~
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.
Volume Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion"
~
The essence of all the songs can be epitomized by the four dharmas of
-Gampopa. These are: (1) one’s mind becomes dharmic; (2) that dharma
+Gampopa. These are: (1) one's mind becomes dharmic; (2) that dharma
practice becomes path; (3) in following that path, confusion is removed; (4)
having removed confusion, everything dawns as wisdom.
The first dharma is the ground, where our mind becomes dharmic so that we
does not exist as it appears to exist—by being mindful that its existence
and identity are not established through its own power—we automatically
reconfirm and become even stronger in our conviction in its bare mode of
-existence. In other words, as the text [the First Panchen Lama’s A Root
+existence. In other words, as the text [the First Panchen Lama's A Root
Text for the Precious Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra] says, "[You
experience] their bare mode of existence dawning in an exposed, resplendent
manner."
The dakini principle must not be oversimplified, as it carries many levels of
meaning. On an outer level, accomplished female practitioners were called
dakinis.... But ultimately, though she appears in female form, a dakini
-defies gender definitions. “To really meet the dakini, you have to go
-beyond duality,” Khandro Rinpoche teaches, referring to an essential
+defies gender definitions. "To really meet the dakini, you have to go
+beyond duality," Khandro Rinpoche teaches, referring to an essential
understanding in Vajrayana that the absolute reality cannot be grasped
-intellectually. The Tibetan word for dakini, khandro, means “sky-goer” or
-“space-dancer,” which indicates that these ethereal awakened ones have
+intellectually. The Tibetan word for dakini, khandro, means "sky-goer" or
+"space-dancer," which indicates that these ethereal awakened ones have
left the confinements of solid earth and have the vastness of open space to
play in.
-- Michaela Haas, from "Dakini Power: Twelve Extraordinary Women Shaping the
Transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in the West"
~
Drawing from Longchenpa, Jamgon Kongtrul explains the method of awakening in
-the Dzog-chen system, calling it the “Liberation as Ever-Perfect,” as the
+the Dzog-chen system, calling it the "Liberation as Ever-Perfect," as the
primordial buddha Samantabhadra... Liberation as Ever-Perfect does not refer
to the liberation of a buddha that has occurred in the past, such as that of
Buddha Sakyamuni, but to the way in which countless beings are liberated right
-- from the Translator's Introduction, "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book One,
Myriad Worlds", by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye
~
- If we realize, “I am a human being. A human being can do anything,”
+ If we realize, "I am a human being. A human being can do anything,"
this determination, courage, and self-confidence are important sources of
victory and success. Without will power and determination, even something
that you might have achieved easily cannot be achieved. If you have will
Failing to fulfill the welfare of others is not the sacred dharma.
Failing to lead others to liberation is not the sangha.
- -- from The Epic of Gesar of Ling, "Gesar’s Birth and Childhood"
+ -- from The Epic of Gesar of Ling, "Gesar's Birth and Childhood"
+~
+When we meditate I encourage all of us to have the attitude that we are
+meditating to dissolve the self. That's why we meditate. Hold this
+perspective in your awareness and let your dualistic mind dissolve for at
+least a half hour, or at least for ten minutes every day. When you allow
+yourself to witness that unexpected glimpse of the truth, where the self is
+dissolved, it's like drinking nectar. It's inexpressible. We often use
+the word bliss to describe that state. Bliss is a good word, but it can be
+misunderstood. The bliss that I am speaking about has nothing to do with
+ordinary bliss. It's not like the bliss of having great food or other
+sensual pleasure. This is nonconceptual bliss that is not based on emotions
+but is based on awareness. We often say that realizing the true nature of who
+we are is like drinking the nectar of ultimate bliss. The more we drink, the
+more we are going to be addicted, which is very good.
+ -- Anam Thubten, "No Self, No Problem: Awakening to Our True Nature"
+~
+ Why is a man condemned to death not fortunate
+ If he is released after having his hand cut off?
+ Why am I who am experiencing human misery not fortunate
+ If by that I am spared from (the agonies of) hell?
+
+ If I am unable to endure
+ Even the mere sufferings of the present,
+ Then why do I not restrain myself from being angry,
+ Which will be the source of hellish misery?
+
+ In these two verses [from The Way of the Bodhisattva], Shantideva explains
+that by not being angry and developing hatred in response to harm caused by
+others, what one is gaining is protection from potential undesirable
+consequences that might otherwise come about. Because if one responds to such
+situations with anger and hatred, not only does it not protect one from the
+injury that has already been done, but on top of that one creates an
+additional cause for one's own suffering in the future. However, if one
+responds without anger and hatred and develops patience and tolerance, then
+although one many face temporary discomfort or injury, that temporary
+suffering will protect one from potentially dangerous consequences in the
+future. If this is the case, then by sacrificing small things, by putting up
+with small problems or hardships, one will be able to forgo experiences of
+much greater suffering in the future.
