J.Crow's® Caw

2011-12-26T09:05:00.002-05:00

Santa Claus the Magic Mushroom

With Dr. Paul, Peterborough NH December 13 2011

2011-12-13T23:22:00.003-05:00

With Dr. Paul, Peterborough NH Dec 13 2011
A very sweet person with tons of young children and families in the audience.Dr. Paul delivered over 4000 babies_he said he went into gynecology medicine so he could deliver babies because he thought it would be a happy type of career.

Sky Horse etc.

2010-09-14T16:24:00.002-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=31032596&id=1566008443&fbid=1414945024740&ref=mf

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/12/inside-lascaux-the-versai_n_712645.html

Gurdjieff at Lascaux

White Ravens

2010-09-04T09:09:00.000-05:00

William Blake

2010-07-22T12:40:00.000-05:00

Great things are done when men and mountains meet. This is not done by jostling in the street.

Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.

As a man is, so he sees. As the eye is formed, such are its powers.

Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps.

I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans. I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.
If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.
The weak in courage is strong in cunning.

What is grand is necessarily obscure to weak men. That which can be made explicit to the idiot is not worth my care.

You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.

Above all do not cease your desire to walk.

2010-06-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

More than 2554 years ago the Buddha said, "Above 
all do not cease your desire to walk. Every day I 
walk myself into a state of well-being and walk 
away from every illness. I have walked myself 
into my best thoughts and know no thought so 
burdensome that one cannot walk away from it."

Black Swan V 1.7_Has BP Summoned the Fires of Hell?

2010-06-14T06:23:00.001-05:00

Has BP Summoned the fires from Hell?

Black Swan_ Gulf Oil Blowout V 1.6 _Chairman of Goldman Sachs International Was - Until Last Year - Also Chairman of BP

2010-06-10T08:36:00.003-05:00

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/chairman-goldman-sachs-international-was-until-last-year-chairman-bp

Black Swan V 1.3_"The Rig's on Fire! I told you this was going to happen!"

2010-06-09T05:45:00.000-05:00

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/witness-overhears-deepwater-manager-r

Black Swan V 1.0

2010-06-05T09:05:00.001-05:00

its almost unfathomable what is going on.

for instance, when i see the photo in the post below and think (among many many other things_political and otherwise) about all the saber rattling with iran_the etiology is a progressive colonial intrusion. its so obvious to me that the reason these guys are taking down the first sign which says "Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Ltd" and replacing it with "The British Petroleum Company Ltd" sign is because there was a very corporate action/purge on the part of the British that blew the Iranian involvement in their very own petroleum resources away! Why? One can only imagine_ but if one reads Buckminster Fuller's book, Critical Path, one can imagine it all had to do with lawyers and legalese_Bucky called it "Law Cap" in Critical Path_ short for Lawyer Capitalism. Its an astounding book really. He talks about how the picture of George Washington in Cambridge, in front of what appears to be the original Colonial flag of Stars and Stripes, is in fact the East India Company's company Flag! The US Revolution was financed by the East India Company as a Corporate venture!

Here is the astounding snip from the book_the point is_corporatism has been around North America since the Native Americans were given the boot!

Black Swan V.9 File under_picture is worth a thousand words

2010-06-03T15:13:00.001-05:00

Above, the original BP name change. A few years back, they switched once again, renaming “British Petroleum” “Beyond Petroleum,” and emphasizing how eco-responsible the company was aiming to become.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/06/photo-of-the-day/

How an Icelandic volcano helped spark the French Revolution

2010-04-20T07:23:00.000-05:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/15/iceland-volcano-weather-french-revolution

Earthquake Photos

2010-04-20T06:49:00.001-05:00

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/aenpokyabgon/AllKyegu2010EarthquakePhotos#

The "four ends" of conditioned things _Guru Rinpoche and Bob Dylan

2010-02-11T18:27:00.004-05:00

The end of being together is parting; the end of accumulation is exhaustion; the end of being high is being low; the end of birth is certainly dying.
http://natsok.blogspot.com/2010/02/guru-rinpoche-and-bob-dylan-are-like.html

Important distinction to be made between religion and spirituality

2010-01-31T08:58:00.000-05:00

"I believe there is an important distinction to be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with belief in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another--an aspect of which is acceptance of some form of metaphysical or philosophical reality, including perhaps an idea of heaven or hell. Connected with this are religious teachings or dogma, ritual, prayers and so on.
Spirituality I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit--such as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others. While ritual and prayer, along with questions of nirvana and salvation are directly connected with religious faith, these inner qualities need not be, however. There is thus no reason why the individual should not develop them, even to a high degree, without recourse to any religious or metaphysical belief system. This is why I sometimes say religion is something we can perhaps do without. What we cannot do without are these basic spiritual qualities." dalai lama quote

FAITH IS BEING AWAKE

2010-01-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week

January 11, 2010

FAITH IS BEING AWAKE

Buddha in your heart is a symbol of faith: you could be immaculate and perfect, as perfect as Shakyamuni Buddha himself. That possibility already exists in you....In this case, faith has nothing to do with praying to somebody. Faith is a sense of dignity.The Christian mystic Meister Eckhart talks about faith in the sense of being awake: being present and mindful and aware of the situation. Faith is seeing things as they are -- whatever that might be -- precisely, directly, and without any hesitation.

From "The Charnel Ground," in The Sadhana of Mahamudra Sourcebook, page 67.

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Teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
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100 Faces of War Experience

2009-10-20T18:11:00.002-05:00

AP article_ 100 Faces of War Experience http://news.aol.com/article/portrait-of-burned-soldier-richard/722436, Site:http://www.100facesofwarexperience.org/index.php

Kevin Kelly_Not Since Stewart Brand

2009-09-22T06:56:00.001-05:00

http://www.kk.org/newrules/blog/
http://www.asiagrace.com/

"His name is Kevin Kelly, and not since Stewart Brand have we had such an inspired visionary. He has formulated what he calls the New Rules for the New Economy, and I think everyone should read them. In keeping with our post on Yvon Chouinard, I want to mention that Kelly is another person whose worldview has been profoundly shaped by late 20th century Buddhism in America. He also has quite a love affair going with Asia, chronicled on a state-of-the-art blog you just have to see. Kelly is the founding executive editor of Wired. We expect no less."
thanks to
http://tibetanaltar.blogspot.com/2009/09/kevin-kelly-not-since-stewart-brand.html

MEDITATION AS SACRIFICE

2009-09-15T07:47:00.001-05:00

The practice of meditation is largely based on some kind of sacrifice
and openness. Such sacrifice is necessary and has to be personally
experienced. Ordinarily, we might sacrifice something for the sake of
developing goodness, or because we are willing to suffer on behalf of
humanity. However, the sacrifice that has been recommended in the
Buddhist tradition is to sacrifice something without any
purpose....Sacrificing something without a purpose is outrageous and
precisely heroic and fantastic; it is very beautiful. The practice of
meditation is sacrifice and openness without techniques, without
means, without gloves, pliers or hammers. You have to use your bare
hands, bare feet, bare head, to relate with the whole thing.

From "Is Meditation Therapy?" in THE SANITY WE ARE BORN WITH,
condensed from pages 183-184.

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Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.

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THE PING PONG BALL HAS A GAP

2009-09-06T06:21:00.001-05:00

It is possible to undo the mythical, fictional aspect of the
cessation of suffering and to experience a glimpse of cessation as
reality, although it may be only a very short, small glimpse. The
first step is to realize you are in the samsaric mess, the mess of
confused existence. Although many people have heard this for years,
they still do not actually recognize that they are being Ping-Pong
balled. That is precisely why you are in samsara, confusion --
because you know what you are doing, but you still keep doing it.
However, in being a Ping Pong ball there are still gaps of not being
one. There are gaps in which something else is experienced. In fact,
during that Ping-Pong-Balling, another experience takes place
constantly: the experience of awareness. You being to realize what
you are, who you are, and what you are doing.

From "Awakening and Blossoming," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the
Path of Liberation, Page 66.

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Teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, taken from works published by
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Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.

