X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=database%2Ffortunes.dat;h=11b2fbb4f0dc367461f13b1831c641521dbb4cd0;hb=e9f0a1dd5b631103c02d4791c5d7bd01a55cbf07;hp=0ee635dc2eaf5285293e6ec7e0b1c919e6fc2b52;hpb=a420500dda09a85a33bc021f8df7cbeadd74919d;p=feisty_meow.git diff --git a/database/fortunes.dat b/database/fortunes.dat index 0ee635dc..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. @@ -39223,3 +39223,318 @@ 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