X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=database%2Ffortunes.dat;h=aceb7d5d883ac010f97bcac024bce7024a6f81ba;hb=3c7b6af77b25472348eb14947cd7d7040eba489d;hp=f1b609d03c696f429cbc7ff63903dc0723a57a88;hpb=26cc4f3ade8271bd0941c587d4ac21219bac2542;p=feisty_meow.git diff --git a/database/fortunes.dat b/database/fortunes.dat index f1b609d0..aceb7d5d 100644 --- a/database/fortunes.dat +++ b/database/fortunes.dat @@ -37448,3 +37448,217 @@ is also present when the clouds seem to cover every inch of the sky we can see.(p.22) -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins +~ + Usually the reason that we can't experience transcendent bliss is because +our consciousness is actually chained by the illusion called "I." It is +chained because this concept literally ties our consciousness to the prison of +duality, the prison of concepts and ideas. What most people experience is +that their consciousness is chained by that illusion. + But now and then there are people who find the so-called spiritual path. +This is another quite strange and sneaky way that ego can actually keep +binding our consciousness once again to another form of prison, the prison of +duality, the prison of concepts and ideas. Transcendent bliss comes from +breaking every chain. + Breaking all chains, losing every concept, every idea, sounds very +frightening to the ego's mind. But actually when we let go of every concept, +we land on this infinite ground of eternal bliss, and that bliss is not some +kind of religious or mystical experience, some altered state of consciousness. +That bliss is not the result of doing something to our consciousness, rather +it is the pure state of our consciousness.(p.74) + -- Anam Thubten, "The Magic of Awareness", edited by Sharon Roe, published + by Snow Lion Publications +~ + The all-base consciousness* works like a savings bank. Continuously money +is paid into the bank and continuously it is taken out again. In the same way +karmic imprints are absorbed by the all-base, are stored there, and can +therefore be brought forth again. + Learning, for example, occurs through the mind consciousness. The mind +consciousness itself vanishes. Nevertheless, on the next day we have a memory +of what we learned. At this time of remembrance, the mind consciousness of +what we learned is no longer actually present, since it has ceased to exist. +Yet, still we did not forget what we learned previously. What we learned was +seized by the all-base in the form of karmic imprints, and stored. Due to the +'all-base of complete ripening' these imprints can be re-awakened, so that the +mind consciousness perceives them afresh. This is why we learn things. It is +similar with strong mental afflictions. + ...The example of the savings bank is particularly effective, especially in +the context of karmic actions. Whoever puts money into the bank can get it +out again later, often including interest!(p.37) + +* The all-base consciousness is the general basis for the whole mind, all +aspects of the mind. + + -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, "Everyday Consciousness and Primordial + Awareness", translated and edited by Susanne Schefczyk, published by + Snow Lion Publications +~ + Q: How can Dzogchen help us in our daily jobs and careers? + + HHDL: In the first place, it is quite difficult to have an experience of +Dzogchen. But once you do have that experience, it can be extremely +beneficial in dealing with your day to day life, your job, and your career. +This is because that kind of experience will give you the ability to prevent +yourself from being overwhelmed by circumstances, good or bad. You will not +fall into extreme states of mind: you will not get over-excited or depressed. +Your attitude toward circumstances and events will be as if you were someone +observing the mind, without being drawn away by circumstances. + For example, when you see a reflection of a form in a mirror, the reflection +appears within the mirror but it is not projected from within. In the same +way, when you confront the situations of life, or deal with others, your +attitude too will be mirror-like. + Also, when a reflection appears in the mirror, the mirror does not have to +go after the object that is reflected: it simply reflects, spontaneously, on +the surface. The same with you: since there is no attachment or agitation at +having these 'reflections' in your mind, you will feel tremendous ease and +relief. You are not preoccupied by what arises in the mind, nor does it cause +you any distress. You are free from conceptuality or any form of +objectifying. And so it really does help you, in allowing you to be free from +being caught up in the play of emotions like hatred, attachment, and the like. +(p.162) + -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great + Perfection", translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, foreword by + Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion Pub. +~ + The quality of one's rebirth in the next life is determined by the quality +of one's mental activity in this life. Generally speaking, we have no power +to choose how we are born; it is dependent on karmic forces. However, the +period near the time of death is very influential in terms of activating one +from among the many karmas that a person has already accumulated, and, +therefore, if one makes particular effort at generating a virtuous attitude at +that time, there is an opportunity to strengthen and activate a virtuous +karma. Moreover, when one has developed high realization and has gained +control over how one will be reborn, it is possible to take what is called +"reincarnation" rather than mere rebirth.(p.42) + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: + Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace", translated and edited by Jeffrey + Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + Without an acute awareness of our personal suffering and a deep, heartfelt +determination to be completely rid of both this suffering and its causes, +there is no way to begin the spiritual quest authentically. For just as +Prince Siddhartha's sudden and unexpected visions of old age, sickness and +death shocked him out of mistaking the world to be a pleasure palace, so too +must all spiritual seekers confront the unsatisfactory nature of their lives +so directly that they become thoroughly disenchanted with the ordinary human +condition. + If we do not take a long, hard look at the uncomfortable truths of our +impermanent existence, we can easily waste the time between now and our +inevitable death in essentially worthless pursuits, never taking advantage of +this precious opportunity to do something truly meaningful with our life. +Like the foolish prisoner who becomes so accustomed to the confines of his +cell that he turns a blind eye to all chances of escape, we shall be +condemning ourselves to spiritual stagnation and the endlessly recurring +miseries of cyclic existence. + Yet it is not enough merely to become discontent with our present condition; +everyone experiences discontent at one time or another but very few do +anything of real significance about it. In fact, the usual ways of dealing +with problems and disappointment--blaming them on someone else or drowning +them in forgetfulness--only bind us tighter to the wheel of suffering. What +we must do is recognize that the true causes of all our misery lie rooted in +our own ignorant misconceptions and that these can only be eradicated through +the development of a clear, penetrating insight into the nature of reality. +Only through the continued cultivation of such penetrating wisdom will it +eventually be possible to attain liberation from all states of existence +conditioned by ignorance and be free of suffering.