+~
+FDR's Economic Bill of Rights
+
+ It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy
+for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American
+standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no
+matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of
+our people--whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth--is ill-fed,
+ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
+ This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under
+the protection of certain inalienable political rights--among them the right
+of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from
+unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
+ As our nation has grown in size and stature, however--as our industrial
+economy expanded--these political rights proved inadequate to assure us
+equality in the pursuit of happiness.
+ We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual
+freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.
+"Necessitous men are not free men."[3] People who are hungry and out of a
+job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
+ In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We
+have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of
+security and prosperity can be established for all--regardless of station,
+race, or creed.
+
+ Among these are:
+
+ The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or
+farms or mines of the nation;
+
+ The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and
+recreation;
+
+ The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which
+will give him and his family a decent living;
+
+ The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere
+of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or
+abroad;
+
+ The right of every family to a decent home;
+
+ The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and
+enjoy good health;
+
+ The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age,
+sickness, accident, and unemployment;
+
+ The right to a good education.
+
+ All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be
+prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals
+of human happiness and well-being.
+ America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how
+fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our
+citizens.
+ For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in
+the world.
+ -- Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the
+ Congress of the United States on the State of the Union
+~
+ Whatever arises in our mind--whether it's a thought, an emotion, a
+sensation, or a perception--is the arising of coemergent wisdom. It is the
+radiation of the mind's emptiness and clarity. Every arising is a temporary
+arising--one thought comes and goes, then another thought comes and goes.
+All our thoughts and emotions just appear and disappear.
+ This is very important, because we usually grasp at whatever occurs. For
+instance, when sadness arises, we hold on to this feeling and think, "I am
+so sad, I am so depressed." But from the Mahamudra point of view, what has
+happened? A feeling has arisen in the mind, like a cloud. Like a cloud, it
+appears and then it disappears, and that's all there is to it. This time it
+is sadness arising, the next time it may be happiness, the next time it may be
+anger, and later it may be kindness. All sorts of things arise, like
+wildflowers in a spring meadow. All sorts of flowers grow; all sorts of
+thoughts and emotions arise. They are all okay; they're nothing special.
+When we understand what our thoughts and feelings are, and we experience them
+in this way, we are able to let them come and let them go.
+ -- Ringu Tulku, from "Confusion Arises as Wisdom: Gampopa's Heart Advice on
+ the Path of Mahamudra", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The second quality of devotion is absence of arrogance. The arrogant
+approach is to be so passionately involved with our teacher that we become
+devotional chauvinists and cease to see the rest of the world properly. In
+fact, we become passionately involved with our own arrogance. We indulge our
+"devotion" by collecting information, techniques, stories, little words of
+wisdom--all to confirm our chauvinistic view. It actually reaches a point
+that the teacher upon whom our arrogance is based himself becomes a threat.
+The absurdity is that we even end up wanting to use our collection of
+ammunition against our teacher when he begins giving our "devotion" a hard
+time.
+ If our devotion is without arrogance there is not this resentment toward the
+world or the guru. Absence of such arrogance is absolutely necessary. When
+courting a teacher, students frequently make a sort of detailed application,
+listing all their insights and spiritual credentials. That is too arrogant;
+it is phony, out of the question altogether. It is fine to offer our
+particular skills or neuroses to the guru as a gift or an opening gesture.
+But if we begin to dress up our neuroses as virtues, like a person writing a
+resumé, that is unacceptable. Devotion without arrogance demands that we
+stop clinging to our particular case history, that we relate to the teacher
+and to the world in a naked and direct way, without hiding behind credentials.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Heart of the Buddha: Entering the Tibetan
+ Buddhist Path", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+To study and to contemplate what one has learned is very important, but these
+two can only progress if one engages in meditation practice. Thus, the
+importance of each of these three--moral conduct, study, and
+meditation--cannot be underestimated. If one practices these free of
+attachment to this life, the benefits are enormous. But to pursue these while
+seeking worldly attainments means one will not receive the benefits that would
+be gained by a genuine spiritual practitioner. For this reason, it will be
+best if you abandon any inauthentic approaches to ethical discipline, study,
+and meditation.
+ -- Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, in "Parting from the Four Attachments: A
+ Commentary on Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen's Song of Experience on Mind
+ Training and the View", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+If what appears to be apprehended does not exist by its very own essence apart
+from that which apprehends it, then what appears to be the apprehender does
+not exist either. The reason, here, is that the apprehender exists in
+relation to the apprehended, not in isolation. Therefore, awareness is devoid
+of both apprehender and apprehended, in all their various forms. Free from
+subject and object, by its very own nature awareness is a mere indescribable
+luminosity.
