+~
+ Our mind needs to stretch to encompass emptiness. Our minds are so stuck in
+the idea, "Things exist the way they appear to me. What I see is reality. It
+is 100 percent true. There's nothing to doubt. Things exist exactly as they
+appear to my senses, exactly as they appear to my mental consciousness." We
+hardly ever doubt that. Not only do we have the appearance of inherent
+existence to our sense consciousnesses and mental consciousness, but also our
+mental consciousness grasps on to that appearance and says, "Yes! Everything
+really exists in this findable, independent way. Everything is real as it
+appears to me."
+ When we believe there's a real "me," then we have to protect that self and
+bring it happiness. Thus, we are attached to things that are pleasurable and
+become angry at anything unpleasant. Pride, jealousy, laziness, and the whole
+gamut of negative emotions follow. Motivated by these, we act physically,
+verbally, and mentally. These actions, or karma, leave seeds on our
+mindstream, and when these ripen, they influence what we experience. We again
+relate to these experiences ignorantly, so more emotions arise, motivating us
+to create more karma. As a result, cyclic existence with all its difficulties
+continues on and on, created by our mind, dependent on the ignorance that
+misconceives the nature of ourselves and all other phenomena.
+ ...However, when we investigate more deeply and look beyond appearances, we
+realize that it's impossible for things to exist in the way they appear.
+Seeing this gives us a kind of spaciousness and freedom because, if samsara
+were inherently existent and everything really did exist the way it appears to
+us, then transformation and change could not occur...and the best we could
+ever have is what we have right now. Thinking about the emptiness of inherent
+existence shows us the possibility for change. Beauty can come forth because
+nothing is inherently concrete, fixed, or findable.(p.105)
+ -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of
+ Chenrezig", foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama, published by Snow Lion Pub.
+~
+Three Meditations
+
+ If one does not sow the seed
+ Of appreciation for a perfect guru,
+ The tree of spiritual power is not born.
+ With undivided mind entrust yourself.
+
+ Human life is rare and precious,
+ Yet if not inspired by thoughts of death,
+ One wastes it on materialism:
+ Be ready to die at any moment.
+
+ All living beings have been our mothers,
+ Three circles of suffering always binding them.
+ Ignoble it would be not to repay them,
+ Not to strive to attain enlightenment. (p.100)
+
+ The colophon [inscription] for this poem reads, "Written at the request of
+Ritropa Samdrub, an Amdo monk from Dechen Monastery, who begged for a short
+teaching...." The Seventh Dalai Lama advises him to establish three central
+pillars in his spiritual practice: (1) a disciplined spiritual connection with
+his teacher; (2) awareness of the preciousness of life, and the uncertainty of
+the time of death; and (3) the mind of love and compassion for all living
+beings, coupled with the aspiration to enlightenment as the best means of
+fulfilling that love and compassion.
+ -- The Seventh Dalai Lama, "Meditations to Transform the Mind", translated,
+ edited, and introduced by Glenn Mullin, published by Snow Lion Pub.
+~
+ Courageous Bodhisattvas risk their lives to help others, and so, when we are
+in relatively better, more comfortable situations, we must certainly practice
+giving. Even if they are threatened, the courageous ones will not engage in
+improper actions. Instead, after examining the situation carefully, when they
+find that certain actions are correct and justified, on the basis of reason,
+they engage in them even at the risk of their lives. That is the way of the
+decent, civilized and courageous ones, who do not follow misleading paths.(p.20)
+ -- H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the
+ Dalai Lama XIV on the Jatakamala, Garland of Birth Stories", translated
+ by Tenzin Dorjee, edited by Dexter Roberts
+~
+ One day, when a very learned scholar or geshe and I were discussing the fact
+that the self is an elusive phenomenon, that it is unfindable in either body
+or mind, he remarked: 'If the self did not exist at all, in a sense that would
+make things very simple. There would be no experience of suffering and pain,
+because there would be no subject to undergo such experiences. However, that
+is not the case. Regardless of whether we can actually find it or not, there
+is an individual being who undergoes the experience of pain and pleasure, who
+is the subject of experiences, who perceives things and so on. Based on our
+own experience we do know that there is something--whatever we may call it--
+that makes it possible for us to undergo these experiences. We have something
+called discernment or the ability to perceive things.'
+ In fact, when we examine the experience of suffering, although some
+sufferings are at the sensory or bodily level, such as physical pain, even the
+very experience of pain is intimately connected with consciousness or mind and
+therefore is part of our mental world. This is what distinguishes sentient
+beings from other biological organisms, such as plants, trees and so on.
+Sentient beings have a subjective dimension, which we may choose to call
+experience, consciousness or the mental world.
+ ....One thing we can understand, both through scientific analysis and also
+from our own personal experience or perception, is that whatever experiences
+we have now are consequences of preceding conditions. Nothing comes into
+being without a cause. Just as everything in the material world must have a
+cause or condition that gives rise to it, so must all experiences in the
+mental world also have causes and conditions.(p.74)
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Lighting the Way", translated by Geshe Thupten
+ Jinpa, published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ Meditation, when learned skillfully, can enable a return to awareness of the
+body, our sensations, and feelings. When we are not given specific guidance
+to ground our meditation within the body, however, meditation can easily
+perpetuate a disembodied spiritual practice. This is accentuated if our view
+of spirituality sees the body as some kind of problem to be transcended.
+Unfortunately, this view can prevail even within the Buddhist world, despite
+being counter to the essential principle of mindfulness and presence. When,
+however, we cultivate the capacity to remain present in our felt experience
+within the body, our relationship to ourselves changes. We can begin to feel
+more grounded in our life and more stable in our identity.
+ Engaging in a disembodied spirituality is no solution to our life demands.
+It may be a way of experiencing states of mind that can be very seductive,
+even addictive. Seldom does it address the roots of our emotional problems.
+Transformation comes when we are willing and able to restore or develop a
+sound relationship to our body in a healthy way. With many Buddhist
+practices, such as Tantra, this is essential, for the body contains the
+vitality that is the heart of our innate creative potential.
+ Embodiment therefore implies a full engagement in life with all of its
+trials and tribulations, rather than avoidance through disembodied spiritual
+flight. The value of meditation is that it can enable this engagement because
+it cultivates the capacity to be present and remain open, not grasping at or
+rejecting what arises. When meditation emphasizes presence rather than
+transcendence, this openness is a natural outcome.(p.143)
+ -- Rob Preece, "The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of Individuation
+ in Buddhist Life", published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ Those training in great love should forsake self-centeredness and engage in
+the Buddha's practice, the root of which is compassion. You may be thinking,
+Love is indeed very profound, but I do not have the skill to practice it; I
+will focus my efforts on practices aimed at getting myself out of cyclic
+existence instead. On one hand, this is true, because you should choose a
+path of development appropriate to your ability. On the other hand, there is
+great advantage in attempting the highest degree of love you can.
+ Even if you cannot actually implement the practices of love and compassion,
+merely hearing about them establishes powerful predispositions for future
+success. This can be amplified by planting prayer-wishes aspiring to
+altruism. Do not be discouraged; it is difficult to absorb such a profound
+perspective. Be courageous and think of your future potential. It is
+particularly important to do the best you can.(p.82)
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving
+ Relationships", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
+~
+ What is very important for us to recognise is our own falsity. This is not
+a judgement that sometimes we are authentic and sometimes we are false. It
+means that everything about us in our ordinary sense of self is false because
+it is grounded on a misapprehension of the nature of reality.... It is like
+somebody in University who is having their final examinations. They go into
+the wrong examination room and not reading the questions very clearly they
+write very long answers on their own subject that is unfortunately not the one
+they are being examined on. It does not matter how good the answer is they
+will fail, for they are not addressing the question.
+ The basic question is always: "Who are you?", "Who am I?" but we do not
+understand it and so we answer with a ceaseless narrative of self definition.
+This covers over the freshness of the question, the possibility of looking and
+seeing, and so all our answers are stale, the reworking of self-protective
+versions constructed out of unexamined elements. We have many, many, many
+answers and all of them are false. That's why it is very important when you
+do meditations, to put your full energy one-pointedly into the practice, to
+try to repair the initial basic fault that has torn subject and object apart.
