Category: Artifact

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Dedication of Merit

Dhamma wheel

With intent to:

Arouse skillful means of bodhichitta to ensure accumulation of positive merit; avoid conceptualization so merit is not destroyed by circumstance;  seal action by dedicating accumulated merit…

“By this accumulation of virtues, May I attain all-seeing omniscience and may all faults be annihilated. The whirling turbulent waves of birth, old age, sickness and death, from this ocean of Samsara, May I liberate beings.”

All beings are Buddhas, but this is concealed by adventitious stains. When their stains are purified their Buddhahood is revealed.

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Concentrate, Contemplate, Meditate…

Concentration of Mindfulness of Breathing (Ānāpānasati)

Mindfulness of breathing developed and repeatedly practiced, is of great fruit, of great benefit; mindfulness of breathing developed and repeatedly practiced, perfects the four foundations of mindfulness; the four foundations of mindfulness, developed and repeatedly practiced, perfect the seven enlightenment factors (mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity); the seven enlightenment factors, developed and repeatedly practiced, perfect clear vision and deliverance.

Concentrate, contemplate, meditate…

This is a certain body among bodies, namely, the breath.

  • Know, “I breathe in long”; or “I breathe out long.”;
  • Or “I breathe in short”; or “I breathe out short.”
  • Experience the whole body breathe in, thus breathe out
  • Calm the body formations breathe in, thus breathe out

Abide contemplating body in body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and grief regarding the world.

This is a certain feeling among feelings, namely, the complete attention to in-breathing and out-breathing.

  • Experiencing rapture breathe in, thus breathe out
  • 
Experiencing bliss breathe in, thus breathe out
  • Experiencing the mental formations breathe in, thus breathe out
  • Calming the mental formations breathe in, thus breathe out

Abide contemplating feelings in feeling, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and grief regarding the world.

There is no development of mindfulness of breathing in one who is forgetful and does not clearly comprehend.

  • Experiencing the mind breathe in, thus breathe out
  • Gladdening the mind breathe in, thus breathe out
  • 
Concentrating the mind breathe in, thus breathe out
  • Liberating the mind breathe in, thus breathe out

Abide contemplating mind in mind, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and grief regarding the world.

Having seen with understanding what is the abandoning of covetousness and grief, become one who looks on with complete equanimity.

  • Contemplating impermanence breathe in, thus breathe out
  • Contemplating fading away breathe in, thus breathe out
  • 
Contemplating cessation breathe in, thus breathe out
  • Contemplating relinquishment breathe in, thus breathe out

Abide contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and grief regarding worldly attachments.

Concentrate, contemplate, meditate, liberate .

Continue reading “Concentrate, Contemplate, Meditate…”

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Composition on Dissolution of Illusion

Pale reflective of a brilliant jewel, the Satipatthana

The Four Arousings of Mindfulness,
the right path, for attainment…

Contemplating internally and externally
origination and dissolution,
ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful…

Without illusion for illusion conditioned composite, dispelled:

Abiding, contemplating…

1) Without covetousness and grief in body
for body conditioned composite…

Awareness of the body as transient, compound form.

2) Without covetousness and grief in feelings
for feelings conditioned composite…

Awareness of feelings as conditioned, reactive responses.

3) Without covetousness and grief in consciousness
for consciousness conditioned composite…

Awareness of mind as habituated, temporary moods.

4) Without covetousness and grief in phenomena
for phenomena conditioned composite…

Awareness of phenomena as constructed mental states. 

Contemplating internally and externally
origination and dissolution,
ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful.

This is the only way for the purification of beings,
for overcoming sorrow and lamentation,
for the destruction of suffering and grief.

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With Whole Heart Desire

Praise be to the ‘ī-her,
Inner ‘īghts heaven soar,
Lion of Judah roared,
“Praises to the most ‘īgh,
Ras tafarī!”

In Jah house for ī-ver more,
my refuge on path to lī-beration,
without hate, greed, nor ī-llusion.
Of any means to them end,
“Wherein all find refuge on path to lī-beration,
Absent hate, greed, and ī-llusion,
In Jah house for ī-ver more.”

Lion of Judah roared,
“Praise be to the most ‘īgh,
Ras tafarī!”

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For Light and Transient Causes…

From: Preliminaries of the Farsees: “Ced’a-meon League Recognition of Rights” of contextual relevance to “Declaration of War against the Ri’cilian Coalition”

I. Ced’a-meon League Recognition of Rights 

Establishing
No matter place or culture, human nature is remarkably similar.

Man, on the whole, is more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to abolish the forms to which they are accustomed.

Laws codify revelation of that self-evident, in harmony with natural order. Rules of Law that protect selfish or select interests sow disorder by infringing on natural rights and are means of oppression.

A government of the people is one beholden to its citizens, when citizens are beholden to the government it is an authoritative entity, dictating rights not protecting them. Any government that is not local, by definition, is an authoritative entity, dictating rights not protecting them.

Natural Order
These truths are self-evident, that all are created equal, endowed with rights to life, pursuit of freedom, and liberty.

1. There are no other laws other than natural law.
2. All have right to throw off and oppose any who would shackle and oppress.
3. Take not revolution in vain, make just your cause.
4. If you would govern, reflect on and abide in natural law as it relates to self and others.
5. If you would be governed, reflect on government, its price, versus freedoms given and those taken.
6. Do not kill.
7. Do not take nor covet what is not yours.
8. Recognize the rights of others as thus explained.
9. Protect those rights collectively conforming, to these principles.
10. Bear witness to truth.

Declaration
One needs no other cause to declaration of separation from that which opposes the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.

