, is the mind.
38775 Nothing is more important than guarding the mind. Let us constantly keep
38776 watch over the wild elephant of the mind, curbing it with mindfulness and
38777 vigilance. This is how to avoid being influenced by different external
38778 conditions. But even in retreat in a very secluded place, if the mind is not
38779 kept under control, it will wander all over the place. Even completely alone,
38780 we can have an enormous amount of negative emotions.
38782 How are we to guard the mind? We should use attentiveness to watch our
38783 thoughts and use mindfulness to judge whether we are acting correctly. With
38784 these two we have the means to annihilate all adverse conditions. But without
38785 them, we will not see whether our thoughts are positive or negative or whether
38786 we are doing right or wrong, nor will we then be able to use antidotes as
38788 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38790 The great yogi Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol replies to a Losar Day request from
38791 his disciple Depa Wangpo on what to adopt and what to reject regarding
38792 attitude and conduct...
38794 Don't harm your friends and neighbors; help them.
38795 Don't be stingy; use your wealth for offerings and charity.
38796 Don't let your body be idle; do prostrations and circumambulations.
38797 Don't let your mouth be idle; recite the mani mantra.
38798 Always have pure thoughts towards others.
38800 In brief, keeping Death in mind, practice the sacred Dharma.
38801 Give up doing wrong, and do what is wholesome.
38802 Whatever happiness and sufferings you undergo,
38803 Regard them as the result of previous actions.
38804 Always act in accord with the Dharma.
38805 Even though I may be far away,
38806 These instructions will remain like my very presence.
38809 -- Shabkar Natshok Rangdrol, in "The Life of Shabkar"
38811 On the very night of Dodrupchen's death, his spiritual testament was
38812 received by his principal disciple, Do Khyentse. Dodrupchen appeared in the
38813 sky in a radiant light body and an attire of lights. He was floating on a
38814 carpet of light, which was held up by four dakinis. In a very enchanting
38815 voice he sang the verses of his testament, which include the following lines:
38817 I am going into the expanse of the Wisdom of the Ultimate Sphere,
38818 Which is the state that transcends thoughts and expressions.
38819 I am going into the state of Mirrorlike Wisdom,
38820 Which is the ceaseless clear glow, fresh and open.
38821 I am going into the expanse of the Wisdom of Evenness,
38822 In which all the thoughts of grasping and grasper have vanished into the
38824 I am going into the Wisdom of Discriminative Awareness,
38825 Which is the clarity, the dawn of six kinds of foreknowledge.
38826 I am going into the state of the Wisdom of Accomplishment,
38827 Which emanates various manifestations in accordance with [the needs of]
38830 Son, please stay healthy.
38831 Now you have won over the obstructions of your life.
38832 Until all the phenomenal existents are liberated as the signs and
38833 teachings [of Dharma],
38834 [You should be] aware of samsara and nirvana as dreams and illusions.
38835 Dedicate yourself to the meditation where there is no reference point.
38836 This is the empowerment of total entrustment and aspiration.
38837 This is the supreme empowerment of empowerments.
38839 -- from "Masters of Meditation and Miracles", by Tulku Thondup.
38841 The view of interdependence makes for a great openness of mind. In general,
38842 instead of realizing that what we experience arises from a complicated network
38843 of causes, we tend to attribute happiness or sadness, for example, to single,
38844 individual sources. But if this were so, as soon as we came into contact with
38845 what we consider to be good, we would be automatically happy, and conversely,
38846 in the case of bad things, invariably sad. The causes of joy and sorrow would
38847 be easy to identify and target. It would all be very simple, and there would
38848 be good reason for our anger and attachment. When, on the other hand, we
38849 consider that everything we experience results from a complex interplay of
38850 causes and conditions, we find that there is no single thing to desire or
38851 resent, and it is more difficult for the afflictions of attachment or anger to
38852 arise. In this way, the view of interdependence makes our minds more relaxed
38854 By training our minds and getting used to this view, we change our way of
38855 seeing things, and as a result we gradually change our behavior and do less
38856 harm to others. As it says in the sutras:
38859 Practice virtue well;
38861 This is the Buddha's teaching.
38863 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "For the Benefit of All Beings"
38865 In the avadhuti, the main path of enlightenment,
38866 Prana and mind, bliss and warmth, are united,
38867 Becoming unconditioned great bliss.
38868 The wisdom of unobscured insight dawns.
38870 "This is unsurpassable," the guru has said.
38871 The darkness of ignorance is purified in space.
38872 One is free from the two obscurations of grasping and fixation.
38873 Therefore bliss and luminosity dawn in simplicity.
38875 This appearance of collective coincidence
38876 Is a reflection without self-nature.
38877 All appearances are realized like that,
38878 And just like appearances in a dream,
38879 All dharmas arise as illusions...
38881 When thoughts arise, rest naturally.
38882 When dreaming, be mindful without corrupting it.
38883 When in the pardo, don't control, but be aware.
38884 When there is fruition, let it arise without obscuration.
38886 -- from "The Life of Marpa the Translator" translated by Chögyam Trungpa
38887 and the Nalanda Translation Committee.
38889 The Four Seals in Buddhism are:
38891 All products are impermanent.
38892 (or all compounded phenomena are impermanent?)
38893 ('du byed thams cad mi rtag pa)
38895 All contaminated objects are miserable.
38896 (zag bcas thams cad sdug bsngal ba)
38898 All phenomena are selfless.
38899 (chos thams cad bdag med pa)
38902 (mya ngan las 'das ba zhi ba)
38904 --from "Meditation on Emptiness" (London: Wisdom, 1983), by Jeffrey Hopkins
38906 When you pass away, nothing will do you any good except for the pure Dharma.
38907 You will not simply disappear when you die. Rather, what happens next will be
38908 dictated by your previous actions.
38909 For these reasons, you should exert yourself by whatever means necessary to
38910 free yourself from samsara, which is nothing but a vast ocean of suffering!
38911 Practice your teacher's guidance concerning what to do and what to give up
38912 to the letter, without falling under the influence of immature friends or bad
38913 influences. To the best of your ability, incorporate this genuine teaching on
38914 the certainty of death into each and every day.
38915 Keeping all this in mind, arouse faith in the Three Jewels so that you will
38916 be able to practice in this manner, thinking to yourself, "Think of me,
38917 Three Jewels!" At the same time, be sure to generate an intense sense of
38918 renunciation and subdue your mind stream.
38919 -- from "Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen
38920 Preliminary Practices", edited and translated by Cortland Dahl
38922 I would like to mention my visit to Lourdes as a pilgrim. There, in front of
38923 the cave, I experienced something very special. I felt a spiritual vibration,
38924 a kind of spiritual presence there. And then, in front of the image of the
38925 Virgin Mary, I prayed. I expressed my admiration for this holy place that has
38926 long been a source of inspiration and strength, that has provided spiritual
38927 solace, comfort and healing to millions of people. And I prayed that this may
38928 continue for a long time to come. My prayer there was not directed to any
38929 clearly defined object, like Buddha or Jesus Christ or a bodhisattva, but was
38930 simply directed to all great beings who have infinite compassion towards all
38932 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
38934 The Buddhist teaching is superior in four ways: view, meditation, behavior,
38937 1. The "four seals" that distinguish the [Buddhist] view are as follows: all
38938 composed phenomena are impermanent, all contaminated things are miserable, all
38939 phenomena are selfless, and nirvana is peace.
38941 2. Buddhist meditation serves as an antidote to all cyclic existence within
38944 3. Buddhist behavior is free from the two extremes, having abandoned both the
38945 extreme of overindulgence of desire, which is a case of being desirous and
38946 wanting good and great quantities of food and clothing, and the extreme of
38947 being too tired and worn out in body and mind.
38949 4. The fruits are the true cessations, which are abandonments such that the
38950 obstruction that is removed does not arise again [and which comes about]
38951 through analyzing individually the nonexistence of the referent object of the
38952 conception of self.
38954 These four [view, meditation, behavior, and fruit] are the distinguishing
38955 features of Buddhist doctrine.
38956 -- Jamyang Shayba, from "Buddhist Philosophy: Losang Gonchok's Short
38957 Commentary to Jamyang Shayba's Root Text on Tenets", by Daniel Cozort
38958 and Craig Preston, page 88.
38960 When you are busy and preoccupied, you feel hassled by your own existence.
38961 You are so busy that you think that you do not have any time to spare for your
38962 practice. Such torment and busyness seem to be monumental or historic, but
38963 that is not the case. As far as we are concerned, that kind of torment is
38964 absolutely ordinary. As you begin to work on that, you realize that the
38965 inconvenience, discomfort, and anguish that you experience is no more than
38966 anybody else experiences. So your experience is no longer regarded as
38967 monumental--no more than if you step on a cat's tail, and the cat cries
38968 out, "Wooaaaoow!" However, it is still a problematic situation. Therefore
38969 you need to practice the paramita of discipline, which overcomes that type of
38970 preoccupation altogether. You begin to realize that preoccupations are
38971 garbage; they are worth flushing out so that something real could come up.
38972 Then paramita activity begins to make sense, and you begin to act in a more
38974 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma.
38975 Volume Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion"
38977 If we unbalance nature, humankind will suffer. Furthermore, we must consider
38978 future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It
38979 is therefore part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world
38980 we pass on is as healthy as, if not healthier than, we found it. This is not
38981 quite such a difficult proposition as it might sound. For although there is a
38982 limit to what we as individuals can do, there is no limit to what a universal
38983 response might achieve. It is up to us as individuals to do what we can,
38984 however little that may be. Just because switching off the light on leaving
38985 the room seems inconsequential, it does not mean we shouldn't do it.
38986 -- His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "The Pocket Dalai Lama"
38988 Basically we are trying to put a stop to frivolity of any kind. Frivolity is
38989 an interesting word. It can mean being crazy and indulging unnecessarily in a
38990 very crude fashion, but it could also mean indulging in something in the name
38991 of humor and overdoing it slightly. If you are embarrassed to deal with a
38992 particular subject, you find another subject to discuss. If you are tired of
38993 drinking vodka, you switch to sake. If you are bored with talking to one
38994 person, you switch to somebody else. Frivolity is anything that creates
38995 further confusion, or the longing for further confusion. Confusion may seem
38996 luxurious: when you no longer have it, you begin to miss that confusion, and
38997 you would like to re-create it. It is like going back to an adult bookshop
38998 and getting more magazines. But with discipline, you control any form of
38999 potential escape from reality.
39000 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma.
39001 Volume Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion"
39003 The essence of all the songs can be epitomized by the four dharmas of
39004 Gampopa. These are: (1) one's mind becomes dharmic; (2) that dharma
39005 practice becomes path; (3) in following that path, confusion is removed; (4)
39006 having removed confusion, everything dawns as wisdom.
39007 The first dharma is the ground, where our mind becomes dharmic so that we
39008 and the dharma are no longer separate entities. We develop true renunciation
39009 and have a sense of revulsion towards samsara. The second dharma is the path.
39010 When our mind goes along with the dharma, the dharma becomes the path, and any
39011 obstacles, whether extreme or ordinary, become a part of our journey. The
39012 third dharma is the fruition. As the journey is taking place, the process of
39013 the journey liberates us from confusion and anxiety. We are delighted by our
39014 journey and we feel it is good. The fourth dharma is the total vision. When
39015 we are able to overcome confusion and anxiety, even our anxiety is not
39016 regarded as anti-dharma or anti-path. Cosmic wakefulness takes place.
39017 -- Chögyam Trungpa's in the foreword to "The Rain of Wisdom: The Essence of
39018 the Ocean of True Meaning"
39020 Scrutinize Apperances
39022 No matter what our mind makes appear as an object of one of our six
39023 collections of consciousness--sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile or
39024 bodily sensations, or mental objects or events--we thoroughly scrutinize its
39025 mode of appearance. Our mind is making it appear as though its existence were
39026 established by virtue of itself, empowered by some truly and inherently
39027 existent self-nature--and not by virtue simply of mental labeling
39028 establishing its existence as what can be labeled "this" or "that"
39029 from this side. We thoroughly scrutinize this mode of appearance and the mode
39030 of existence it implies. There does appear to be something solidly there, not
39031 existing as what it is by virtue simply of mental labeling, but by virtue of
39032 itself, independently of anything else. But, by reminding ourselves that it
39033 does not exist as it appears to exist--by being mindful that its existence
39034 and identity are not established through its own power--we automatically
39035 reconfirm and become even stronger in our conviction in its bare mode of
39036 existence. In other words, as the text [the First Panchen Lama's A Root
39037 Text for the Precious Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra] says, "[You
39038 experience] their bare mode of existence dawning in an exposed, resplendent
39040 -- His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition
39043 The dakini principle must not be oversimplified, as it carries many levels of
39044 meaning. On an outer level, accomplished female practitioners were called
39045 dakinis.... But ultimately, though she appears in female form, a dakini
39046 defies gender definitions. "To really meet the dakini, you have to go
39047 beyond duality," Khandro Rinpoche teaches, referring to an essential
39048 understanding in Vajrayana that the absolute reality cannot be grasped
39049 intellectually. The Tibetan word for dakini, khandro, means "sky-goer" or
39050 "space-dancer," which indicates that these ethereal awakened ones have
39051 left the confinements of solid earth and have the vastness of open space to
39053 -- Michaela Haas, from "Dakini Power: Twelve Extraordinary Women Shaping the
39054 Transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in the West"
39056 Drawing from Longchenpa, Jamgon Kongtrul explains the method of awakening in
39057 the Dzog-chen system, calling it the "Liberation as Ever-Perfect," as the
39058 primordial buddha Samantabhadra... Liberation as Ever-Perfect does not refer
39059 to the liberation of a buddha that has occurred in the past, such as that of
39060 Buddha Sakyamuni, but to the way in which countless beings are liberated right
39061 now and will continue to be liberated in the future simply by realizing their
39062 primordial purity. The basis, the path, and the ultimate result in this
39063 system are all of a singular, undifferentiated nature: total, pure awareness.
39064 Thus, the primordial freedom that one seeks to attain by practicing the
39065 spiritual path is something that one already possesses. Intrinsic freedom is
39066 itself the path that leads to the actualization of the goal.
39067 -- from the Translator's Introduction, "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book One,
39068 Myriad Worlds", by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye
39070 If we realize, "I am a human being. A human being can do anything,"
39071 this determination, courage, and self-confidence are important sources of
39072 victory and success. Without will power and determination, even something
39073 that you might have achieved easily cannot be achieved. If you have will
39074 power and reasonable courage--not blind courage but courage without
39075 pride--even things that seemed impossible at a certain stage turn into being
39076 possible because of continuing effort inspired by that courage. Thus,
39077 determination is important.
39078 How can this be developed? Not through machines, not by money, but by our
39079 own inner strength based on clear realization of the value of human beings, of
39080 human dignity. For, once we realize that a human being is much more than just
39081 material, much more than just money, we can feel the importance of human life,
39082 from which we can feel the importance of compassion and kindness.
39083 Human beings by nature want happiness and do not want suffering. With that
39084 feeling everyone tries to achieve happiness and tries to get rid of suffering,
39085 and everyone has the basic right to do this. In this way, all here are the
39086 same, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, Easterner or Westerner,
39087 believer or nonbeliever, and within believers whether Buddhist, Christian,
39088 Jewish, Muslim, and so on. Basically, from the viewpoint of real human value
39089 we are all the same.
39090 -- His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight"
39094 Racoon dead six weeks.
39099 Through aspiration prayers and arousing bodhicitta, for the noble families the
39100 time had come to tame the māras and cannibal demons of Tibet, and resounding
39101 as self-arising formless sound from the sky was this song, which invokes the
39102 enlightened mindstreams [of all the sages]:
39105 Unborn primordially empty dharmadhatu,
39106 Unobstructed ground for the arising of phenomena,
39107 The strength of emptiness free from the extremes of existing or not,
39108 Listen to this song, a self-arising spontaneously present song.
39110 Without considering the six grains of the three months of autumn,
39111 Why toil in the fields in the three months of spring?
39112 Without considering the abundance of the plunder,
39113 Why wave your arms to summon enemies and disputes?
39114 Without considering the benefit of others,
39115 Why single-pointedly practice to try to accomplish enlightenment?
39117 Failing to know the minds of those to be tamed, one is not a buddha.
39118 Failing to fulfill the welfare of others is not the sacred dharma.
39119 Failing to lead others to liberation is not the sangha.
39121 -- from The Epic of Gesar of Ling, "Gesar's Birth and Childhood"
39123 When we meditate I encourage all of us to have the attitude that we are
39124 meditating to dissolve the self. That's why we meditate. Hold this
39125 perspective in your awareness and let your dualistic mind dissolve for at
39126 least a half hour, or at least for ten minutes every day. When you allow
39127 yourself to witness that unexpected glimpse of the truth, where the self is
39128 dissolved, it's like drinking nectar. It's inexpressible. We often use
39129 the word bliss to describe that state. Bliss is a good word, but it can be
39130 misunderstood. The bliss that I am speaking about has nothing to do with
39131 ordinary bliss. It's not like the bliss of having great food or other
39132 sensual pleasure. This is nonconceptual bliss that is not based on emotions
39133 but is based on awareness. We often say that realizing the true nature of who
39134 we are is like drinking the nectar of ultimate bliss. The more we drink, the
39135 more we are going to be addicted, which is very good.
39136 -- Anam Thubten, "No Self, No Problem: Awakening to Our True Nature"
39138 Why is a man condemned to death not fortunate
39139 If he is released after having his hand cut off?
39140 Why am I who am experiencing human misery not fortunate
39141 If by that I am spared from (the agonies of) hell?
39143 If I am unable to endure
39144 Even the mere sufferings of the present,
39145 Then why do I not restrain myself from being angry,
39146 Which will be the source of hellish misery?
39148 In these two verses [from The Way of the Bodhisattva], Shantideva explains
39149 that by not being angry and developing hatred in response to harm caused by
39150 others, what one is gaining is protection from potential undesirable
39151 consequences that might otherwise come about. Because if one responds to such
39152 situations with anger and hatred, not only does it not protect one from the
39153 injury that has already been done, but on top of that one creates an
39154 additional cause for one's own suffering in the future. However, if one
39155 responds without anger and hatred and develops patience and tolerance, then
39156 although one many face temporary discomfort or injury, that temporary
39157 suffering will protect one from potentially dangerous consequences in the
39158 future. If this is the case, then by sacrificing small things, by putting up
39159 with small problems or hardships, one will be able to forgo experiences of
39160 much greater suffering in the future.
39161 An example Shantideva uses here is that if a convicted prisoner can save his
39162 life by sacrificing his arm as a punishment, wouldn't that person feel
39163 grateful for that opportunity? By accepting the pain and suffering of having
39164 his arm cut off, that person will be saving himself from death, which is a
39165 greater suffering. Shantideva adds that there is another advantage: not only
39166 will one be protected from potentially dangerous consequences in the future,
39167 but also by experiencing the pain and suffering which has been caused
39168 temporarily by others, one is exhausting the karmic potentials of negative
39169 karma which one has accumulated in the past. So it serves two purposes.
39170 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
39171 Buddhist Perspective"
39173 The Fifth Dalai Lama (1617–1682) was perhaps the most mystical of all the
39174 Dalai Lamas in that he seemed to spend much of his time in a state of trance.
39175 During these trances many gurus of past ages, as well as mandala deities,
39176 buddhas, and bodhisattvas, would appear directly to him and give him secret
39177 transmissions, initiations, and teachings. As the Thirteenth Dalai Lama says
39178 of the Great Fifth later in this chapter, he "was continually absorbed in
39179 the wisdom dance that experiences all appearances as pure vision."
39180 -- Glenn H. Mullin, from "From the Heart of Chenrezig: The Dalai Lamas on
39183 Wishing others to be happy doesn't mean we give them everything they want,
39184 because sometimes what they want can be harmful. Wishing them to be happy
39185 entails wanting them to be free from pain and loneliness. Wouldn't it be
39186 wonderful if they were free from these and all other miseries? In order to
39187 love others, we have to be able to overcome our anger and hatred toward them.
39188 We have to be able to forgive them for the wrongs they've done. To do that,
39189 we have to get "me" out of the way and see that when people create harm,
39190 it is a reflection of their own pain, confusion, and misery. We just happened
39191 to walk across their path. We may even have done something to antagonize
39192 them, either deliberately or accidentally, but the reason that they got so
39193 upset is because of what is going on inside of them. We might also look at
39194 how we made ourselves into a target or accidentally became a target onto which
39195 they projected their confusion. Maybe we weren't very considerate of them.
39196 Maybe we have certain bad habits of which we're not aware and to which
39198 -- Thubten Chodron, "How to Free Your Mind: The Practice of Tara the
39201 We humans are actually not that far from enlightenment. Our five senses are
39202 like the Emanation Body of a Buddha; our dream body, which is similar to the
39203 after-death form, is like a Buddha's Beatific Form; and the basis of both of
39204 these is the subtle mind of clear light which shares the nature of a
39205 Buddha's Wisdom Body. All we have to do is learn to transform these
39206 ordinary elements into their pure natures. Then buddhahood naturally comes
39208 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Path to Enlightenment"
39210 There are three kinds of people [who practice Buddhism]. Like all other
39211 beings, the lowest person wants happiness and not suffering or rebirth in the
39212 lower realms of existence, so he practices Buddhism to create the causes of
39213 rebirth in the human realm or in the heavenly realms of the gods. He does not
39214 have the power or the courage to leave worldly existence completely. He only
39215 wants the best parts of worldly existence; he wants to avoid the worst parts,
39216 and that is why he practices the Buddhist religion--to gain a higher rebirth.
39217 The middling sort of person understands that the whole of worldly existence,
39218 no matter where one is born, is suffering by its nature, just as fire is hot
39219 by its nature. He wants to get out of it altogether and attain nirvana, the
39220 state that is entirely away from suffering.
39221 The highest person realizes that just as he himself does not want to suffer
39222 and does want happiness, so also do all living beings have the same fears and
39223 wishes. He knows that since we have been born again and again from
39224 beginningless time in worldly existence, there is not a single sentient being
39225 who has not been our mother and father at one time or another. Since we are
39226 that close to all sentient beings, the best person is one who practices
39227 Buddhism in order to remove all these countless beings from suffering.
39228 -- H.H. Sakya Trinzin, from "Treasures of the Sakya Lineage: Teachings from
39229 the Masters", by Migmar Tseten
39231 To take refuge in the Buddha means to take refuge in the dharmas that
39232 constitute a buddha (a nonlearner). These consist of a buddha's knowledge
39233 of the termination and nonarising [of the obscurations]. Together with the
39234 associated factors [of this knowledge], they consist of the five
39235 uncontaminated skandhas.
39236 To take refuge in the sangha means [to take refuge] in the dharmas that
39237 constitute the sangha, which consists of [all] learners and nonlearners except
39238 for buddhas. It is by virtue of having attained their respective [dharmas]
39239 that the eight persons* are not separated from the path by [anyone], including
39240 gods. Therefore, they are called "sangha." In other words, [the sangha]
39241 is represented by the five uncontaminated skandhas in the mind streams of said
39243 To take refuge in the dharma means [to take refuge] in the analytical
39244 cessation that is nirvana, that is, the two nirvanas [with and without
39245 remainder] of the noble ones.
39247 *The eight persons are also known as "the four pairs of persons"--stream-
39248 enterers, once-returners, nonreturners, and arhats, each divided into
39249 approachers to, and abiders in, these states.
39251 --from "Groundless Paths: The Prajnaparamita Sutras, The Ornament of Clear
39252 Realization, and Its Commentaries in the Tibetan Nyingma Tradition",
39253 translated by Karl Brunnholzl, from Shambhala Publications
39255 Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary
39256 Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
39257 -- Benjamin Franklin
39259 We need a clear mind-training map to keep us from missing the correct path.
39260 If we want to go to New York we need to know the roads and directions. Just
39261 jumping in the car and starting to drive may get us there, but most likely we
39262 will end up in another place or take much longer than is necessary.
39263 I have seen this happen with students who tell me of doing years of
39264 meditation without seeing any changes. They may blame themselves, meditation,
39265 or the Dharma, yet most often the problem is not knowing or applying the
39266 correct techniques or methods. Meditation is both easy and not easy. With
39267 the correct techniques and methods, applied with diligence, meditation can
39268 become a swift path to clearing confusion and unhelpful habits. Without them,
39269 we may wander in fogginess or agitation, never having engaged in true
39270 meditation even after years of "sitting."
39271 At Namdroling Monastery we practiced both resting and analytical meditation.
39272 The renowned teacher Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche believed that both types of
39273 meditation were important, but he thought it was best to begin with analytical
39274 meditation, because gaining familiarity with the true nature of reality would
39275 naturally lead to a clearer understanding of resting meditation and how to
39276 engage our mind constructively.
39277 -- Khenpo Gawang, "Your Mind Is Your Teacher: Self-Awakening through
39278 Contemplative Meditation", Shambhala Publications
39280 Never think, "Even though I have confidence in the Three Jewels, it is not
39281 really certain that this work will be accomplished." Instead, one should
39282 know that the Enlightened One is surely able to protect those who surrender
39283 and act in accord with his words, because the Enlightened One is endowed with
39284 the transcendental wisdom which knows all the paths of practice that are in
39285 harmony with the intelligence and nature of all living beings, because he has
39286 the compassionate desire to establish his disciples on the right path after
39287 turning them from wrong ways, and because he has accomplished the two
39288 accumulations of merit and transcendental wisdom and has accomplished the
39289 resolve to help beings. So even though one has not yet attained liberation
39290 from worldly existence, it is one's fault for not having trusted and not
39291 having acted in accord with the words of the Three Jewels, not because the
39292 Three Jewels have no compassion.
39293 In brief, those who do not entrust themselves to the Precious Jewels, who
39294 are arrogant and who assume they are intelligent have no certainty in
39295 accomplishing their schemes. Even if they are accomplished, it is not certain
39296 whether those schemes will turn out well in the long run. So it is important
39297 to entrust oneself always to the Precious Jewels.
39298 -- Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub, "Three Visions: Fundamental Teachings of the
39299 Sakya Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism"
39301 Setting out on a spiritual path is a little like planning a trip--to Machu
39302 Picchu, for example. Some travellers will approach the project by investing a
39303 lot of time in reading travel books or Googling Internet sites about the best
39304 route to take and where to stay--a method that works, but only to a certain
39305 extent. Other travellers prefer a much simpler and safer method: to ask
39306 someone they know and trust who has already been to Machu Picchu to go with
39307 them and show them the way. Similarly, those wishing to follow the Buddhist
39308 path to enlightenment should rely on what are called in the teachings the
39309 "four authentics": the authentic words of the Buddha (his teachings); the
39310 authentic clarification of the teachings that can be found in the shastras
39311 (commentaries) written by great masters of the past; the further clarification
39312 that is the result of authentic personal experience; and for this experience
39313 to find expression, an authentic guru.
39314 -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-Called
39315 Preliminary Practices", Shambhala Publications
39317 With regard to selflessness, it is necessary to know what "self" is--to
39318 identify the self that does not exist. Then one can understand its opposite,
39319 selflessness. Selflessness is not a case of something that existed in the
39320 past becoming non-existent; rather, this sort of "self" is something that
39321 never did exist. What is needed is to identify as non-existent something that
39322 always was nonexistent, for due to not having made such identification, we are
39323 drawn into the afflictive emotions of desire and hatred as well as all the
39324 problems these bring.
39325 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight", Shambhala
39328 The essence of mind is somewhat difficult to explain, so we look at it from
39329 the negative point of view, that is, what mind is not. First of all, we see
39330 that it is not something which arises or ceases or abides. It is free of
39331 these three things. From beginningless time, there is no arising, no
39332 cessation and no abiding in terms of staying in one place, not moving, or not
39333 changing. It is completely free of all three of these.
39334 It is also free of being a thing or a substance composed of particles. The
39335 essential entity, or substance, of mind is not something that can be defiled
39336 or stained by grasping at subject and object. It is completely free of the
39337 stains from those activities.
39338 Further, when we look at the essential substance of mind, we find that no
39339 matter how much we search for it, no matter how much we analyze it, there is
39340 no thing there to be found. There is no entity that we can come up with by
39341 searching, evaluating, and analyzing. No matter how much we seek for its
39342 essential substance, we cannot find it. The searcher, the one who does the
39343 search for essential substance of mind, cannot find it. Therefore it is said
39344 that the essential substance of mind itself is emptiness.
39345 -- Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, "The Practice of Mahamudra", published
39346 by Shambhala Publications
39348 "Like a cloud." This is a simile for how the wisdom mind benefits sentient
39349 beings without conceptual thought. For example, in the summer, clouds gather
39350 in the sky without effort, causing crops and so forth to grow perfectly
39351 through the rain falling on the ground without conceptual thought.
39352 Likewise, the activities of the wisdom mind ripen the trainees' crop of
39353 virtue through the rainfall of Dharma without conceptual thought.
39354 -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-fulfilling Gem
39355 of the Noble Teachings"
39357 Psychologists tell us that a strong sense of self is essential to be
39358 psychologically healthy. But it seems Buddhism says there is no self. How
39359 can we reconcile these two views?
39360 When psychologists speak of a sense of "self" they are referring to the
39361 feeling that oneself is an efficacious person, someone who is self-confident
39362 and can act in the world. Buddhists agree that such a sense of self is both
39363 realistic and necessary. However, the sense of self that Buddhism says is
39364 unrealistic is that of a very solid, unchanging, independent "I." Such a
39365 self never has and never will exist. To understand this is to realize
39367 Strange though it may sound, someone may have a psychologically weak sense
39368 of self that in Buddhist parlance would be considered strong self-grasping.
39369 For example, a person with poor self-esteem may focus a lot on himself and
39370 have a strong feeling of the existence of an independent self that is
39371 inferior, unlovable, and a failure. From a Buddhist viewpoint, such an
39372 independent self does not exist, although a conventional self does.