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RECYCLE THE LEFTOVERS

2009-08-30T08:14:00.000-05:00

The setting-sun approach is that you have a giant vision, which you
can't consume, and you end up throwing most of the it away. There is
not even a program to recycle the leftovers. Everything goes to the
dump. It is no wonder we have such big problems disposing of our
garbage. Some people have even thought of sending our garbage into
outer space: we can let the rest of the universe take care of our
leftovers, instead of cleaning up our earth....As long as we have a
pleasurable situation, we forget about the leftovers or the greasy
spoons and plates. We leave the job of cleaning up to somebody
else....In contrast to that, Great Eastern Sun vision is a very
ecological approach. The way of the Great Eastern Sun is based on
seeing what is needed and how things happen organically.

From "The Dawn of the Great Eastern Sun," in SHAMBHALA: THE SACRED
PATH OF THE WARRIOR, pages 56 to 58.

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Purusha Is Sanskrit For: Human Being

2009-08-14T09:23:00.000-05:00

The Sanskrit word for "human being" is purusha,
which basically means "something that possesses power."
Being human means having power; specifically,
the power to accomplish whatever we want.
And what we want goes back to the basic biological urge
to be happy and to avoid pain.

âYongey Mingyur Rinpoche, The Joy Of Living, Pg. 179, Harmony Books,
2007.

Vaccination Laws

2009-08-11T07:43:00.001-05:00

http://home.hiwaay.net/~becraft/VaccinationLaws.html

EGOLESSNESS IS LETTING GO

2009-07-23T08:05:00.001-05:00

"Egolessness" does not mean that nothing exists, as some have
thought, a kind of nihilism. Instead, it means that you can let go of
your habitual patterns and then when you let do, you genuinely let
go. You do not re-create or rebuild another shell immediately
afterward. Once you let go, you do not just start all over again.
Egolessness is having the trust to not rebuild again at all and
experiencing the psychological healthiness and freshness that goes
with not rebuilding. The truth of egolessness can only be experienced
fully through meditation practice.

From "The Meeting of Buddhist and Western Psychology," in THE SANITY
WE ARE BORN WITH: A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO PSYCHOLOGY, page 10.

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Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.

The 9/11 Tragedy Was All About Hijackings

2009-07-18T09:01:00.001-05:00

September Clues-Watch
Channel
Free Download

REALIZING CHAOS

2009-07-14T08:09:00.000-05:00

No one can save us from the state of chaos or samsara unless we
understand the meaning of chaos and confusion, unless we have
experienced it and suffered from it. Otherwise, although we may be in
the midst of chaos, we don't notice it. You don't begin to notice
chaos until you are already on the path. Then you begin to feel
uncomfortable. You feel that something is a nuisance. Something's
bugging you constantly. You realize the chaos when you are already
making the journey.

From "The Fourth Moment," in THE SHAMBHALA SUN, March 2006, page 46

LIFE JUST IS

2009-07-11T15:09:00.001-05:00

Life on the practical level does not contain any subtle philosophy or
subtle mystical experience. It just is. If we are able to see that
isness, so to speak, then there is a sense of realization. We
experience sudden enlightenment. Without a sense of hopelessness,
there is no way to give birth to sudden enlightenment. Only giving up
our projects brings about the ultimate, definite, positive state of
being, which is the realization that we are already enlightened
beings here and now.

From "Hopelessness and the Trikaya," in CRAZY WISDOM page 95.

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BELIEF IS BASED ON SIMPLICITY

2009-05-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

For the accomplished warrior, belief is not a form of strategy, nor
is it borrowing the stories of previous warriors from books and
stories. Trying to theorize and borrow ideas doesn't seem to help.
The notion of belief, or view, here is based on complete simplicity.
Your view is not affected by liberalism or conservatism, nihilism or
eternalism, at all. Your view is straightforward and simple; it is
almost a cosmic domestic view. It is the notion of complete
simplicity. When you meet a person, you don't have to develop a whole
style of how to view that person according to either the historic or
present situation, the sociological context, his religious
connections, or whatever it may be. You don't have to go through all
that. You can have a direct relationship, which is very simple,
direct, and straightforward -- extremely straightforward.

From "Inscrutability," a talk given to the Directors of Shambhala
Training, July 1978.

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Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.

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NOTHING LASTS

2009-04-29T08:24:00.001-05:00

Longtime acquainted friends and relatives will separate.
Possessions gained with exertion will be left behind.
Consciousness, the guest,
will leave the guest-house of the body.
To discard this life in mind,
is the practice of the Bodhisattva.

âKhenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, The Thirty Seven Practices of a
Bodhisattva, By Shantideva

BEING METICULOUS IS NOT BASED ON FEAR

2009-04-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

Cessation and salvation come to you as you become a reasonable
person. You become reasonable and meticulous because you cease to be
sloppy and careless. Therefore, there is a sense of relief.
Meticulousness is exemplified by oryoki practice, a formal style of
serving and eating food that has its origins in Zen Buddhism. In this
practice you are aware of everything that is being done, every move.
At the same time, you are not uptight, for once you become
self-conscious, you begin to forget the oryoki procedures. This logic
also applies to keeping your room tidy, taking care of your clothing,
taking care of your lifestyle altogether. Being meticulous is not
based on fear; it is based on natural mindfulness.

From Chapter Seven, "Meditation as the Path to Buddhahood" in THE
TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the Path of Liberation, page 72. Order your copy at:

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THE WORLDS OF DESIRE, FORM, AND FORMLESSNESS

2009-04-11T08:24:00.001-05:00

The uninterrupted wisdom of consciousness manifests as the world of
desire.
The nature of consciousness manifests as the world of form.
The essence of consciousness, which is unborn, manifests as the
formless world.

âKunjed Gyalpo, The Fundamental Tantra Of The Dzogchen Semde

Quoted In Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche's Book, The Supreme Source,
Snow Lion Publications

Commentary on thick & thin

2009-04-04T07:39:00.001-05:00

It comes down to some kind of commentary on thick & thin, hot & cold: medicine,art,illness_health,weather_whatever_you name it

You Cannot Fool Yourself

2009-04-01T12:24:00.001-05:00

When we sit and practice, we begin to realize what is known as the
transparency and impermanence of time and space. We realize how much
we are dwelling on our little things and that we cannot catch any of
it and build a house on it. We cannot even lay the foundation. The
whole thing keeps shifting under our feet and under our seat. The rug
is being pulled out from under us completely, simply from that
experience of working with ourselves in our practice. When we realize
that we cannot catch hold of phenomena at all, that is what is known
as tondam, or "absolute truth." There is an absolute quality to the
fact that we cannot fool ourselves. We can try to fool our teacher,
who tells us to sit; and we might think that we can fool the dharma,
which says, "Go sit. That is the only way." But we cannot fool
ourselves. We cannot fool our essence. The ground we are sitting on
cannot be fooled.

From Chapter Ten, "The Five Paths," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and
the Path of Liberation. Order your copy at:

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BECOMING REAL BUDDHAS

2009-03-30T09:56:00.001-05:00

The person who has already experienced the cessation of suffering is
the Buddha. The Sanskrit word buddha is translated into Tibetan as
sanggye. Sang means "awake," and gye means "expansion," or
"blossoming." The word sang is related with awakening from the sleep
of pain; and within the pain, suffering, and unawareness, gye is like
a blossoming flower....What we are trying to do is to become sanggye.
We are trying to blossom. We're trying to be wakeful. That is
precisely what we are doing. Quite possibly we have a glimpse of
sanggye happening endlessly. Although we may think that we are
fooling ourselves -- and sometimes we are fooling ourselves --that
element of wakefulness takes place constantly. According to the third
noble truth, cessation is possible. On the path of the four noble
truths we are trying to become buddhas, real buddhas, real sanggyes.

From "Awakening and Blossoming," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the
Path of Liberation. Order your copy at:

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WAKING FROM A DEEP SLEEP

2009-03-26T07:51:00.001-05:00

If somebody is waking for the first time from a deep sleep, she might
see the midnight stars. But if she waits long enough without going
back to sleep, she will begin to see not only stars but the dawn,
then the sunrise, and then the whole landscape being lit by a
brilliant light coming from the sky. She will begin to see her hands,
her palms, her toes, and she will also begin to see her tables, her
chairs, and the world around her. And if she is clever enough to look
at a mirror, she will also see herself. Similarly, the truth of the
cessation of suffering is a personal discovery. It is not mystical
and it does not have any connotations of religion or psychology. It
is simply your experience.

