From f3c3e1a53718e2eecdcac085e347be831f1caf26 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Koeritz Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2017 14:06:36 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] new fortunes --- infobase/fortunes.dat | 43 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 43 insertions(+) diff --git a/infobase/fortunes.dat b/infobase/fortunes.dat index 41f85f59..674d6289 100644 --- a/infobase/fortunes.dat +++ b/infobase/fortunes.dat @@ -43078,4 +43078,47 @@ 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 -- 2.34.1