new fortune.

diff --git a/infobase/fortunes.dat b/infobase/fortunes.dat
index 5e82e3d4262997d2c8ed64cd1989271611436642..2ca84533b55e44a4ae85eee095db82265943a874 100644 (file)
--- a/infobase/fortunes.dat
+++ b/infobase/fortunes.dat
@@ -40146,4 +40146,16 @@ transmission.  It is not something we can just create here.  That would be New
 Age, probably from California.
   -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
      Samantabhadra", published by Shambhala Publications.
+~
+Even when it is practiced, accomplishing shamata is rare.  One of the very
+common problems is that people try too hard.  Both Tibetans and Westerners
+could learn a lot about relaxing more deeply and letting the stability arise
+from that relaxation.  Although it is mentioned in the texts, the Tibetans
+sometimes do not emphasize this point, but they do emphasize tight attention,
+not letting your object drop for even a second.  If you are coming from a very
+serene space, and your mind is already very spacious, then that is probably
+good advice.  But otherwise, such attention can be a big problem.  You can
+exhaust yourself and cause nervous fatigue, and if you push it, you can really
+do yourself some damage.
+  -- B. Alan Wallace, from "The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart"