Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A JOLLY GOOD LIFE

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.

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

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Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.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Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.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

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.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Attentiveness

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

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Buddha said

"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

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

EATING WITH AWARENESS

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.

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

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

FREEDOM FROM HABITUAL TENDENCIES

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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Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
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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.
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Sunday, December 07, 2008

PERCEPTION AND PERCEIVER

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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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 website at http://oceanofdharma.com
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Saturday, December 06, 2008

The Great Eastern Sun Vision:

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

Thursday, December 04, 2008

FEMININE INSPIRATION

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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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.
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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.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the website at http://oceanofdharma.com
For the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project and the blog of Carolyn Gimian go to: http://ChogyamTrungpa.com