+ It is very important to stop being ashamed of being false. For we have to
+see how falsity arises, how obscuration develops. We want to look directly at
+our falsity and learn its tricks so that we will not be caught by them. This
+helps to open the space in which we can recognise our own nature.
+ "When you understand the falsity of your confusion remain unartificially,
+effortlessly in the natural mode (dharmakaya)."(p.90)
+ -- "Being Right Here: A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje entitled 'The
+ Mirror of Clear Meaning' with commentary by James Low", published by Snow
+ Lion Publications
+~
+groundhog daze:
+ this is an event that can be caused by strong intoxication of various sorts.
+the sufferer passes out while seated at a table, such that he or she then has
+their head thud down onto the table. after a brief rest, the unlucky person
+wakes up again, and starts to rise off the table. when the head rises to a
+certain point, where blood pressure starts to increase, the effect of the
+intoxication takes over again, and they pass out once more. bam. hence, the
+head repeatedly banging into the table: a groundhog daze.
+ i have seen this happen. it's not fun to watch. well, maybe a little.
+ --fred t. hamster
+~
+ We are the source of healing and happiness. Our generosity and concern
+pacify every negative situation. As we send out kindness, we grow accustomed
+to being strong and kind. In this way, our positive feelings are constantly
+renewed and can never be exhausted.
+ Perhaps you know the story about the man who arrived in heaven and when
+asked by God where he wanted to go replied that he wanted to see both heaven
+and hell. First, he went to hell. There was a large table with all the
+inhabitants of hell sitting around it. The center of the table was full of
+delicious food. Each person had two very long chopsticks. They could reach
+the food but they could not get it into their mouths because their chopsticks
+were too long. They were miserable. No one was eating and everyone went
+hungry. Next he was taken to visit heaven. All the inhabitants of heaven
+were also sitting around a big table full of delicious food but they were
+happy. They too had very long chopsticks but they were eating and enjoying
+themselves. They used the chopsticks to feed each other across the table.
+The people in heaven had discovered that it was in their interest to
+collaborate unselfishly.(p.69)
+ -- Ringu Tulku, "Mind Training", published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ When you are in a fluctuating state of mind, like when you are angry or have
+lost your temper, then it is good to bring back calmness by concentrating on
+breathing. Just count the breaths, completely forgetting about anger.
+Concentrate on breathing and count in/out "one, two, three," up to twenty.
+ At that moment when your mind concentrates fully on breathing, the breath
+coming and going, the passions subside. Afterwards it is easier to think
+clearly.
+ Since all activities, including meditation, depend very much on the force of
+intention or motivation, it is important that, before you begin to meditate,
+you cultivate a correct motivation... The correct motivation is the
+altruistic attitude.(p.69)
+ -- Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Cultivating a Daily
+ Meditation", published by Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ The crazy elephant of the mind behaving wildly
+ Is tied to the pillar of an object of observation
+ With the rope of mindfulness.
+ By degrees it is brought under control with the hook of wisdom.
+ --Bhavaviveka
+
+ "Wisdom" here is introspection. Hence, the example of taming an elephant
+indicates the achievement of a serviceable mind by way of the two--mindfulness
+and introspection. The subtle vajra that is the base on which the mind is
+being set is like a stable pillar to which an elephant is tied. The
+unserviceable mind is like an untamed elephant. Causing the mind not to be
+distracted from its object of observation through relying on mindfulness is
+like using a rope to tie an elephant. Setting the mind free from fault--when
+it does not hold the object of observation as originally set--through
+immediately recognizing such by means of introspection is like a herder's
+hitting an elephant with a hook and correcting it when it strays from the tie-
+up.
+
+ Hence, there are two important factors with regard to holding the mind:
+ + From the beginning, stay on the object of observation without being
+ distracted to anything other than it.
+ + Then if distracted, immediately recognize such, and again focus the mind
+ as before. (p.94)
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Yoga Tantra: Paths
+ to Magical Feats", translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by
+ Snow Lion Publications
+~
+Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor
+technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or
+defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this
+you will awaken from your dreams.
+ -- Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo
+~
+LEEEEEEEROYYYY JENNNNNKINZZZ!!!
+ -- To be yelled before irrationally throwing away all plans and jumping into
+ the worst possible situation.
+~
+what is an inference?
+ someone says, "my hand stinks because my butt stinks."
+an inference you could draw:
+ that hand has probably been too close to that butt.
+~
+What Do We Mean by Bodhisattva?
+
+ Bodhi means enlightenment, the state devoid of all defects and endowed with
+all good qualities. Sattva refers to someone who has courage and confidence
+and who strives to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. Those who
+have this spontaneous, sincere wish to attain enlightenment for the ultimate
+benefit of all beings are called bodhisattvas. Through wisdom, they direct
+their minds to enlightenment, and through their compassion, they have concern
+for beings. This wish for perfect enlightenment for the sake of others is
+what we call bodhichitta, and it is the starting point on the path.
+~
+The Notion of Self
+
+ When we talk about the notion of self in Buddhism, it is important to bear
+in mind that there are different degrees or types. There are some types of
+sense of self which are not only to be cultivated but also to be reinforced
+and enhanced. For instance, in order to have a strong determination to seek
+buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings, one needs a very strong
+sense of confidence, which is based upon a sense of commitment and courage.
+This requires a strong sense of self. Unless one has that identity or sense
+of self, one will not be able to develop the confidence and courage to
+strongly seek this aim.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Genuine peace of mind is rooted in affection and compassion. There is a very
+high level of sensitivity and feeling involved. So long as we lack inner
+discipline, an inner calmness of mind, then no matter what external facilities
+or conditions we may have, they will never give us the feeling of joy and
+happiness that we seek. On the other hand, if we possess this inner
+quality—that is, calmness of mind, a degree of stability within—then even
+if we lack various external facilities that are normally considered necessary
+for a happy and joyful life, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful
+life.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+COMPLICATED SIMPLICITY
+
+ Emptiness is the simplest and most unelaborated thing we could imagine, but
+then there is this whole literature about all these very discursive details
+with all their subpoints. There are five paths and ten bhumis, and each path
+is divided into a number of stages, with certain numbers of obscurations
+having to be relinquished on each one of those subpaths. Most people just
+think, "Who wants or needs to know all that? Don't we have too many
+thoughts already? I thought this was about letting go of all reference
+points."
+ Of course nobody really wants to know all those details and in a sense we
+all know them already, because they are the details of the many reference
+points that we already have in our mind. The fact that these sutras and their
+commentaries talk about our obscurations is precisely the point why they seem
+so endless and complicated—because our minds are complicated. Emptiness is
+extremely simple, but our convoluted minds that do not get this simplicity are
+very complicated. It is not that the Buddha and the other speakers in the
+sutras and the commentaries really like to, but they need to address each one
+of those knots in our minds, which are like knots in space.
+~
+If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have
+to be a horrible warning.
+ -- Catherine Aird
+~
+THE MIND OF CLEAR LIGHT
+
+ Is spiritual practice really worthwhile? Is it really possible to eliminate
+from within ourselves the forces that give rise to suffering? As is said,
+"The ultimate nature of mind is clear light." Consciousness has many
+levels, and although the coarser levels are affected by the defiling forces,
+the most subtle level remains free of gross negativities. In the Vajrayana
+this subtle level of consciousness is called the mind of clear light.
+ The delusions and emotional afflictions as well as the dualistic mind of
+right and wrong, love and hatred, etc., are associated only with the coarse
+levels of consciousness. At the moment, we are totally absorbed in the
+interplay of these coarse states, so we must begin our practice by working
+within them. This means consciously encouraging love over hate, patience in
+place of anger, emotional freedom rather than attachment, kindness over
+violence, and so forth. Doing this brings immediate peace and calm to the
+mind, thus making higher meditation possible.