From "Awakening and Blossoming," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the
Path of Liberation. Forthcoming from Shambhala Publications.
Pre-order your copy at:

http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-668-0.cfm

THE TRUTH OF CESSATION

2009-03-22T08:59:00.002-05:00

The third noble truth that the Buddha taught is the truth of
cessation. The truth of cessation (gokpa) is related to the concept
of tharpa, or "liberation." In discussing the possibility of
cessation, we should get rid of fictitious stories about how great it
is to get there and become somebody at last. Such ideas may be
obstacles. In relating to cessation, the question is whether we have
to use our imagination or whether we actually can experience a sense
of relief or freedom. The truth of the matter is, that in regard to
cessation, imagination does not play a very important role. It does
not help at all in getting results. The experience of cessation is
very personal and very real, like the practice of meditation.
Generally, however, our experiences of freedom or liberation are
quite sparse and minute -- and when we do have an occasional glimpse
of freedom, we try to catch it, so we lose it. But it is possible to
extend such glimpses.

From "Awakening and Blossoming," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the
Path of Liberation. Forthcoming from Shambhala Publications.
Pre-order your copy at:

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THE DIGNITY OF THE TIBETAN PEOPLE

2009-03-22T08:59:00.001-05:00

The sword of hatred is ornamented with the handle of invasion,
A red star has imprisoned the sun and moon,
The high snow-peaked mountains are cloaked in the darkness of a
poisonous wind;
The peaceful valleys have been shattered by the sound of artillery.
But the dignity of the Tibetan people competes with the glory of the
sky.

Composed November 10, 1972.

âChogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, FIRST THOUGHT BEST THOUGHT, Â© Diana J.
Mukpo.

ORIGINAL SIN_repost from 2005

2009-03-12T15:10:00.002-05:00

Coming from a tradition that stresses human goodness, it was something of a shock for me to encounter the Western tradition of original sin....It seems that this notion of original sin does not just pervade Western religious ideas; it actually seems to run throughout Western thought as well,especially psychological thought. Among patients, theoreticians, and therapists alike, there seems to be great concern with the idea of some original mistake which causes later suffering -- a kind of punishment for that mistake. One finds that a sense of guilt or being wounded is quite pervasive. Whether or not such people actually believe in the idea of original sin, or in God for that matter, they seem to feel that they have done something wrong in the past and are now being punished for it..... The problem with this notion of original sin or mistake is that it acts very much as a hindrance to people. At some point, of course it is necessary to realize one's shortcomings. But if one goes too far with that,it kills any inspiration and can destroy one's vision as well. So in that way, it really is not helpful, and in fact it seems unnecessary. As I mentioned, in Buddhism we do not have any comparable ideas of sin and guilt. Obviously there is the idea that one should avoid mistakes. But there is not anything comparable to the heaviness and in escapability of original sin.

--Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, From "The Meeting of Buddhist and Western Psychology" in THE SANITY WE ARE BORN WITH: A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO PSYCHOLOGY

DEATH COMES FAST AS LIGHTNING

2009-03-10T15:27:00.001-05:00

You, young men and women here,
Don't think that death will come little by little;
It comes fast as lightning.

âMilarepa, From: The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Shambhala
Publications

PATTERNS THAT CAUSE SUFFERING

2009-03-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

The origin of suffering, strangely, can come either from trying to be highly disciplined and aware or from completely losing one’s awareness. Generally, if you are not mindful and aware, suffering begins to arise; whereas, if you are mindful and aware, suffering does not arise. However, suffering can also come from using your awareness discipline as a means of securing yourself by developing set patterns in life. Ego-oriented patterns arise from both attitudes and actions, and lead to suffering. They include (1) regarding the five skandhas, or aspects of ego, as belonging to oneself, (2) protecting oneself from impermanence, (3) believing that one’s view is best, (4) believing in the extremes of nihilism (that nothing matters) and eternalism (that things last forever), as well as the extreme emotions of (5) passion, (6) aggression, and (7) ignorance....
As a practitioner, you realize that these patterns don't particularly go away, but at least you know what they are all about, and as you go along, you will probably know what you should do about it. You may think that once the dharma or the truth has been spoken, it should solve those problems automatically, but that is not the case. First you have to get into the dharma; then you can think about what you can do. Unless you are a businessman, you can't discuss bankruptcy.

From "The Development of Set Patterns," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the Path of Liberation. Forthcoming from Shambhala Publications. Pre-order your copy at:

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BE EVER MINDFULL

2009-03-08T11:52:00.000-05:00

Be ever mindful of the shortcomings of desire's rewards,
and know that all the phenomena of the cycle of existence are never
still,
like the ripples on a pond,
and that these manifestations of delusion
which are no things in themselves
are like magic and dreams.
When you have the determination to be free of samsara
and are content with your material situation,
you will be able to sit quietly
with your mind happy and at ease.

âDorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche

RELATING WITH THE SUBTLETIES OF THOUGHTS

2009-03-06T13:52:00.000-05:00

The connection between small ideas and large
ideas is very important. For instance, sudden
dramas, such as murdering somebody or creating
immense chaos, begin on the level of minute
concepts and tiny shifts of attention. Something
large is being triggered by something quite
small. The first little hint of dislike or
attraction for somebody eventually escalates and
brings on a much more immense scale of emotional
drama or psychodrama. So everything starts on a
minute scale, at the beginning, and then
expands.Although emotions are seemingly very
heavy-handed, large-scale, and crude, they have
their origin in the subtle twists that take place
in our mind constantly.We experience the arising
of such thoughts right now, all the time. It is
possible for people who have been practicing
meditation and studying the teachings, who are
opened up and intrigued, to see this pattern. If
you have been practicing, you are somewhat raw
and unskinned, which is good. Being able to
relate with the subtleties of mental shifts is
connected with the principle of paying attention
to every activity that we do in smaller doses.

From "The Power of Flickering Thoughts," in THE
TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the Path of Liberation.
Forthcoming from Shambhala Publications.

Of interest to Ocean of Dharma subscribers:

A weekend conference on Mindfulness, Love and
Relationship sponsored by the Omega Institute and
the Shambhala Sun Foundation will take place
April 3 to 5 in New York City. The presenters are
Sylvia Boorstein, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, John
Tarrant, and Polly Young-Eisendrath. A chance for
those with an interest in meditation and the
contemplative traditions to bring this together
with the thorny issues of love and relationship
that we all face. These teachings are part of the
"What the Buddhists Teach" series. For
registration and further information, go to:

https://www.eomega.org/omega/registration/workshop/38667fdf3f5bf8b8e192cc6e5a3b78ec/

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright
Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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BRINGING TOGETHER THE SUN AND MOON

2009-02-25T08:38:00.001-05:00

The wretched familiar "me" is like a lead shoe that weights us down.
However, we don't actually have to live that way at all. We could
have a sense of celebration and positive arrogance. It's not that we
should abandon one part of ourselves and cultivate the other part,
but we could simply look at our Joe-Schmidt-ness, the you-ness, with
openness. When we do that, there is space to fall in love with
ourselves, in the positive sense. You begin to like Joe Schmidt, and
at that point, the other wretched Joe begins to phase out. It's not
that your personality has changed, particularly, but rather that the
positive aspect of yourself has expanded. We could see our world as a
big world and see ourselves as open and vast. We can see our world as
sacred, which is the key to bringing together the sun and moon.

From CONQUERING FEAR: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery,
forthcoming August, 2009, from Shambhala Publications.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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A BASIC ATTITUDE OF GOODNESS

2009-02-22T19:19:00.001-05:00

The final characteristic of a dharmic person, which is a basic attitude of goodness, or a general sense of goodness, comes from your own practice and discipline. There is nothing to say about this, except: keep on sitting and you will find out that both sanity and insanity exist in you. Insanity is not particularly regarded as an obstacle; it is simply regarded as kindling wood. Because of your insanity, you are here. But you don't stop there; you go beyond and you brighten up your sanity by sitting and perfectly watching your activities. The basic, hinayana, approach has nothing to do with big explosions of enlightenment, big orgasms of enlightenment on the spot. Instead, we are talking about paying attention to details and to your mind and to your behavior pattern. When you wake up and before you fall asleep, just look and be genuine; you can't fool yourself. If you have been attempting to fool yourself, please don't. It won't work.

From "Seven Characteristics of a Dharmic Person," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Two, page 489.

