Yes.  bookworm will be excalibur

@zephyr . . . Does this suit you? Presentation is framed because the light BG kills it.

If you go that route you'll need to be aware of the banned packages list or suffer the consequences.

Fair enough . . . I don't know how you find time to read so much or why you'd want to.  But that's another conversation . . .

Seems you are unaware of the consequences that can come from even an off-the-cuff attempt at humor like that.  But then, it is your life and your choice to squander it as you wish . . . 

Thank you Andy for those offerings. I'm sure they will bring comfort to many.

Here's a slightly different perspective and focus.  Monastics from the Abhayagiri Monastery chanting funeral texts that focus on the grinding realities of impermanence and cause and effect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n16o2TYpKyQ

A recitation of the Paticcasaṃuppāda (Dependent Origination) starts at about 9:02 with the words:
Avijiāpaccayā sankhārā
Sankhārapaccayā viññānam
. . .

I agree and thought my response made that clear.  The point was as you stated above to learn from those experiences and move on . . .

I know very little of Pema Chodron or what the Tibetans are about. But I do remember the Chogyam Trungpa "thing" which cemented my resolve to stay far away . . .

The link was just the first when I did a quick search so luck of the draw and no agenda.

Here's another view of the mind.  One that is over 2500 years old. This is not a "reading" book. It is more of a reference/guide book to understanding experience:
Abhidhammattha Sangaha

Even as skillfully and well documented as these revisions are, it is inevitable that the content will be misunderstood by readers with no knowledge of Pali language or significant internal exploration of the  processes described, so tread lightly and don't embarrass yourself. 

FWIW . . . those involved in the revisions of the translation, which were made 30 years ago, were known to me as teachers, mentors and colleagues.  I was asked to review the changes and was surprised and honored to receive a mention of my efforts in the preface.

Yes, incoming data is just a springboard to dreams and that is where the real challenge lies. Some experiences are pleasant, greed/attachment arise and the mind seeks more. Some are painful, aversion arises and the mind recoils. Other incoming objects are so uninteresting we fall asleep or frantically seek pleasure to keep the dream alive. Better to just observe the whole contaminated process with detachment.

And an observation . . . the formatting of the text in the original Ruiz quote is producing line breaks.  Would be easier to read if the text could just flow.  However, it does give me an opportunity to note annoyance, so thank you for that . . . 

Did a 5 minute jump through from beginning to end. Stunning visuals wasted on such silliness, self-indulgence, and fantasy.  Nothing of liberative value there.  Just a celebration of excesses and stereotypes that perpetuate the dream.

Well said, Andy. Those who are suffering hope for a better life. Even those who have a wonderful life want more.  The thirst is insatiable and fuels the cycle.

The error humans make is to assume a transition to the same time, place and species.  Destinations are infinite which makes the prospect even more terrifying.

Unless the mind is very disciplined, it is a roll of the dice.  That is what stopping the dream and practicing to be  here and now is about. Over time the dream fades and there is just now.

I'll have a look at the movie later.