39373 --Thubten Chodron, "Buddhism for Beginners"
39375 We all depend on one another. For this reason, whenever we act according to
39376 self-interest, sooner or later our selfish aims are bound to clash with the
39377 aims of the people we rely upon to accomplish our own goals. When that
39378 happens, conflicts will inevitably arise. As we learn to be more balanced in
39379 valuing others' concerns with our own, we will naturally find ourselves
39380 involved in fewer and fewer conflicts. In the meantime, it is helpful to
39381 acknowledge that conflicts are the logical outcome of this combination of
39382 self-interest and interdependence. Once we recognize this, we can see that
39383 conflicts are nothing to feel shocked or offended by. Rather, we can address
39384 them calmly and with wisdom.
39385 -- Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in "Beyond Anger: How to Hold On to Your
39386 Heart and Your Humanity in the Midst of Injustice", Shambhala Publications
39388 Cyclic existence continues to evolve through the power of the unbroken
39389 relationship of the twelve links of dependent origination. What are these
39390 twelve? They are (1) ignorance, which afflicts wandering beings by keeping
39391 them from seeing true reality. In obscuring the perception of true reality,
39392 ignorance also functions as the source for the subsequent links, such as
39393 karmic formation, by grasping as if there were an "I" and "mine." (2)
39394 Formation afflicts wandering beings by implanting the seeds of subsequent
39395 existence in the consciousness. In this way, when the root text states:
39396 "Wandering beings are afflicted due to…," it should be understood to
39397 apply to all the remaining links as well, from consciousness on. Accordingly,
39398 (3) consciousness becomes infused with habitual tendencies and leads sentient
39399 beings to the place of their birth. (4) Name and form take hold of the body
39400 of one's coming existence. (5) The six sense sources bring the state of
39401 name and form to completion. (6) Contact determines the experience of an
39402 object based on the coming together of three factors: object, faculty, and
39403 cognition. (7) Sensation experiences the various types of enjoyable and
39404 painful karmic ripening. (8) Craving creates the cohesion necessary for a
39405 future existence. (9) Grasping totally binds one to such an existence. (10)
39406 Becoming brings about the actual acquisition of this birth. (11) Birth serves
39407 as the support for the suffering of old age and so on. (12) Aging and death
39408 is the essence of suffering.
39409 -- Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham, "Middle Beyond Extremes: Maitreya's
39410 Madhyantavibhaga with Commentaries"
39412 Compassion and generosity must be accompanied by detachment. Expecting
39413 something in return for them is like doing business. If the owner of a
39414 restaurant is all smiles with his customers, it is not because he loves them
39415 but because he wants to increase his turnover. When we love and help others,
39416 it should not be because we find a particular individual likable but because
39417 we see that all beings, whether we think of them as friends or enemies, want
39418 to be happy and have the right to happiness.
39419 -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, in "On the Path to
39420 Enlightenment: Heart Advice from the Great Tibetan Masters",
39421 Shambhala Publications
39423 Examining the understanding of heat in Vajrayana gives insight into tantra's
39424 somewhat different embrace of classical Buddhist imagery. From this
39425 perspective, the experience of mental burning is indeed the central suffering
39426 of our lives. It is the experiential dimension of the intensity of our
39427 obscurations, whether emotional, conceptual, or habitual. But rather than
39428 attempting to put out the flames with meditation methods, it is important to
39429 allow the burning to occur during practice. Certainly in the foundational
39430 stages of the path we must learn not to become engulfed in the flames, to tame
39431 the wild mind and emotions, and to train ourselves to open further to
39432 experience. Finally, however, through Vajrayana practice under the guidance
39433 of a guru, the burning we experience becomes a great teacher and a great
39435 -- Judith Simmer-Brown, "Dakini's Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in
39436 Tibetan Buddhism", Shambhala Publications
39438 Life is mainly froth and bubble,
39439 Two things stand like stone--
39440 Kindness in another's trouble,
39441 Courage in your own.
39442 -- Adam Lindsay Gordon
39444 With regard to one's behavior, one must relinquish all the limitations
39445 implied in subject-object duality (gzung 'dzin gyi la dor ba). One should
39446 abandon all ordinary ways of assessing outer and inner phenomena, and the
39447 engagement or withdrawal of the mind with regard to "good" and "bad."
39448 One must not, through mindless clinging to sense objects, stray into the five
39449 ordinary mental poisons. For when approached with skillful means, all are but
39450 the display of the great and perfect equality.
39451 -- Jigme Lingpa, from "Treasury of Precious Qualities: Book Two: Vajrayana
39452 and the Great Perfection", by Shambhala Publications
39454 Recollection is the path of meditating on
39455 The nature that was seen with awareness.
39456 Constituted by the aspects of enlightenment,
39457 This serves to eliminate the stains.
39459 Recollection involves repeatedly recalling and realizing, in the context of
39460 the path of cultivation, what was realized when the intrinsic nature was
39461 directly seen with individual self-awareness at the prior stage. In this way,
39462 the term recollection refers to all that constitutes the factors of
39463 enlightenment. The path of cultivation is [referred to as such] because it
39464 involves eradicating those stains that are eliminated through cultivation.
39465 -- from "Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature: Maitreya's
39466 Dharmadharmatavibhanga with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham",
39467 Shambhala Publications
39469 The Capable One spoke of the following attributes as the seven noble riches,
39470 for they are the causes of untainted happiness and are not in any way
39471 ordinary. Faith--that is, the three kinds of faith in the Three Jewels and
39472 confidence in the law of actions and their effects. Discipline, the avoidance
39473 of harmful actions. Learning that comes from listening to the holy Dharma
39474 that leads to liberation, with the intention of gaining complete knowledge.
39475 Being generous--with a desire to make offerings and to help beings, to give
39476 away all one's possessions without expecting anything in return or any
39477 karmic reward. A sense of shame with respect to oneself that prevents one
39478 from indulging in negative actions, and that is unstained by such things as
39479 jealousy or seeking veneration. A sense of decency with regard to others that
39480 stops one from engaging in unvirtuous practices. And wisdom, that is,
39481 knowledge of the particular and general characteristics of phenomena.
39482 You should realize that other common things that the world calls
39483 riches--gold, for instance--are of no value in obtaining untainted
39484 qualities; they are worthless, hollow, and without essence.
39485 -- from "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend With Commentary by Kyabje Kangyur
39486 Rinpoche", Shambhala Publications
39488 All apparent phenomena are nothing but delusion, and there is, moreover, no
39489 freedom from delusion to be achieved by dispelling delusion. Delusion is, by
39490 its own essence, completely pure and, hence, enlightened. All phenomena are,
39491 in this way, primordially, fully, and completely enlightened. Phenomena
39492 appearing as various attributes are, therefore, indeed the mandala of vajra
39493 body, speech, and mind. They are like the Buddhas of the three times, never
39494 transcending the essence of complete purity. Sentient beings and Buddhas are
39495 not differentiated in terms of their essence. Just like distinct causes and
39496 results appearing in a dream, they are nothing but perceptions of individual
39497 minds brought forth by the power of imputation.
39498 -- Heidi I. Köppl, "Establishing Appearances as Divine: Rongzom Chökyi
39499 Zangpo on Reasoning, Madhyamaka, and Purity", Shambhala and Snow Lion
39502 "Emptiness" is a rough translation of the Sanskrit term shunyata and the
39503 Tibetan term tongpa-nyi. The basic meaning of the Sanskrit word shunya is
39504 "zero," while the Tibetan word tongpa means "empty"--not in the sense
39505 of a vacuum or a void, but rather in the sense that the basis of experience is
39506 beyond our ability to perceive with our senses and or to capture in a nice,
39507 tidy concept. Maybe a better understanding of the deep sense of the word may
39508 be "inconceivable" or "unnameable."
39509 So when Buddhists talk about emptiness as the basis of our being, we don't
39510 mean that who or what we are is nothing, a zero, a point of view that can give
39511 way to a kind of cynicism. The actual teachings on emptiness imply an
39512 infinitely open space that allows for anything to appear, change, disappear,
39513 and reappear. The basic meaning of emptiness, in other words, is openness, or
39514 potential. At the basic level of our being, we are "empty" of definable
39516 -- Tsoknyi Rinpoche, from "The Best Buddhist Writing 2013", published by
39517 Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion Publications
39519 The Lama is the ecstatic, wild, and gentle figure who short-circuits your
39520 systems of self-referencing. The Lama is the only person in your life who
39521 cannot be manipulated. The Lama is the invasion of unpredictability you allow
39522 into your life, to enable you to cut through the convolutions of interminable
39523 psychological and emotional processes. The Lama is the terrifyingly
39524 compassionate gamester who reshuffles the deck of your carefully arranged
39525 rationale. To enter into vajra commitment is to leap from the perfect
39526 precipice. To find yourself in the radiant space of this choiceless choice is
39527 the very heart of Tantra. To leap open-eyed into the shining emptiness of the
39528 Lama's wisdom display and to experience the ecstatic impact of each dynamic
39529 gesture of the Lama's method display is the essential luminosity and power
39531 -- Ngak'chang Rinpoche, quoted in "Dangerous Friend: The Teacher-Student
39532 Relationship in Vajrayana Buddhism", Shambhala Publications
39534 When clouds cover the sky, we cannot see the pure nature of space.
39535 Likewise, when conceptual thoughts occupy the mind, we cannot see the pure
39536 nature of the mind. To see whether this is true, we can meditate so that the
39537 mind becomes relaxed and peaceful, and then there is room to develop
39538 compassion, love, and bodhicitta. But when our mind is occupied by conceptual
39539 thoughts and negative thoughts, there is no space to develop good qualities.
39540 Our mind becomes full of suffering and we cannot disentangle ourselves from
39542 When our mind emphasizes positive, calming, and relaxing thoughts, it leaves
39543 no space for negative thoughts to arise. Then we can maintain a peaceful,
39544 harmonious mind regardless of external conditions. This becomes a matter of
39545 how much we habituate ourselves to the Dharma teachings.
39546 -- from "Opening the Treasure of the Profound: Teachings on the Songs of
39547 Jigten Sumgön and Milarepa", by Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche,
39548 Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion Publications
39550 What is true patience and how can we develop it? Patience is imperturbability
39551 in the face of harm and hardship. Responding to these difficulties with anger
39552 is extremely destructive because it creates unpleasant consequences and
39553 destroys positive energy. There is no austere practice to equal the practice
39554 of patience, which calms the turbulence of the disturbing emotions. It is
39555 cultivated in meditation and implemented in everyday life. There are three
39556 main kinds of patience: the patience of taking no account of those who inflict
39557 harm, the patience of willingly accepting adversity and the patience of
39558 gaining certainty with regard to the teachings. Their opposites are
39559 animosity, discouragement and reluctance to engage with the teachings.
39560 -- from "The Six Perfections: An Oral Teaching by Geshe Sonam Rinchen",
39561 Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion Publications
39563 Bodhichitta can be understood as a quality of intention, sometimes called a
39564 "great will." This great will does not come from the ego; it is
39565 paradoxically an intention that arises through the surrender of the ego. As
39566 the ego lets go of its assumption that it has a real understanding of what is
39567 needed in the path of awakening, it surrenders to a deeper quality of will and
39568 wisdom. The shift from the ego's center of will to the intention of our
39569 buddha nature to awaken us for the welfare of others aligns us with a source
39570 of will far beyond our limited sense of self. I have often described this
39571 will as a river of intention, which once stepped into becomes an undercurrent
39572 in all we do in our life.
39573 -- Rob Preece, "Preparing for Tantra: Creating the Psychological Ground for
39574 Practice", published by Shambhala and Snow Lion Publications
39576 In fact, one of the things that I hope all of us have learned these past few
39577 weeks is that it turns out smart, effective government is important. It
39578 matters. I think the American people during this shutdown had a chance to get
39579 some idea of all the things, large and small, that government does that make a
39580 difference in people's lives.
39581 We hear all the time about how government is the problem. Well, it turns
39582 out we rely on it in a whole lot of ways. Not only does it keep us strong
39583 through our military and our law enforcement, it plays a vital role in caring
39584 for our seniors and our veterans, educating our kids, making sure our workers
39585 are trained for the jobs that are being created, arming our businesses with
39586 the best science and technology so they can compete with companies from other
39587 countries. It plays a key role in keeping our food and our toys and our
39588 workplaces safe. It helps folks rebuild after a storm. It conserves our
39589 natural resources. It finances startups. It helps to sell our products
39590 overseas. It provides security to our diplomats abroad.
39591 So let's work together to make government work better, instead of treating
39592 it like an enemy or purposely making it work worse. That's not what the
39593 founders of this nation envisioned when they gave us the gift of self-
39594 government. You don't like a particular policy or a particular president,
39595 then argue for your position. Go out there and win an election. Push to
39596 change it. But don't break it. Don't break what our predecessors spent
39597 over two centuries building. That's not being faithful to what this country
39599 -- Barack Obama, after the US government shutdown of 2013 had ended.
39601 When the teachings say we need to reduce our fascination with the things of
39602 this life, it does not mean that we should abandon them completely. It means
39603 avoiding the natural tendency to go from elation to depression in reaction to
39604 life's ups and downs, jumping for joy when you have some success, or wanting
39605 to jump out the window if you do not get what you want. Being less concerned
39606 about the affairs of this life means assuming its ups and downs with a broad
39608 -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in "On the Path to Enlightenment: Heart
39609 Advice from the Great Tibetan Masters", from Shambhala Publications and
39610 Snow Lion Publications
39612 Critical Thinking as Defined by the National Council for Excellence in
39613 Critical Thinking, 1987
39615 Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and
39616 skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
39617 evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation,
39618 experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and
39619 action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values
39620 that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision,
39621 consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and
39623 It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought
39624 implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue;
39625 assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions;
39626 implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and
39627 frame of reference. Critical thinking--in being responsive to variable
39628 subject matter, issues, and purposes--is incorporated in a family of
39629 interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical
39630 thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking,
39631 moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.
39632 Critical thinking can be seen as having two components: 1) a set of
39633 information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit,
39634 based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior. It
39635 is thus to be contrasted with: 1) the mere acquisition and retention of
39636 information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information
39637 is sought and treated; 2) the mere possession of a set of skills, because it
39638 involves the continual use of them; and 3) the mere use of those skills ("as
39639 an exercise") without acceptance of their results.
39640 Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When
39641 grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skillful
39642 manipulation of ideas in service of one's own, or one's groups', vested
39643 interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however
39644 pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fairmindedness and
39645 intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually,
39646 though subject to the charge of "idealism" by those habituated to its selfish
39648 Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone
39649 is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought. Its quality is
39650 therefore typically a matter of degree and dependent on, among other things,
39651 the quality and depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with
39652 respect to a particular class of questions. No one is a critical thinker
39653 through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such
39654 insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-
39655 delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and
39656 dispositions is a life-long endeavor.
39657 -- from a statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the 8th
39658 Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education
39659 Reform, Summer 1987.
39661 Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts to
39662 reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. People who think
39663 critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathically.
39664 They are keenly aware of the inherently flawed nature of human thinking when
39665 left unchecked. They strive to diminish the power of their egocentric and
39666 sociocentric tendencies. They use the intellectual tools that critical
39667 thinking offers--concepts and principles that enable them to analyze,
39668 assess, and improve thinking. They work diligently to develop the
39669 intellectual virtues of intellectual integrity, intellectual humility,
39670 intellectual civility, intellectual empathy, intellectual sense of justice and
39671 confidence in reason. They realize that no matter how skilled they are as
39672 thinkers, they can always improve their reasoning abilities and they will at
39673 times fall prey to mistakes in reasoning, human irrationality, prejudices,
39674 biases, distortions, uncritically accepted social rules and taboos, self-
39675 interest, and vested interest. They strive to improve the world in whatever
39676 ways they can and contribute to a more rational, civilized society. At the
39677 same time, they recognize the complexities often inherent in doing so. They
39678 avoid thinking simplistically about complicated issues and strive to
39679 appropriately consider the rights and needs of relevant others. They
39680 recognize the complexities in developing as thinkers, and commit themselves to
39681 life-long practice toward self-improvement. They embody the Socratic
39682 principle: The unexamined life is not worth living, because they realize that
39683 many unexamined lives together result in an uncritical, unjust, dangerous
39685 -- Linda Elder, September, 2007
39687 In philosophical terms, Tibetan scriptures refer to neurotic mind as the
39688 impure or afflicted mind. But within the context of wind energy, neurotic
39689 mind is not just caused by self-attachment. The mind is also propelled by the
39690 movement of wind energy. The Tibetan language describes this relationship
39691 between the wind and the mind as the wind-mind (Tib. rlung sems). This
39692 compound word describes the wind energy and the conceptual mind as always
39693 intertwined and moving together--a singular motion. Again, a metaphor is
39694 helpful to understand how the mind and the wind work together. The Tibetan
39695 Buddhist teachings compare the mind and the breath to a rider and its mount.
39696 In this metaphor, the wind energy is the mount and the mind is the rider.
39697 This metaphor illustrates how it is the wind energy that carries the mind and
39698 that influences and shapes the mind's energy. The wind energy is the root
39699 of all of our experience, since it provides energy for the mind's movement.
39700 So, wind energy training is a powerful tool for purifying, calming, taming,
39701 and relaxing the wind energy to impact the expression of neurotic mind.
39702 -- Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo, from "The Tibetan Yoga of
39703 Breath: Breathing Practices for Healing the Body and Cultivating Wisdom",
39704 published by Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion Publications
39706 Imagination relies on empty perception. Painting relies on empty planes.
39707 Sculpture relies on empty space. Music relies on empty time. Literature
39708 relies on empty concepts. If we are to realize the art of freedom, if we are
39709 to discover our creative potential, we need to rely on the experience of our
39710 intrinsic vibrant emptiness--the beginningless ground of what we are.
39711 -- Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, from "Roaring Silence: Discovering
39712 the Mind of Dzogchen", published by Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion
39715 Detachment doesn't mean "throw it away" or "don't have feelings
39716 about it." It definitely does not mean denying or obstructing the mind's
39717 natural tendency to project. Imagine you are about to go into a cotton
39718 factory. Before entering you pour glue all over your body, and then you
39719 demand, "I don't want any cotton balls to stick to my body, but I won't
39720 remove the glue from my body either." Then you enter the cotton factory.
39721 Of course the glue, by its nature, makes cotton balls stick to you. In
39722 meditative language, that kind of stickiness is called deliberation or
39723 fabrication, and here we call it the state of nondetachment. The state of
39724 nondetachment is when you get entangled and you make the story line similar to
39725 that of a daytime soap opera in which four characters go on for twenty years.
39726 It keeps on multiplying and you exaggerate the situation. You create a state
39727 in your mind that is full of grasping, clinging, and attachment.
39728 -- Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche from "The Healing Power of Meditation: Leading
39729 Experts on Buddhism, Psychology, and Medicine Explore the Health Benefits
39730 of Contemplative Practice", edited by Andy Fraser, published by Shambhala
39731 Publications and Snow Lion Publications
39733 According to Sthiramati, though samsara has the nature of nirvana, in
39734 ordinary beings true reality is obscured by their tendencies of clinging to a
39735 self and really existing phenomena. Thus, they do not see emptiness, which
39736 actually exists, but they naturally perceive the actually nonexistent
39737 phenomena of apprehender and apprehended, just as when mistakenly not seeing
39738 an existent rope, but seeing it as a nonexistent snake.
39739 Bodhisattvas lack the clinging to a self and phenomena and thus they
39740 naturally see true reality--emptiness--while not seeing any duality, just as
39741 correctly seeing an existent rope, while not seeing it as a nonexistent snake.
39742 When existent emptiness--true reality--is seen and the nonexistent
39743 characteristics of apprehender and apprehended are not seen anymore, the
39744 alaya-consciousness--the dependent nature--has undergone the fundamental
39745 change. This fundamental change is liberation and nirvana.
39746 Just as people liberated from bondage can do what they please, once this
39747 fundamental change occurs, bodhisattvas are liberated because they have gained
39748 mastery over their minds, which abide like space without any appearance of
39749 characteristics. Thus, no matter what they encounter, they are able to act as
39750 they please without being bound by any attachment or aversion.
39751 -- Karl Brunnhölzl, from "Mining for Wisdom within Delusion: Maitreya's
39752 Distinction between Phenomena and the Nature of Phenomena and Its Indian
39753 and Tibetan Commentaries", published by Shambhala Publications and Snow
39756 Our awareness of feelings in the body and mind ranges from simple frustration
39757 and malaise to anguish, despair, and white-hot physical pain, and from simple
39758 pleasures to extraordinary ecstasy. As we become clearly cognizant of the
39759 bandwidth of our own feelings, we direct our awareness externally. We become
39760 vividly aware that myriad sentient beings around us are not simply objects of
39761 our pleasure, displeasure, or indifference, but have feelings just like ours.
39762 By turning our awareness outward and closely applying mindfulness to other
39763 sentient beings, we can empathize with their feelings. When we empathize with
39764 another's suffering and we attend closely, compassion arises. The suffering
39765 of unpleasant feelings is the very source of the experience of compassion.
39766 -- B. Alan Wallace, in "Minding Closely: The Four Applications of
39767 Mindfulness", works published by Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion
39770 It is our aim to have genuine loving-kindness toward all sentient beings
39771 because we see them suffering. In the Mahayana tradition, it says that
39772 through our innumerable lifetimes, at some time or other, every single
39773 sentient being has been in the relation to us of our mother, our friends, or
39774 someone who has helped us. We look at all sentient beings in this way. We
39775 feel a deep yearning to help them because they have helped us. When we
39776 contemplate in this way, we find that some kind of compassion begins to take
39778 -- Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in "The Tibetan Buddhism Reader", published by
39779 Shambhala Publications
39781 If there is one constant tendency of our fickle and ever-changing minds, it is
39782 our strong predilection for ordinary distractions. Until we learn to master
39783 our thoughts and attain true stability of mind, our commitment is bound to be
39784 hesitant, and we run the risk of being distracted by activities with little
39785 true meaning, wasting our life and the precious opportunities for the Dharma
39786 it has brought us. To postpone the practice of Dharma until tomorrow is
39787 tantamount to postponing it till we die.
39788 -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Padampa Sangye, in "The Hundred Verses of
39789 Advice: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on What Matters Most", published by
39790 Shambhala Publications
39792 The dharma is based on honesty, on not having self-deception of any kind.
39793 When the dharma says blue, it is blue; when it says red, it is red. Dharma is
39794 like saying fire is hot, or the sky is blue: it is speaking the truth. The
39795 difference is that dharma is the truth of the reality of the journey toward
39796 freedom. Saying that red is red does not particularly liberate you from
39797 seeing green or yellow. But when dharma speaks about reality, we see that it
39798 is worth stepping out of our little world of habitual patterns, our little
39799 nest. In that way, the dharma brings greater vision.
39800 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Path of Individual Liberation, Volume One of
39801 The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma", published by Shambhala
39804 So, what makes you a Buddhist? You may not have been born in a Buddhist
39805 country or to a Buddhist family, you may not wear robes or shave your head,
39806 you may eat meat and idolize Eminem and Paris Hilton. That doesn't mean you
39807 cannot be a Buddhist. In order to be a Buddhist, you must accept that all
39808 compounded phenomena are impermanent, all emotions are pain, all things have
39809 no inherent existence, and enlightenment is beyond concepts.
39810 It's not necessary to be constantly and endlessly mindful of these four
39811 truths. But they must reside in your mind. You don't walk around
39812 persistently remembering your own name, but when someone asks your name, you
39813 remember it instantly. There is no doubt. Anyone who accepts these four
39814 seals, even independently of Buddha's teachings, even never having heard the
39815 name Shakyamuni Buddha, can be considered to be on the same path as he.
39816 -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "What Makes You Not a Buddhist",
39817 published by Shambhala Publications
39819 The self-centered thought is not who we are. The self-centered thought is
39820 different from the mind that wants to be happy because we're sentient
39821 beings. Everybody wants to be happy. There's no problem with wanting to be
39822 happy. The problem is the way the self-centered thought goes about thinking
39823 of our happiness and the way it goes about getting happiness. It is a
39824 distorted mental state that can be eliminated by seeing its disadvantages,
39825 applying the antidotes, and cultivating the mind that cherishes others.
39826 - Thubten Chodron, from "Don't Believe Everything You Think: Living with
39827 Wisdom and Compassion", published by Shambhala Publications
39829 According to the sutras, numerous eons ago, when the Buddha was an ordinary
39830 being, he took rebirth in a hell realm. He suffered gravely there as a result
39831 of his past negative karma.
39832 He and a companion were forced to pull a wheel of fire on which a wrathful
39833 hell-guard was sitting, holding a burning club with which to beat them. His
39834 companion was so weak that he couldn't pull the wheel anymore. The hell-
39835 guard stabbed his companion with a burning trident. His companion kept crying
39836 loudly and bleeding profusely. At that moment, with strong love and
39837 compassion, the Buddha developed enlightened aspiration, a vow to take
39838 responsibility for helping his companion and all the suffering beings from the
39839 depth of his heart, and he became a bodhisattva for the first time.
39840 The bodhisattva begged the hell-guard, "Please have a little mercy on my
39841 suffering companion." At that, in a rage the hellguard hit him with a
39842 burning trident. Because of the power of his strong compassion, the
39843 bodhisattva died and was liberated from the hell-realm. His evil deeds of
39844 many eons were purified instantly by the power of such enlightened aspiration.
39845 Thereafter, he started his journey toward the fully enlightened state of
39847 -- Tulku Thondup, from "Incarnation: The History and Mysticism of the Tulku
39848 Tradition of Tibet", published by Shambhala Publications
39850 Below rocky cliffs,
39851 a vivid sense of impermanence and disenchantment dawns,
39852 clear and inspired, helping us to achieve
39853 the union of calm abiding and penetrating insight.
39854 -- Longchenpa, from "The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of
39855 the Vast Expanse", by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, published by Shambhala
39858 From one point of view, personal liberation without freeing others is selfish
39859 and unfair, because all sentient beings also have the natural right and desire
39860 to be free of suffering. Therefore, it is important for practitioners to
39861 engage in the practice of the stages of the path of the highest scope,
39862 starting with the generation of bodhichitta, the altruistic aspiration to
39863 achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Once one has
39864 cultivated bodhichitta, all the meritorious actions that are supported by and
39865 complemented with this altruism--even the slightest form of positive
39866 action--become causes for the achievement of omniscience.
39867 -- H. H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Fourteenth Dalai Lama in A Beginner's
39868 Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary
39869 Buddhist Teachers", published by Shambhala Publications
39871 Note that all dualistic concepts and emotions--even positive ones such as
39872 caring, compassion, and wishing others well--are accompanied by grasping at
39873 "self." So although positive emotions are good, they still fall short of
39874 perfection, which is the primordial wisdom beyond dualistic thinking and
39875 emotional sensations. Grasping at positive qualities is nonetheless a
39876 stepping-stone to perfection, helping us eventually to loosen the grip of
39877 grasping at "self" and to experience sensations of peace and joy. So,
39878 transforming from negative to positive, and then from positive to perfection,
39879 is the ideal way to move toward buddhahood, or full perfection.
39880 -- Tulku Thondup, from "Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth: A Tibetan Buddhist
39881 Guidebook", published by Shambhala Publications
39883 In the final stanza of his salutation, Tsong-kha-pa (1: 34) calls upon
39884 readers who may benefit from this approach, asking them to listen well. Such
39885 readers will be those with minds unclouded by biased thinking, the mental
39886 capacity to distinguish right from wrong, and an interest in finding real
39887 meaning in their human existence of leisure and opportunity. He asks those of
39888 us with such good fortune, "Please listen to what I have to say with a
39889 single-pointed mind."
39890 Again, this is strikingly similar to Aryadeva's Four Hundred, which says
39891 that a practitioner of the Dharma who is listening to the teachings needs
39892 three qualities: objectivity, critical intelligence, and a real interest in
39893 what is being taught.
39894 -- H. H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in "From Here to Enlightenment: An
39895 Introduction to Tsong-kha-pa's Classic Text The Great Treatise on the
39896 Stages of the Path to Enlightenment", published by Shambhala Publications
39898 When we look back, at the time of death, the experience of this life will seem
39899 like a dream. And--just as with our nighttime dreams--it will seem useless
39900 to have put so much effort into it. The fear we experience in a dream is gone
39901 when we wake up; feeling afraid was just an unnecessary exertion of effort
39902 causing us to lose sleep! When we look back on our lives at death, the amount
39903 of time we spent in hesitation, aggression, ignorance, selfishness, jealousy,
39904 hatred, self-preservation, and arrogance will seem like an equally useless
39905 exertion of energy. So be able to regard all of these illusory thoughts and
39906 concepts as dreams. Within this illusory existence, what, if anything, is the
39907 logic behind any stubbornness, distraction, hesitation, or habitual emotions
39908 of aggression, desire, selfishness, and jealousy? What is the use of holding
39909 on to these useless emotions within impermanence? Impermanence is the nature
39911 -- Khandro Rinpoche, from "Buddha's Daughters: Teachings from Women Who
39912 Are Shaping Buddhism in the West", published by Shambhala Publications
39914 Please listen without your minds wandering.
39915 Though I am not skilled in composing songs,
39916 This is the way to understand the true oral instructions.
39917 Keep this in mind and ponder it.
39919 The three worlds are primordially pure.
39920 Ultimately, there is nothing more to understand.
39921 Not negation, unceasing continuity,
39922 Unchanging--such is the view.
39924 The innate essence is naturally luminous.
39925 Unconditioned, meditation is unceasing.
39926 Not negation, beyond losing and gaining,
39927 Without desire or attachment--such is the meditation.
39929 Arising from the natural occurrence of various coincidences,
39930 The play of illusion is unobstructed.
39932 Things are unpredictable, abrupt--such is the action.
39934 Mind shines as bodhicitta.
39935 There is no attainment of the three kayas of buddha.
39936 Not negation, beyond hope and fear,
39937 Without ground or root--such is the fruition.
39938 - from "The Life of Marpa the Translator", translated by Chögyam Trungpa
39939 and the Nalanda Translation Committee, published by Shambhala Publications
39941 FDR's Economic Bill of Rights
39943 It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy
39944 for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American
39945 standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no
39946 matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of
39947 our people--whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth--is ill-fed,
39948 ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
39949 This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under
39950 the protection of certain inalienable political rights--among them the right
39951 of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from
39952 unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
39953 As our nation has grown in size and stature, however--as our industrial
39954 economy expanded--these political rights proved inadequate to assure us
39955 equality in the pursuit of happiness.
