For the experience
"For the experience of complete awakened mind, three important conditions should be present:
(1) the vehicle of human birth,
(2) the cause of spiritual friends, and
(3) the method of instruction.
While the potential to experience awakened mind ultimately is inherent in all beings, even in the tiniest beings, only with the vehicle of the 'precious human birth' can one realize that potential. The cause of the realization of that potential is the spiritual friend. The method is the skillful means of the teachings that are presented by the spiritual friend.
Among these important conditions, it can be said the most important one is that of the relationship with the proper spiritual friend. Given the fact that one does not have the understanding and the recognition of one's ability to experience enlightened mind, one cannot fabricate on one's own a path of which one has no idea; one would have no experiential understanding of the fruition, or even know the starting point. It is an honest fact that however one attempts on one's own to experience completely awakened mind, true awakened mind will not be experienced. One may perhaps experience momentary satisfaction or entertainment, but in order to experience true awakened mind one needs the cause of the spiritual friend, one who has the understanding of the method, and skillful means as well as experience."
H.E. Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche The 3rd
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️