+ Then, because grasping at a self and at phenomena as being truly existent is
+the cause of all the vast range of distorted states of mind, one cultivates
+the wisdom that eliminates this ego-grasping. To overcome ego-grasping is to
+overcome the entire host of mental distortions.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+It is the general Buddhist procedure that one's own pleasure and pain are
+acheived by oneself and not from the outside, and that, therefore, sentient
+beings themselves must understand and implement practices to bring about their
+own happiness. Thus, the most efficacious way to help others is through
+teaching what should be adopted in practice and what should be discarded from
+among current behavior. There is no way to do this unless you come to know
+all of the topics involved in what should be adopted in practice and what
+should be discarded—you must become omniscient. As mentioned earlier, there
+is no way to accomplish this except by removing the obstructions to
+omniscience, and one who has overcome, utterly and forever, the obstructions
+to omniscience is a Buddha.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ In meditation, imagine that in front of you are three persons—an enemy, a
+friend, and a neutral person. At that time, in our minds we have (1) a sense
+of closeness for one of them, thinking, "This is my friend"; (2) a sense
+of dislike even when imagining the enemy; and (3) a sense of ignoring the
+neutral person. Now, we have to think about the reasons why we generate these
+feelings—the reasons being that temporarily one of them helped us whereas
+the other temporarily harmed us, and the third did neither. However, when we
+think in terms of the long course of beginningless rebirth, none of us could
+decide that someone who has helped or harmed us in this life has been doing so
+for all lifetimes.
+ When you contemplate this way, eventually you arrive at a point where a
+strong generation of desire or hatred appears to you to be just senseless.
+Gradually, such a bias weakens, and you decide that one-sided classification
+of persons as friends and enemies has been a mistake.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Generally speaking, even if money brings us happiness, it tends to be the
+kind that money can buy: material things and sensory experiences. And these,
+we discover, become a source of suffering themselves. As far as actual
+possessions are concerned, we must admit that they often cause us more, not
+less, difficulty in life. The car breaks down, we lose our money, our most
+precious belongings are stolen, our house is damaged by fire. Or we worry
+about these things happening.
+ The problem is not materialism as such. Rather it is the underlying
+assumption that full satisfaction can arise from gratifying the senses alone.
+Unlike animals whose quest for happiness is restricted to survival and to the
+immediate gratification of sensory desires, we human beings have the capacity
+to experience happiness at a deeper level, which, when achieved, can overwhelm
+unhappy experiences.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of
+others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like
+it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives in which we do not benefit
+from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most
+of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others. Nor
+is it so remarkable that our greatest joy should come when we are motivated by
+concern for others. But that is not all. We find that not only do altruistic
+actions bring about happiness, but they also lessen our experience of
+suffering. Here I am not suggesting that the individual whose actions are
+motivated by the wish to bring others happiness necessarily meets with less
+misfortune than the one who does not. Sickness, old age, mishaps of one sort
+or another are the same for us all. But the sufferings which undermine our
+internal peace—anxiety, doubt, disappointment—these are definitely less.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+If we view the world's religions from the widest possible viewpoint and
+examine their ultimate goal, we find that all of the major world religions,
+whether Christianity or Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, are dedicated to the
+achievement of permanent human happiness. They are all directed toward that
+goal. All religions emphasize the fact that the true follower must be honest
+and gentle, in other words, that a truly religious person must always strive
+to be a better human being. To this end, the different world religions teach
+different doctrines which will help transform the person. In this regard, all
+religions are the same, there is no conflict. This is something we must
+emphasize. We must consider the question of religious diversity from this
+viewpoint. And when we do, we find no conflict.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Emptiness vs. Non-Existence
+
+The doctrines of emptiness and selflessness do not imply the non-existence of
+things. Things do exist. When we say that all phenomena are void of self-
+existence, it does not mean that we are advocating non-existence, that we are
+repudiating that things exist. Then what is it we are negating? We are
+negating, or denying, that anything exists from its own side without depending
+on other things. Hence, it is because things depend for their existence upon
+other causes and conditions that they are said to lack independent self-
+existence.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+If we view the world's religions from the widest possible viewpoint and
+examine their ultimate goal, we find that all of the major world religions,
+whether Christianity or Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, are dedicated to the
+achievement of permanent human happiness. They are all directed toward that
+goal. All religions emphasize the fact that the true follower must be honest
+and gentle, in other words, that a truly religious person must always strive
+to be a better human being. To this end, the different world religions teach
+different doctrines which will help transform the person. In this regard, all
+religions are the same, there is no conflict. This is something we must
+emphasize. We must consider the question of religious diversity from this
+viewpoint. And when we do, we find no conflict.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ The process of overcoming our defilements goes in conjunction with gaining
+higher levels of realisation. In fact, when we speak of gaining higher levels
+of realisation in Buddhism we are speaking primarily of the processes through
+which our wisdom and insight deepen. It is actually the wisdom aspect that
+enables the practitioner to move from one level to the next on the path.
+ The attainment of the levels of the path is explained in condensed form in
+the Heart Sutra, where we find the mantra tadyatha om gate gate paragate
+parasamgate bodhi svaha. Tadyatha means It is thus; gate gate means go, go;
+paragate means go beyond and transcend; parasamgate means go utterly beyond,
+go thoroughly beyond; and bodhi svaha means firmly rooted in enlightenment.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ENDURING SUCCESS
+ It is often seen that human beings can endure problems quite well, but
+cannot endure success. When we are successful and have everything we desire,
+it can easily go to our heads. There is a great danger of losing our common
+sense and becoming careless and arrogant. As it is said, "Nothing corrupts a
+person more than power." Very powerful people sometimes become so proud that
+they no longer care about their actions or about the effect they have on
+others. Losing any sense of right and wrong, they create severe problems for
+themselves and everyone else.
+ Even if we have all the success we could dream of—fame, wealth, and so
+on—we must understand that these things have no real substance. Attachment
+does not come from having things, but from the way our mind reacts to them.
+It is fine to participate in good circumstances, provided we can see that they
+have no real essence. They may come and they may go. When seeing this, we
+will not become so attached. Even if we lose our wealth we will not be badly
+affected, and while it is there we will enjoy it without being senseless and
+arrogant.
+ -- Ringu Tulku, from "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha",
+ edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, page 92.
+~
+The role of other sentient beings
+
+ In relation to the attainment of liberation from cylic existence, which is
+known also as "definite goodness," the role of other sentient beings is
+indispensable. In the Buddhist understanding, the key spiritual practices
+that lead to the attainment of liberation are the Three Higher
+Trainings—higher training in morality, in meditation, and in wisdom. The
+last two are based upon the foundation of the first, namely the training in
+morality. As I said before, the presence of other sentience beings is
+indispensable for this training. This is how we come to the powerful
+realisation that the role of other sentient beings is essential in all areas
+of our mundane and spiritual activities.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ To avoid being hurt by thorns and brambles, we might consider covering all
+the mountains with leather. That would be impossible, but putting on shoes
+would serve the same purpose. Similarly, if we tried to subdue all our outer
+enemies, we would never succeed. Once one was eliminated, another would rise
+against us. While doing this, our anger would continue to breed new foes.
+The only way to overcome our enemies is to turn inward and kill the real one,
+which is our own hatred.
+ -- Ringu Tulku, from "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha",
+ edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs.
+~
+ One should not view one's dharma practice as being something decorative,
+regarding statues and images as material possessions or as furnishings for
+one's house, or thinking that because there is an empty space on a wall one
+might as well put up a thangka for decoration. That kind of attitude should
+not be cultivated. When you arrange the statues or thangkas, you should do so
+out of a deep respect from the mind, moved by your faith and conviction. If
+you can arrange these physical representations—statues and so forth—out of
+deep respect and faith, that's all right. On the other hand, the attitude
+that they are merely material possessions is dangerous and destructive. I
+think that some people who have a cupboard or the like in which they keep all
+their precious possessions may arrange an altar on it just for the sake of
+decoration. This is very wrong.
+ Having such motivations is not the proper way to become a Buddhist; the
+proper way to become a Buddhist is to bring about some positive change within
+the mind. Any practice that can give you more courage when you are undergoing
+a very difficult time and that can provide you with some kind of solace and
+calmness of mind is a true practice of the dharma.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+The environment where you are doing the meditation should be properly cleaned.
