Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Astrology

February 26, 2012 by Norma

Back off! You meet a rebuff early in the day, and this alerts you to the fact that you’ve overstepped a boundary. Back up and re-think your plan and your behavior. You may have gotten rowdy or assertive to the point where people are fed up with you! As soon as this re-adjustment occurs, you calm down and move into a time of happy contentedness. Try not to do any work today, because it’s the perfect day for relaxation and enjoyment. Cook, rest and spend time with loved ones. Domestic happiness beckons and home is your best friend today. Curiously, you can make a great purchase or enjoy a financial boon; all without exerting yourself. A protective energy is in the air. Mahatma Gandhi said “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are all in harmony.” Harmony is present today.

The daily astrology post affects everyone. Because individual charts vary, the circumstances outlined in the post will affect people differently. Some will feel this energy in the personal arena, some in finances, some with children or family, some in work and so forth. There are many departments of life. Look to see where the dynamic affects you!

Astrology

February 25, 2012 by Norma

Happy day! You are full of vim, vigor and enthusiasm, and you are in love with the world. A sense of joy travels with you the entire day. This is a perfect day to make a new beginning, to start something. Do it! Once that is accomplished, go shopping. Or work and make money. Use the good financial aspects to pay off debts. You prefer to spend, but see paying down debts as a positive expenditure. A special person or confidante tells you something that both pleases you and also gives you a secret edge in what you’re doing. The urge to withdraw is powerful. Do pull back and spend time alone as a form of rest and relaxation. But if you notice you’ve begun thinking of your problems, or worse, developing more problems, re-join the world! You’ve been alone too long! A sense of happiness tells you that you’re on the right track. Keep up the good work! Paul Valery said “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”

The Ten Negative Actions: From “Treasury of Precious Qualities”

February 24, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “Treasury of Precious Qualities” by Jigme Lingpa:

There are ten ways of behaving, related to body, speech and mind, that are to be abandoned.

To begin with, there are three physical acts: killing, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct. These are followed by four negative actions of speech: lying, divisive speech, worthless chatter, and harsh words. Finally, there are three negative actions of mind: covetousness, evil intent, and wrong views.

1. Killing

A complete act of killing takes place according to five criteria.

a) A living being must be the object of the action.

b) There must be no mistaking the intended victim.

c) There must be the specific intention to kill.

d) The act must be performed knowingly.

e) The death of the being must ensue.

Similar to this are all acts of aggression when death occurs, through beating and so forth, even when death is not actually intended.

2. Theft

The act of taking what is not freely given is fully accomplished when four elements are present.

a) The object concerned must be the possession of another.

b) The agent knows that this is the case.

c) The agent knowingly appropriates it.

d) The object moves its location and becomes the agent’s property.

Related to theft are acts whereby things are acquired by deceit, for instance, in commercial transactions, or by extortion, or through the imposition of unjust fines, confiscation, and so on.

3. Sexual Misconduct

Sexual misconduct takes place when three elements are present.

a) It is known that the object of desire is the partner of another, or else a person engaged by someone else. One is aware that one is in the presence of a representation of the Buddha, or of persons with pratimoksha ordination (clerical or lay). One has intercourse with someone judged inappropriate in terms of custom, time, or any other criteria.

b) Actual physical union.

c) Satisfaction.

Included in sexual misconduct are improper sexual acts.

4. Lying

Lying occurs when four elements are present.

a) The speaker must not be mistaken about what he or she wants to say.

b) The speaker must have the intention to deceive.

c) The lie must be consciously pronounced.

d) The hearer must be deceived.

Associated with lying are all attempts to twist the truth by deceptive means and the concealment of the facts in order to cheat people.

5. Divisive Speech

Here, three factors are necessary.

a) The people affected must be living in harmony or at least in a relationship of neutrality.

b) The agent speaks in order to divide the parties.

c) Discord arises between them, or at least the meaning of the speaker’s words comes home to them.

Allied to divisive speech is the repetition of criticism or abuse spoken by others in order to nurture resentment.

6. Worthless chatter

This comprises three elements.

a) The conversation is motivated by the defilements.

b) The mind strays to what is unwholesome.

c) Futile chatter occurs: in other words, conversation productive of attachment or aversion. This covers, for instance, discussions about the sacrifices described in the Vedas, poetry, historical discourses about the rise and fall of empires, singing, recounting of legends, erotic literature, and tales of adventure and crime.

