X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=database%2Ffortunes.dat;h=bee1b647708cf87abfb69490e6f448269ead1383;hb=7b1a98bbb738ad8d0138f8703c00edaf3aa20f3a;hp=9bbb16b2259601350ec8e5f9e8e7ab01629fe495;hpb=3552cdb767df6079935b4e089124b13d914fc488;p=feisty_meow.git diff --git a/database/fortunes.dat b/database/fortunes.dat index 9bbb16b2..bee1b647 100644 --- a/database/fortunes.dat +++ b/database/fortunes.dat @@ -37680,3 +37680,239 @@ aware in whatever we do, never be distracted!(p.68) -- "Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness", translation and commentary by John Myrdhin Reynolds, foreword by Namkhai Norbu, published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + Our mind needs to stretch to encompass emptiness. Our minds are so stuck in +the idea, "Things exist the way they appear to me. What I see is reality. It +is 100 percent true. There's nothing to doubt. Things exist exactly as they +appear to my senses, exactly as they appear to my mental consciousness." We +hardly ever doubt that. Not only do we have the appearance of inherent +existence to our sense consciousnesses and mental consciousness, but also our +mental consciousness grasps on to that appearance and says, "Yes! Everything +really exists in this findable, independent way. Everything is real as it +appears to me." + When we believe there's a real "me," then we have to protect that self and +bring it happiness. Thus, we are attached to things that are pleasurable and +become angry at anything unpleasant. Pride, jealousy, laziness, and the whole +gamut of negative emotions follow. Motivated by these, we act physically, +verbally, and mentally. These actions, or karma, leave seeds on our +mindstream, and when these ripen, they influence what we experience. We again +relate to these experiences ignorantly, so more emotions arise, motivating us +to create more karma. As a result, cyclic existence with all its difficulties +continues on and on, created by our mind, dependent on the ignorance that +misconceives the nature of ourselves and all other phenomena. + ...However, when we investigate more deeply and look beyond appearances, we +realize that it's impossible for things to exist in the way they appear. +Seeing this gives us a kind of spaciousness and freedom because, if samsara +were inherently existent and everything really did exist the way it appears to +us, then transformation and change could not occur...and the best we could +ever have is what we have right now. Thinking about the emptiness of inherent +existence shows us the possibility for change. Beauty can come forth because +nothing is inherently concrete, fixed, or findable.(p.105) + -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of + Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Pub. +~ +Three Meditations + + If one does not sow the seed + Of appreciation for a perfect guru, + The tree of spiritual power is not born. + With undivided mind entrust yourself. + + Human life is rare and precious, + Yet if not inspired by thoughts of death, + One wastes it on materialism: + Be ready to die at any moment. + + All living beings have been our mothers, + Three circles of suffering always binding them. + Ignoble it would be not to repay them, + Not to strive to attain enlightenment. (p.100) + + The colophon [inscription] for this poem reads, "Written at the request of +Ritropa Samdrub, an Amdo monk from Dechen Monastery, who begged for a short +teaching...." The Seventh Dalai Lama advises him to establish three central +pillars in his spiritual practice: (1) a disciplined spiritual connection with +his teacher; (2) awareness of the preciousness of life, and the uncertainty of +the time of death; and (3) the mind of love and compassion for all living +beings, coupled with the aspiration to enlightenment as the best means of +fulfilling that love and compassion. + -- The Seventh Dalai Lama, "Meditations to Transform the Mind", translated, + edited, and introduced by Glenn Mullin, published by Snow Lion Pub. +~ + Courageous Bodhisattvas risk their lives to help others, and so, when we are +in relatively better, more comfortable situations, we must certainly practice +giving. Even if they are threatened, the courageous ones will not engage in +improper actions. Instead, after examining the situation carefully, when they +find that certain actions are correct and justified, on the basis of reason, +they engage in them even at the risk of their lives. That is the way of the +decent, civilized and courageous ones, who do not follow misleading paths.