X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=database%2Ffortunes.dat;h=11b2fbb4f0dc367461f13b1831c641521dbb4cd0;hb=e9f0a1dd5b631103c02d4791c5d7bd01a55cbf07;hp=000d3e0b54021f341e90a3f303b5a29204fb357c;hpb=13d5884e1b5dd75b4bed4e3094d7e8b06aabe35f;p=feisty_meow.git diff --git a/database/fortunes.dat b/database/fortunes.dat index 000d3e0b..11b2fbb4 100644 --- a/database/fortunes.dat +++ b/database/fortunes.dat @@ -31598,7 +31598,7 @@ by unpleasant ones. ~ 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. @@ -39367,3 +39367,174 @@ 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