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UNDERSTANDING WHO YOU ARE

2009-02-19T17:52:00.000-05:00

UNDERSTANDING WHO YOU ARE

Propagating prajna, or your intellect, fully and thoroughly is a characteristic of a dharmic person. That is to say, you should find out and understand who you are and what you are made of. You should find out what your mind is made out of, what your mind's projections are made out of, and what your relationship with your world is made of....The myth of original sin can be wiped out by realizing and studying how your mind can be unwound by undoing what you are. There are positive and good qualities, or basic goodness, in everybody.

From "Seven Characteristics of a Dharmic Person," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Two, pages 488 to 489.

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Bob Dylan & Allen Ginsberg - Vomit Express

2009-02-19T17:51:00.000-05:00

http://tiny.cc/crYsk

The Essence of Bodhichitta is the Heart that Thinks

2009-02-19T17:44:00.000-05:00

The essence of bodhichitta is the heart that thinks,
"I alone, personally, will establish all sentient beings in the state of complete enlightenment."
This is quite a great heart, isn't it?
Whether we are or are not able to establish sentient beings in enlightenment in that way does not matter.
It is first important to think that we are going to do it.

Yongey Mingyur Dorje Rinpoche

Contentment

2009-02-13T11:49:00.001-05:00

Contentment is connected with appreciating what you have, with some sense of rejoicing, which is often very hard. You are constantly involved with possibilities of change, all the time changing from one thing to another. You cannot celebrate your own life as what you have, what you are. You are unable to celebrate the simplicity of the practice itself and the simplicity of life. But being contented with what you have IS a celebration.

From "Seven Characteristics of a Dharmic Person," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Two, page 485.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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NO CHEWING GUM IS SIMPLICITY

2009-02-13T11:48:00.001-05:00

Supposing you feel an itch in your pocket, but you don't have any chewing gum on that particular day. You should feel contented; you should feel relieved. "For heaven's sake, I don't have any chewing gum! That's fine." A chance to appreciate that simplicity has been presented to you. Ordinarily, people talk in terms of obstacles: "I had a bad time. I didn't have any chewing gum in my pocket. I had a bad day." But you could switch gears altogether: "It was such a relief to find that I didn't have any chewing gum in my pocket. I feel fine; I just let go." You can have some appreciation of obstacles becoming simplicity.

From "Seven Characteristics of a Dharmic Person," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Two, pages 485 to 486.

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Preventing Too Many Activities

2009-02-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

One characteristic of a dharmic person, someone who practices meditation and the teachings of the Buddha, is to prevent too many activities, or you could say, reduce too many activities. According to tradition, that actually boils down to cutting nonfunctional talking, cutting the baby-sitter mentality, the entertainment mentality. You can get yourself into all kinds of projects, all kinds of engagements. You can become chummy with the world so that you don't have to hold your discipline or your mindfulness properly. ....If you don't like tea, you can have coffee. If you don't like coffee, you could switch to Coca-Cola. If you don't like Coca-Cola, you can drink scotch or vodka. You involve yourself in constant, constant activity. Sometimes you don't even know what you are doing; you just come up with the idea that you need to be occupied with something, but you can't put your finger on anything:" Do I need sex or do I need money or do I need clothes? What do I need?"....You could think about anything; the possibilities are infinite. Getting chummy with the situation involves lots of activity. According to the basic principles of Buddhism, you have to cut that down. When you become too chummy with your world, too familiar with your world, it becomes endless.

From "Seven Characteristics of a Dharmic Person," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Two, pages 486 to 487.

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Like A Bird Without Wings

2009-02-13T11:45:00.000-05:00

If your mind becomes firm
Like a rock
And no longer shakes
In a world where
Everything is shaking
Your mind will be your greatest friend
And suffering will not come your way.

Buddha Shakyamuni, From: The Theragata

AWARENESS IS THE BASIS OF GOOD CONDUCT

2009-02-13T11:44:00.001-05:00

For a dharmic person, good conduct is a sense of mindfulness and awareness: whatever you are doing, you should try to see it as an extension of your sitting practice, your general sense of awareness and refraining from too much, unnecessary activity....You could look at yourself and smile. You could be awake and aware and, at the same time, on the spot. Constant sunrise happens. You reflect that yourself, and you always look awake and aware of what you are doing. That is good conduct. You respect yourself and you respect the sacredness of your whole being, your whole existence. When you have that kind of self-respect, you don't spill your tea or put your shoes on the wrong feet. You appreciate the weather, your coffee, your tea, your clothes, your shower. There is a tremendous sense that for the first time you have become a real human being and you can actually appreciate the world around you. That appreciation comes from being aware.

From "Seven Characteristics of a Dharmic Person," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Two, pages 487 to 488.

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Obama Had The Dalai Lama's Scarf In His Pocket During His Swearing In

2009-01-24T07:06:00.000-05:00

1. Obama Had The Dalai Lama's Scarf In His Pocket During His Swearing In

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Beliefnet.com - New York

Friday January 23, 2009

Lama Surya Das passed on this fascinating bit. Richard Blum, who is the
husband of California Senator Diane Feinstein, also happens to be a major
supporter of Buddhism. He was up on the platform during the swearing in.

Beforehand, he told Barack Obama that he had with him a white khata -- a
silk Tibetan scarf -- given him by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Blum
described what happened next in a letter to an associate of the Dalai Lama:

"I offered it to President Obama before the ceremony. I said that I
could get it delivered to him later. He said, no, that he was going to take
it and have it with him; in fact, it was in his pocket when he was
sworn-in."

A Kind Heart

2009-01-23T13:11:00.000-05:00

To make things as easy as possible to understand,
we can summarize the four boundless qualities
in the single phrase -"a kind heart."
Just train yourself to have a kind heart
always,and in all situations.

Patrul Rinpoche

INDIVIDUAL LIBERATION

2009-01-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

It might be a somewhat depressing prospect to realize that you are so thoroughly soaked in this greasy, heavy, dark, and unpleasant thing called samsara, or confused existence, but that realization is tremendously helpful. That understanding alone is the source of realizing what we call buddha in the palm of your hand - the basic wakefulness already in your possession. Such vajrayana possibilities begin at this point, right here, in realizing your samsaric anxiousness. Understanding that anxiety, which is very frustrating and not so good, is the key to realizing where you are.
The only way to work with this anxiety is the sitting practice of meditation, the taming of your mind, or shamatha practice. That is the basic idea of pratimoksha, or “individual liberation”: taming yourself. The way to tame yourself, or to talk yourself out of this particular anxiety, is through the concentrated practice of
shamatha or meditative discipline. The beginning of the beginning of the path...is about how you can actually save yourself from samsaric neurosis.

From Chapter One, "Recognizing the Reality of Suffering," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING AND THE PATH OF LIBERATION, edited by Judith Lief, forthcoming this Spring from Shambhala Publications. To preorder your copy at a 20% discount, go to:
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-668-0.cfm

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Basic NO

2009-01-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

January 8, 2009

BASIC NO

Basic NO is accepting discipline in our life without preconceptions.
Normally, when we say the word "discipline," it comes with a lot of
mixed feelings. It's like saying "oatmeal." Some people like hot
cereal, and some people hate it. Nevertheless, oatmeal remains
oatmeal. It is a very straightforward thing. We have similar feelings
about discipline and the meaning of NO. Sometimes, it's a bad NO: it
is providing oppressive boundaries that we don't want to accept. Or
it could be a good NO, which encourages us to do something healthy.
But when we just hear that one word, NO, the message is mixed.
Fearlessness is extending ourselves beyond that limited
view. In the Heart Sutra, an essential teaching given by the Buddha,
it talks about going beyond. Gone beyond, gate, is the basic NO. In
the sutra, it says there is no eye, no ear, no sound, no smell -- all
of those things. When you experience egolessness, the solidity of
your life and your perceptions falls apart. That could be very
desolate or it could be very inspiring, in terms of shunyata or the
Buddhist understanding of emptiness. Very simply, it is basic NO. It
is a real expression of fearlessness. In the Buddhist view,
egolessness is pre-existing, beyond our preconceptions. In the state
of egolessness everything is simple and very clear.

From "Overcoming Doubt," in CONQUERING FEAR, forthcoming from
Shambhala Publications, Fall 2009. [Chogyam Trungpa gave the first
teachings on Big No 30 years ago today.]