39956 We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual
39957 freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.
39958 "Necessitous men are not free men."[3] People who are hungry and out of a
39959 job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
39960 In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We
39961 have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of
39962 security and prosperity can be established for all--regardless of station,
39967 The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or
39968 farms or mines of the nation;
39970 The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and
39973 The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which
39974 will give him and his family a decent living;
39976 The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere
39977 of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or
39980 The right of every family to a decent home;
39982 The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and
39985 The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age,
39986 sickness, accident, and unemployment;
39988 The right to a good education.
39990 All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be
39991 prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals
39992 of human happiness and well-being.
39993 America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how
39994 fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our
39996 For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in
39998 -- Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the
39999 Congress of the United States on the State of the Union
40001 Whatever arises in our mind--whether it's a thought, an emotion, a
40002 sensation, or a perception--is the arising of coemergent wisdom. It is the
40003 radiation of the mind's emptiness and clarity. Every arising is a temporary
40004 arising--one thought comes and goes, then another thought comes and goes.
40005 All our thoughts and emotions just appear and disappear.
40006 This is very important, because we usually grasp at whatever occurs. For
40007 instance, when sadness arises, we hold on to this feeling and think, "I am
40008 so sad, I am so depressed." But from the Mahamudra point of view, what has
40009 happened? A feeling has arisen in the mind, like a cloud. Like a cloud, it
40010 appears and then it disappears, and that's all there is to it. This time it
40011 is sadness arising, the next time it may be happiness, the next time it may be
40012 anger, and later it may be kindness. All sorts of things arise, like
40013 wildflowers in a spring meadow. All sorts of flowers grow; all sorts of
40014 thoughts and emotions arise. They are all okay; they're nothing special.
40015 When we understand what our thoughts and feelings are, and we experience them
40016 in this way, we are able to let them come and let them go.
40017 -- Ringu Tulku, from "Confusion Arises as Wisdom: Gampopa's Heart Advice on
40018 the Path of Mahamudra", published by Shambhala Publications
40020 The second quality of devotion is absence of arrogance. The arrogant
40021 approach is to be so passionately involved with our teacher that we become
40022 devotional chauvinists and cease to see the rest of the world properly. In
40023 fact, we become passionately involved with our own arrogance. We indulge our
40024 "devotion" by collecting information, techniques, stories, little words of
40025 wisdom--all to confirm our chauvinistic view. It actually reaches a point
40026 that the teacher upon whom our arrogance is based himself becomes a threat.
40027 The absurdity is that we even end up wanting to use our collection of
40028 ammunition against our teacher when he begins giving our "devotion" a hard
40030 If our devotion is without arrogance there is not this resentment toward the
40031 world or the guru. Absence of such arrogance is absolutely necessary. When
40032 courting a teacher, students frequently make a sort of detailed application,
40033 listing all their insights and spiritual credentials. That is too arrogant;
40034 it is phony, out of the question altogether. It is fine to offer our
40035 particular skills or neuroses to the guru as a gift or an opening gesture.
40036 But if we begin to dress up our neuroses as virtues, like a person writing a
40037 resumé, that is unacceptable. Devotion without arrogance demands that we
40038 stop clinging to our particular case history, that we relate to the teacher
40039 and to the world in a naked and direct way, without hiding behind credentials.
40040 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Heart of the Buddha: Entering the Tibetan
40041 Buddhist Path", published by Shambhala Publications
40043 To study and to contemplate what one has learned is very important, but these
40044 two can only progress if one engages in meditation practice. Thus, the
40045 importance of each of these three--moral conduct, study, and
40046 meditation--cannot be underestimated. If one practices these free of
40047 attachment to this life, the benefits are enormous. But to pursue these while
40048 seeking worldly attainments means one will not receive the benefits that would
40049 be gained by a genuine spiritual practitioner. For this reason, it will be
40050 best if you abandon any inauthentic approaches to ethical discipline, study,
40052 -- Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, in "Parting from the Four Attachments: A
40053 Commentary on Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen's Song of Experience on Mind
40054 Training and the View", published by Shambhala Publications
40056 If what appears to be apprehended does not exist by its very own essence apart
40057 from that which apprehends it, then what appears to be the apprehender does
40058 not exist either. The reason, here, is that the apprehender exists in
40059 relation to the apprehended, not in isolation. Therefore, awareness is devoid
40060 of both apprehender and apprehended, in all their various forms. Free from
40061 subject and object, by its very own nature awareness is a mere indescribable
40063 -- from "Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature: Maitreya's
40064 Dharmadharmatavibhanga with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham",
40065 published by Shambhala Publications
40067 "Immediately join whatever you meet with meditation"
40069 This slogan refers to the practice of transforming adverse circumstances
40070 and situations into the path of awakening. It is a reminder not to respond to
40071 things in a habitual way, but rather to respond with understanding, openness,
40072 and courage by maintaining a sense of awareness. We shouldn't think of
40073 meditation as something we only do if we're sitting on a cushion, but should
40074 treat everyday situations as meditations by focusing our mind on whatever
40075 arises. There's nothing we can't utilize for our own and others'
40076 benefit if we use both fortunate and unfortunate circumstances to train the
40078 -- Traleg Kyabgon, "The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion through
40079 Training the Mind", published by Shambhala Publications
40081 O monks, you should focus on four things. What are these four? To focus on
40082 the teachings and not focus on the individual; to focus on the meaning and not
40083 focus on the words; to focus on timeless awareness and not focus on ordinary
40084 consciousness; and to focus on the definitive meaning and not focus on the
40085 meaning that guides. These four things are things to be realized; they are
40086 not four kinds of spiritual individuals.
40087 -- Jamgön Kongtrul, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven and Book
40088 Eight, Parts One and Two: Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice",
40089 published by Shambhala Publications
40091 One way to prevent mental suffering is to observe ourselves and figure out
40092 what triggers our problem. If we can identify what makes our blood pressure
40093 rise and causes us to feel upset, then we have taken a big step toward seeing
40094 the larger picture. With this wider perspective, there is less chance that we
40095 will jump back into an old habitual pattern that only makes us feel bad.
40096 It is not that we have to stop going to all family holidays, but that we
40097 figure out ways to enjoy the parts that are enjoyable, like the delicious food
40098 and the chance to connect with people, and to feel more neutral and detached
40099 about the annoying or hurtful moments. We often place too many expectations
40100 and requirements on ourselves and those around us. We could give the
40101 situation a little space and see what develops. The kindest thing we can do
40102 in these situations is to remain calm and refrain from causing more
40104 -- Khenpo Gawang, from "Your Mind Is Your Teacher: Self-Awakening through
40105 Contemplative Meditation", published by Shambhala Publications
40107 Those who wish to protect their practice should zealously guard the mind.
40108 The practice cannot be protected without guarding the unsteady mind.
40109 Tigers, lions, elephants, bears, snakes, all enemies, all guardians of
40110 hells, evil spirits, and demons become controlled by controlling the mind
40111 alone. By subduing the mind alone, they all become subdued.
40112 For the Propounder of the Truth said that all fears and immeasurable
40113 sufferings arise from the mind only.
40114 -- Shantideva, "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life", published by
40115 Shambhala Publications
40117 Products are specially designed to catch the eye and captivate the mind.
40118 Because we focus on what else there is to acquire, rather than what we already
40119 have, we fall into the endless upgrade game. "The functions you need are
40120 coming in the next version! The new design is so much more attractive! And
40121 it comes in your favorite color!" These products may be mass-produced, but
40122 they are custom-made to suit our greed and grasping. They are exactly
40123 tailored to deceive us with their appearances.
40124 As I see it, however, the bigger problem is the gullibility of our mind.
40125 This is what really leaves us vulnerable to the deceptive allure of things.
40126 In other words, we ourselves are the bigger problem. Sometimes we are like
40127 small children; when it comes to assessing our own needs, we often show no
40128 sign of maturity. Just think about it: When a little child cries, the easy
40129 way to stop him is to give him a toy. We dangle it in front of him and wave
40130 it around to catch his attention until he reaches out to grab it. When we
40131 finally hand over the toy, he quiets down. Our goal was just to stop his
40132 crying. We did not try to address the child's underlying needs. We gave
40133 him something else to desire, and tricked him into falling silent for the time
40135 -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble:
40136 Changing the World from the Inside Out", published by Shambhala Publications
40138 Vajrayana is very different from the New Age approach. The difference is that
40139 the Vajrayana teachings are controlled by the lineage. I know we don't like
40140 the word control, but the Vajrayana teachings are actually held by the
40141 authority of the lineage. I know we also don't like the word authority, but
40142 we have it in Vajrayana. When we have this pure lineage, this genuine
40143 lineage, there is no space for our egocentric interpretation of dharma. We
40144 cannot interpret dharma like the New Age gurus. We cannot invent a new
40145 lineage because a lineage must be received. It must be received by
40146 transmission. It is not something we can just create here. That would be New
40147 Age, probably from California.
40148 -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
40149 Samantabhadra", published by Shambhala Publications
40151 Even when it is practiced, accomplishing shamata is rare. One of the very
40152 common problems is that people try too hard. Both Tibetans and Westerners
40153 could learn a lot about relaxing more deeply and letting the stability arise
40154 from that relaxation. Although it is mentioned in the texts, the Tibetans
40155 sometimes do not emphasize this point, but they do emphasize tight attention,
40156 not letting your object drop for even a second. If you are coming from a very
40157 serene space, and your mind is already very spacious, then that is probably
40158 good advice. But otherwise, such attention can be a big problem. You can
40159 exhaust yourself and cause nervous fatigue, and if you push it, you can really
40160 do yourself some damage.
40161 -- B. Alan Wallace, from "The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart"
40163 If you want good health, you must insure that your diet is well-balanced and
40164 complete. You wouldn't just gobble up anything edible that comes your way.
40165 Spiritual food should be approached with equal care. The practices you choose
40166 should be genuine and complete. Sakyapandita said that when we're buying a
40167 jewel or a horse--and the same would apply these days to buying a car or a
40168 house--we shop around and ask others for advice, but a wise or unwise
40169 purchase can only affect our fortunes in this life. The spiritual practices
40170 we undertake can assure or jeopardize our well-being throughout many future
40171 lifetimes, and so it is essential to make a wise choice. Milarepa said that
40172 unless the teachings we practice are free from errors and have come down to us
40173 through a living and uninterrupted tradition, time spent meditating in a
40174 mountain retreat will just be self-inflicted misery.
40175 -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "The Three Principal Aspects of the Path",
40176 published by Shambhala Publications
40178 Hark! In order to be of maximum benefit to the countless living beings,
40179 whose number is as vast as the extent of the skies, one must first gain the
40180 state of peerless, complete, perfect buddhahood. It is with this thought in
40181 mind that one receives initiation, the root of the Vajrayana path, and then
40182 engages in the various Tantric yogas.
40183 Contemplate this theme, and by means of it generate the sublime bodhi-mind
40184 as the motivating factor. Also, cultivate the correct attitudes that are to
40185 be maintained when listening to the Dharma, as is explained in the many sutras
40186 and tantras, and thus listen correctly.
40187 The Buddha, who himself achieved complete enlightenment and who possessed
40188 profound skill and great compassion, taught the nectarlike Dharma in
40189 accordance with the mental tendencies, capacities, and karmic predispositions
40190 of those to be trained.
40191 -- Glenn H. Mullin, "From the Heart of Chenrezig: The Dalai Lamas on Tantra"
40192 published by Shambhala Publications
40194 You might say, "Don't pleasurable experiences give rise to happiness?"
40195 Although for ordinary people pleasures may appear to be related to happiness
40196 at the time they are enjoyed, in the end they are their undoing. They are,
40197 the Sovereign of the Conquerors said, like the fruit of the kimba tree, which
40198 grows in the western continent of Aparagodaniya: its skin is attractive but it
40199 is unpleasant inside; or it tastes delicious when one first eats it, but later
40200 it makes one ill. So, advises Nagarjuna, give up these pleasures, for it is
40201 the chains--the afflictive emotions--of attachment to pleasure that tightly
40202 bind the worldly in the prison of samsara.
40203 -- Nagarjuna, from "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend with Commentary by
40204 Kyabje Kangyur Rinpoche", published by Shambhala Publications
40206 The wish to understand the true nature of mind by relying on technology is
40207 due to the fault of not having awakened one's Buddha nature, and because of
40208 that, the absolute and relative nature of one's uncompounded mind just as it
40209 is cannot be recognized even slightly, which is the reason for relying only on
40210 the compounded gross material substance of technology. While examining the
40211 qualities of one's own and others' practice by bringing together a machine
40212 and the one who uses the machine, if any special conception arises about its
40213 being good, bad, high, or low, it will only be a fragmented, deluded
40214 interdependent conception that momentarily appears, and not nonconceptual
40215 enlightened body and wisdom, which are inconceivable. It will just be like
40216 children blowing bubbles in the air and trying to catch these rainbow-colored
40217 bubbles with their hands. As Santideva says about the dream of a barren
40219 For example, a barren woman dreams her son is dead. When she awakens, she
40220 thinks that she has no son. That conception of not having a son comes from
40221 the conception of having a son. So, both of these conceptions are obstacles
40223 -- Thinley Norbu, from "The Sole Panacea: A Brief Commentary on the Seven-
40224 Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche That Cures the Suffering of the Sickness of
40225 Karma and Defilement", published by Shambhala Publications
40227 The nature of mind is primordially the identity of the three bodies of
40228 enlightenment. Its essence is empty, the dharma body. Its nature is lucid,
40229 the enjoyment body. Freed upon arising, with no clinging, it is the emanation
40230 body. Manifesting as its expression are the male aspect of relative
40231 appearance, method, and the female aspect of ultimate emptiness, knowledge.
40232 The circle of the Magical Web is the unity of these, a wisdom manifestation of
40233 indivisible appearance and emptiness.
40234 -- Kunkyen Tenpe Nyima and Shechen Gyaltsap IV, in "Vajra Wisdom: Deity
40235 Practice in Tibetan Buddhism", published by Shambhala Publications
40237 Whatever sensory experiences we go through, if we go through them with
40238 mindfulness and awareness, there is no limit to how far we can go. The limit
40239 is mindfulness and awareness. Even if we don't enjoy the experience, that
40240 itself becomes a trip. The nonenjoyment becomes a cause of suffering.
40241 That's why, if we don't practice mindfulness and awareness, asceticism
40242 just becomes pain rather than a cause for liberation. That's why Buddha
40243 said to forget about asceticism. That's what Buddha did. He left
40244 asceticism, became very mindful in every step, and achieved enlightenment.
40245 -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
40246 Samantabhadra", published by Shambhala Publications
40248 When we turn away from samsara, we stop blaming external situations for the
40249 state of our mind, and we begin to use the Buddha's teachings in order to
40250 take responsibility for our own well-being. We reorient the mind away from
40251 causes and conditions that create suffering. This does not mean that we turn
40252 away from the suffering that humans create, such as warfare, poverty,
40253 prejudice, slaughter, or environmental destruction. We do not turn away or
40254 become passive, impartial spectators. However, we need to assess our
40255 strategies for engagement. Many well-meaning people assume that inflaming
40256 passions, especially anger, is a justifiable, necessary, even beneficial
40257 response to injustice. They often assume that anger is an automatic and
40258 inherent response to injustice, in the same way that exasperation is an
40259 inherent response to waiting at the airport. But it is not. Anger does not
40260 allow us to see clearly, so the good intentions of people engaged in trying to
40261 help others can actually be hindered by their own negativity. Anger does not
40262 allow us to act with true compassion, because the mind of anger keeps us
40263 trapped inside ourselves. Turning away from samsara means figuring out how to
40264 function with an open, clear mind, not a mind shut down and incapacitated by
40265 destructive emotions.
40266 -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the
40267 Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism", published by Shambhala
40270 The key to understanding the Mahayana and Vajrayana views lies in
40271 Nagarjuna's reasonings. This is because the reason the aggregates and
40272 suffering can be described as being pure by nature is that they are empty by
40273 nature--they are unborn. They never actually come into existence. Something
40274 that never really comes into existence cannot possibly be impure, for what is
40275 there to be impure in the first place? It is like getting covered with filth
40276 in a dream--no matter how dirty you might seem to be, since not a single
40277 particle of the filth is real, in fact there is no impurity at all. Since
40278 there is no impurity, there cannot actually be any purity either, just as when
40279 you take a bath in the dream after having gotten so filthy, your cleanliness
40280 after the bath is just as lacking in reality as the dirtiness that preceded
40281 it. Therefore, the true nature of the dream transcends both purity and
40282 impurity, and this is given the name "original purity." We have to
40283 understand that what original purity refers to is the freedom from all
40284 fabrications, the emptiness in which we can gain certainty by using
40285 Nagarjuna's reasonings.
40286 -- Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, from "The Sun of Wisdom: Teachings on the Noble
40287 Nagarjuna's Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way", published by Shambhala
40290 Beginning and end depend on nothing but imagination.
40291 Through windlike formation,
40292 Karma and afflictions are created.
40293 Through these, the skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas--
40294 All dualistically appearing phenomena--are displayed.
40296 The one who adopts and rejects these is mistakenness.
40297 Through rejecting [mind's] own appearances, where should they cease?
40298 Through adopting [mind's] own appearances, what should come about?
40299 Is clinging to duality not delusive?
40301 Understanding this is indeed said to be the remedy,
40302 But the thought of nonduality is not real [either],
40303 For the lack of thought [just] turns into a thought.
40304 You thought about emptiness, dissecting form and so on into parts,
40305 Are you not mistaken yourself?
40306 Nevertheless, this was taught in order to stop the clinging to reality.
40308 All is neither real nor delusive--
40309 Held to be like [a reflection of] the moon in water by the learned.
40310 Just this ordinary mind
40311 Is called "dharmadhatu" and "Heart of the victors."
40312 It is neither to be improved by the noble ones
40313 Nor made worse by sentient beings.
40314 -- from "Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and
40315 Buddha Nature", translated by Karl Brunnhölzl, published by Shambhala
40318 It is possible to mistake attachment for loving-kindness and compassion.
40319 Love and compassion are distinguished from attachment in that they apply
40320 equally to your friends and your enemies. Genuine love and compassion make no
40321 distinction based on your relationship to the object of compassion. They are
40322 the wish that all sentient beings without exception have happiness and the
40323 causes of happiness, and the wish that all sentient beings without exception
40324 be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. The keynote of those two
40325 attitudes is that there is no hope involved of any kind of return or any sort
40326 of personal satisfaction as a result of the happiness of others.
40327 In the case of attachment to someone, you wish that person well but it is
40328 based on an identification with him or her as "my friend, my son, my
40329 daughter." This identification and this feeling of ownership or
40330 territoriality is related to wanting some kind of return. You enjoy the
40331 happiness of that person because you have identified with him or her, and
40332 therefore in essence it is just wishing for your own benefit. Such attachment
40333 can very easily turn to aversion, anger, and hatred. That is the difference
40334 between compassion and attachment.
40335 -- Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, from "The Instructions of Gampopa: A Precious
40336 Garland of the Supreme Path", published by Shambhala Publications
40338 Sometimes it seems as if the mind is outside someplace. We see all these
40339 things outside. We see mountains or we hear echoes off of cliffs. We have
40340 all these different thoughts of different places, and the mind seems to go to
40341 those places when we think about them. But it only seems that way; the mind
40342 is not really outside of us either. It dwells neither in external objects nor
40343 someplace in the body--we cannot find any place in the body where it is. You
40344 might then think that since it is not in the body and it is not outside the
40345 body, it must be in the empty space in between. But if you look, you cannot
40346 find it. We need to look and become certain that the mind has no dwelling
40347 place--we must be certain that there is no real place that we can we can
40348 point to and say, "Aha! That's where it is!"
40349 -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo
40350 Gangshar", published by Shambhala Publications
40352 Not only are our adverse experiences beneficial for our own path, but they are
40353 the best way for us to connect with others. Suffering is a universal
40354 experience. This is why the Buddha chose suffering as the first topic of his
40355 teachings. So when we connect with our own suffering, we can also recall that
40356 many beings all over the world are having similar experiences. This helps us
40357 develop understanding, love, and compassion for others.
40358 -- Rose Taylor Goldfield, in "Training the Wisdom Body: Buddhist Yogic
40359 Exercise", published by Shambhala Publications
40361 Once we recognize that other sentient beings--people, animals, and even
40362 insects--are just like us, that their basic motivation is to experience peace
40363 and to avoid suffering, then when someone acts in some way or says something
40364 that is against our wishes, we're able to have some basis for understanding:
40365 "Oh, well, this person (or whatever) is coming from this position because,
40366 just like me, they want to be happy and they want to avoid suffering.
40367 That's their basic purpose. They're not out to get me; they're only
40368 doing what they think they need to do."
40369 Compassion is the spontaneous wisdom of the heart. It's always with us.
40370 It always has been and always will be. When it arises in us, we've simply
40371 learned to see how strong and safe we really are.
40372 -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche from "All the Rage: Buddhist Wisdom on Anger and
40373 Acceptance", published by Shambhala Publications
40375 Who knows the true nature of things? The actual knower--the empty, cognizant
40376 aspect of mind--is the primordial Buddha, Samantabhadra, the personification
40377 of one's own rigpa. Rigpa, the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, is very,
40378 very important. It is the clear light, luminous buddha-nature, that which
40379 knows. Innate awareness-wisdom, rigpa, is functioning through us even now, if
40381 -- Nyoshul Khenpo and Lama Surya Das, "Natural Great Perfection: Dzogchen
40382 Teachings and Vajra Songs", published by Shambhala Publications
40384 I recognize that this wish to create a better society, end all the suffering
40385 of all beings everywhere, and protect the entire planet may not seem
40386 particularly feasible. But whether or not we accomplish such goals in our
40387 lifetime, it is nevertheless deeply meaningful to cultivate such a vast sense
40388 of responsibility, and the wholehearted wish to be able to benefit others.
40389 This outlook is so wholesome and noble that it is worth developing, regardless
40390 of the probability of actually accomplishing such a vast vision.
40391 -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble:
40392 Changing the World from the Inside Out", published by Shambhala
40395 Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
40398 We might feel terrible, utterly hopeless, but if we look at ourselves fully
40399 and thoroughly, we will find fundamental goodness. There is something that
40400 makes us look up at the blue sky or the clouds or the sun, something that
40401 allows us to polish our shoes and press our clothes. When we wake up in the
40402 morning, there is something that allows us to brush our teeth, comb our hair,
40403 or use a bar of soap. Such actions may seem rather ordinary, but they come
40404 from a very powerful instinct. That sense of workability comes from ultimate
40406 -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. Volume
40407 Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
40408 Shambhala Publications
40410 Respect and develop pure perception and devotion toward
40411 Those who are practicing Dharma as the noble sangha.
40412 If you see faults in others, think that they're the reflections
40413 of your own delusions.
40414 If you see good qualities in others, meditate on rejoicing
40416 Disclose and expel your own faults.
40417 Generate virtuous qualities and act with astonishing perserverance.
40418 Be with holy people and abandon evil friends.
40419 Stay in solitary places and promise to pursue meditation.
40420 Make sure that whatever you do is consonant with Dharma practice.
40421 -- Longchen Rabjam, "Counsel for Liberation", published by Shambhala
40424 The key point of the mahayana approach is the commitment to dedicate yourself
40425 to helping other sentient beings. Building yourself up or perpetuating your
40426 own existence is regarded as neurosis. Instead of building yourself up, you
40427 should continue with your pursuit of helping others. Instead of being
40428 selfish, you should empty yourself. The basic definition of ego is holding on
40429 to one's existence--and paramita practices are techniques that allow you
40430 not to grasp onto or propagate the notion of me-ness, or "I am." Experiencing
40431 egolessness is a process of letting go. But you do not regard the ego as an
40432 enemy or obstacle, you regard it as a brussels sprout that you cook and eat.
40433 -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. Volume
40434 Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
40435 Shambhala Publications
40437 Sentient beings are brought to maturation through three forms of generosity:
40438 giving all, giving equally, and giving tirelessly. Bodhisattvas do not have
40439 even one iota of their own body or enjoyments that they are not willing to
40440 give to others if they see that it would help the other person to do so. They
40441 give all that they possess.
40442 Moreover, their generosity does not simply benefit others by supplying them
40443 with the particular thing that is given. It benefits others in this life by
40444 completely fulfilling their wishes, and, as it also matures them and
40445 establishes them in virtue, which is the cause of the fulfillment of one's
40446 wishes, it benefits them in future lives as well. Thus, bodhisattvas
40447 establish these beings in lasting happiness by planting the seed of
40448 liberation. In this way, generosity matures sentient beings by helping them
40449 in two ways, insofar as there are both temporary and lasting benefits.
40450 Moreover, this generosity is practiced with equal regard for all. Since
40451 there are no biases in terms of the recipients' moral standing, social
40452 position, or relation to oneself, they characteristically practice giving
40454 Finally, not content with giving a confined number of material things for a
40455 certain number of years or eons, a bodhisattva never knows enough of the
40456 qualities of generosity, even were he or she to continue giving until the end
40457 of cyclic existence.
40458 -- from "Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras: Maitreya's
40459 Mahayanasutralamkara", with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham,
40460 published by Shambhala Publications.
40462 Something I find worthy of meditation is how in the dialectic between Samsara
40463 and Nirvana, the dreamworld of Samsara is logically prior to and quite
40464 necessary for the awakening to Nirvana. When discussing Tantric Buddhism,
40465 Gunapala Dharmasiri says in the spirit of Nagarjuna, "We make a Samsara out of
40466 Nirvana through our conceptual projections. Tantrics maintain that the world
40467 is there for two purposes. One is to help us to attain enlightenment. As the
40468 world is, in fact, Nirvana, the means of the world can be utilized to realize
40469 Nirvana, when used in the correct way."
40470 -- Charles Johnson, "Taming the Ox: Buddhist Stories and Reflections on
40471 Politics, Race, Culture, and Spiritual Practice", published by Shambhala
40474 Basically speaking, when you say "I am," you begin to ask yourself the
40475 question, "Who said that?" You might say, "I said that." But then you
40476 ask, "Who are you?" And when you look, you find it is very difficult to
40477 find out who that actually is. You might timidly come back to saying your
40478 name, thinking that this is who is speaking, but beyond the name that was
40479 given to you, nothing really exists. You may think that you exist because
40480 your name is so-and-so, or because your driver's license says so-and-so.
40481 But if you look beyond such things, and beyond beyond, you find that there is
40482 no substance. That is ultimate prajna: it is the discovery of egolessness,
40483 which frees you from fixation.
40484 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma.
40485 Volume Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
40486 Shambhala Publications
40488 The appearances of this life--all the various appearances of forms, sounds,
40489 smells, tastes, and bodily sensations we perceive--seem to truly exist. But
40490 life's appearances do not say to us, "I am real." They only seem to be real
40491 from our confused thoughts' perspective when we think, "Those things really
40492 exist out there." That is like what we do in a dream when we do not know we
40494 Similarly, we mistakenly believe that aging, sickness, and death are truly
40495 existent... but this is just confused consciousness at work. The buddhas'
40496 perfect wisdom does not view this life, or the aging, sickness, and death that
40497 occur within it, as truly existent. The noble buddhas and bodhisattvas with
40498 wisdom that sees genuine reality do not see these events as real. Training in
40499 the view of the Mind-Only school that all phenomena are mind, and in the
40500 Middle Way view that all phenomena are emptiness, helps us transform our
40501 confused consciousness into perfect wisdom.
40502 -- Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso, in "Stars of Wisdom", published by Shambhala
40505 Egolessness is not the same as self-extinction. We do not cease to exist,
40506 but we come to know more about ourselves. Realizing that there is no
40507 unchanging self can in fact be an enriching experience. The path consists of
40508 working with ourselves so that gradually, by overcoming the various
40509 inhibitions, confusions, and delusions of the mind, we start to develop more
40510 insight into our own nature.
40511 When we look at ourselves in the present moment, we see all kinds of
40512 confusions and defilements in our mind. Yet the possibility of overcoming all
40513 that and becoming enlightened is a reality. Our own lives become enriched
40514 from having undertaken this journey. So it's important not to mistranslate
40515 this concept of selflessness or nonexistence of ego. To say that we do not
40516 exist at all is the nihilistic view, which the Buddha rejected completely.
40517 -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "The Essence of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its
40518 Philosophy and Practice", published by Shambhala Publications
40519 ##Karma is basically habit. It's the momentum of repeated actions that
40520 become habitual. It's in our best interest to develop as many positive
40521 habits as we can. In the Mahanama Sutta, the Buddha said, "Just as oil
40522 rises to the top of a pot submerged in water, your virtue, your goodness, your
40523 faith, or generosity will rise to the top, and that is what will carry you to
40524 your next destination."
40526 Karma is basically habit. It's the momentum of repeated actions that
40527 become habitual. It's in our best interest to develop as many positive
40528 habits as we can. In the Mahanama Sutta, the Buddha said, "Just as oil
40529 rises to the top of a pot submerged in water, your virtue, your goodness, your
40530 faith, or generosity will rise to the top, and that is what will carry you to
40531 your next destination."
40532 Try to get to the point where your emotional default is into bodhichitta.
40533 In other words, what is your automatic reflex to life situations, especially
40534 difficult ones? Do you think about yourself, and how you might profit or
40535 escape from a situation? Or do you think about others, and how you can help?
40536 Progress on the path, and a sign that you're well prepared for death, is
40537 when the former changes into the latter, when you default not into selfishness
40538 but into selflessness. If you're uncertain about what to do in a situation,
40539 just open your heart and love. This is training in bodhichitta.
40540 -- Andrew Holecek, from "Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual
40541 Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition", published by Shambhala
40544 When you explain or hear the teachings, if your mind and the teachings remain
40545 separate, then whatever is explained will be inconsequential. Hence, listen
40546 in such a way that you determine how these teachings apply to your mind. For
40547 example, when you want to find out whether or not there is some smudge, dirt,
40548 or whatever, on your face, you look in a mirror and then remove whatever is
40549 there. Similarly, when you listen to the teachings, your faults such as
40550 misconduct and attachment appear in the mirror of the teachings. At that
40551 time, you regret that your mind has become like this, and you then work to
40552 clear away those faults and establish good qualities.