+ -- from "Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature: Maitreya's
+ Dharmadharmatavibhanga with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+"Immediately join whatever you meet with meditation"
+
+ This slogan refers to the practice of transforming adverse circumstances
+and situations into the path of awakening. It is a reminder not to respond to
+things in a habitual way, but rather to respond with understanding, openness,
+and courage by maintaining a sense of awareness. We shouldn't think of
+meditation as something we only do if we're sitting on a cushion, but should
+treat everyday situations as meditations by focusing our mind on whatever
+arises. There's nothing we can't utilize for our own and others'
+benefit if we use both fortunate and unfortunate circumstances to train the
+mind.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, "The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion through
+ Training the Mind", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+O monks, you should focus on four things. What are these four? To focus on
+the teachings and not focus on the individual; to focus on the meaning and not
+focus on the words; to focus on timeless awareness and not focus on ordinary
+consciousness; and to focus on the definitive meaning and not focus on the
+meaning that guides. These four things are things to be realized; they are
+not four kinds of spiritual individuals.
+ -- Jamgön Kongtrul, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven and Book
+ Eight, Parts One and Two: Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ One way to prevent mental suffering is to observe ourselves and figure out
+what triggers our problem. If we can identify what makes our blood pressure
+rise and causes us to feel upset, then we have taken a big step toward seeing
+the larger picture. With this wider perspective, there is less chance that we
+will jump back into an old habitual pattern that only makes us feel bad.
+ It is not that we have to stop going to all family holidays, but that we
+figure out ways to enjoy the parts that are enjoyable, like the delicious food
+and the chance to connect with people, and to feel more neutral and detached
+about the annoying or hurtful moments. We often place too many expectations
+and requirements on ourselves and those around us. We could give the
+situation a little space and see what develops. The kindest thing we can do
+in these situations is to remain calm and refrain from causing more
+difficulty.
+ -- Khenpo Gawang, from "Your Mind Is Your Teacher: Self-Awakening through
+ Contemplative Meditation", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Those who wish to protect their practice should zealously guard the mind.
+The practice cannot be protected without guarding the unsteady mind.
+ Tigers, lions, elephants, bears, snakes, all enemies, all guardians of
+hells, evil spirits, and demons become controlled by controlling the mind
+alone. By subduing the mind alone, they all become subdued.
+ For the Propounder of the Truth said that all fears and immeasurable
+sufferings arise from the mind only.
+ -- Shantideva, "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Products are specially designed to catch the eye and captivate the mind.
+Because we focus on what else there is to acquire, rather than what we already
+have, we fall into the endless upgrade game. "The functions you need are
+coming in the next version! The new design is so much more attractive! And
+it comes in your favorite color!" These products may be mass-produced, but
+they are custom-made to suit our greed and grasping. They are exactly
+tailored to deceive us with their appearances.
+ As I see it, however, the bigger problem is the gullibility of our mind.
+This is what really leaves us vulnerable to the deceptive allure of things.
+In other words, we ourselves are the bigger problem. Sometimes we are like
+small children; when it comes to assessing our own needs, we often show no
+sign of maturity. Just think about it: When a little child cries, the easy
+way to stop him is to give him a toy. We dangle it in front of him and wave
+it around to catch his attention until he reaches out to grab it. When we
+finally hand over the toy, he quiets down. Our goal was just to stop his
+crying. We did not try to address the child’s underlying needs. We gave
+him something else to desire, and tricked him into falling silent for the time
+being.
+ -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble:
+ Changing the World from the Inside Out", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Vajrayana is very different from the New Age approach. The difference is that
+the Vajrayana teachings are controlled by the lineage. I know we don’t like
+the word control, but the Vajrayana teachings are actually held by the
+authority of the lineage. I know we also don’t like the word authority, but
+we have it in Vajrayana. When we have this pure lineage, this genuine
+lineage, there is no space for our egocentric interpretation of dharma. We
+cannot interpret dharma like the New Age gurus. We cannot invent a new
+lineage because a lineage must be received. It must be received by
+transmission. It is not something we can just create here. That would be New
+Age, probably from California.
+ -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
+ Samantabhadra", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Even when it is practiced, accomplishing shamata is rare. One of the very
+common problems is that people try too hard. Both Tibetans and Westerners
+could learn a lot about relaxing more deeply and letting the stability arise
+from that relaxation. Although it is mentioned in the texts, the Tibetans
+sometimes do not emphasize this point, but they do emphasize tight attention,
+not letting your object drop for even a second. If you are coming from a very
+serene space, and your mind is already very spacious, then that is probably
+good advice. But otherwise, such attention can be a big problem. You can
+exhaust yourself and cause nervous fatigue, and if you push it, you can really
+do yourself some damage.
+ -- B. Alan Wallace, from "The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart"
+~
+If you want good health, you must insure that your diet is well-balanced and
+complete. You wouldn’t just gobble up anything edible that comes your way.
