+~
+If what appears to be apprehended does not exist by its very own essence apart
+from that which apprehends it, then what appears to be the apprehender does
+not exist either. The reason, here, is that the apprehender exists in
+relation to the apprehended, not in isolation. Therefore, awareness is devoid
+of both apprehender and apprehended, in all their various forms. Free from
+subject and object, by its very own nature awareness is a mere indescribable
+luminosity.
+ -- from "Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Intrinsic Nature: Maitreya's
+ Dharmadharmatavibhanga with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+"Immediately join whatever you meet with meditation"
+
+ This slogan refers to the practice of transforming adverse circumstances
+and situations into the path of awakening. It is a reminder not to respond to
+things in a habitual way, but rather to respond with understanding, openness,
+and courage by maintaining a sense of awareness. We shouldn't think of
+meditation as something we only do if we're sitting on a cushion, but should
+treat everyday situations as meditations by focusing our mind on whatever
+arises. There's nothing we can't utilize for our own and others'
+benefit if we use both fortunate and unfortunate circumstances to train the
+mind.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, "The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion through
+ Training the Mind", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+O monks, you should focus on four things. What are these four? To focus on
+the teachings and not focus on the individual; to focus on the meaning and not
+focus on the words; to focus on timeless awareness and not focus on ordinary
+consciousness; and to focus on the definitive meaning and not focus on the
+meaning that guides. These four things are things to be realized; they are
+not four kinds of spiritual individuals.
+ -- Jamgön Kongtrul, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven and Book
+ Eight, Parts One and Two: Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ One way to prevent mental suffering is to observe ourselves and figure out
+what triggers our problem. If we can identify what makes our blood pressure
+rise and causes us to feel upset, then we have taken a big step toward seeing
+the larger picture. With this wider perspective, there is less chance that we
+will jump back into an old habitual pattern that only makes us feel bad.
+ It is not that we have to stop going to all family holidays, but that we
+figure out ways to enjoy the parts that are enjoyable, like the delicious food
+and the chance to connect with people, and to feel more neutral and detached
+about the annoying or hurtful moments. We often place too many expectations
+and requirements on ourselves and those around us. We could give the
+situation a little space and see what develops. The kindest thing we can do
+in these situations is to remain calm and refrain from causing more
+difficulty.
+ -- Khenpo Gawang, from "Your Mind Is Your Teacher: Self-Awakening through
+ Contemplative Meditation", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Those who wish to protect their practice should zealously guard the mind.
+The practice cannot be protected without guarding the unsteady mind.
+ Tigers, lions, elephants, bears, snakes, all enemies, all guardians of
+hells, evil spirits, and demons become controlled by controlling the mind
+alone. By subduing the mind alone, they all become subdued.
+ For the Propounder of the Truth said that all fears and immeasurable
+sufferings arise from the mind only.
+ -- Shantideva, "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Products are specially designed to catch the eye and captivate the mind.
+Because we focus on what else there is to acquire, rather than what we already
+have, we fall into the endless upgrade game. "The functions you need are
+coming in the next version! The new design is so much more attractive! And
+it comes in your favorite color!" These products may be mass-produced, but
+they are custom-made to suit our greed and grasping. They are exactly
+tailored to deceive us with their appearances.
+ As I see it, however, the bigger problem is the gullibility of our mind.
+This is what really leaves us vulnerable to the deceptive allure of things.
+In other words, we ourselves are the bigger problem. Sometimes we are like
+small children; when it comes to assessing our own needs, we often show no
+sign of maturity. Just think about it: When a little child cries, the easy
+way to stop him is to give him a toy. We dangle it in front of him and wave
+it around to catch his attention until he reaches out to grab it. When we
+finally hand over the toy, he quiets down. Our goal was just to stop his
+crying. We did not try to address the child's underlying needs. We gave
+him something else to desire, and tricked him into falling silent for the time
+being.
+ -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble:
+ Changing the World from the Inside Out", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Vajrayana is very different from the New Age approach. The difference is that
+the Vajrayana teachings are controlled by the lineage. I know we don't like
+the word control, but the Vajrayana teachings are actually held by the
+authority of the lineage. I know we also don't like the word authority, but
+we have it in Vajrayana. When we have this pure lineage, this genuine
+lineage, there is no space for our egocentric interpretation of dharma. We
+cannot interpret dharma like the New Age gurus. We cannot invent a new
+lineage because a lineage must be received. It must be received by
+transmission. It is not something we can just create here. That would be New
+Age, probably from California.
+ -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
+ Samantabhadra", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Even when it is practiced, accomplishing shamata is rare. One of the very
+common problems is that people try too hard. Both Tibetans and Westerners
+could learn a lot about relaxing more deeply and letting the stability arise
+from that relaxation. Although it is mentioned in the texts, the Tibetans
+sometimes do not emphasize this point, but they do emphasize tight attention,
+not letting your object drop for even a second. If you are coming from a very
+serene space, and your mind is already very spacious, then that is probably
+good advice. But otherwise, such attention can be a big problem. You can
+exhaust yourself and cause nervous fatigue, and if you push it, you can really
+do yourself some damage.
