Mind's True Nature
Mind's True Nature
"Our present state of mistaken apprehension does not accord with the mind’s true nature, which is ever and already perfect and pure. Mistaken experiences depend upon mind’s fundamental pattern that identifies the apprehending subject as "the self." The self is not inherently existent, although we erroneously cling to the belief that it is. Since we think that the self exists of its own accord and as a unique entity, we assume apprehended experiences are other and distinct from the self and automatically cling to a dualistic outlook as a result. It is just this dualistic notion that gives rise to feelings of sympathy and antipathy, attachment and aversion, i.e., sympathy for those persons and things that live up to our expectations and aversion against those persons and things that obstruct our expectations. Our expectations evolve from our hopes and fears related to misleading assumptions of happiness and suffering. When feelings of sympathy and antipathy arise, other disturbing emotions naturally spring forth – desire, anger, pride, jealousy, just to name a few. These afflictive emotions drive us to act the way we do with body, speech, and mind. Our activities create karma, the "infallible law of cause and effect." Living beings experience the result of their personal and collective karma in the active process of being and becoming.
It is necessary to become free of the initial delusions that are the source of suffering, i.e., the mistaken beliefs in an apprehending self and apprehended objects different than the self. They bring about feelings that necessarily give rise to frustrating karmic results. When free of the mental patterns that are the cause of attachment and aversion, then freedom from suffering will have been attained. No outer means can eliminate suffering and guarantee lasting happiness other than the practice of hearing, contemplating, and meditating the precious Dharma instructions."
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 ❤️