C T

good god, get it hot twiddle your thumbs while waiting no joy in sulking

Are you averse to fruits that have a bit of tang in them? Curious, as this is the second time you're mentioning this acidity thing. Personally, I tend to avoid overly sweet fruits like melons, custard apples, papayas, persimmons, certain pears & plums, etc. Preference for pineapples, soursop, nectarines, mangosteens, some types of mangos, most berries, even coconuts. I also enjoy foraging for wild fruits & berries whenever the opportunity arises.

"It is man's intelligence that makes him so often behave more stupidly than the beasts. Man is impelled to invent theories to account for what happens in the world. Unfortunately, he is not quite intelligent enough, in most cases, to find correct explanations. So that when he acts on his theories, he behaves very often like a lunatic. Thus, no animal is clever enough, when there is a drought, to imagine that the rain is being withheld by evil spirits, or as punishment for its transgressions. Therefore, you never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. No horse, for example would kill one of its foals to make the wind change direction. Dogs do not ritually urinate in the hope of persuading heaven to do the same and send down rain. Asses do not bray a liturgy to cloudless skies. Nor do cats attempt, by abstinence from cat's meat, to wheedle the feline spirits into benevolence. Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent but not, as yet, intelligent enough. " ~ Aldous Huxley: Texts and Pretexts.

Yeah, typically, I like to cross ref information

https://www.soupersage.com/compare-nutrition/peach-vs-nectarine

Something quite trivial, but it's believed nectarines first appeared in China some 4000 years ago, before its close cousin the peach. And..... Nectarines provide twice the amount of Vitamin A, and slightly more Vitamin C and potassium than peaches .

If you love peaches, I think maybe you'd also enjoy nectarines. It's the one fruit I miss most since leaving Europe.

Not exactly a quote, but definitely share-worthy. · "Today I asked my body what she needed, Which is a big deal Considering my journey of Not Really Asking That Much. I thought she might need more water. Or protein. Or greens. Or yoga. Or supplements. Or movement. But as I stood in the shower Reflecting on her stretch marks, Her roundness where I would like flatness, Her softness where I would like firmness, All those conditioned wishes That form a bundle of Never-Quite-Right-Ness, She whispered very gently: Could you just love me like this?" ~ Hollie Holden

My Nyingma teachers are of the same view as Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Beginners without a firm grounding in Ngondro will not be given abhiseka/wangkur. It's based on the experience that absent of a foundation, the initiation/intro have often led to unnecessary, avoidable complications. Even those who've got a good (but not yet mature) foundation in Ngondro have been seen to develop some unhealthy views post-introduction. Mainly because they haven't fully grasp the vitalness of the maha Ati samayas despite these being implicit in the process of abhiseka. But these being degenerate times and all, I can understand that some schools in the West have opted to do things differently and perhaps be more creative and flexible in their stance.

Tulku Urgyen's view: There is also another way to thoroughly and perpetually bring an end to negative karma and obscuration. The moment of recognizing mind essence totally interrupts the karma and obscurations, for that moment. It purifies the negative karma that has been continued from the past and it interrupt any creation henceforth. As long as this recognition last, karma and obscurations are completely ended. Complete stability in the recognition of empty cognizance, therefore, involves the total elimination of all obscurations and negative karma.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche - "That is why the Dzogchen teaching is not given at the beginning of the path and why it isn’t something that we broadcast throughout the world."

Tsoknyi Rinpoche pointing out a basic approach to vipassana and shamatha from a mahayana perspective, and how the two are inseparably entwined. The investigative aspect, and the ensuing experiential aspect, neither of which are really methods of practice per se, but rather, exercises in contemplation.

To realign some concepts and notions regarding tantra in the context of Tibetan Buddhism. The word tantra is seldom used in Tibetan Buddhism, and usually refers to the body of tantric scriptures. The terms Mantrayāna or Vajrayāna are more commonly used in reference to a doctrinal system. The term Vajrayāna refers to the spiritual path that is immutable-the Diamond Vehicle that leads to the realization of the enlightenment mind and that is ever present, although currently obscured by our ignorance. Etymologically, the word tantra may be understood as a continuum, a thread or lineage that gives continuity to the teachings, much like the genetic code that determines the form insects, birds, and all sentient creatures take at birth. So tantra, in the Buddhist sense, may be understood as that genetic code that links our buddha nature through successive incarnations until enlightenment is attained. And so a Vajrayāna initiation in one lifetime may result in a rebirth as a Buddhist or as one who embarks on the bodhisattva path. ~ HH Sakya Gongma Rinpoche

Mongoose, rather than otters. Spitting, not vomiting. 👍 "[The mongoose] is believed to be the source of all gems".