40553 -- Tsong-kha-pa, from "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to
40554 Enlightenment, Volume 1", published by Shambhala Publications
40556 We work hard to bring happiness and peace into our lives, but there is no way
40557 to achieve real peace through material goods alone. Perhaps we can accomplish
40558 a little artificial joy and happiness, but these don't last long. Truly
40559 substantial and lasting happiness and peace can be established only by
40560 exercising our inner mind with the precious Dharma teachings. This is the
40561 purpose of our meditation practice, and this is what Jigten Sumgön taught.
40562 Mental afflictions and neuroses can be pacified only through the Dharma.
40563 Dharma is the ultimate remedy for confusion.
40564 -- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, "Opening the Treasure of the Profound",
40565 published by Shambhala Publications
40567 The purpose of practice is to habituate ourselves to openness. This means
40568 we need to understand reactive mind. How do we experience the difference
40569 between reacting and staying open?
40570 At what point do we decide to go with the habitual tendencies of
40571 exaggeration and denial or try something new? Where is the fork in the road?
40572 We need to explore these two experiences: reacting... staying open...
40573 reacting... staying open... reacting... staying open again. We begin to see
40574 the difference. It's a process of refinement. Our investigation cultivates
40575 a discerning intelligence that guides us in a positive direction.
40576 We need to ask ourselves: "If our confusion finds its genesis in our
40577 habit of turning away from the open state, what would happen if we habituated
40578 ourselves to staying open?"
40579 -- Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, "The Power of an Open Question: The Buddha's
40580 Path to Freedom", published by Shambhala Publications
40582 Recognizing the instability of causes and conditions leads us to understand
40583 our own power to transform obstacles and make the impossible possible. This
40584 is true in every area of life. If you don't have a Ferrari, you very well
40585 may create the conditions to have one. As long as there is a Ferrari, there
40586 is the opportunity for you to own one. Likewise if you want to live longer,
40587 you can choose to stop smoking and exercise more. There is reasonable hope.
40588 Hopelessness--just like its opposite, blind hope--is the result of a belief
40590 You can transform not only your physical world but your emotional world,
40591 for example, turning agitation into peace of mind by letting go of ambition or
40592 turning low self-respect into confidence by acting out of kindness and
40593 philanthropy. If we all condition ourselves to put our feet in other
40594 people's shoes, we will cultivate peace in our homes, with our neighbors,
40595 and with other countries.
40596 -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, "What Makes You Not a Buddhist", published by
40597 Shambhala Publications
40599 On the path of seeing there is (1) mindfulness whereby one does not forget the
40600 object, the truth; (2) the wisdom of perfect discernment with regard to the
40601 object; (3) diligence, delight in virtue, being assiduous in undertaking what
40602 is right and avoiding what is wrong in accordance with the path; (4) joy or
40603 mental happiness regarding the latter; (5) flexibility, in which mind and body
40604 function appropriately; (6) concentration; and (7) evenness, in which the mind
40605 enters the natural state, free from the conditions of lack of clarity and
40606 wildness. These seven are elements of the path of seeing, the essence of
40607 enlightenment. They will make one accumulate or accomplish the positive
40608 actions that help one attain nirvana.
40609 -- Nagarjuna, "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend"
40611 What is the relationship between bodhichitta and love? When you are in
40612 love, your heart and mind are naturally open and awake to life. When you
40613 cultivate bodhichitta by opening and awakening your heart and mind, love can
40615 Bodhichitta is like opening the curtains, and love is like the sun shining
40616 through, bringing light and warmth into the room. Or we could say that
40617 bodhichitta is like opening the window, and love is the cool breeze that
40618 refreshes the stuffiness and stagnation of living inside a personal fortress.
40619 Bodhichitta is like discovering an inexhaustible treasure, and love is its
40620 enjoyment. Bodhichitta is our direct connection with basic goodness.
40621 -- Moh Hardin, from "A Little Book of Love", published by Shambhala Pub.
40623 Use mindfulness to become aware of these negative thoughts as they arise.
40624 For example, when the first thought of anger arises, notice it and don't let
40625 it multiply. Instead, remember what happened in the past when you were
40626 overwhelmed by anger. Based on your direct experience, see the suffering and
40627 problems anger caused you and recognize its defects. You can crush anger
40628 using antidotes once you clearly see it as something destructive.
40629 You can find a particular antidote to destroy each afflictive emotion. To
40630 conquer desire, you can meditate on the unappealing aspects of the object; for
40631 hatred, meditate on loving-kindness; for jealousy, joy; and so on. This is
40632 how you discard negative mental factors.
40633 -- Shechen Rabjam, from "The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the
40634 Notion of Reality", published by Shambhala Publications
40636 During my first trip to France, we didn't speak the same language, so we
40637 often communicated with gestures. Sometimes I think it is better not to know
40638 a language. Rather than talking, it is better to reserve energy through
40639 silence. But most Westerners try to look intelligent through talking and
40640 think silence is uncomfortable, so it is better to be talkative if you want to
40641 spend time in the West. Of course, since human beings have dualistic tongue,
40642 everything that is said is an impetuous expression of incurable, contagious
40643 blurting. We who have ordinary limited qualities incessantly chatter, while
40644 those with limitless wisdom qualities remain silent. It is like the
40645 difference between the movement of shallow water and the stillness of the
40646 deepest sea. Western people have many fine qualities, like the rapid waters
40647 of mountain rivers, but they cannot put out the blazing fire of their mouth.
40648 -- Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, "A Brief Fantasy History of a Himalayan",
40649 published by Shambhala Publications
40651 Every moment of our lives, things are both perishing and arising. Some of
40652 our cells are dying while others are revitalized or reborn. We get old, and
40653 at the same time we get young. We get polluted physically, emotionally, and
40654 mentally, and simultaneously we get purified. Things decrease and increase.
40655 We forget, learn, and remember many things.
40656 The Heart Sutra claims that in the midst of phenomena where all things are
40657 changing, the reality of boundless interactions continues, and that this fact
40658 itself will not change. After all, the ultimate reality both encompasses and
40659 is free of change in all manifestations.
40660 -- Kazuaki Tanahashi, "The Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic
40661 of Mahayana Buddhism", published by Shambhala Publications
40663 In the state of mindfulness, your mind should look at both its going and
40664 staying. Other than that there is nothing else to cultivate. It suffices if
40665 awareness recognizes the nature of everything that arises. Apart from this
40666 you do not need to search somewhere else for more quality or clarity...
40667 Don't put aside what you have and look elsewhere for what you don't have.
40668 Just watch the identity of awareness, no matter what it thinks or where it
40669 goes. Don't give importance to whether the awareness is clear or not.
40670 Avoid stopping thought movement and pursuing stillness. Whatever stillness
40671 there is and no matter what arises, just sustain their natural flow at their
40672 own pace, without tainting it with alterations. Without allowing yourself to
40673 forget undistracted mindfulness even for a moment, persevere in maintaining
40675 -- Khamtrul Rinpoche III, from "The Royal Seal of Mahamudra, Volume One: A
40676 Guidebook for the Realization of Coemergence", published by Shambhala
40679 As your true view, look into the changeless, empty cognizance.
40680 As your true meditation, let your mind nature be as it is.
40681 As your true conduct, let the delusion of dualistic fixation collapse.
40682 As your true fruition, don't seek the result that is spontaneously present.
40683 -- from "The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast
40684 Expanse", by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, published by Shambhala Publications
40686 If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered
40687 as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded,
40688 that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers
40689 against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious
40691 -- George Washington, letter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia (1789)
40693 Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one,
40694 he must more approve of the homage of reason, then that of blindfolded fear.
40695 -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr (1787)
40697 In regard to religion, mutual toleration in the different professions thereof
40698 is what all good and candid minds in all ages have ever practiced, and both by
40699 precept and example inculcated on mankind.
40700 -- Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists (1771)
40702 Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the
40703 strongly marked feature of all religions established by law. Take away the
40704 law-establishment, and every religion re-assumes its original benignity.
40705 -- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man (1791)
40707 Congress has no power to make any religious establishments.
40708 -- Roger Sherman, Congress (1789)
40710 The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.
40711 -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack (1758)
40713 I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people
40714 build a wall of separation between Church & State.
40715 -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury Baptists (1802)
40717 To argue with a man who has renounced the use of reason is like administering
40718 medicine to the dead.
40719 -- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis No. V (1776)
40721 Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than
40722 our opinions in physics or geometry.
40723 -- Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1779)
40725 Christian establishments tend to great ignorance and corruption, all of which
40726 facilitate the execution of mischievous projects.
40727 -- James Madison, letter to William Bradford, Jr. (1774)
40729 There is nothing which can better deserve our patronage than the promotion of
40730 science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of
40732 -- George Washington, address to Congress (1790)
40734 During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity
40735 been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride
40736 and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both,
40737 superstition, bigotry and persecution.
40738 -- James Madison, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia (1785)
40740 Being civil often has an element of acting. However, in the hinayana, you are
40741 behaving rather than acting. Acting is trying to manifest yourself for the
40742 sake of display, whereas behaving is how you feel. Acting is the way you
40743 dance, and behaving is the way you sneeze or hiccup. You know if you are
40744 being genuine. You are the first person who knows. When you are acting, you
40745 are concerned with other people's possible reactions; but when you are
40746 behaving, you are just behaving. It's like sitting on the toilet seat and
40747 doing your duty: nobody is watching. It's your private concern, so there is
40748 a quality of genuineness. In the hinayana, you behave decently because the
40749 dharma is actually a part of you. That is the meaning of taming yourself...
40750 Becoming a dharmic person means that in your everyday life from morning to
40751 morning, around the clock, you are not trying to kid anybody.
40752 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Path of Individual Liberation: Volume One of
40753 The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma", published by Shambhala
40756 Today's world requires us to accept the oneness of humanity. In the past,
40757 isolated communities could afford to think of one another as fundamentally
40758 separate. Some could even exist in total isolation. But nowadays, whatever
40759 happens in one region eventually affects many other areas. Within the context
40760 of our inter-dependence, self-interest clearly lies in considering the
40761 interest of others.
40762 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", published by
40763 Shambhala Publications
40765 Compassion is an internal attitude that may manifest in our behavior.
40766 However, compassion is not the behavior itself, for one behavior can be done
40767 with different motivations. For example, we may take care of a sick relative
40768 because we have genuine affection for him. Conversely, we may care for him
40769 because we want to inherit his estate. The action is the same, but the
40770 motivations differ. The first motivation is prompted by genuine compassion,
40771 the second by self-concern.
40772 Acting with compassion entails being creative and knowing that one
40773 behavior is not suitable for all occasions. In some circumstances, we may be
40774 compassionate by sharing our possessions; while in others, we may show it by
40775 saying, "no." In this way, compassion must be combined with good judgment to
40777 -- Russell Kolts and Thubten Chodron, "An Open-Hearted Life", published by
40778 Shambhala Publications
40780 Since the very beginning, the mind streams of all sentient beings possess the
40781 way of being of the inseparability of being lucid and being empty in an
40782 intrinsic manner. No matter how it may be obscured by adventitious stains, in
40783 terms of its nature, it is never tainted by stains, while the stains exist in
40784 the manner of being separable from it. This mind that is the inseparability
40785 of being lucid and being empty has the nature of being permanent and being
40786 free from change, decrease, and increase. It is ever undeceiving, changeless,
40787 and genuinely stable. Throughout all three phases of ground, path, and
40788 fruition, it is this nature of the mind that is certain to be solely the
40789 object of the genuine meditative equipoise within the qualities that are the
40790 nature of phenomena. This is what needs to be manifested through the practice
40791 of superior insight.
40792 -- from "When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition
40793 as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra", translated by Karl Brunnholzl,
40794 published by Shambhala Publications
40796 Whatever obstacles we experience, if we can take them the right way, they
40797 won't obstruct our spiritual path. Rather, they will become a tool to
40798 stimulate our advancement toward our destination: unconditional love and
40800 So try to feel joy when facing difficulties, for they provide the chance
40801 to purify unvirtuous past deeds, the cause of ills, and infuse us with the
40802 inspiration to generate yet greater virtuous deeds, the cause of healing and
40804 -- Tulku Thondup, from "The Heart of Unconditional Love: A Powerful New
40805 Approach to Loving-Kindness Meditation", published by Shambhala
40808 Although deliberately framed as if it were a law of nature or of mathematics,
40809 its purpose has always been rhetorical and pedagogical: I wanted folks who
40810 glibly compared someone else to Hitler or to Nazis to think a bit harder about
40812 -- Mike Godwin, on "Godwin's Law", originated in 1990, which (paraphrasing)
40813 states that any online discussion will eventually devolve into a
40814 comparison with Hitler or Nazism. At that point, the person who brought
40815 either topic up has lost the argument and their basic credibility.
40817 Your mind, the primordial buddha,
40818 Searches elsewhere due to the power of desire.
40819 Doesn't it notice that it is wandering in samsara?
40821 Now that you have obtained the precious human body,
40822 You continuously get carried away by mundane actions.
40823 Don't you notice that your life is running out?
40826 The key to understanding the truth of suffering is what the Buddha called
40827 the "three marks" of everything that exists. All conditioned phenomena,
40828 he said, are pervaded by these three marks: impermanence (anitya),
40829 dissatisfaction or suffering (duhkha), and insubstantiality (anatman,
40831 According to the Buddha, if we do not understand how conditioned phenomena
40832 are marked by these three aspects, then we will not be able to understand the
40833 first Noble Truth. We may do all we can in order to avoid facing the fact
40834 that everything is contingent and transient--we may try to hide ourselves
40835 from it, and we may even spin out all kinds of metaphysical theories of an
40836 unchanging, permanent, substantial reality to avoid this all-pervasive nature
40837 of ephemerality. Also, if we do not understand that conditioned phenomena are
40838 unsatisfactory, we will not think about restraining ourselves from
40839 overindulgence in sensory gratifications, which makes us lose our center and
40840 become immersed in worldly concerns, so that our life is governed by greed,
40841 craving, and attachment. All of these things disturb the mind.
40842 If we do not understand that everything is insubstantial--anatman--then
40843 we may believe that there is some kind of enduring essence or substance in
40844 things, or in the personality, and because of this belief we generate delusion
40845 and confusion in the mind.
40846 -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "The Essence of Buddhism", published by Shambhala
40849 When we grasp a self, how can we possibly practice self-reflection?
40850 Everything becomes personal: our pain, our anger, our shortcomings. When we
40851 take thoughts and emotions personally, they torture us. Looking at our
40852 thoughts and emotions in this way is like rubbing our nose in something
40853 unpleasant--what purpose does it serve other than to create more pain? This
40854 is not the kind of looking we are speaking of here.
40855 With the view of selflessness, we can enjoy whatever arises in our
40856 awareness. We can accept that everything that arises is a result of our past
40857 actions, or karma, but it is not who we are.
40858 -- Dzigar Kongtrul, from "It's Up to You", published by Shambhala
40861 As with attaining any goal, you can't go about putting an end to suffering
40862 and arriving at enlightenment just any old way. If we throw a stone up into
40863 the air, we should not be surprised if it falls on our head. In the same way,
40864 when we commit any act, whatever it may be, we can only expect that sooner or
40865 later it will produce an effect. Thus it is logical that if we want to free
40866 ourselves from suffering, we have to perform certain actions and refrain from
40867 certain others. The law of the causality of actions is the very foundation of
40868 the teaching of the Buddha, who proclaimed:
40870 Avoid the least harmful act,
40871 Perfectly accomplish the good,
40872 And master your mind.
40873 That is the teaching of the Buddha.
40875 -- Tenzin Wangmo, from "The Prince and the Zombie: Tibetan Tales of Karma",
40876 with foreword by Matthieu Ricard, published by Shambhala Publications
40878 I am very pleased to be a human being, yet I know that I can make what I have
40879 been given even better. I know I am not perfect, yet I also know I have the
40880 ability to transform my imperfections. Remembering this when I begin to
40881 practice or study makes any effort needed during the session much more freely
40882 available. Resting meditation is not just sitting on a cushion and zoning
40883 out. Contemplative Meditation is not just thinking about whatever arises in
40884 the mind. Practicing either form of meditation takes joyful exertion and
40886 -- Khenpo Gawang, "Your Mind is Your Teacher", published by Shambhala
40889 Not acting on our habitual patterns is only the first step toward not harming
40890 others or ourselves. The transformative process begins at a deeper level when
40891 we contact the rawness we're left with whenever we refrain. As a way of
40892 working with our aggressive tendencies, Dzigar Kongtrül teaches the
40893 nonviolent practice of simmering. He says that rather than "boil in our
40894 aggression like a piece of meat cooking in a soup," we simmer in it. We
40895 allow ourselves to wait, to sit patiently with the urge to act or speak in our
40896 usual ways and feel the full force of that urge without turning away or giving
40897 in. This is the journey of developing a kindhearted and courageous tolerance
40899 -- Pema Chödrön, "Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change",
40900 published by Shambhala Publications
40902 During lifetimes spent wandering in the round of rebirth without beginning or
40903 end, your present enemies were once extremely beneficial friends and your
40904 present friends were once harmful enemies. Moreover, if you do not consider
40905 present enemies as such, but treat them helpfully as friends, it is possible
40906 that they will prove even more helpful than friends. Therefore, rest in
40907 equanimity toward others: give up attachment to friends and reject hatred
40909 -- Choying Tobden Dorje, from "The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to
40910 Tantra, Books 1 to 10", published by Shambhala Publications
40912 Compassion is not logical. It's basically spacious and generous. A
40913 compassionate person might not be sure whether he is being compassionate to
40914 you or whether you are being compassionate to him, because compassion creates
40915 a total environment of generosity. Generosity is implied; it just happens,
40916 rather than you making it happen. It's just there, without direction,
40917 without me, without "for them." It's full of joy, a spontaneously
40918 existing grin of joy, constant joy.
40919 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with
40920 Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness", published by
40921 Shambhala Publications
40923 We have a Buddhist prayer in which we ourselves aspire to become like [the
40926 May I be like the earth,
40927 Providing the air, the ground, water,
40928 And everything she provides
40929 That is our sacred source of life.
40931 Inspired by the example of the earth, this prayer encourages us to aspire to
40932 be an unconditional source of all well-being and life for others. This is a
40933 supreme aspiration. We do not just have a great deal to learn about the
40934 environment--we also have a lot to learn from it.
40935 -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble",
40936 published by Shambhala Publications
40938 Many people wish to be healthy, to be free from disease, and to remain forever
40939 young, but these are not very meaningful goals. If you can tame your mind,
40940 the value of this will far surpass anything in the world. Patrul Rinpoche
40941 said, "Tame the mind, tame the mind, use bodhichitta to tame the mind. Even
40942 if we do not cultivate any good deeds in body and speech, taming our mind in
40943 fact benefits ourselves and all beings."
40944 -- Jigme Phuntsok, from "Always Present", published by Shambhala Publications
40946 Transcendent knowledge is beyond thought, word, or description. It neither
40947 arises nor ceases, like the identity of space. It is the domain of
40948 individual, self-knowing wakefulness. I salute this mother of the buddhas of
40950 -- Shantarakshita, in praise of Prajnaparamita, from "Jewels of
40951 Enlightenment", by Erik Pema Kunsang, published by Shambhala Publications
40953 To rejoice in others' happiness without any preferences of our own shows
40954 that we understand that the longing for happiness is the same for all beings.
40955 We can rejoice in their temporal happiness, which has come from their
40956 accumulation of merit. When we recognize the quality of happiness in
40957 others--when we see someone genuinely smile or laugh or see a glimmer of
40958 brightness in their eyes--we can rejoice. When they obtain something they
40959 want or need, whatever it may be, we have an opportunity to practice
40960 rejoicing. Beings long for all kinds of things, some of which we might not
40961 want ourselves--but that doesn't matter. The important thing is that, if
40962 only for a single moment, it has brought them some happiness.
40963 -- Dzigar Kongtrul, from "Light Comes Through", published by Shambhala
40966 Even if we think we have found the origin of phenomena, we are only being
40967 deluded by the karmic seeds of new discoveries which are constantly ripening,
40968 becoming exhausted, and being replaced through the ripening of other karmic
40969 seeds. Yet we continue to be fascinated by trying to define substance,
40970 constantly trying to catch it, thinking that we have caught it but then losing
40971 it. We are endlessly lured by the material creations of our conceptions.
40972 Sublime beings, knowing the characteristics of each phenomenon and the nature
40973 of all phenomena, are never lured by anything. They abide in the infinite
40974 display of enlightenment's empty appearance without trying to catch anything
40975 or being able to be caught.
40976 -- Thinley Norbu, from "White Sail", published by Shambhala Publications
40978 When there is never any fear or despair no matter what adversity or suffering
40979 is encountered, when difficulty is taken as an aid to mind training and you
40980 always have the help of a joyful mind, then you have acquired proficiency in
40981 mind training. When adverse conditions come, meditate joyfully and, in
40982 addition, learn to take joyfully all the adversity others experience.
40983 -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, from "The Great Path of Awakening", published
40984 by Shambhala Publications
40986 The origin of all science is in the desire to know causes; and the origin of
40987 all false science and imposture is in the desire to accept false causes rather
40988 than none; or, which is the same thing, in the unwillingness to acknowledge
40990 -- William Hazlitt (1778–1830)
40992 Not only are there two different categories of phenomena, the person and the
40993 external phenomena, there are also two different types of misconceptions with
40994 respect to the nature of phenomena: misconceptions with respect to the nature
40995 of the person and with respect to the external phenomena. This means to
40996 overcome these two types of misconception is to realize selflessness, which is
40997 the ultimate nature of these two types of phenomena. Therefore there are two
40998 selflessnesses, selflessness of person and selflessness of phenomena.
40999 Generally speaking, comparing the two, the realization of the selflessness of
41000 the person is said to be easier than realization of the selflessness of
41001 phenomena because of long familiarity with the actual self, the person.
41002 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "Gentle Bridges: Conversations with the
41003 Dalai Lama on the Sciences of Mind", edited by Jeremy Hayward and
41004 Francisco J. Varela, published by Shambhala Publications
41006 The Tibetan term for renunciation is ngepar jungwa; nges par 'byung ba,
41007 which literally means "certainty of release." Ngepar is short for ngepar
41008 shepa, meaning to have certain, decisive knowledge from within; in this case,
41009 it refers to having certainty that the nature of worldly existence is
41010 suffering. In addition to this certainty, there is the heartfelt wish to be
41011 released, jungwa, from this suffering. One must gain confidence in the fact
41012 that the nature of cyclic existence in samsara is suffering, together with
41013 having the powerful wish and intention to be free of this suffering. This is
41014 what is known as the thought of renunciation.
41015 -- Nyoshul Khenpo, "The Fearless Lion's Roar: Profound Instructions on
41016 Dzogchen, the Great Perfection", published by Shambhala Publications
41018 "Karma" basically means action. When we talk about karma, we talk about
41019 action, which in Buddhism entails thinking in terms of cause and effect.
41020 Actions are performed because there are certain preexisting causes and
41021 conditions giving rise to the impulse to engage in particular actions, and
41022 from this the karmic effect issues. In the performance of actions, there is
41023 usually a propelling factor. We feel compelled by something to do certain
41024 things, and when we engage in those actions, based on those impulses, the
41025 actions then produce relevant effects. As we have seen though, this does not
41026 mean that every action performed has a particular cause and a particular
41027 effect. Nevertheless, the Buddhist theory of karma is irrevocably tied to
41028 this mechanism, for want of a better word, and hence to the responsibility of
41029 the individual, as opposed to a divine governance of sorts.
41030 -- Traleg Kyabgon, "Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters",
41031 published by Shambhala Publications
41033 Nondistraction means not being lost in subtle undercurrents of delusion or
41034 indifferent stupor; it is immaculate, unending mindfulness. Not understanding
41035 this, if one is fearful and cautious about being distracted and is bound by a
41036 repressed, constricted mind, this is an error.
41037 Natural, ordinary mind means this present mind unstained by either faults
41038 or good qualities. This self-nature is usustained by the continuity of
41039 awareness. Not nderstanding this, if one grasps at the substantiality of the
41040 rigid concepts of worldly, ordinary mind, this is an error.
41041 To be meditationless means to enter profound, unconditioned natural space,
41042 detached from meditating and non-meditating, without any contrivance or aim,
41043 stabilizing the expansive fortress of mindfulness. Not understanding this, if
41044 one remains in ordinary, careless neutrality, or is lost in meaningless
41045 indifference, this is an error.
41046 -- "Sunlight Speech That Dispels the Darkness of Doubt", translated by
41047 Thinley Norbu, published by Shambhala Publications
41049 When Milarepa meditated in the mountains, he was alone for a long time. In
41050 spite of this, he always felt that he was inseparable from Marpa because his
41051 devotion was so powerful. Milarepa sang his vajra songs in solitude but,
41052 through devotion, was always connected to his lama. Devotion to the lama is a
41053 powerful protection from negative thoughts and nonvirtuous actions. It is
41054 also a special protection that allows us to properly practice meditation. Our
41055 awareness of enlightened beings and our knowledge of how to take care of our
41056 mind protect the mind so that it doesn't flow in a wrong direction. Through
41057 these joyous practices we develop a feeling of appreciation of how fortunate
41058 we are, and we cease feeling lonely or depressed.
41059 -- "Opening the Treasure of the Profound", by Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen
41060 Rinpoche, published by Shambhala Publications
41062 We need to make our preparations now, and we need to be diligent about it.
41063 We may think, "I really want to practice the Dharma, but right now I'm
41064 really busy, and I have a lot of things to do. I'll get to the Dharma when
41065 my work is done." This way of thinking is an obstacle that will prevent us
41066 from practicing the Dharma. If we are busy doing something right now, then
41067 when we are done, something else will come up that will keep us busy, and when
41068 that's done, there will be something else, and something else after that.
41069 It's just one thing after another that we have to do. We end up with no
41070 opportunity to practice the Dharma at all.
41071 Padampa Sangye says, "Now while it's in mind, make haste to practice."
41072 When we think, "I've got to practice the Dharma," we need to go and
41073 practice diligently right away. Otherwise, all kinds of things will come up
41074 that we think we need to do first, and we'll never get around to practicing.
41075 -- Khenchen Thrangu and Padampa Sangye, from "Advice from a Yogi", published
41076 by Shambhala Publications
41078 The ultimate mode of being, the ground wherein both we and Guru Rinpoche are
41079 primordially inseparable--namely, the selfarisen primordial wisdom, which is
41080 subject to no movement of discursive thought--is referred to as Guru.
41081 Because deluded perceptions are themselves primordially pure, the path is free
41082 from all striving and the fruit is present spontaneously like a lotus in full
41083 flower. Therefore [the path itself] is referred to as Padma, or lotus. For
41084 the fruit is not something that occurs at a later stage as a result of the
41085 practice. In the ultimate expanse, which is selfarisen and spontaneously
41086 present, the primordial wisdom of selfawareness is clearly [and already]
41087 manifest. This is referred to as Siddhi, or accomplishment. And, although in
41088 terms of conceptual distinctions the self-arisen primordial wisdom may be
41089 classified as ground, path, and fruit, these three are not different in
41090 nature. This is directly perceived by self-cognizing awareness and is
41091 indicated by the syllable Hung.
41092 -- Jamgon Mipham, "White Lotus: An Explanation of the Seven-Line Prayer to
41093 Guru Padmasambhava", published by Shambhala Publications
41095 While dreaming, all kinds of things may come to mind, but these are nothing
41096 more than appearances. Likewise, a magician may create a variety of illusory
41097 appearances, but they do not exist objectively. Likewise, oneself, others,
41098 the cycle of existence, and liberation--in short, all entities--exist merely
41099 by the power of mind and convention.
41100 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "Transcendent Wisdom", published by
41101 Shambhala Publications
41103 From our deluded samsaric standpoint, it may seem that certain traits are
41104 necessary for our well-being, self-esteem, and self-worth. Talking about
41105 others' defects may make us appear more desirable, or gossiping about
41106 others' misfortunes may make our own misery seem less, but we have to
41107 examine these tendencies much more closely to see that this is a completely
41108 mistaken aspect of our lives.
41109 Despite having a good motivation and the best intentions, our mind
41110 training will have little success if we can't commit ourselves strongly
41111 enough to undermining these traits. These tendencies don't bring us any
41112 self-confidence or happiness. In fact, they undermine our personal autonomy
41113 and well-being and obstruct our spiritual progress. It's important to put
41114 an end to these negative and paranoid tendencies and replace them with love,
41115 compassion, and the development of a kind heart.
41116 -- Traleg Kyabgon, in "The Practice of Lojong", published by Shambhala
41119 Awareness of the thought process at the moment of an impulse arising is what
41120 makes freedom from thought possible, because when the mind is only at the
41121 stage of an impulse arising, the energies haven't fully engaged. There is
41122 an almost impartial quality about the energy of the impulse. When it is
41123 driven into specific thought, the situation changes and it becomes "my
41124 thought with my feeling, therefore me." This is what is meant by being
41125 caught in the thought. The inner energy has transmuted from being something
41126 relatively neutral and therefore not very important or compelling into
41127 something entirely personal and therefore extremely important and compelling.
41128 -- Rob Nairn, in "Living, Dreaming, Dying", published by Shambhala Publications
41130 The Buddha, radically, interpreted the individual as a compound of many
41131 different elements, physical and mental--a psychophysical complex. Therefore
41132 our feelings, thoughts, emotions, memories, dispositions; our perceptual
41133 capability, our cognitive capacities, and our physical conditions--all are
41134 constantly interacting and impacting each other.
41135 And agents themselves are also continually interacting with other agents.
41136 Logically, then, we need not feel compelled to identify ourselves with a
41137 single thing, a core element to our psyche, as it is really a matter of being
41138 in a constant state of flux. In this sense, karma could be said to operate as
41139 streams of networking karmic processes, where all kinds of living, breathing
41140 individuals are involved. The really important principle to grasp about this
41141 approach is to look closely at things, for things in their nature are complex.
41142 Acknowledging this will bring us great reward in fact. Doing the opposite,
41143 looking at things in a very simple way, keeps us trapped in ignorance.
