Please pray for Paul, whose cancer has returned.
Most grateful,
M.
In Eight Steps to Happiness Geshe-la says "'Self' and 'other' are relative terms, rather like 'this mountain' and 'that mountain ... 'This' and 'that' therefore depend upon our point of reference. This is also true of self and other. By climbing down the mountain of self, it is possible to ascend the mountain of other, and thereby cherish others as much as we presently cherish ourself."
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Happy Buddha's Enlightenment Day!
A cause for great happiness! A powerful day for making prayers and doing good!
As it says on the Kadampa.org webpage: "April 15th marks the anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni demonstrating the attainment of enlightenment in 589 B.C.E. This is an extremely important day in the Buddhist calendar because our actions are 100,000 times more powerful than on other days. ..."
I rejoice in everyone's virtue who is taking precepts and especially those of you doing the challenging practice of fasting and purifying called Nyungnay, making many prostrations to the Buddha of Compassion, 1,000-Armed Avalokiteshvara. I prostrate to you.
Thank you, Buddha, for teaching us how to get rid of suffering and become completely happy.
As it says on the Kadampa.org webpage: "April 15th marks the anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni demonstrating the attainment of enlightenment in 589 B.C.E. This is an extremely important day in the Buddhist calendar because our actions are 100,000 times more powerful than on other days. ..."
I rejoice in everyone's virtue who is taking precepts and especially those of you doing the challenging practice of fasting and purifying called Nyungnay, making many prostrations to the Buddha of Compassion, 1,000-Armed Avalokiteshvara. I prostrate to you.
Thank you, Buddha, for teaching us how to get rid of suffering and become completely happy.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Prayers for JohnP
Please make strong prayers for JohnP, one of our dear Sangha in Seattle. He has two forms of cancer but is keeping a very positive mind.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Labels:
Prayer request
Monday, March 25, 2013
Portugal Festival Tips
I've created another blog that collects info from various sources, including Sangha, about things like safety & health tips, things to see, vegetarian restaurants, etc.
http://portugalfestivaltips2013.blogspot.com/
It has similar features as this one: labels to filter topics by interest, search and email signup.
Let me know if you have any suggestions about what else to cover.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Self-Cherishing as a Spy
Self-cherishing is like a spy in that we think it's working for us, when actually it's working for our worst enemy.
A spy is extremely deceptive, taking on an assumed identity.
Or a double-agent. As is a common plot in thrillers, there is suspicion that there's a mole within a spy agency, and the hero has to determine the truth. We are that hero. It's hard to detect a spy unless you do a lot of investigating, with "intelligence" (wisdom). Once you discover a spy, you want to root it out.
As Geshe-la says about self-grasping in Meaningful to Behold, in the section Delusions Bring Infinite Suffering:
A spy is extremely deceptive, taking on an assumed identity.
Or a double-agent. As is a common plot in thrillers, there is suspicion that there's a mole within a spy agency, and the hero has to determine the truth. We are that hero. It's hard to detect a spy unless you do a lot of investigating, with "intelligence" (wisdom). Once you discover a spy, you want to root it out.
As Geshe-la says about self-grasping in Meaningful to Behold, in the section Delusions Bring Infinite Suffering:
If there is a group of people and one amongst them is subversive, when the other members realize who he is and what he is up to, they will waste no time in expelling him. Similarly, if we recognize the root delusion of self-grasping for that it is - our most dangerous enemy - we shall make every possible effort to eradicate it from our mind. It is not right to be complacent with such an enemy in our midst.
Labels:
Self-cherishing,
Self-grasping
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Cherishing Others -> Less Grasping
Hello. Yes, it has been a while - but except for a week in January when I was sick, not because of any health problems - just been busy with other projects. There's no shortage of material. So I will wade back in again, with a short post.
This is probably perfectly obvious to all of you, and I knew it to a small degree, but the connection between cherishing others and grasping less struck me strongly last night. I was reflecting on how I'd spent my day and trying to assess what was beneficial, what was less so. There was a situation where I'd talked to a friend to gain wisdom about an area I didn't know much about, so that I could pass it along to another friend (as she knew I was going to do). Had there been tension in my mind? Unhappiness? Frustration? etc. I couldn't detect very much, and it occurred to me that I was more relaxed about it than I might have been if the conversation had been about me. Of course, there's still grasping - at my friends, at the situation, and so so. But because I'd largely taken myself out of the picture, there was less grasping.
What a relief! I look forward to experiencing more and more of that in the future, until I am completely released and then can release others.
This is probably perfectly obvious to all of you, and I knew it to a small degree, but the connection between cherishing others and grasping less struck me strongly last night. I was reflecting on how I'd spent my day and trying to assess what was beneficial, what was less so. There was a situation where I'd talked to a friend to gain wisdom about an area I didn't know much about, so that I could pass it along to another friend (as she knew I was going to do). Had there been tension in my mind? Unhappiness? Frustration? etc. I couldn't detect very much, and it occurred to me that I was more relaxed about it than I might have been if the conversation had been about me. Of course, there's still grasping - at my friends, at the situation, and so so. But because I'd largely taken myself out of the picture, there was less grasping.
What a relief! I look forward to experiencing more and more of that in the future, until I am completely released and then can release others.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Prayer Request for a Different Paul
Please keep Paul from Long Island in your prayers.
Labels:
Prayer request
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