+ -- B. Alan Wallace, from "The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart"
+~
+If you want good health, you must insure that your diet is well-balanced and
+complete. You wouldn't just gobble up anything edible that comes your way.
+Spiritual food should be approached with equal care. The practices you choose
+should be genuine and complete. Sakyapandita said that when we're buying a
+jewel or a horse--and the same would apply these days to buying a car or a
+house--we shop around and ask others for advice, but a wise or unwise
+purchase can only affect our fortunes in this life. The spiritual practices
+we undertake can assure or jeopardize our well-being throughout many future
+lifetimes, and so it is essential to make a wise choice. Milarepa said that
+unless the teachings we practice are free from errors and have come down to us
+through a living and uninterrupted tradition, time spent meditating in a
+mountain retreat will just be self-inflicted misery.
+ -- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, in "The Three Principal Aspects of the Path",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Hark! In order to be of maximum benefit to the countless living beings,
+whose number is as vast as the extent of the skies, one must first gain the
+state of peerless, complete, perfect buddhahood. It is with this thought in
+mind that one receives initiation, the root of the Vajrayana path, and then
+engages in the various Tantric yogas.
+ Contemplate this theme, and by means of it generate the sublime bodhi-mind
+as the motivating factor. Also, cultivate the correct attitudes that are to
+be maintained when listening to the Dharma, as is explained in the many sutras
+and tantras, and thus listen correctly.
+ The Buddha, who himself achieved complete enlightenment and who possessed
+profound skill and great compassion, taught the nectarlike Dharma in
+accordance with the mental tendencies, capacities, and karmic predispositions
+of those to be trained.
+ -- Glenn H. Mullin, "From the Heart of Chenrezig: The Dalai Lamas on Tantra"
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+You might say, "Don't pleasurable experiences give rise to happiness?"
+Although for ordinary people pleasures may appear to be related to happiness
+at the time they are enjoyed, in the end they are their undoing. They are,
+the Sovereign of the Conquerors said, like the fruit of the kimba tree, which
+grows in the western continent of Aparagodaniya: its skin is attractive but it
+is unpleasant inside; or it tastes delicious when one first eats it, but later
+it makes one ill. So, advises Nagarjuna, give up these pleasures, for it is
+the chains--the afflictive emotions--of attachment to pleasure that tightly
+bind the worldly in the prison of samsara.
+ -- Nagarjuna, from "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend with Commentary by
+ Kyabje Kangyur Rinpoche", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The wish to understand the true nature of mind by relying on technology is
+due to the fault of not having awakened one's Buddha nature, and because of
+that, the absolute and relative nature of one's uncompounded mind just as it
+is cannot be recognized even slightly, which is the reason for relying only on
+the compounded gross material substance of technology. While examining the
+qualities of one's own and others' practice by bringing together a machine
+and the one who uses the machine, if any special conception arises about its
+being good, bad, high, or low, it will only be a fragmented, deluded
+interdependent conception that momentarily appears, and not nonconceptual
+enlightened body and wisdom, which are inconceivable. It will just be like
+children blowing bubbles in the air and trying to catch these rainbow-colored
+bubbles with their hands. As Santideva says about the dream of a barren
+woman:
+ For example, a barren woman dreams her son is dead. When she awakens, she
+thinks that she has no son. That conception of not having a son comes from
+the conception of having a son. So, both of these conceptions are obstacles
+and also delusion.
+ -- Thinley Norbu, from "The Sole Panacea: A Brief Commentary on the Seven-
+ Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche That Cures the Suffering of the Sickness of
+ Karma and Defilement", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The nature of mind is primordially the identity of the three bodies of
+enlightenment. Its essence is empty, the dharma body. Its nature is lucid,
+the enjoyment body. Freed upon arising, with no clinging, it is the emanation
+body. Manifesting as its expression are the male aspect of relative
+appearance, method, and the female aspect of ultimate emptiness, knowledge.
+The circle of the Magical Web is the unity of these, a wisdom manifestation of
+indivisible appearance and emptiness.
+ -- Kunkyen Tenpe Nyima and Shechen Gyaltsap IV, in "Vajra Wisdom: Deity
+ Practice in Tibetan Buddhism", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Whatever sensory experiences we go through, if we go through them with
+mindfulness and awareness, there is no limit to how far we can go. The limit
+is mindfulness and awareness. Even if we don't enjoy the experience, that
+itself becomes a trip. The nonenjoyment becomes a cause of suffering.
+That's why, if we don't practice mindfulness and awareness, asceticism
+just becomes pain rather than a cause for liberation. That's why Buddha
+said to forget about asceticism. That's what Buddha did. He left
+asceticism, became very mindful in every step, and achieved enlightenment.