41144 -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters",
41145 published by Shambhala Publications
41147 There is magic in vajrayana practice and in vajrayana altogether. People
41148 often think that magic is the ability to do things like change fire into
41149 water, or float up toward the ceiling and then come down again, or make tomato
41150 ketchup into cream cheese. But we have a better understanding of magic than
41151 that; what is actually happening is better than those things. We are not
41152 talking about magic in the style of a conjuring magician on the stage, but we
41153 are talking about fundamental magic. This magic is always based on the
41154 profound effect that we have discovered from the hinayana discipline of one-
41155 pointedness and the mahayana discipline of openess and compassionate
41156 nonterritoriality. Out of that comes vajrayana magic, which is that we are
41157 able to cut our thoughts abruptly and directly. On the spot!
41158 -- Chögyam Trungpa, in "The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness",
41159 published by Shambhala Publications
41161 When, in the Mahayana, one goes for refuge, one cultivates an unbearably
41162 powerful compassion for beings, who have been one's mothers in the past and
41163 whose number is as boundless as the sky is vast. But it is not enough to feel
41164 compassion for them; one must be determined and decide to liberate them from
41165 their suffering. As long as one is not free oneself, however, one is
41166 powerless to bring others to freedom. Consequently, in order to free oneself
41167 and others from the perils of both samsaric existence and the peace of
41168 nirvana, one takes refuge in the Three Jewels, according to the Mahayana,
41169 until one gains enlightenment.
41170 -- Kunzang Pelden, in "Nectar of Manjushri's Speech", published by
41171 Shambhala Publications
41173 Just as a precious jewel, the sky, and water are by nature pure, likewise the
41174 tathagatagarbha or dharmadhatu is by nature always free from the defilement of
41175 the mental poisons and thus utterly pure. Whereas this is the meaning of the
41176 essence, the cause that completely purifies the adventitious defilements
41177 consists of devotion towards the Mahayana Dharma, of highest discriminative or
41178 analytical wisdom realizing the non-existence of a self, of limitless samadhi
41179 endowed with bliss, and of great compassion focusing on sentient beings as its
41180 point of reference. The realization arising from these [purifying causes] is
41181 to be known as enlightenment.
41182 -- Maitreya, in "Buddha Nature", published by Shambhala Publications
41184 Meditation means learning to control our minds, thereby protecting our minds
41185 from domination by delusion and other afflictions. We may think, "Oh, I
41186 wish my mind were not dominated by ignorance and other afflictions." But
41187 these afflictions are very powerful and very destructive; they operate despite
41188 our wishes. We have to work to develop effective countermeasures. We cannot
41189 buy such remedies from a store; even very sophisticated machines cannot
41190 produce them for us. They are obtained only through mental effort, training
41191 the mind in meditation.
41192 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "From Here to Enlightenment", published
41193 by Shambhala Publications
41195 If we were asked to be free right now, to jump into the sea of love in this
41196 very moment, we might turn our attention inward and try it, and it may not
41197 work. Why? Because of a hindrance, a block. That block is the very sense of
41198 "I am" that is the false image of who we are. It is the shell that is
41199 veiling, covering our true nature. So the goal of all spiritual endeavors is
41200 to actually realize the enlightened part of who we are, not sometime in the
41201 future, but right now.
41202 -- Anam Thubten, "The Magic of Awareness", published by Shambhala
41205 You don't need to be an "excellent meditator" to start with. All you
41206 need to do is have your heart and mind make the following agreement:
41207 "Let's rest. There's no reason right now to wander around following
41208 thoughts or worrying. Let's be relaxed and open." There's not even any
41209 need to shut down your thoughts. Just be there with them, but not overly
41210 concerned or engaged. Let there be total openness, and just relax within
41212 -- Dza Kilung Rinpoche, "The Relaxed Mind", published by Shambhala
41215 Awareness does not engage with objects of the ordinary mind. It is "self-
41216 cognizing primordial wisdom." This can be illustrated by the "light" of
41217 the new moon: a profoundly indwelling luminosity, which does not radiate
41218 outward. Therefore, despite the fact that the five primordial wisdoms are
41219 spontaneously present in awareness, the latter is without thoughts related to
41220 sense objects. By contrast, even when it is still, the ordinary mind
41221 nevertheless "moves" and follows after different objects. It is like the
41222 light of the moon on the fifteenth of the month, which radiates outward and
41223 engulfs everything.
41224 -- Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche, and Jigme Lingpa, in "Treasury of
41225 Precious Qualities: Book Two", published by Shambhala Publications
41227 According to Buddhism, all existents abide in loving-kindness free from
41228 concepts in their absolute nature. But the understanding and realization of
41229 that true nature have been covered over by the webs of our own mental,
41230 emotional, and intellectual obscurations.
41231 Now, in order to uncover the true nature and its qualities, we must dispel
41232 the cover--our unhealthy concepts, emotions, and actions. Through the power
41233 of devotion and contemplation, we must uncover and see the true innate
41234 enlightened qualities--loving-kindness that is free from concepts--shining
41236 -- Tulku Thondup, from "The Heart of Unconditional Love", published by
41237 Shambhala Publications
41239 The method for taking all situations as the path is to rest within the essence
41240 of the mind. Within our minds, there are three aspects: the way things
41241 appear, how they are confused, and the way they actually are. We do not take
41242 our difficulties as the path in relation to how things appear or are confused,
41243 but in relation to how they actually are. We rest naturally within their
41244 nature--the clear and empty nature of the mind that is sometimes called the
41245 union of clarity and emptiness or the union of wisdom and the expanse. We
41246 rest within this, recognizing it. When we take sickness as the path, we look
41247 at the essence of the sickness without altering it in any way and just rest
41248 naturally within that. When we take the afflictions as the path, we just look
41249 at the essence of the greed, aversion, or delusion that has occurred. We do
41250 not follow the affliction or block it. We do not try to stop our thoughts.
41251 Instead, we look at those thoughts and at the afflictions that occur, and we
41252 rest naturally within their inherently empty essence.
41253 -- Khenchen Thrangu, from "Vivid Awareness", published by Shambhala
41256 I suggest that dana--in all its wonderful, profound simplicity--is a
41257 necessary and significant part of what Dr. Buddha would prescribe for our
41258 times. It can be understood without hours of study. It liberates us from
41259 acquisitive and protectionist habits. It mitigates individualism and
41260 nourishes community. Its meaning spans the most basic levels of practice
41261 through to the ultimate. It challenges "me" and "mine," fostering letting go.
41262 A reinvigorated and updated understanding and practice of dana can serve as a
41263 powerful antidote to consumerism's ills. I see this as essential for
41264 Buddhism to stay on course as we navigate this bizarre postmodern world
41265 seeking genuine peace and liberation.
41266 -- Santikaro, from "Hooked!: Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the
41267 Urge to Consume", edited by Stephanie Kaza, published by Shambhala
41268 Publications and Snow Lion Publications
41270 The teachings are for living in this world--for having fewer problems and
41271 fewer tensions. Many people speak now about world peace. What does that
41272 mean? How can we have world peace if we don't have peace in ourselves? We
41273 are each members of society--society meaning all of us together, not as
41274 individuals. Since many individuals make up society, it means that the
41275 individuals must have a kind of evolution. Although we have power and
41276 military might, and sometimes there are provisional changes, in the real sense
41278 Society is made up of individuals each having their point of view, their
41279 feelings, and their sensations. If we want to develop society so that there
41280 is more peace and happiness, each one of us must work with our condition. For
41281 example, our society is like numbers. When we count, we must always begin
41282 with the number "1." If I think about society, I must start with myself as
41284 -- Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, from "Dzogchen Teachings", published by Shambhala
41287 One of my favorite quotes from the Buddha is: "Let us rise up and be
41288 thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,
41289 and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got
41290 sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
41291 Gratitude is one of the fruits of living from genuine happiness; at the
41292 same time, it arises from an inherent seed in our being, a seed that requires
41293 cultivation. There's a quote from Meister Eckhart, the Christian mystic, that
41294 illustrates how important this quality is: "If the only prayer you said in
41295 your whole life was 'thank you,' that would suffice." If we truly understood
41296 the depth of this teaching it would be all we'd need to know. Unfortunately,
41297 we can't just tell ourselves to be grateful and expect it to happen, yet it's
41298 a quality that certainly can be nurtured.
41299 -- Ezra Bayda, from "Beyond Happiness: The Zen Way to True Contentment",
41300 published by Shambhala Publications
41302 In the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) teachings, the issue is always whether or
41303 not we recognize our true nature and understand that the reflections of that
41304 nature manifest as experience. The dream is a reflection of our own mind.
41305 This is easy to believe after we wake up, just as the Buddhas know--after
41306 they are enlightened--that the entities and objects of samsara are illusory.
41307 And just as it takes practice to recognize the illusory nature of dream while
41308 asleep, we must practice to realize the illusory nature of waking life.
41310 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep",
41311 published by Shambhala Publications
41314 The jewel in the lotus is a wonderful metaphor for the essential nature of
41315 mind. It integrates two very different approaches, recognizing that there is
41316 a worthy role for striving, for engaging in methods, for growth and
41317 development; and at the same time recognizing that all these methods are
41318 fundamentally designed simply to bring to light what is already there, in all
41319 of its perfection, in all of its completeness. This is the pure fountain of
41320 loving-kindness and wisdom we are trying to cultivate.
41321 The mantra OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ is associated with Avalokiteśvara,
41322 the embodiment of enlightened compassion, and the mantra is the verbal
41323 articulation of that same quality of compassion. Among the many
41324 interpretations of the mantra, here is one I find especially meaningful. Oṃ
41325 signifies the manifest body, speech, and mind. Maṇi in Sanskrit means
41326 "jewel." Padme, pronounced pémé in Tibetan, means "in the lotus."
41327 Hūṃ, pronounced by the Tibetans as hoong, is a syllable suggestive of the
41328 deepest, essential, transcendent nature of consciousness. So the mantra
41329 starts out from the manifest state of the body, speech, and mind, then through
41330 the metaphor of the jewel in the lotus, goes to the depths of consciousness.
41331 -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart",
41332 published by Shambhala Publications
41334 In general, people tend to minimize the importance of the ordinary sangha:
41335 Buddha is a big deal, Dharma is a big deal, and Sangha is something to put up
41336 with. Yet it's within the ordinary sangha, monastic or lay, that the
41337 roughest edges of our arrogance and pride can be smoothed down a little.
41338 Americans--with their car obsessions--have a good expression for this:
41339 "Where the rubber meets the road." Let's say there's a shiny new car
41340 on the floor. It appears to be perfect. But we still need to take it for a
41341 test–drive. The car that never leaves the shop is like a practitioner
41342 reciting nice words about compassion and selflessness, but removed from the
41343 opportunity to test–drive their intentions and aspirations. How do the
41344 bodhisattva ideals hold up when we actually interact with others?
41345 Problems within the sangha inevitably arise because we're talking about
41346 unenlightened people trying to get along with each other. Jealousy,
41347 competition, and anger inevitably erupt. Although individual practitioners
41348 have unenlightened minds and commit unenlightened activities and get ensnared
41349 in ignorant understanding, the ordinary sangha still offers the best
41350 opportunity to apply dharma.
41351 -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Turning Confusion into Clarity", published by
41352 Shambhala Publications
41354 Silly beings, uninterested in this meaning,
41355 Are always carried away by the river of samsara and finished.
41357 There are some who do not have much faith in the dharmachakra of No Mental
41358 Activity, the essence-meaning of mahamudra. Here, Mahasiddha Tilopa does not
41359 mean all sentient beings in general but rather some who cling to tenet
41360 systems--those with attachment to their own system. There are quite a few
41361 such intellectual logicians. Such intransigent stubborn "silly ones" who
41362 lack the eye of wisdom
41363 -- Sangyes Nyenpa, "Tilopa's Mahamudra Upadesha", published by Shambhala
41366 Ordinary beings--even those who are kind and compassionate--are
41367 primarily motivated by self-interest and work mainly for their own benefit.
41368 All of their activities and thoughts are tinged by self-serving motivations
41369 and attitudes. Even when they perform acts of kindness, they generally do so
41370 expecting praise or personal satisfaction and not because of pure altruism.
41371 Bodhisattvas, however, are motivated by universal compassion, and they
41372 seek the ultimate goal of buddhahood in order to be of service to others.
41373 They embark on this path with the generation of the mind of awakening. Unlike
41374 ordinary beings, who think of their own advantage, bodhisattvas consider how
41375 best to benefit others.
41376 -- John Powers, A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, published by
41377 Shambhala Publications
41379 "I'm fine. My life's together. I know what I'm doing. I've
41380 got to look like a good Dharma practitioner. People shouldn't see me cry.
41381 They shouldn't know how distracted I am during meditation. I can't let on
41382 how incredibly confused I am." We think we're the only one who is confused
41383 and not wanting to lose face, we hide our turmoil and pretend to be calmly in
41384 charge of the show. But we're in cyclic existence, so how much control do
41385 we really have? How peaceful can we be when we have a samsaric body and mind?
41386 When our "garbage mind"--as Lama Yeshe used to call it--spills out,
41387 we may be alarmed and think that we're not doing the practice correctly. In
41388 fact, we are. Only by exposing the garbage mind can we identify it and free
41390 -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart", published by
41391 Shambhala Publications
41393 Completely understanding his dire circumstances, the man had a strong
41394 feeling that the only way to be saved from deportation was to extend loving-
41395 kindness to Calcutta's police inspector general. He placed a photograph of
41396 the police inspector general on his desk. He then completely focused his
41397 attention on it, extending his feeling of loving-kindness toward the man. In
41398 fact, he sat up the entire night looking at the photograph and practicing his
41399 loving-kindness meditation.
41400 When the police inspector general arrived in the morning, he approached
41401 the man and looked directly into his eyes. He then said, "I will not send
41402 you to Sri Lanka, Sir, but I will instead look after you here as if you were
41404 -- Bhante Walpola Piyananda, "The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A.", published by
41405 Shambhala Publications
41407 The scriptures say that thinking is not thinking, so do not even think about
41408 not having thoughts. There is no thinking about nonconceptualization, or
41409 about anything else. The scriptures also say that one should not think
41410 "stop thinking!" Do not think in order to clarify the meaning of
41411 nonconceptuality. This becomes more and more subtle, more and more peaceful,
41412 more and more clear, more and more equal. Once the basis has been
41413 transformed, rest in equanimity in the space of reality.
41414 -- Sam van Schaik, "Tibetan Zen: Discovering a Lost Tradition", published by
41415 Shambhala Publications
41417 According the First Noble Truth, the first step in discovering truth and
41418 relieving our own and anyone else's suffering is to acknowledge the pain and
41419 suffering that are present in our lives. Sometimes people assume that
41420 Buddhism is a pessimistic sort of tradition because of this teaching. In
41421 fact, however, recognizing that pain is simply part of being alive can be a
41422 relief. It is not a sign that we have done something wrong, stupid, or
41423 shameful. Yet I often catch myself and hear others making just that
41424 assumption--that pain and suffering are signs of some personal defect.
41425 If I tell one friend that I have a cold, for instance, she is likely to
41426 say, "Well, how did that happen? Were you out without your hat in the cold?"
41427 Even more distressing is the view we all have heard at one time or another,
41428 which blames sufferers of serious diseases for having them: "Oh, yes, cancer
41429 is a sign of unexpressed grief." Of course, as modern medical research is
41430 increasingly showing us, the mind and the body are deeply interconnected, and
41431 our attitudes, emotions, and behaviors do affect our health. Yet, even if we
41432 were able to do "everything right," if we live long enough, we will not escape
41433 old age, sickness, and death.
41434 -- Karen Kissel Wegela, "The Courage to be Present", published by Shambhala
41437 In brief, whatever is dawning, be right there with an uncontrived mind. Do
41438 not involve yourself with stopping, or starting, or with any modification
41439 whatsoever. Whatever arises, stay uncontrivedly right with that arising.
41440 Don't reel your mind in, don't cast around for an object of meditation out
41441 there. Be right there with the meditator, your very own mind. Unfound when
41442 sought, your own mind is primordially empty mindnature. Seeking also is
41443 unnecessary; the seeker--yourself--is that [which one is seeking].
41444 Unwaveringly remain right with that very seeker.
41445 -- Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche, "Strand of Jewels", published by Shambhala
41448 Thus, all compounded and uncompounded phenomena--the ten directions, the
41449 three times, the three worlds, and so forth--are none other than one's own
41450 mind, as is stated in the Great Sovereign of Practices, the Victory over the
41451 Three Worlds: "If one realizes, in accordance with one's own unmistaken
41452 mind or the power of the mind, that discerning consciousness is the very
41453 nature of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and the like, one is enlightened. If one
41454 fails to understand this, everything appears as the vessel and contents that
41455 constitute samsara. The three worlds are simply this; the great elements
41457 -- Padmasambhava, "A Garland of Views: A Guide to View, Meditation, and
41458 Result in the Nine Vehicles", from Padmasambhava's classic text with a
41459 commentary by Jamgön Mipham, published by Shambhala Publications
41461 The Hinayana counsels a life of discipline--not the onerous, punishing kind,
41462 but the kind that can actually create a life of joy. Little slips are to be
41463 avoided because they really seem to pile up. Rather than being seen as moral
41464 wrongdoings, however, they are seen as obstacles and obscurations to true
41465 wakefulness and as such are to be eschewed. To do so, tremendous precision is
41466 required. I mean, take just one of the most basic precepts, common to every
41467 religion under the sun: "don't lie." If you can read to the end of this
41468 paragraph without telling a lie, please alert the media.
41469 -- Susan Piver, "Start Here Now", published by Shambhala Publications
41471 The reason and the meaning of love in our life is very profound. It is unlike
41472 any other reason. In my own personal view, I do not think that love has to be
41473 for no reason at all. Rather, I think that the reason to love is so vast that
41474 it cannot be limited to any particular reasons.
41475 -- The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in "The Heart Is Noble", published by
41476 Shambhala Publications
41478 Human beings suffer birth, sickness, aging and death. We enumerate these
41479 different forms of suffering but prefer not to think about what they entail.
41480 We only need to watch a birth to know how traumatic and painful the passage
41481 through the birth canal must be for the baby. Aging is distasteful to
41482 everyone but small children, who long to be grown up. Everyone else likes to
41483 be told they don't look a day older.
41484 Even reading about diseases or hearing of others' sicknesses fills us
41485 with a dread that we might contract them. When we actually fall ill
41486 ourselves, we feel afraid and helpless. As for death, everyone avoids talking
41487 about it. Humans also experience the constant frustration of not getting what
41488 they want and getting what they don't want. When we first meet people, they
41489 may seem successful and happy, but as soon as we get to know them better, we
41490 discover they all have a tale of woe to tell.
41491 -- "Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment", commentary by Geshe
41492 Sonam Rinchen, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by
41493 Shambhala Publications
41495 The idea is that passion should be transmuted into compassion for yourself and
41496 others. This is possible because passion without reference point, goal
41497 orientation, or aggression is compassion. When passion is transmuted into
41498 compassion, you do not abandon your existence, but you are able to be gentle
41499 and nice. Since you are not substituting such behavior for your actual self,
41500 you do not feel particularly lost or deprived of your capabilities. Beyond
41501 that, you can expand to others as well. So you are full, but at the same
41502 time, you are empty.
41503 -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom & Compassion",
41504 published by Shambhala Publications.
41506 Traditionally, many subtle distinctions are made about the various
41507 characteristics and levels of the development of bodhichitta. Chagme Rinpoche
41508 mentions these and says, "If you are studying to become a scholar, you need
41509 to know all of these distinctions. But if you are a practitioner, these
41510 distinctions are extremely unimportant." For example, I arrived here at
41511 these teachings by traveling in airplanes and automobiles. Now, I might
41512 wonder, "Who built the airplane I traveled in? How does it work?" But, in
41513 fact, I don't know the answers to any of these things because it is not
41514 important for me to know these things. What is important is that I got on an
41515 airplane and flew thousands of miles and was able to get here. In the same
41516 way, I regularly travel by automobile, and I might wonder, "How do you make
41517 an automobile? Who made this automobile? How does it work exactly?" From
41518 one point of view, of course, it is good to know these things, but from the
41519 point of view of actually getting somewhere, it is not important. What is
41520 important is that I got in a car and I came here. So, from one point of view,
41521 it might be important to know all about the various aspects and
41522 characteristics of bodhichitta, but according to Karma Chagme, it is perfectly
41524 -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Luminous Clarity: A Commentary on Karma Chagme's
41525 Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen", published by Shambhala Publications
41527 - You are a deeply selfish person. -
41529 + You are a deeply compassionate person. +
41531 * You are a deeply deep person. *
41533 - You are a deeply selfish person. -
41534 + You are a deeply compassionate person. +
41535 * You are a deeply deep person. *
41537 Buddhism asserts that the mind can be changed. I doubt whether anyone
41538 would dispute that point although we often feel as if we are stuck with an
41539 obstinate mind that refuses to do what we want it to. In addictions this
41540 feeling of being stuck can be very powerful. But Buddha said that all this
41541 can change, no matter how bad it is.
41542 Buddha was a top psychologist. He taught methods for dealing with
41543 immediate and urgent situations as well as methods that look into long-term
41544 change. For the long term, meditation is an important method. When he was
41545 teaching about how to meditate, he suggested a number of tools from which we
41546 can benefit. We are going to use three of these tools to help us:
41547 mindfulness, introspection, and equanimity. Mindfulness keeps our mind on
41548 whatever we have decided to do. Introspection checks whether we are being
41549 mindful or not. Equanimity stops the dramatizing and catastrophizing that we
41550 get into when we do not get what we want (the craving and grasping that arise
41551 from attachment) or we get what we do not want (aversion which gives rise to
41552 hatred, jealousy, and depression).
41553 -- Chönyi Taylor, from "Enough! A Buddhist Approach to Finding Release
41554 from Addictive Patterns", published by Shambhala Publications
41556 It is said in the Supreme Continuum of the Great Vehicle:
41557 Earth is based upon water,
41558 Water on wind, and wind on space,
41559 But space is not based on anything.
41560 Similarly, the aggregates and sensory sense fields
41561 Are based on deeds and afflictive mental states.
41562 Deeds and afflictive mental states are always based on mistaken attention.
41563 Mistaken attention is based on the purity of mind.
41564 But the nature of mind is not itself based on any of these things.
41565 -- Choying Tobden Dorje, from "The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to
41566 Tantra, Books 15 to 17, Volume 1", published by Shambhala Publications
41568 First, I'll begin with self, which sometimes goes by the name ego, or
41569 more familiarly, I and me. What is this self, really? We can investigate by
41570 trying to analyze this self, to locate it or pin it down, to see if it even
41571 exists in the first place. This can be a highly illuminating contemplation,
41572 but for the purposes of this book, I would like to focus more on our everyday
41573 experience. Let's identify how having a self feels. In our mind stream,
41574 there is always some kind of feeling of having a self, which is at the center
41575 of all our thoughts and emotions. One Tibetan phrase targets this phenomenon
41576 precisely: dak che dzin. Dak means "self"; che means "important" or
41577 "dear"; dzin means "holding" or "regarding." This term has various
41578 translations, which all capture different nuances: self-centeredness, self-
41579 clinging, ego-clinging, self-absorption. I like to use all of these terms in
41580 different contexts, but my favorite translation is "self-importance."
41581 This word may make us think dak che dzin has mostly to do with being proud
41582 and arrogant, but such pride is nowhere near the whole story. Self-importance
41583 includes both self-cherishing and self-protection. It is the source of the
41584 five main types of painful emotions, known as the "five poisons":
41585 attachment, aggression, jealousy, arrogance, and stupidity. It can manifest
41586 as feeling like we're better than others, but just as easily it can manifest
41587 as low self-esteem, or even self-hatred. The bottom line is that we regard
41588 this self--whatever or wherever it is--as the most important thing in the
41590 -- Dzigar Kongtrul, from "The Intelligent Heart: A Guide to the
41591 Compassionate Life", published by Shambhala Publications.
41593 Poverty is an anomaly to rich people; it is very difficult to make out why
41594 people who want dinner do not ring the bell.
41597 In reality, nothing can save us from a state of chaos or confusion unless
41598 we have acknowledged it and actually experienced it. Otherwise, even though
41599 we may be in the midst of chaos, we don't even notice it, although we are
41600 subject to it. On the path of meditation, the first real glimpse of our
41601 confusion and the general chaos is when we begin to feel uncomfortable. We
41602 feel that something is a nuisance. Something is bugging us constantly.
41603 What is that? Eventually we discover that we are the nuisance. We begin
41604 to see ourselves being a nuisance to ourselves when we uncover all kinds of
41605 thought problems, emotional hang-ups, and physical problems in meditation.
41606 Before we work with anyone else, we have to deal with being a nuisance to
41607 ourselves. We have to pull ourselves together. We might get angry with
41608 ourselves, saying, "I could do better than this. What's wrong with me? I
41609 seem to be getting worse. I'm going backward." We might get angry with
41610 the whole world, including ourselves. Everything, the entire universe,
41611 becomes the expression of total insult. We have to relate to that experience
41612 rather than rejecting it. If you hope to be helpful to others, first you have
41613 to work with yourself.
41614 -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "Mindfulness in Action", published by Shambhala
41617 If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered
41618 as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded,
41619 that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers
41620 against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious
41622 -- George Washington, letter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia (1789)
41624 Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one,
41625 he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.
41626 -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr (1787)
41628 In regard to religion, mutual toleration in the different professions thereof
41629 is what all good and candid minds in all ages have ever practiced, and both by
41630 precept and example inculcated on mankind.
41631 -- Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists (1771)
41633 Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the
41634 strongly marked feature of all religions established by law. Take away the
41635 law-establishment, and every religion re-assumes its original benignity.
41636 -- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man (1791)
41638 Congress has no power to make any religious establishments.
41639 -- Roger Sherman, Congress (1789)
41641 The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.
41642 -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack (1758)
41644 I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people
41645 build a wall of separation between Church & State.
41646 -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury Baptists (1802)
41648 To argue with a man who has renounced the use of reason is like administering
41649 medicine to the dead.
41650 -- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis No. V (1776)
41652 Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than
41653 our opinions in physics or geometry.
41654 -- Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1779)
41656 Christian establishments tend to great ignorance and corruption, all of which
41657 facilitate the execution of mischievous projects.
41658 -- James Madison, letter to William Bradford, Jr. (1774)
41660 There is nothing which can better deserve our patronage than the promotion of
41661 science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of
41663 -- George Washington, address to Congress (1790)
41665 During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity
41666 been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride
41667 and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both,
41668 superstition, bigotry and persecution.
41669 -- James Madison, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia (1785)
41671 If the present and the future
41672 Depend upon the past,
41673 Then both the present and the future
41674 Are existent in the past.
41676 If the present and the future
41677 Are not present then,
41678 How could the present and the future
41679 Be dependent on it?
41681 If they are not dependent on the past,
41682 Then both are unestablished.
41683 Thus the present and the future time
41686 To the two remaining times, it should be understood,
41687 This same procedure is applied.
41688 And likewise it applies to high and low and medium,
41689 And to the singular and so forth.
41691 Time that does not stay we cannot grasp;
41692 And time that could be grasped
41693 Does not remain. So how can time,
41694 Ungraspable, be said to be?
41696 If time depends on things,
41697 Then how can there be time if things do not exist?
41698 And since there are no things at all,
41699 How can time exist?
41700 -- Nagarjuna, from "The Root Stanzas of the Middle Way: The
41701 Mulamadhyamakakarika", published by Shambhala Publications
41703 White Rabbit, by Jefferson Airplane
41705 One pill makes you larger
41706 And one pill makes you small
41707 And the ones that mother gives you
41708 Don't do anything at all
41710 When she's ten feet tall
41712 And if you go chasing rabbits
41713 And you know you're going to fall
41714 Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
41715 Has given you the call
41717 When she was just small
41719 When the men on the chessboard
41720 Get up and tell you where to go
41721 And you've just had some kind of mushroom
41722 And your mind is moving low
41724 I think she'll know
41726 When logic and proportion
41727 Have fallen sloppy dead
41728 And the White Knight is talking backwards
41729 And the Red Queen's off with her head
41730 Remember what the dormouse said
41734 How can we integrate these teachings into our lives? I think that only
41735 happens when we are faced with challenges and respond to them in a new way,
41736 not according to habitual self-importance. In other words, we respond by
41737 applying the exchange of self and other. When tonglen becomes our familiar
41738 way of being, the entire path unfolds easily in front of us. This difficult
41739 modern age turns out to be the perfect setting for our spiritual practice,
41740 proving far more hospitable to our growth than past eras of idealized calm and
41741 simplicity. When we figure out for ourselves how to apply the wisdom of books
41742 to whatever difficult circumstances arise in life, then that wisdom becomes
41743 part of our mind. We become transformed. My hope for every reader--as well
41744 as for myself--is that we will apply these lojong teachings again and again
41745 until they become part of who we are.
41746 -- Dzigar Kongtrul and Joseph Waxman, in "The Intelligent Heart: A Guide
41747 to the Compassionate Life", published by Shambhala Publications
41751 Honolulu: a relaxed city, like an uncrowded bar where everyone is clean and
41754 Los Angeles: a scattered city, like a teenager's sexual curiosity.
41756 San Francisco: a clean city, like an elegant, genteel Christian graveyard.
41758 Santa Fe: a picturesque city, like a painter's bright, simple palette,
41761 Boston: a sophisticated city, like London without queens and dukes and falling
41764 New York: a no-more-nothingness city,
41765 where gentle, quiet audiences sit in theaters listening to classical concerts;
41766 where rough, noisy audiences sit in stadiums in pandemonium watching boxing;
41767 where there are clean people with dirty minds;
41768 where there are dirty people with clean minds;
41769 where hundreds of nihilist people reject spiritual teachings;
41770 where hundreds of spiritual teachers reject samsara's teachings;
41771 where poor people sleep underground on low subway platforms;
41772 where rich people sleep aboveground in high skyscraper penthouses;
41773 where many non-practitioners stay for their nightclub retreat to find pleasure;
41774 practitioners leave for their countryside retreat to find pleasure.