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BUDDHA SAW THE PROBLEM

2009-01-04T11:44:00.001-05:00

With tremendous deception, we create samsara -- pain and misery for the whole world, including ourselves --but we still come off as if we were innocent. We call ourselves ladies and gentlemen, and we say, "I never commit any sins or create any problems. I''m just a regular old person, blah blah blah.” That snowballing of deception and the type of existence our deception creates are shocking.

You might ask, "If everybody is involved with that particular scheme or project, then who sees the problem at all? Couldn't everybody just join in so that we don't have to see each other that way? Then we could just appreciate ourselves and our snowballing neuroses, and there would be no reference point whatsoever outside of that." Fortunately -- or maybe unfortunately -- we have one person who saw that there was a
problem. That person was known as Buddha. He saw that there was a problem, he worked on it, and he got beyond it. He saw that the problem could be reduced -- and not just reduced, but completely annihilated, because he discovered how to prevent the problem right at the source. Right at the beginning, cessation is possible. Cessation is possible not only for the Buddha, but for us as well. We are trying to follow his path, his approach.

From "Introduction" to THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING AND THE PATH OF LIBERATION, edited by Judith Lief, forthcoming this Spring from Shambhala Publications. To preorder your copy at a 20% discount, go to:
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-668-0.cfm

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A JOLLY GOOD LIFE

2008-12-24T16:48:00.000-05:00

Confidence is there. It is a fact. It is the case. But surprisingly, nobody noticed it before. So telling people about this state of being is simply telling the truth. You don't have to make up anything at all. This unconditional confidence manifests in our lives as appreciation: the appreciation of our intelligence, our sympathy towards self and others, the appreciation of good food and drink, appreciation for our meditation practice. Appreciating the details of life begins to open up our life so that it is no longer purely a struggle but a jolly good life. So the real way to share our understanding with others is to cheer ourselves up to begin with.

From "Unconditional Confidence," in CONQUERING FEAR, forthcoming from Shambhala Publications, Fall 2009.

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The Black Dragon Jewel

2008-12-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

Through one word, or seven words, or three times five,
even if you thoroughly investigate myriad forms
nothing can be depended upon.
Night advances, the moon glows and falls into the ocean.
The black dragon jewel* you have been searching for is everywhere.

—Xuedou, From: Moon In Dewdrop - Writings of Zen Master Dogen, pp. 60, North Point Press

* The Black Dragon Jewel is a rare and valuable jewel found under the chin of a black dragon, symbolizing Buddha-Dharma and original face. (The image of a black dragon with a jewel is represented in the Zen monastery as a fishlike wooden carving, called a hō, which is struck with a mellet before meals.

Attentiveness

2008-12-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

Attentiveness is the path to true life;
Indifference is the path to death.
The attentive do not die;
The indifferent are as if they are dead already.

Buddha Shakyamuni From: The Dhammapada

Buddha said

2008-12-21T17:53:00.000-05:00

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

EATING WITH AWARENESS

2008-12-17T15:08:00.000-05:00

When you eat with awareness, you find that there is more space, more
beauty. You begin to watch yourself, to see yourself, and you notice
how clumsy you are or how accurate you are. You notice the way you
pick up your fork and knife, and the way you put the food in your
mouth. When you practice awareness, everything becomes majestic and
good. You begin to see that you have been leading a different kind of
life in the past. You had the essence of mindfulness already, but you
hadn't discovered it. So when you make an effort to eat mindfully...,
you find that life is worth much more than you had expected.

From "Introduction to Practice," in the 1979 Seminary Transcripts,
pages 4 to 5.

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FREEDOM FROM HABITUAL TENDENCIES

2008-12-11T15:52:00.001-05:00

There are all kinds of habitual tendencies that are connected with
holding on to what we are. People get divorced because they think
they might find a better mate. People change restaurants because they
think they might get cheaper and better food. The habitual patterns
of ego work that way. The notion of enlightenment is a sense of
freedom from those patterns. And the way to attain that freedom is by
means of the sitting practice of meditation. In sitting practice, we
look at our minds, and we maintain good posture. When we combine body
and mind that way, we find ourselves emulating the Buddha -- the way
to be properly. Then we begin to develop sympathy toward ourselves,
rather than just holding on.

From "Manifesting Enlightenment," in THE HEART OF THE BUDDHA, pages
212 to 213.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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PERCEPTION AND PERCEIVER

2008-12-07T19:36:00.001-05:00

PERCEPTION AND PERCEIVER

The feminine principle is the perception of colors, directions, time. Thus it is the manifestation of the colorful aspect of the world. Without it, there is no perceiver of this. The perceiver is the masculine principle. In this framework, the masculine principle is not regarded as the master dominating the scene. Moreover, we are not saying that the feminine principle belongs to women and the masculine principle to men. Wherever there is a perceiver, that is the masculine principle; wherever there is a perception, that is the feminine principle.

From "Femininity," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Six, page 565.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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The Great Eastern Sun Vision:

2008-12-06T18:24:00.001-05:00

The Great Eastern Sun Vision:
Is the expression of true human goodness, based not on arrogance or
aggression,
but on gentleness and openness. It is the way of the warrior.

The essence of this way or path is transcending cowardice and
manifesting bravery...

The fundamental aspect of bravery is being without deception.
Deception in this case is self-deception,
doubting yourself so that you are cut off from the vision of the
Great Eastern Sun.

âChogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, From: Shambhala - The Sacred Path of the
Warrior, Shambhala Publications

FEMININE INSPIRATION

2008-12-04T15:00:00.000-05:00

Feminine inspiration projects a world which it can regard as workable and friendly since it is its own creation.....An aspect of feminine inspiration is regarding what you have created as sacred. You have created Buddhism, Christianity, Sufism -- it is your production. Since it is fully yours, respect it, work with it. These teachings did not come from somewhere else; your own openness gave birth to them. Moreover, you gave birth to pleasure and pain. You built Paris, London, New York City. You produced the president of the United States. These things are the product of feminine inspiration.

From "Femininity," in THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Six, page 564.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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POVERTY IS ALSO RICHNESS

2008-11-26T16:39:00.001-05:00

The buddha of the human realm is a buddha with a begging bowl. This represents the mentality of poverty, which is the largest concern of the human realm. In order to relate with poverty, you have to speak the language of poverty. But by carrying a begging bowl, in fact, it is as though you always have something to put things into. In other words, the ultimate mentality of poverty is also the mentality of richness at the same time. Whatever situations need to be created, you can create them, and you get it. You are in command of the whole situation. So that is being extremely wealthy.

From "The Human Realm," in TRANSCENDING MADNESS: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SIX BARDOS, page 247.

Meditation _Awareness of Whatever Occurs

2008-11-25T06:14:00.000-05:00

As long as you maintain awareness or mindfulness, no matter what
happens when you practice, your practice is meditation. If you watch
your thoughts, that is meditation. If you can't watch your thoughts,
that is meditation, too. Any of these experiences can be supports for
meditation. The essential thing is to maintain awareness, no matter
what thoughts, emotions, or sensations occur. If you remember that
awareness of whatever occurs is meditation, then meditation becomes
much easier than you think.

âYongey Mingyur Rinpoche, From: The Joy Of Living, Harmony Books

Mark Twain on Madness

2008-11-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

in one way or another all men are mad. Many are mad for money...Love is a madness...it can grow to a frenzy of despair ... All the whole list of desires, predilections, aversions, ambitions, passions, cares, griefs, regrets, remorses, are incipience madness, and ready to grow, spread and consume, when the occasion comes. There are no healthy minds, and nothing saves any man but accident--the accident of not having his malady put to the supreme test.
One of the commonest forms of madness is the desire to be noticed, the pleasure derived from being noticed. Perhaps it is not merely common, but universal.
- "The Memorable Assassination" Mark Twain

http://www.twainquotes.com/Madness.html

Signs of Successful Practice and the Signs of the Purification of Your Harmful Acts

2008-11-10T18:50:00.000-05:00

In particular it is said that you will experience a feeling of
physical buoyancy,
little need for sleep, good health, clear thinking, and glimpses of
realization.

