That vulnerability is compassion

The rest of us could be covered with iron cast shields, but some sore spot always exists in us, which is fantastic. That sore spot is known as embryonic compassion, potential compassion. At least we have some kind of gap, some discrepancy in our state of being, which allows basic sanity to shine through.... Not only that, but there is also an inner wound, which is called tathagatagarbha, or buddha nature. Buddha nature is like a heart that is sliced and bruised by wisdom and compassion. When the external wound and the internal wound begin to meet and to communicate, then we begin to realize that our whole being is made out of one complete sore spot altogether. That vulnerability is compassion. We really have no way to defend ourelves anymore at all. A gigantic cosmic wound is all over the place -- an inward wound and an external wound at the same time. Both are sensitive to cold air, hot air, and little disturbances of atmosphere which begin to affect us both inwardly and outwardly. It is the living flame of love, if you would like to call it that.

-- Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, From: TRAINING THE MIND AND CULTIVATING LOVING-KINDNESS, Shambhala

Compassion is based on some sense of "soft spot"

Compassion is based on some sense of "soft spot" in us. It is as if we had a pimple on our body that was very sore -- so sore that we do not want to rub it or scratch it....That sore spot on our body is an analogy for compassion. Why? Because even in the midst of immense aggression, insensitivity to our life, or laziness, we always have a soft spot, some point we can cultivate -- or at least not bruise. Every human being has that kind of basic sore spot, including animals. Whether we are crazy, dull, aggressive, ego-tripping, whatever we might be, there is still that sore spot taking place in us. An open wound, which might be a more vivid analogy, is always there.... We are not completely covered with a suit of armor all the time. We have a sore spot somewhere, some open wound somewhere. Such a relief! Thank earth!

-- Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, From: TRAINING THE MIND AND CULTIVATING LOVING-KINDNESS, Shambhala

They knew Plame was undercover

They knew Plame was undercover
by kos
Fri Oct 28, 2005 at 12:56:32 PM PDT
They knew, as Josh notes.
Go to page 5 of the indictment [PDF]. Top of the page, item #9.
On or about June 12, 2003, LIBBY was advised by the Vice President of the United States that Wilson's wife worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Counterproliferation Divison. LIBBY understood that the Vice President had learned this information from the CIA.
This is a crucial piece of information. the Counterproliferation Division (CPD) is part of the CIA's Directorate of Operations, i.e., not Directorate of Intelligence, the branch of the CIA where 'analysts' come from, but where the spies come from.
Libby's a long time national security hand. He knows exactly what CPD is and where it is. So does Cheney. They both knew. It's right there in the indictment.
::
Tags: Valerie Plame, Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney (all tags)

The truth here

The truth here is that the calm state is the essence of the mind, and the movement is it's energy: they are two inseparable aspects of the same reality, like an ocean and it's waves or the sun and it's rays.

If we consider the calm state something positive to be achieved, and the movement of thoughts something negative to be abandoned, thereby cultivating the dualism of acceptance and rejection, then we will never overcome our ordinary mentality.

So, maintaining presence without unwanted diversion, one must simply acknowledge whatever thoughts arise - - good or bad, relevant or insignificant - and just continue observing the state of "movement"- - this point is vitally important.

--Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, From: The Mirror - Advice on the Presence of Awareness, Published by Station Hill Openings/ Barrytown, LTD.

When you have met your match

When you've met your match, you've found a teacher.

--Pema Chödron, Start Where You Are

THE ULTIMATE ASPECT OF THE DHARMA

There are many people who are more learned than I and more elevated in their wisdom. However, I have never made a separation between the spiritual and the worldly. If you understand the ultimate aspect of the dharma, this is the ultimate aspect of the world. And if you should cultivate the ultimate aspect of the world, this should be in harmony with the dharma. I am alone in presenting the tradition of thinking this way.
--From Chogyam Trungpa's Unpublished Diary, 1966.

That which is most important as an object of scrutiny

That which is most important as an object of scrutiny is the mind itself. We experience happiness and sadness, we experience attachment and aversion, we experience faith and devotion, and all of these experiences are thoughts or styles of thought that arise in our mind. External objects do not produce them. Therefore, it is our minds themselves that must be scrutinized and it is the true nature of our minds that must be recognized.

--Thrangu Rinpoche

To See what you have done

To see what you've done, look at your body. To see what you'll be, look at your actions.

--Jamgon Kongtrul, The Great Path of Awakening

When sunlight falls on a crystal

When sunlight falls on a crystal, lights of all colors of the rainbow appear; yet they have no substance that you can grasp. Likewise, all thoughts in their infinite variety- devotion, compassion, harmfulness, desire- are utterly without substance. That is the mind of the Buddha. There is no thought that is something other than voidness.

--Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

"Before the apex stone is fitted"

Ever heard of Changing Images of Man?The report was issued by Stanford Research Institute in 1973, having been commissioned by the US Department of Education five years earlier, and its influence has far outstripped its limited circulation. Its one brush with a general readership came in 1982, when Robert Maxwell's Pergamon Press republished it as "one of the 1,000 most important works of modern times," though at this writing even used copies are unavailable at any price through Amazon.The report found that "Analysis of the nature of contemporary societal problems leads to the conclusion that...the images of man that dominated the last two centuries will be inadequate for the post-industrial era."
http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2005/10/before-apex-stone-is-fitted.html

The pure state of enlightenment

The pure state of enlightenment is our own mind... not some sort of dazzling light coming from outside. If we recognize our primordial state of pure presence, pure from the beginning, albeit temporarily obscured, and we stay present in this recognition without getting distracted, then all the impurities dissolve: this is the essence of the path. Now the nature of the primordial state as total purity truly manifests, and recognizing it for what it is, we become it's owner forever.

--Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

When thoughts arise

When thoughts arise,

Instead of regarding them as faults,

Recognize them to be empty and leave them just as they are.

-- Gyalwa Götsangpa, quoted in The Ocean of Definitive Meaning by H.H. IX Karmapa

Compassion is the ultimate attitude of wealth

Compassion is the ultimate attitude of wealth: an anti poverty-attitude, a war on want. It contains all sorts of heroic, juicy, positive, visionary, expansive qualities. And it implies larger-scale thinking, a freer and more expansive way of relating to yourself and the world... It is the attitude that one has been born fundamentally rich rather than that one must become rich.

--Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

In the universe

In the universe there are infinite sentient beings, including all enlightened beings. All these beings, either enlightened or in samsara, have the same base. One of the most important things we learn in Dzogchen is what the base is. The base is our real condition. When we explain the base, we use the explanation of essence, nature and energy. There is no difference, enlightened or not. That is why in Dzogchen we say that since the beginning our state is the enlightened state. Our real base or condition never changes or is modified. If we follow the teaching and use methods or practices for purification, we purify obstacles, but that doesn't change our nature. Our real condition is the same base since the beginning.

--Chogyal Namkhai Norbu