Many thanks for letting me re-join the group. Love, Yanie.

In a cloudless night sky, the full moon,
“The Lord of Stars,” is about to rise . . .
The face of my compassionate lord, Padmasambhava,
Draws me on, radiating its tender welcome.

My delight in death is far, far greater than
The delight of traders at making vast fortunes at sea,
Or the lords of the gods who vaunt their victory in battle;
Or of those sages who have entered the rapture of perfect absorption.
So just as a traveler who sets out on the road when the time has come to go,
I will not remain in this world any longer,
But will go to dwell in the stronghold of the great bliss of deathlessness.


THE LAST TESTAMENT OF LONGCHENPA


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is only one way of attaining liberation and of obtaining the
omniscience of enlightenment: following an authentic spiritual master. He is
the guide that will help you to cross the ocean of samsara.


The sun and the moon are reflected in clear, still water instantly.
Similarly, the blessings of all the buddhas are always present for those who
have complete confidence in them. The sun’s rays fall everywhere uniformly,
but only where they are focused through a magnifying glass can they set dry
grass on fire. When the all-pervading rays of the Buddha’s compassion are
focused through the magnifying glass of your faith and devotion, the flame
of blessings blazes up in your being.

DILGO KHYENTSE RINPOCHE

Dudjom Rinpoche used to tell the story of a powerful bandit in India, who,
after countless successful raids, realized the terrible suffering he had
been causing. He yearned for some way of atoning for what he had done, and
visited a famous master. He asked him: “I am a sinner, I am in torment.
What’s the way out? What can I do?”

The master looked the bandit up and down and then asked him what he was good
at.

“Nothing,” replied the bandit.

“Nothing?” barked the master. “You must be good at something!”

The bandit was silent for a while, and eventually admitted: “Actually there
is one thing I have a talent for, and that’s stealing.”

The master chuckled: “Good! That’s exactly the skill you’ll need now. Go to
a quiet place and rob all your perceptions, and steal all the stars and
planets in the sky, and dissolve them into the belly of emptiness, the
all-encompassing space of the nature of mind.”

Within twenty-one days, the bandit had realized the nature of his mind, and
eventually came to be regarded as one of the great saints of India.


Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When someone is suffering and you find yourself at a loss to know how to
help, put yourself unflinchingly in his or her place. Imagine as vividly as
possible what you would be going through if you were suffering the same
pain. Ask yourself: “How would I feel? How would I want my friends to treat
me? What would I most want from them?”

When you exchange yourself for others in this way, you are directly
transferring your cherishing from its usual object, yourself, to other
beings. So exchanging yourself for others is a very powerful way of
loosening the hold on you of the self-cherishing and the self-grasping of
ego, and so of releasing the heart of your compassion.


Sogyal Rinpoche

This is wonderful, Joyce. Congrats.

Ken/

--- Kindnsruls@... wrote:

> Last night, after Khensur Rinpoche taught, a group
> got together and had a
> meeting.
>
> Due to the kind influence of Lama Zopa, who wishes
> to see the Guhyasamaja
> Center get "off the ground," and having put together
> a small group of
> practitioners, a group willing to make the necessary
> commitments of time  and finance,
> Khensur Rinpoche has accepted our request to return
> in March 06,  and remain
> for six months as our resident teacher!
>
> This is wonderful news for any who live in the Wash
> DC/NoVA area!
>
> For the first time, this area will have a resident
> teacher.
>
> I know there are only a couple of folks here, who
> have mentioned that  they
> are in this area, but I urge you to consider
> becoming a center member at  this
> time, so that we might continue to develop, and have
> the membership which
> will support another resident after Rinpoche's stay.
>
> It is quite an honor to have Khensur Rinpoche, he is
> a teacher of teachers,
> and rarely commits to a center, especially a
> fledgling center, in this  manner.
>
> Rinpoche is not only a fully qualified sutrayana,
> tantrayana, and vajrayana
> teacher, but a Master practitioner himself having
> high realization. It is a
> huge blessing, to have opportunity to receive
> teaching from him.
>
> For membership information :
> _http://www.guhyasamaja.org/
>
>
> Joyce
>
>
> If you  want to know your past life, look into your
> present condition;
> If you  want to know your future life; look at your
> present actions.
> ~ Padmasambhava ~
>
> _ (http://www.guhyasamaja.org/Joyce If you want to
> know your past life, look
> into your present condition; If you want to know
> your future life; look at
> your present actions. ~ Padmasambhava ~)
>




