To love another person is to see the face of God.

Victor Hugo

Gone, gone, gone beyond

Your number of heartbreaks, is the number of times you have loved.

A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away at the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other.

How sweet it tasted!

Brothers, I declare these four kinds of karma, having realized for myself. What four?

There is dark action with dark results.
There is bright action with bright results.
There is dark and bright action with dark and bright results.
There is neither dark nor bright action with neither dark nor bright results, which lead to the ending of action.

These are the four kinds of karma that I declare, having realized for myself.

-AN 4.232

Satirical Song on Spiritual Braggadocio by the Great Yogi Drukpa Kunley🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

"..."Well, first," said the man, "if you're a yogi, sing a song about religious practitioners, starting with the Guru at the top!"

Kunley looked at the man for a few moments, wondering if he was serious. Finally, he shrugged and sang:

The religious tradition of Gurus is to teach profound Dharma to others without having any for themselves! What a wonder! Braggarts, oblivious to such lack!

You, monks! Your devotion consists of putting your hands together and closing your eyes without any real intention. What a wonder! Braggarts, deceiving your Gurus!

You, Tantrikas! Instead of protecting your followers, you incite the protectors to mercilessly destroy your enemies! What a wonder! Braggarts, proud to send protectors against the enemy!

You, Geshes! This is your highest Dharma - you use your intelligence against others without stabilizing your own minds in emptiness. What a wonder! Braggarts, claiming to understand the ultimate goal!

You, wandering Yogis! This is your character - you express hatred and aversion towards others without being able to bear any abuse. What a wonder! Braggarts, claiming to meditate like Heruka!

You, great meditators! In solitary places, you enjoy napping and relish eating - you lack meditative balance. What a wonder! Braggarts, pretending to have attained the signs of success!

You, assistants of the Gurus! These are your possessions - you steal from the Guru's storehouse and cultivate the state of hungry ghosts. What a wonder! Braggarts, thinking the Guru will consider you kindly!

You, lords! This is your justice - you forcefully apply it to others without considering it valid for yourselves. What a wonder! Braggarts, proud of your judgments and truths!

You, servants! This is your love for your master - you condemn other servants for not having love for their masters, without having it yourselves. What a wonder! Braggarts, thinking you possess love!

You, donors! This is your generosity - expecting rewards, you reluctantly give to others. What a wonder! Braggarts, thinking you will attain the state of Buddha!

And you, nephews, holders of monastic properties! Without keeping a single vow or having any faith, you consider yourselves practitioners of Dharma. What a wonder! Braggarts, presenting yourselves as practitioners!

As for me, the yogi Kunley, I wander through the realms. After leaving my homeland, what happened? I did not abandon attachments. What a wonder! Braggart, calling me a renunciant!"

Tales of a mad yogi: the life and wild wisdom of Drukpa Kunley / Elizabeth L. Monson.
Boulder, Colorado: Snow Lion

May His song be a powerful mirror in which I see my faults, and with His powerful blessings, exorcise the arrogant and boastful demon from my own heart...

May this song be helpful and beneficial to all beings with a childish mind like mine, blind to my own braggadocio, pride, and pretentiousness.
With love in the Dharma, from this canine tooth they call Lama Gyurme.

“Wandering uncontrollably in the cycles of existence are caused by our ego clinging to seeing it as real. This ignorant attitude is the precursor to the demon of selfish concern that looks out only for our well-being. We seek security for our own egos; we want only pleasure and avoid any pain. But now we must banish all selfishness and gladly take hardship for the good of all others.”

- Dharmarakshita

The Blessed One said, "Monks, if those who have gone forth in other sects ask you, 'In what are all phenomena rooted? What is their coming into play? What is their origination? What is their meeting place? What is their presiding state? What is their governing principle? What is their surpassing state? What is their heartwood? Where do they gain a footing? What is their final end?': On being asked this by those who have gone forth in other sects, this is how you should answer them:

"'All phenomena are rooted in desire.[1]

"'All phenomena come into play through attention.

"'All phenomena have contact as their origination.

"'All phenomena have feeling as their meeting place.

"'All phenomena have concentration as their presiding state.

"'All phenomena have mindfulness as their governing principle.

"'All phenomena have discernment as their surpassing state.

"'All phenomena have release as their heartwood.

"'All phenomena gain their footing in the deathless.

"'All phenomena have Unbinding as their final end.'

"On being asked this by those who have gone forth in other sects, this is how you should answer."

- AN 10.58 Mula Sutta

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an10/an10.058.than.html