Tibetan Buddhist practices transmitted by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo the Younger, the great 12th century Tibetan physician and meditation adept who is considered to be an emanation of Medicine Buddha. It is a complete system of practice from the Anuttarayogatantra (Highest Yoga Tantra) class of teachings, beginning with Ngöndro (the preliminaries) and progressing through Kyerim and Dzogrim (Creation and Completion Stage practices) to the highest practices of Mahamudra and Dzogchen.

"The dharma of intellect cannot fathom the truth beyond intellect. The dharma of action cannot discover the truth of non-action. Should you wish to attain the truth beyond intellect, the truth of non-action, search out your mind and leave your awareness naked." ~ Mahasiddha Tilopa

Are you omitting veg, probiotics and healthy oils too? I wouldn't do it, but then, to each his own, I suppose. Just be mindful your gut function isn't compromised by too much fiber. Studies show consuming more than 70g of fiber per day can have adverse effects on gut health.

"The meditation upon selflessness, and specifically the meditation upon the lack of true existence of the personal self, is done by replacing your solid sense of your own existence with something else. For example, in the case of the Medicine Buddha practice, this consists of imagining yourself to be the Medicine Buddha, conceiving of yourself as the Medicine Buddha. By replacing the thought of yourself as your ordinary self with the thought of yourself as the Medicine Buddha, you gradually counteract and remove the fixation on your personal self. As that fixation is removed, the power of the seventh, the afflicted consciousness is reduced. And as it is reduced, the kleshas (mental afflictions) are gradually weakened, which causes you to experience greater and greater well-being in both body and mind." H.E. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche Excerpt from: KTR, Medicine Buddha Teachings, Shenpen Osel & Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Publications, p 6-7

Sun exposure is meant for the body to absorb vitamin D, not yang energy. If the latter is the case, those who work outdoors daily, for hours under the hot sun, must all be energetically imbalanced... they're not. No surprise if their constitution is mostly yin. So maybe you need to understand your own physical make-up first rather than drawing on generalised talk to obtain knowledge. A good place to start would be to first understand your dietary habits. If you're a yin type and your diet from young consists of mainly yin-type nutrients, then of course you'd be sun-aversed.

Life's experiences are like last night's dreams; The pleasures of the senses, like an imaginary party. Meaningless activities are like waves lapping on the surface of the water. (Buddhist saying)

grazes on clover food of prehistoric pets try walking the dog

"Note that all dualistic concepts and emotions, even positive ones such as caring, compassion, and wishing others well, - are accompanied by grasping at ‘self’. So although positive emotions are good, they still fall short of perfection, which is the primordial wisdom beyond dualistic thinking and emotional sensations. Grasping at positive qualities is nonetheless a stepping-stone to perfection, helping us eventually to loosen the grip of grasping at ‘self’, and to experience sensations of peace and joy. So transforming from negative to positive, and then from positive to perfection, is the ideal way to move towards the full perfection of buddhahood." ~ Tulku Thondup

Since all is empty, all is possible. Just as it is known that an image of one's face is seen depending on a mirror but does not really exist as a face, so the conception of "I" exists dependent on mind and body, but like the image of a face, the "I" does not at all exist as its own reality. All philosophies are mental fabrications. There has never been a single doctrine by which one could enter the true essence of things. I am not, I will not be. I have not, I will not have. This frightens all children, And kills fear in the wise. The victorious ones have said That emptiness is the relinquishing of all views. For whomever emptiness is a view, that one has achieved nothing. The whole world is cause and effect; excluding this, there is no sentient being. From factors which are empty, empty factors originate; those who impute origination to even very subtle entities are unwise and have not seen the meaning of conditioned origination; there is nothing to be denied and nothing to be affirmed. see the real correctly, for he who sees the real correctly is released. Whatever is dependently co-arisen, that is explained to be emptiness. That, being a dependent designation, is itself the Middle Way. Nāgārjuna - The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way

Regardless of refinement, concepts have limits, and the argument for their specificity, usually confined and encircled to particular sets of circumstances or applications, holds merit. I'm suggesting that chances of such limitations are substantive, leading to blockages and obstacles on the path of spiritual heartmind cultivation. One needs to be careful not to confuse seemingly progressive conceptual designates, no matter how sophisticated or refined they appear, with spiritual progress. If the function remains obvious and apparent, there isn't any real refinement.

weed patch, flowering fuchsias and rhododendrons blooms of Irish loughs