+~
+ We need to make our preparations now, and we need to be diligent about it.
+We may think, "I really want to practice the Dharma, but right now I'm
+really busy, and I have a lot of things to do. I'll get to the Dharma when
+my work is done." This way of thinking is an obstacle that will prevent us
+from practicing the Dharma. If we are busy doing something right now, then
+when we are done, something else will come up that will keep us busy, and when
+that's done, there will be something else, and something else after that.
+It's just one thing after another that we have to do. We end up with no
+opportunity to practice the Dharma at all.
+ Padampa Sangye says, "Now while it's in mind, make haste to practice."
+When we think, "I've got to practice the Dharma," we need to go and
+practice diligently right away. Otherwise, all kinds of things will come up
+that we think we need to do first, and we'll never get around to practicing.
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu and Padampa Sangye, from "Advice from a Yogi", published
+ by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The ultimate mode of being, the ground wherein both we and Guru Rinpoche are
+primordially inseparable—namely, the selfarisen primordial wisdom, which is
+subject to no movement of discursive thought—is referred to as Guru.
+Because deluded perceptions are themselves primordially pure, the path is free
+from all striving and the fruit is present spontaneously like a lotus in full
+flower. Therefore [the path itself] is referred to as Padma, or lotus. For
+the fruit is not something that occurs at a later stage as a result of the
+practice. In the ultimate expanse, which is selfarisen and spontaneously
+present, the primordial wisdom of selfawareness is clearly [and already]
+manifest. This is referred to as Siddhi, or accomplishment. And, although in
+terms of conceptual distinctions the self-arisen primordial wisdom may be
+classified as ground, path, and fruit, these three are not different in
+nature. This is directly perceived by self-cognizing awareness and is
+indicated by the syllable Hung.
+ -- Jamgon Mipham, "White Lotus: An Explanation of the Seven-Line Prayer to
+ Guru Padmasambhava", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+While dreaming, all kinds of things may come to mind, but these are nothing
+more than appearances. Likewise, a magician may create a variety of illusory
+appearances, but they do not exist objectively. Likewise, oneself, others,
+the cycle of existence, and liberation—in short, all entities—exist merely
+by the power of mind and convention.
+ -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, from "Transcendent Wisdom", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ From our deluded samsaric standpoint, it may seem that certain traits are
+necessary for our well-being, self-esteem, and self-worth. Talking about
+others’ defects may make us appear more desirable, or gossiping about
+others’ misfortunes may make our own misery seem less, but we have to
+examine these tendencies much more closely to see that this is a completely
+mistaken aspect of our lives.
+ Despite having a good motivation and the best intentions, our mind
+training will have little success if we can’t commit ourselves strongly
+enough to undermining these traits. These tendencies don’t bring us any
+self-confidence or happiness. In fact, they undermine our personal autonomy
+and well-being and obstruct our spiritual progress. It’s important to put
+an end to these negative and paranoid tendencies and replace them with love,
+compassion, and the development of a kind heart.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, in "The Practice of Lojong", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Awareness of the thought process at the moment of an impulse arising is what
+makes freedom from thought possible, because when the mind is only at the
+stage of an impulse arising, the energies haven’t fully engaged. There is
+an almost impartial quality about the energy of the impulse. When it is
+driven into specific thought, the situation changes and it becomes “my
+thought with my feeling, therefore me.” This is what is meant by being
+caught in the thought. The inner energy has transmuted from being something
+relatively neutral and therefore not very important or compelling into
+something entirely personal and therefore extremely important and compelling.
+ -- Rob Nairn, in "Living, Dreaming, Dying", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The Buddha, radically, interpreted the individual as a compound of many
+different elements, physical and mental--a psychophysical complex. Therefore
+our feelings, thoughts, emotions, memories, dispositions; our perceptual
+capability, our cognitive capacities, and our physical conditions—all are
+constantly interacting and impacting each other.
+ And agents themselves are also continually interacting with other agents.
+Logically, then, we need not feel compelled to identify ourselves with a
+single thing, a core element to our psyche, as it is really a matter of being
+in a constant state of flux. In this sense, karma could be said to operate as
+streams of networking karmic processes, where all kinds of living, breathing
+individuals are involved. The really important principle to grasp about this
+approach is to look closely at things, for things in their nature are complex.
+Acknowledging this will bring us great reward in fact. Doing the opposite,
+looking at things in a very simple way, keeps us trapped in ignorance.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+There is magic in vajrayana practice and in vajrayana altogether. People
+often think that magic is the ability to do things like change fire into
+water, or float up toward the ceiling and then come down again, or make tomato
+ketchup into cream cheese. But we have a better understanding of magic than
+that; what is actually happening is better than those things. We are not
+talking about magic in the style of a conjuring magician on the stage, but we
+are talking about fundamental magic. This magic is always based on the
+profound effect that we have discovered from the hinayana discipline of one-
+pointedness and the mahayana discipline of openess and compassionate
+nonterritoriality. Out of that comes vajrayana magic, which is that we are
+able to cut our thoughts abruptly and directly. On the spot!
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, in "The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness",
+ published by Shambhala Publications