Desire or tanha in Pali is an important thing to understand.
What is desire? Kama tanha is very easy to understand. This kind of desire is wanting sense pleasures through the body or the other senses and always seeking things to excite or please your senses - that is kama tanha. You can really contemplate: what is it like when you have desire for pleasure? For example, when you are eating, if you are hungry and the food tastes delicious, you can be aware of wanting to take another bite. Notice that feeling when you are tasting something pleasant; and notice how you want more of it. Don’t just believe this; try it out. Don’t think you know it because it has been that way in the past. Try it out when you eat. Taste something delicious and see what happens: a desire arises for more. That is kama tanha.
We also contemplate the feeling of wanting to become something. But if there is ignorance, then when we are not seeking something delicious to eat or some beautiful music to listen to, we can be caught in a realm of ambition and attainment - the desire to become. We get caught in that movement of striving to become happy, seeking to become wealthy; or we might attempt to make our life feel important by endeavouring to make the world right. So note this sense of wanting to become something other than what you are right now.
www.Buddhanet.net
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Its blog birthday month
happy birthday to blog,happy birthday to blog,happy birthday dear blogeee,happy birthday to you!Thank you to anyone who read my blog,and liked it!Peace to those who dont.I'm not just another pretty blogger,dammit.I have......fonts..fractals..friends..Lets have a drink and toast to another fine year of blogging the network news away!I mean,I'd much rather read about your childs new tooth,or your gut wrenching tale of infidelity,or even how you hate computing..to anything that is ever broadcast over that mind altering,attention grabbing,time wasting,subliminal box we grew up with ,also known as the boob tube!well,except football.And racing..and..and..see?They made us dependent on watching all that shit they been shoveling at us since gilligan's isle (manerd G Krebbs,or bob denver as was his real name, passed away last week if you hadent heard) God bless Gilligan..he finally got off this island!Thanks for making us smile all these years..
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
I fixed my truck
It lives! Amazing what money will do!And a little elbow greese
All rights reserved 2005 made by muddnet
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Light unto Others
Know that the purpose for which each soul enters a material experience is that it may be as a light unto others; not as one boastful of self or of self's abilities in any phase of the experience, whether mental or material, but living, being in spirit that which is ideal and not idealistic alone, nor the unattainable.
For, as He hath given--if ye would know the Spirit, or God, search for Him; for happy ye will find Him.
Thus--in that consciousness of daily living and being that which is in keeping with the ideal--life and its problems becomes not a burden, but opportunities--for the greater expressions and expansions of self in knowing that as ye sow daily the fruit of the spirit, ye need not worry nor fret thyself as to its growth. God giveth the increase. Hence be not weary in well-doing.
Edgar Cayce Reading 641-6
For, as He hath given--if ye would know the Spirit, or God, search for Him; for happy ye will find Him.
Thus--in that consciousness of daily living and being that which is in keeping with the ideal--life and its problems becomes not a burden, but opportunities--for the greater expressions and expansions of self in knowing that as ye sow daily the fruit of the spirit, ye need not worry nor fret thyself as to its growth. God giveth the increase. Hence be not weary in well-doing.
Edgar Cayce Reading 641-6
Get Understanding
And as He has given, "In all thy getting, my Son, get understanding." This is putting proper emphasis in the proper places, and do not become sidetracked by things that would pertain to material or spiritual alone, or things of the body or things of the heavenly force. For you grow to heaven, you don't go to heaven. It is within thine own conscience that ye grow there. For there first must come peace and harmony within thy purpose, thy ideal, thy hopes, thy desires. Thy wishes even must be in harmony with thy ideal if you would make the experience in the earth of value to thee.