+While cleaning, you should cultivate the motivation that since you are engaged
+in the task of accumulating great stores of merit by inviting the hosts of
+buddhas and bodhisattvas to this environment, it is important to have a clean
+place. You should see that all external dirt and dust around you is basically
+a manifestation of the faults and stains within your own mind. You should see
+that the most important aim is to purge these stains and faults from within
+your mind. Therefore, as you cleanse the environment, think that you are also
+purifying your mind. Develop the very strong thought that by cleaning this
+place you are inviting the hosts of buddhas and bodhisattvas who are the most
+supreme merit field, and that you will subsequently engage in a path that will
+enable you to purge your mind of the stains and delusions.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ From the point of view of one who seeks enlightenment, it is far better to
+be a human being than to be born even in the heavens of the gods, where there
+is nectar to live on and all wishes are granted by the wish-fulfilling tree;
+where there is neither fatigue nor difficulty, neither sickness nor old age.
+It is as humans, possessed of the eight freedoms and the ten endowments, and
+not as gods, that every one of the thousand Buddhas of this age has attained,
+or will attain, enlightenment. This human existence, moreover, is not to be
+achieved by force or mere chance; it is the result of positive actions. And
+because it is rare for beings to accomplish positive actions, a precious human
+existence is indeed difficult to obtain.
+ Nevertheless, we have now managed to be born into such a state; we have
+encountered the Buddadharma, have entered the path and are now receiving
+teachings. But if we are unable to practise them, simply listening to the
+teachings will not in itself liberate us from samsara, and will be of no help
+to us when we are confronted by the hardships of birth, disease, old age and
+death. If we do not follow the doctor's prescription when we are sick, then
+even if the doctor sits constantly by our side, the pain will not go away.
+ -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, from "Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the
+ Seven-Point Mind Training", translated by Padmakara Translation Group.
+~
+The realization of the nature of the mind is not something we can find by
+searching for it from afar. It is present within the essence of the mind
+itself. If we do not alter or change that in any way, that is enough. It is
+not as if we were lacking something before, so we need to make something new
+through our meditation. It is not as if we are bad and have to go through all
+sorts of efforts to make ourselves good. Goodness is something we all have.
+It has always been with us, but we have just not looked for it or seen it yet,
+so we have become confused. Therefore all we need to do is to just rest
+within it without changing it. We see where it stays and rest there, so we
+are like a kusulu. This means that we rest free and easy with nothing to do,
+very simply. We do not need to think that we are making something good or
+that we need to meditate properly. It is enough just to know what we already
+have.
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from "Vivid Awareness", in "The Best Buddhist
+ Writing 2012", edited by Melvin McLeod and the editors of the Shambhala
+ Sun, pages 196–197.
+~
+We all have to recognize the tremendous opportunity that we have. As humans
+we have this rare intelligence, but there is a real danger that we will waste
+it. Death is certain, but when we will die is totally unpredictable. We
+could lose our precious human existence at any moment. With such reflections,
+we must motivate ourselves to do something meaningful right now. The best way
+to make your human existence meaningful is to really engage in the practice of
+Dharma. During formal sitting meditation and in between sessions, in
+different ways, be mindful and introspectively vigilant. Keep constant watch
+on your mind.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ In order to carry out a practice--such as constantly watching the mind--you
+should form a determination, make a pledge, right when you wake up: "Now, for
+the rest of this day, I will put into practice what I believe just as much as
+I can." It is very important that, at the start of the day, we should set out
+to shape what will happen later. Then, at the end of every day, check what
+happened. Review the day. And if you carried through for that whole day your
+morning's determination, then rejoice. Reinforce further your motivation to
+continue in the same line. However, when you do your reviewing, you may
+discover that you did things during the day that are contrary to your
+religious values and beliefs. You should then acknowledge this and cultivate
+a deep sense of remorse. Strengthen your resolve not to indulge in these
+actions in the future.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ There are two different ways in which we can understand the term "ordinary
+mind." One way is to not take control over anything and end up following our
+afflictions. When a thought of anger arises, we follow it; when greed arises,
+we lose control of ourselves to it. Similarly, we lose control of ourselves
+to our pride and jealousy. Although we might think of this as our ordinary
+state of mind, it is not what we mean here. Here it does not mean losing
+control of ourselves to negative emotions. Instead, it means that we do not
+need to do anything at all to the essence of the mind itself.
+ We do not need to alter this essence in any way. We do not have to worry
+about what we are thinking, what is pleasant, or what is painful. We can
+leave this mind as it is. If we try to alter the mind in any way, thoughts
+will arise. But if we do not do anything to it and let it rest easily, then
+it is unaltered. The Kagyu masters of the past called this the ordinary mind,
+or the natural state. They called it this out of their experience. This
+ordinary mind itself is the dharma expanse and the essence of the buddhas; it
+is our buddha-nature.
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from "Vivid Awareness" in "The Best Buddhist
+ Writing 2012", edited by Melvin McLeod and the editors of the Shambhala
+ Sun, page 200.
+~
+ If your engagement with others is tainted by strong attachment, craving,
+aversion, anger, and so forth, then that form of grasping is undesirable. But
+on the other hand, when you are interacting with other living beings and
+become aware of their needs or suffering or pain, then you need to fully
+engage with that and be compassionate. So there can be positive attachment in
+this sense of active engagement.
+ Buddhist masters have long used the term attachment to describe the quality
+of compassion for others. For example, a verse from Haribhadra's Clear
+Meaning Commentary refers to compassion that is attached to other living
+beings. And as we have seen, Nagarjuna teaches that attachment for other
+living beings will arise spontaneously in the person who realizes emptiness.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Kongtrul Rinpoche suggested we pray to the guru, buddhas, and bodhisattvas and
+ask them to grant their blessings, "So I may give birth to the heart of
+sadness." But what is a "heart of sadness"? Imagine one night you have
+a dream. Although it is a good dream, deep down you know that eventually you
+will have to wake up and it will be over. In life, too, sooner or later,
+whatever the state of our relationships, or our health, our jobs and every
+aspect of our lives, everything, absolutely everything, will change. And the
+little bell ringing in the back of your head to remind you of this
+inevitability is what is called the "heart of sadness." Life, you realise,
+is a race against time, and you should never put off dharma practice until
+next year, next month, or tomorrow, because the future may never happen.
+ -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-
+ Called Preliminary Practices"
+~
+ What we want to eliminate is grasping that is grounded upon falsification of
+the object, distortions that arise as afflictions grasp at the apparent
+substantial existence of an object. Some texts say that mental states such as
+compassion and faith are, by their very nature, virtuous and thus cannot at
+the same time be afflicted mental states. Yet there are other texts that
+refer to "afflicted compassion" or "afflicted faith." For those of us
+who have not realized emptiness, when we generate strong devotion toward the
+Buddha perhaps there is within that faith, within that devotion, an element of
+grasping at the Buddha as substantially real. This makes it an instance of
+so-called "afflicted devotion."
+ Still, it is important to distinguish grasping rooted in falsification and
+distortion from the attachment, focus, or holding that we associate with
+compassion. In our immediate experience, these two forms of grasping may seem
+the same, but in terms of the overall mental environment they are quite
+different. Compassion is fact-based, while distorted grasping is not.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ By and large, human beings tend to prefer to fit in to society by following
+accepted rules of etiquette and being gentle, polite, and respectful. The
+irony is that this is also how most people imagine a spiritual person should
+behave. When a so-called dharma practitioner is seen to behave badly, we
+shake our heads over her audacity at presenting herself as a follower of the
+Buddha. Yet such judgments are better avoided, because to "fit in" is not
+what a genuine dharma practitioner strives for.
+ Think of Tilopa, for example. He looked so outlandish that if he turned up
+on your doorstep today, odds are you would refuse to let him in. And you
+would have a point. He would most likely be almost completely naked; if you
+were lucky, he might be sporting some kind of G-string; his hair would never
+have been introduced to shampoo; and protruding from his mouth would quiver
+the tail of a live fish. What would your moral judgment be of such a being?