__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com

Well hello there,my name is Michael,but friends call me Mikey.Well I
am here to basically learn more about Tibetan Buddhism.I hope I don't
sound like a complete moron,but I will probably ask quite a few
questions.I am currently reading a book called The Art of Happiness,A
Handbook for Living,by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,and Howard C Cutler
M.D. Iamfinding this book quite interesting,however there is somuch
information out there.I guess I will start out with a few basic
questions.1st are there any holidays,or Holy days of observance,are
there specific candles,or incense to light,or burn,and if so what are
they,and what meaning do they have?Are there any foods,or special
diets?Well I hope to eventually find answers,and not to just these
basic questions,but to many more.
Thank you.
Michael.

Hello, my name is Ron. Ive not leanred much about buddhism other than
most of the story of buddhas life and also a as-of-yet very limited
understanding of buddhism as a whole. I have however begun recently to
lean very heavily toward it with what i know abot it and am trying to
learn as much as possible. Today Something terrible happened and I
need some help copeing. Let me explain. But before I start I would
like to ask that only those of you who believe in life after death
respond, I know many buddhists dont beleive or are unsure about
it.here I go. Last night I had to take my dog to the vet she had been
really sick and we werent sure what it was ( i wont go into detail as
to what it was because i dont want to go on an on) we had the option
of leaving her over night to have some tests run or take her home, we
decided she would be better there. They gave her a sedative and took
her out of the room. They called us this morning....and she had died
in her sleep in the night. I feel terrible, because as they took her
out they room she had this sad look like she was either saying goodbye
for the last time or like she was being abandoned. It was the first
time shes ever spent a night away from home. She died all alone and
may have felt abandoned, because we chose to leave her there. I feel
pain for her to have died alone and felt like that but i also feel
pain for me becauseI am carrying a huge feeling of guilt.I also feel
terrible because i said goodbye in such a way as see you tommorow. I
didnt get to part with her properly. what i want to know is. are there
any entities or bodhisattvas in buddhism who can help me deal with
this? There is no thing on this planet in the fleash that can make
provide me with closure.....but i would like to get the chance to
explain myself to my girl and to make sure everything is ok and that
we can have closure. I dont know wether or not afterlife even exists
but at this point its too painful to think it doesnt.I burried her
ealier today in the country and i need to know if what i want is
possible before too much time passes as i do not know how long a
spirit stays in the afterlife before it makes plans to
rencarnate.Thank you so much and I apologize for typeing so long and
sounding so pathetice but belive me i feel pathetic. Im not a very
good example of buddhist de-tatchment.If you can help please do, i
cant remember a time ive felt so much sadness. ~Ron

If this is so....then what is the point? actually i should refer to
the state of enlightenmnet i suppose. Is it to not exist anymore? If
form and consciousness and everything impermanent is mara then to not
be concious must be not mara correct? but if one is not concious how
does one exist....wich brings me to the idea of bodhisattvas, and
buddha himself....if they are not concious how is it that they exist
outside of reincarnation?