Edgar Cayce Reading 3409-1
Edgar Cayce Reading 3409-1
Saturday, September 03, 2005
The Calvery have Arrived
Today the national guard rolled into the hurricane affected areas and took control of a desperate situation for alot of poor people.I dont think anyone was prepared for anything of this scale.Alot of blame has to be shared by alot of those 35 agencys who take money and claim to be helping these people,when we all know they are usually helping themselves!I have some suggestions for these people..get a real job..you people couldnt find your asshole's if your finger's were still stuck up them.I blame all of em,from city,to county,to state,gov,and fema,the whole lot of professional money wasters.Give those people who are without everything the jobs that will be created to rebuild the south,and give them some pride of sence of worth that comes with self relience!I wish I could help more,but the truth is,I'm strapped just trying to pay my own bills.And i'm sure i'm not the only working poor who hasen't had a vacation in years.I cant even afford to take my daughter camping.I'm not complaining,just please bury me face down when its all over..
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Saturday, August 27, 2005
The Correct view of Impermanence
Tibet: An Introduction
Located primarily on a vast plateau in the Himalayan mountain range overlooking most of South Asia, the Tibetan ethnic and cultural region stretches from areas near the Volga River in Europe, through much of Inner and Outer Mongolia to parts of several republics of the former Soviet Union, and encompasses Ladakh, Bhutan, Sikkim, much of Nepal, and portions of the present-day Chinese state, including all of Tibetan Autonomous Region and Ch'ing-hai Province as well as parts of Gansu, Yunnan, and Sichuan Provinces. This extensive Tibetan ethnic area stands as a reminder of Tibet's once powerful dominion over much of Central Asia, including several parts of China. For centuries, Tibet had also served as the spiritual and artistic center for these regions. Tragically, since 1951 this powerful and influential culture has been systematically destroyed by the Chinese Communists, who have forcibly dominated the country and violently imposed their own cultural ideologies upon the Tibetan people.
The invasion and subsequent occupation of Tibet by China forced the flight into exile of approximately one hundred thousand Tibetans. Ironically, due in large part to the diaspora of the Tibetan people, the country's vibrant cultural and religious traditions have extended far beyond their geographical boundaries, contributing to an ever-increasing global appreciation of Tibet's sophisticated heritage. Largely as a result of contact with the exile Tibetan communities, a growing number of people in Europe and North America are turning to the principles of Tibetan religion for their own personal growth, and adopting Tibetan perspectives on the nature of the world and our place within it. This living Tibetan legacy has sustained the continuity and vitality of more than one thousand years of intellectual and spiritual exploration.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The General Features of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Perspectives on Death and Dying
The Tibetan Book and the Art of Block Printing
Tibetan Religious Art
The General Features of Tibetan Buddhism
Twelve centuries after the death and final enlightenment of the historical Buddha (c. 500 BC), the religious tradition bearing his name crossed over the Himalayan mountains and entered Tibet. From the early seventh century onward, Buddhism became firmly entrenched in all aspects of Tibetan society. This wholesale transformation of Tibet, however, was not entirely without its conflicts. When Buddhism first reached Tibet, it encountered what appeared to be an older indigenous religion commonly referred to as Bon. The Bon religion is believed to have originated in the ancient land of Tazig (referring generally to the direction of Persia). From there the religion took root in the Zhangzhung Valley, located in western Tibet near Mount Kailash, and ultimately spread eastward.
The nature of this ancient Bon, founded by Tönpa Shenrab (sTon pa gshen rab, "The holy teacher Shenrab"), is difficult to assess since no written records from the period have survived. The oldest extant Bon scripture dates from the late ninth century, long after Buddhism had already pervaded nearly every aspect of Tibetan culture. The early confrontation of the two traditions fundamentally altered much of the Bon religion, especially its monastic institutions and metaphysical doctrines, making it almost unrecognizable as a separate entity apart from Buddhism. Nevertheless, the claim of Bon-po ("followers of Bon") and of Tibetan Buddhists alike--that the Bon religion possesses its own distinctive identity--must be respected and taken seriously. The tradition has survived and indeed to some extent continues to flourish not only in Tibet itself, but also in Nepal, India, Europe, and the United States. Several significant examples of Bon literature and art are included in our exhibit, together with works of the better known tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The foundational doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism are derived from the words taught by the Buddha almost two thousand five hundred years ago. The basic teachings of the Buddha (the so-called Four Noble Truths) begin with a recognition of the discomforts and frustrations of normal human existence. It is taught that the source of this frustration and distress does not rest in the nature of the world or in the mysterious intentions of a divine being, but rather in the intellectual and emotional confusions of human individuals themselves. Buddhism maintains that the suffering experienced in life can be completely uprooted and eliminated by clearing away these confusions, and prescribes specific methods for the successful accomplishment of this goal. Basic Buddhist practice, therefore, consists of following a disciplined path of intellectual and spiritual development requiring the radical examination of one's existential situation and profound and persistent changes in one's attitudes, behavior, and psychological orientation. The ideal Buddhist practitioner adheres to a strict moral code, trains rigorously in meditation, and endeavors tirelessly to develop compassion and insight.
