Aggression, ignorance and attachment

Here are some things I wish I would remember more often. A very smart
person mentioned them to me today.

Aggression is not productive. In fact, it is quite destructive.

Ignorance is bliss... sometimes. When coupled with arrogance,
ignorance is not blissful at all. Ignorance is tolerable only when is
found with a genuine desire to dispel it.

Attachment is not helpful. There is more to gain from letting go than
from clinging on things. Material things, or other things, like the
sense of reputation, or pride, can be the subject of attachment.
Letting go means becoming free of the burden of attachment.

Aggression, ignorance and attachment are the roots, the sustaining
pillars of many afflictions. Learning to see them for what they are
leads to eroding their influence, and to a more balanced approach to
life.

I understand these ideas intellectually, but not yet by practice.
There is a lot of work to do. Something to look forward to. It's
good to have goals.

A sunny day in September

Today is 9/11.  Drove by the World Trade Center and saw traffic cops, diverted traffic, preparation for the day of remembrance.  Inside Best Buy, on a TV for sale, I saw people reading the names of those who died there nine years ago. But that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about... Buddha.  

More precisely, I want to talk about people who use Buddha's quotations as their email signature. That would be cool if they were, like, Buddhist monks.  Or if at least they had anything Buddhist about them. But what if they're just assholes? Big fat hypocritical assholes who are trying to give an impression of being some calm Zen-like laid-back wise individuals, so they put a Buddha quotations at the end of their email. It's gross. I know one of them, and it makes me sick. I saw an email full of lies and deception, and there was a Buddha quotations at the end. It's disgusting.