41775 - Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, from "A Brief Fantasy History of a Himalayan",
41776 published by Shambhala Publications
41778 As a blind man feels when he finds a pearl in a dustbin, so am I amazed by the
41779 miracle of awakening rising in my consciousness. It is the nectar of
41780 immortality that delivers us from death, the treasure that lifts us above
41781 poverty into the wealth of giving to life, the tree that gives shade to us
41782 when we roam about scorched by life, the bridge that takes us across the
41783 stormy river of life, the cool moon of compassion that calms our mind when it
41784 is agitated, the sun that dispels darkness, the butter made from the milk of
41785 kindness by churning it with the dharma. It is a feast of joy to which all
41787 -- from "Teachings of the Buddha", written by Shantideva, edited by Jack
41788 Kornfield, published by Shambhala Publications
41790 Even though we may actually recognize the nature of awareness, we should not
41791 hold on to that mindfulness tightly, thinking, "I have indeed recognized it."
41792 If we do hold on to it tightly, it will be like when a thread is twisted too
41793 taut: one cannot sew with it, because it knots up. In the same way, if one
41794 is too tense, one's mindfulness will be obscured. If mindfulness is not
41795 grasped too tightly but left in the natural flow, sometimes it will be clear
41796 and sometimes not. But we should not get caught up in whether it is clear or
41797 not. If genuine mindfulness is left without being altered, gradually we will
41798 come to know, through our own experience, "This is awareness, and this is
41799 ignorance; this is mind, and this is wisdom."
41800 -- Dilgo Khyentse, from "Primordial Purity", published by Shambhala
41803 He says Tibetans are unique because we value the practice of Buddhism. He
41804 gives the example of Tibetan mothers who in the course of a day point
41805 repeatedly toward suffering. They tell their children: don't kill the ant,
41806 it will suffer; don't pour hot water on the soil, the earthworm will feel
41807 the sting and the heat will cause it great pain; don't pull the dog's tail
41808 so hard. We are told to think for the animals and insects who cannot voice
41809 their pain but for whom suffering is as acute as it is for humans. From a
41810 young age, he says, we are reminded that nobody is free from suffering. I
41811 agree that my Tibetan friends are instinctively more likely to brush away
41812 flies or mosquitoes instead of crushing or swatting them. But why is
41813 compassion so important? What about our land, our independence? Will
41814 compassion free our land?
41815 -- Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, in "Coming Home to Tibet: A Memoir of Love, Loss,
41816 and Belonging", published by Shambhala Publications
41818 At the end of every meditation session, recognize what kind of healing
41819 experience you are feeling. You could be feeling peace, warmth, bliss,
41820 spaciousness, boundlessness, richness, sacredness, or strength. If you have
41821 multiple experiences, it can help to recognize the most prominent one.
41822 The goal is to calmly enjoy the particular experience, resting in
41823 awareness of what you are feeling, without grasping at it or analyzing it or
41824 needing to think about it in words. Just remain one with the experience, in
41825 open awareness, in silence, like water that has merged in water.
41826 Purpose: This meditation is for sowing the seed of experience of the
41827 meditation, not on the rough surface of concepts or afflicting emotions but at
41828 the deeper and calmer level of the open mind. Merging your awareness with the
41829 experience ensures the fruition of the meditation with greatest certainty.
41830 Open awareness helps unite your mind with the result of healing.
41831 This meditation could also lead to, or be, the awareness state of the
41832 enlightened nature itself.
41833 -- by Tulku Thondup, in "Boundless Healing", published by Shambhala Publications
41836 These precious freedoms and endowments are rare as a daytime star;
41837 Even when found, like a candle flame in the wind,
41838 They could vanish in an instant!
41839 Pondering this, most people seem like mad sea captains.
41841 The root of practice is renunciation.
41842 So if you don't use the key points of mind training
41843 To till the soil of your mind, hardened toward liberation,
41844 When death comes and you beat your chest with regret,
41845 it will be too late!
41847 -- Jigme Lingpa, from "Steps to the Great Perfection: The Mind-Training
41848 Tradition of the Dzogchen Masters", published by Shambhala Publications
41850 We don't have to try to surrender. That sounds too effortful. Then we will
41851 have a surrender competition. There is going to be a spiritual marathon, a
41852 spiritual Olympics, how about that? Indeed, there is a spiritual Olympics.
41853 It is not officially announced. Many people are working really hard trying to
41854 be the best meditator, the best ascetic, the most enlightened. So don't try
41855 to surrender with your personal will or deliberate effort. It sounds like too
41856 much work, trying to surrender to everything. Instead, go inside. That is
41857 all you need to do sometimes. Go inside and let yourself be in touch with
41858 your heart. You know how to be in touch with your heart. Your heart is
41859 waiting to be recognized. This is why the Tibetan masters often said there
41860 are many forms or levels of meditation. The highest level is what they call
41861 effortless meditation. When they teach how to meditate, especially the
41862 masters from the Nyingma tradition, they always say, "Don't do anything."
41863 Rest in the present moment. Relax in the natural state of your mind, because
41864 if you can relax, rest in the natural state of your own mind, then you will be
41865 in touch with your own heart, with your original heart, with your innocent
41866 heart, and then surrender is very easy because all of your heart wants it.
41867 -- Anam Thubten, from "Embracing Each Moment: A Guide to the Awakened Life",
41868 published by Shambhala Publications
41870 One day the Dalai Lama went to Ganden accompanied by his security agent
41871 Kumbula. They went in ordinary clothes on ordinary horses and left Lhasa
41872 traveling east. When they got to the ferries they met with an elderly man
41873 heading back home from Lhasa where he had taken a load of wood on a donkey.
41874 The Dalai Lama entered into a conversation with him. "Where are you off to?"
41875 he asked. "I am going back home," the man replied. "I have taken a load of
41876 wood to the Norbulinka to the kitchens there." This was when a new building
41877 called the Chensel Palace was being constructed. New taxes had been
41878 introduced to pay for it and part of the tax was the requisitioning of pack
41879 animals to transport rocks. "He already has some very beautiful palaces but
41880 still he is building a new one. People have to spend a lot of their time
41881 there and use their animals for building this new palace. It is that fellow
41882 Kumbula who decided yet another palace is needed in Norbulinka even though
41883 there are a lot there already. He is not a bad fellow, this Kumbula," the old
41884 man continued, "but he really does load up the ordinary people with his taxes
41885 and requisitions. This fellow Kumbula, he always has to be starting some new
41886 project or other, he is that sort of fellow." Now Kumbula was right there
41887 with the Dalai Lama, and a bit later the old fellow started up again. "This
41888 Kumbula is definitely too quick to start up new projects, if you ask me; but
41889 you know, he is no fool either, and he is loyal to the Dalai Lama. He is
41890 useful to the Dalai Lama, no doubt about that." The gist of his remarks was
41891 that the ordinary man like himself found the taxation burdensome. The Dalai
41892 Lama was very pleased with the conversation.
41893 "Rinpoche," the old man said, thinking the Dalai Lama was just a
41894 distinguished looking older monk, "have some tea with me." They had some tea
41895 and tsampa together and then the old fellow pulled out a bottle of barley beer
41896 and offered it to the Dalai Lama. "I am a monk, I do not drink beer," the
41897 Dalai Lama protested. "Do not be silly," he said, "a lot of the monks are
41898 drinking beer nowadays, go ahead and have a swig." "Is that so?" said the
41899 Dalai Lama. "A lot of the monks nowadays are drinking beer are they?" "Piles
41900 of them," the old fellow replied, "though I am pleased to see that you do not
41901 accept my offer." After the old man had downed his beer with some bread he
41902 was carrying, they set off in the direction of Ganden together, talking as
41903 they went. As they began to approach Ganden, at the place called Dechen, they
41904 caught sight of a large smoke offering and the monks of Ganden lined up to
41905 welcome a special guest. The old fellow said, "They are making a big welcome
41906 up there for someone today, I wonder who is coming." The Dalai Lama said, "I
41907 am not positive, but I suspect it is for me." Then the old fellow began to
41908 suspect that he was there with the Dalai Lama and he thought he had better
41909 make a run for it. As he tried to flee the Dalai Lama caught hold of him and
41910 would not let him go. He took the old man right in through the gates of
41911 Ganden Monastery and told the people there not to let him leave, but to give
41912 him a good meal and something excellent to drink. After he had been well-fed
41913 and looked after, the Dalai Lama sent word to bring him.
41914 The old man was beside himself with fear, thinking he was going to be
41915 given a terrible punishment, but the Dalai Lama treated him as a friend and
41916 told him to sit down, right opposite to where Kumbula was sitting. "Hey, old
41917 fellow," he said, "I must introduce you to Kumbula. This is Kumbula." He was
41918 overcome with embarrassment, but the Dalai Lama said that he should not be.
41919 "You spoke your heart, you spoke what you felt was true and there is no shame
41920 in that. You described faults as faults and good qualities as good qualities.
41921 Some people only complain but you did not do that. Some, again, cover up
41922 faults and say nothing but good and that is not right either. You spoke
41923 honestly and openly, and I am very happy." He gave him fifty white silver
41924 sangs as a parting gift, a large sum of money, and said that the problems
41925 would be looked into. It was from then that the levies on the people for
41926 Norbulinka building projects stopped.
41927 -- Ven. Lobsang Gyatso, translated by Ven. Dr. Gareth Sparham, "Memoirs
41928 of a Tibetan Lama", published by Shambhala Publications
41930 The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor
41931 to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and
41933 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41935 Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on
41936 the present moment.
41937 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41939 You only lose what you cling to. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41941 Pain is certain, suffering is optional. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41943 Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it
41944 at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
41945 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41947 Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to
41949 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41951 Most problems, if you give them enough time and space, will eventually wear
41953 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41955 If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved
41956 worrying will do you no good.
41957 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41959 There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates
41960 people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant
41961 relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.
41962 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41964 Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again, and you will be
41966 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41968 Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are, it solely relies on
41970 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41972 Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to others.
41973 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41975 Wear your ego like a loose fitting garment. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41977 People with opinions just go around bothering one another.
41978 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41981 than the man who would conquer
41982 a thousand-thousand men,
41983 is he who would conquer
41986 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41988 Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except your self. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41990 With our thoughts we make the world. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41992 However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they
41993 do you if you do not act on upon them?
41994 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41996 Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.
41997 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
41999 Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.
42000 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42002 A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not
42003 considered a good man because he is a good talker.
42004 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42006 Silence is an empty space, space is the home of the awakened mind.
42007 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42009 Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and
42011 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42013 All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our
42014 thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil
42015 thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that
42016 draws the wagon... If a man speaks or acts with a good thought, happiness
42017 follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.
42018 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42020 The mind is everything. What you think you become. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42022 The fool who knows he is a fool is that much wiser. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42024 Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.
42025 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42027 In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create
42028 distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.
42029 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42031 Three things can not hide for long: the Moon, the Sun, and the Truth.
42032 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42034 Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe
42035 in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe
42036 in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do
42037 not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
42038 Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many
42039 generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything
42040 agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all,
42041 then accept it and live up to it.
42042 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42044 If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would
42046 -- Shakyamuni Buddha
42048 brain fully charged
42051 It really seemed like every band built on the one just prior to it, so that as
42052 each day moved on, the acts just generated more and more energy and awesome
42053 music, storing it up in a celestial battery. the peak of it all for me was
42054 the phish show on the last night, which was so high energy and saturated with
42055 fun and healthy vibes that I felt like "i never need to feel fear again".
42056 that feeling lasted for days after the festival was over. hopefully memory of
42057 that thought never fades.
42059 Don't become easily discouraged. If you never try to go beyond that
42060 stage of initial discouragement because there are thoughts arising in your
42061 meditation, you are never going to have the true experiences of meditation.
42062 You need to go beyond that initial stage. You need to keep trying. If you
42063 keep making that effort to go beyond that initial discouragement, you will
42064 arrive at the experience of not getting caught up in your thoughts and mental
42066 Sometimes you may even observe an increase in the frequency of thoughts.
42067 When that happens, don't get discouraged. My enlightened master Jigme
42068 Phuntsok Rinpoche says:
42069 "One sign that your meditation is beginning to be effective is that both
42070 subtle thoughts and obvious thoughts become more noticeable than before. This
42071 is not a bad sign; it's a good sign. When water rushes in a strong river
42072 current, you don't see the fish or rocks beneath the rapids. But when the
42073 current slows and the water becomes clear, then you can see the fish, the
42074 rocks, and everything below the surface distinctly. Similarly, if you never
42075 pay attention to your mind, and your thoughts and emotions are uncontrolled,
42076 you don't even know how many thoughts go by. But when your mind becomes
42077 more stable and calm, you begin to see your thoughts more clearly. Don't be
42078 discouraged. Take heart at this sign. Don't hold yourself too loosely or
42079 too tightly. Maintain your meditation in the right way without concern and
42080 gradually your meditation experience will increase and stabilize."
42081 Remember: Do not follow the past. Do not anticipate the future. Remain
42082 in the present moment. Leave your mind alone. Those four simple,
42083 straightforward instructions give us a chance to go beyond our mental events
42084 and, eventually, to experience the natural state of mind.
42085 -- Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche, in "Our Pristine Mind", published by Shambhala
42088 Knowing full well that his aim is to achieve enlightenment, Sujata adopts
42089 a parallel program to help sustain him. Symbolically feeding Gautama with
42090 each offering to the priests, she utters the dedication prayer,
42091 May the Bodhisattva take my food and thereby truly attain perfect and
42092 completely unexcelled awakening!
42093 After six years of this, the gods notify her that Gautama has ceased his
42094 austerities and urge her to take further action. Due to her abundant good
42095 karma in past lives, she is preordained to serve him. Sujata sets to work
42096 preparing the rice milk offering in the fashion of the one thousand cows
42097 milked to feed the five hundred and so forth. In observing miracles around
42098 the cooking pot, she prays that they foretell the Bodhisattva's imminent
42099 supreme awakening. She brings the rice porridge in a golden bowl to Gautama
42100 where he is sitting along the river and offers it to him after reverentially
42101 making prostrations. According to this story, the Bodhisattva regains his
42102 former strength and splendor upon consuming Sujata's excellent food. In
42103 this version, it is his first meal after the six years of austerities and has
42104 instantly restored him to wholeness. After bathing and meditating at the
42105 river, Gautama proceeds to the tree of enlightenment. All these events have
42106 taken place within the span of one day.
42107 -- Wendy Garling, in "Stars at Dawn", published by Shambhala Publications
42109 True compassion is spacious and wise as well as resourceful. This type of
42110 compassion could be called intelligent love or intelligent affection. We know
42111 how to express our affection so that it does not destroy a person but instead
42112 helps him or her to develop. It is more like a dance than a hug. And the
42113 music behind it is that of intellect.
42114 -- " 'Intellect and Intuition,' in The Heart of the Buddha: Entering the
42115 Tibetan Buddhist Path", by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, published by
42116 Shambhala Publications
42118 Gampopa recognized in Dusum Khyenpa an exceptional being and declared that
42119 he would amply spread Buddhism throughout Tibet. He added that he would be
42120 liberated in this life from samsara, cyclic existence. Over many years the
42121 Karmapa received from this great bodhisattva the teachings that Gampopa
42122 himself had been given by his masters. First, Gampopa transmitted to him the
42123 teachings of the Kadampa tradition, including the classical scholastic studies
42124 known as the "gradual path," which emphasize the development of
42125 renunciation and altruism. They henceforth became an educational constant for
42126 the Kagyu lineage and the basis of the study of the Vajrayana. Dusum Khyenpa
42127 then received from his master the teachings and transmissions related to the
42128 tantras. One day, when Gampopa bestowed upon his disciple the Hevajra
42129 initiation, the Karmapa perceived his master in the form of the deity himself.
42130 Gampopa then urged Dusum Khyenpa to go on retreat into the neighboring
42131 caves in order to actualize what had been transmitted. After only nine days
42132 of meditation, he spontaneously experienced a strong feeling of warmth and
42133 bliss. He removed his monk robes and dressed himself in the simple attire of
42134 white cotton-repa--worn by yogis. He meditated for nine months,
42135 concentrating in particular on the practice of calm abiding (samatha), which
42136 allows practitioners to pacify and stabilize their mind. Having excelled in
42137 this, he continued his retreat for three more years, perfecting his meditative
42138 capacities on the understanding of the nature of mind through penetrating
42139 vision (vipashyana) practice. Finally Gampopa conferred upon him the ultimate
42140 instructions of the Kagyu lineage. He then considered that the realization of
42141 his disciple was henceforth stable.
42142 From then on the life of Dusum Khyenpa was divided between retreat and
42143 travel. He traveled throughout central Tibet, receiving instructions from
42144 other teachers or dispensing his own teachings. Nonetheless, until his master
42145 passed away, he often returned to Gampopa to receive other transmissions.
42146 Gampopa encouraged the Karmapa to go on retreat in the near future at Kampo
42147 Gangra in eastern Tibet, prophesying that it would be in this location that
42148 Dusum Khyenpa would attain complete enlightenment.
42149 -- from "History of the Karmapas", by Lama Kunsang, Lama Pemo, and Marie
42150 Aubèle, published by Shambhala Publications
42152 One cannot force or grasp a spiritual experience, because it is as delicate as
42153 the whisper of the wind. But one can purify one's motivation, one's body,
42154 and train oneself to cultivate it. Because we come from a culture which
42155 teaches us there is always something external to be obtained which will lead
42156 us to fulfillment, we lose contact with our innate wisdom. As the Indian
42157 Tantric Buddhist saint Saraha says in one of his dohas (poems expressing the
42158 essence of his understanding):
42159 Though the house-lamps have been lit,
42160 The blind live on in the dark.
42161 Though spontaneity is all-encompassing
42162 And close, to the deluded it remains
42164 -- Tsultrim Allione, in "Women of Wisdom", published by Shambhala Publications
42166 being royalty is nothing compared to being composed from parts of a far
42167 flung star explosion, as we all are.
42170 Six right livelihood guidelines...
42173 Eat with awareness and gratitude.
42174 Pause before buying and see if breathing is enough.
42175 Pay attention to the effects of media you consume.
42177 Pause. Breathe. Listen.
42178 When you feel compelled to speak in a meeting or conversation, pause.
42179 Breathe before entering your home, pleace of work, or school.
42180 Listen to the people you encounter. They are buddhas.
42182 Practice gratitude.
42183 Notice what you have
42184 Be equally grateful for opportunities and challenges.
42185 Share joy, not negativity.
42187 Cultivate compassion and loving kindness.
42188 Notice where help is needed and be quick to help
42189 Consider others' perspectives deeply.
42190 Work for peace at many levels.
42193 Cultivate "don't know" mind (= curiosity).
42194 Find connections between Buddhist teachings and your life.
42195 Be open to what arises in every moment.
42197 Accept constant change.
42199 -- Source: "Moon journeying through clouds", Zen Buddhist chants, sayings and recitations from the Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom.
42201 never forget that the truth is always larger than you know.
42204 Roger Babson's Ten Commandments of Investing
42206 + Keep speculation and investments separate.
42207 + Don't be fooled by a name.
42208 + Be wary of new promotions.
42209 + Give due consideration to market ability.
42210 + Don't buy without proper facts.
42211 + Safeguard purchases through diversification.
42212 + Don't try to diversify by buying different securities of the same company.
42213 + Small companies should be carefully scrutinized.
42214 + Buy adequate security, not super abundance.
42215 + Choose your dealer and buy outright (i.e., don't buy on margin.)
42217 Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. -- Mark Twain
42219 All of us cherish helpful and loving friends, and wise, compassionate
42220 spiritual mentors are especially important to us to progress on the path.
42221 Being separated from the people we value or having an important relationship
42222 not work out the way we had hoped is painful, yet it is a common occurrence in
42223 cyclic existence. Because we ourselves, others, and all the conditioned
42224 things around us are impermanent by nature, whatever comes together must also
42226 -- Thubten Chodron, "Good Karma: How to Create the Causes of Happiness and
42227 Avoid the Causes of Suffering", published by Shambhala Publications
42229 There are no limits to our imagination,
42231 we can only imagine them.
42234 When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say
42235 to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."
42238 Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a
42242 First, let's take a look at how physical and emotional health supports
42243 our spiritual health. What is spiritual health? One way that the Buddhist
42244 teachings define spiritual health is having a sense of interconnection with
42245 other living beings on the planet, as well as respect for the natural
42246 environment. Recognition of this interconnection with others is developed as
42247 we call to mind the things that all beings have in common: the wish to attain
42248 happiness and avoid suffering. We can reflect on this by thinking that all of
42249 the wonderful things we want for ourselves, others want them too. Just so,
42250 all of the painful things we would like to avoid, others wish to avoid those
42252 However, spiritual health is far more than a mere sense of connection.
42253 True spiritual health arises from discovering love and compassion for all
42254 sentient beings. In doing so, we cut through our own painful feelings of
42255 anger, resentment, and strong desire, which cause us so much personal
42256 unhappiness and sorrow. By bringing ourselves back into harmonious
42257 relationship with friends, family, and the larger community, even those we may
42258 dislike, we ourselves become spiritually rich.
42259 -- Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo, "The Tibetan Yoga of Breath:
42260 Breathing Practices for Healing the Body and Cultivating Wisdom",
42261 published by Shambhala Publications
42263 Our worries may zoom around the state of the world. "What happens if the
42264 economy plummets? If the ozone layer keeps decreasing? If we have more
42265 anthrax attacks? If terrorists take over the country? If we lose our civil
42266 liberties fighting terrorism?" Here, our creative writing ability leads to
42267 fantastic scenarios that may or may not happen, but regardless, we manage to
42268 work ourselves into a state of unprecedented despair. This, in turn, often
42269 leads to raging anger at the powers that be or alternatively, to apathy,
42270 simply thinking that since everything is rotten, there's no use doing
42271 anything. In either case, we're so gloomy that we neglect to act
42272 constructively in ways that remedy difficulties and create goodness.
42273 -- Thubten Chodron, in "Taming the Mind", published by Shambhala Publications
42275 It really seemed like every band built on the one just prior to it, so that as
42276 each day moved on, the acts just generated more and more energy and awesome
42277 music, storing it up in a celestial battery. the peak of it all for me was
42278 the phish show on the last night, which was so high energy and saturated with
42279 fun and healthy vibes that I felt like "i never need to feel fear again".
42280 that feeling lasted for days after the concert was over. hopefully memory of
42281 that thought never fades.
42282 -- fred t. hamster, after lockn 2016
42284 The dawn of the Great Eastern Sun is based on actual experience. It is not a
42285 concept. You realize that you can uplift yourself, that you can appreciate
42286 your existence as a human being. Whether you are a gas station attendant or
42287 the president of your country doesn't really matter. When you experience
42288 the goodness of being alive, you can respect who and what you are. You need
42289 not be intimidated by lots of bills to pay, diapers to change, food to cook,
42290 or papers to be filed. Fundamentally, in spite of all those responsibilities,
42291 you begin to feel that it is a worthwhile situation to be a human being, to be
42292 alive, not afraid of death.
42293 -- Chögyam Trungpa, "Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior", published
42294 by Shambhala Publications
42296 These deities share a freedom from passion and experience more and more
42297 subtle states of mind in each higher level. In the first level, the freedom
42298 from passion is experienced; in the second, freedom from discursive thought;
42299 in the third, the elimination of gross joy in meditation, leaving only sublime
42300 delight; in the fourth, freedom even from delight. Above these are the four
42301 levels of the realm of formlessness, whose inhabitants have transcended form
42302 altogether and have no bodies or forms at all. Here deities experience
42303 successively even more subtle states of mind: the infinity of space, the
42304 infinity of consciousness, "nothing at all," and neither perception nor
42306 These states can certainly appear enormously attractive from our human
42307 point of view. In fact, they correspond to what many think religious practice
42308 is all about--attaining some kind of heaven or some sort of tranquillity or
42309 bliss. But from the Buddhist viewpoint, the sublimity even of these states is
42310 not a worthy ultimate goal. One may ask, "What can possibly be wrong with
42312 It is important to remember that the divine states of the desire realm,
42313 the form realm, and the formless realm, like all the other states known in the
42314 other five realms, are still part of samsara and subject to karma,
42315 impermanence, and suffering. In spite of the relative exaltation of their way
42316 of being, there comes a day for every god when he or she begins to feel the
42317 signs of impending death. The intoxication of the godly state gives way to
42318 sadness, pain, fear, and finally terror, and this is followed by death and
42319 rebirth in a lower realm.
42320 In addition, the gods have one enormous liability: precisely because of
42321 their power, longevity, and intoxication, they are unable to hear the dharma
42322 with its teachings about duhkha, the first noble truth. They, like the
42323 inhabitants of all the other nonhuman realms, are victims of their karma and
42324 are unable to practice a spiritual path to gain liberation.
42325 -- Reginald A. Ray, in "Indestructible Truth", published by Shambhala Publications
42327 The Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh writes, "I like to walk alone on country paths,
42328 rice plants and wild grasses on both sides, putting each foot down on the
42329 earth in mindfulness, knowing that I walk on the wondrous earth. In such
42330 moments, existence is a miraculous and mysterious reality. People usually
42331 consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real
42332 miracle is to walk on earth... a miracle we don't even recognize."
42333 -- from Jan Chozen Bays, MD, "How to Train a Wild Elephant & Other Adventures
42334 in Mindfulness", published by Shambhala Publications
42336 Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself
42338 Whatever pain you feel, take it in, wishing for all beings to be free of it.
42339 Whatever pleasure you feel, send it out to others. In this way, our personal
42340 problems and delights become a stepping-stone for understanding the suffering
42341 and happiness of all beings.
42342 -- Pema Chodron's "Compassion Cards", published by Shambhala Publications
42344 Tuvaṭaka Sutta: The Discourse on Being Quick
42347 "Let them completely destroy the root
42348 Of conceptual differentiation,
42349 That is, [the idea] 'I am the thinker.'
42350 Ever mindful, they train to subdue their cravings.
42352 "They shouldn't get entrenched in any teachings they know
42353 Whether their own or that of others.
42354 Good people say that
42355 Being entrenched is not release.
42357 "They would not, because of this, think themselves
42358 Better, worse, or equal [to others].
42359 Experiencing many things,
42360 They don't take a stand in thoughts of themselves."
42362 The Buddha's first teachings in this poem are particularly important.
42363 Here he emphasizes the destruction of the root source for conceptual
42364 proliferation which he describes as being either the idea "I am the
42365 thinker" or the thought "I am." While the grammar of the Pali phrase
42366 allows for both translations into English, the two options both identify some
42367 form of conceit as the basis from which a problematic differentiation of
42368 concepts with which the world is categorized arises. When this conceit is
42369 uprooted, the conceptual proliferation stops. A sage does not categorize or
42370 conceptualize the world with any fixed reference point of existing as "I."
42371 While training to become such a sage, a monastic should avoid swelling up
42372 with conceit, which is described as thinking they are better, worse, or equal
42373 to others. The alternative to such comparative thinking is to have a mind
42374 that is still and unmoving like a calm sea. Many of the training instructions
42375 the Buddha mentions can be understood as support for having a still, peaceful
42377 -- Gil Fronsdal, "The Buddha before Buddhism: Wisdom from the Early
42378 Teachings", published by Shambhala Publications
42380 I. Path of Accumulation
42382 One who has the Mahayana family cultivates bodhicitta, receives teachings
42383 from masters, and makes effort in the virtues until the heat of wisdom is
42384 attained. During this time, progress is classified in four stages:
42385 realization, aspiration, greater aspiration, and achievement. Why is this
42386 called the path of accumulation? Because on it, one gathers the accumulations
42387 of virtue in order to become a vessel for the realization of heat and so forth.
42388 Therefore, it is called the path of accumulation.
42390 These are also called the root virtues which are similar to liberation.
42391 At this stage, twelve of the branches of enlightenment are practiced:
42393 A. the four types of mindfulness,
42394 B. the four types of perfect abandonment, and
42395 C. the four feet of miracle powers.
42397 The Four Types of Mindfulness are:
42399 1. sustaining mindfulness of the body,
42400 2. sustaining mindfulness of feelings,
42401 3. sustaining mindfulness of the mind, and
42402 4. sustaining mindfulness of phenomena.
42404 These four occur during the lesser stage of the path of accumulation.
42406 The Four Types of Perfect Abandonment are:
42408 1. abandoning nonvirtues which have been created,
42409 2. not allowing new nonvirtues to be produced,
42410 3. producing the antidotes, virtues which have not arisen, and
42411 4. allowing those virtues which have arisen to increase.
42413 These four occur during the middle stage of the path of accumulation.
42415 The Four Feet of Miracle Powers are:
42417 1. the absorption of strong aspiration,
42418 2. the absorption of perseverance,
42419 3. the absorption of the mind, and
42420 4. the absorption of investigation.
42422 These four occur during the greater stage of the path of accumulation.
42423 -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
42426 II. Path of Application
42428 The path of application begins after perfection of the path of
42429 accumulation. It has four stages corresponding to the realization of the Four
42430 Noble Truths: heat, maximum heat, patience, and realization of the highest
42431 worldly dharma. Why is it called the path of application? Because there, one
42432 makes an effort to directly realize truth.
42434 A. Five Powers. Furthermore, during the stages of heat and maximum heat,
42435 five powers are practiced:
42436 the power of faith,
42437 the power of perseverance,
42438 the power of mindfulness,
42439 the power of absorption, and
42440 the power of wisdom awareness.
42442 B. Five Strengths. During the stages of patience and highest worldly dharma,
42443 five strengths are practiced:
42444 the strength of faith,
42445 the strength of perseverance,
42446 the strength of mindfulness,
42447 the strength of absorption, and
42448 the strength of wisdom awareness.
42449 -- Gampopa, in "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
42452 III. Path of Insight
42454 The path of insight begins after the highest worldly dharma and consists
42455 of calm abiding as a basis for special insight focused on the Four Noble
42456 Truths. Four insights correspond to each of the Four Noble Truths, making a
42457 total of sixteen-eight patient acceptances and eight cognitions: the patient
42458 acceptance of the cognition of the dharma with respect to suffering, the
42459 cognition of the dharma with respect to suffering, the patient acceptance of
42460 the cognition that is the subsequent realization with respect to suffering,
42461 the cognition that is the subsequent realization with respect to suffering,
42463 Why is it called the path of insight? Because there, one realizes the
42464 Four Noble Truths which were not seen before. At this stage there are seven
42465 of the branches of enlightenment:
42466 the perfect mindfulness branch,
42467 the perfect discrimination branch,
42468 the perfect perseverance branch,
42469 the perfect joy branch,
42470 the perfect relaxation branch,
42471 the perfect absorption branch, and
42472 the perfect equanimity branch.
