~
crashola in second life:
due to having been in a vehicle which crossed into forbidden land and got
-taken away, my avatar was left in an indetermine and very unhealthy state.
+taken away, my avatar was left in an indeterminate and very unhealthy state.
i was unable to move, deep underground, and i saw this object off down to
my left, so i clicked on it and picked 'edit'. i realized as i was doing
it, that this was my disembodied hair, which had flown off for some reason.
to find expression, an authentic guru.
-- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-Called
Preliminary Practices", Shambhala Publications
+~
+With regard to selflessness, it is necessary to know what "self" is--to
+identify the self that does not exist. Then one can understand its opposite,
+selflessness. Selflessness is not a case of something that existed in the
+past becoming non-existent; rather, this sort of "self" is something that
+never did exist. What is needed is to identify as non-existent something that
+always was nonexistent, for due to not having made such identification, we are
+drawn into the afflictive emotions of desire and hatred as well as all the
+problems these bring.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight", Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ The essence of mind is somewhat difficult to explain, so we look at it from
+the negative point of view, that is, what mind is not. First of all, we see
+that it is not something which arises or ceases or abides. It is free of
+these three things. From beginningless time, there is no arising, no
+cessation and no abiding in terms of staying in one place, not moving, or not
+changing. It is completely free of all three of these.
+ It is also free of being a thing or a substance composed of particles. The
+essential entity, or substance, of mind is not something that can be defiled
+or stained by grasping at subject and object. It is completely free of the
+stains from those activities.
+ Further, when we look at the essential substance of mind, we find that no
+matter how much we search for it, no matter how much we analyze it, there is
+no thing there to be found. There is no entity that we can come up with by
+searching, evaluating, and analyzing. No matter how much we seek for its
+essential substance, we cannot find it. The searcher, the one who does the
+search for essential substance of mind, cannot find it. Therefore it is said
+that the essential substance of mind itself is emptiness.
+ -- Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, "The Practice of Mahamudra", published
+ by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ "Like a cloud." This is a simile for how the wisdom mind benefits sentient
+beings without conceptual thought. For example, in the summer, clouds gather
+in the sky without effort, causing crops and so forth to grow perfectly
+through the rain falling on the ground without conceptual thought.
+ Likewise, the activities of the wisdom mind ripen the trainees' crop of
+virtue through the rainfall of Dharma without conceptual thought.
+ -- Gampopa, from "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-fulfilling Gem
+ of the Noble Teachings"
+~
+ Psychologists tell us that a strong sense of self is essential to be
+psychologically healthy. But it seems Buddhism says there is no self. How
+can we reconcile these two views?
+ When psychologists speak of a sense of "self" they are referring to the
+feeling that oneself is an efficacious person, someone who is self-confident
+and can act in the world. Buddhists agree that such a sense of self is both
+realistic and necessary. However, the sense of self that Buddhism says is
+unrealistic is that of a very solid, unchanging, independent "I." Such a
+self never has and never will exist. To understand this is to realize
+emptiness.
+ Strange though it may sound, someone may have a psychologically weak sense
+of self that in Buddhist parlance would be considered strong self-grasping.
+For example, a person with poor self-esteem may focus a lot on himself and
+have a strong feeling of the existence of an independent self that is
+inferior, unlovable, and a failure. From a Buddhist viewpoint, such an
+independent self does not exist, although a conventional self does.
+ --Thubten Chodron, "Buddhism for Beginners"
+~
+We all depend on one another. For this reason, whenever we act according to
+self-interest, sooner or later our selfish aims are bound to clash with the
+aims of the people we rely upon to accomplish our own goals. When that
+happens, conflicts will inevitably arise. As we learn to be more balanced in
+valuing others’ concerns with our own, we will naturally find ourselves
+involved in fewer and fewer conflicts. In the meantime, it is helpful to
+acknowledge that conflicts are the logical outcome of this combination of
+self-interest and interdependence. Once we recognize this, we can see that
+conflicts are nothing to feel shocked or offended by. Rather, we can address
+them calmly and with wisdom.