+Spiritual food should be approached with equal care. The practices you choose
+should be genuine and complete. Sakyapandita said that when we’re buying a
+jewel or a horse--and the same would apply these days to buying a car or a
+house--we shop around and ask others for advice, but a wise or unwise
+purchase can only affect our fortunes in this life. The spiritual practices
+we undertake can assure or jeopardize our well-being throughout many future
+lifetimes, and so it is essential to make a wise choice. Milarepa said that
+unless the teachings we practice are free from errors and have come down to us
+through a living and uninterrupted tradition, time spent meditating in a
+mountain retreat will just be self-inflicted misery.
+ -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "The Three Principal Aspects of the Path",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Hark! In order to be of maximum benefit to the countless living beings,
+whose number is as vast as the extent of the skies, one must first gain the
+state of peerless, complete, perfect buddhahood. It is with this thought in
+mind that one receives initiation, the root of the Vajrayana path, and then
+engages in the various Tantric yogas.
+ Contemplate this theme, and by means of it generate the sublime bodhi-mind
+as the motivating factor. Also, cultivate the correct attitudes that are to
+be maintained when listening to the Dharma, as is explained in the many sutras
+and tantras, and thus listen correctly.
+ The Buddha, who himself achieved complete enlightenment and who possessed
+profound skill and great compassion, taught the nectarlike Dharma in
+accordance with the mental tendencies, capacities, and karmic predispositions
+of those to be trained.
+ -- Glenn H. Mullin, "From the Heart of Chenrezig: The Dalai Lamas on Tantra"
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+You might say, "Don’t pleasurable experiences give rise to happiness?"
+Although for ordinary people pleasures may appear to be related to happiness
+at the time they are enjoyed, in the end they are their undoing. They are,
+the Sovereign of the Conquerors said, like the fruit of the kimba tree, which
+grows in the western continent of Aparagodaniya: its skin is attractive but it
+is unpleasant inside; or it tastes delicious when one first eats it, but later
+it makes one ill. So, advises Nagarjuna, give up these pleasures, for it is
+the chains--the afflictive emotions--of attachment to pleasure that tightly
+bind the worldly in the prison of samsara.
+ -- Nagarjuna, from "Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend with Commentary by
+ Kyabje Kangyur Rinpoche", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The wish to understand the true nature of mind by relying on technology is
+due to the fault of not having awakened one’s Buddha nature, and because of
+that, the absolute and relative nature of one’s uncompounded mind just as it
+is cannot be recognized even slightly, which is the reason for relying only on
+the compounded gross material substance of technology. While examining the
+qualities of one’s own and others’ practice by bringing together a machine
+and the one who uses the machine, if any special conception arises about its
+being good, bad, high, or low, it will only be a fragmented, deluded
+interdependent conception that momentarily appears, and not nonconceptual
+enlightened body and wisdom, which are inconceivable. It will just be like
+children blowing bubbles in the air and trying to catch these rainbow-colored
+bubbles with their hands. As Santideva says about the dream of a barren
+woman:
+ For example, a barren woman dreams her son is dead. When she awakens, she
+thinks that she has no son. That conception of not having a son comes from
+the conception of having a son. So, both of these conceptions are obstacles
+and also delusion.
+ -- Thinley Norbu, from "The Sole Panacea: A Brief Commentary on the Seven-
+ Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche That Cures the Suffering of the Sickness of
+ Karma and Defilement", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The nature of mind is primordially the identity of the three bodies of
+enlightenment. Its essence is empty, the dharma body. Its nature is lucid,
+the enjoyment body. Freed upon arising, with no clinging, it is the emanation
+body. Manifesting as its expression are the male aspect of relative
+appearance, method, and the female aspect of ultimate emptiness, knowledge.
+The circle of the Magical Web is the unity of these, a wisdom manifestation of
+indivisible appearance and emptiness.
+ -- Kunkyen Tenpe Nyima and Shechen Gyaltsap IV, in "Vajra Wisdom: Deity
+ Practice in Tibetan Buddhism", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Whatever sensory experiences we go through, if we go through them with
+mindfulness and awareness, there is no limit to how far we can go. The limit
+is mindfulness and awareness. Even if we don’t enjoy the experience, that
+itself becomes a trip. The nonenjoyment becomes a cause of suffering.
+That’s why, if we don’t practice mindfulness and awareness, asceticism
+just becomes pain rather than a cause for liberation. That’s why Buddha
+said to forget about asceticism. That’s what Buddha did. He left
+asceticism, became very mindful in every step, and achieved enlightenment.
