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Old 11-24-2009, 01:32 AM   #51
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He who wherever he goes is attached to no person and to no place by ties of flesh; who accepts good and evil alike, neither welcoming the one nor shrinking from the other — take it that such a one has attained Perfection....

Bhagavad-Gita.

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Old 11-27-2009, 01:24 AM   #52
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For the benefit of the flowers, we water the thorns, too.
(Anon.)

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Old 11-27-2009, 02:40 AM   #53
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Question: How can Dzogchen help us in our daily jobs and careers?

Dalai Lama: ...it is quite difficult to have an experience of Dzogchen, but once you do have that experience, it can be extremely beneficial in dealing with your day to day life, your job, and your career. This is because that kind of experience will give you the ability to prevent yourself from being overwhelmed by circumstances, good or bad. You will not fall into extreme states of mind: you will not get over-excited or depressed. Your attitude toward circumstances and events will be as if you were someone observing the mind, without being drawn away by circumstances.

For example, when you see a reflection of a form in a mirror, the reflection appears within the mirror but it is not projected from within. In the same way, when you confront the situations of life, or deal with others, your attitude too will be mirror-like.

Also, when a reflection appears in the mirror, the mirror does not have to go after the object that is reflected: it simply reflects, spontaneously, on the surface. The same with you: since there is no attachment or agitation at having these 'reflections' in your mind, you will feel tremendous ease and relief. You are not preoccupied by what arises in the mind, nor does it cause you any distress. You are free from conceptuality or any form of objectifying. And so it really does help you, in allowing you to be free from being caught up in the play of emotions like hatred, attachment, and the like. "

--from Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron


For a definition of Dzogchen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen

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Old 11-27-2009, 10:36 AM   #54
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When it's all dark around you and solid as rock
then is the time to look for that Light you have
within You ...you inner Light that is moved by
Love and suddenly you 'll see that there is Light
out there too and there is space ..that you have
a universe of your own ...that you are a center
from which to radiate your own beingness and that
it is as vast as you chose it to be .

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Old 11-27-2009, 12:55 PM   #55
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God, whose love and joy
are present everywhere,
can't come to visit you
unless you aren't there.

-Angelus Silesius (1624-1677)

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Old 11-27-2009, 12:57 PM   #56
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"The Higher Power is fine, as far as that term and the common usage of it goes. However, mostly its a placeholder for something beyond ourselves that we long for but don't understand very well. I'm far more interested in cultivating the Common Power to be found within each and every one of us, the recognition of which transforms all of our lives and relationships."

Lama Surya Das, "New Dharma Talks"

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Old 11-27-2009, 12:58 PM   #57
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"Let go the past,” the Buddha said, “let go the future, and let go what is in between, transcending the things of time. With your mind free in every direction, you will not return to birth and aging.”

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Old 11-27-2009, 01:09 PM   #58
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"If you are facing in the right direction, all you have to do is keep on walking."

--Buddhist proverb

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Old 11-27-2009, 01:11 PM   #59
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If there is anything I have learned about men & women, it is that there is a deeper spirit of altruism than is ever evident. Just as the rivers we see are minor compared to the underground streams, so, too, the idealism that is visible is minor compared to what people carry in their hearts unreleased or scarcely released. (Hu)mankind is waiting and longing for those who can accomplish the task of untying what is knotted, and bringing these underground waters to the surface.

--Albert Schweitzer

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Old 11-27-2009, 01:15 PM   #60
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"Comparing good and bad is just deluded thinking. As long as you are immersed in these wandering thoughts, you will not enter the proper conditions for practice."

--Ch'an Master Sheng Yen's advice for those practitioners caught in the sticky web of judgments and comparisons

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Old 11-27-2009, 01:21 PM   #61
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And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.

-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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Old 11-27-2009, 08:03 PM   #62
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“Eventually though I began to realize the difference between the ‘eternal present’ , that has no past or future and the material creation, that has no ‘present’, only past and future. Many have realized that if "eternal present" is an eternal imperishable place, then we are there right now and always have been there, we just have to realize and stop 'dreaming' we are in the material creation”.

Swami Prabhupada

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Old 11-27-2009, 08:07 PM   #63
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“This material world is created by the dreaming of the spirit soul. The real, factual platform is the spiritual world, but when the spirit soul wants to imitate the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is put into this dreamland of material creation”.

Swami Prabhupada

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Old 11-27-2009, 08:08 PM   #64
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The spiritual body is already there, but we are now covered by this material body.

Swami Prabhupada

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Old 11-27-2009, 08:09 PM   #65
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He who wherever he goes is attached to no person and to no place by ties of flesh; who accepts good and evil alike, neither welcoming the one nor shrinking from the other — take it that such a one has attained Perfection. "Bhagavad-Gita"

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Old 11-29-2009, 09:29 PM   #66
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The Buddha taught the following to his son Rahula

"Rahula, practice loving kindness to overcome anger. Loving kindness has the capacity to bring happiness to others without demanding anything in return.
Practice compassion to overcome cruelty. Compassion has the capacity to remove the suffering of others without expecting anything in return.
Practice sympathetic joy to overcome hatred. Sympathetic joy arises when one rejoices over the happiness of others and wishes others well-being and success.
Practice non-attachment to overcome prejudice. Non-attachment is the way of looking at all things openly and equally. This is because that is. Myself and others are not separate. Do not reject one thing only to chase after another.
I call these the four immeasurables. Practice them and you will become a refreshing source of vitality and happiness for other

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Old 11-30-2009, 01:40 AM   #67
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COMPASSION

The definition is: wanting others to be free from suffering.
This compassion happens when one feels sorry with someone, and one feels an urge to help.
The near enemy is pity, which keeps other at a distance, and does not urge one to help.
The opposite is wanting others to suffer, or cruelty.
A result which one needs to avoid is sentimentality.
Compassion thus refers to an unselfish, de-tached emotion which gives one a sense of urgency in wanting to help others. From a Buddhist perspective, helping others to reduce their physical or mental suffering is very good, but the ultimate goal is to extinguish all suffering by stopping the process of rebirth and the suffering that automatically comes with living (enlightenment).

