X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=database%2Ffortunes.dat;h=11153a93bc2874e8995b986a03c91e452af79653;hb=7e1f82556c6f92a26d4ee7982805df75d6ce0553;hp=069bf36228d7abe4877dd54c5b5cb7978a0e5a62;hpb=2952ccf47b80174880141a7ecfa122089f349b8d;p=feisty_meow.git

diff --git a/database/fortunes.dat b/database/fortunes.dat
index 069bf362..11153a93 100644
--- a/database/fortunes.dat
+++ b/database/fortunes.dat
@@ -37185,3 +37185,57 @@ appreciates spiritual rather than mundane goals one has become an active
 practitioner of initial perspective.(p.117)
   -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated
      by Glenn H.  Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+  When doing lamrim meditations, it is important to know clearly the state of
+mind you want to reach as a conclusion to the meditation.  Lamrim texts
+describe the purpose of each meditation, and we want to make sure that our
+mind arrives at that conclusion and not at an incorrect or irrelevant
+conclusion.  For example, when meditating on the disadvantages of the self-
+centered thought, our mind may twist that meditation and conclude, "I'm a
+horrible person because I'm so selfish." This is the wrong conclusion to reach
+from that meditation.  The Buddha didn't teach the disadvantages of self-
+centeredness so that we would deride ourselves.
+  If you meditate on a lam rim topic and arrive at an incorrect conclusion,
+the meditation hasn't been done correctly.  In the above case, thinking, "I'm
+a bad person because I'm so selfish," indicates that we have misunderstood the
+purpose of the meditation and probably have fallen into an old pattern of
+putting ourselves down.  Stop and ask yourself,
+  "What conclusion does the Buddha want me to reach from this meditation?  He
+wants me to ascertain that the self-centered mind is the actual 'enemy' that
+destroys my happiness.  Self-centeredness is not an intrinsic part of me; it
+is not who I am.  It's an incorrect, but deeply entrenched, thought that
+creates problems for me.  I can free myself from it.  Since I want to be
+happy, I will realize this selfish attitude for what it is and will stop
+following it!  Instead, I will cultivate love and compassion for all beings."
+  This is the conclusion you want to reach.(p.58)
+  -- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the
+     Path", foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion
+~
+  Greed is a form of desire.  However, it is an exaggerated form of desire,
+based on overexpectation.  The true antidote of greed is contentment.
+  For a practicing Buddhist, for a Dharma practitioner, many practices can act
+as a kind of counterforce to greed: the realization of the value of seeking
+liberation or freedom from suffering, recognizing the underlying
+unsatisfactory nature of one's existence, and so on.  These views also help an
+individual to counteract greed.  But in terms of an immediate response to
+greed, one way is to reflect upon the excesses of greed, what it does to one
+as an individual, where it leads.  Greed leads one to a feeling of
+frustration, disappointment, a lot of confusion, and a lot of problems.
+  When it comes to dealing with greed, one thing which is quite characteristic
+is that although it arises from the desire to obtain something, it is not
+satisfied by obtaining it.  Therefore, it becomes limitless or boundless, and
+that leads to trouble.  The interesting thing about greed is that although the
+underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, as I pointed out, even after
+obtaining the object of one's desire, one is still not satisfied.  On the
+other hand, if one has a strong sense of contentment, it doesn't matter
+whether one obtains the object or not; either way, one is still content.(p.32)
+  -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a
+     Buddhist Perspective", translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, published by
+     Snow Lion Publications
+~
+We will hereby start scouring the net for people who say git is hard to 
+understand and use, and just kill them.  They clearly are just polluting 
+the gene pool. 
+  -- Linus Torvalds
+~
+i got nothin'.