+ -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
+ Samantabhadra", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+When we turn away from samsara, we stop blaming external situations for the
+state of our mind, and we begin to use the Buddha’s teachings in order to
+take responsibility for our own well-being. We reorient the mind away from
+causes and conditions that create suffering. This does not mean that we turn
+away from the suffering that humans create, such as warfare, poverty,
+prejudice, slaughter, or environmental destruction. We do not turn away or
+become passive, impartial spectators. However, we need to assess our
+strategies for engagement. Many well-meaning people assume that inflaming
+passions, especially anger, is a justifiable, necessary, even beneficial
+response to injustice. They often assume that anger is an automatic and
+inherent response to injustice, in the same way that exasperation is an
+inherent response to waiting at the airport. But it is not. Anger does not
+allow us to see clearly, so the good intentions of people engaged in trying to
+help others can actually be hindered by their own negativity. Anger does not
+allow us to act with true compassion, because the mind of anger keeps us
+trapped inside ourselves. Turning away from samsara means figuring out how to
+function with an open, clear mind, not a mind shut down and incapacitated by
+destructive emotions.
+ -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the
+ Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+The key to understanding the Mahayana and Vajrayana views lies in
+Nagarjuna’s reasonings. This is because the reason the aggregates and
+suffering can be described as being pure by nature is that they are empty by
+nature--they are unborn. They never actually come into existence. Something
+that never really comes into existence cannot possibly be impure, for what is
+there to be impure in the first place? It is like getting covered with filth
+in a dream--no matter how dirty you might seem to be, since not a single
+particle of the filth is real, in fact there is no impurity at all. Since
+there is no impurity, there cannot actually be any purity either, just as when
+you take a bath in the dream after having gotten so filthy, your cleanliness
+after the bath is just as lacking in reality as the dirtiness that preceded
+it. Therefore, the true nature of the dream transcends both purity and
+impurity, and this is given the name "original purity." We have to
+understand that what original purity refers to is the freedom from all
+fabrications, the emptiness in which we can gain certainty by using
+Nagarjuna’s reasonings.
+ -- Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, from "The Sun of Wisdom: Teachings on the Noble
+ Nagarjuna’s Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Beginning and end depend on nothing but imagination.
+Through windlike formation,
+Karma and afflictions are created.
+Through these, the skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas--
+All dualistically appearing phenomena--are displayed.
+
+The one who adopts and rejects these is mistakenness.
+Through rejecting [mind’s] own appearances, where should they cease?
+Through adopting [mind’s] own appearances, what should come about?
+Is clinging to duality not delusive?
+
+Understanding this is indeed said to be the remedy,
+But the thought of nonduality is not real [either],
+For the lack of thought [just] turns into a thought.
+You thought about emptiness, dissecting form and so on into parts,
+Are you not mistaken yourself?
+Nevertheless, this was taught in order to stop the clinging to reality.
+
+All is neither real nor delusive--
+Held to be like [a reflection of] the moon in water by the learned.
+Just this ordinary mind
+Is called "dharmadhatu" and "Heart of the victors."
+It is neither to be improved by the noble ones
+Nor made worse by sentient beings.
+ -- from "Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and
+ Buddha Nature", translated by Karl Brunnhölzl, published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ It is possible to mistake attachment for loving-kindness and compassion.
+Love and compassion are distinguished from attachment in that they apply
+equally to your friends and your enemies. Genuine love and compassion make no
+distinction based on your relationship to the object of compassion. They are
+the wish that all sentient beings without exception have happiness and the
+causes of happiness, and the wish that all sentient beings without exception
+be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. The keynote of those two
+attitudes is that there is no hope involved of any kind of return or any sort
+of personal satisfaction as a result of the happiness of others.
+ In the case of attachment to someone, you wish that person well but it is
+based on an identification with him or her as "my friend, my son, my
+daughter." This identification and this feeling of ownership or
+territoriality is related to wanting some kind of return. You enjoy the
+happiness of that person because you have identified with him or her, and
+therefore in essence it is just wishing for your own benefit. Such attachment
+can very easily turn to aversion, anger, and hatred. That is the difference
+between compassion and attachment.
+ -- Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, from "The Instructions of Gampopa: A Precious
+ Garland of the Supreme Path", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Sometimes it seems as if the mind is outside someplace. We see all these
+things outside. We see mountains or we hear echoes off of cliffs. We have
+all these different thoughts of different places, and the mind seems to go to
+those places when we think about them. But it only seems that way; the mind
+is not really outside of us either. It dwells neither in external objects nor
+someplace in the body--we cannot find any place in the body where it is. You
+might then think that since it is not in the body and it is not outside the
+body, it must be in the empty space in between. But if you look, you cannot
+find it. We need to look and become certain that the mind has no dwelling
+place--we must be certain that there is no real place that we can we can
+point to and say, "Aha! That’s where it is!"