+ An example Shantideva uses here is that if a convicted prisoner can save his
+life by sacrificing his arm as a punishment, wouldn't that person feel
+grateful for that opportunity? By accepting the pain and suffering of having
+his arm cut off, that person will be saving himself from death, which is a
+greater suffering. Shantideva adds that there is another advantage: not only
+will one be protected from potentially dangerous consequences in the future,
+but also by experiencing the pain and suffering which has been caused
+temporarily by others, one is exhausting the karmic potentials of negative
+karma which one has accumulated in the past. So it serves two purposes.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
+ Buddhist Perspective"
+~
+The Fifth Dalai Lama (1617–1682) was perhaps the most mystical of all the
+Dalai Lamas in that he seemed to spend much of his time in a state of trance.
+During these trances many gurus of past ages, as well as mandala deities,
+buddhas, and bodhisattvas, would appear directly to him and give him secret
+transmissions, initiations, and teachings. As the Thirteenth Dalai Lama says
+of the Great Fifth later in this chapter, he "was continually absorbed in
+the wisdom dance that experiences all appearances as pure vision."
+ -- Glenn H. Mullin, from "From the Heart of Chenrezig: The Dalai Lamas on
+ Tantra"
+~
+Wishing others to be happy doesn't mean we give them everything they want,
+because sometimes what they want can be harmful. Wishing them to be happy
+entails wanting them to be free from pain and loneliness. Wouldn't it be
+wonderful if they were free from these and all other miseries? In order to
+love others, we have to be able to overcome our anger and hatred toward them.
+We have to be able to forgive them for the wrongs they've done. To do that,
+we have to get "me" out of the way and see that when people create harm,
+it is a reflection of their own pain, confusion, and misery. We just happened
+to walk across their path. We may even have done something to antagonize
+them, either deliberately or accidentally, but the reason that they got so
+upset is because of what is going on inside of them. We might also look at
+how we made ourselves into a target or accidentally became a target onto which
+they projected their confusion. Maybe we weren't very considerate of them.
+Maybe we have certain bad habits of which we're not aware and to which
+they're reacting.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, "How to Free Your Mind: The Practice of Tara the
+ Liberator"
+~
+We humans are actually not that far from enlightenment. Our five senses are
+like the Emanation Body of a Buddha; our dream body, which is similar to the
+after-death form, is like a Buddha's Beatific Form; and the basis of both of
+these is the subtle mind of clear light which shares the nature of a
+Buddha's Wisdom Body. All we have to do is learn to transform these
+ordinary elements into their pure natures. Then buddhahood naturally comes
+into our hands.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Path to Enlightenment"
+~
+ There are three kinds of people [who practice Buddhism]. Like all other
+beings, the lowest person wants happiness and not suffering or rebirth in the
+lower realms of existence, so he practices Buddhism to create the causes of
+rebirth in the human realm or in the heavenly realms of the gods. He does not
+have the power or the courage to leave worldly existence completely. He only
+wants the best parts of worldly existence; he wants to avoid the worst parts,
+and that is why he practices the Buddhist religion—to gain a higher rebirth.
+ The middling sort of person understands that the whole of worldly existence,
+no matter where one is born, is suffering by its nature, just as fire is hot
+by its nature. He wants to get out of it altogether and attain nirvana, the
+state that is entirely away from suffering.
+ The highest person realizes that just as he himself does not want to suffer
+and does want happiness, so also do all living beings have the same fears and
+wishes. He knows that since we have been born again and again from
+beginningless time in worldly existence, there is not a single sentient being
+who has not been our mother and father at one time or another. Since we are
+that close to all sentient beings, the best person is one who practices
+Buddhism in order to remove all these countless beings from suffering.
+ -- H.H. Sakya Trinzin, from "Treasures of the Sakya Lineage: Teachings from
+ the Masters", by Migmar Tseten
+~
+ To take refuge in the Buddha means to take refuge in the dharmas that
+constitute a buddha (a nonlearner). These consist of a buddha's knowledge
+of the termination and nonarising [of the obscurations]. Together with the
+associated factors [of this knowledge], they consist of the five
+uncontaminated skandhas.
