X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=infobase%2Ffortunes.dat;h=4b508630323329b784086d78e521b67815242972;hb=refs%2Fheads%2Frelease-2.140.93;hp=b2f713a9293f680568053c98207600fe55d3e7a7;hpb=d2326c330bfa224b166d2c3d2e23458ba31afdc6;p=feisty_meow.git diff --git a/infobase/fortunes.dat b/infobase/fortunes.dat index b2f713a9..4b508630 100644 --- a/infobase/fortunes.dat +++ b/infobase/fortunes.dat @@ -7449,7 +7449,7 @@ A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her. "Sir, if I were your wife, I would put poison in your coffee." -- Lady Nancy Astor speaking to Winston Churchill "Madam, if I were your husband, I would drink it." - -- Churchill's reply + -- Winston Churchill's reply ~ If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs. -- David Daye @@ -20463,10 +20463,10 @@ exist? Yes, provided it is never known. Known, it will only disappoint us. -- Umberto Eco ~ The subjects that were dearest to the examiners were almost invariably those I -fancied least... I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They +fancied least. ... I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had -only one result: I did not too well in examinations. +only one result: I did not do well at examinations... -- Winston Churchill ~ One of the great movements in my lifetime among educated people is the need to @@ -42772,3 +42772,249 @@ carried by warriors that vanquish all the enemy hosts. -- Machik Lapdrön, "Chöd: The Sacred Teachings on Severence", by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye, translated by Sarah Harding, published by Shambhala Publications +~ +The system of two truths is propounded solely for didactic purposes, as an +entry to the path. On the ultimate level, the division into two truths has no +place. There is only the inconceivable dharmadhātu, pure suchness, the +ultimate mode of being. As it is written in the sutra, + + There is but one truth: absence of all origin, + Yet some will crow about there being four. + But in the essence of enlightenment, + Not one is found—why speak of four? + +But whereas on the ultimate level, the two truths are not posited, on the +relative level, they are. For there is certainly a difference between the way +things are and the way they appear. As was said earlier, "These the two +truths are declared to be." + -- The Wisdom Chapter: Jamgön Mipham’s Commentary on the Ninth Chapter of + The Way of the Bodhisattva, translated by the Padmakara Translation + Group, published by Shambhala Publications +~ + People who embark upon the path of the Mahayana, the supreme path of +beings of great scope leading to omniscience, should try to acquire four +circumstances. They should (1) live in solitude, in a place that has all the +necessary conditions and is in harmony with the Dharma. They should (2) +frequent a teacher who is learned in the Tripitaka and steeped in the practice +of the three trainings. By doing this, they will avoid the inferior attitudes +of ordinary folk as well as the wrong behavior that leads to suffering, and +they will acquire all the good qualities deriving from the Dharma of +transmission and realization. They should in addition (3) nourish an intense +wish to practice in accordance with the teaching expounded by their master and +should (4) zealously adopt the supreme protection afforded by the merit +accumulated in their past and present existences. The venerable Nagarjuna +refers to these four conditions as the ‘‘four wheels,’’ the idea being +that, just as someone riding in a (horse-drawn) chariot can cover in a short +time a distance that would take many days for a cow or ox, a Bodhisattva +taking advantage of these four conditions will progress speedily toward +omniscience. Nagarjuna refers to them in his Suhrllekha when he says: + + Your dwelling place befits the task, + You keep the company of holy beings. + With highest aspirations and a store of merit, + You have indeed the ‘‘four wheels’’ all complete. + + -- from "Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book One: Sutra Teachings", by + Jigme Lingpa, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, published + by Shambhala Publications +~ + + We are far removed from eighth-century Tibet, where we meet her, but +Yeshé Tsogyal continues to be present and available. She lives outside +linear time, but visits it: her limitless emanations form a bridge from her +lifetime to the present. She promised to remain accessible to any spiritual +seeker wishing to follow her lead. In her own words, + + And so, from now until the scouring of samsara, + My stream of emanations, primary and secondary, + Will flow unceasing. + Especially to those who in the future meditate + Upon the subtle veins and energies, + I’ll show myself--at best directly, + Else in visions, or at least in dreams, + Appearing as a common person, or as the secret consort. + I shall clear the obstacles of those who keep samaya, + Bringing progress to their practice, + Helping to attain with speed the blissful warmth and thence + accomplishment. + + As promised, she continuously appears to lead and inspire the faithful in +dreams, visions, and real life. As well, her human reincarnations ceaselessly +return to the world, guiding others in whatever capacity is needed. + -- from "The Life and Visions of Yeshé Tsogyal", by Drimé Kunga and Yeshé + Tsogyal Translated by Chönyi Drolma, published by Shambhala Publications +~ + It is impossible to conceive how many beings, from beginningless time in +samsara, have been related to us--as parents, as enemies, or as people +indifferent to us. In fact, all beings have been linked to us in these three +ways innumerable times. When they were our enemies, they injured us; when +they were our parents or our friends, they cherished and aided us; when they +were neither, they ignored us. It would be impossible to calculate the number +of relationships that we have experienced. Once when the noble Katyayana went +begging for alms, he came across a group of people and, perceiving the karmic +links that bound them together, commented: + + He strikes his mother, eats his father’s flesh; + His hated foe he dandles on his lap. + Here is a wife that sucks her husband’s bones-- + At this samsara how can I not laugh? + + -- from "Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book One: Sutra Teachings", by + Jigme Lingpa, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, published + by Shambhala Publications +~ + When the actual process of dying begins, you pass through eight phases-- +the first four involve the collapse of the four elements, and the last four +involve the collapse of consciousness into the innermost level of mind, called +the mind of clear light. + In the final phase of dying, when all coarse consciousnesses dissolve into +the all-empty, which is the fundamental innate mind of clear light, the myriad +objects of the world, as well as concepts such as sameness and difference, are +pacified in this subtlest mind. At that time, all appearances of environments +and beings withdraw of their own accord. Even for a nonpractitioner, coarse +appearances also withdraw; this withdrawal of conventional appearances, +however, is not due to a perception of reality attained through meditation. +When, in the last phase, the temporary winds that carry consciousness have all +dissolved, the mind (whether of a practitioner or a nonpractitioner) becomes +as if undifferentiated, and an immaculate openness dawns. + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Heart of Meditation", translated and + edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Shambhala Publications +~ + There’s a common misunderstanding among all the human beings who have +ever been born on the earth that the best way to live is to try to avoid pain +and just try to get comfortable. You can see this even in insects and animals +and birds. + A much more interesting, kind, adventurous, and joyful approach to life is +to begin to develop our curiosity, not caring whether the object of our +inquisitiveness is bitter or sweet. + When people start to meditate or to work with any kind of spiritual +discipline, they often think that somehow they’re going to improve, which is +a sort of subtle aggression against who they really are. It’s a bit +like saying, “If I jog, I’ll be a much better person.” Or the scenario +may be that they find fault with others; they might say, “If it weren’t +for my husband, I’d have a perfect marriage.” And “If it weren’t for +my mind, my meditation would be excellent.” + But loving-kindness--maitri--toward ourselves doesn’t mean getting rid +of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy after all these years. +We can still be angry after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous +or full of feelings of unworthiness. Meditation practice isn’t about trying +to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending +who we are already. + Perhaps we will experience what is traditionally described as the fruition +of maitri--playfulness... + -- Pema Chödrön, from "Awakening Loving-Kindness", published by Shambhala + Publications +~ + In texts we inherited from India, the basic principle is sometimes called +the “fundamental innate mind of clear light” and the “fundamental innate +wisdom of clear light”— these two terms having the same meaning. In other +texts, it is called the “space-diamond pervading space,” whereas in even +others it is called the “jewel mind,” as, for example, when it is said, +“Separate from the jewel mind, there is no buddha and no sentient being.” + Then, in Tibet, in some texts, it is called “ordinary consciousness” +and “innermost awareness.” These terms are used in the context of speaking +about freedom from thought, which is psychologically and experientially +described as “self-release,” “naked release,” and “unimpeded +penetration”; we will be discussing these in detail later. The innermost +awareness is said to be the basis of the appearance of all of the round of +suffering (called “cyclic existence”) and also the basis of liberation +(called “nirvana”). Everything, without exception, is complete in the +continuum of innermost awareness. It is even said to be “naturally arisen,” +since it has always been and always will be. + -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Heart of Meditation", translated and + edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Shambhala Publications +~ +When phenomena are indeed seen to be devoid of true existence, great +compassion will well up effortlessly, a compassion that will never abandon +living beings who circle in samsara through their clinging to true existence. +For as it has been taught, it is in the nature of things that such an attitude +is born. + -- from "The Wisdom Chapter: Jamgön Mipham’s Commentary on the Ninth + Chapter of The Way of the Bodhisattva", published by Shambhala + Publications +~ +When resting evenly in meditation with the points of body, +If appearances cease and you are without thoughts, +These are the doings of a lethargic shamatha. +But when you rouse yourself with mindfulness, +It’s like a candle, self-luminous and shining bright, +Or like a flower that’s naturally vivid and clear. +Like looking with your eyes at the glow of the sky, +Awareness-emptiness is naked, open, and clear. + +That nonconceptuality that’s luminous and clear +Is the arising of the shamatha experience. +On the basis of that meditative experience, +While supplicating the precious jewels, +Gain certainty by studying and contemplating the dharma. +Take the vipashyana that brings the understanding of no self +And tie the sturdy rope of shamatha to that. +Then that strong noble being with love and compassion +Through the mighty strength of rousing bodhichitta to benefit others, +Having been lifted up with a pure aspiration +To the completely pure path of seeing, +There, vipashyana directly realizes the purity that cannot be seen +And then the faults of mind’s hopes and fears will be known. +Without going anywhere, you’ll arrive at the Buddha’s ground. +Without looking at anything, you’ll see dharmakaya. +Without achieving anything, your aim will be spontaneously accomplished. + -- from "The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa", By Tsangnyon Heruka, + Translated by Christopher Stagg, published by Shambhala Publications +~ +Trying to find the pain in life is the renunciation of hinayana. Trying to +find the ambition in life, trying to reach higher goals, is the +bodhisattva’s ambition in the mahayana. Trying to find the subtleties of +life is the tantric discovery of mystical experience in the vajrayana.   + -- Milarepa, from "Milarepa: Lessons from the Life and Songs of Tibet’s + Great Yogi", by Chögyam Trungpa, published by Shambhala Publications +~ +The root of our current unsatisfactory condition in a cycle of death and +rebirth is our innate tendency to view the personal self in a reified manner +(LRCM: 574). We also have innate tendencies to view all other phenomena in a +reified manner. To achieve wisdom, or to know emptiness, means to overcome +this reifying view, to realize that the self or essential being as thus +conceived does not exist at all. In order reach this realization, according +to Tsong kha pa, one must use reason to refute the existence, and to prove the +nonexistence, of this reified self or essence. Having intellectually arrived +at the correct philosophical view—that the self lacks a shred of intrinsic +nature—one proceeds along the path to spiritual liberation through intense, +deep, and extensive meditative familiarization with this view. At the same +time, however, the practitioner also cultivates compassionate engagement with +other living beings, making a commitment to help all of them reach perfect +happiness. + -- from "Ask a Farmer: Ultimate Analysis and Conventional Existence in + Tsong kha pa’s Lam rim chen mo", by Guy Newland from Changing Minds: + Contributions to the Study of Buddhism and Tibet in Honor of Jeffrey + Hopkins, edited by Guy Newland, published by Shambhala Publications +~ +inexplicably ted was awoken, +incredibly loud noise of the broken, +his cat invaded the stash, +seeking out some tasty hash, +sis boom *bong* goes crash--ted won't be tokin'. + -- fred t. hamster +~ +shania the stony gal really dug her twerkin', +slingin' her booty all around was really workin', +but the other dancers looked askance, +and asked "can this chick actually dance?", +shania wasn't so much dancin' as berzerkin'! + -- fred t. hamster +~ + All art is composed of subtle and gross elements. There is no way for +artists to express without elements. When people use expressions such as hot- +headed, cold-hearted, dry-humored, or all wet, it shows that they naturally +connect subtle element temperaments with gross element expressions. But +artists must go beyond outwardly expressing the elements in an obvious way in +order to gain experience with the inner subtle elements, which are the source +of the outer gross elements. Then they can make art which reflects what +people need. + According to the Buddhist point of view, an artist’s intention is +compassion. Buddhist artists create in order to make a link with other beings +through their inner pure elements, and to transform their outer ordinary gross +elements into enlightenment by means of that connection.   + -- Thinley Norbu, from "Magic Dance: The Display of the Self-Nature of the + Five Wisdom Dakinis", published by Shambhala Publications +~ +Never admit defeat. Just move the front. + -- fred t. hamster