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo
+ Gangshar", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Not only are our adverse experiences beneficial for our own path, but they are
+the best way for us to connect with others. Suffering is a universal
+experience. This is why the Buddha chose suffering as the first topic of his
+teachings. So when we connect with our own suffering, we can also recall that
+many beings all over the world are having similar experiences. This helps us
+develop understanding, love, and compassion for others.
+ -- Rose Taylor Goldfield, in "Training the Wisdom Body: Buddhist Yogic
+ Exercise", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Once we recognize that other sentient beings—people, animals, and even
+insects—are just like us, that their basic motivation is to experience peace
+and to avoid suffering, then when someone acts in some way or says something
+that is against our wishes, we’re able to have some basis for understanding:
+"Oh, well, this person (or whatever) is coming from this position because,
+just like me, they want to be happy and they want to avoid suffering.
+That’s their basic purpose. They’re not out to get me; they’re only
+doing what they think they need to do."
+ Compassion is the spontaneous wisdom of the heart. It’s always with us.
+It always has been and always will be. When it arises in us, we’ve simply
+learned to see how strong and safe we really are.
+ -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche from "All the Rage: Buddhist Wisdom on Anger and
+ Acceptance", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Who knows the true nature of things? The actual knower—the empty, cognizant
+aspect of mind—is the primordial Buddha, Samantabhadra, the personification
+of one’s own rigpa. Rigpa, the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, is very,
+very important. It is the clear light, luminous buddha-nature, that which
+knows. Innate awareness-wisdom, rigpa, is functioning through us even now, if
+we only knew it.
+ -- Nyoshul Khenpo and Lama Surya Das, "Natural Great Perfection: Dzogchen
+ Teachings and Vajra Songs", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+I recognize that this wish to create a better society, end all the suffering
+of all beings everywhere, and protect the entire planet may not seem
+particularly feasible. But whether or not we accomplish such goals in our
+lifetime, it is nevertheless deeply meaningful to cultivate such a vast sense
+of responsibility, and the wholehearted wish to be able to benefit others.
+This outlook is so wholesome and noble that it is worth developing, regardless
+of the probability of actually accomplishing such a vast vision.
+ -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble:
+ Changing the World from the Inside Out", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
+ -- Oscar Wilde
+~
+We might feel terrible, utterly hopeless, but if we look at ourselves fully
+and thoroughly, we will find fundamental goodness. There is something that
+makes us look up at the blue sky or the clouds or the sun, something that
+allows us to polish our shoes and press our clothes. When we wake up in the
+morning, there is something that allows us to brush our teeth, comb our hair,
+or use a bar of soap. Such actions may seem rather ordinary, but they come
+from a very powerful instinct. That sense of workability comes from ultimate
+bodhichitta.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. Volume
+ Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+Respect and develop pure perception and devotion toward
+Those who are practicing Dharma as the noble sangha.
+If you see faults in others, think that they’re the reflections
+ of your own delusions.
+If you see good qualities in others, meditate on rejoicing
+ over them.
+Disclose and expel your own faults.
+Generate virtuous qualities and act with astonishing perserverance.
+Be with holy people and abandon evil friends.
+Stay in solitary places and promise to pursue meditation.
+Make sure that whatever you do is consonant with Dharma practice.
+ -- Longchen Rabjam, "Counsel for Liberation", published by Shambhala
+ Publications.
+~
+The key point of the mahayana approach is the commitment to dedicate yourself
+to helping other sentient beings. Building yourself up or perpetuating your
+own existence is regarded as neurosis. Instead of building yourself up, you
+should continue with your pursuit of helping others. Instead of being
+selfish, you should empty yourself. The basic definition of ego is holding on
+to one’s existence—and paramita practices are techniques that allow you
+not to grasp onto or propagate the notion of me-ness, or "I am." Experiencing
+egolessness is a process of letting go. But you do not regard the ego as an
+enemy or obstacle, you regard it as a brussels sprout that you cook and eat.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. Volume
+ Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Sentient beings are brought to maturation through three forms of generosity:
+giving all, giving equally, and giving tirelessly. Bodhisattvas do not have
+even one iota of their own body or enjoyments that they are not willing to
+give to others if they see that it would help the other person to do so. They
+give all that they possess.
+ Moreover, their generosity does not simply benefit others by supplying them
+with the particular thing that is given. It benefits others in this life by
+completely fulfilling their wishes, and, as it also matures them and
+establishes them in virtue, which is the cause of the fulfillment of one’s
+wishes, it benefits them in future lives as well. Thus, bodhisattvas
+establish these beings in lasting happiness by planting the seed of
+liberation. In this way, generosity matures sentient beings by helping them
+in two ways, insofar as there are both temporary and lasting benefits.
+ Moreover, this generosity is practiced with equal regard for all. Since
+there are no biases in terms of the recipients’ moral standing, social
+position, or relation to oneself, they characteristically practice giving
+equally.