+ To take refuge in the sangha means [to take refuge] in the dharmas that
+constitute the sangha, which consists of [all] learners and nonlearners except
+for buddhas. It is by virtue of having attained their respective [dharmas]
+that the eight persons* are not separated from the path by [anyone], including
+gods. Therefore, they are called "sangha." In other words, [the sangha]
+is represented by the five uncontaminated skandhas in the mind streams of said
+eight persons.
+ To take refuge in the dharma means [to take refuge] in the analytical
+cessation that is nirvana, that is, the two nirvanas [with and without
+remainder] of the noble ones.
+
+*The eight persons are also known as "the four pairs of persons"--stream-
+enterers, once-returners, nonreturners, and arhats, each divided into
+approachers to, and abiders in, these states.
+
+ --from "Groundless Paths: The Prajnaparamita Sutras, The Ornament of Clear
+ Realization, and Its Commentaries in the Tibetan Nyingma Tradition",
+ translated by Karl Brunnholzl, from Shambhala Publications
+~
+Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary
+Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
+ -- Benjamin Franklin
+~
+ We need a clear mind-training map to keep us from missing the correct path.
+If we want to go to New York we need to know the roads and directions. Just
+jumping in the car and starting to drive may get us there, but most likely we
+will end up in another place or take much longer than is necessary.
+ I have seen this happen with students who tell me of doing years of
+meditation without seeing any changes. They may blame themselves, meditation,
+or the Dharma, yet most often the problem is not knowing or applying the
+correct techniques or methods. Meditation is both easy and not easy. With
+the correct techniques and methods, applied with diligence, meditation can
+become a swift path to clearing confusion and unhelpful habits. Without them,
+we may wander in fogginess or agitation, never having engaged in true
+meditation even after years of "sitting."
+ At Namdroling Monastery we practiced both resting and analytical meditation.
+The renowned teacher Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche believed that both types of
+meditation were important, but he thought it was best to begin with analytical
+meditation, because gaining familiarity with the true nature of reality would
+naturally lead to a clearer understanding of resting meditation and how to
+engage our mind constructively.
+ -- Khenpo Gawang, "Your Mind Is Your Teacher: Self-Awakening through
+ Contemplative Meditation", Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Never think, "Even though I have confidence in the Three Jewels, it is not
+really certain that this work will be accomplished." Instead, one should
+know that the Enlightened One is surely able to protect those who surrender
+and act in accord with his words, because the Enlightened One is endowed with
+the transcendental wisdom which knows all the paths of practice that are in
+harmony with the intelligence and nature of all living beings, because he has
+the compassionate desire to establish his disciples on the right path after
+turning them from wrong ways, and because he has accomplished the two
+accumulations of merit and transcendental wisdom and has accomplished the
+resolve to help beings. So even though one has not yet attained liberation
+from worldly existence, it is one's fault for not having trusted and not
+having acted in accord with the words of the Three Jewels, not because the
+Three Jewels have no compassion.
+ In brief, those who do not entrust themselves to the Precious Jewels, who
+are arrogant and who assume they are intelligent have no certainty in
+accomplishing their schemes. Even if they are accomplished, it is not certain
+whether those schemes will turn out well in the long run. So it is important
+to entrust oneself always to the Precious Jewels.
+ -- Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub, "Three Visions: Fundamental Teachings of the
+ Sakya Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism"
+~
+Setting out on a spiritual path is a little like planning a trip—to Machu
+Picchu, for example. Some travellers will approach the project by investing a
+lot of time in reading travel books or Googling Internet sites about the best
+route to take and where to stay--a method that works, but only to a certain
+extent. Other travellers prefer a much simpler and safer method: to ask
+someone they know and trust who has already been to Machu Picchu to go with
+them and show them the way. Similarly, those wishing to follow the Buddhist
+path to enlightenment should rely on what are called in the teachings the
+"four authentics": the authentic words of the Buddha (his teachings); the
+authentic clarification of the teachings that can be found in the shastras
+(commentaries) written by great masters of the past; the further clarification
+that is the result of authentic personal experience; and for this experience
+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
+~
+All apparent phenomena are nothing but delusion, and there is, moreover, no
+freedom from delusion to be achieved by dispelling delusion. Delusion is, by
+its own essence, completely pure and, hence, enlightened. All phenomena are,
+in this way, primordially, fully, and completely enlightened. Phenomena
+appearing as various attributes are, therefore, indeed the mandala of vajra
+body, speech, and mind. They are like the Buddhas of the three times, never
+transcending the essence of complete purity. Sentient beings and Buddhas are
+not differentiated in terms of their essence. Just like distinct causes and
+results appearing in a dream, they are nothing but perceptions of individual
+minds brought forth by the power of imputation.