--- In Buddhism_101@yahoogroups.com, "Bhikkhu Samahita"
<bhikkhu.samahita@g...> wrote:
> Friends:
>
>   What is Mara, Transient, Painful, No-Self & a State of Ceasing ?
>
>   At Savatthi. While seated, the Venerable Radha asked the Blessed One:
>   Venerable Sir, one says: Mara, Mara!! What, Venerable Sir, is Evil
Mara?
>   Radha, form, feeling, perception, mental construction, and
consciousness
>   is Mara, is a state of Mara, is impermanent, is of an impermanent
nature,
>   is suffering, is of a painful nature, is no-self, is of an
impersonal nature,
>   is in a state of destruction, is in a state of vanishing, is a
fluctuating state,
>   is always in a state of momentary ceasing...
>   Radha, you should therefore leave behind desire, should leave
behind lust,
>   you should leave behind all desire and lust for whatever is a
state of Mara,
>   for whatever is impermanent, for whatever is only impermanent
appearance,
>   for whatever is suffering, for whatever is of a painful nature,
for whatever
>   is no-self, for whatever is of a selfless nature, for whatever is
a state of
>   destruction, for whatever is a state of vanishing, for whatever is
in a state
>   of arising, for whatever that is a state of cessation... And what,
Radha, is a
>   state of cessation? Form is a state of cessation. Feeling,
Perception, Mental
>   Constructions, and this Consciousness is also a state of
continuous ceasing...
>   Understanding this, Radha, the well instructed Noble Disciple
experiences
>   disgust towards form, disgust towards feeling, disgust towards
perception,
>   disgust towards mental construction, & disgust towards
consciousness itself!
>   Experiencing disgust, he becomes disillusioned! Through
disillusion his mind
>   is released. When it is released, one instantly knows: This mind
is liberated,
>   and one understands: Extinguished is birth, this Noble Life is all
completed,
>   done is what should be done, there is no state of being beyond this...
>
>     Source:
>     The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 23:24-34 III 199
>     http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
>     http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
>
>
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> PS: Please include the word Samahita in any comment, since then
> will my automatic mail filters pick it up and I will see it & respond!!
>
>  Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
>
>  Friendship is the Greatest ...
>  Let there be Calm & Free Bliss !!!
>
>  http://www.What-Buddha-Said.org/
>  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddha-Direct
>  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/What_Buddha_Said
>  Dhamma-Questions sent to my email are quite Welcome.

Whatever meditation method you use, drop it, or simply let it dissolve on
its own, when you find that you have arrived naturally at a state of alert,
expansive, and vibrant peace. Then remain there quietly, undistracted,
without necessarily using any particular method. The method has already
achieved its purpose. However, if you do stray or become distracted, then
return to whatever technique is most appropriate to call you back.

Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We often wonder: “How will I be when I die?” The answer to that is that
whatever state of mind we are in now, whatever kind of person we are now,
that’s what we will be like at the moment of death, if we do not change.
This is why it is so absolutely important to use this lifetime to purify our
mindstream, and so our basic being and character, while we can.



Sogyal Rinpoche

Thanks, I just think I need time to get over it and I have to not
blame myself. Afterall we were doing what we thought was best, we did
what we thought was right and we tried, one cant be expected to do
much more than what they feel is right and best. Its just hard when
your mind starts to blame itself. Im sure ill get over it in time
afterall it did just happen very recently so I havnt had time to heal.
Thank you. I wouldnt have written such a message but i didnt know
where else to ask about such things. I apreciate it. You will most
likely see more of me as things get better and i start studying
buddhism more. ~Ron


--- In Buddhism_101@yahoogroups.com, "Julie J." <jlcrane@a...> wrote:
> Ron,
>
> Please know that there are others that feel for you.  I had to make
the decision to let my Tia go on, just a few weeks ago.  It was by far
the hardest decision I have ever Made in my entire life.  There was a
discussion shortly afterward on this list about the life energy going
into an intermediate state before moving on to the next life form.
I'm sorry I don't know all the correct words for this.  Personally, I
feel like the karma that is accrued in this lifetime, whether it be
dog, person or butterfly, helps to determine where we go next.  So
when I see a new born baby or an earthworm struggling to find a cool
spot in the grass, or sometimes just a warm breeze I remember that
life is a beautiful thing and now Tia has moved on to another chance
at attaining her own enlightenment.  Losing a loved one is difficult.
  Try to remember that this is just one small stop on an immeasurable
journey.
>
> May you find peace,
> Julie

Hi Ron, I'm new here and will post an intro later but just wanted to say
that I'm so sorry for the loss of your wonderful dog. It sounds like you did
everything you could but that she decided it was time to go.. I really
appreciate you sharing this so bravely, as my own dog Tai has an progressive
incurable disease and I know that he will be entering the circle of rebirth
sometime soon. Your kindness in sharing your heart has benefited me and
helped me to accept that I will have to let him go without judging myself
for it.