42473 -- The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, by Gampopa, published by Shambhala
42476 IV. Path of Meditation
42478 The path of meditation practice begins after the realization of special
42479 insight. It has two paths:
42480 A. the path of worldly meditation practice and
42481 B. the path of meditation practice beyond the world.
42483 Worldly Meditation Practice consists of the first, second, third, and
42484 fourth meditative stages, and the formless stages of increasing the infinite
42485 nature of space, increasing the infinity of consciousness, increasing the
42486 nothing-whatsoever-ness, and increasing neither perception nor non-perception.
42487 There are three purposes to practicing this meditation:
42489 + suppressing the afflicting emotions which are the subject of
42490 abandonment in the path of meditation;
42491 + establishing the special qualities of the Four Immeasurables and so
42493 + creating the foundation for the path beyond the world.
42496 Meditation Practice Beyond the World consists of the furthering of calm
42497 abiding and special insight, focused on the two types of wisdom. During the
42498 path of insight there were two "patient acceptances" and two
42499 "awarenesses" corresponding to each of the Four Noble Truths, making a
42500 total of sixteen. The eight patient acceptances were completed in the path of
42501 insight. One becomes familiarized with the eight awarenesses in the path of
42502 meditation through the calm abiding and special insight related to the four
42503 meditative concentrations and three of the formless absorptions. Furthermore,
42504 part of the awareness of phenomena is to familiarize oneself with all the
42505 realization of dharma-as-such. Part of the continuity awareness is to
42506 familiarize oneself with all the realization of primordial wisdom. The state
42507 of neither perception nor non-perception is merely worldly meditation because
42508 the movement of sensation is so unclear.
42509 Why is this called the path of meditation? Because there, one becomes
42510 familiar with the realizations that one achieved in the path of insight. At
42511 this stage, there are eight of the thirty-seven branches of enlightenment:
42514 + perfect conception, perfect speech, perfect action,
42515 + perfect livelihood,
42517 + perfect mindfulness, and
42518 + perfect absorption.
42519 -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
42522 Your eggnog to rum ratio should be 23% to 77%. I would then spice the
42523 eggnog with nutmeg and use more than you're comfortable with because sailors
42524 used to use it as [a] hallucinogen...
42525 Also, enter on a reindeer. And if you enter on a reindeer, stay on the
42526 reindeer. And if you can't reach something because you're too high up
42527 sitting on the reindeer, just ask for help. That goes for life, too. Don't
42528 be afraid to ask for help and stay on that reindeer.
42529 -- T.J. Miller's recipe for the perfect holiday party
42531 if you can't beat them, join them, and subvert them from the inside.
42534 regarding christmas cards...
42535 "i would create my own as a desktop publishing activity, with all new current
42536 stuff. but it's way too much effort. basically, i can either give you a
42537 present or make you a card. which do you prefer?"
42538 -- thus spake slackathustra.
42540 Hope is not a strategy.
42541 Luck is not a factor.
42542 Fear is not an option.
42545 A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do,
42549 The Order of the Four Noble Truths
42551 We do analytical meditation to understand the various unsatisfactory
42552 conditions or sufferings of cyclic existence. When we gain an experience of
42553 them, we then place our mind firmly on that experience using stabilizing
42554 meditation. The more we meditate on suffering, the more we are motivated to
42555 rid ourselves of it. We will want to find out its causes and cease creating
42556 them. Thus, after contemplating true suffering, we contemplate true origin.
42557 Investigating this, we will see that suffering arises from karma, which is
42558 produced in dependence on the disturbing attitudes. These in turn are rooted
42559 in self-grasping ignorance. We will want to eliminate this ignorance, and
42560 will see that because it is a faulty attitude or misconception, it can be
42561 eliminated. Thus we will be certain that we can attain the true cessation of
42562 suffering and its origin. Through further contemplating the four noble
42563 truths, we will recognize that the way to abandon self-grasping ignorance is
42564 to meditate on the true path, since this path is principally the wisdom
42565 realizing the non-existence of the self that is adhered to by ignorance. This
42566 is the order in which the four noble truths unfold in meditation and thus is
42567 the order in which to practice them. So, although the actual order in which
42568 the four occur is first the causes and then the effects, when the Buddha
42569 taught for the purpose of practice, he explained the results first.
42570 -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, "Transforming Adversity Into Joy and Courage: An
42571 Explanation of the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas", published by
42572 Shambhala Publications
42574 Take Refuge in the Buddha
42576 We live in an ocean of cyclic existence whose depth and extent cannot be
42577 measured. We are troubled again and again by the afflictions of desire and
42578 hatred as if repeatedly attacked by sharks.
42579 Our mental and physical aggregates are impelled by former contaminated
42580 actions and afflictions and serve as a basis for present suffering as well as
42581 inducing future suffering. While such cyclic existence lasts, we have various
42582 thoughts of pleasure and displeasure: "If I do this, what will people think?
42583 If I do not do this, I will be too late; I won't make any profit." When we
42584 see something pleasant we think, "Oh, if I could only have that!" We see
42585 that others are prosperous, and we generate jealousy, unable to bear their
42586 prosperity. We see an attractive man or woman, and we want a relationship.
42587 We are not satisfied with a passing relationship but want it to last forever.
42588 And then, once staying together with that person, we desire someone else.
42589 When we see someone we do not like, we become angry and quarrel after a single
42590 word; we feel we cannot remain even for an hour near this hated person but
42591 must leave immediately. Day and night, night and day we spend our lives in
42592 the company of the afflictions, generating desire for the pleasant and anger
42593 at the unpleasant, and continue thus even when dreaming, unable to remain
42594 relaxed, our minds completely and utterly mixed with thoughts of desire and
42595 hatred without interruption.
42596 Only a Buddha has extinguished all defects and gained all attainments.
42597 Therefore, one should mentally go for refuge to a Buddha, praise him or her
42598 with speech, and respect him or her physically. One should enter the teaching
42600 -- from "The Essence of Tantra," by the Dalai Lama, in The Great Exposition
42601 of the Secret Mantra, Volume I: Tantra in Tibet by Tsongkhapa, published
42602 by Shambhala Publications
42604 V. Path of Perfection
42606 After the vajra-like absorption, one actualizes the nature of awareness,
42607 the awareness of exhaustion, and awareness of the unborn. The vajra-like
42608 absorption is the state at the edge of the path of meditation and is included
42609 in the preparation and unobstructed stages. This absorption is called
42610 "vajra-like" because it is unobstructed, hard, stable, of one taste, and
42612 "Unobstructed" means that it cannot be affected by the action of the
42613 world. "Hard" means it cannot be destroyed by obscurations. "Stable"
42614 means it cannot be shaken by discursive thoughts. "One taste" means
42615 everything is of one taste. "All pervasive" means that it observes the
42616 suchness of all knowledge.
42617 The "awareness of the exhaustion of causes" that arises after this
42618 absorption is the primordial wisdom awareness that observes the Four Noble
42619 Truths by the power of the exhaustion of all causes. The "awareness of the
42620 unborn" is the primordial wisdom that observes the Four Noble Truths by the
42621 power of abandoning the result, suffering. In other words, this primordial
42622 wisdom clearly observes the exhaustion of the cause and non-production of the
42623 result and is called the "awareness of the exhaustion and non-production."
42624 Why is this called the path of perfection? Because the training is
42625 perfected and one enters the city of nirvana--this is why it is called the
42626 path of perfection. At this stage, there are ten attainments of no-more-
42627 training: starting with perfect view of no-more-training through the perfect
42628 absorption of no-more-training and then the full liberation of no-more-
42629 training and the perfect primordial wisdom of no-more-training--these ten
42630 attainments of no-more-training are included in the five unafflicted skandas:
42632 perfect speech of no-more-training, perfect action, and perfect
42633 livelihood are in the heap of moral ethics;
42634 perfect mindfulness of no-more-training and perfect absorption are in
42635 the heap of absorption;
42636 perfect view of no-more-training, perfect conception, and perfect
42637 effort are in the heap of wisdom awareness;
42638 perfect, full liberation is in the heap of full liberation;
42639 perfect awareness is in the heap of seeing the primordial wisdom of
42641 -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
42644 i try to think of 10,008 impossible things before breakfast,
42645 and i'm near ecstatic if any of those is worth writing down.
42648 businesses or products mashed up with despots:
42654 Relaxing in the midst of chaos,
42655 learning not to panic--this is the spiritual path.
42656 -- Pema Chödrön, "When Things Fall Apart"
42658 Driving all blames into oneself applies whenever we complain about anything,
42659 even that our coffee is cold or the bathroom is dirty. We may think that we
42660 are the voice of the world, that we are speaking on behalf of others, but we
42661 are simply speaking on behalf of ourselves. According to this slogan,
42662 everything is due to our own ego fixation, which makes us very vulnerable.
42663 Consequently, we provide an ideal target. We get hit, but nobody meant to hit
42664 us--we are actually inviting the bullets.
42665 -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma: The
42666 Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by Shambhala
42669 I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.
42672 Aren't surveys inherently biased, because they only include people who are
42673 willing to be surveyed? What about people who value their time?
42676 if throwing your dirty clothes at the hamper causes an avalanche,
42677 then it's time to do the laundry. #NoteToSelf
42681 "from each according to his stash, to each according to his jones."
42684 i learned everything i needed to know about the 2016 election cycle by
42685 listening to devo in the 70s. "We're pinheads now. We are not whole."
42688 "i made a sample with my organ!"
42689 "that's disgusting!"
42690 "an electronic organ, dork."
42692 "i sampled the sound of orgasm."
42696 "the universe is flat in all directions" is what an infinitely dimensional
42697 person might say as she perceives all realities simultaneously.
42700 Out of ten soldiers who are perfect in drill and the manual of arms, only one
42701 knows the purpose of the sights on his gun or can hit the broad side of a barn.
42702 -- General Burnside, of his civil war recruits
42704 music is the balm that soothes.
42705 anger is the bomb that kills.
42706 so don't listen to your anger if you want to feel right about life.
42709 don't torture yourself with overblown expectations of how much you can
42710 accomplish. stretch goals are fine, "burst" goals are not.
42713 In the gap between two thoughts,
42714 Thought-free wakefulness manifests unceasingly.
42717 After Yeshe Tsogyal had helped countless beings in Tibet with her body,
42718 speech, and mind, the naga Nanda made offerings and with tears in his eyes he
42722 Guru, mother, Yeshe Tsogyal,
42723 Key to the mysteries of Padmasambhava,
42724 With mercy taking up the pains of others.
42726 Free from concepts,
42727 "Clean" and "unclean" have no hold on you.
42728 Eager for the benefit of others,
42729 You bury underground all love of self,
42730 Mistress holder of the Teachings,
42731 Mother of Victorious Ones, I bow to you.
42733 -- Excerpted from: "Lady of the Lotus-Born: The Life and Enlightenment of
42734 Yeshe Tsogyal" (translated by the Padmakara Translation Group), published
42735 by Shambhala Publications
42737 The mind captivated by a state of craving has no clue as to what pain and
42738 pleasure really are. When we hanker after objects, do we experience peace and
42739 bliss? Are we in control? Do we feel at ease? Or do we feel restless?
42740 Stressed and worried? Insecure and desperate? The slippery thing about
42741 attachment is that, in our bewilderment, we can't tell the difference
42742 between pleasure and pain, love and desire, happiness and sorrow. The craving
42743 mind can mistake anything for pleasure--even pain! It's like an addiction.
42744 -- Dzigar Kongtrül, "Light Comes Through: Buddhist Teachings on Awakening
42745 to Our Natural Intelligence", published by Shambhala Publications
42747 The path of dharma, its fruit, and everything included within great gnosis,
42748 too, are nothing more than the realization of the significance of the
42749 nonduality of phenomena. At this point, there is attainment of the signs of
42750 cultivating bodhicitta. When realized in this manner, there is no need for
42751 training on a multitude of paths. Therefore, the unmistaken path is simply
42752 the realization of the nature of one's own mind just as it is.
42753 -- Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo's treatise on Dzogchen as the culmination of the
42754 Mahāyāna, Entering the way of the Great Vehicle, translated by Dominic
42755 Sur, 2017, published by Shambhala Publications
42757 Lineage is not like a baton that one person passes to another person and then
42758 to another, leaving the ones behind empty-handed. It's like the flame of a
42759 lamp. If you light one lamp and then keep lighting more lamps, the first lamp
42760 still has the flame. There are no distinctions. There is a continuum.
42761 -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "The Guru Drinks Bourbon?", published by
42762 Shambhala Publications
42764 A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with
42765 the possible exceptions of handguns and Tequila.
42768 Even with realization, if you do not directly cut through, it is like tossing
42769 out a tempered sharp weapon: the view will not protect you, and you are bound
42770 by fear. The yoga that brings together view and conduct is like the weapons
42771 carried by warriors that vanquish all the enemy hosts.
42772 -- Machik Lapdrön, "Chöd: The Sacred Teachings on Severence", by Jamgön
42773 Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, translated by Sarah Harding, published by Shambhala
42776 The system of two truths is propounded solely for didactic purposes, as an
42777 entry to the path. On the ultimate level, the division into two truths has no
42778 place. There is only the inconceivable dharmadhātu, pure suchness, the
42779 ultimate mode of being. As it is written in the sutra,
42781 There is but one truth: absence of all origin,
42782 Yet some will crow about there being four.
42783 But in the essence of enlightenment,
42784 Not one is found--why speak of four?
42786 But whereas on the ultimate level, the two truths are not posited, on the
42787 relative level, they are. For there is certainly a difference between the way
42788 things are and the way they appear. As was said earlier, "These the two
42789 truths are declared to be."
42790 -- The Wisdom Chapter: Jamgön Mipham's Commentary on the Ninth Chapter of
42791 The Way of the Bodhisattva, translated by the Padmakara Translation
42792 Group, published by Shambhala Publications
42794 People who embark upon the path of the Mahayana, the supreme path of
42795 beings of great scope leading to omniscience, should try to acquire four
42796 circumstances. They should (1) live in solitude, in a place that has all the
42797 necessary conditions and is in harmony with the Dharma. They should (2)
42798 frequent a teacher who is learned in the Tripitaka and steeped in the practice
42799 of the three trainings. By doing this, they will avoid the inferior attitudes
42800 of ordinary folk as well as the wrong behavior that leads to suffering, and
42801 they will acquire all the good qualities deriving from the Dharma of
42802 transmission and realization. They should in addition (3) nourish an intense
42803 wish to practice in accordance with the teaching expounded by their master and
42804 should (4) zealously adopt the supreme protection afforded by the merit
42805 accumulated in their past and present existences. The venerable Nagarjuna
42806 refers to these four conditions as the "four wheels," the idea being
42807 that, just as someone riding in a (horse-drawn) chariot can cover in a short
42808 time a distance that would take many days for a cow or ox, a Bodhisattva
42809 taking advantage of these four conditions will progress speedily toward
42810 omniscience. Nagarjuna refers to them in his Suhrllekha when he says:
42812 Your dwelling place befits the task,
42813 You keep the company of holy beings.
42814 With highest aspirations and a store of merit,
42815 You have indeed the "four wheels" all complete.
42817 -- from "Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book One: Sutra Teachings", by
42818 Jigme Lingpa, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, published
42819 by Shambhala Publications
42822 We are far removed from eighth-century Tibet, where we meet her, but
42823 Yeshé Tsogyal continues to be present and available. She lives outside
42824 linear time, but visits it: her limitless emanations form a bridge from her
42825 lifetime to the present. She promised to remain accessible to any spiritual
42826 seeker wishing to follow her lead. In her own words,
42828 And so, from now until the scouring of samsara,
42829 My stream of emanations, primary and secondary,
42830 Will flow unceasing.
42831 Especially to those who in the future meditate
42832 Upon the subtle veins and energies,
42833 I'll show myself--at best directly,
42834 Else in visions, or at least in dreams,
42835 Appearing as a common person, or as the secret consort.
42836 I shall clear the obstacles of those who keep samaya,
42837 Bringing progress to their practice,
42838 Helping to attain with speed the blissful warmth and thence
42841 As promised, she continuously appears to lead and inspire the faithful in
42842 dreams, visions, and real life. As well, her human reincarnations ceaselessly
42843 return to the world, guiding others in whatever capacity is needed.
42844 -- from "The Life and Visions of Yeshé Tsogyal", by Drimé Kunga and Yeshé
42845 Tsogyal Translated by Chönyi Drolma, published by Shambhala Publications
42847 It is impossible to conceive how many beings, from beginningless time in
42848 samsara, have been related to us--as parents, as enemies, or as people
42849 indifferent to us. In fact, all beings have been linked to us in these three
42850 ways innumerable times. When they were our enemies, they injured us; when
42851 they were our parents or our friends, they cherished and aided us; when they
42852 were neither, they ignored us. It would be impossible to calculate the number
42853 of relationships that we have experienced. Once when the noble Katyayana went
42854 begging for alms, he came across a group of people and, perceiving the karmic
42855 links that bound them together, commented:
42857 He strikes his mother, eats his father's flesh;
42858 His hated foe he dandles on his lap.
42859 Here is a wife that sucks her husband's bones--
42860 At this samsara how can I not laugh?
42862 -- from "Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book One: Sutra Teachings", by
42863 Jigme Lingpa, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, published
42864 by Shambhala Publications
42866 When the actual process of dying begins, you pass through eight phases--
42867 the first four involve the collapse of the four elements, and the last four
42868 involve the collapse of consciousness into the innermost level of mind, called
42869 the mind of clear light.
42870 In the final phase of dying, when all coarse consciousnesses dissolve into
42871 the all-empty, which is the fundamental innate mind of clear light, the myriad
42872 objects of the world, as well as concepts such as sameness and difference, are
42873 pacified in this subtlest mind. At that time, all appearances of environments
42874 and beings withdraw of their own accord. Even for a nonpractitioner, coarse
42875 appearances also withdraw; this withdrawal of conventional appearances,
42876 however, is not due to a perception of reality attained through meditation.
42877 When, in the last phase, the temporary winds that carry consciousness have all
42878 dissolved, the mind (whether of a practitioner or a nonpractitioner) becomes
42879 as if undifferentiated, and an immaculate openness dawns.
42880 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Heart of Meditation", translated and
42881 edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Shambhala Publications
42883 There's a common misunderstanding among all the human beings who have
42884 ever been born on the earth that the best way to live is to try to avoid pain
42885 and just try to get comfortable. You can see this even in insects and animals
42887 A much more interesting, kind, adventurous, and joyful approach to life is
42888 to begin to develop our curiosity, not caring whether the object of our
42889 inquisitiveness is bitter or sweet.
42890 When people start to meditate or to work with any kind of spiritual
42891 discipline, they often think that somehow they're going to improve, which is
42892 a sort of subtle aggression against who they really are. It's a bit like
42893 saying, "If I jog, I'll be a much better person." Or the scenario may be
42894 that they find fault with others; they might say, "If it weren't for my
42895 husband, I'd have a perfect marriage." And "If it weren't for my mind, my
42896 meditation would be excellent."
42897 But loving-kindness--maitri--toward ourselves doesn't mean getting rid
42898 of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy after all these years.
42899 We can still be angry after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous
42900 or full of feelings of unworthiness. Meditation practice isn't about trying
42901 to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending
42902 who we are already.
42903 Perhaps we will experience what is traditionally described as the fruition
42904 of maitri--playfulness...
42905 -- Pema Chödrön, from "Awakening Loving-Kindness", published by Shambhala
42908 In texts we inherited from India, the basic principle is sometimes called
42909 the "fundamental innate mind of clear light" and the "fundamental innate
42910 wisdom of clear light"--these two terms having the same meaning. In other
42911 texts, it is called the "space-diamond pervading space," whereas in even
42912 others it is called the "jewel mind," as, for example, when it is said,
42913 "Separate from the jewel mind, there is no buddha and no sentient being."
42914 Then, in Tibet, in some texts, it is called "ordinary consciousness"
42915 and "innermost awareness." These terms are used in the context of speaking
42916 about freedom from thought, which is psychologically and experientially
42917 described as "self-release," "naked release," and "unimpeded
42918 penetration"; we will be discussing these in detail later. The innermost
42919 awareness is said to be the basis of the appearance of all of the round of
42920 suffering (called "cyclic existence") and also the basis of liberation
42921 (called "nirvana"). Everything, without exception, is complete in the
42922 continuum of innermost awareness. It is even said to be "naturally arisen,"
42923 since it has always been and always will be.
42924 -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Heart of Meditation", translated and
42925 edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Shambhala Publications
42927 When phenomena are indeed seen to be devoid of true existence, great
42928 compassion will well up effortlessly, a compassion that will never abandon
42929 living beings who circle in samsara through their clinging to true existence.
42930 For as it has been taught, it is in the nature of things that such an attitude
42932 -- from "The Wisdom Chapter: Jamgön Mipham's Commentary on the Ninth
42933 Chapter of The Way of the Bodhisattva", published by Shambhala
42936 When resting evenly in meditation with the points of body,
42937 If appearances cease and you are without thoughts,
42938 These are the doings of a lethargic shamatha.
42939 But when you rouse yourself with mindfulness,
42940 It's like a candle, self-luminous and shining bright,
42941 Or like a flower that's naturally vivid and clear.
42942 Like looking with your eyes at the glow of the sky,
42943 Awareness-emptiness is naked, open, and clear.
42945 That nonconceptuality that's luminous and clear
42946 Is the arising of the shamatha experience.
42947 On the basis of that meditative experience,
42948 While supplicating the precious jewels,
42949 Gain certainty by studying and contemplating the dharma.
42950 Take the vipashyana that brings the understanding of no self
42951 And tie the sturdy rope of shamatha to that.
42952 Then that strong noble being with love and compassion
42953 Through the mighty strength of rousing bodhichitta to benefit others,
42954 Having been lifted up with a pure aspiration
42955 To the completely pure path of seeing,
42956 There, vipashyana directly realizes the purity that cannot be seen
42957 And then the faults of mind's hopes and fears will be known.
42958 Without going anywhere, you'll arrive at the Buddha's ground.
42959 Without looking at anything, you'll see dharmakaya.
42960 Without achieving anything, your aim will be spontaneously accomplished.
42961 -- from "The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa", By Tsangnyon Heruka,
42962 Translated by Christopher Stagg, published by Shambhala Publications
42964 Trying to find the pain in life is the renunciation of hinayana. Trying to
42965 find the ambition in life, trying to reach higher goals, is the
42966 bodhisattva's ambition in the mahayana. Trying to find the subtleties of
42967 life is the tantric discovery of mystical experience in the vajrayana.
42968 -- Milarepa, from "Milarepa: Lessons from the Life and Songs of Tibet's
42969 Great Yogi", by Chögyam Trungpa, published by Shambhala Publications
42971 The root of our current unsatisfactory condition in a cycle of death and
42972 rebirth is our innate tendency to view the personal self in a reified manner
42973 (LRCM: 574). We also have innate tendencies to view all other phenomena in a
42974 reified manner. To achieve wisdom, or to know emptiness, means to overcome
42975 this reifying view, to realize that the self or essential being as thus
42976 conceived does not exist at all. In order reach this realization, according
42977 to Tsong kha pa, one must use reason to refute the existence, and to prove the
42978 nonexistence, of this reified self or essence. Having intellectually arrived
42979 at the correct philosophical view--that the self lacks a shred of intrinsic
42980 nature--one proceeds along the path to spiritual liberation through intense,
42981 deep, and extensive meditative familiarization with this view. At the same
42982 time, however, the practitioner also cultivates compassionate engagement with
42983 other living beings, making a commitment to help all of them reach perfect
42985 -- from "Ask a Farmer: Ultimate Analysis and Conventional Existence in
42986 Tsong kha pa's Lam rim chen mo", by Guy Newland from Changing Minds:
42987 Contributions to the Study of Buddhism and Tibet in Honor of Jeffrey
42988 Hopkins, edited by Guy Newland, published by Shambhala Publications
42990 inexplicably ted was awoken,
42991 incredibly loud noise of the broken,
42992 his cat invaded the stash,
42993 seeking out some tasty hash,
42994 sis boom *bong* goes crash--ted won't be tokin'.
42997 shania the stony gal really dug her twerkin',
42998 slingin' her booty all around was really workin',
42999 but the other dancers looked askance,
43000 and asked "can this chick actually dance?",
43001 shania wasn't so much dancin' as berzerkin'!
43004 All art is composed of subtle and gross elements. There is no way for
43005 artists to express without elements. When people use expressions such as hot-
43006 headed, cold-hearted, dry-humored, or all wet, it shows that they naturally
43007 connect subtle element temperaments with gross element expressions. But
43008 artists must go beyond outwardly expressing the elements in an obvious way in
43009 order to gain experience with the inner subtle elements, which are the source
43010 of the outer gross elements. Then they can make art which reflects what
43012 According to the Buddhist point of view, an artist's intention is
43013 compassion. Buddhist artists create in order to make a link with other beings
43014 through their inner pure elements, and to transform their outer ordinary gross
43015 elements into enlightenment by means of that connection.
43016 -- Thinley Norbu, from "Magic Dance: The Display of the Self-Nature of the
43017 Five Wisdom Dakinis", published by Shambhala Publications
43019 Never admit defeat. Just move the front.
43022 down came eddy from his heady,
43023 where he dwells often unsteady,
43024 you see he gets so high,
43025 mind expanded to sky;
43026 real world grokking just not ready.
43029 Generally speaking, when we are too desirous of something in life, we're
43030 less likely to attain it. Success seems to increase in direct proportion to
43031 the diminution of our desires. The same logic applies to our need for
43032 recognition. We might want to be appreciated and respected, but we have only
43033 a limited ability to influence how other people respond and we can't make
43034 somebody show us gratitude any more than we can force someone to love us. If
43035 we show love without expecting it to be reciprocated, we will have more chance
43036 of finding love than if we simply yearn for it. Likewise, doing something
43037 without expecting gratitude is more likely to elicit appreciation for what we
43038 do. Whether someone can acknowledge our actions or not should be no concern
43040 We simply commit ourselves to doing things to the best of our ability and
43041 in as thorough a manner as possible without sloppiness. We should never think
43042 that other people are indebted to us or obligated to help us in return. We
43043 should simply do things because we love doing them, not because we want other
43044 people to feel indebted to us. Shantideva says:
43046 The work of bringing benefit to beings
43047 Will not, then, make me proud and self-admiring.
43048 The happiness of others is itself my satisfaction;
43049 I do not expect another recompense.
43051 -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion
43052 through Training the Mind", published by Shambhala Publications
43054 Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava says:
43056 If you want to go sightseeing, try touring your own clear,
43057 mirrorlike mind instead.
43059 What technique can we use to effectively start our journey to realizing
43060 our natural, pristine state?
43061 The clearest instructions for doing this come from Guru Rinpoche
43062 Padmasambhava, the main architect of the Pristine Mind teachings. Guru
43063 Rinpoche has given us the essential opening instructions for practicing
43064 Pristine Mind meditation in four steps:
43066 Don't follow the past.
43067 Don't anticipate the future.
43068 Remain in the present moment.
43069 Leave your mind alone.
43071 We must understand these instructions. They are designed to help us stay
43072 in the present moment. Some other forms of meditation teachings say that
43073 remaining in the present moment is the ultimate objective of meditation.
43074 However, the present moment itself is not ultimate reality, ultimate truth, or
43075 the ultimate goal of Pristine Mind meditation. Nor is it what I mean when I
43076 refer to our fundamental nature. Instead, being in the present moment, with
43077 our mind calm and relaxed, simply creates the right conditions to begin to
43078 connect with our Pristine Mind.
43079 --Excerpted from "Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional
43080 Happiness", by Orgyen Chowang, published by Shambhala Publications
43082 Some people think that causes are not necessary. They think that things do
43083 not need causes and can exist without them. This is mistaken. Think about
43084 it. If you plant a seed in a flowerpot, a flower will grow. It will not grow
43085 from this table in front of me now. What is the reason for that? The causes
43086 for a flower are present in a flowerpot, and for that reason a flower can grow
43087 there. The causes for a flower are not present on the surface of this table,
43088 and for that reason a flower cannot grow there. If things arose in the
43089 absence of causes, a flower would have to be able to grow from the surface of
43090 this table even though the causes for a flower are not present there. Or, as
43091 we know, flowers bloom in the summer but not in the winter. What is the
43092 reason for that? In the summer, the causes and conditions for the growth of
43093 flowers are complete. In the winter, they are not. In dependence upon that,
43094 flowers grow in the summer but not in the winter. If causes were not
43095 necessary, flowers would grow in the winter also. They would grow at all
43097 -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Essential Practice: Lectures on Kamalashīla's
43098 Stages of Meditation in the Middle Way School", published by Shambhala
43101 Human beings have many kinds of suffering. Some human beings are put into
43102 prisons. Some are destitute. Some are enslaved by others. Thus, they are
43103 not actually hell-beings, but their sufferings are like those of hell-beings;
43104 they are not actually hungry ghosts, but their sufferings are like those of
43105 hungry ghosts; and they are not actually animals, but their sufferings are
43106 like those of animals. We think in that way about the sufferings that human
43107 beings experience. Some human beings are wealthy and comfortable. However,
43108 that wealth and comfort does not last for a very long time. Not being able to
43109 enjoy wealth and comfort for a long time, in the end suffering comes to them
43110 too. When we think about the suffering that they experience, compassion
43112 The demigods suffer from continual jealousy of and warfare with the gods
43113 of the Desire Realm. As for the gods, though comfortable temporarily, later
43114 they fall down into painful situations and, at the time of falling, they
43115 suffer greatly. Similarly, even the gods of the Form Realm and the Formless
43116 Realm cannot just stay there. They fall down to the states of hell-beings,
43117 hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and so forth. When they fall, mentally they
43118 suffer greatly. Therefore, sentient beings born in the states of the six
43119 wanderers have nothing but suffering. If we think about that, compassion can
43121 -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Essential Practice: Lectures on Kamalashīla's
43122 Stages of Meditation in the Middle Way School", published by Shambhala
43125 When they related this to Buddha, he poured water into a little vessel and
43126 asked, "Will this water remain without evaporating?" Because India is very
43127 hot, the Hearers thought, "In a few days the water will evaporate. This
43128 must mean that our virtue will not remain at all." They were extremely
43129 worried. Then Buddha asked, "If this water is poured in the ocean, how long
43130 will it stay? It will remain until the ocean itself evaporates."