The attitude of a so-called Bodhisattva is Bodhicitta: this is the ultimate compassionate motivation: the wish to liberate all sentient beings from the sufferings of cyclic existence and to become a fully enlightened Buddha oneself in order to act as the perfect guide for them.

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Old 11-30-2009, 01:41 AM   #68
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SYMPATHETIC JOY

The definition is: being happy with someone's fortune/happiness. Sympathetic joy here refers to the potential of bliss and happiness of all sentient beings, as they can all become Buddhas.
The near enemy is hypocrisy or affectation.
The opposite is jealousy, when one cannot accept the happiness of others.
A result which one needs to avoid is: spaced-out bliss, which can easily turn into laziness.
Note: sympathetic joy is a great antidote to depression for oneself as well, but this should not be the main goal.
By rejoicing in others' progress on the spiritual path, one can actually share in their positive karma.
Sympathetic joy is an unselfish, very positive mental attitude which is beneficial for oneself and others. In this case, it also refers specifically to rejoicing in the high rebirth and enlightenment of others.

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Old 11-30-2009, 01:42 AM   #69
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LOVE

The definition of love in Buddhism is: wanting others to be happy.
This love is unconditional and it requires a lot of courage and acceptance (including self-acceptance).
The "near enemy" of love, or a quality which appears similar, but is more an opposite is: conditional love (selfish love, see also the page on attachment).
The opposite is wanting others to be unhappy: anger, hatred.
A result which one needs to avoid is: attachment.

This definition means that 'love' in Buddhism refers to something quite different from the ordinary term of love which is usually about attachment, more or less successful relationships and sex; all of which are rarely without self-interest. Instead, in Buddhism it refers to de-tachment and the unselfish interest in others' welfare.

'Even offering three hundred bowls of food three times a day does not match the spiritual merit gained in one moment of love.'
Nagarjuna

"If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama from 'The little book of Buddhism'

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Old 11-30-2009, 01:44 AM   #70
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EQUANIMITY

The definition is: not to distinguish between friend, enemy or stranger, but regard every sentient being as equal. It is a clear-minded tranquil state of mind - not being overpowered by delusions, mental dullness or agitation.
The near enemy is indifference. It is tempting to think that just 'not caring' is equanimity, but that is just a form of egotism.
The opposite is anxiety, worry, stress and paranoia caused by dividing people into 'good' and 'bad'; one can worry forever if a good friend may not be a bad person after all, and thus spoiling trust and friendship.
A result which one needs to avoid is apathy as a result of 'not caring'.
Equanimity is the basis for unconditional, altruistic love, compassion and joy for other's happiness and Bodhicitta.
When we discriminate between friends and enemies, how can we ever want to help all sentient beings?
Equanimity is an unselfish, de-tached state of mind which also prevents one from doing negative actions.

"If one tries to befriend an enemy for a moment, he becomes your friend.
The same thing occurs when one treats a friend as an enemy.
Therefore, by understanding the impermanence of temporal relations,
Wise ones are never attached to food, clothing or reputation, nor to friends or enemies.

The father becomes the son in another life,
Mother becomes the wife,
Enemy becomes friend;
It always changes.
Therefore there is nothing definite in samsara."
The Buddha

"The foundation for practicing the seven-point cause and effect method is cultivating a mind of equanimity. Without this foundation you will not be able to have an impartial altruistic view, because without equanimity you will always have partiality towards your relatives and friends. Realize that you should not have prejudice, hatred, or desire towards enemies, friends, or neutral persons, thus lay a very firm foundation of equanimity."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from 'Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to Stages of Meditation'

It is said that the awareness of a Buddha is completely even, like the ocean, taking in equally the joys and sorrows of all people, friends, loved ones, relatives, and those never met. This is the meaning of a statement made by so many of the world's great spiritual teachers,
"Love your enemy."
It doesn't mean love the person you hate. You can't do that. Love those who hate you.
From 'Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind-Training'

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Old 11-30-2009, 01:53 AM   #71
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Keep fresh before me the moments of my High Resolve.
-Howard Thurman




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Old 11-30-2009, 10:49 PM   #72
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“The superior man is watchful over himself even when alone.”
Chung Yung

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Old 11-30-2009, 10:49 PM   #73
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Anger breeds confusion .

Bhagavad Gita

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Old 11-30-2009, 10:51 PM   #74
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YouTube- Meditation on Wisdom: Warrior Wisdom

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Last edited by mudra; 03-25-2010 at 12:28 PM.
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Old 11-30-2009, 11:06 PM   #75
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Tranquillity


With tranquillity, the small goes
and the great comes,
with auspicious success.
This means heaven and earth interact,
so that all things and beings attain fulfillment.

-the I. Ching



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