~
The powers of a man's mind are directly proportional
to the quantity of coffee he drank.
- -- Sir James MacKintosh - 18th century philosopher
+ -- Sir James MacKintosh, 18th century philosopher
~
If it wasn't for coffee, I'd have no discernible personality at all.
-- David Letterman Esquire Interview Fall '94
Montreal-based Zero-Knowledge Systems, explains: "Obviously, we're
not going to just pick somebody from the legal department," because
privacy is more than a matter of just following the law. "You have
-to have a fundamental commitment to - dare I say it? - morality.
+to have a fundamental commitment to--dare I say it?--morality.
Privacy is not just good business. We are framing the information
age, and it is important to take that job seriously. We really do
look at privacy as a human right, and not just a luxury item for
~
Microsoft is now talking about the digital nervous system.
I guess I would be nervous if my system was built on their technology too.
- -- Scott McNealy, November 4, 1998 - quoted at CNN.com
+ -- Scott McNealy, November 4, 1998, quoted at CNN.com
~
Every time you turn on your new car, you're turning on 20 microprocessors.
Every time you use an ATM, you're using a computer. Every time I use a
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
~
-Eighty percent of success is showing up. - Woody Allen
+Eighty percent of success is showing up. -- Woody Allen
~
Pity the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. -- Don Marquis
~
and Happiness", compiled and edited by Renuka Singh, published by Snow
Lion Publications
~
- The wise perceive that all things -persons and phenomena -arise in reliance
+ The wise perceive that all things--persons and phenomena--arise in reliance
upon their own causes and conditions, and that based on this process we impute
mental labels upon things. The phenomena themselves have no true or inherent
existence from their own side. They have no self-nature whatsoever.
spiritual instructions concealed by enlightened beings for the purpose of
discovery at a later predestined time when their message will invigorate the
Buddhist teaching and deepen spiritual understanding. Central to this process
-is the figure of the Treasure revealer (gter ston) -the person who acts as a
+is the figure of the Treasure revealer (gter ston)--the person who acts as a
medium for the re-emergence of this inspired material into the human world.
Accordingly, beginning in the eleventh century and continuing into the
present, the Nyingma School identifies a large number of Treasure revealers
~
4. Seven-Limbed Practice
- The seven parts of the practice are encompassed by two practices -the
+ The seven parts of the practice are encompassed by two practices--the
purification of negativities and the enhancing of the store of merit. When
you engage in the practice, it is very important to understand that each and
every one of the seven limbs has its individual purpose and significance, and
The Special Features of Dzogchen
In the early translation school of the Nyingma, a system of nine yanas is
-taught. Three of these -the paths of the Sravaka, pratyekabuddha, and
-bodhisattva -constitute the sutra tradition, while the tantric tradition
-consists of six levels -the three outer tantras and the three inner tantras.
+taught. Three of these--the paths of the Sravaka, pratyekabuddha, and
+bodhisattva--constitute the sutra tradition, while the tantric tradition
+consists of six levels--the three outer tantras and the three inner tantras.
The tradition of Dzogchen, or Atiyoga, is considered to be the pinnacle of
these nine yanas. The other, lower, yanas are said to be philosophical
systems that depend on ordinary consciousness, and so the path is based on
that ordinary consciousness. Here the distinction being made is between
-ordinary mind -sem -and pure awareness -rigpa. The ninth yana, the most
+ordinary mind--sem--and pure awareness--rigpa. The ninth yana, the most
majestic, is beyond ordinary consciousness, for its path is based on rigpa,
not on the ordinary mind.
Throughout beginningless time, there has always been present, within us
-all, a pure awareness -that in-dwelling rigpa which in Atiyoga is evoked in
+all, a pure awareness--that in-dwelling rigpa which in Atiyoga is evoked in
all its nakedness, and which constitutes the practice.
...The ground for all the phenomena of samsara and nirvana is the
fundamental innate mind of clear light, and these phenomena are its radiance
Dodrupchen Jikme Tenpe Nyima says that all objects of knowledge are permeated
by clear light, just as a sesame seed is permeated by its oil. Therefore,
even while the coarser states of the six consciousnesses are functioning,
-their subtle aspect -that of clear light -can be directly introduced by means
+their subtle aspect--that of clear light--can be directly introduced by means
of those states themselves, through blessings and through pith instructions.
