“The understanding of it [absolute] is very important as a beginning point. Then you can use meditation, further reasoning, long-term familiarity etc., you can use all kinds of methods to deepen this understanding and to have it counter the instinctual sense of being an absolute you.” KindLongImportantUseUnderstandingTermMeditationAbsolutesMethodAll KindsLong TermReasoningEtcFamiliarityUsing Me Author:Robert Thurman
“All the things you need in the death transition, you need now in the life transition, because life is a transition, it is a between state. Therefore, every night when you fall asleep, it's like you die. And every time you do, you should be using the process of falling asleep as giving up your attention to sense objects, your discursive ruminating thoughts and so on. You should use that as a process of giving up and giving yourself completely to the universe and becoming completely obliterated.” NeedsGivingShouldStatesUseLife IsNightDiesFallUniverseProcessAttentionObjectsLike YouBecomingGiving UpTransitionEvery NightFalling AsleepGiving Yourself Author:Robert Thurman
“You could then use the dream to learn more about yourself, others, the world, and the nature of life. You can come awake in the matrix and realize you're the one in your own dream. People on the spiritual path can do that, thus they can avoid wasting the whole night, and use it in a developmental, nice way.” PeopleWorldWayWholeUseDreamSpiritualNightCan DoRealizingPathNiceAwakeAbout YourselfSpiritual PathDevelopmental Author:Robert Thurman
“In Buddhist ideology, the conventional self is that which is constructed in a way by the use of the pronoun, and when you realize there is no absolute ego there, no disconnected one, self, or ego, then that actually strengthens your conventional ego. It does so in the sense that then you realize it's a construction, and you can strengthen it in order to help others, or do whatever you're trying to do, it's not like you no longer know who you are. Then you can organize your behavior by using your ego, as it's now the pronoun.” KnowsWayTryingDoeSelfHelpingUseOrderRealizingLike YouEgoBehaviorAbsolutesWho You AreHelping OthersIdeologyBuddhistConstructionConventionalOrganizeDisconnectedPronouns Author:Robert Thurman
“The Chinese people absolutely need good spiritual examples. They also could use a citizen of their own, who is free and happy, and pleased with them, and represents them in a positive way to the world. Especially now that they're becoming this mega-power, and no longer known as a puppet in the game, or strictly business people.” PeopleWorldWayNeedsUseSpiritualGamesKnownExampleBecomingCitizensChinesePuppetsMegaGood Spiritual Author:Robert Thurman
“People in Tibet have an expression. When you reach a certain degree of venerableness and age, and people ask, "How are you?," there is an expression that people use that means, "Just barely not dead." Some people might be frightened by it but I think it's quite funny.” PeopleThinkingMeanUseMightAgeCertainAsksExpressionDegreesFrightenedTibet Author:Robert Thurman