+ -- Heidi I. Köppl, "Establishing Appearances as Divine: Rongzom Chökyi
+ Zangpo on Reasoning, Madhyamaka, and Purity", Shambhala and Snow Lion
+ Publications
+~
+ "Emptiness" is a rough translation of the Sanskrit term shunyata and the
+Tibetan term tongpa-nyi. The basic meaning of the Sanskrit word shunya is
+"zero," while the Tibetan word tongpa means "empty"—not in the sense
+of a vacuum or a void, but rather in the sense that the basis of experience is
+beyond our ability to perceive with our senses and or to capture in a nice,
+tidy concept. Maybe a better understanding of the deep sense of the word may
+be "inconceivable" or "unnameable."
+ So when Buddhists talk about emptiness as the basis of our being, we don't
+mean that who or what we are is nothing, a zero, a point of view that can give
+way to a kind of cynicism. The actual teachings on emptiness imply an
+infinitely open space that allows for anything to appear, change, disappear,
+and reappear. The basic meaning of emptiness, in other words, is openness, or
+potential. At the basic level of our being, we are "empty" of definable
+characteristics.
+ -- Tsoknyi Rinpoche, from "The Best Buddhist Writing 2013", published by
+ Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion Publications.
+~
+ The Lama is the ecstatic, wild, and gentle figure who short-circuits your
+systems of self-referencing. The Lama is the only person in your life who
+cannot be manipulated. The Lama is the invasion of unpredictability you allow
+into your life, to enable you to cut through the convolutions of interminable
+psychological and emotional processes. The Lama is the terrifyingly
+compassionate gamester who reshuffles the deck of your carefully arranged
+rationale. To enter into vajra commitment is to leap from the perfect
+precipice. To find yourself in the radiant space of this choiceless choice is
+the very heart of Tantra. To leap open-eyed into the shining emptiness of the
+Lama's wisdom display and to experience the ecstatic impact of each dynamic
+gesture of the Lama's method display is the essential luminosity and power
+of the path.
+ -- Ngak'chang Rinpoche, quoted in "Dangerous Friend: The Teacher-Student
+ Relationship in Vajrayana Buddhism", Shambhala Publications
+~
+ When clouds cover the sky, we cannot see the pure nature of space.
+Likewise, when conceptual thoughts occupy the mind, we cannot see the pure
+nature of the mind. To see whether this is true, we can meditate so that the
+mind becomes relaxed and peaceful, and then there is room to develop
+compassion, love, and bodhicitta. But when our mind is occupied by conceptual
+thoughts and negative thoughts, there is no space to develop good qualities.
+Our mind becomes full of suffering and we cannot disentangle ourselves from
+confusion.
+ When our mind emphasizes positive, calming, and relaxing thoughts, it leaves
+no space for negative thoughts to arise. Then we can maintain a peaceful,
+harmonious mind regardless of external conditions. This becomes a matter of
+how much we habituate ourselves to the Dharma teachings.
+ -- from "Opening the Treasure of the Profound: Teachings on the Songs of
+ Jigten Sumgön and Milarepa", by Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche,
+ Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion Publications.
+~
+What is true patience and how can we develop it? Patience is imperturbability
+in the face of harm and hardship. Responding to these difficulties with anger
+is extremely destructive because it creates unpleasant consequences and
+destroys positive energy. There is no austere practice to equal the practice
+of patience, which calms the turbulence of the disturbing emotions. It is
+cultivated in meditation and implemented in everyday life. There are three
+main kinds of patience: the patience of taking no account of those who inflict
+harm, the patience of willingly accepting adversity and the patience of
+gaining certainty with regard to the teachings. Their opposites are
+animosity, discouragement and reluctance to engage with the teachings.
+ -- from "The Six Perfections: An Oral Teaching by Geshe Sonam Rinchen",
+ Shambhala Publications and Snow Lion Publications.
+~
+Bodhichitta can be understood as a quality of intention, sometimes called a
+“great will.” This great will does not come from the ego; it is
+paradoxically an intention that arises through the surrender of the ego. As
+the ego lets go of its assumption that it has a real understanding of what is
+needed in the path of awakening, it surrenders to a deeper quality of will and
+wisdom. The shift from the ego’s center of will to the intention of our
+buddha nature to awaken us for the welfare of others aligns us with a source
+of will far beyond our limited sense of self. I have often described this
+will as a river of intention, which once stepped into becomes an undercurrent
+in all we do in our life.
+ -- Rob Preece, "Preparing for Tantra: Creating the Psychological Ground for
+ Practice", published by Shambhala and Snow Lion Publications.