+ Finally, not content with giving a confined number of material things for a
+certain number of years or eons, a bodhisattva never knows enough of the
+qualities of generosity, even were he or she to continue giving until the end
+of cyclic existence.
+ -- from "Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras: Maitreya’s
+ Mahayanasutralamkara", with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham,
+ published by Shambhala Publications.
+~
+Something I find worthy of meditation is how in the dialectic between Samsara
+and Nirvana, the dreamworld of Samsara is logically prior to and quite
+necessary for the awakening to Nirvana. When discussing Tantric Buddhism,
+Gunapala Dharmasiri says in the spirit of Nagarjuna, "We make a Samsara out of
+Nirvana through our conceptual projections. Tantrics maintain that the world
+is there for two purposes. One is to help us to attain enlightenment. As the
+world is, in fact, Nirvana, the means of the world can be utilized to realize
+Nirvana, when used in the correct way."
+ -- Charles Johnson, "Taming the Ox: Buddhist Stories and Reflections on
+ Politics, Race, Culture, and Spiritual Practice", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Basically speaking, when you say "I am," you begin to ask yourself the
+question, "Who said that?" You might say, "I said that." But then you
+ask, "Who are you?" And when you look, you find it is very difficult to
+find out who that actually is. You might timidly come back to saying your
+name, thinking that this is who is speaking, but beyond the name that was
+given to you, nothing really exists. You may think that you exist because
+your name is so-and-so, or because your driver’s license says so-and-so.
+But if you look beyond such things, and beyond beyond, you find that there is
+no substance. That is ultimate prajna: it is the discovery of egolessness,
+which frees you from fixation.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma.
+ Volume Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The appearances of this life--all the various appearances of forms, sounds,
+smells, tastes, and bodily sensations we perceive--seem to truly exist. But
+life's appearances do not say to us, "I am real." They only seem to be real
+from our confused thoughts' perspective when we think, "Those things really
+exist out there." That is like what we do in a dream when we do not know we
+are dreaming.
+ Similarly, we mistakenly believe that aging, sickness, and death are truly
+existent... but this is just confused consciousness at work. The buddhas'
+perfect wisdom does not view this life, or the aging, sickness, and death that
+occur within it, as truly existent. The noble buddhas and bodhisattvas with
+wisdom that sees genuine reality do not see these events as real. Training in
+the view of the Mind-Only school that all phenomena are mind, and in the
+Middle Way view that all phenomena are emptiness, helps us transform our
+confused consciousness into perfect wisdom.
+ -- Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso, in "Stars of Wisdom", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ Egolessness is not the same as self-extinction. We do not cease to exist,
+but we come to know more about ourselves. Realizing that there is no
+unchanging self can in fact be an enriching experience. The path consists of
+working with ourselves so that gradually, by overcoming the various
+inhibitions, confusions, and delusions of the mind, we start to develop more
+insight into our own nature.
+ When we look at ourselves in the present moment, we see all kinds of
+confusions and defilements in our mind. Yet the possibility of overcoming all
+that and becoming enlightened is a reality. Our own lives become enriched
+from having undertaken this journey. So it’s important not to mistranslate
+this concept of selflessness or nonexistence of ego. To say that we do not
+exist at all is the nihilistic view, which the Buddha rejected completely.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "The Essence of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its
+ Philosophy and Practice", published by Shambhala Publications
+##Karma is basically habit. It’s the momentum of repeated actions that
+become habitual. It’s in our best interest to develop as many positive
+habits as we can. In the Mahanama Sutta, the Buddha said, “Just as oil
+rises to the top of a pot submerged in water, your virtue, your goodness, your
+faith, or generosity will rise to the top, and that is what will carry you to
+your next destination.”
+~
+ Karma is basically habit. It’s the momentum of repeated actions that
+become habitual. It’s in our best interest to develop as many positive
+habits as we can. In the Mahanama Sutta, the Buddha said, “Just as oil
+rises to the top of a pot submerged in water, your virtue, your goodness, your
+faith, or generosity will rise to the top, and that is what will carry you to
+your next destination.”
+ Try to get to the point where your emotional default is into bodhichitta.
+In other words, what is your automatic reflex to life situations, especially
+difficult ones? Do you think about yourself, and how you might profit or
+escape from a situation? Or do you think about others, and how you can help?
+Progress on the path, and a sign that you’re well prepared for death, is
+when the former changes into the latter, when you default not into selfishness
+but into selflessness. If you’re uncertain about what to do in a situation,
+just open your heart and love. This is training in bodhichitta.