Here lies the extraordinary and profound implication of the Dzogchen
teachings. When you are basing your path on the fundamental innate mind of
Patience is like a beautiful ornament. When you become a person with
great patience, it brings a certain element of charm to your life. You are
loved by others, and you give no problems to your friends. You bring an
-element of joy, happiness, and calmness to other people's lives -your friends,
+element of joy, happiness, and calmness to other people's lives--your friends,
your family, and the community. You do not have to ask to be accepted;
everyone longs for your presence. Everyone looks up to you and respects you,
not because you have worked for that or expected it, not because you were
-- Adlai Stevenson
~
A simple and irrefutable argument to knock creationism on its ass: (1) Humans
-are a mistake -subproof: opposable thumbs and enlarged brain capacity are the
+are a mistake--subproof: opposable thumbs and enlarged brain capacity are the
combined number one factor in the increasingly speedy destruction of planet
Earth. (2) God doesn't make mistakes. (3) Therefore, God couldn't have
created people.
The average man's judgment is so poor, he runs a risk every time he uses it.
-- E.W. Howe
~
-Man -a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal.
+Man--a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal.
-- Alexander Hamilton
~
We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all
It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.
-- Oscar Wilde
~
-There are only two forces that unite men -fear and interest.
+There are only two forces that unite men--fear and interest.
-- Napoleon Bonaparte
~
If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their
~
Either you live or you are consequential. -- Erich Kaestner
~
-Pedaled curd gets wide -not strong. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
+Pedaled curd gets wide--not strong. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
~
Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
-- Robert A. Humphrey
~
-The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best -and therefore
+The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best--and therefore
never scrutinize or question.
-- Stephen Jay Gould
~
-- Tennessee Williams
~
The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all of your time.
- - Willem de Kooning
+ -- Willem de Kooning
~
We need to understand the essential nature of the broad diversity of
phenomena. For example, if we are obliged to be involved frequently with a
-- "Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness", translation and
commentary by John Myrdhin Reynolds, foreword by Namkhai Norbu,
published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ Our mind needs to stretch to encompass emptiness. Our minds are so stuck in
+the idea, "Things exist the way they appear to me. What I see is reality. It
+is 100 percent true. There's nothing to doubt. Things exist exactly as they
+appear to my senses, exactly as they appear to my mental consciousness." We
+hardly ever doubt that. Not only do we have the appearance of inherent
+existence to our sense consciousnesses and mental consciousness, but also our
+mental consciousness grasps on to that appearance and says, "Yes! Everything
+really exists in this findable, independent way. Everything is real as it
+appears to me."
+ When we believe there's a real "me," then we have to protect that self and
+bring it happiness. Thus, we are attached to things that are pleasurable and
+become angry at anything unpleasant. Pride, jealousy, laziness, and the whole
+gamut of negative emotions follow. Motivated by these, we act physically,
+verbally, and mentally. These actions, or karma, leave seeds on our
+mindstream, and when these ripen, they influence what we experience. We again
+relate to these experiences ignorantly, so more emotions arise, motivating us
+to create more karma. As a result, cyclic existence with all its difficulties
+continues on and on, created by our mind, dependent on the ignorance that
+misconceives the nature of ourselves and all other phenomena.
+ ...However, when we investigate more deeply and look beyond appearances, we
+realize that it's impossible for things to exist in the way they appear.
+Seeing this gives us a kind of spaciousness and freedom because, if samsara
+were inherently existent and everything really did exist the way it appears to
+us, then transformation and change could not occur...and the best we could
+ever have is what we have right now. Thinking about the emptiness of inherent
+existence shows us the possibility for change. Beauty can come forth because
+nothing is inherently concrete, fixed, or findable.(p.105)
+ -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of
+ Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Pub.
+~
+Three Meditations
+
+ If one does not sow the seed
+ Of appreciation for a perfect guru,
+ The tree of spiritual power is not born.
+ With undivided mind entrust yourself.
+
+ Human life is rare and precious,
+ Yet if not inspired by thoughts of death,
+ One wastes it on materialism:
+ Be ready to die at any moment.
+
+ All living beings have been our mothers,
+ Three circles of suffering always binding them.
+ Ignoble it would be not to repay them,
+ Not to strive to attain enlightenment. (p.100)
+
+ The colophon [inscription] for this poem reads, "Written at the request of
+Ritropa Samdrub, an Amdo monk from Dechen Monastery, who begged for a short
+teaching...." The Seventh Dalai Lama advises him to establish three central
+pillars in his spiritual practice: (1) a disciplined spiritual connection with
+his teacher; (2) awareness of the preciousness of life, and the uncertainty of
+the time of death; and (3) the mind of love and compassion for all living
+beings, coupled with the aspiration to enlightenment as the best means of
+fulfilling that love and compassion.