+~
+ In fact, one of the things that I hope all of us have learned these past few
+weeks is that it turns out smart, effective government is important. It
+matters. I think the American people during this shutdown had a chance to get
+some idea of all the things, large and small, that government does that make a
+difference in people's lives.
+ We hear all the time about how government is the problem. Well, it turns
+out we rely on it in a whole lot of ways. Not only does it keep us strong
+through our military and our law enforcement, it plays a vital role in caring
+for our seniors and our veterans, educating our kids, making sure our workers
+are trained for the jobs that are being created, arming our businesses with
+the best science and technology so they can compete with companies from other
+countries. It plays a key role in keeping our food and our toys and our
+workplaces safe. It helps folks rebuild after a storm. It conserves our
+natural resources. It finances startups. It helps to sell our products
+overseas. It provides security to our diplomats abroad.
+ So let's work together to make government work better, instead of treating
+it like an enemy or purposely making it work worse. That’s not what the
+founders of this nation envisioned when they gave us the gift of self-
+government. You don’t like a particular policy or a particular president,
+then argue for your position. Go out there and win an election. Push to
+change it. But don’t break it. Don’t break what our predecessors spent
+over two centuries building. That's not being faithful to what this country
+is about.
+ -- Barack Obama, after the US government shutdown of 2013 had ended.
+~
+When the teachings say we need to reduce our fascination with the things of
+this life, it does not mean that we should abandon them completely. It means
+avoiding the natural tendency to go from elation to depression in reaction to
+life’s ups and downs, jumping for joy when you have some success, or wanting
+to jump out the window if you do not get what you want. Being less concerned
+about the affairs of this life means assuming its ups and downs with a broad
+and stable mind.
+ -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in "On the Path to Enlightenment: Heart
+ Advice from the Great Tibetan Masters", from Shambhala Publications and
+ Snow Lion Publications.
+~
+Critical Thinking as Defined by the National Council for Excellence in
+Critical Thinking, 1987
+
+ Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and
+skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
+evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation,
+experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and
+action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values
+that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision,
+consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and
+fairness.
+ It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought
+implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue;
+assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions;
+implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and
+frame of reference. Critical thinking — in being responsive to variable
+subject matter, issues, and purposes — is incorporated in a family of
+interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical
+thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking,
+moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.
+ Critical thinking can be seen as having two components: 1) a set of
+information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit,
+based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior. It
+is thus to be contrasted with: 1) the mere acquisition and retention of
+information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information
+is sought and treated; 2) the mere possession of a set of skills, because it
+involves the continual use of them; and 3) the mere use of those skills ("as
+an exercise") without acceptance of their results.
+ Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When
+grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skillful
+manipulation of ideas in service of one’s own, or one's groups’, vested
+interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however
+pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fairmindedness and
+intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually,
+though subject to the charge of "idealism" by those habituated to its selfish
+use.
+ Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone
+is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought. Its quality is
+therefore typically a matter of degree and dependent on, among other things,
+the quality and depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with
+respect to a particular class of questions. No one is a critical thinker
+through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such
+insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-
+delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and
+dispositions is a life-long endeavor.
+ -- from a statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the 8th
+ Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education
+ Reform, Summer 1987.
+~
+Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts to
+reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. People who think
+critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathically.
+They are keenly aware of the inherently flawed nature of human thinking when
+left unchecked. They strive to diminish the power of their egocentric and
+sociocentric tendencies. They use the intellectual tools that critical
+thinking offers--concepts and principles that enable them to analyze,
+assess, and improve thinking. They work diligently to develop the
+intellectual virtues of intellectual integrity, intellectual humility,
+intellectual civility, intellectual empathy, intellectual sense of justice and
+confidence in reason. They realize that no matter how skilled they are as
+thinkers, they can always improve their reasoning abilities and they will at
+times fall prey to mistakes in reasoning, human irrationality, prejudices,
+biases, distortions, uncritically accepted social rules and taboos, self-
+interest, and vested interest. They strive to improve the world in whatever
+ways they can and contribute to a more rational, civilized society. At the
+same time, they recognize the complexities often inherent in doing so. They
+avoid thinking simplistically about complicated issues and strive to
+appropriately consider the rights and needs of relevant others. They
+recognize the complexities in developing as thinkers, and commit themselves to
+life-long practice toward self-improvement. They embody the Socratic
+principle: The unexamined life is not worth living, because they realize that
+many unexamined lives together result in an uncritical, unjust, dangerous
+world.
+ -- Linda Elder, September, 2007
+
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