+"Him! A Buddhist?" This is how our theistic, moralistic, and judgmental
+minds work. Of course, there is nothing wrong with morality, but the point of
+spiritual practice, according to the vajrayana teachings, is to go beyond all
+our concepts, including those of morality.
+ -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-
+ Called Preliminary Practices".
+~
+Because it is a reality that we are by nature social animals, bound to depend
+on each other, we need to cultivate affection and concern for other people if
+we really desire peace and happiness. Look at wild animals and birds. Even
+they travel together, flock together, and help each other. Bees do not have a
+particular legal system, they do not follow any spiritual practice, but for
+their livelihood and survival they depend on each other--that is their
+natural way of existence. Even though we intelligent human beings must also
+depend on each other, we sometimes misuse our intelligence and try to exploit
+each other. That goes against human nature. For those of us who profess to
+believe in a particular religious practice, it is extremely important that we
+try to help each other and cultivate a feeling of affection for each other.
+That is the source of happiness in our life.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ It's important to differentiate a thought from an emotion. We say things
+such as, "I feel like they don't accept me." Actually, that is a thought.
+We may feel hurt or frustrated, and it's because we're thinking that others
+don't accept us. How do we know they don't accept us? We don't. We
+haven't asked them. Instead, on the basis of how they looked at us or a
+comment they made, our mind constructs a story that we believe.
+ As soon as you hear yourself saying, "I feel like...," stop and recognize
+that you can't "feel like" something. You are thinking. After you have
+identified the thought, ask yourself, "Is that true? How do I know it's true?
+What evidence do I have to prove the validity of that thought?" It's really
+startling to see how often we assume our interpretation of a situation is true
+when in fact it is based on flimsy evidence.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, from "Don't Believe Everything You Think: Living with
+ Wisdom and Compassion"
+~
+We are all human beings, and from this point of view, we are the same. We all
+want happiness and we do not want suffering. If we consider this point, we
+will find that there are no differences between people of different faiths,
+races, colors, or cultures. We all have this common wish for happiness.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Enlightenment is not anything new or something we create or bring into
+existence. It is simply discovering within us what is already there. It is
+the full realization of our intrinsic nature. In Tibetan, buddha is sang
+gyay. Sang means that all of the faults have been cleared away, while gyay
+means "full realization"; just as from darkness, the moon waxes, likewise
+from ignorance, the qualities of the mind's intrinsic nature emerge.
+ -- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
+~
+The fundamental teaching of the Buddha is that we should view others as being
+more important than we are. Of course, you cannot completely ignore yourself.
+But neither can you neglect the welfare of other people and other sentient
+beings, particularly when there is a clash of interest between your own
+welfare and the welfare of other people. At such a time you should consider
+other people's welfare as more important than your own personal well-being.
+Compare yourself to the rest of sentient beings. All other sentient beings
+are countless, while you are just one person. Your suffering and happiness
+may be very important, but it is just the suffering and happiness of one
+individual, whereas the happiness and suffering of all other sentient beings
+is immeasurable and countless. So, it is the way of the wise to sacrifice one
+for the benefit of the majority and it is the way of the foolish to sacrifice
+the majority on behalf of just one single individual. Even from the point of
+view of your personal well-being, you must cultivate a compassionate
+mind—that is that source of happiness in your life.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Attachment and love are similar in that both of them draw us to the other
+person. But in fact, these two emotions are quite different. When we're
+attached we're drawn to someone because he or she meets our needs. In
+addition, there are lots of strings attached to our affection that we may or
+may not realize are there. For example, I 'love' you because you make me feel
+good. I 'love' you as long as you do things that I approve of. I 'love' you
+because you're mine. You're my spouse or my child or my parent or my friend.
+With attachment, we go up and down like a yo-yo, depending on how the other
+person treats us. We obsess, "What do they think of me? Do they love me?
+Have I offended them? How can I become what they want me to be so that they
+love me even more?" It's not very peaceful, is it? We're definitely stirred
+up.
+ On the other hand, the love we're generating on the Dharma path is
+unconditional. We simply want other to have happiness and the causes of
+happiness without any strings attached, without any expectations of what these
+people will do for us or how good they'll make us feel.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, "Don't Believe Everything You Think: Living with Wisdom
+ and Compassion"
+~
+Because we don't recognize our essential nature--we don't realize that
+although appearances arise unceasingly, nothing is really there--we invest
+with solidity and reality the seeming truth of self, other, and actions
+between self and others. This intellectual obscuration gives rise to
+attachment and aversion, followed by actions and reactions that create karma,
+solidify into habit, and perpetuate the cycles of suffering. This entire
+process needs to be purified.
+ -- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, from "In the Presence of Masters: Wisdom from 30
+ Contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Teachers", edited by Reginald A. Ray.
+~
+ Effort is crucial in the beginning for generating a strong will. We all
+have the Buddha nature and thus already have within us the substances through
+which, when we meet with the proper conditions, we can turn into a fully
+enlightened being having all beneficial attributes and devoid of all faults.
+The very root of failure in our lives is to think, "Oh, how useless and
+powerless I am!" It is important to have a strong force of mind thinking,
+"I can do it," this not being mixed with pride or any other afflictive
+emotion.
+ Moderate effort over a long period of time is important, no matter what you
+are trying to do. One brings failure on oneself by working extremely hard at
+the beginning, attempting to do too much, and then giving it all up after a
+short time. A constant stream of moderate effort is needed. Similarly, when
+meditating, you need to be skillful by having frequent, short sessions; it is
+more important that the session be of good quality than that it be long.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight"
+~
+We Buddhists are supposed to save all sentient beings, but practically
+speaking, this may be too broad a notion for most people. In any case, we
+must at least think in terms of helping all human beings. This is very
+important. Even if we cannot think in terms of sentient beings inhabiting
+different worlds, we should nonetheless think in terms of the human beings on
+our own planet. To do this is to take a practical approach to the problem.
+It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily
+lives. If we find we cannot help another, the least we can do is to desist
+from harming them. We must not cheat others or lie to them. We must be
+honest human beings, sincere human beings.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ How things appear and how they actually exist differ greatly. A person
+engaging in practice of the perfection of wisdom does this kind of analysis
+and then examines how things appear in ordinary experience, alternating
+analysis and comparison with the usual mode of appearance in order to notice
+the discrepancy between the actual mode of subsistence of phenomena and their
+appearance.
+ In this way the inherent existence which is the object of negation will
+become clearer and clearer. As much as the object of negation becomes
+clearer, so much deeper will your understanding of emptiness become. Finally,
+you will ascertain a mere vacuity that is a negative of inherent existence.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Three attitudes prevent us from receiving a continual flow of blessings.
+They are compared to three "pots": a full pot, a pot with poison in it,
+and a pot with a hole in the bottom.
+ The pot that's filled to the brim is like a mind full of opinions and
+preconceptions. We already know it all. We have so many fixed ideas that
+nothing new can affect us or cause us to question our assumptions.
+ The pot containing poison is like a mind that's so cynical, critical, and
+judgmental that everything is poisoned by this harshness. It allows for no
+openness and no willingness to explore the teachings or anything else that
+challenges our righteous stance.
+ The pot with a hole is like a distracted mind: our body is present but
+we're lost in thought. We're so busy thinking about our dream vacation or
+what's for dinner that we're completely deaf to what's being said.
+ Knowing how sad it is to receive blessings and not be able to benefit,
+Shantideva wants to save himself grief by remaining open and attentive.
+Nothing will improve, he says, unless we become more intelligent about cause
+and effect. This is a message worth considering seriously.
+ -- Pema Chödrön, from "No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the
+ Bodhisattva".
+~
+ Shantideva cites three benefits of pain. First, it is valuable because
+through sorrow, pride is driven out. No matter how arrogant and condescending
+we've been, great suffering can humble us. The pain of a serious illness or
+loss of a loved one can be transformative, softening us and making us less
+self-centered.
+ The second benefit of pain is empathy: the compassion felt for those who
+wander in samsara. Our personal suffering brings compassion for others in the
+same situation. A young woman was telling me that when her baby died, she
+felt a deep connection to all the other parents who had lost children. This
+was, as she put it, the unexpected blessing of her sorrow.