II. Ced’a-meon League’s Declaration of War against the Ri’cilian Coalition

Whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of the natural order as codified in the Declaration of Rights, it is the right of the threatened and oppressed to oppose said despotism. It is the right of those threatened and oppressed to lay a foundation on such principles and organize means in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety, freedom and liberty.

Wherein the Ri’cilian Coalition and the Ced’a-meon League having deposed the Zi’anian Empire, the League has taken the mantel of protectorate of its member states. The Coalition, under guise of democracy, has repeatedly demonstrated its intent to replace by force and coercion the Zi’anian Empire, as hegemonic despot of the Phateon System.

On numerous occasions the League has broached the “Charters of the Alliance” as retained in “The Dissolution Treaty” and further have shown disregard for the treaties stipulations on Planetary Law. See “Appendix 1: Grievances” to this declaration for a complete listing of explicit Treaty violations.

Most grievous, having directly involved itself in the War of Unification on Lis’inth on behalf of Peleios against League State Elean, the Coalition has demonstrated its greatest disregard for the “Charters of the Alliance” as retained in “The Dissolution Treaty” and threaten the existence of the League itself by having:

  1. Directly intervened in the Battle of Paleo Bay on behalf of Peleios against Elean, a League State.
  2. Encroached on Planetary Law with one of its Battle Fleets when intervening in the Battle of Paleo Bay.
  3. Directly threatened the way of life and existence of the League and her individual states by disregarding the expressed concerns of the League as outlined in the “Lis’inthian Accords”.

The Ced’a-meon League, consisting of Ced’a-meon Proper, States of Arcania, and Lis’inth Elania, hereby declare the dissolution of the “Lis’inthian Accords” and further absolve themselves from the “Charters of the Alliance” as retained in “The Dissolution Treaty.”

The Ced’a-meon League and individual charter states declare war on E’ricle and any state in alliance with E’ricle in this matter.

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Impermanence

Dhamma wheel

”Nothing, from the highest states of existence down to the lowest hells, has even a scrap of permanence or stability. Everything is subject to change, everything waxes and wanes.”

…

Geshe Potowa [states] “If you want to use a single Dharma practice, to meditate on impermanence is the most important.

At first meditation on death and impermanence makes you take up the Dharma; in the middle it conduces to positive practice; in the end it helps you realize the sameness of all phenomena.

At first meditation on impermanence makes you cut your ties with the things of this life; in the middle it conduces to your casting off all clinging to samsara; in the end it helps you take up the path of nirvana.

At first meditation on impermanence makes you develop faith; in the middle it conduces to diligence in your practice; in the end it helps you give birth to wisdom.

At first meditation on impermanence, until you are fully convinced, makes you search for the Dharma; in the middle it conduces to practice; in the end it helps you attain the ultimate goal.

At first meditation on impermanence, until you are fully convinced, makes you practice with a diligence which protects you like armor; in the middle it conduces to your practicing with a diligence in action; in the end it helps you practice with a diligence that is insatiable.” 

…

“Bless me and misguided beings like me, that we may truly understand impermanence”

Selections from “Words of My Perfect Teacher” chapter 2, “The impermanence of life” by Patrul Rinpoche

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Numbers

Dhamma wheel

Five Perfections of Dharma: the perfect… place; teacher; assembly; teaching; time

Three Defects of The Pot: the pot… upside-down; cracked; tainted 

Six Stains: pride, lack of faith, lack of effort, outward distractions, inward tension, discouragement 

Five Wrong Ways of Remembering:

  • remembering the words, forgetting their meaning
  • remembering their meaning, forgetting the words
  • remembering both, without understanding
  • remembering out of order
  • remembering incorrectly

Four Metaphors:  Ill, the Dharma my remedy, the teacher a skillful doctor, and diligent practice the way to recovery

Six Transcendent Perfections: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, wisdom

Eight States Without Freedom to Attain Liberation: born in hellish state, born in a ghoulish state, born as an animal,  a long-lived God, born as a barbarian, deaf and mute, born  when there has been no Buddha, having wrong views

Five Individual Advantages: born a human, in a central place, with one’s faculties, without conflicting lifestyle, with faith in Dharma 

Five Circumstantial Advantages: a Buddha has appeared, has preached the Dharma, his teachings still exist and can be followed, there are those who are kind-hearted

Eight  Incidental Circumstances (that leave no freedom to practice): misled by corrupting influences, possessed by five poisons (anger/hate, ignorance/delusion, desire/grasping, jealousy, pride/arrogance), overtaken by karmic forces, laziness, under the control of another, practicing out of insecurity or fear, pretending to practice, senseless stupidity

Eight  Incompatible Propensities (that leave no freedom to practice): not fully committed to renunciation, without faith in Dharma or teacher, too attached to wealth and/or family, engaged in degenerate behavior, not avoiding non-virtuous acts, not interested in the Dharma, breaking Sutrayana vows, breaking Tantrayana samaya commitments  

“If at this time I am unable to attain the essence, in the future it will be even more difficult to have the fortune to obtain a human life, so I must practice well in this life time.”

“Thus having found the freedoms of a human life, if now I fail to train myself in virtue, what greater folly could there ever be? How more could I betray myself?” -Bodhicharyavatara

From “Words Of My Perfect Teacher” Chapter 1, The Difficulty Of Finding The Freedoms and Advantages.

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Beyond the Shore…

“… suppose that this great earth were to be an ocean upon which a single yoke were being tossed about by the wind and thus being moved from here to there. And suppose if under that ocean there were a blind turtle, do you think it would be easy for it to insert its head into that yoke when it rises to the surface only once every hundred years? In a similar fashion it is extremely hard to obtain the human state.” -Bodhicharyavatara