(p.45) + -- "Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice", by Jonathan Landaw + and Andy Weber, published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + We must distinguish between pride and self-confidence. Self-confidence is +necessary. It is what enables us, in certain situations, not to lose courage +and to think with some justification, 'I am capable of succeeding.' Self- +confidence is quite different from excessive self-assurance based on a false +appreciation of our capacities or circumstances. + If you feel able to accomplish a task that other people cannot manage, then +you cannot be called proud as long as your assessment is well founded. It is +as if someone tall came across a group of short people who wanted to get +something too high for them to reach, and said to them, 'Don't exert +yourselves, I can do it.' This would simply mean that he was more qualified +than the others to carry out a particular task, but not that he is superior to +them or that he wants to crush them.(p.259) + -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "365 Dalai Lama: Daily Advice from the + Heart", edited by Matthieu Ricard, translated by Christian Bruyat, + published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + What is progress? How do we recognize it? The teachings are like a mirror +before which we should hold our activities of body, speech, and mind. Think +back to a year ago and compare the stream of activities of your body, speech, +and mind at that time with their present condition. If we practice well, then +the traces of some improvement should be reflected in the mirror of Dharma. + The problem with having expectations is that we usually do not expect the +right things. Not knowing what spiritual progress is, we search for signs of +it in the wrong areas of our being. What can we hope for but frustration? It +would be far better to examine any practice with full reasoning before +adopting it, and then to practice it steadily and consistently while observing +the inner changes one undergoes, rather than expecting this or that fantasy to +become real. + The mind is an evolving organism, not a machine that goes on and off with +the flip of a switch. The forces that bind and limit the mind, hurling it +into unsatisfactory states of being, are impermanent and transient agents. +When we persistently apply the practices to them, they have no option but to +fade away and disappear. + Ignorance and the "I"-grasping syndrome have been with us since +beginningless time, and the instincts of attachments, aversion, anger, +jealousy and so forth are very deeply rooted in our mindstreams. Eliminating +them is not as simple as turning on a light to chase away the darkness of a +room. When we practice steadily, the forces of darkness are undermined, and +the spiritual qualities that counteract them and illuminate the mind are +strengthened and made firm. Therefore, we should strive by means of both +contemplative and settled meditation to gain stability in the various Lam Rim +topics.(p.176) + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Path to Enlightenment", edited and translated + by Glenn H. Mullin, published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + We are beings of the Desire Realm, and thus our minds are also included +within Desire Realm minds. If we cultivate great compassion, our own minds +are the basis for great compassion. By contemplating countless sentient +beings and meditating to develop great compassion, one eventually achieves +great compassion. At that point, the mental basis--one's own mind--has become +of the entity of great compassion. There is no distinguishing the two at that +time. Meditating on great compassion does not mean taking compassion as an +object and looking at it; it means taking sentient beings as one's object and +developing compassion for them such that the mind comes to be of the nature of +great compassion. + The texts frequently speak of different mental bases: the basis for calm +abiding, the basis for meditative absorption, the basis for achieving a path. +The way of understanding all of these is the same. You may wonder whether, +when one cultivates a certain path, the mind becomes of the entity of that +path. It is important to understand this question because that is, in fact, +what occurs when one cultivates calm abiding. The mental basis becomes of the +nature of calm abiding. + -- Geshe Gedun Lodro, "Calm Abiding and Special Insight: Achieving Spiritual + Transformation Through Meditation", translated and edited by Jeffrey + Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + Nature's law dictates that, in order to survive, bees must work together. +As a result, they instinctively possess a sense of social responsibility. +They have no constitution, no law, no police, no religion or moral training, +but because of their nature, they labor faithfully together. Occasionally, +they may fight, but in general, based on cooperation, the whole colony +survives. + We human beings have a constitution, laws and a police force. We have +religion, remarkable intelligence and a heart with a great capacity for love. +We have many extraordinary qualities, but in actual practice, I think we are +lagging behind those small insects. In some respects I feel we are poorer +than the bees. + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", compiled and edited by + Mary Craig +~ + Nagarjuna offers us encouragement in terms of someone of modest potential +accomplishing the practice, in verse 116: + + And even those who realized the truth + Did not fall from the heavens, nor emerge + Like crops of corn from earth's dark depths, but once + Were ruled by kleshas and were ordinary men. + + Not one of all the sublime beings who have appeared--individuals who had +direct realization of the Dharma of the four truths--was already a sublime +being right from the beginning: they did not fall from the sky, nor did they +emerge from the darkness of the earth like a crop. In the past they were +subject to afflictive emotions ['kleshas']--they were ordinary people +dominated by the afflictive emotions. They are therefore worth following as +an example for accomplishing the path.(p.150) + -- Nagarjuna, "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend: with Commentary by Kangyur + Rinpoche", with commentary by Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kyabje Kangyur + Rinpoche, translated by The Padmakara Translation Group, published by + Snow Lion Publications