(p.20) + -- H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the + Dalai Lama XIV on the Jatakamala, Garland of Birth Stories", translated + by Tenzin Dorjee, edited by Dexter Roberts +~ + One day, when a very learned scholar or geshe and I were discussing the fact +that the self is an elusive phenomenon, that it is unfindable in either body +or mind, he remarked: 'If the self did not exist at all, in a sense that would +make things very simple. There would be no experience of suffering and pain, +because there would be no subject to undergo such experiences. However, that +is not the case. Regardless of whether we can actually find it or not, there +is an individual being who undergoes the experience of pain and pleasure, who +is the subject of experiences, who perceives things and so on. Based on our +own experience we do know that there is something--whatever we may call it-- +that makes it possible for us to undergo these experiences. We have something +called discernment or the ability to perceive things.' + In fact, when we examine the experience of suffering, although some +sufferings are at the sensory or bodily level, such as physical pain, even the +very experience of pain is intimately connected with consciousness or mind and +therefore is part of our mental world. This is what distinguishes sentient +beings from other biological organisms, such as plants, trees and so on. +Sentient beings have a subjective dimension, which we may choose to call +experience, consciousness or the mental world. + ....One thing we can understand, both through scientific analysis and also +from our own personal experience or perception, is that whatever experiences +we have now are consequences of preceding conditions. Nothing comes into +being without a cause. Just as everything in the material world must have a +cause or condition that gives rise to it, so must all experiences in the +mental world also have causes and conditions.(p.74) + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten + Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + Meditation, when learned skillfully, can enable a return to awareness of the +body, our sensations, and feelings. When we are not given specific guidance +to ground our meditation within the body, however, meditation can easily +perpetuate a disembodied spiritual practice. This is accentuated if our view +of spirituality sees the body as some kind of problem to be transcended. +Unfortunately, this view can prevail even within the Buddhist world, despite +being counter to the essential principle of mindfulness and presence. When, +however, we cultivate the capacity to remain present in our felt experience +within the body, our relationship to ourselves changes. We can begin to feel +more grounded in our life and more stable in our identity. + Engaging in a disembodied spirituality is no solution to our life demands. +It may be a way of experiencing states of mind that can be very seductive, +even addictive. Seldom does it address the roots of our emotional problems. +Transformation comes when we are willing and able to restore or develop a +sound relationship to our body in a healthy way. With many Buddhist +practices, such as Tantra, this is essential, for the body contains the +vitality that is the heart of our innate creative potential. + Embodiment therefore implies a full engagement in life with all of its +trials and tribulations, rather than avoidance through disembodied spiritual +flight. The value of meditation is that it can enable this engagement because +it cultivates the capacity to be present and remain open, not grasping at or +rejecting what arises. When meditation emphasizes presence rather than +transcendence, this openness is a natural outcome.(p.143) + -- Rob Preece, "The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of Individuation + in Buddhist Life", published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + Those training in great love should forsake self-centeredness and engage in +the Buddha's practice, the root of which is compassion. You may be thinking, +Love is indeed very profound, but I do not have the skill to practice it; I +will focus my efforts on practices aimed at getting myself out of cyclic +existence instead. On one hand, this is true, because you should choose a +path of development appropriate to your ability. On the other hand, there is +great advantage in attempting the highest degree of love you can. + Even if you cannot actually implement the practices of love and compassion, +merely hearing about them establishes powerful predispositions for future +success. This can be amplified by planting prayer-wishes aspiring to +altruism. Do not be discouraged; it is difficult to absorb such a profound +perspective. Be courageous and think of your future potential. It is +particularly important to do the best you can.(p.82) + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving + Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins +~ + What is very important for us to recognise is our own falsity. This is not +a judgement that sometimes we are authentic and sometimes we are false. It +means that everything about us in our ordinary sense of self is false because +it is grounded on a misapprehension of the nature of reality.... It is like +somebody in University who is having their final examinations. They go into +the wrong examination room and not reading the questions very clearly they +write very long answers on their own subject that is unfortunately not the one +they are being examined on. It does not matter how good the answer is they +will fail, for they are not addressing the question. + The basic question is always: "Who are you?", "Who am I?" but we do not +understand it and so we answer with a ceaseless narrative of self definition. +This covers over the freshness