+ -- Andrew Holecek, from "Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual
+ Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+When you explain or hear the teachings, if your mind and the teachings remain
+separate, then whatever is explained will be inconsequential. Hence, listen
+in such a way that you determine how these teachings apply to your mind. For
+example, when you want to find out whether or not there is some smudge, dirt,
+or whatever, on your face, you look in a mirror and then remove whatever is
+there. Similarly, when you listen to the teachings, your faults such as
+misconduct and attachment appear in the mirror of the teachings. At that
+time, you regret that your mind has become like this, and you then work to
+clear away those faults and establish good qualities.
+ -- Tsong-kha-pa, from "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to
+ Enlightenment, Volume 1", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+We work hard to bring happiness and peace into our lives, but there is no way
+to achieve real peace through material goods alone. Perhaps we can accomplish
+a little artificial joy and happiness, but these don’t last long. Truly
+substantial and lasting happiness and peace can be established only by
+exercising our inner mind with the precious Dharma teachings. This is the
+purpose of our meditation practice, and this is what Jigten Sumgön taught.
+Mental afflictions and neuroses can be pacified only through the Dharma.
+Dharma is the ultimate remedy for confusion.
+ -- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, "Opening the Treasure of the Profound",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The purpose of practice is to habituate ourselves to openness. This means
+we need to understand reactive mind. How do we experience the difference
+between reacting and staying open?
+ At what point do we decide to go with the habitual tendencies of
+exaggeration and denial or try something new? Where is the fork in the road?
+We need to explore these two experiences: reacting... staying open...
+reacting... staying open... reacting... staying open again. We begin to see
+the difference. It’s a process of refinement. Our investigation cultivates
+a discerning intelligence that guides us in a positive direction.
+ We need to ask ourselves: "If our confusion finds its genesis in our
+habit of turning away from the open state, what would happen if we habituated
+ourselves to staying open?"
+ -- Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, "The Power of an Open Question: The Buddha’s
+ Path to Freedom", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Recognizing the instability of causes and conditions leads us to understand
+our own power to transform obstacles and make the impossible possible. This
+is true in every area of life. If you don’t have a Ferrari, you very well
+may create the conditions to have one. As long as there is a Ferrari, there
+is the opportunity for you to own one. Likewise if you want to live longer,
+you can choose to stop smoking and exercise more. There is reasonable hope.
+Hopelessness--just like its opposite, blind hope--is the result of a belief
+in permanence.
+ You can transform not only your physical world but your emotional world,
+for example, turning agitation into peace of mind by letting go of ambition or
+turning low self-respect into confidence by acting out of kindness and
+philanthropy. If we all condition ourselves to put our feet in other
+people’s shoes, we will cultivate peace in our homes, with our neighbors,
+and with other countries.
+ -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, "What Makes You Not a Buddhist", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+On the path of seeing there is (1) mindfulness whereby one does not forget the
+object, the truth; (2) the wisdom of perfect discernment with regard to the
+object; (3) diligence, delight in virtue, being assiduous in undertaking what
+is right and avoiding what is wrong in accordance with the path; (4) joy or
+mental happiness regarding the latter; (5) flexibility, in which mind and body
+function appropriately; (6) concentration; and (7) evenness, in which the mind
+enters the natural state, free from the conditions of lack of clarity and
+wildness. These seven are elements of the path of seeing, the essence of
+enlightenment. They will make one accumulate or accomplish the positive
+actions that help one attain nirvana.
+ -- Nagarjuna, "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend"
+~
+ What is the relationship between bodhichitta and love? When you are in
+love, your heart and mind are naturally open and awake to life. When you
+cultivate bodhichitta by opening and awakening your heart and mind, love can
+flow and grow.
+ Bodhichitta is like opening the curtains, and love is like the sun shining
+through, bringing light and warmth into the room. Or we could say that
+bodhichitta is like opening the window, and love is the cool breeze that
+refreshes the stuffiness and stagnation of living inside a personal fortress.
+Bodhichitta is like discovering an inexhaustible treasure, and love is its
+enjoyment. Bodhichitta is our direct connection with basic goodness.
+ -- Moh Hardin, from "A Little Book of Love", published by Shambhala Pub.
+~
+ Use mindfulness to become aware of these negative thoughts as they arise.
+For example, when the first thought of anger arises, notice it and don’t let
+it multiply. Instead, remember what happened in the past when you were
+overwhelmed by anger. Based on your direct experience, see the suffering and
+problems anger caused you and recognize its defects. You can crush anger
+using antidotes once you clearly see it as something destructive.
+ You can find a particular antidote to destroy each afflictive emotion. To
+conquer desire, you can meditate on the unappealing aspects of the object; for
+hatred, meditate on loving-kindness; for jealousy, joy; and so on. This is
+how you discard negative mental factors.