âJamgon Kongtrul, The Torch of Certainty, Pg. 82, Shambhala
Publications

Zen Master Dogen

2008-11-09T06:38:00.000-05:00

Where the great function turns, entire sky moves.
Penetrate; no trace on thread road.
Alone I sing in the balcony, only moon color
dyes clouds. Winter shower moistens burning haze.

Zen Master Dogen, From: Moon In A Dewdrop, North Point Press

SIT AND DO NOTHING

2008-10-29T05:15:00.001-05:00

The world can be explored; it is workable, wherever you go, whatever
you do. But I would like to plant one basic seed in your mind: I feel
that it is absolutely important to make the practice of meditation
your source of strength, your source of basic intelligence. Please
think about that. You could sit down and do nothing, just sit and do
nothing. Stop acting, stop speeding. Sit and do nothing. You should
take pride in the fact that you have learned a very valuable message:
You actually can survive beautifully by doing nothing.

In THE POCKET CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, page 177. Originally from "Maha Ati,"
in JOURNEY WITHOUT GOAL, page 142.

Of interest to readers:

The Pocket Chogyam Trungpa
Just out! THE POCKET CHOGYAM TRUNGPA. A treasury of 108 short
teachings by Chogyam Trungpa, one of the most influential Buddhist
teachers of our time. Pithy and immediate, these teachings address a
range of topics, including fear and fearlessness, accepting our
imperfections, developing confidence, helping others, appreciating
our basic goodness, and everyday life as a spiritual path. With the
Shambhala discount, this little book costs less than six dollars. Available at
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-643-7.cfm

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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Emotional Compassion & Compassion

2008-10-23T18:21:00.000-05:00

You do not have to feel compassion.
That is the distinction between emotional compassion and compassion:
You do not necessarily feel it; you are it.
Usually, if you are open, compassion happens because
you are not preoccupied with some kind of self-indulgence.

âChogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, From: Cutting Through Spiritual
Materialsm, Shambhala Publications

EGOLESS COMMON SENSE

2008-10-20T08:04:00.000-05:00

Decision making based on accepting a situation is expressing faith and gentleness; therefore, it could be said to be compassion. Once you see the situation as it is, then you just involve yourself in it and it takes you along. In fact, you can tell what the end is going to be. That is developing egoless common sense. Egoless common sense is not based on "because-of-anything," but it is based on "it-will-be-so." You could project your future quite accurately or take the right path quite accurately if you had that general egoless common sense. With such precision and clarity, as well as egolessness, you are not dwelling on hope or fear. Then things take place naturally.

From "The Bardo of Dreams," in TRANSCENDING MADNESS: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SIX BARDOS, page112.

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Tension

2008-10-16T15:44:00.000-05:00

Student: If you make a decision, it is going to bring you tension, because you don't know how it is going to work out, whether it's a good or bad decision. Do you just go along and accept it?

Chogyam Trungpa: Ultimately, decisions don't come out in terms of yes and no, black and white. The ultimate answer, so to speak, would say you're right, but at the same time you are wrong. [Understanding that,] releases tension, the ultimate tension. If you are involved with something and if you reject or accept it absolutely, one hundred percent, then the tension is going to remain all the time. There is no way of solving the problem of tension by making black-and-white decisions, in other words. The only way of transcending that tension is through the acceptance of all aspects.Nothing is going to be a magic sedative. But strangely enough, once you begin to accept that, then half of the problem has been solved.

From "The Bardo of Dreams," in TRANSCENDING MADNESS: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SIX BARDOS, page109.

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THE WARRIOR'S WEAPONS

2008-10-08T10:46:00.000-05:00

If victory is the notion of no enemy, then the whole world is a friend. That seems to be the warrior's philosophy. The true warrior is not like somebody carrying a sword and looking behind his own shadow, in case somebody is lurking there. That is the setting-sun warrior's point of view, which is an expression of cowardice. The true warrior always has a weapon, in any case....The definition of warriorship is fearlessness and gentleness. Those are your weapons. The genuine warrior becomes truly gentle because there is no enemy at all.

From the manuscript of CONQUERING FEAR: THE HEART OF SHAMBHALA. Forthcoming from Shambhala Publications in 2009.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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SPIRITUAL SUPERMARKET

2008-09-19T13:15:00.000-05:00

The study of spiritual materialism is very important. Some people
tell you to hold your breath, and you'll feel blissful. Some people
tell you to breathe out, and you'll feel blissful. Some people tell
you to eat a carrot right now! Some people say, "Stand on your
head." Some people say "Sit, then stand on one foot, then lie down
on your back and have a good massage." Or swim in cold water and that
will help you. Swim in hot water -- that will help you. Reading
this might help you. Say these few words over and over to
yourself. Or shout your words; project out. Dive in. Dive
out. Wear certain clothes. Get a certain hair cut. Do certain eye
gazes. People suggest all sorts of things, which is what's known as
the "spiritual supermarket." All these trips have been laid on the
poor Americans. We could call this spiritual democracy. It doesn't
particularly help. However, America remains a great field of
spiritual fertility. Fertile situations occur constantly, all the
time. Trying to work with this American mentality and bring it
together with the Buddhist tradition of orthodoxy, at the same time,
creates a good balance.

Edited from an unpublished transcript VIEWING AND WORKING WITH THE
PHENOMENAL WORLD, a seminar at Naropa Institute, Talk One, June 10, 1976.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
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his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
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A book containing 365 short teachings based on the quotes of the week
is now available. To order Ocean of Dharma: The Everyday Wisdom of
Chogyam Trungpa at a 20% discount, go to shambhala.com.

Giving Fearlessness

2008-09-18T04:37:00.001-05:00

"Giving fearlessness" means curing disease, protecting others from misfortune,
directing them out of chasms, escorting them out of danger
and removing hindrances to their achievement of siddhi and moral conduct.
Truly, practice this type of generosity as much as you can.
Protect others from the "four injuries" :
legal punishment, enemies, thieves, and wild animals.
Then pray for the ability to save them from the miseries of the three lower realms.

Jamgon Kongtrul, The Torch of Certainty, Shambhala Publications

THE MOMENT OF ENLIGHTENMENT

2008-09-17T05:27:00.000-05:00

Before Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha, he realized things were not quite right in his world. Neurosis was continuously spreading in his kingdom. He decided to reject any approach to life that made him purely comfortable and happy and to search for some psychological sanity beyond that. He thought that meditating and studying with the holy men of the time would help him. Then he would be able to rule his kingdom and be a better king. He left his palace and studied with various gurus, who taught him all kinds of techniques: holding his breath, not holding his breath, sitting in different postures doing spiritual acrobatics, and many other approaches. But he found these techniques kept his mind very busy, rather than being simple and alone.
Having practiced for six years, he still had doubts about what he was doing. Then, it occurred to him that life is not so much a question of gain and loss. Instead, life is full of reality, and that reality rests in the mind. He realized that mind is constantly speeding, on and on. So Prince Siddhartha decided to stop that speed. He decided to sit and meditate under a bodhi tree on the banks of the Nairanjana River. His austerity had not proven to be the best way, so he decided to give that up. After sitting for a long time, not much happened. Then, he got up and walked around, and he was offered a drink of milk by a friend. He settled himself on a comfortable seat made of kusha grass. He began to relax and meditate again. At that moment, when he relaxed, the whole struggle began to dissolve. He realized that he shouldn't push so hard, but that he could give in and let himself go. That was the moment of enlightenment, which was not all that dramatic.

Edited from an unpublished transcript VIEWING AND WORKING WITH THE PHENOMENAL WORLD, a seminar at Naropa Institute, Talk One, June 10, 1976.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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We are not going to find the mind

2008-09-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

We are not going to find the mind, because there is no thing that is
the mind. Nevertheless, we have to go through the process of sitting
down an examining the mind and examining our experience to see what is
really going on.

H.E. Kalu Rinpoche, The Gem Ornament of Manifold Ornament Instructions, KDK Publications

Zen Master Dogen

2008-08-18T05:14:00.000-05:00

All buddhas' compassion and sympathy for sentient beings
are neither for their own sake or for others.
It is just the nature of buddha-dharma.
Isn't it apparent that insects and animals nurture their offspring,
exhausting themselves with painful labors,
yet in the end have no reward when their offspring are grown?
In this way the compassion of small creatures for their offspring
naturally resembles the thought of all buddhas for sentient beings.

