subtract from the sum of his desires.
-- Seneca
~
-Live life like your hair is on fire. -- Ashley Brilliant
+Live life like your hair is on fire. -- Ashleigh Brilliant
~
City people have a hard time handling the silences when they first
come out to the country. After a certain period of solitude, I myself
river, Gautama proceeds to the tree of enlightenment. All these events have
taken place within the span of one day.
-- Wendy Garling, in "Stars at Dawn", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+True compassion is spacious and wise as well as resourceful. This type of
+compassion could be called intelligent love or intelligent affection. We know
+how to express our affection so that it does not destroy a person but instead
+helps him or her to develop. It is more like a dance than a hug. And the
+music behind it is that of intellect.
+ -- " 'Intellect and Intuition,' in The Heart of the Buddha: Entering the
+ Tibetan Buddhist Path", by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Gampopa recognized in Dusum Khyenpa an exceptional being and declared that
+he would amply spread Buddhism throughout Tibet. He added that he would be
+liberated in this life from samsara, cyclic existence. Over many years the
+Karmapa received from this great bodhisattva the teachings that Gampopa
+himself had been given by his masters. First, Gampopa transmitted to him the
+teachings of the Kadampa tradition, including the classical scholastic studies
+known as the “gradual path,” which emphasize the development of
+renunciation and altruism. They henceforth became an educational constant for
+the Kagyu lineage and the basis of the study of the Vajrayana. Dusum Khyenpa
+then received from his master the teachings and transmissions related to the
+tantras. One day, when Gampopa bestowed upon his disciple the Hevajra
+initiation, the Karmapa perceived his master in the form of the deity himself.
+ Gampopa then urged Dusum Khyenpa to go on retreat into the neighboring
+caves in order to actualize what had been transmitted. After only nine days
+of meditation, he spontaneously experienced a strong feeling of warmth and
+bliss. He removed his monk robes and dressed himself in the simple attire of
+white cotton—repa—worn by yogis. He meditated for nine months,
+concentrating in particular on the practice of calm abiding (samatha), which
+allows practitioners to pacify and stabilize their mind. Having excelled in
+this, he continued his retreat for three more years, perfecting his meditative
+capacities on the understanding of the nature of mind through penetrating
+vision (vipashyana) practice. Finally Gampopa conferred upon him the ultimate
+instructions of the Kagyu lineage. He then considered that the realization of
+his disciple was henceforth stable.
+ From then on the life of Dusum Khyenpa was divided between retreat and
+travel. He traveled throughout central Tibet, receiving instructions from
+other teachers or dispensing his own teachings. Nonetheless, until his master
+passed away, he often returned to Gampopa to receive other transmissions.
+Gampopa encouraged the Karmapa to go on retreat in the near future at Kampo
+Gangra in eastern Tibet, prophesying that it would be in this location that
+Dusum Khyenpa would attain complete enlightenment.
+ -- from "History of the Karmapas", by Lama Kunsang, Lama Pemo, and Marie
+ Aubèle, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+One cannot force or grasp a spiritual experience, because it is as delicate as
+the whisper of the wind. But one can purify one’s motivation, one’s body,
+and train oneself to cultivate it. Because we come from a culture which
+teaches us there is always something external to be obtained which will lead
+us to fulfillment, we lose contact with our innate wisdom. As the Indian
+Tantric Buddhist saint Saraha says in one of his dohas (poems expressing the
+essence of his understanding):
+ Though the house-lamps have been lit,
+ The blind live on in the dark.
+ Though spontaneity is all-encompassing
+ And close, to the deluded it remains
+ Always far away.
+ -- Tsultrim Allione, in "Women of Wisdom", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+being royalty is nothing compared to being composed from parts of a far
+flung star explosion, as we all are.
+ -- fred t. hamster
+~
+Six right livelihood guidelines...
+
+Consume mindfully.
+ Eat with awareness and gratitude.
+ Pause before buying and see if breathing is enough.
+ Pay attention to the effects of media you consume.
+
+Pause. Breathe. Listen.
+ When you feel compelled to speak in a meeting or conversation, pause.
+ Breathe before entering your home, pleace of work, or school.
+ Listen to the people you encounter. They are buddhas.
+
+Practice gratitude.
+ Notice what you have
+ Be equally grateful for opportunities and challenges.
+ Share joy, not negativity.
+
+Cultivate compassion and loving kindness.
+ Notice where help is needed and be quick to help
+ Consider others' perspectives deeply.
+ Work for peace at many levels.
+
+Discover wisdom
+ Cultivate "don't know" mind (= curiosity).
+ Find connections between Buddhist teachings and your life.
+ Be open to what arises in every moment.
+
+Accept constant change.
+
+ -- Source: "Moon journeying through clouds", Zen Buddhist chants, sayings and recitations from the Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom.