+ The third value of suffering is that evil is avoided and goodness seems
+delightful. When we practice according to Shantideva's instructions, we can
+get smarter about cause and result. Based on this understanding, we'll have
+less inclination to cause harm, and more desire to gather virtue and benefit
+others.
+ -- Pema Chödrön, from "No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the
+ Bodhisattva"
+~
+ Since emptiness, from between positive and negative phenomena, is a negative
+phenomenon and, from between affirming negatives and non-affirming negatives,
+is a non-affirming negative, when it appears to the mind, nothing will appear
+except an absence of such inherent existence—a mere elimination of the
+object of negation. Thus, for the mind of a person realizing emptiness there
+is no sense of, "I am ascertaining emptiness," and there is no thought,
+"This is emptiness." If you had such a sense, emptiness would become
+distant. Nevertheless, the emptiness of inherent existence is ascertained and
+realized.
+ After such realization, even though whatever phenomena appear appear to
+exist in their own right, you understand that they do not exist that way. You
+have a sense that they are like a magician's illusions in that there is a
+combination of their appearing one way but actually existing another way.
+Though they appear to exist inherently, you understand that they are empty of
+inherent existence.
+ When phenomena are seen this way, the conceptions that superimpose a sense
+of goodness or badness on phenomena beyond what is actually there and serve as
+a basis for generating desire and hatred lessen; this is because they are
+based on the misconception that phenomena are established in their own right.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Rely on timeless awareness, which is free of elaboration, without
+ identity, and the very essence of being;
+ do not rely on ordinary consciousness, which is a mind fixated
+ on characteristics and concepts.
+
+ Timeless awareness entails (a) understanding that the way in which phenomena
+actually abide is, from the ultimate perspective, free of all limitations
+imposed by elaborations of origination, cessation, and so forth; (b)
+realization of the nonexistence of the two kinds of identity; and (c) unerring
+knowledge of sugatagarbha as utter lucidity, the way in which things actually
+abide, beyond any context of speculative value judgments. It is on this
+awareness that one should rely.
+ Ordinary consciousness entails (a) belief that what one immediately
+perceives constitutes something truly existent; (b) conceptualization in terms
+of characteristics, such as the sense of personal identity and the mind-body
+aggregates; and (c) mental states that are conditioned, for example, by
+attitudes of naively fixating on the pleasures of the senses. One should not
+rely on such consciousness.
+ -- Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Taye, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven
+ and Book Eight, Parts One and Two"
+~
+ Such is the process of karma: it is ineluctable; its results are greatly
+magnified; actions not committed have no effect; and the effects of actions
+committed never expire on their own.
+ Generally speaking, whether you are an ordinary mortal individual or a
+spiritually advanced being, all positive experiences that carry with them any
+pleasant sensation—down to even the slightest pleasure caused by a cool
+breeze for beings reborn in a hell realm—occur due to positive karma
+reinforced in the past; it is not in accord with the nature of things that
+happiness be due to negative karma. And all negative experiences that carry
+with them any unpleasant sensation—down to even the slightest suffering that
+could occur in the experience of an arhat—occur due to negative karma one
+has reinforced in the past; for it is not in accord with the nature of things
+that suffering be due to positive karma.
+ -- Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Taye, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven
+ and Book Eight, Parts One and Two"
+~
+ "That which is seen and that which is touched are of a dream-like and
+ illusion-like nature. Because feeling arises together with the mind,
+ it is not [ultimately] perceived." --Shantideva
+
+ There is nothing whatever that has a true mode of existence. Nevertheless,
+this does not suggest that a person who experiences feelings and the feelings
+themselves—pleasant and unpleasant—are utterly non-existent. They do
+exist, but in an untrue fashion. Thus, the things that we see and touch have
+a dream-like and illusion-like quality.
+ In the second line the author refutes the true existence of the mind that
+experiences feelings. Since feelings arise in conjunction with the mind,
+feelings are not perceived by the mind that is simultaneous with them. There
+must be a causal relationship between the experienced object and the
+experiencing subject. If two entities are substantially distinct and exist
+simultaneously, there could be neither a causal relationship nor an identity
+relationship between them.
+ For this reason the author denies that either [intrinsic] relationship could
+hold for the feelings and the awareness that is simultaneous with them. Two
+mental events that arise in conjunction with each other are not able to
+apprehend one another. This holds true for all states of awareness. Thus,
+feelings are not observed by the awareness that arises in conjunction with
+them and that exists simultaneously with them.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Any happiness there is in the world ultimately turns to pain. Why? Consider
+the two sides of a coin: just because what we desire is to be seen on the
+front does not mean that dislike won't soon appear on the back. Likewise,
+hope and fear are a single coin, one entity with two faces--on the other side
+of a moment in which we hope for more happiness will be our fear of more
+suffering. Until attachment is eliminated, we can be certain of having both
+hope and fear. As long as there is hope and fear, the delusions of samsara
+will be perpetuated and there will be constant suffering. Thus attachment is
+the nature of both hope and fear: looking at the ultimate emptiness of the
+self-envisioned magical illusion of hope and fear, we should hang loosely in
+the flow.
+ --Tulku Pema Rigtsal, "The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the
+ Nonduality of Dzogchen", translated by Keith Dowman
+~
+ The feelings of joy and sorrow do not exist from their own side. Although
+they exist as conceptual imputations, you cling to them as existing from their
+own side. Feelings do not exist by their own intrinsic nature; rather, they
+are identified on the basis of contributing circumstances.
+ Therefore, this analysis is cultivated as an antidote for that [false
+conception of intrinsic existence]. The meditative absorption that arises
+from the field of discriminative investigation is the food of the
+contemplative.—Shantideva
+ Feelings do not truly exist; they are not found when sought through
+analysis; they do not exist independently, but exist by the power of
+convention. Thus, the means for overcoming the misconception of the true
+existence of feelings is meditation on their lack of such existence. This
+entails analyzing the mode of existence of feelings.
+ Such investigation is an aid to meditative absorption and leads to the
+integration of meditative quiescence and insight. That increases the physical
+vitality of the contemplative and enhances the power of his [or her] spiritual
+practice. Thus it is called the nourishment of the contemplative.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Transcendent Wisdom".
+~
+It is not enough merely to look into the space of happiness or sadness; it is
+important to have pure presence constant in that flow. If the power of
+meditation is not constant, it is impossible to remain long in the place of
+nondual perception. Thoughts that arise intermittently will break the
+continuity, and radiating out from this, like ripples on a pond, the poisonous
+taste of emotion will arise to obstruct the meditation. As gross thoughts
+increase, ripples become rough waves that intensify the emotion. Until subtle
+emotions are left behind, we cannot eradicate suffering, so it is crucially
+important to sustain the state of meditation. When we gain strong familiarity
+by staying in that space for a long time, then no matter what thoughts arise,
+whether gross or subtle, they will not be able to dislodge us: upon
+recognizing the first thought, whatever thought it may be, in that very
+moment, we realize it to be the play of the spontaneous creativity of
+dharmakaya. Like a wave falling back into the ocean, the thought vanishes
+into the dharmakaya. In that space of naked empty pure presence that is the
+view, always cherishing thoughts of the five poisonous emotions and all the
+movements of body, speech, and mind, and the acts of eating, sleeping, moving,
+and sitting, we are known as the yogins and yoginis who stand guard over the
+shifting dharmakaya display. This is the supreme method of sustaining the
+essence of meditation. According to Dzogchen teaching, this is unadulterated
+by any kind of focus; it is called "the great meditation that is
+nonmeditation."
+ --Tulku Pema Rigtsal, "The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the
+ Nonduality of Dzogchen", translated by Keith Dowman.
+~
+ Who is more shameless in this world,
+ Than one who abandons to samsara's ocean of suffering
+ All the mothers who have tenderly cared for him since beginningless time
+ And instead strives toward the peace of a solitary nirvana?
+ --Shechen Gyaltsap Pema Namgyal
+
+ In each of our lives since beginningless time, our mother carried us within
+her body for nine months. She took care of us when we were helpless babies;
+she gave us food, education, and protection. In return, we feel love and
+gratitude for her kindness.