+ -- The Seventh Dalai Lama, "Meditations to Transform the Mind", translated,
+ edited, and introduced by Glenn Mullin, published by Snow Lion Pub.
+~
+ Courageous Bodhisattvas risk their lives to help others, and so, when we are
+in relatively better, more comfortable situations, we must certainly practice
+giving. Even if they are threatened, the courageous ones will not engage in
+improper actions. Instead, after examining the situation carefully, when they
+find that certain actions are correct and justified, on the basis of reason,
+they engage in them even at the risk of their lives. That is the way of the
+decent, civilized and courageous ones, who do not follow misleading paths.(p.20)
+ -- H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the
+ Dalai Lama XIV on the Jatakamala, Garland of Birth Stories", translated
+ by Tenzin Dorjee, edited by Dexter Roberts
+~
+ One day, when a very learned scholar or geshe and I were discussing the fact
+that the self is an elusive phenomenon, that it is unfindable in either body
+or mind, he remarked: 'If the self did not exist at all, in a sense that would
+make things very simple. There would be no experience of suffering and pain,
+because there would be no subject to undergo such experiences. However, that
+is not the case. Regardless of whether we can actually find it or not, there
+is an individual being who undergoes the experience of pain and pleasure, who
+is the subject of experiences, who perceives things and so on. Based on our
+own experience we do know that there is something--whatever we may call it--
+that makes it possible for us to undergo these experiences. We have something
+called discernment or the ability to perceive things.'
+ In fact, when we examine the experience of suffering, although some
+sufferings are at the sensory or bodily level, such as physical pain, even the
+very experience of pain is intimately connected with consciousness or mind and
+therefore is part of our mental world. This is what distinguishes sentient
+beings from other biological organisms, such as plants, trees and so on.
+Sentient beings have a subjective dimension, which we may choose to call
+experience, consciousness or the mental world.
+ ....One thing we can understand, both through scientific analysis and also
+from our own personal experience or perception, is that whatever experiences
+we have now are consequences of preceding conditions. Nothing comes into
+being without a cause. Just as everything in the material world must have a
+cause or condition that gives rise to it, so must all experiences in the
+mental world also have causes and conditions.(p.74)
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
+ Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ Meditation, when learned skillfully, can enable a return to awareness of the
+body, our sensations, and feelings. When we are not given specific guidance
+to ground our meditation within the body, however, meditation can easily
+perpetuate a disembodied spiritual practice. This is accentuated if our view
+of spirituality sees the body as some kind of problem to be transcended.
+Unfortunately, this view can prevail even within the Buddhist world, despite
+being counter to the essential principle of mindfulness and presence. When,
+however, we cultivate the capacity to remain present in our felt experience
+within the body, our relationship to ourselves changes. We can begin to feel
+more grounded in our life and more stable in our identity.
+ Engaging in a disembodied spirituality is no solution to our life demands.
+It may be a way of experiencing states of mind that can be very seductive,
+even addictive. Seldom does it address the roots of our emotional problems.
+Transformation comes when we are willing and able to restore or develop a
+sound relationship to our body in a healthy way. With many Buddhist
+practices, such as Tantra, this is essential, for the body contains the
+vitality that is the heart of our innate creative potential.
+ Embodiment therefore implies a full engagement in life with all of its
+trials and tribulations, rather than avoidance through disembodied spiritual
+flight. The value of meditation is that it can enable this engagement because
+it cultivates the capacity to be present and remain open, not grasping at or
+rejecting what arises. When meditation emphasizes presence rather than
+transcendence, this openness is a natural outcome.(p.143)
+ -- Rob Preece, "The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of Individuation
+ in Buddhist Life", published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ Those training in great love should forsake self-centeredness and engage in
+the Buddha's practice, the root of which is compassion. You may be thinking,
+Love is indeed very profound, but I do not have the skill to practice it; I
+will focus my efforts on practices aimed at getting myself out of cyclic
+existence instead. On one hand, this is true, because you should choose a
+path of development appropriate to your ability. On the other hand, there is
+great advantage in attempting the highest degree of love you can.
+ Even if you cannot actually implement the practices of love and compassion,
+merely hearing about them establishes powerful predispositions for future
+success. This can be amplified by planting prayer-wishes aspiring to
+altruism. Do not be discouraged; it is difficult to absorb such a profound
+perspective. Be courageous and think of your future potential. It is
+particularly important to do the best you can.(p.82)
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving
+ Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
projects / feisty_meow.git / blobdiff