Answer to Pummy's question

[Joey]

that thread...is not for dicussion. quotes only.

On the above advice from Atisha - Avoid activities that are said to be meritorious, but which in fact are obstacles to Dharma. - what does this mean? How do I know for sure something is an obstacle to the Dharma if they are "said" to be meritous? Thanks 

in Atisha's context it would mean making animal sacrifices to gods. I'm not sure which situation that would reflect that nowadays.

[terkia]

Isn't this advice given  to venerable jangchub O and his disciples? are you saying they were pratising
animal sacrifice when they are supposed to be seasoned dharma practioners?

[Joey]

Isn't this advice given  to venerable jangchub O and his disciples? are you saying they were pratising
animal sacrifice when they are supposed to be seasoned dharma practioners?

nope. Atisha was just giving a general example, not implying something.

[dhammananda]

that thread...is not for dicussion. quotes only.

On the above advice from Atisha - Avoid activities that are said to be meritorious, but which in fact are obstacles to Dharma. - what does this mean? How do I know for sure something is an obstacle to the Dharma if they are "said" to be meritous? Thanks 

By way of example, let's take Robin Hood. He gave the money he stole from the rich to the poor. At first pass, it may seem he is doing a meritorious deed (helping the poor), but he did it by robbing the rich. Stealing is stealing and therefore breaks the precept, which is an obstacle to dharma.

Similarly if you give money to drug addicts thinking he needs a fix badly, then all you are doing is perpetuating his habit.

Therefore our actions must be guided by wisdom, born of insight.

[Joey]

that thread...is not for dicussion. quotes only.

On the above advice from Atisha - Avoid activities that are said to be meritorious, but which in fact are obstacles to Dharma. - what does this mean? How do I know for sure something is an obstacle to the Dharma if they are "said" to be meritous? Thanks 

By way of example, let's take Robin Hood. He gave the money he stole from the rich to the poor. At first pass, it may seem he is doing a meritorious deed (helping the poor), but he did it by robbing the rich. Stealing is stealing and therefore breaks the precept, which is an obstacle to dharma.

Similarly if you give money to drug addicts thinking he needs a fix badly, then all you are doing is perpetuating his habit.

Therefore our actions must be guided by wisdom, born of insight.

Thanks for the elaboration. I'd recommend you to read the whole thing in the Rinpoche's SMS quotes thread, on the final page.