+ Why not extend our respect and appreciation for our mother to everyone else?
+If we take a broader perspective, we can consider that, within the countless
+existences we have lived, every being has been our mother at one time or
+another. Don't they also deserve our kindness now? We can extend the same
+debt of gratitude that we owe our present mother to all sentient beings. By
+doing so, we naturally begin to develop a deep concern for the happiness of
+others, and this feeling makes sense to us.
+ We take the refuge vow not just for our own sake, but also for the sake of
+all sentient beings. This is bodhichitta, or the altruistic mind, which aims
+for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.
+ --Shechen Rabjam, "The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the Notion
+ of Reality: Steps in Meditation on the Enlightened Mind"
+~
+ Direct perfect enlightenment [with regard to] all aspects,
+ and abandonment of the stains along with their imprints
+ [are called] buddha and nirvana respectively.
+ In truth, these are not two different things.
+ —Arya Maitreya
+
+All aspects of the knowable—all absolute and relative phenomena—are
+directly known. Through this knowledge one is immediately and perfectly
+enlightened. This is the aspect of realization. All the adventitious
+defilements—the two veils along with their remaining imprints—are
+abandoned without any exception. This is the aspect of abandonment. These
+two qualities have been led to ultimate perfection. They are therefore named
+"perfect buddha" ["perfectly awakened and expanded"] from the
+viewpoint of the former aspect, and "nirvana" ["gone beyond any torment
+and pain"] from the viewpoint of the latter aspect. These two aspects are
+contained in one and the same meaning, the meaning of the tathagatagarbha,
+whereas a difference only lies in the convention of the different terms. In
+the sense of the absolute field of experience of the noble ones' primordial
+wisdom the qualities of realization and abandonment are therefore completely
+inseparable and do not exist as two different things.
+ -- Arya Maitreya, "Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with
+ Commentary", with commentary by Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Thaye
+~
+ "Vehicle" (yana) has two meanings: the means by which one progresses and
+the destination to which one is progressing. Mahayana in the sense of the
+vehicle by which one progresses means to be motivated by the mind of
+enlightenment—wishing to attain highest enlightenment for the sake of all
+sentient beings, one's objects of intent—and means to engage in the six
+perfections.
+ Seeing reason and need, Buddha set forth many systems and vehicles, but
+these did not arise due to his being intimate with some and alien to others.
+The trainees who were listening to his teaching had various dispositions,
+interests, and abilities, and thus he taught methods that were suitable for
+each of them. For those who temporarily did not have the courage to strive
+for Buddhahood or who did not at all have the capacity of obtaining Buddhahood
+at that time, Buddha did not say, "You can attain Buddhahood." Rather, he
+set forth a path appropriate to the trainees' abilities. Buddha spoke in
+terms of their situation, and everything that he spoke was a means of
+eventually attaining highest enlightenment even though he did not always say
+that these were means for attaining Buddhahood.
+ Since the purpose of a Buddha's coming is others' realization of the
+wisdom of Buddhahood, the methods for actualizing this wisdom are one vehicle,
+not two. A Buddha does not lead beings by a vehicle that does not proceed to
+Buddhahood; he establishes beings in his own level. A variety of vehicles are
+set forth in accordance with temporary needs.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+You do not have to seek out loneliness--it is always there. Egolessness is a
+concept, a philosophy, but loneliness is a reality that you experience. A
+feeling of loneliness is part of the journey. As for me, I feel that way
+constantly, and I think it’s a very healthy feeling, a very real feeling.
+When you sense that you are not you anymore and that nothing can replace that
+state, you begin to make discoveries. You discover devotion, and you discover
+a quality of richness and artistic expression that is very special. Being
+you, but not being you, is very resourceful. You become a complete mountain
+man: you know how to make fire and cook food. But it doesn’t mean anything.
+You are still nobody. That is the inspiration.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma, Volume
+ One: The Individual Path of Liberation"
+~
+ Interdependence is our reality, whether we accept it or not. In order to
+live productively within such a reality, it is better to acknowledge and work
+with interdependence, wholeheartedly and without resistance. This is where
+love and compassion come in. It is love that leads us to embrace our
+connectedness to others, and to participate willingly in the relations created
+by our interdependence. Love can melt away our defenses and our painful sense
+of separation. The warmth of friendship and love makes it easy for us to
+accept that our happiness is intimately linked to that of others. The more
+widely we are able to love others, the happier and more content we can feel
+within the relations of interdependence that are a natural part of our life.
+ Love is possible in all our relationships because all people want happiness.
+No one wants to suffer. This is true of the people we love. It is also true
+of those we dislike. We are all absolutely identical in this respect. I
+think this universal wish for happiness is something we can easily grasp
+intellectually. When we learn to also feel and respect this in our heart,
+love naturally flourishes within us.
+ -- The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart is Noble: Changing the World
+ from the Inside Out"
+~
+ Day and night, night and day we spend our lives in the company of the
+afflictions, generating desire for the pleasant and anger at the unpleasant,
+and continue thus even when dreaming, unable to remain relaxed, our minds
+completely and utterly mixed with thoughts of desire and hatred without
+interruption.
+ To what refuge should we go? A source of refuge must have completely
+overcome all defects forever; it must be free of all faults. It must also
+have all the attributes of altruism—those attainments which are necessary
+for achieving others' welfare. For it is doubtful that anyone lacking these
+two prerequisites can bestow refuge; it would be like falling into a ditch and
+asking another who is in it to help you out. You need to ask someone who is
+standing outside the ditch for help; it is senseless to ask another who is in
+the same predicament. A refuge capable of protecting from the frights of
+manifold sufferings cannot also be bound in this suffering but must be free
+and unflawed. Furthermore, the complete attainments are necessary, for if you
+have fallen into a ditch, it is useless to seek help from someone standing
+outside it who does not wish to help or who wishes to help but has no means to
+do so.
+ Only a Buddha has extinguished all faults and gained all attainments.
+Therefore, one should mentally go for refuge to a Buddha, praise him with
+speech, and respect him physically. One should enter the teaching of such a
+being.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ All that is has me—universal creativity,
+ pure and total presence—as its root.
+ How things appear is my being.
+ How things arise is my manifestation.
+ Sounds and words heard are my messages
+ expressed in sounds and words.
+ All the capacities, forms, and pristine
+ awareness of the buddhas;
+ The bodies of sentient beings, their
+ habituations, and so forth;
+ All environments and their inhabitants,
+ life forms, and experiences;
+ Are the primordial state of pure and total
+ presence.
+
+ Without understanding me, the creativity of
+ the universe,
+ But investigating the phenomena that I
+ manifest,
+ You perceive everything dualistically due
+ to your attachment and longing.
+ Impermanent, apparitional things will fade
+ away.
+ They are aimless, like a blind man.
+
+ All that is experienced and
+ Your own mind are the unique primary reality.
+ They cannot be conceptualized according to
+ the cause and effect systems of thought.
+ Investigate your mind’s real nature
+ So that your pure and total presence will
+ actually shine forth.
+
+ -- Longchenpa, "You Are the Eyes of the World"
+~
+ Devotion, or mögü in Tibetan, can be divided into two aspects: möpa and
+küpa. Möpa means "longing" or "wanting," and küpa means "humility,"
+"respect," or "being without arrogance." With küpa, you are not pretending
+to be somebody who has reached a higher level of wisdom. So in devotion,
+longing and humbleness are put together. That state of mind brings openness
+to the teacher and to the dharma.
+ With küpa, the longing of möpa does not become purely an emotional
+indulgence or demand on the part of either the student or the teacher. The
+devotion of küpa is the respect or sacredness that comes from that experience
+of aah [the space before first thought]! Küpa arises because every highlight
+in your life has always been touched by the sacredness of vajrayana, even
+before you knew it.
+ -- Chogyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma,
+ Volume Three: The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness"
+~
+All suffering in this life and others is created by the unsubdued mind.
+Similarly, the basis of all the practices of the six paramitas, such as
+generosity, moral discipline, and so on, is the mind.
