X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=infobase%2Ffortunes.dat;h=674d62894f3c6aa25a8ed48ad8906f47528f9c5d;hb=f3c3e1a53718e2eecdcac085e347be831f1caf26;hp=8c1caadf616006b6d8f70e648039a0c8560a76da;hpb=78df379aa0eabf30e71969e468aa9b232a570743;p=feisty_meow.git diff --git a/infobase/fortunes.dat b/infobase/fortunes.dat index 8c1caadf..674d6289 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 @@ -42862,4 +42862,263 @@ links that bound them together, commented: -- 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 +~ +down came eddy from his heady, +where he dwells often unsteady, +you see he gets so high, +mind expanded to sky; +real world grokking just not ready. + -- fred t. hamster +~ + Generally speaking, when we are too desirous of something in life, we’re +less likely to attain it. Success seems to increase in direct proportion to +the diminution of our desires. The same logic applies to our need for +recognition. We might want to be appreciated and respected, but we have only +a limited ability to influence how other people respond and we can’t make +somebody show us gratitude any more than we can force someone to love us. If +we show love without expecting it to be reciprocated, we will have more chance +of finding love than if we simply yearn for it. Likewise, doing something +without expecting gratitude is more likely to elicit appreciation for what we +do. Whether someone can acknowledge our actions or not should be no concern +of ours. + We simply commit ourselves to doing things to the best of our ability and +in as thorough a manner as possible without sloppiness. We should never think +that other people are indebted to us or obligated to help us in return. We +should simply do things because we love doing them, not because we want other +people to feel indebted to us. Shantideva says: + + The work of bringing benefit to beings + Will not, then, make me proud and self-admiring. + The happiness of others is itself my satisfaction; + I do not expect another recompense. + + -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion + through Training the Mind", published by Shambhala Publications +~ +Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava says: + + If you want to go sightseeing, try touring your own clear, + mirrorlike mind instead. + + What technique can we use to effectively start our journey to realizing +our natural, pristine state? + The clearest instructions for doing this come from Guru Rinpoche +Padmasambhava, the main architect of the Pristine Mind teachings. Guru +Rinpoche has given us the essential opening instructions for practicing +Pristine Mind meditation in four steps: + + Don’t follow the past. + Don’t anticipate the future. + Remain in the present moment. + Leave your mind alone. + + We must understand these instructions. They are designed to help us stay +in the present moment. Some other forms of meditation teachings say that +remaining in the present moment is the ultimate objective of meditation. +However, the present moment itself is not ultimate reality, ultimate truth, or +the ultimate goal of Pristine Mind meditation. Nor is it what I mean when I +refer to our fundamental nature. Instead, being in the present moment, with +our mind calm and relaxed, simply creates the right conditions to begin to +connect with our Pristine Mind. + --Excerpted from "Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional + Happiness", by Orgyen Chowang, published by Shambhala Publications +~ +Some people think that causes are not necessary. They think that things do +not need causes and can exist without them. This is mistaken. Think about +it. If you plant a seed in a flowerpot, a flower will grow. It will not grow +from this table in front of me now. What is the reason for that? The causes +for a flower are present in a flowerpot, and for that reason a flower can grow +there. The causes for a flower are not present on the surface of this table, +and for that reason a flower cannot grow there. If things arose in the +absence of causes, a flower would have to be able to grow from the surface of +this table even though the causes for a flower are not present there. Or, as +we know, flowers bloom in the summer but not in the winter. What is the +reason for that? In the summer, the causes and conditions for the growth of +flowers are complete. In the winter, they are not. In dependence upon that, +flowers grow in the summer but not in the winter. If causes were not +necessary, flowers would grow in the winter also. They would grow at all +times. + -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Essential Practice: Lectures on Kamalashīla’s + Stages of Meditation in the Middle Way School", published by Shambhala + Publications +~ + Human beings have many kinds of suffering. Some human beings are put into +prisons. Some are destitute. Some are enslaved by others. Thus, they are +not actually hell-beings, but their sufferings are like those of hell-beings; +they are not actually hungry ghosts, but their sufferings are like those of +hungry ghosts; and they are not actually animals, but their sufferings are +like those of animals. We think in that way about the sufferings that human +beings experience. Some human beings are wealthy and comfortable. However, +that wealth and comfort does not last for a very long time. Not being able to +enjoy wealth and comfort for a long time, in the end suffering comes to them +too. When we think about the suffering that they experience, compassion +arises. + The demigods suffer from continual jealousy of and warfare with the gods +of the Desire Realm. As for the gods, though comfortable temporarily, later +they fall down into painful situations and, at the time of falling, they +suffer greatly. Similarly, even the gods of the Form Realm and the Formless +Realm cannot just stay there. They fall down to the states of hell-beings, +hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and so forth. When they fall, mentally they +suffer greatly. Therefore, sentient beings born in the states of the six +wanderers have nothing but suffering. If we think about that, compassion can +arise. +  -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Essential Practice: Lectures on Kamalashīla’s + Stages of Meditation in the Middle Way School", published by Shambhala + Publications