Philosophically speaking, the confusions that function as the source of worldly suffering operate more precisely as innate misapprehensions with respect to the status of the individual self and of the surrounding world. This innate sense of self and other, including inanimate objects, involves the seemingly natural tendency to view things as solidly concrete, as more or less substantial and permanent. This means that ordinary people have a subtle sense of things as being constant through time, changeless and secure. Buddhism maintains that this perspective is profoundly mistaken. In reality, everything is changing, nothing is as it was even a moment before. Existence is forever in flux. As a consequence of the misperception of the truth of change and impermanence, human beings become mired in a cycle of pain and disappointment. Moreover, the false view of permanence engenders strong attachments and aversions, which in turn generate a host of destructive emotions such as jealousy, pride, and selfishness, all born of the fear of losing what is valued and of gaining what is scorned. This enduring round of pain and disruptive emotion is called samsara, and the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to liberate oneself from its negative bonds. Liberation from the cycle of samsara is achieved in part by readjusting one's fundamental perspectives, by developing the correct view of impermanence.
Located primarily on a vast plateau in the Himalayan mountain range overlooking most of South Asia, the Tibetan ethnic and cultural region stretches from areas near the Volga River in Europe, through much of Inner and Outer Mongolia to parts of several republics of the former Soviet Union, and encompasses Ladakh, Bhutan, Sikkim, much of Nepal, and portions of the present-day Chinese state, including all of Tibetan Autonomous Region and Ch'ing-hai Province as well as parts of Gansu, Yunnan, and Sichuan Provinces. This extensive Tibetan ethnic area stands as a reminder of Tibet's once powerful dominion over much of Central Asia, including several parts of China. For centuries, Tibet had also served as the spiritual and artistic center for these regions. Tragically, since 1951 this powerful and influential culture has been systematically destroyed by the Chinese Communists, who have forcibly dominated the country and violently imposed their own cultural ideologies upon the Tibetan people.
The invasion and subsequent occupation of Tibet by China forced the flight into exile of approximately one hundred thousand Tibetans. Ironically, due in large part to the diaspora of the Tibetan people, the country's vibrant cultural and religious traditions have extended far beyond their geographical boundaries, contributing to an ever-increasing global appreciation of Tibet's sophisticated heritage. Largely as a result of contact with the exile Tibetan communities, a growing number of people in Europe and North America are turning to the principles of Tibetan religion for their own personal growth, and adopting Tibetan perspectives on the nature of the world and our place within it. This living Tibetan legacy has sustained the continuity and vitality of more than one thousand years of intellectual and spiritual exploration.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The General Features of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Perspectives on Death and Dying
The Tibetan Book and the Art of Block Printing
Tibetan Religious Art
The General Features of Tibetan Buddhism
Twelve centuries after the death and final enlightenment of the historical Buddha (c. 500 BC), the religious tradition bearing his name crossed over the Himalayan mountains and entered Tibet. From the early seventh century onward, Buddhism became firmly entrenched in all aspects of Tibetan society. This wholesale transformation of Tibet, however, was not entirely without its conflicts. When Buddhism first reached Tibet, it encountered what appeared to be an older indigenous religion commonly referred to as Bon. The Bon religion is believed to have originated in the ancient land of Tazig (referring generally to the direction of Persia). From there the religion took root in the Zhangzhung Valley, located in western Tibet near Mount Kailash, and ultimately spread eastward.