of the question, the possibility of looking and +seeing, and so all our answers are stale, the reworking of self-protective +versions constructed out of unexamined elements. We have many, many, many +answers and all of them are false. That's why it is very important when you +do meditations, to put your full energy one-pointedly into the practice, to +try to repair the initial basic fault that has torn subject and object apart. + It is very important to stop being ashamed of being false. For we have to +see how falsity arises, how obscuration develops. We want to look directly at +our falsity and learn its tricks so that we will not be caught by them. This +helps to open the space in which we can recognise our own nature. + "When you understand the falsity of your confusion remain unartificially, +effortlessly in the natural mode (dharmakaya)."(p.90) + -- "Being Right Here: A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje entitled 'The + Mirror of Clear Meaning' with commentary by James Low", published by Snow + Lion Publications +~ +groundhog daze: + this is an event that can be caused by strong intoxication of various sorts. +the sufferer passes out while seated at a table, such that he or she then has +their head thud down onto the table. after a brief rest, the unlucky person +wakes up again, and starts to rise off the table. when the head rises to a +certain point, where blood pressure starts to increase, the effect of the +intoxication takes over again, and they pass out once more. bam. hence, the +head repeatedly banging into the table: a groundhog daze. + i have seen this happen. it's not fun to watch. well, maybe a little. + --fred t. hamster +~ + We are the source of healing and happiness. Our generosity and concern +pacify every negative situation. As we send out kindness, we grow accustomed +to being strong and kind. In this way, our positive feelings are constantly +renewed and can never be exhausted. + Perhaps you know the story about the man who arrived in heaven and when +asked by God where he wanted to go replied that he wanted to see both heaven +and hell. First, he went to hell. There was a large table with all the +inhabitants of hell sitting around it. The center of the table was full of +delicious food. Each person had two very long chopsticks. They could reach +the food but they could not get it into their mouths because their chopsticks +were too long. They were miserable. No one was eating and everyone went +hungry. Next he was taken to visit heaven. All the inhabitants of heaven +were also sitting around a big table full of delicious food but they were +happy. They too had very long chopsticks but they were eating and enjoying +themselves. They used the chopsticks to feed each other across the table. +The people in heaven had discovered that it was in their interest to +collaborate unselfishly.(p.69) + -- Ringu Tulku, "Mind Training", published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + When you are in a fluctuating state of mind, like when you are angry or have +lost your temper, then it is good to bring back calmness by concentrating on +breathing. Just count the breaths, completely forgetting about anger. +Concentrate on breathing and count in/out "one, two, three," up to twenty. + At that moment when your mind concentrates fully on breathing, the breath +coming and going, the passions subside. Afterwards it is easier to think +clearly. + Since all activities, including meditation, depend very much on the force of +intention or motivation, it is important that, before you begin to meditate, +you cultivate a correct motivation... The correct motivation is the +altruistic attitude.(p.69) + -- Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Cultivating a Daily + Meditation", published by Snow Lion Publications +~ + The crazy elephant of the mind behaving wildly + Is tied to the pillar of an object of observation + With the rope of mindfulness. + By degrees it is brought under control with the hook of wisdom. + --Bhavaviveka + + "Wisdom" here is introspection. Hence, the example of taming an elephant +indicates the achievement of a serviceable mind by way of the two--mindfulness +and introspection. The subtle vajra that is the base on which the mind is +being set is like a stable pillar to which an elephant is tied. The +unserviceable mind is like an untamed elephant. Causing the mind not to be +distracted from its object of observation through relying on mindfulness is +like using a rope to tie an elephant. Setting the mind free from fault--when +it does not hold the object of observation as originally set--through +immediately recognizing such by means of introspection is like a herder's +hitting an elephant with a hook and correcting it when it strays from the tie- +up. + + Hence, there are two important factors with regard to holding the mind: + + From the beginning, stay on the object of observation without being + distracted to anything other than it. + + Then if distracted, immediately recognize such, and again focus the mind + as before. (p.94) + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths + to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by + Snow Lion Publications