+ 1. the absorption of strong aspiration,
+ 2. the absorption of perseverance,
+ 3. the absorption of the mind, and
+ 4. the absorption of investigation.
+
+These four occur during the greater stage of the path of accumulation.
+ -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+II. Path of Application
+
+ The path of application begins after perfection of the path of
+accumulation. It has four stages corresponding to the realization of the Four
+Noble Truths: heat, maximum heat, patience, and realization of the highest
+worldly dharma. Why is it called the path of application? Because there, one
+makes an effort to directly realize truth.
+
+A. Five Powers. Furthermore, during the stages of heat and maximum heat,
+five powers are practiced:
+ the power of faith,
+ the power of perseverance,
+ the power of mindfulness,
+ the power of absorption, and
+ the power of wisdom awareness.
+
+B. Five Strengths. During the stages of patience and highest worldly dharma,
+five strengths are practiced:
+ the strength of faith,
+ the strength of perseverance,
+ the strength of mindfulness,
+ the strength of absorption, and
+ the strength of wisdom awareness.
+ -- Gampopa, in "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+III. Path of Insight
+
+ The path of insight begins after the highest worldly dharma and consists
+of calm abiding as a basis for special insight focused on the Four Noble
+Truths. Four insights correspond to each of the Four Noble Truths, making a
+total of sixteen—eight patient acceptances and eight cognitions: the patient
+acceptance of the cognition of the dharma with respect to suffering, the
+cognition of the dharma with respect to suffering, the patient acceptance of
+the cognition that is the subsequent realization with respect to suffering,
+the cognition that is the subsequent realization with respect to suffering,
+and so forth.
+ Why is it called the path of insight? Because there, one realizes the
+Four Noble Truths which were not seen before. At this stage there are seven
+of the branches of enlightenment:
+ the perfect mindfulness branch,
+ the perfect discrimination branch,
+ the perfect perseverance branch,
+ the perfect joy branch,
+ the perfect relaxation branch,
+ the perfect absorption branch, and
+ the perfect equanimity branch.
+ -- The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, by Gampopa, published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+IV. Path of Meditation
+
+The path of meditation practice begins after the realization of special
+insight. It has two paths:
+ A. the path of worldly meditation practice and
+ B. the path of meditation practice beyond the world.
+A.
+ Worldly Meditation Practice consists of the first, second, third, and
+fourth meditative stages, and the formless stages of increasing the infinite
+nature of space, increasing the infinity of consciousness, increasing the
+nothing-whatsoever-ness, and increasing neither perception nor non-perception.
+There are three purposes to practicing this meditation:
+
++ suppressing the afflicting emotions which are the subject of
+abandonment in the path of meditation;
++ establishing the special qualities of the Four Immeasurables and so
+forth; and
++ creating the foundation for the path beyond the world.
+
+B.
+ Meditation Practice Beyond the World consists of the furthering of calm
+abiding and special insight, focused on the two types of wisdom. During the
+path of insight there were two “patient acceptances” and two
+“awarenesses” corresponding to each of the Four Noble Truths, making a
+total of sixteen. The eight patient acceptances were completed in the path of
+insight. One becomes familiarized with the eight awarenesses in the path of
+meditation through the calm abiding and special insight related to the four
+meditative concentrations and three of the formless absorptions. Furthermore,
+part of the awareness of phenomena is to familiarize oneself with all the
+realization of dharma-as-such. Part of the continuity awareness is to
+familiarize oneself with all the realization of primordial wisdom. The state
+of neither perception nor non-perception is merely worldly meditation because
+the movement of sensation is so unclear.
+ Why is this called the path of meditation? Because there, one becomes
+familiar with the realizations that one achieved in the path of insight. At
+this stage, there are eight of the thirty-seven branches of enlightenment:
+
++ perfect view,
++ perfect conception, perfect speech, perfect action,
++ perfect livelihood,
++ perfect effort,
++ perfect mindfulness, and
++ perfect absorption.
+ -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
+Publications
+~
+ Your eggnog to rum ratio should be 23% to 77%. I would then spice the
+eggnog with nutmeg and use more than you're comfortable with because sailors
+used to use it as [a] hallucinogen...
+ Also, enter on a reindeer. And if you enter on a reindeer, stay on the
+reindeer. And if you can’t reach something because you’re too high up
+sitting on the reindeer, just ask for help. That goes for life, too. Don’t
+be afraid to ask for help and stay on that reindeer.
+ -- T.J. Miller’s recipe for the perfect holiday party
+~
+if you can't beat them, join them, and subvert them from the inside.
+ -- fred t. hamster
+~
+regarding christmas cards...
+"i would create my own as a desktop publishing activity, with all new current
+stuff. but it's way too much effort. basically, i can either give you a
+present or make you a card. which do you prefer?"
+ -- thus spake slackathustra.
+~
+Hope is not a strategy.
+Luck is not a factor.
+Fear is not an option.
+ -- James Cameron
+~
+A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do,
+nothing else.