Zen Master Dogen, From:Moon In A Dewdrop, North Point Press

MEDITATION IS A SACRED ACTIVITY

2008-08-18T05:13:00.000-05:00

When a person sits and meditates, it is a special situation; it is a sacred act of some kind. It has been said by Petrul Rinpoche, a great teacher about 100 years ago, that even if you have impure thoughts in the meditation hall, those thoughts are regarded as sacred thoughts. The most impure, most crude or confused thoughts, even those are regarded as sacred thoughts. Along with that, a sense of appreciating the discipline is in itself important, whether you have accomplished the discipline over all or not. If you fall asleep on your cushion, or feel that you haven't actually sat and meditated at all -- as soon as you sit on your cushion, you begin to mentally venture out all over the world, and the only thing that reminds you is when the ending gong sounds and you realize you are meditating, supposedly, physically -- even then, even such daydreams and things like that are important. Meditation is a sacred activity.

From "The First Foundation: Mindfulness of Body," in the 1973 Hinayana-Mahayana Transcripts, page 39.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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SELF-EXISTING PLEASURE

2008-08-05T05:47:00.000-05:00

One of the definite characteristics of the Buddhist tantra, at least on the level of mahamudra [an advanced level of practice], is not running away from sense pleasures, but rather identifying with them, working with them as part of the working basis. That is an outstanding part of the tantric message. Pleasure in this case includes every kind of pleasure: psychosomatic, physical, psychological, and spiritual. Here it is quite different from the way in which spiritual materialists might seek pleasure -- by getting into the "other." In this case, it is getting into "this." There is a self-existing pleasureableness that is completely hollow from the ordinary point of view of ego's pleasure orientation...If you look at pleasure from the point of view of nakedness, the situation of being completely exposed, any pleasure you experience is full because of its hollowness.

From "Mahamudra," in ILLUSION'S GAME: The Life and Teaching of Naropa. Pages 120 to 121.

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OBVIOUSNESS BECOMES SACREDNESS

2008-07-22T04:20:00.000-05:00

The approach of vajrayana Buddhism to sacredness is not so much a matter of things being big and enormous and beyond the measure of one's thought; rather it has to do with things being so true, so real, so direct. We know a fire burns. We know the earth carries us. We know that space accommodates us. All these are REAL facts, and so obvious. Obviousness becomes sacredness from the point of view of vajrayana. It is not that things are sacred because they are beyond our imagination, but because they are so obvious. The magic is simplicity. Winter gets cold, summer gets warm. Everything in every situation has a little magic. If we forget to eat, we get hungry. There is a causal aspect, which is the truth. So in this case, the sacredness is a matter of truth, of the obviousness of the whole thing.

From "The Levels of Mahamudra," in ILLUSION'S GAME: The Life and Teaching of Naropa. Page 133.

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July 21, 2008

Of interest to readers: Yesterday, July 20, there was a ceremony to install 3,000 gold CDs of Chogyam Trungpa's teachings in the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya at Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado. This was the Speech Empowerment of the Stupa, which also contains the body relics of Chogyam Trungpa. For photos and more information on this event, go to http://chronicleproject.com/speech_empowerment/speech_empowerment.html

WHAT HAPPENED TO EGO?

2008-07-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

Student: How can you distinguish between ego-based self-confidence
and trust in oneself?

Chogyam Trungpa: Ego doesn't cut its own ground. Ego nurses its
ground. An egoless experience like prajna, or discriminating
awareness, cuts its own ground. That's where the irritation and
resentment come from. Within the realm of resentment, a soft heart
begins to develop, softness toward oneself. The softer you become
toward yourself, the more you want to cut your ground. Somehow the
question of ego doesn't apply at that point. Ego is already
dissipating and has given up its hold on you. This is an organic
thing that happens slowly in your practice. Somebody might ask you
later, "What happened to your ego?" And you might say, "Oh, I never
thought about that."

From "Giving Birth to Intellect," in ILLUSION'S GAME: The Life and
Teaching of Naropa. Page 83.

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PROTECTING THE MIND

2008-07-07T14:17:00.000-05:00

You might say that it is very easy to understand or experience pain. Oh no. It takes a lot of understanding to realize pain....The method used in tantra to enable us to realize pain is called mantra. In this case, mantra has nothing to do with some verbal gibberish that you repeat over and over. Mantra here is an upaya, a skillful means. The derivation of the word mantra is the Sanskrit mantraya, which is a combination of two words. Manas means "mind," and traya means "protection." So mantra protects the mind, the fundamental intelligence or wakefulness. It does not protect it by using guards or putting it under a glass dome. Protection here is clearing away obstacles, clearing away threats. All threats to that intelligence are cleared away. This is the style of protection here.

From "Pain and Hopelessness," in ILLUSION'S GAME: The Life and Teaching of Naropa. Pages 56 to 57.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

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FREEDOM FROM IMPRISONMENT

2008-07-04T07:35:00.000-05:00

The experience of mahamudra is the pinnacle of the tradition of
tantra. Maha means "great," and mudra means "sign" or "gesture." To
experience mahamudra is to realize that the literal truth, the
symbolic truth, and the absolute truth are actually one thing, that
they take place on one dot, one spot. One experiences reality as the
great symbol that stands for itself. The bliss of mahamudra is not so
much great pleasure , but it is the experience of tremendous
spaciousness, freedom from imprisonment, which comes from seeing
through the duality of existence and realizing that the essence of
truth, the essence of space, is available on this very spot. The
freedom of mahamudra is measureless, unspeakable, fathomless. Such
fathomless space and complete freedom produce tremendous joy. This
type of joy is not conditioned by even the experience of freedom
itself; it is self-born, innate.

From "Sacred Outlook," in THE HEART OF THE BUDDHA, pages 168 to 169.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the
following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

THE TRUTH OF AWARENESS

2008-06-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

The practice of meditation is not designed to develop pleasure, but to understand the truth of suffering; and in order to understand the truth of suffering, one also has to understand the truth of awareness. When true awareness takes place, suffering does not exist. Through awareness, suffering is somewhat changed in its perspective. It is not necessarily that you do not suffer, but the haunting quality that fundamentally you are in trouble is removed. It is like removing a splinter. It might hurt, and you might still feel pain, but the basic cause of that pain, the ego, has been removed.

From THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: AND THE PATH OF LIBERATION, forthcoming from Shambhala Publications in April, 2009. Published in association with Vajradhatu Publications. Based on teachings given at the Vajradhatu Seminaries by Chogyam Trungpa. Edited by Judith Lief.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

DEATH IS REAL

2008-06-25T10:24:00.000-05:00

Student: What should we try to communicate to a dying person?

Chogyam Trungpa: You see, death is a very real experience. Usually, we do not connect with a sense of reality. If we have an accident -- or whatever happens in our lives -- we do not regard it as a real experience, even though it may hurt us. It is real to us as far as pain and physical damages are concerned, but still it's not real for us because we immediately look at it in terms of how it could be otherwise. There's always the idea of first aid or some other redeeming aspect of the situation. If you are talking to a dying friend or relative, you should transmit the idea that death is a real experience, rather than that it's just a joke and the person could get better. Often people tell the dying person things like, "Life is really a joke altogether. The great saints say it's not real. Life is unreal. What is death, anyway?" When we try to take this kind of approach, we become jumpy ourselves, and that jumpiness is what we end up communicating to the dying person. We should help them to understand that death is real.

From "Death and the Sense of Experience," in CRAZY WISDOM, page 138.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

LET ANGER BE IN ITS OWN PLACE

2008-06-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

Student: If I'm angry, instead of either expressing or suppressing my anger, how can I just relate to it? Should I stop the anger and just relate to the thought process?

Chogyam Trungpa: You don't stop the anger, you just are the anger. Anger just hangs out as it is. That is relating with the anger. Then the anger becomes vivid and directionless, and it diffuses into energy. The idea of relating with the emotion has nothing to do with expressing yourself to the other person. The Tibetan expression for that is rang sar shak, which means "leave it in its own place." Let anger be in its own place.

From "Death and the Sense of Experience" in CRAZY WISDOM, pages 137 to 138.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

Training the Mind

2008-06-21T07:21:00.000-05:00

At the beginner's level, there is what is called, "training the mind."
The mind is like a crazy monkey, which leaps about and never stays in
one place...