+ -- Shechen Rabjam, from "The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the
+ Notion of Reality", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+During my first trip to France, we didn’t speak the same language, so we
+often communicated with gestures. Sometimes I think it is better not to know
+a language. Rather than talking, it is better to reserve energy through
+silence. But most Westerners try to look intelligent through talking and
+think silence is uncomfortable, so it is better to be talkative if you want to
+spend time in the West. Of course, since human beings have dualistic tongue,
+everything that is said is an impetuous expression of incurable, contagious
+blurting. We who have ordinary limited qualities incessantly chatter, while
+those with limitless wisdom qualities remain silent. It is like the
+difference between the movement of shallow water and the stillness of the
+deepest sea. Western people have many fine qualities, like the rapid waters
+of mountain rivers, but they cannot put out the blazing fire of their mouth.
+ -- Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, "A Brief Fantasy History of a Himalayan",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Every moment of our lives, things are both perishing and arising. Some of
+our cells are dying while others are revitalized or reborn. We get old, and
+at the same time we get young. We get polluted physically, emotionally, and
+mentally, and simultaneously we get purified. Things decrease and increase.
+We forget, learn, and remember many things.
+ The Heart Sutra claims that in the midst of phenomena where all things are
+changing, the reality of boundless interactions continues, and that this fact
+itself will not change. After all, the ultimate reality both encompasses and
+is free of change in all manifestations.
+ -- Kazuaki Tanahashi, "The Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic
+ of Mahayana Buddhism", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+In the state of mindfulness, your mind should look at both its going and
+staying. Other than that there is nothing else to cultivate. It suffices if
+awareness recognizes the nature of everything that arises. Apart from this
+you do not need to search somewhere else for more quality or clarity...
+Don’t put aside what you have and look elsewhere for what you don’t have.
+Just watch the identity of awareness, no matter what it thinks or where it
+goes. Don’t give importance to whether the awareness is clear or not.
+Avoid stopping thought movement and pursuing stillness. Whatever stillness
+there is and no matter what arises, just sustain their natural flow at their
+own pace, without tainting it with alterations. Without allowing yourself to
+forget undistracted mindfulness even for a moment, persevere in maintaining
+its prevalence.
+ -- Khamtrul Rinpoche III, from "The Royal Seal of Mahamudra, Volume One: A
+ Guidebook for the Realization of Coemergence", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+As your true view, look into the changeless, empty cognizance.
+As your true meditation, let your mind nature be as it is.
+As your true conduct, let the delusion of dualistic fixation collapse.
+As your true fruition, don’t seek the result that is spontaneously present.
+ -- from "The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast
+ Expanse", by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered
+as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded,
+that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers
+against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious
+persecution.
+ -- George Washington, letter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia (1789)
+~
+Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one,
+he must more approve of the homage of reason, then that of blindfolded fear.
+ -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr (1787)
+~
+In regard to religion, mutual toleration in the different professions thereof
+is what all good and candid minds in all ages have ever practiced, and both by
+precept and example inculcated on mankind.
+ -- Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists (1771)
+~
+Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the
+strongly marked feature of all religions established by law. Take away the
+law-establishment, and every religion re-assumes its original benignity.
+ -- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man (1791)
+~
+Congress has no power to make any religious establishments.
+ -- Roger Sherman, Congress (1789)
+~
+The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.
+ -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack (1758)
+~
+I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people
+build a wall of separation between Church & State.
+ -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury Baptists (1802)
+~
+To argue with a man who has renounced the use of reason is like administering
+medicine to the dead.
+ -- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis No. V (1776)
+~
+Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than
+our opinions in physics or geometry.
+ -- Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1779)
+~
+Christian establishments tend to great ignorance and corruption, all of which
+facilitate the execution of mischievous projects.
+ -- James Madison, letter to William Bradford, Jr. (1774)
+~
+There is nothing which can better deserve our patronage than the promotion of
+science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of
+public happiness.
+ -- George Washington, address to Congress (1790)
+~
+During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity
+been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride
+and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both,
+superstition, bigotry and persecution.
+ -- James Madison, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia (1785)
+~
+Being civil often has an element of acting. However, in the hinayana, you are
+behaving rather than acting. Acting is trying to manifest yourself for the
+sake of display, whereas behaving is how you feel. Acting is the way you
+dance, and behaving is the way you sneeze or hiccup. You know if you are
+being genuine. You are the first person who knows. When you are acting, you
+are concerned with other people’s possible reactions; but when you are
+behaving, you are just behaving. It’s like sitting on the toilet seat and
+doing your duty: nobody is watching. It’s your private concern, so there is
+a quality of genuineness. In the hinayana, you behave decently because the
+dharma is actually a part of you. That is the meaning of taming yourself...
+Becoming a dharmic person means that in your everyday life from morning to
+morning, around the clock, you are not trying to kid anybody.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Path of Individual Liberation: Volume One of
+ The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma", published by Shambhala
+ Publications