It sounds to me like your dog was a wonderful Dharma teacher in that she
demonstrated  great loving kindness by sparing you the pain of watching her
leave. I recently read that anyone or anything can be an emanation of the
Buddha and perhaps she was.

It sounds like you are working through the guilt just fine but just let
yourself be with it if it comes up again. I have found that sometimes doing
a meditation where I breathe in the feeling to its fullest extent, let it
completely fill me without judgment, then pause and let it be transformed
from darkness to light. I then breath it out as pure Buddha light to benefit
all others who are suffering that feeling or emotion. I know this is
probably not strict Buddhist practice but it has really helped me to be with
and then release what needs to go.

The White Tara of compassion has always been a mother figure to me and I
find her very comforting. I often mediate on her when things are difficult
allow her to wrap me in her compassion. I don't have my links here but if
you do a google search you can find a lot about her.

I'm new here so i'm not sure what your practice is but you could pray for
her every day for 49 days as many Buddhist schools believe that we are
reborn on the 49th day after death. This is supposed to positively affect
rebirth. Maybe on day 49 you could have a little ritual and send her on her
way? I'm sure that everyone here is a lot more knowledgeable then I am on
this and could give you better information.

Thanks again and I am thinking of you and your dog and asking that rebirth
is very beneficial to her, this time round. Love, Robin

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/

If it is true that she could have been an emanation I believe its very
likely. She was the greatest friend. I have anxiety disorder and
depression and when i was younger before i learned to cope sometimes i
would grab her and hang on and she never got upset and never tried to
squirm too far away and stayed by my side. she always knew when
something was wrong. and she hung on so long for us...and she never
complained, or cried.she knew we needed her.do you really believe she
died there to spare us the pain of euthanizing her and watching her
slip away? thats a good way of seeing it.altho with the belief of
reincarnation, I know i would never realize it, I hope that someday in
some life we will cross paths again.and if I ever acheive enlightnment
I will try to guide her as well as all others along, as those before
us are doing.thank you for shareing as well about your dog and I wish
you the best with your impending loss.Just take my advice and make
sure that if you are aware so that before your dog dies youll have the
cance to say a proper goodbye one last time before he goes. I dint get
to say goodbye to mine. And its important, it should ease hings on
you. Its also good your aware for sure that your little friend is
dying because now you will know what to expect and you will have some
bonding time with your pet. Our dog slipped so fast that it made our
heads spin. I know there might be some people here who never get that
attached to an animal but there are people out there who treat pets as
if they were part of the family.thanks. Ron


