X-Git-Url: https://feistymeow.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=infobase%2Ffortunes.dat;h=6b2d0c475bf82899312e7638bf4ab1fe4dc8deb8;hb=8145ec010e0e68f589d951d3e0c52872db92e80a;hp=f2427a91b5adfe1205437bf4432995cee7eb3957;hpb=c059179623107b5ac337272356ddbdabdc0929b2;p=feisty_meow.git diff --git a/infobase/fortunes.dat b/infobase/fortunes.dat index f2427a91..6b2d0c47 100644 --- a/infobase/fortunes.dat +++ b/infobase/fortunes.dat @@ -40551,4 +40551,83 @@ time, you regret that your mind has become like this, and you then work to clear away those faults and establish good qualities. -- Tsong-kha-pa, from "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume 1", published by Shambhala Publications - +~ +We work hard to bring happiness and peace into our lives, but there is no way +to achieve real peace through material goods alone. Perhaps we can accomplish +a little artificial joy and happiness, but these don’t last long. Truly +substantial and lasting happiness and peace can be established only by +exercising our inner mind with the precious Dharma teachings. This is the +purpose of our meditation practice, and this is what Jigten Sumgön taught. +Mental afflictions and neuroses can be pacified only through the Dharma. +Dharma is the ultimate remedy for confusion. + -- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, "Opening the Treasure of the Profound", + published by Shambhala Publications +~ + The purpose of practice is to habituate ourselves to openness. This means +we need to understand reactive mind. How do we experience the difference +between reacting and staying open? + At what point do we decide to go with the habitual tendencies of +exaggeration and denial or try something new? Where is the fork in the road? +We need to explore these two experiences: reacting... staying open... +reacting... staying open... reacting... staying open again. We begin to see +the difference. It’s a process of refinement. Our investigation cultivates +a discerning intelligence that guides us in a positive direction. + We need to ask ourselves: "If our confusion finds its genesis in our +habit of turning away from the open state, what would happen if we habituated +ourselves to staying open?" + -- Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, "The Power of an Open Question: The Buddha’s + Path to Freedom", published by Shambhala Publications +~ + Recognizing the instability of causes and conditions leads us to understand +our own power to transform obstacles and make the impossible possible. This +is true in every area of life. If you don’t have a Ferrari, you very well +may create the conditions to have one. As long as there is a Ferrari, there +is the opportunity for you to own one. Likewise if you want to live longer, +you can choose to stop smoking and exercise more. There is reasonable hope. +Hopelessness--just like its opposite, blind hope--is the result of a belief +in permanence. + You can transform not only your physical world but your emotional world, +for example, turning agitation into peace of mind by letting go of ambition or +turning low self-respect into confidence by acting out of kindness and +philanthropy. If we all condition ourselves to put our feet in other +people’s shoes, we will cultivate peace in our homes, with our neighbors, +and with other countries. + -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, "What Makes You Not a Buddhist", published by + Shambhala Publications +~ +On the path of seeing there is (1) mindfulness whereby one does not forget the +object, the truth; (2) the wisdom of perfect discernment with regard to the +object; (3) diligence, delight in virtue, being assiduous in undertaking what +is right and avoiding what is wrong in accordance with the path; (4) joy or +mental happiness regarding the latter; (5) flexibility, in which mind and body +function appropriately; (6) concentration; and (7) evenness, in which the mind +enters the natural state, free from the conditions of lack of clarity and +wildness. These seven are elements of the path of seeing, the essence of +enlightenment. They will make one accumulate or accomplish the positive +actions that help one attain nirvana. + -- Nagarjuna, "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend" +~ + What is the relationship between bodhichitta and love? When you are in +love, your heart and mind are naturally open and awake to life. When you +cultivate bodhichitta by opening and awakening your heart and mind, love can +flow and grow. + Bodhichitta is like opening the curtains, and love is like the sun shining +through, bringing light and warmth into the room. Or we could say that +bodhichitta is like opening the window, and love is the cool breeze that +refreshes the stuffiness and stagnation of living inside a personal fortress. +Bodhichitta is like discovering an inexhaustible treasure, and love is its +enjoyment. Bodhichitta is our direct connection with basic goodness. + -- Moh Hardin, from "A Little Book of Love", published by Shambhala Pub. +~ + Use mindfulness to become aware of these negative thoughts as they arise. +For example, when the first thought of anger arises, notice it and don’t let +it multiply. Instead, remember what happened in the past when you were +overwhelmed by anger. Based on your direct experience, see the suffering and +problems anger caused you and recognize its defects. You can crush anger +using antidotes once you clearly see it as something destructive. + You can find a particular antidote to destroy each afflictive emotion. To +conquer desire, you can meditate on the unappealing aspects of the object; for +hatred, meditate on loving-kindness; for jealousy, joy; and so on. This is +how you discard negative mental factors. + -- Shechen Rabjam, from "The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the + Notion of Reality", published by Shambhala Publications