+~
+never forget that the truth is always larger than you know.
+ -- fred t. hamster
+~
+Roger Babson's Ten Commandments of Investing
+
++ Keep speculation and investments separate.
++ Don't be fooled by a name.
++ Be wary of new promotions.
++ Give due consideration to market ability.
++ Don't buy without proper facts.
++ Safeguard purchases through diversification.
++ Don't try to diversify by buying different securities of the same company.
++ Small companies should be carefully scrutinized.
++ Buy adequate security, not super abundance.
++ Choose your dealer and buy outright (i.e., don't buy on margin.)
+~
+Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. -- Mark Twain
+~
+All of us cherish helpful and loving friends, and wise, compassionate
+spiritual mentors are especially important to us to progress on the path.
+Being separated from the people we value or having an important relationship
+not work out the way we had hoped is painful, yet it is a common occurrence in
+cyclic existence. Because we ourselves, others, and all the conditioned
+things around us are impermanent by nature, whatever comes together must also
+separate.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, "Good Karma: How to Create the Causes of Happiness and
+ Avoid the Causes of Suffering", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+There are no limits to our imagination,
+or if there are,
+we can only imagine them.
+ -- Fred T. Hamster
+~
+When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say
+to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."
+ -- Fred Rogers
+~
+Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a
+triple.
+ -- Barry Switzer
+~
+ First, let’s take a look at how physical and emotional health supports
+our spiritual health. What is spiritual health? One way that the Buddhist
+teachings define spiritual health is having a sense of interconnection with
+other living beings on the planet, as well as respect for the natural
+environment. Recognition of this interconnection with others is developed as
+we call to mind the things that all beings have in common: the wish to attain
+happiness and avoid suffering. We can reflect on this by thinking that all of
+the wonderful things we want for ourselves, others want them too. Just so,
+all of the painful things we would like to avoid, others wish to avoid those
+things too.
+ However, spiritual health is far more than a mere sense of connection.
+True spiritual health arises from discovering love and compassion for all
+sentient beings. In doing so, we cut through our own painful feelings of
+anger, resentment, and strong desire, which cause us so much personal
+unhappiness and sorrow. By bringing ourselves back into harmonious
+relationship with friends, family, and the larger community, even those we may
+dislike, we ourselves become spiritually rich.
+ -- Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo, "The Tibetan Yoga of Breath:
+ Breathing Practices for Healing the Body and Cultivating Wisdom",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Our worries may zoom around the state of the world. “What happens if the
+economy plummets? If the ozone layer keeps decreasing? If we have more
+anthrax attacks? If terrorists take over the country? If we lose our civil
+liberties fighting terrorism?” Here, our creative writing ability leads to
+fantastic scenarios that may or may not happen, but regardless, we manage to
+work ourselves into a state of unprecedented despair. This, in turn, often
+leads to raging anger at the powers that be or alternatively, to apathy,
+simply thinking that since everything is rotten, there’s no use doing
+anything. In either case, we’re so gloomy that we neglect to act
+constructively in ways that remedy difficulties and create goodness.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, in "Taming the Mind", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+It really seemed like every band built on the one just prior to it, so that as
+each day moved on, the acts just generated more and more energy and awesome
+music, storing it up in a celestial battery. the peak of it all for me was
+the phish show on the last night, which was so high energy and saturated with
+fun and healthy vibes that I felt like "i never need to feel fear again".
+that feeling lasted for days after the concert was over. hopefully memory of
+that thought never fades.
+ -- fred t. hamster, after lockn 2016
+~
+The dawn of the Great Eastern Sun is based on actual experience. It is not a
+concept. You realize that you can uplift yourself, that you can appreciate
+your existence as a human being. Whether you are a gas station attendant or
+the president of your country doesn’t really matter. When you experience
+the goodness of being alive, you can respect who and what you are. You need
+not be intimidated by lots of bills to pay, diapers to change, food to cook,
+or papers to be filed. Fundamentally, in spite of all those responsibilities,
+you begin to feel that it is a worthwhile situation to be a human being, to be
+alive, not afraid of death.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior", published
+ by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ These deities share a freedom from passion and experience more and more
+subtle states of mind in each higher level. In the first level, the freedom
+from passion is experienced; in the second, freedom from discursive thought;
+in the third, the elimination of gross joy in meditation, leaving only sublime
+delight; in the fourth, freedom even from delight. Above these are the four
+levels of the realm of formlessness, whose inhabitants have transcended form
+altogether and have no bodies or forms at all. Here deities experience
+successively even more subtle states of mind: the infinity of space, the
+infinity of consciousness, “nothing at all,” and neither perception nor
+nonperception.
