“Each one of us is responsible for all other living beings’ happiness besides our own. As a result, your loving kindness is the most wish fulfilling thing in life, more precious than anything else in the world.”–Lama Zopa Rinpoche 
Image via Wikipedia ~ HH the 14th Dalai Lama
‘The quality of one’s rebirth in the next life is determined by the quality of one’s mental activity in this life. Generally speaking, we have no power to choose how we are born; it is dependent on karmic forces. However, the period near the time of death is very influential in terms of activating one from among the many karmas that a person has already accumulated, and, therefore, if one makes particular effort at generating a virtuous attitude at that time, there is an opportunity to strengthen and activate a virtuous karma. Moreover, when one has developed high realization and has gained control over how one will be reborn, it is possible to take what is called “reincarnation” rather than mere rebirth. ‘ (p.42) ~ His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace
Self-deception seems always to depend upon the dream world, because you would like to see what you have not yet seen rather than what you now seeing. You will not accept that whatever is here now is what is, nor are you willing to go with the situation as it is. Thus, self-deception always manifests itself in terms of trying to create or recreate a dream world, the nostalgia of the dream experience.
~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Just yesterday I was thinking of how to help the ever changing world…i.e.more famines…more riots…more violence for violence’s sake.
I thought…What can I do? (not in order)
1. Feed the sentient beings as I can, locally.
2. Pray and do mantra practice
3. Meditate.
4. Smile to all even if they do not smile in return.
5. Drive mindfully and safely
6. Look people in the eyes and see them for them
7. Volunteer at the Local Food Bank
8. Travel the Middle Path
9. Speak only those words that should be spoken
10. Repeat and add more.
I know this is a simple and incomplete list. And we all do these things with out referring to the list. But sometimes it helps to write down what we can do to help ourselves and all sentient beings. It removes anger (frustration)…apathy due to being overwhelmed…it highlights the ripple effect (what we do, feel, not do, not feel..ripples throughout the worlds)
Buddha and Mara are figurative ways of portraying a fundamental opposition within human natures. While “Buddha” stands for a capacity for awareness, openness, and freedom, “Mara” represents a capacity for confusion, closure, and restriction. To live with the devil is to live with the perpetual conflict between one’s Buddha-nature and one’s Mara-nature. When Buddha-nature prevails, fixations ease and the world brightens, revealing itself as empty, contingent, and fluid.
-Stephen Batchelor, “Living With The Devil”
( I recently bought, ‘Living With the Devil’ by Stephen Batchelor. I have not put the book in my ‘To Be Read’ (TBR) stack yet. Soon though, soon! ~ Debra )
A Buddhist's Journey 