+ -- John Galsworthy
+~
+The Order of the Four Noble Truths
+
+We do analytical meditation to understand the various unsatisfactory
+conditions or sufferings of cyclic existence. When we gain an experience of
+them, we then place our mind firmly on that experience using stabilizing
+meditation. The more we meditate on suffering, the more we are motivated to
+rid ourselves of it. We will want to find out its causes and cease creating
+them. Thus, after contemplating true suffering, we contemplate true origin.
+Investigating this, we will see that suffering arises from karma, which is
+produced in dependence on the disturbing attitudes. These in turn are rooted
+in self-grasping ignorance. We will want to eliminate this ignorance, and
+will see that because it is a faulty attitude or misconception, it can be
+eliminated. Thus we will be certain that we can attain the true cessation of
+suffering and its origin. Through further contemplating the four noble
+truths, we will recognize that the way to abandon self-grasping ignorance is
+to meditate on the true path, since this path is principally the wisdom
+realizing the non-existence of the self that is adhered to by ignorance. This
+is the order in which the four noble truths unfold in meditation and thus is
+the order in which to practice them. So, although the actual order in which
+the four occur is first the causes and then the effects, when the Buddha
+taught for the purpose of practice, he explained the results first.
+ -- Geshe Jampa Tegchok, "Transforming Adversity Into Joy and Courage: An
+ Explanation of the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+Take Refuge in the Buddha
+
+ We live in an ocean of cyclic existence whose depth and extent cannot be
+measured. We are troubled again and again by the afflictions of desire and
+hatred as if repeatedly attacked by sharks.
+ Our mental and physical aggregates are impelled by former contaminated
+actions and afflictions and serve as a basis for present suffering as well as
+inducing future suffering. While such cyclic existence lasts, we have various
+thoughts of pleasure and displeasure: “If I do this, what will people think?
+If I do not do this, I will be too late; I won’t make any profit.” When we
+see something pleasant we think, “Oh, if I could only have that!” We see
+that others are prosperous, and we generate jealousy, unable to bear their
+prosperity. We see an attractive man or woman, and we want a relationship.
+We are not satisfied with a passing relationship but want it to last forever.
+And then, once staying together with that person, we desire someone else.
+When we see someone we do not like, we become angry and quarrel after a single
+word; we feel we cannot remain even for an hour near this hated person but
+must leave immediately. Day and night, night and day we spend our lives in
+the company of the afflictions, generating desire for the pleasant and anger
+at the unpleasant, and continue thus even when dreaming, unable to remain
+relaxed, our minds completely and utterly mixed with thoughts of desire and
+hatred without interruption.
+ Only a Buddha has extinguished all defects and gained all attainments.
+Therefore, one should mentally go for refuge to a Buddha, praise him or her
+with speech, and respect him or her physically. One should enter the teaching
+of such a being.
+ -- from "The Essence of Tantra," by the Dalai Lama, in The Great Exposition
+ of the Secret Mantra, Volume I: Tantra in Tibet by Tsongkhapa, published
+ by Shambhala Publications
+~
+V. Path of Perfection
+
+ After the vajra-like absorption, one actualizes the nature of awareness,
+the awareness of exhaustion, and awareness of the unborn. The vajra-like
+absorption is the state at the edge of the path of meditation and is included
+in the preparation and unobstructed stages. This absorption is called
+“vajra-like” because it is unobstructed, hard, stable, of one taste, and
+all-pervasive.
+ “Unobstructed” means that it cannot be affected by the action of the
+world. “Hard” means it cannot be destroyed by obscurations. “Stable”
+means it cannot be shaken by discursive thoughts. “One taste” means
+everything is of one taste. “All pervasive” means that it observes the
+suchness of all knowledge.
+ The “awareness of the exhaustion of causes” that arises after this
+absorption is the primordial wisdom awareness that observes the Four Noble
+Truths by the power of the exhaustion of all causes. The “awareness of the
+unborn” is the primordial wisdom that observes the Four Noble Truths by the
+power of abandoning the result, suffering. In other words, this primordial
+wisdom clearly observes the exhaustion of the cause and non-production of the
+result and is called the “awareness of the exhaustion and non-production.”
+ Why is this called the path of perfection? Because the training is
+perfected and one enters the city of nirvana—this is why it is called the
+path of perfection. At this stage, there are ten attainments of no-more-
+training: starting with perfect view of no-more-training through the perfect
+absorption of no-more-training and then the full liberation of no-more-
+training and the perfect primordial wisdom of no-more-training—these ten
+attainments of no-more-training are included in the five unafflicted skandas:
+
+ perfect speech of no-more-training, perfect action, and perfect
+livelihood are in the heap of moral ethics;
+ perfect mindfulness of no-more-training and perfect absorption are in
+the heap of absorption;
+ perfect view of no-more-training, perfect conception, and perfect
+effort are in the heap of wisdom awareness;
+ perfect, full liberation is in the heap of full liberation;
+ perfect awareness is in the heap of seeing the primordial wisdom of
+full liberation.
+ -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+i try to think of 10,008 impossible things before breakfast,
+and i'm near ecstatic if any of those is worth writing down.
+ -- fred t. hamster