The training, or the meditation practice, is a way to catch this
monkey to begin with. That is the starting point.
Traditionally, this training is called shamatha in Sanskrit, or shi-
ne in Tibetan, which means simply "the development of peace."

When we talk about the development of peace, we are not talking about
cultivating a peaceful state, as such, but about simplicity...

The practice of of the development of peace is one of imitating
stillness.
You are pretending to be still, although the mind is of course,
constantly jumping and relentless.

âFrom: The Teacup and The SkullcupâChogyam Trungpa On Zen and
Tantra, Pg. 72, Shambhala Publications

THE WISDOM OF FEAR

2008-06-20T05:57:00.001-05:00

The crazy wisdom approach to fear is not regarding it as a hangup alone, but realizing it is intelligent. It has a message of its own. Fear is worth respecting. If we dismiss fear as an obstacle and ignore it, then we might end up with accidents. In other words, fear is a very wise message....The point is, you can't con fear or frighten fear. You have to respect fear. You might try to tell yourself that it's not real, that it's just false, but that kind of approach is very questionable. It is better to develop some kind of respect, realizing that neurosis also is a message, rather than garbage that you should just throw away. That's the whole starting point -- the idea of samsara and nirvana, confusion and enlightenment, being one. Samsara is not regarded as a nuisance alone, but it has its own potent message that is worthy of respect.

From "Fearlessness" in CRAZY WISDOM, pages 124 to 125.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

CONSTANT REJUVENATION

2008-06-16T06:39:00.000-05:00

The main focus of crazy wisdom is the youthfulness of the enlightened
state of being. This youthfulness is the immediacy of experience, the
exploratory quality of it. "But wouldn't exploring age us, make us
old?" we might ask. We have to put so much energy into exploring. Do
we not become like a traveler who grows old through traveling? From
the point of view of crazy wisdom, this is not the case. Exploring is
no strain. You might have to do the same thing again and again, but
each time you discover new facets of it, which makes you younger.
Discovery is related with energy that feeds you constantly.
It brings your life to a very full, healthy state. So each time you
explore, you gain new health. You constantly come back to a sense of
being up to date in your experience of the world, of your life. So
the whole thing becomes constant rejuvenation.

From "Fearlessness" in CRAZY WISDOM, pages 118 to 119.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the
following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

JUST THERE

2008-06-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

Being open means being free to do whatever is called for in a given
situation. Because you do not want anything from the situation, you
are free to act in the way genuinely appropriate to it. And
similarly, if other people want something from you, that may be their
problem. You do not have to try to ingratiate yourself with anyone.
Openness means "being what you are." If you are comfortable being
yourself, then an environment of openness and communication arises
automatically and naturally.
It is like the idea of the moon shining on one hundred bowls
of water, so that there are one hundred moons, one in each bowl. This
is not the moon's design nor was it designed by anyone else. But for
some strange reason there happen to be one hundred moons reflected in
one hundred bowls of water. Openness means this kind of absolute
trust and self-confidence. If the bowls are there, they will reflect
your "moon-ness." If they are not there, they will not. Or if they
are only half there, then they will reflect only half a moon. It is
up to them. You are just there, the moon, open, and the bowls may
reflect you or not. You neither care nor do you not care. You are just there.

From "The Open Way," in CUTTING THROUGH SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM, pages
10102, 103 to 104.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the
following link: http://OceanofDharma.com

The Records That Count

2008-06-10T05:30:00.001-05:00

The basic problem we seem to be facing is that we are too involved
with trying to prove something, which is connected with paranoia and
a feeling of poverty. When you are trying to prove or get something,
you are not open anymore, you have to check everything, and you have
to arrange it "correctly." It is such a paranoid way to live and it
really does not prove anything. One might set records in terms of
numbers and quantities -- that we have built the greatest, the
biggest; we have collected the most, the longest, the most gigantic.
But who is going to remember the record when you are dead? Or in one
hundred years? Or in ten years? Or in ten minutes? The records that
count are those of the given moment, of now -- whether or not
communication and openness are actually taking place now....In the
sacred writings, you never read stories of the bodhisattvas, the
great practitioners of mahayana, receiving medals. And quite rightly
so, because there is no need for them to prove anything. Their action
is spontaneous. It is the open life, open communication, which does
not involve struggle or speed at all.

From "The Open Way," in CUTTING THROUGH SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM, pages
102 to 103.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the
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LIBERATED FROM CONVENTIONALITY

2008-06-01T05:04:00.000-05:00

Giving birth to bodhichitta in one's heart, buddha in one's heart brings freedom. That is the notion of freedom in Buddhism altogether. We are talking about freedom from the constriction of our own capabilities. It is as if we were extraordinary children, possessing all sorts of genius, and we were being undermined by the society around us, which was dying to make us normal people. Whenever we would show any mark of genius, our parents would get embarrassed.
They would try to put the lid on our pot, saying, "Charles, don't say those things. Just be an ordinary person." That is what actually happens to us, with or without our parents. I don't particularly want to blame our parents; we have also been doing this to ourselves. When we see something extraordinary, we are afraid to say so; we are afraid to express ourselves or to relate with such situations. So we put lids on ourselves -- on our potential, our capabilities. But in Buddhism we are liberated from that kind of conventionality.

>From OCEAN OF DHARMA: THE EVERYDAY WISDOM OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA. 365 Teachings on Living Life with Courage and Compassion. Number 282.

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When One Is Meditating Properly

2008-05-30T09:41:00.000-05:00

When one is meditating properly, it is entirely possible to think,
and the point is, that for the thought to arise at all,
there must be an aware and alert quality of mind.
Thus, when one is using this approach in meditation,
given that there is a spacious and transparently clear quality to the experience,
there is also the dynamic spark of awareness.
To be aware of the thoughts that arise in the mind,
be they nominally good or bad,
is itself an expression of that spark.
The specific nature or content of the thought is not the issue;
it is the awareness which is important.
Kalu Rinpoche

ENVIRONMENTAL GENEROSITY

2008-05-22T06:04:00.000-05:00

Compassion has nothing to do with achievement at all. It is spacious
and very generous. When a person develops real compassion, he or she
is uncertain whether he is being generous to others or to himself,
because compassion is environmental generosity, without direction,
without "for me" and without "for them." It is filled with joy,
spontaneously existing joy, constant joy in the sense of trust, in
the sense that joy contains tremendous wealth, richness.

From "The Open Way," in CUTTING THROUGH SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM, page 99.

For photos, stories about the 16th Karmapa and reports on the visit
of the 17th: http://www.chronicleproject.com/stories_99.html

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the
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IN OR OUT?

2008-05-09T18:22:00.001-05:00

Ideas are not solid, if they are not founded on aggression or dogma.
We can have open ideas. There is no problem with that. Ideas are not
really founded on solid ground at all. They are just...ideas, which
is a very important point. If you completely buy into someone else's
idea or version of spirituality, it's like being caught in the jaws
of a crocodile. This is one of the problems with many approaches to
spirituality: either you are in it or you are not in it. In or out.
You can't actually experience the space between the two. That is a
problem, and that seems to be a spiritual materialistic trick to use
on people: trying to save them from their experience. That approach
is based on a hesitation or inability to provide everything
legitimately, step by step. If the leaders of a spiritual group feel
somewhat inadequate, they may tell potential students, "Buy it or
don't buy it." That seems to be too cheap. Spiritual discipline is
not based on becoming somebody else. But you become you in your
enlightened version. That is the whole point.

From OCEAN OF DHARMA: The Everyday Wisdom of Chogyam Trungpa. 365
Teachings on Living Life with Courage and Compassion. Number 182.
This new book of short teachings by Chogyam Trungpa contains many new
quotes, as well as some previously published on the Ocean of Dharma
list serv. Order your copy now at a 20% discount at
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-536-2.cfm

[Originally from THE MISHAP LINEAGE: THE LINE OF THE TRUNGPAS.
Forthcoming from Shambhala Publications.]

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used
by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the
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Although a wholesome or harmful act may have been minute

2008-04-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

Although a wholesome or harmful act may have been minute while it was
still a mere motivation,
by the time it yields its result it will have grown considerably.
Harmful deeds lead to miserable states of existence;
wholesome deeds lead to happy ones.
None of your deeds will be impotent.
You will not experience the results of that which you have not done

Jamgon Kongtrul, The Torch of Certainty, Pg. 82, Shambhala
Publications