+ These states can certainly appear enormously attractive from our human
+point of view. In fact, they correspond to what many think religious practice
+is all about—attaining some kind of heaven or some sort of tranquillity or
+bliss. But from the Buddhist viewpoint, the sublimity even of these states is
+not a worthy ultimate goal. One may ask, “What can possibly be wrong with
+such attainments?”
+ It is important to remember that the divine states of the desire realm,
+the form realm, and the formless realm, like all the other states known in the
+other five realms, are still part of samsara and subject to karma,
+impermanence, and suffering. In spite of the relative exaltation of their way
+of being, there comes a day for every god when he or she begins to feel the
+signs of impending death. The intoxication of the godly state gives way to
+sadness, pain, fear, and finally terror, and this is followed by death and
+rebirth in a lower realm.
+ In addition, the gods have one enormous liability: precisely because of
+their power, longevity, and intoxication, they are unable to hear the dharma
+with its teachings about duhkha, the first noble truth. They, like the
+inhabitants of all the other nonhuman realms, are victims of their karma and
+are unable to practice a spiritual path to gain liberation.
+ -- Reginald A. Ray, in "Indestructible Truth", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh writes, "I like to walk alone on country paths,
+rice plants and wild grasses on both sides, putting each foot down on the
+earth in mindfulness, knowing that I walk on the wondrous earth. In such
+moments, existence is a miraculous and mysterious reality. People usually
+consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real
+miracle is to walk on earth... a miracle we don’t even recognize."
+ -- from Jan Chozen Bays, MD, "How to Train a Wild Elephant & Other Adventures
+ in Mindfulness", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself
+
+Whatever pain you feel, take it in, wishing for all beings to be free of it.
+Whatever pleasure you feel, send it out to others. In this way, our personal
+problems and delights become a stepping-stone for understanding the suffering
+and happiness of all beings.
+ -- Pema Chodron's "Compassion Cards", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Tuvaṭaka Sutta: The Discourse on Being Quick
+
+(The Buddha said,)
+"Let them completely destroy the root
+Of conceptual differentiation,
+That is, [the idea] ‘I am the thinker.’
+Ever mindful, they train to subdue their cravings.
+
+"They shouldn’t get entrenched in any teachings they know
+Whether their own or that of others.
+Good people say that
+Being entrenched is not release.
+
+"They would not, because of this, think themselves
+Better, worse, or equal [to others].
+Experiencing many things,
+They don’t take a stand in thoughts of themselves."
+
+ The Buddha’s first teachings in this poem are particularly important.
+Here he emphasizes the destruction of the root source for conceptual
+proliferation which he describes as being either the idea "I am the
+thinker" or the thought "I am." While the grammar of the Pali phrase
+allows for both translations into English, the two options both identify some
+form of conceit as the basis from which a problematic differentiation of
+concepts with which the world is categorized arises. When this conceit is
+uprooted, the conceptual proliferation stops. A sage does not categorize or
+conceptualize the world with any fixed reference point of existing as "I."
+ While training to become such a sage, a monastic should avoid swelling up
+with conceit, which is described as thinking they are better, worse, or equal
+to others. The alternative to such comparative thinking is to have a mind
+that is still and unmoving like a calm sea. Many of the training instructions
+the Buddha mentions can be understood as support for having a still, peaceful
+mind.
+ -- Gil Fronsdal, "The Buddha before Buddhism: Wisdom from the Early
+ Teachings", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+I. Path of Accumulation
+
+ One who has the Mahayana family cultivates bodhicitta, receives teachings
+from masters, and makes effort in the virtues until the heat of wisdom is
+attained. During this time, progress is classified in four stages:
+realization, aspiration, greater aspiration, and achievement. Why is this
+called the path of accumulation? Because on it, one gathers the accumulations
+of virtue in order to become a vessel for the realization of heat and so forth.
+Therefore, it is called the path of accumulation.
+
+ These are also called the root virtues which are similar to liberation.
+At this stage, twelve of the branches of enlightenment are practiced:
+
+ A. the four types of mindfulness,
+ B. the four types of perfect abandonment, and
+ C. the four feet of miracle powers.
+
+The Four Types of Mindfulness are:
+
+ 1. sustaining mindfulness of the body,
+ 2. sustaining mindfulness of feelings,
+ 3. sustaining mindfulness of the mind, and
+ 4. sustaining mindfulness of phenomena.
+
+These four occur during the lesser stage of the path of accumulation.
+
+The Four Types of Perfect Abandonment are:
+
+ 1. abandoning nonvirtues which have been created,
+ 2. not allowing new nonvirtues to be produced,
+ 3. producing the antidotes, virtues which have not arisen, and
+ 4. allowing those virtues which have arisen to increase.
+
+These four occur during the middle stage of the path of accumulation.
+
+The Four Feet of Miracle Powers are:
+
+ 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
projects / feisty_meow.git / blobdiff