--- In Buddhism_101@yahoogroups.com, "dharma dog" <dharma-dog@h...> wrote:
> Hi Ron, I'm new here and will post an intro later but just wanted to
say
> that I'm so sorry for the loss of your wonderful dog. It sounds like
you did
> everything you could but that she decided it was time to go.. I really
> appreciate you sharing this so bravely, as my own dog Tai has an
progressive
> incurable disease and I know that he will be entering the circle of
rebirth
> sometime soon. Your kindness in sharing your heart has benefited me and
> helped me to accept that I will have to let him go without judging
myself
> for it.
>
> It sounds to me like your dog was a wonderful Dharma teacher in that
she
> demonstrated  great loving kindness by sparing you the pain of
watching her
> leave. I recently read that anyone or anything can be an emanation
of the
> Buddha and perhaps she was.
>
> It sounds like you are working through the guilt just fine but just let
> yourself be with it if it comes up again. I have found that
sometimes doing
> a meditation where I breathe in the feeling to its fullest extent,
let it
> completely fill me without judgment, then pause and let it be
transformed
> from darkness to light. I then breath it out as pure Buddha light to
benefit
> all others who are suffering that feeling or emotion. I know this is
> probably not strict Buddhist practice but it has really helped me to
be with
> and then release what needs to go.
>
> The White Tara of compassion has always been a mother figure to me
and I
> find her very comforting. I often mediate on her when things are
difficult
> allow her to wrap me in her compassion. I don't have my links here
but if
> you do a google search you can find a lot about her.
>
> I'm new here so i'm not sure what your practice is but you could
pray for
> her every day for 49 days as many Buddhist schools believe that we are
> reborn on the 49th day after death. This is supposed to positively
affect
> rebirth. Maybe on day 49 you could have a little ritual and send her
on her
> way? I'm sure that everyone here is a lot more knowledgeable then I
am on
> this and could give you better information.
>
> Thanks again and I am thinking of you and your dog and asking that
rebirth
> is very beneficial to her, this time round. Love, Robin
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's
FREE!
> http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/

So I'm sitting hear thinking about God.  And I am wondering how a
Buddhist answers the question, "Do you believe in God?"  I have seen
literature that says some question the status of Buddhism as a
religion.  Perhaps it is a matter of semantics.  The best I can
understand, Buddhists believe in a single existing thing.  I am this
thing, you are this thing, everything is this thing, all Gods children
are this thing, subatomic particles are each this thing,  every wave of
energy is this thing, even empty space is this thing.  And I am not
mentioning parts of the thing.  Each is the entire thing.  The thing is
all powerful since all power would be the thing.  The thing is all
knowing since all knowledge is the thing.  The thing must be conscious
since consciousness would be the thing.  Maybe that is the meaning of
life-to develop intelligence and become aware of the thing.  Thus the
thing becomes aware of itself.  At any rate, can the Buddhist honestly
answer, "yes," to the question, "Do you believe in God?" holding the
thing to be God?

Friend Ron wrote:

      >But if one is not conscious in Nibbana how does one exist!

     When you sleep & is unconscious how do you exist ?

     Consciousness is a momentary discreet blinking of aware moments
     even now when you read this mail...
     In between these aware moments, are very short unconscious
     moments! ~ 1 billion per second! In the same way you 'exist' in
     these unconscious moments, right here and now, do one 'exist'
     in Nibbana...

  Friendship is the Greatest ...
  Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
  http://www.What-Buddha-Said.org/ <http://www.what-buddha-said.org/>
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddha-Direct
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/What_Buddha_Said

Using the mantra, offer your heart and soul in fervent and one-pointed
devotion, and merge and mix and blend your mind with that of Padmasambhava
or your master.

Gradually you will feel yourself coming closer to Padmasambhava, and closing
the gap between you and his wisdom mind. Slowly, through the blessing and
power of this practice, you will find you actually experience your mind
being transformed into the wisdom mind of Padmasambhava and the master: You
begin to recognize their indivisibility. Just as if you put your finger into
water it will get wet, and if you put it into fire it will burn, so if you
invest your mind in the wisdom mind of the buddhas it will transform into
their wisdom nature.

What happens is that gradually your mind begins to find itself in the state
of Rigpa, as the innermost nature of mind is nothing other than the wisdom
mind of all the buddhas. It is as if your ordinary mind gradually dies and
dissolves, and your pure awareness, your buddha nature, your inner teacher,
is revealed. This is the true meaning of “blessing”–a transformation in
which your mind transcends into the state of the absolute.

Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why exactly are we so frightened of death that we avoid looking at it
altogether? Somewhere, deep down, we know we cannot avoid facing death
forever. We know, in Milarepa’s words: “This thing called ‘corpse’ we dread
so much is living with us here and now.”