+ -- Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in "Beyond Anger: How to Hold On to Your
+ Heart and Your Humanity in the Midst of Injustice", Shambhala Publications
+~
+Cyclic existence continues to evolve through the power of the unbroken
+relationship of the twelve links of dependent origination. What are these
+twelve? They are (1) ignorance, which afflicts wandering beings by keeping
+them from seeing true reality. In obscuring the perception of true reality,
+ignorance also functions as the source for the subsequent links, such as
+karmic formation, by grasping as if there were an “I” and “mine.” (2)
+Formation afflicts wandering beings by implanting the seeds of subsequent
+existence in the consciousness. In this way, when the root text states:
+“Wandering beings are afflicted due to…,” it should be understood to
+apply to all the remaining links as well, from consciousness on. Accordingly,
+(3) consciousness becomes infused with habitual tendencies and leads sentient
+beings to the place of their birth. (4) Name and form take hold of the body
+of one’s coming existence. (5) The six sense sources bring the state of
+name and form to completion. (6) Contact determines the experience of an
+object based on the coming together of three factors: object, faculty, and
+cognition. (7) Sensation experiences the various types of enjoyable and
+painful karmic ripening. (8) Craving creates the cohesion necessary for a
+future existence. (9) Grasping totally binds one to such an existence. (10)
+Becoming brings about the actual acquisition of this birth. (11) Birth serves
+as the support for the suffering of old age and so on. (12) Aging and death
+is the essence of suffering.
+ -- Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham, "Middle Beyond Extremes: Maitreya’s
+ Madhyantavibhaga with Commentaries"
+~
+Compassion and generosity must be accompanied by detachment. Expecting
+something in return for them is like doing business. If the owner of a
+restaurant is all smiles with his customers, it is not because he loves them
+but because he wants to increase his turnover. When we love and help others,
+it should not be because we find a particular individual likable but because
+we see that all beings, whether we think of them as friends or enemies, want
+to be happy and have the right to happiness.
+ -- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, in "On the Path to
+ Enlightenment: Heart Advice from the Great Tibetan Masters",
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+Examining the understanding of heat in Vajrayana gives insight into tantra’s
+somewhat different embrace of classical Buddhist imagery. From this
+perspective, the experience of mental burning is indeed the central suffering
+of our lives. It is the experiential dimension of the intensity of our
+obscurations, whether emotional, conceptual, or habitual. But rather than
+attempting to put out the flames with meditation methods, it is important to
+allow the burning to occur during practice. Certainly in the foundational
+stages of the path we must learn not to become engulfed in the flames, to tame
+the wild mind and emotions, and to train ourselves to open further to
+experience. Finally, however, through Vajrayana practice under the guidance
+of a guru, the burning we experience becomes a great teacher and a great
+blessing.
+ -- Judith Simmer-Brown, "Dakini’s Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in
+ Tibetan Buddhism", Shambhala Publications
+~
+Life is mainly froth and bubble,
+Two things stand like stone--
+Kindness in another's trouble,
+Courage in your own.
+ -- Adam Lindsay Gordon
+~
+With regard to one’s behavior, one must relinquish all the limitations
+implied in subject-object duality (gzung ’dzin gyi la dor ba). One should
+abandon all ordinary ways of assessing outer and inner phenomena, and the
+engagement or withdrawal of the mind with regard to “good” and “bad.”
+One must not, through mindless clinging to sense objects, stray into the five
+ordinary mental poisons. For when approached with skillful means, all are but
+the display of the great and perfect equality.
+ -- Jigme Lingpa, from "Treasury of Precious Qualities: Book Two: Vajrayana
+ and the Great Perfection", by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Recollection is the path of meditating on
+ The nature that was seen with awareness.
+ Constituted by the aspects of enlightenment,
+ This serves to eliminate the stains.
+
+ Recollection involves repeatedly recalling and realizing, in the context of
+the path of cultivation, what was realized when the intrinsic nature was
+directly seen with individual self-awareness at the prior stage. In this way,
+the term recollection refers to all that constitutes the factors of
+enlightenment. The path of cultivation is [referred to as such] because it
+involves eradicating those stains that are eliminated through cultivation.
+ -- from "Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature: Maitreya's
+ Dharmadharmatavibhanga with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham",
+ Shambhala Publications.
+~
+ The Capable One spoke of the following attributes as the seven noble riches,
+for they are the causes of untainted happiness and are not in any way
+ordinary. Faith—that is, the three kinds of faith in the Three Jewels and
+confidence in the law of actions and their effects. Discipline, the avoidance
+of harmful actions. Learning that comes from listening to the holy Dharma
+that leads to liberation, with the intention of gaining complete knowledge.
+Being generous—with a desire to make offerings and to help beings, to give
+away all one’s possessions without expecting anything in return or any
+karmic reward. A sense of shame with respect to oneself that prevents one
+from indulging in negative actions, and that is unstained by such things as
+jealousy or seeking veneration. A sense of decency with regard to others that
+stops one from engaging in unvirtuous practices. And wisdom, that is,
+knowledge of the particular and general characteristics of phenomena.
+ You should realize that other common things that the world calls
+riches—gold, for instance—are of no value in obtaining untainted
+qualities; they are worthless, hollow, and without essence.
+ -- from "Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend With Commentary by Kyabje Kangyur
+ Rinpoche", Shambhala Publications
projects / feisty_meow.git / blobdiff