43131 Therefore, if you do not just leave this virtue, but dedicate it, making a
43132 prayer petition that it become a cause of help and happiness for limitless
43133 sentient beings, then until that actually occurs, the virtue will not be lost.
43134 Like a small amount of water poured into the ocean, which will last until the
43135 ocean itself dries up, so the fruit of your virtue will remain until it has
43136 ripened. The benefit of hearing, thinking, and meditating, in terms of
43137 causing all persons to possess happiness and the causes of happiness, is
43138 inconceivable, but if it is not dedicated, then when anger arises, it will be
43139 destroyed. This benefit cannot be seen with the eye, but it is inconceivable.
43140 -- Kensur Lekden, from "Meditations of a Tibetan Tantric Abbot: The Main
43141 Practices of the Mahayana Buddhist Path", translated and edited by
43142 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Shambhala Publications
43144 Because you need to obtain the happy effects and the causes producing them,
43145 and because it is necessary for yourself and others to attain them, you must
43146 meditate. In this world there were nihilists who said that one should not
43147 meditate, doing only those activities that will bring about marvelous
43148 happiness, comfort, and prosperity in this lifetime. The nihilists said that
43149 one should gather possessions and clothing, and if one's body is sick, one
43150 should take medicine, that these activities were justified, but that nothing
43151 else was needed. Such a philosophy appeared in the world and with respect to
43152 it there is this Buddhist teaching: You need a job for your livelihood, you
43153 need to work for the sake of your country, for the sake of yourself and
43154 others, to set up factories, to plant fields; still you should act mainly for
43155 the sake of your future life, because you will not always remain in this
43156 lifetime. All persons will definitely die, and the time of death is
43157 indefinite. At the time of death, nothing helps except religious practice.
43158 This is how it is. Therefore, even though you need happiness and comfort in
43159 this life and even though it is necessary to strive for the sake of food and
43160 drink now, this lifetime is short. Our longest condition of life is our
43161 countless future lives. If you consider only this which you can see now and
43162 you do not consider all the future lives which you cannot see, you will incur
43163 immeasurable fault. You will harm yourself.
43164 -- Kensur Lekden, from "Meditations of a Tibetan Tantric Abbot: The Main
43165 Practices of the Mahayana Buddhist Path", translated and edited by
43166 Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Shambhala Publications
43168 The ground of primal wisdom
43169 Where the truth beyond all concepts is beheld
43170 Is reached more easily by humans than by gods.
43171 The essence also of the deep path of the Vajrayāna
43172 Is more easily attained by those who find a human form.
43173 The basis of the Dharma of both great and lesser vehicles
43174 Is said to be supremely noble--
43175 This human state endowed with freedoms and advantages.
43177 Just like a beggar who has chanced upon a treasure of great price,
43178 Reflect with joy upon your freedoms and advantages.
43179 In doubt and apprehension that you might be dreaming,
43180 Implement the sacred Dharma--
43181 Source of happiness and benefit in this and future lives!
43182 -- Longchenpa, from "Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind", published
43183 by Shambhala Publications
43185 This lifetime passes like the weeping clouds
43186 Where dance the lightning garlands of the Lord of Death,
43187 And from them, day and night, there falls
43188 An endless rain to bathe the shoots
43189 That grow in the three levels of existence.
43191 The world and its inhabitants will pass.
43192 The universe is formed and then destroyed
43193 By seven fires, a flood, and then the scattering wind.
43194 The all-encircling sea, the continents,
43195 And even mighty Sumeru compounded of four jewels,
43196 All girded by the rings of lesser peaks--all this will pass.
43197 The time will come when all will have dissolved
43198 Into a single space.
43199 Remember this and practice Dharma from your heart.
43200 -- Longchenpa, from "Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind", published
43201 by Shambhala Publications
43203 The most important thing is to have faith and trust in the Buddha's
43204 words. The Buddha's teachings were not taught to deceive us but to explain
43205 the way things actually are. Many people try to analyze the Buddha's
43206 teachings, but how is it possible to scrutinize a buddha's qualities? We
43207 don't even know what will happen tomorrow, or when we will die, or anything
43208 about our future lives, so how could we possibly examine the teachings of the
43209 Omniscient One? Since we are totally obscured by our strong disturbing
43210 emotions, in order to progress on the path toward enlightenment, we have no
43211 choice but to have faith in the Buddha's teachings and apply them in our own
43213 The ability to practice Dharma depends on certain conditions. For
43214 example, this is a rare time during which the teachings of the Great
43215 Perfection are said to flourish. We're very fortunate that through
43216 Padmasambhava's blessings, such teachings have appeared and we're able to
43217 receive them. We must have accumulated incredible merit and made fervent
43218 prayers very sincerely over numerous lifetimes to be able to encounter such
43219 amazing teachings now. Still, most people are just too involved in worldly
43220 activities to have time to practice the Dharma, and very few people in this
43221 world totally dedicate themselves to the teachings. Most people work for the
43222 sake of success in this life, to gain wealth, fame, power, and so on, but none
43223 of these worldly aims can liberate us from the suffering of samsara; in fact,
43224 they only create further conditions for ensuring that we remain in samsara for
43225 countless lifetimes to come.
43226 -- Penor Rinpoche, from "An Ocean of Blessings: Heart Teachings of Drubwang
43227 Penor Rinpoche", translated by Ani Jinba Palmo, published by Shambhala
43230 "When the sun comes out and illumines the world, its image is reflected in
43231 all clean vessels of water, being in all places without coming or going. If
43232 one vessel breaks, then the reflection of the sun does not appear in it. Do
43233 you think it is the fault of the sun that its reflection does not appear
43235 "No--it is just because the vessel is broken; it's no fault of the sun."
43236 "The knowledge of realization of Thusness, buddha-knowledge, is also like
43237 this, appearing throughout the cosmos, without before or after: Buddha appears
43238 in the clean mind-vessels of all sentient beings. If the mind-vessel is
43239 always clean, the embodiment of Buddha is always seen; if the mind is
43240 polluted, the vessel breaks and the Buddha cannot be seen."
43241 -- from "The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of The Avatamsaka
43242 Sutra", translated by Thomas Cleary, published by Shambhala Publications
43244 Why is endeavor necessary? If we consider material progress, we see that
43245 research started by one person can always be continued by another. But this
43246 is not possible with spiritual progress. The realization we talk about in the
43247 Buddhadharma is something that has to be accomplished by the individual. No
43248 one else can do it for us. Of course, it would be wonderful if in the future
43249 we could attain realization through some sort of new injection or by means of
43250 a new generation of computers, without having to go through any difficulties.
43251 If we could be absolutely certain that such a time would come, we could simply
43252 lie back and wait to get enlightened. But I doubt that this will ever happen.
43253 It is better to make an effort. We have to develop endeavor.
43256 Thus with patience I will strive with diligence.
43257 For in such diligence enlightenment is found.
43258 If no wind blows, then nothing stirs,
43259 And neither is there merit without diligence.
43261 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "The Bodhisattva Guide: A Commentary
43262 on The Way of the Bodhisattva", The Bodhisattva Guide was originally
43263 published as For the Benefit of All Beings, also published by Shambhala
43266 I am not angry with my bile and other humors--
43267 Fertile source of suffering and pain!
43268 So why should living beings give offence,
43269 They likewise are impelled by circumstance?
43271 Suffering may result from both animate and inanimate causes. We may curse
43272 inanimate things like the weather, but it is with animate beings that we most
43273 often get angry. If we analyze these animate causes that make us unhappy, we
43274 find that they are themselves influenced by other conditions. They are not
43275 making us angry simply because they want to. In this respect, because they
43276 are influenced by other conditions, they are in fact powerless. So there is
43277 no need to get angry with them.
43279 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "The Bodhisattva Guide: A
43280 Commentary on The Way of the Bodhisattva", published by Shambhala
43283 I am not contained between my hat and boots.
43286 These delightful mountain solitudes
43287 Are like the family estate to the supreme guide's heirs,
43288 And, as the best of protectors himself has said,
43289 To rely on solitude is indeed the pinnacle of joys!
43291 Forests, hermitages, and isolated dwelling places--
43292 These are the outer solitude of the Victor's heirs.
43293 Avoiding selfishness and fainthearted fears--
43294 This is the bodhisattvas' internal isolation.
43296 Keeping, therefore, to outer forms of solitude,
43297 Tame the inner afflictions through tranquility and insight
43298 And aspire to the supreme conduct of Samantabhadra--
43299 Possessing such good fortune one is truly the Buddha's heir.
43301 With sweetly cascading mountain streams,
43302 Rocky mountain shelters ascending to heaven,
43303 And gently falling dewdrops of whitest moonlight,
43304 This mountain retreat surpasses even the deva realm.
43306 The dance of the slender trees does not stir the passions,
43307 And sweet birdsong brings neither attachment nor aversion,
43308 Enveloped in nonconceptuality's gentle, cooling shade--
43309 Such youthful companionship is surely better than a silent void!
43311 Undisturbed by noisy chatter, that thorn in meditation's side,
43312 Alone in this excellent place of unattended solitude,
43313 The old monkey of the mind has nowhere left to roam
43314 And, settling down within, finds satisfaction.
43316 Under the bright, oppressive sunlight of busy, bustling crowds,
43317 Our faults and unhelpful thoughts eclipse the constellations,
43318 But when embraced by threefold solitude's cooling nectar beams,
43319 Such faults can easily be overcome through proper antidotes.
43321 When it is undisturbed by rippling thoughts of sadness,
43322 The pool-like surface of the mind is still, unmoving,
43323 And faith and compassion's reflections readily arise.
43324 In such constancy, what need is there for a companion?
43326 If the mirror of mind is wiped clean, time and again,
43327 And uncluttered with objects or circumstances,
43328 Study, reflection, and meditation present a clear impression.
43329 What is there to prevent the dawn of Dharma's light?
43331 Hunger, thirst, cold, and the like--all forms of physical affliction--
43332 Together with sadness, fear, and all such mental suffering,
43333 Can, through the teachings, enhance the purifying path
43334 And, unburdened by avoidance or indulgence, adorn the mind!
43336 -- Patrul Rinpoche, from "Beyond the Ordinary Mind: Dzogchen, Rimé, and the
43337 Path of Perfect Wisdom", Translated by Adam Pearcey, published by
43338 Shambhala Publications
43340 Our endeavor is not religious, but rather a test of what we as a human
43341 being can become, the greatest unfolding of our potential.
43342 -- Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
43344 Because everything leans, you belong to something much, much greater than what
43345 you may often refer to as "the world" or "my life"; you belong to something
43346 greater than your community, political party, nation, or even this magnificent
43347 planet Earth. You are a noble citizen of the boundless field of contingent
43348 relationships, pratityasamutpada.
43349 -- Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, from "The Logic of Faith", published by
43350 Shambhala Publications
43352 It is through the teacher's blessing that you see
43353 The self-arisen primal wisdom, inexpressible,
43354 Beyond both word and thought.
43355 And in the moment of its seeing,
43356 Timeless are the three times,
43357 No difference separates the future from the past.
43358 This is the Wisdom That Has Gone Beyond; the Middle Way;
43359 The Stilling (of all thought and sorrow); the Great Seal;
43360 The Great Perfection of the quintessential ultimate reality,
43361 That is, the fundamental natural state
43362 Where, from the very first,
43363 Phenomena are all exhausted.
43364 It is mind's luminosity,
43365 The self-arisen primal wisdom.
43366 Many names it has received, yet all have but one meaning:
43367 Ultimate reality, beyond the range
43368 Of speech, of thought, of explanation:
43369 The enlightened mind,
43370 The space-like nature where saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are not two.
43371 -- Longchenpa, from "Finding Rest in Meditation", published by Shambhala
43374 Become accustomed to the fact that all we accept or reject, dualistically
43375 affirm or deny (such as enjoyment and disgust, happiness and frustration,
43376 beauty and ugliness, fear and security, sickness and health, enemies and
43377 friends, love and hatred, or whatever), has one taste, thus judgments are
43380 Listen great being: do not create duality from the unique state.
43381 Happiness and misery are one in pure and total presence.
43382 Buddhas and beings are one in the nature of mind.
43383 Appearances and beings, the environment and its inhabitants are one in
43385 Even the duality of truth and falsehood are the same in reality.
43386 Do not latch onto happiness; do not eliminate misery.
43387 Thereby everything is accomplished.
43388 Attachment to pleasure brings misery.
43389 Total clarity, being non-conceptual,
43390 Is self-refreshing pristine awareness.
43391 -- Longchenpa, from "You Are the Eyes of the World", published by Shambhala
43394 The realizations that arise through meditating thus
43395 Are all of the same taste.
43396 They are not manifold; they are not different.
43397 It is like those who come from three directions
43398 And meet together in a single place,
43399 And like the different flowing streams
43400 That join and are as one within a single sea.
43401 Bliss, luminosity, and no-thought--
43402 Whichever of these methods one may practice--
43403 When mental movement comes to complete rest
43404 And in the nature of the mind, the unborn space, dissolves,
43405 The enlightened mind, devoid of concepts
43406 (Whether of existence or of nonexistence),
43407 The sun of fundamental nature, bright and clear,
43408 Will rise up from within.
43409 In this realization, changeless and unmoving,
43410 There is nothing to be added, nothing to remove.
43411 -- Longchenpa, from "Finding Rest in Meditation", published by Shambhala
43414 Listen! I, pure and total presence, the creative intelligence
43415 which manifests universes,
43416 Do not teach those who surround me,
43417 A reality that can be affirmed or denied.
43418 I do not teach about splitting the unique into two.
43419 I do not analyze that which is beyond analysis.
43420 I do not correct that which is naturally uncontrived.
43421 Let whatever you do or whatever appears
43422 Just be in its natural state, without premeditation.
43423 That is true freedom.
43424 -- Longchenpa, from "You Are the Eyes of the World", published by
43425 Shambhala Publications
43427 Milarepa's Song on the Way of the Yogi
43429 I am just a man, a yogi of Tibet;
43431 I've studied little but have many key instructions.
43432 Though I'm humble, I have great perseverance.
43433 I sleep little and have great endurance in meditation.
43434 I'm an expert in all by knowing one thing
43435 And I understand everything to be one:
43436 I am an expert in genuine reality.
43437 On my small seat, stretching my legs is pleasant.
43438 With thin clothes, my body is perfectly warm.
43439 With small bits of tsampa, my stomach is full.
43440 My example is that which all meditators aspire to.
43441 I'm a gathering place for those with faith.
43442 I'm an object of reliance for those fearful of birth and death.
43443 I go in no fixed direction
43444 And I stay in no one particular place.
43445 For conduct, I go without reference points.
43446 I have no attachment to material things
43447 And no notion of clean or dirty food.
43448 For me, the pain of the afflictions is small.
43449 I have little self-regard and few desires.
43450 I've little attachment to perceiver and perceived
43451 And I've loosened the knots of the state of nirvana.
43452 I'm a friend of the elderly, a shoulder to lean on,
43453 And a playmate for young children.
43454 I'm a yogi who roams the country far and wide.
43455 May you devas and humans be healthy and happy.
43456 -- Milarepa and Tsangnyon Heruka, "The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa",
43457 published by Shambhala Publications
43459 It's very important to keep examining your mind at all times and be aware of
43460 what occurs in it. We have this habit of criticizing others; we are very good
43461 at pointing out their faults, but we have a hard time being aware of our own
43462 flaws. Examining the faults of others will not benefit anyone and only leads
43463 to more disturbing emotions, blocking our path to liberation. Whatever anyone
43464 else does, let them do it. It's not your business to find other people's
43465 flaws, and even if you do point them out, there is no way for you to correct
43466 them. On the other hand, it is very important to watch your own mind and
43467 train in subduing and reducing your own disturbing emotions. Analyze your
43468 mind, constantly watch your thoughts, recognizing whether they are positive or
43469 negative, and become aware of your faults. If you constantly observe yourself
43470 and analyze your thoughts, you will eventually be able to tame your mind.
43471 Since we haven't been able to purify our karmic and emotional obscurations,
43472 our gross disturbing emotions can come up anytime, and whenever these emotions
43473 come up, we should apply the antidote by looking into our mind and trying to
43474 understand that all phenomena are emptiness. If you leave your mind in a
43475 relaxed state without contriving anything, disturbing emotions will cease.
43476 -- Drubwang Penor Rinpoche, from "An Ocean of Blessings", published by
43477 Shambhala Publications
43479 In general, all joys and sorrows that seem outside
43480 Are magical creations of one's mind alone;
43481 Reflections from inside that appear outside,
43482 Not things outside that have come near.
43484 Knowing this well, when analysis
43485 Severs the root of the basic mind,
43486 You will abide in the true sky of reality
43487 Beyond this fog of appearance.
43489 This so-called existence is a fiction.
43490 This so-called nonexistence is a fiction.
43491 Untainted by all such fictions,
43492 The nature of the mind is perfect buddhahood.
43494 Thoughts of "is" and "is not" are like ripples in water;
43495 They follow one after the other.
43496 Dissolving easily into the aimless state,
43497 They arrive at the ocean of the primordial sphere of reality.
43499 Appearances are the magical display of the mind.
43500 The mind is empty, without base, without foundation.
43501 By holding baseless phenomena to be the self
43502 You and I wander in the realm of samsara.
43504 Without pursuing perceptions,
43505 When you look directly at the perceiver itself,
43506 You will see your own inexpressible face;
43507 The path to achieve buddhahood is not far.
43509 Through the blessings of the divine three foundations,
43510 May you quickly find the emptiness of your own mind,
43511 And from the kingdom of the ever-pure great perfection,
43512 Bring about the great aims of boundless beings.
43513 -- from "Gendun Chopel: Tibet's Modern Visionary", by Donald S. Lopez
43514 Jr., published by Shambhala Publications
43516 Parallel to compassion, the Buddhist teachings emphasize loving-kindness--the
43517 wish for others to have happiness and the causes of happiness. A traditional
43518 way of generating loving-kindness begins by looking at our own constant
43519 longing for happiness and its causes. Then we contemplate how all others have
43520 this same longing, every bit as intense as our own. When we understand that
43521 we are no different from other beings in this way, we see how unreasonable it
43522 is to care so much more about ourselves than others. We do so only out of
43523 sheer habit--ignorant habit. At that point, once we've shed some light on
43524 our habit, we turn our mind toward others, wishing them happiness as much as
43525 we wish it for ourselves. Then, in our daily lives, we try to behave in
43526 accord with this wish, by being kind with our actions, in our speech, and in
43528 -- Dzigar Kongtrul, from "Training in Tenderness: Buddhist Teachings on
43529 Tsewa, the Radical Openness of Heart That Can Change the World",
43530 published by Shambhala Publications
43532 So many wonderful qualities are already present within us, just waiting to be
43533 discovered. The key lies in understanding that things are impermanent and
43534 unreal. Sadness, of course, is not an end in itself. But deep sorrow comes
43535 with realizing that everything we previously took to be lasting and real is
43536 actually just about to disappear--and it never even existed in the first
43537 place. Such sadness and disillusionment have a wonderful effect. Sorrow
43538 makes us let go. As we stop chasing futile and ultimately painful goals, we
43539 embark on the spiritual path with superior strength and resolve.
43540 -- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, from "Sadness, Love, Openness: The Buddhist Path
43541 of Joy", published by Shambhala Publications
43543 The blind ant runs about for the sake of happiness.
43544 The legless worm crawls about for the sake of happiness.
43545 In brief, all the world is racing with each other,
43546 Running toward happiness, one faster than the next.
43548 Sometimes, seeing a goddess is revolting.
43549 Sometimes, seeing an old woman creates lust.
43550 Thinking, "This is it," something else comes along.
43551 How can the deceptions of the mind be counted?
43553 Our attitudes change so much
43554 From childhood to when we are old and decrepit.
43555 Analyze your own experience and you know this.
43556 How can you have confidence in today's thoughts?
43558 Due to the mind's insanity, we do not recognize our own face,
43559 Yet we constantly measure the secular and sacred, heaven and earth.
43560 Courageous are we who seek lasting refuge
43561 In this series of mistaken appearances.
43562 -- from "Gendun Chopel: Tibet's Modern Visionary", by Donald S. Lopez
43563 Jr., published by Shambhala Publications
43565 When people say that I have worked a lot for peace, I feel embarrassed. I
43566 feel like laughing. I don't think I have done very much for world peace.
43567 It's just that my practice is the peaceful path of kindness, love,
43568 compassion, and not harming others. This has become part of me. It is not
43569 something for which I have specially volunteered. I am simply a follower of
43570 the Buddha, and the Buddha taught that patience is the supreme means for
43571 transcending suffering. He said, "If a monk harms others, he is not a monk."
43572 I am a Buddhist monk, so I try to practice accordingly. When people think
43573 this practice is something unique and special and call me a leader of world
43574 peace, I feel almost ashamed!
43575 -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "The Bodhisattva Guide", published
43576 by Shambhala Publications
43578 We have talked about impermanence and how painful it is to acknowledge that
43579 everything, including ourselves and all that we love, is going to perish. But
43580 the recognition of impermanence is also the threshold to something more,
43581 something greater. The reason we take impermanence to heart is that we need
43582 that understanding to inspire and guide us. Impermanence closes the gap
43583 between others and ourselves. When we recognize that everyone is subject to
43584 the same merciless conditions, we cannot but respond with affection. With the
43585 recognition of the impermanent world comes great compassion, genuine care.
43586 This pivotal discovery provides the circumstance for a complete opening of our
43587 minds. As compassion gains force, it enables our minds to recognize the
43588 profound nature of emptiness--the true nature of things that lies beyond all
43589 concepts. Sorrow and pain become catalysts for deep-felt loving care, and the
43590 power of universal compassion delivers the realization of the true view.
43591 That’s when we have truly become students of the Dharma.
43592 -- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, from "Sadness, Love, Openness: The Buddhist
43593 Path of Joy", published by Shambhala Publications
43595 Buddha qualities are indivisible.
43596 The disposition is attained as it is.
43597 The true state is [always] free from any fickleness and deceit.
43598 Since beginningless time the nature has been peace itself.
43600 Direct perfect enlightenment [with regard to] all aspects,
43601 and abandonment of the stains along with their imprints
43602 [are called] buddha and nirvana respectively.
43603 In truth, these are not two different things.
43605 -- Maitreya, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, and
43606 Asanga in "Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with Commentary",
43607 Translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, published by Shambhala Publications
43609 Like vines that wrap themselves round sandal trees,
43610 People who keep company with holy ones
43611 Become, in their turn, holy.
43613 And like kusha grass left in a fetid marsh,
43614 People who keep company with evil beings
43615 Will in their turn be evil.
43617 So keep the company of holy beings
43618 And from bad teachers strive to keep your distance.
43620 -- Longchenpa, in "Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind, The Trilogy of
43621 Rest, Volume 1", Translated by Padmakara Translation Group, published by
43622 Shambhala Publications
43624 Thinking about the self as composed of "aggregates" (Skt. skandha) can
43625 help us reflect on our personal identity in new ways. Generally, we attribute
43626 characteristics to our personal identity, feeling that it is solid, permanent,
43627 and real. But here, describing the self as being composed of aggregates can
43628 help us see ourselves more accurately. The word skandha can be translated
43629 literally as "heap." This definition, when applied to ourselves, can help
43630 us see that we do not have a cohesive, real, and solid self. We are just a
43631 heap of stuff — flesh, blood, veins, nerves, bones, hair, cartilage, and so
43632 on. When we sort through this heap, what are we actually? None of the
43633 elements of the heap is actually "me." We are a mere mishmash of material
43634 conditions that we have identified with and labeled "I."
43635 -- Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo, in "Stop Biting the Tail
43636 You're Chasing: Using Buddhist Mind Training to Free Yourself from Painful
43637 Emotional Patterns" published by Shambhala Publications
43639 I once heard a Buddhist teacher say that the whole point of having a teacher
43640 was to become autonomous. I considered that for a while. I thought, "Well,
43641 yes, as a mother, I did everything I could to help my son stand on his own two
43642 feet. I get that." But is it possible for anyone to stand on their own two
43643 feet without their mother, father, or guardian to guide them? When we are
43644 born, we are completely helpless and dependent. We would never survive
43645 without the help of others. There is truly no such thing as autonomy. So if
43646 you want to live in accordance with the nature of things—which means living
43647 in grace—practically speaking, it will require some humility and gratitude
43648 for the ways in which your tradition has come down to you with so much care.
43649 -- Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, from "The Logic of Faith: The Buddhist Approach
43650 to Finding Certainty Beyond Belief and Doubt", published by Shambhala
43653 If we are attached to a thought, it becomes an obstacle to the development of
43654 our meditation or samadhi. The remedies for reducing attachments to thoughts
43655 are called "pacification" and "taming the mind," which involve what to
43656 do when we are unwilling to let go of thoughts. Normally we regard thoughts,
43657 and especially certain thoughts, as either particularly important or
43658 particularly pleasant and therefore worthwhile or entertaining. However, in
43659 meditation, thoughts are nothing other than impediments to what we are trying
43660 to do. So, when we are practicing meditation, we have to maintain the
43661 attitude, "This is my time to meditate and now I am not trying to think
43662 thoughts. If I let myself think, I am wasting this time I have to practice."
43663 -- Khenchen Thrangu, from "The Mahamudra Lineage Prayer: A Guide to
43664 Practice", published by Shambhala Publications
43666 The arrogant mind never stops searching for identity, and this identity always
43667 defines itself through attributes: "the beautiful one," "the smart one,"
43668 "the creative one," "the successful one." Sometimes we take this further by
43669 creating a more elaborate persona: "the rebel," "the maverick," "the suffering
43670 artist," "the fearless leader." We can hold onto these labels on a "good" day.
43671 But when we feel insecure about our attributes, or our lack thereof, we start
43672 to wonder how to define ourselves; we wonder who it is we really are.
43673 Regardless of whether we’re having a good day or a low self-esteem day, the
43674 point is, we haven’t found a way to relax, to be natural, unself-conscious.
43675 We don’t know how to take our seat in ordinariness and feel comfortable in
43676 our own skin. We’re always searching for something to be.
43677 -- Dzigar Kongtrul, from "Light Comes Through: Buddhist Teachings on
43678 Awakening to Our Natural Intelligence", published by Shambhala
43682 It's time for the adults to take back the wheel
43683 WE KNOW OUR ABCS...
43684 Apple pie, Baseball, Compassion, & Science
43687 Elevate your experience and remain wide-open like the sky.
43688 Expand your mindfulness and remain pervasive like the earth.
43689 Steady your attention and remain unshakable like a mountain.
43690 Brighten your awareness and remain shining like a flame.
43691 Clear your thought-free wakefulness and remain lucid like a crystal.
43692 -- Dakpo Tashi Namgyal, "Clarifying the Natural State", from "Jewels of
43693 Enlightenment: Wisdom Teachings from the Great Tibetan Masters", compiled
43694 and translated by Erik Pema Kunsang, published by Shambhala Publications
43696 Meditation, by nature, is like tasting nectar.
43698 To meditate on the meaning of what you have heard and contemplated
43699 pacifies all the illnesses of negative emotions.
43701 You will cross the ocean of conditioned existence and arrive at the
43702 far shore--the heart essence.
43704 Please meditate in the forest from now on.
43706 -- Longchenpa, from "The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of
43707 the Vast Expanse", Compiled and edited by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, published
43708 by Shambhala Publications
43710 Compassion has no hierarchy of worthy and unworthy suffering; it makes no
43711 distinctions between the deserving and the undeserving. Wherever there is
43712 suffering, there is a need for compassion. Finding compassion for those who
43713 cause pain is an ongoing practice requiring remarkable patience and
43714 perseverance. It is a difficult journey, but the path of bitterness and
43715 division is far more painful. The path of compassion begins with your
43716 willingness to soften and stay present in all the moments when you are prone
43717 to recoil and flinch. You learn to open your eyes and heart in all the places
43718 you have been blinded by fear or rage. You begin to dismantle the boundaries
43719 that have too long divided you from others.
43720 -- "All the Rage--Buddhist Wisdom on Anger and Acceptance", Edited by Andrea
43721 Miller and the Editors of the Shambhala Sun, published by Shambhala
43724 Each and every being in this world, including animals and all other beings of
43725 the six realms, wants to be happy. Nobody wants to suffer. Even through we
43726 have no wisdom or clairvoyance, we can see that everyone in this world is
43727 afflicted with disturbing emotions and delusion based on their karma
\97not only
43728 we humans, but all beings in the six realms. Even a tiny little ant is
43729 constantly afflicted by the five poisons, and it
\92s impossible for such a being
43730 to generate bodhichitta, faith, devotion, or pure perception for an instant.
43731 It can
\92t even conceive of a path to liberation or ultimate happiness. Due to
43732 karma accumulated throughout beginningless lifetimes, all sentient beings
43733 experience various kinds of sorrow and happiness. Yet this isn
\92t just random,
43734 for all that we experience is the result of our past actions.
43735 ##--#Penor Rinpoche, from "An Ocean of Blessings: Heart Teachings of Drubwang
43736 Penor Rinpoche", translated by Ani Jinba Palmo, published by Shambhala
43739 Dreaming is a dynamic process. Unlike the static images of film that we
43740 use as a metaphor, the images of a dream are fluid: they move, beings talk,
43741 sounds vibrate, sensation is vivid. The content of dream is formed by the
43742 mind, but the basis of the vitality and animation of the dream is the prana.
43743 The literal translation of the Tibetan word for prana, lung, is "wind," but
43744 it is more descriptive to call it the vital wind force.
43745 Prana is the foundational energy of all experience, of all life.
43746 -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and edited by Mark Dahlby, from "The Tibetan
43747 Yogas of Dream and Sleep", published by Shambhala Publications
43749 Do they know this kid likes his chemistry set a little too much?
projects / feisty_meow.git / blob