The nature of this ancient Bon, founded by Tönpa Shenrab (sTon pa gshen rab, "The holy teacher Shenrab"), is difficult to assess since no written records from the period have survived. The oldest extant Bon scripture dates from the late ninth century, long after Buddhism had already pervaded nearly every aspect of Tibetan culture. The early confrontation of the two traditions fundamentally altered much of the Bon religion, especially its monastic institutions and metaphysical doctrines, making it almost unrecognizable as a separate entity apart from Buddhism. Nevertheless, the claim of Bon-po ("followers of Bon") and of Tibetan Buddhists alike--that the Bon religion possesses its own distinctive identity--must be respected and taken seriously. The tradition has survived and indeed to some extent continues to flourish not only in Tibet itself, but also in Nepal, India, Europe, and the United States. Several significant examples of Bon literature and art are included in our exhibit, together with works of the better known tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The foundational doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism are derived from the words taught by the Buddha almost two thousand five hundred years ago. The basic teachings of the Buddha (the so-called Four Noble Truths) begin with a recognition of the discomforts and frustrations of normal human existence. It is taught that the source of this frustration and distress does not rest in the nature of the world or in the mysterious intentions of a divine being, but rather in the intellectual and emotional confusions of human individuals themselves. Buddhism maintains that the suffering experienced in life can be completely uprooted and eliminated by clearing away these confusions, and prescribes specific methods for the successful accomplishment of this goal. Basic Buddhist practice, therefore, consists of following a disciplined path of intellectual and spiritual development requiring the radical examination of one's existential situation and profound and persistent changes in one's attitudes, behavior, and psychological orientation. The ideal Buddhist practitioner adheres to a strict moral code, trains rigorously in meditation, and endeavors tirelessly to develop compassion and insight.
Philosophically speaking, the confusions that function as the source of worldly suffering operate more precisely as innate misapprehensions with respect to the status of the individual self and of the surrounding world. This innate sense of self and other, including inanimate objects, involves the seemingly natural tendency to view things as solidly concrete, as more or less substantial and permanent. This means that ordinary people have a subtle sense of things as being constant through time, changeless and secure. Buddhism maintains that this perspective is profoundly mistaken. In reality, everything is changing, nothing is as it was even a moment before. Existence is forever in flux. As a consequence of the misperception of the truth of change and impermanence, human beings become mired in a cycle of pain and disappointment. Moreover, the false view of permanence engenders strong attachments and aversions, which in turn generate a host of destructive emotions such as jealousy, pride, and selfishness, all born of the fear of losing what is valued and of gaining what is scorned. This enduring round of pain and disruptive emotion is called samsara, and the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to liberate oneself from its negative bonds. Liberation from the cycle of samsara is achieved in part by readjusting one's fundamental perspectives, by developing the correct view of impermanence.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
I'm not on strike
Its just my picasa took a dive and wont work anymore..So I cant post fractals..tried reloading it,restoring it,nothing! Still wont work..I'm thinkin whoever did this took my bookmarks on netscape also..I hope you share them with as many people as I tried to.Maybe only 2 people ever read this blog..but I try to enlighten and educate without judgement or restrictions.Anything good I find I post.That way if anybody wants to read it they can,but its not as intrusive as an email to 40 people.At least thats how I see it.I hope to get pics working again soon and will try not to get lazy and not post for weeks.
Friday, August 19, 2005
selfless
Think on This ...
Know, self is the only excuse. Self is the only sin; that is, selfishness--and all the others are just a modification of that expression of the ego. But so close is the ego, the I Am, to the Great I Am, That I Am, that the confusions of duty and privilege and opportunity become so enmeshed in the experience of the entity.
And so great are the abilities of the entity to make of this experience a glory for the living God, that to fail would be indeed calamitous in the experience of this soul!
