J.Crow's® Caw

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his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.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:

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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.
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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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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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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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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.
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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.

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.
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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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.

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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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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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.

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

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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.

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

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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