Sogyal Rinpoche

This is great, Joyce. Thank you.
Ken/

--- Kindnsruls@... wrote:

> For three days at least, you pet will still be able
> to hear you, so speak  to
> her.
>
> Tell her that all she is seeing is merely display of
> mind and there is
> nothing to be frightened by. This may sound silly as
> she has recently been  a dog,
> but the imprinting of this thought is a good action
> to take.
>
> The sudden death, and mind without the capacity to
> practice and prepare for
> the death means there is surely much fright and
> confusion. She can see you,
> and  her home, but will not understand why she is
> separated and unable to reach
> you.  This causes great sadness for the newly dead,
> and this sorrowful state
> will  become a part of the rebirth.
>
> Fill her food dish at meal times....treat her as
> though she is till there,
> because she may certainly be there, just out of
> range of human  sense awareness.
> The object is to soothe the fear and cause some
> peace in her  mind.
>
> Say Medicine Buddha Mantra's (below) to avoid her
> taking rebirth in  the
> lower realms.
> Continue this practice for 49 days, which is said to
> be the longest  duration
> of the Intermediate State, before rebirth is taken.
> She may take  rebirth
> sooner, but there is no way to know, so practices
> are continued for 49  days.
>
> It is also said, that there is a "small death"
> experienced on the same day
> of each week as the gross bodily death occurred over
> those 49 days, so pay
> particular attention to that day, and say mantra's,
> dedicate all mantra's,
> prayers, and wishes immediately upon completion to
> her higher rebirth, and  the
> liberation of all sentient beings.
>
> TAY-A-TAH OM BEK-HAN-ZE BEK-HAN-ZE MAHA BEK-HAN-ZE
> BEK-HAN-ZE RHADZA
> SAM-MUN-GA-TE SOHA  (mantra of Medicine Buddha)
>
>
>
> Here is also the short prayer for rebirth in
> Dewachen.
> Do 21 recitations, either in English or in the
> phonetic Tibetan.
>
>
> BRIEF PRAYER TO BE REBORN
> IN  THE BLISSFUL PURE LAND  OF AMITABHA
> EM AM HO/
> Eh Ma Ho!
> NGO TSHAR SANG-GYE NANG WA TH' YE DANG/
> In the center is the marvelous Buddha of Boundless
> Light,  [Amitabha]
> YE  SU JO WO THUG JE CHEN PO  DANG/
> On the right side is the Lord of Great Compassion
> [Chenrezig]
> YON  DU SEM PA THU SHEN THOB NAM  LA/
> And on the left is [Vajrapani], the Lord of Powerful
>  Means.
> SANG GYE CHANG SEM PAG MED KHOR GYI KOR/
> All are surrounded by limitless Buddhas and
> Bodhisattvas.
> DE KYID NGO TSHAR PAG TU MED PA YI/
> This land of immeasurable peace and happiness.
> DE WA CHEN ZHE CHA WA'L CHING KAM DER/
> Is  the blissful pure land  of Dewachen.
> DAG ZHAN DI NE TSHE PHO GYUR MA THAG/
> When I and all beings pass from this life,
> KYE WA ZHAN GYI BAR MA CHÖ PA RU/
> May we be born there without taking samsaric rebirth
>
> DE RU KYI NE NANG THA'I ZHAL THONG SHOG/
> May I have the blessing of meeting
> DE KAD DAG GI MON LAM TAB PA DI/
> Amitabha face to face.
> CHOG CHU  SANG GYE CHANG SEM THAM CHE KYI/
> By the power and blessings of the Buddhas and
> Bodhisattvas of the ten
> directions,
> GEG MED DRUB PAR JYIN GYI LAB TU SOL/
> May I attain this aspiration without hindrance.
> TA YA THA/ PAN TSA DRI YA AWA BODHA NAYA SVAHA/
>




__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com

Welcome aboard, Michael. You'll find we have several
knowledgable people, here. Ask questions, someone will
try to answer.
Ken/

--- Michael <michaelr2110@...> wrote:

> Well hello there,my name is Michael,but friends call
> me Mikey.Well I
> am here to basically learn more about Tibetan
> Buddhism.I hope I don't
> sound like a complete moron,but I will probably ask
> quite a few
> questions.I am currently reading a book called The
> Art of Happiness,A
> Handbook for Living,by His Holiness the Dalai
> Lama,and Howard C Cutler
> M.D. Iamfinding this book quite interesting,however
> there is somuch
> information out there.I guess I will start out with
> a few basic
> questions.1st are there any holidays,or Holy days of
> observance,are
> there specific candles,or incense to light,or
> burn,and if so what are
> they,and what meaning do they have?Are there any
> foods,or special
> diets?Well I hope to eventually find answers,and not
> to just these
> basic questions,but to many more.
> Thank you.
> Michael.
>
>
>
>
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Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
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Ron, I was so sorry to hear about your loss. I have
lost many animal companions over my life. It will be
ok. Understand that this was a part of both you and
your dog's karma. Things work as they must. You have
received a couple of very good replies. Follow them.
Ken/
--- Ron <lil_savage2002@...> wrote:

> If it is true that she could have been an emanation
> I believe its very
> likely. She was the greatest friend. I have anxiety
> disorder and
> depression and when i was younger before i learned
> to cope sometimes i
> would grab her and hang on and she never got upset
> and never tried to
> squirm too far away and stayed by my side. she
> always knew when
> something was wrong. and she hung on so long for
> us...and she never
> complained, or cried.she knew we needed her.do you
> really believe she
> died there to spare us the pain of euthanizing her
> and watching her
> slip away? thats a good way of seeing it.altho with
> the belief of
> reincarnation, I know i would never realize it, I
> hope that someday in
> some life we will cross paths again.and if I ever
> acheive enlightnment
> I will try to guide her as well as all others along,
> as those before
> us are doing.thank you for shareing as well about
> your dog and I wish
> you the best with your impending loss.Just take my
> advice and make
> sure that if you are aware so that before your dog
> dies youll have the
> cance to say a proper goodbye one last time before
> he goes. I dint get
> to say goodbye to mine. And its important, it should
> ease hings on
> you. Its also good your aware for sure that your
> little friend is
> dying because now you will know what to expect and
> you will have some
> bonding time with your pet. Our dog slipped so fast
> that it made our
> heads spin. I know there might be some people here
> who never get that
> attached to an animal but there are people out there
> who treat pets as
> if they were part of the family.thanks. Ron
>
>
> --- In Buddhism_101@yahoogroups.com, "dharma dog"
> <dharma-dog@h...> wrote:
> > Hi Ron, I'm new here and will post an intro later
> but just wanted to
> say
> > that I'm so sorry for the loss of your wonderful
> dog. It sounds like
> you did
> > everything you could but that she decided it was
> time to go.. I really
> > appreciate you sharing this so bravely, as my own
> dog Tai has an
> progressive
> > incurable disease and I know that he will be
> entering the circle of
> rebirth
> > sometime soon. Your kindness in sharing your heart
> has benefited me and
> > helped me to accept that I will have to let him go
> without judging
> myself
> > for it.
> >
> > It sounds to me like your dog was a wonderful
> Dharma teacher in that
> she
> > demonstrated  great loving kindness by sparing you
> the pain of
> watching her
> > leave. I recently read that anyone or anything can
> be an emanation
> of the
> > Buddha and perhaps she was.
> >
> > It sounds like you are working through the guilt
> just fine but just let
> > yourself be with it if it comes up again. I have
> found that
> sometimes doing
> > a meditation where I breathe in the feeling to its
> fullest extent,
> let it
> > completely fill me without judgment, then pause
> and let it be
> transformed
> > from darkness to light. I then breath it out as
> pure Buddha light to
> benefit
> > all others who are suffering that feeling or
> emotion. I know this is
> > probably not strict Buddhist practice but it has
> really helped me to
> be with
> > and then release what needs to go.
> >
> > The White Tara of compassion has always been a
> mother figure to me
> and I
> > find her very comforting. I often mediate on her
> when things are
> difficult
> > allow her to wrap me in her compassion. I don't
> have my links here
> but if
> > you do a google search you can find a lot about
> her.
> >
> > I'm new here so i'm not sure what your practice is
> but you could
> pray for
> > her every day for 49 days as many Buddhist schools
> believe that we are
> > reborn on the 49th day after death. This is
> supposed to positively
> affect
> > rebirth. Maybe on day 49 you could have a little
> ritual and send her
> on her
> > way? I'm sure that everyone here is a lot more
> knowledgeable then I
> am on
> > this and could give you better information.
> >
> > Thanks again and I am thinking of you and your dog
> and asking that
> rebirth
> > is very beneficial to her, this time round. Love,
> Robin
> >
> >
>
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__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
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--- In Buddhism_101@yahoogroups.com, "homerdmc" <dcoufal6@a...> wrote:
> So I'm sitting hear thinking about God.  And I am wondering how a
> Buddhist answers the question, "Do you believe in God?"  I have
seen
> literature that says some question the status of Buddhism as a
> religion.  Perhaps it is a matter of semantics.  The best I can
> understand, Buddhists believe in a single existing thing.  I am
this
> thing, you are this thing, everything is this thing, all Gods
children
> are this thing, subatomic particles are each this thing,  every
wave of
> energy is this thing, even empty space is this thing.  And I am not
> mentioning parts of the thing.  Each is the entire thing.  The
thing is
> all powerful since all power would be the thing.  The thing is all
> knowing since all knowledge is the thing.  The thing must be
conscious
> since consciousness would be the thing.  Maybe that is the meaning
of
> life-to develop intelligence and become aware of the thing.  Thus
the
> thing becomes aware of itself.  At any rate, can the Buddhist
honestly
> answer, "yes," to the question, "Do you believe in God?" holding
the
> thing to be God?