Edgar Cayce Reading 1362-1
Know, self is the only excuse. Self is the only sin; that is, selfishness--and all the others are just a modification of that expression of the ego. But so close is the ego, the I Am, to the Great I Am, That I Am, that the confusions of duty and privilege and opportunity become so enmeshed in the experience of the entity.
And so great are the abilities of the entity to make of this experience a glory for the living God, that to fail would be indeed calamitous in the experience of this soul!
Edgar Cayce Reading 1362-1
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Ideals we set
And O that all would realize, come to the consciousness that what we are--in any given experience, or time--is the combined results of what we have done about the ideals that we have set!
Edgar Cayce Reading 1549-1
Edgar Cayce Reading 1549-1
Friday, August 05, 2005
Truth
Your first glimpse of Truth
will leave you speechless.
First,
because of surprise.
Second,
because words fail to describe it.
Even these words.
will leave you speechless.
First,
because of surprise.
Second,
because words fail to describe it.
Even these words.
Friday, July 29, 2005
He That Contributes
For he that contributes only to his own welfare soon finds little to work for. He that contributes only to the welfare of others soon finds too much of others and has lost the appreciation of self, or of its ideals.
. . . Know that the power or strength for any influence as related to the help of others must come from the universal source and not from self alone. For the individual may sow the seed, the Infinite must give the increase--it must do the multiplying. Man can detract, but he can add little to God's purpose in the earth save through the grace and mercy of God Himself.
Edgar Cayce Reading 3478-2
. . . Know that the power or strength for any influence as related to the help of others must come from the universal source and not from self alone. For the individual may sow the seed, the Infinite must give the increase--it must do the multiplying. Man can detract, but he can add little to God's purpose in the earth save through the grace and mercy of God Himself.
Edgar Cayce Reading 3478-2
Thursday, July 28, 2005
The one you Feed
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and
faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and
faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Rise and Fall
When a music instrument is played, a sound arises.
There is no place where it came from.
And there is no place it disappears to.
In the same way, all things and their parts,
material and mental, rise and fall.
There is only rising and falling;
there is no riser or faller.
Likewise, there is Enlightenment but no one enlightened -
it is one who has no self,
who realises non-self,
who frees him-"self".
www.Buddhanet.com
There is no place where it came from.
And there is no place it disappears to.
In the same way, all things and their parts,
material and mental, rise and fall.
There is only rising and falling;
there is no riser or faller.
Likewise, there is Enlightenment but no one enlightened -
it is one who has no self,
who realises non-self,
who frees him-"self".
www.Buddhanet.com
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Monday, July 11, 2005
Nothing in the World is a gift
Nothing in the world is a gift. Whatever there is to learn has to be learned the hard way.
Turn my concepts into a viable way of life by a process of repetition. Everything new in our lives, such as the sorcerers' concepts I am teaching you, must be repeated to us to the point of exhaustion before we open ourselves to it.
DON JUAN
Turn my concepts into a viable way of life by a process of repetition. Everything new in our lives, such as the sorcerers' concepts I am teaching you, must be repeated to us to the point of exhaustion before we open ourselves to it.
DON JUAN
Knowledge
The frightening nature of knowledge leaves one no alternative
but to become a warrior.
Carlos Castaneda
but to become a warrior.
Carlos Castaneda
Thursday, July 07, 2005
The Hermit
A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts about learning from anyone; but upon hearing about a famous hermit living nearby, the opportunity was too exciting to be passed up.
The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the hermit was using the same mantra he used himself -- but when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified!
"What's wrong?" asked the hermit.
"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!"
"Oh, Dear! That is terrible. How should I say it?"
The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit.
"It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat.
"Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?"
"You obviously don't need it," stammered the meditator; but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced.
The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.
The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the hermit was using the same mantra he used himself -- but when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified!
"What's wrong?" asked the hermit.
"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!"
"Oh, Dear! That is terrible. How should I say it?"
The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit.
"It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat.
"Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?"
"You obviously don't need it," stammered the meditator; but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced.
The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.
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