Related to worthless chatter are all unnecessary conversations about wars, crime, and so forth, even if this does not provoke attachment or hatred.

7. Harsh words

This depends on three factors.

a) A specific person must be addressed.

b) This person is spoken to harshly and hidden faults are exposed.

c) The words pierce the person’s heart, causing trauma and sorrow.

Allied to verbal abuse are all kinds of talk that, though superficially sweet, bring about the unhappiness of others.

8. Covetousness

Covetousness has two factors.

a) The object in mind must be the wealth or reputation of another.

b) One must be obsessed with the other person’s qualities and belongings and want to take them for oneself.

Related to covetousness are all reflections on the wealth and advantages of others, with the wish to have them for oneself.

9. Evil Intent

Two factors are required for evil intent.

a) The object must be a living being.

b) The agent hates and deeply wishes harm to the other, desiring his or her misery, whether physical or mental. Wishing harm on others may be connected with anyone of nine objects: those who cause trouble to oneself, those who attack one’s friends, and those who aid one’s enemies. These three categories, multiplied by three according to past, present and future, come to nine objects all together. In addition, there are five factors that accompany evil intent. These are: hatred, rancor, injured pride, vengefulness, and ignorance.

Related to evil intent is discomfort at the advantages of others, such as riches and long life, and the wish that they did not have them but rather their opposites.

10. Wrong Views

There are two kinds of false views.

a) Disbelief in the ineluctable principle of karma.

b) Belief in a permanent self and phenomena, or the opposite, namely, nihilism, the belief that nothing survives death.

Related to wrong views are claims, born of animosity, that a sublime being has faults when this is not the case, and conversely the denial of the qualities that such a being possesses—thus creating doubts in the minds of others.

Astrology

February 24, 2012 by Norma

Emotional strength and energy dominate the day! You KNOW you are right, and you want the world to hear your point. However, the best way to achieve your goal is through back channels as opposed through direct confrontation with a higher up. Ask someone for a favor in private and it is granted; ask in public and it is refused. Someone must follow the rules, and you want to be a rule breaker! Frustration with those in authority characterizes the day, but they have the power so you must be careful. Spend time by yourself as much as possible. An important purchase or sale can take place today. Visit people who are sick or troubled, and do your best to help those who are suffering. You are in tune with people’s suffering, and you may see beings in other realms. Rule nothing out, and keep working hard. Carl Jung said “Your vision will become clear when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”

Astrology

February 23, 2012 by Norma

A vague answer to a serious question can spark a debate. If you find yourself criticized, or if you feel critical toward others, everyone is working too hard. The harder you try to pin someone down to an answer, the more evasion appears. You feel less friendly and it’s because you have too many demands on your time. Do not chase others with complaints! Once this hurdle passes, spend time with a generous and kind man or authority figure. Good choices come as a result of an expansive and inclusive attitude. Go shopping and buy something, or hole up with someone and pour out your heart. Creativity is high, and secretive behavior is also high. It is possible to have a first rate mystical experience today. Believe it! Arnold Toynbee said “It is an important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming at some more ambitious goal beyond it.” Set yourself some ambitious goals today.

An Attitude of Gratitude Opens All Doors

February 22, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teaching offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

Using the attitude of gratitude we can make the best use of our precious human rebirth – which goes by faster than we could ever imagine. OM AH HUNG BENZAR GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG.

Emptiness and Compassion for Westerners: Full Length Video Teaching

February 22, 2012February 22, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo offered at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

Jetsunma examines the various ways that the Judeo-Christian thought field in which we were raied has affected our thinking. We think we understand the concepts but often miss the point through our confusion.

Astrology

February 22, 2012 by Norma

Everything seems hidden today, or else you want to hide out and avoid the world. You need privacy, time to work things out on your own. A bill is coming due, and you would love to duck it but you can’t. Debts are on your mind as well as how to allocate resources. A partnership is the stabilizing force now, despite the fact that you’re in the mood to run away and avoid responsibilities. The partner keeps reminding you of what must be done. The need to work hard solving detailed problems is continuing, and the urge to pull back and relax is strong. Avoid overdoing things, or you will get sick to escape. There is a special need for “down time” now, so adopt a pattern of work and rest, work and rest. You’ll find yourself sleeping more. The good part is that when you re-emerge to face the world, you’re refreshed and full of new ideas! Francisco de Goya said “Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels.”