If I may humbly toss a mere opinion in, and I'll be brief (grin).  I
think, after much study of religions and my beginning forays into
Buddhist thought, I've come to the conclusion that God is just as
much a human construct or a concept of a power that we can't quite
grasp.  I'm referring to the power that "holds things together", or
like the "engine" that keeps things moving the way things move... all
interdependent, no beginning, no end, etc.

For some, in the past, the inability to grasp the concept of infinite
possibilities, or things we couldn't understand in nature is what
gave birth to a dualistic concept of a Creator, and then one of a
Creator separated from the creation.

So for me, the concept of a God/-ess/Creator is as pointless as
trying to name, or find, the beginning of a thought as it arises.  To
say "Creator" we immediately imagine the concept of something
arising, from a finite point of non-existence to existence, *poof*
and there it is, but this is not the Buddhist way of thinking, as
I've come to understand it (I'm happily corrected where incorrect),
nor does it fit as I've experienced life, to date.  Nothing we know
of in scientific discovery, to date, supports the ideas of something
arising from nothingness, instantly or otherwise.  Everything down to
the smallest sub-atomic particle is still dependent upon something
else to exist or to come into being.

So I'd say if you want to call "It" "God"... then God is everything,
everything is God, but not separated from creation... there is no
beginning or end we're aware of... and so on.  This is part of what
gets the Church agitated because their whole "existence" as a
philosophy stands firmly on the concept of a beginning vs. an end.
For my opinion... nothing ever ends... it can shift to another form,
it might cease to exist as we (humans) know it, but it never really
ends, but rather it is the beginning of something else, and therefore
there's also no definite beginning.

The argument that everything is "too perfectly" conceived to not
have "intelligent design", in my humble opinion is also arguable
because if you factor in the good old chaos theory... nothing is
perfect about that... so I wind up returning to my original opinion.

Okay, so this wasn't so short... LOL... I apologize, but I hope it
helps you understand MY opinion.  Maybe others will shed light from
theirs.

Lori