+
+Nothing is more important than guarding the mind. Let us constantly keep
+watch over the wild elephant of the mind, curbing it with mindfulness and
+vigilance. This is how to avoid being influenced by different external
+conditions. But even in retreat in a very secluded place, if the mind is not
+kept under control, it will wander all over the place. Even completely alone,
+we can have an enormous amount of negative emotions.
+
+How are we to guard the mind? We should use attentiveness to watch our
+thoughts and use mindfulness to judge whether we are acting correctly. With
+these two we have the means to annihilate all adverse conditions. But without
+them, we will not see whether our thoughts are positive or negative or whether
+we are doing right or wrong, nor will we then be able to use antidotes as
+necessary.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+The great yogi Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol replies to a Losar Day request from
+his disciple Depa Wangpo on what to adopt and what to reject regarding
+attitude and conduct...
+
+ Don’t harm your friends and neighbors; help them.
+ Don’t be stingy; use your wealth for offerings and charity.
+ Don’t let your body be idle; do prostrations and circumambulations.
+ Don’t let your mouth be idle; recite the mani mantra.
+ Always have pure thoughts towards others.
+
+ In brief, keeping Death in mind, practice the sacred Dharma.
+ Give up doing wrong, and do what is wholesome.
+ Whatever happiness and sufferings you undergo,
+ Regard them as the result of previous actions.
+ Always act in accord with the Dharma.
+ Even though I may be far away,
+ These instructions will remain like my very presence.
+ Keep them in mind!
+
+ -- Shabkar Natshok Rangdrol, in "The Life of Shabkar"
+~
+On the very night of Dodrupchen’s death, his spiritual testament was
+received by his principal disciple, Do Khyentse. Dodrupchen appeared in the
+sky in a radiant light body and an attire of lights. He was floating on a
+carpet of light, which was held up by four dakinis. In a very enchanting
+voice he sang the verses of his testament, which include the following lines:
+
+ I am going into the expanse of the Wisdom of the Ultimate Sphere,
+ Which is the state that transcends thoughts and expressions.
+ I am going into the state of Mirrorlike Wisdom,
+ Which is the ceaseless clear glow, fresh and open.
+ I am going into the expanse of the Wisdom of Evenness,
+ In which all the thoughts of grasping and grasper have vanished into the
+ ultimate sphere.
+ I am going into the Wisdom of Discriminative Awareness,
+ Which is the clarity, the dawn of six kinds of foreknowledge.
+ I am going into the state of the Wisdom of Accomplishment,
+ Which emanates various manifestations in accordance with [the needs of]
+ trainable beings.
+
+ Son, please stay healthy.
+ Now you have won over the obstructions of your life.
+ Until all the phenomenal existents are liberated as the signs and
+ teachings [of Dharma],
+ [You should be] aware of samsara and nirvana as dreams and illusions.
+ Dedicate yourself to the meditation where there is no reference point.
+ This is the empowerment of total entrustment and aspiration.
+ This is the supreme empowerment of empowerments.
+
+ -- from "Masters of Meditation and Miracles", by Tulku Thondup.
+~
+ The view of interdependence makes for a great openness of mind. In general,
+instead of realizing that what we experience arises from a complicated network
+of causes, we tend to attribute happiness or sadness, for example, to single,
+individual sources. But if this were so, as soon as we came into contact with
+what we consider to be good, we would be automatically happy, and conversely,
+in the case of bad things, invariably sad. The causes of joy and sorrow would
+be easy to identify and target. It would all be very simple, and there would
+be good reason for our anger and attachment. When, on the other hand, we
+consider that everything we experience results from a complex interplay of
+causes and conditions, we find that there is no single thing to desire or
+resent, and it is more difficult for the afflictions of attachment or anger to
+arise. In this way, the view of interdependence makes our minds more relaxed
+and open.
+ By training our minds and getting used to this view, we change our way of
+seeing things, and as a result we gradually change our behavior and do less
+harm to others. As it says in the sutras:
+
+ Abandon evildoing;
+ Practice virtue well;
+ Subdue your mind:
+ This is the Buddha's teaching.
+
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "For the Benefit of All Beings"
+~
+In the avadhuti, the main path of enlightenment,
+Prana and mind, bliss and warmth, are united,
+Becoming unconditioned great bliss.
+The wisdom of unobscured insight dawns.
+
+"This is unsurpassable," the guru has said.
+The darkness of ignorance is purified in space.
+One is free from the two obscurations of grasping and fixation.
+Therefore bliss and luminosity dawn in simplicity.
+
+This appearance of collective coincidence
+Is a reflection without self-nature.
+All appearances are realized like that,
+And just like appearances in a dream,
+All dharmas arise as illusions...
+
+When thoughts arise, rest naturally.
+When dreaming, be mindful without corrupting it.
+When in the pardo, don’t control, but be aware.
+When there is fruition, let it arise without obscuration.
+
+ -- from "The Life of Marpa the Translator" translated by Chögyam Trungpa
+ and the Nalanda Translation Committee.
+~
+The Four Seals in Buddhism are:
+
+ All products are impermanent.
+ (or all compounded phenomena are impermanent?)
+ ('du byed thams cad mi rtag pa)
+
+ All contaminated objects are miserable.
+ (zag bcas thams cad sdug bsngal ba)
+
+ All phenomena are selfless.
+ (chos thams cad bdag med pa)
+
+ Nirvana is peace.
+ (mya ngan las 'das ba zhi ba)
+
+ --from "Meditation on Emptiness" (London: Wisdom, 1983), by Jeffrey Hopkins
+~
+ When you pass away, nothing will do you any good except for the pure Dharma.
+You will not simply disappear when you die. Rather, what happens next will be
+dictated by your previous actions.
+ For these reasons, you should exert yourself by whatever means necessary to
+free yourself from samsara, which is nothing but a vast ocean of suffering!
+Practice your teacher’s guidance concerning what to do and what to give up
+to the letter, without falling under the influence of immature friends or bad
+influences. To the best of your ability, incorporate this genuine teaching on
+the certainty of death into each and every day.
+ Keeping all this in mind, arouse faith in the Three Jewels so that you will
+be able to practice in this manner, thinking to yourself, “Think of me,
+Three Jewels!” At the same time, be sure to generate an intense sense of
+renunciation and subdue your mind stream.
+ -- from "Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen
+ Preliminary Practices", edited and translated by Cortland Dahl
+~
+I would like to mention my visit to Lourdes as a pilgrim. There, in front of
+the cave, I experienced something very special. I felt a spiritual vibration,
+a kind of spiritual presence there. And then, in front of the image of the
+Virgin Mary, I prayed. I expressed my admiration for this holy place that has
+long been a source of inspiration and strength, that has provided spiritual
+solace, comfort and healing to millions of people. And I prayed that this may
+continue for a long time to come. My prayer there was not directed to any
+clearly defined object, like Buddha or Jesus Christ or a bodhisattva, but was
+simply directed to all great beings who have infinite compassion towards all
+sentient beings.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+The Buddhist teaching is superior in four ways: view, meditation, behavior,
+and fruit.
+
+1. The "four seals" that distinguish the [Buddhist] view are as follows: all
+composed phenomena are impermanent, all contaminated things are miserable, all
+phenomena are selfless, and nirvana is peace.
+
+2. Buddhist meditation serves as an antidote to all cyclic existence within
+the three realms.
+
+3. Buddhist behavior is free from the two extremes, having abandoned both the
+extreme of overindulgence of desire, which is a case of being desirous and
+wanting good and great quantities of food and clothing, and the extreme of
+being too tired and worn out in body and mind.
+
+4. The fruits are the true cessations, which are abandonments such that the
+obstruction that is removed does not arise again [and which comes about]
+through analyzing individually the nonexistence of the referent object of the
+conception of self.
+
+These four [view, meditation, behavior, and fruit] are the distinguishing
+features of Buddhist doctrine.
+ -- Jamyang Shayba, from "Buddhist Philosophy: Losang Gonchok’s Short
+ Commentary to Jamyang Shayba's Root Text on Tenets", by Daniel Cozort
+ and Craig Preston, page 88.