To Have or To Harm: Joseph Blackstone

February 21, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “To Have or To Harm” by Linden Gross:

Joseph Blackstone, a fifty-three-year-old lab technician, describes himself as a hereditary obsessive-compulsive and his thirty-year marriage as a business partnership rather than a relationship. For two years he had an affair with a waitress from the local country club. Then she broke off their relationship. “I went insane over it. Literally and irrationally insane over a period of five or six years, ” he recalled. “I felt this need to drive by her home in the daytime and sit outside her house for hours at night. I’m not sure why, even now. I phoned her incessantly. I sent letters saying, ‘You did me wrong. Why? Why?’ For those years, I couldn’t eat or sleep. My life was a black hole.

Work had always been sacred to Joseph. He’d always held two or three jobs at once. The stalking of his former lover put an end to that practice. He didn’t have time for both. Gaining power over his ex-lover took precedence. In the meantime, his work, his relationship with his wife and family, and his physical health suffered.

His obsession ultimately ended him in a sanatorium, where he underwent extensive therapy. The cloud he’d been operating under began to lift. “I thought I wanted her back. In retrospect, I guess I couldn’t let go. In the process, I ruined two lives,” he said. “I saw her as my emotional fulfillment. I’d invested all my eggs in that little basket. When she left, my basket was empty. I felt a void within myself.”

Some mental health authorities hypothesize that the need to possess someone who is unavailable stems from childhood feelings of rejection and abandonment. The idealized or fantasy relationship is subconsciously perceived as a way to rewrite history, to fill all of life’s deficits. “There is that magical quality that feeds the fantasy of the stalker and makes him feel that this person can fulfill his emotional needs…and make him feel lovable,” says Orange County psychiatrist Bruce Danto. Denial of the opportunity to make up for the damage suffered during the early years can lead to feelings of desperation and panic as well as a sense that the imagined connection must be preserved at all cost.

To Have or To Harm: Why?

February 21, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “To Have or To Harm” by Linden Gross:

What compels some people to become obsessed with others, to hound, threaten, injure, and sometimes kill them in the name of love?

As with most research into criminal behavior, explanations range from the biological to the environmental. Physiological studies, for example, reveal that sexual attraction and the onset of feelings of love often trigger a surge of natural amphetamine like substances in our bodies. Some professionals in the field theorize that higher than usual levels of these chemicals may lead to the aberrant behavior of love-obsessed individuals.

That’s a tantalizing notion. It would explain the incomprehensible and even offer the possibility of a biochemical solution. Other behavioral scientists, however, postulate that some event or series of events during the formative years provoked the deviant behavior, especially in view of similarities between repeat stalkers and serial rapists and killers.

The fact is that the stalking phenomenon is too new and the studies are too few to determine what causes these obsessive behaviors. There aren’t enough physical and social scientists exploring the issue. So, all they’ve been able to ascertain are the traits that these people share.

Here’s what we know:

Stalkers are above average in intelligence. They usually read a lot and will engage in considerable research — as well as expenditures that reach into the thousands of dollars — in pursuit of their objectives. They know just how far they can go without breaking the law. And they refuse to take no for an answer.

Lack of a core identity also ranks high on the list of stalker characteristics. In an effort to make up for this inherent deficiency, love-obsessed individuals psychologically latch on to another person to validate their own worth. “If I could just be with her, I would have accomplished something,” reasons the stalker, whose identity almost immediately becomes submerged in the other person’s.

Should the obsessed individual fail to make a connection–whether from the outset or after a relationship has been attempted–he or she has no well-developed sense of self upon which to fall back. Without the coveted liaison, they have nothing. Since that emotional void is intolerable, the obsessed person can’t afford to accept the rejection, whether overt or implicit. As long as the stalker continues the pursuit, he can convince himself that he hasn’t been conclusively rejected.

When rejection can no longer be denied, the emptiness and humiliation cause obsessed individuals to act out in ways that destroy them as well as their victims.