+ -- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from "Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of
+ Samantabhadra", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+When we turn away from samsara, we stop blaming external situations for the
+state of our mind, and we begin to use the Buddha's teachings in order to
+take responsibility for our own well-being. We reorient the mind away from
+causes and conditions that create suffering. This does not mean that we turn
+away from the suffering that humans create, such as warfare, poverty,
+prejudice, slaughter, or environmental destruction. We do not turn away or
+become passive, impartial spectators. However, we need to assess our
+strategies for engagement. Many well-meaning people assume that inflaming
+passions, especially anger, is a justifiable, necessary, even beneficial
+response to injustice. They often assume that anger is an automatic and
+inherent response to injustice, in the same way that exasperation is an
+inherent response to waiting at the airport. But it is not. Anger does not
+allow us to see clearly, so the good intentions of people engaged in trying to
+help others can actually be hindered by their own negativity. Anger does not
+allow us to act with true compassion, because the mind of anger keeps us
+trapped inside ourselves. Turning away from samsara means figuring out how to
+function with an open, clear mind, not a mind shut down and incapacitated by
+destructive emotions.
+ -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the
+ Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+The key to understanding the Mahayana and Vajrayana views lies in
+Nagarjuna's reasonings. This is because the reason the aggregates and
+suffering can be described as being pure by nature is that they are empty by
+nature--they are unborn. They never actually come into existence. Something
+that never really comes into existence cannot possibly be impure, for what is
+there to be impure in the first place? It is like getting covered with filth
+in a dream--no matter how dirty you might seem to be, since not a single
+particle of the filth is real, in fact there is no impurity at all. Since
+there is no impurity, there cannot actually be any purity either, just as when
+you take a bath in the dream after having gotten so filthy, your cleanliness
+after the bath is just as lacking in reality as the dirtiness that preceded
+it. Therefore, the true nature of the dream transcends both purity and
+impurity, and this is given the name "original purity." We have to
+understand that what original purity refers to is the freedom from all
+fabrications, the emptiness in which we can gain certainty by using
+Nagarjuna's reasonings.
+ -- Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, from "The Sun of Wisdom: Teachings on the Noble
+ Nagarjuna's Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Beginning and end depend on nothing but imagination.
+Through windlike formation,
+Karma and afflictions are created.
+Through these, the skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas--
+All dualistically appearing phenomena--are displayed.
+
+The one who adopts and rejects these is mistakenness.
+Through rejecting [mind's] own appearances, where should they cease?
+Through adopting [mind's] own appearances, what should come about?
+Is clinging to duality not delusive?
+
+Understanding this is indeed said to be the remedy,
+But the thought of nonduality is not real [either],
+For the lack of thought [just] turns into a thought.
+You thought about emptiness, dissecting form and so on into parts,
+Are you not mistaken yourself?
+Nevertheless, this was taught in order to stop the clinging to reality.
+
+All is neither real nor delusive--
+Held to be like [a reflection of] the moon in water by the learned.
+Just this ordinary mind
+Is called "dharmadhatu" and "Heart of the victors."
+It is neither to be improved by the noble ones
+Nor made worse by sentient beings.
+ -- from "Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and
+ Buddha Nature", translated by Karl Brunnhölzl, published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ It is possible to mistake attachment for loving-kindness and compassion.
+Love and compassion are distinguished from attachment in that they apply
+equally to your friends and your enemies. Genuine love and compassion make no
+distinction based on your relationship to the object of compassion. They are
+the wish that all sentient beings without exception have happiness and the
+causes of happiness, and the wish that all sentient beings without exception
+be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. The keynote of those two
+attitudes is that there is no hope involved of any kind of return or any sort
+of personal satisfaction as a result of the happiness of others.
+ In the case of attachment to someone, you wish that person well but it is
+based on an identification with him or her as "my friend, my son, my
+daughter." This identification and this feeling of ownership or
+territoriality is related to wanting some kind of return. You enjoy the
+happiness of that person because you have identified with him or her, and
+therefore in essence it is just wishing for your own benefit. Such attachment
+can very easily turn to aversion, anger, and hatred. That is the difference
+between compassion and attachment.
+ -- Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, from "The Instructions of Gampopa: A Precious
+ Garland of the Supreme Path", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Sometimes it seems as if the mind is outside someplace. We see all these
+things outside. We see mountains or we hear echoes off of cliffs. We have
+all these different thoughts of different places, and the mind seems to go to
+those places when we think about them. But it only seems that way; the mind
+is not really outside of us either. It dwells neither in external objects nor
+someplace in the body--we cannot find any place in the body where it is. You
+might then think that since it is not in the body and it is not outside the
+body, it must be in the empty space in between. But if you look, you cannot
+find it. We need to look and become certain that the mind has no dwelling
+place--we must be certain that there is no real place that we can we can
+point to and say, "Aha! That's where it is!"
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo
+ Gangshar", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Not only are our adverse experiences beneficial for our own path, but they are
+the best way for us to connect with others. Suffering is a universal
+experience. This is why the Buddha chose suffering as the first topic of his
+teachings. So when we connect with our own suffering, we can also recall that
+many beings all over the world are having similar experiences. This helps us
+develop understanding, love, and compassion for others.
+ -- Rose Taylor Goldfield, in "Training the Wisdom Body: Buddhist Yogic
+ Exercise", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Once we recognize that other sentient beings--people, animals, and even
+insects--are just like us, that their basic motivation is to experience peace
+and to avoid suffering, then when someone acts in some way or says something
+that is against our wishes, we're able to have some basis for understanding:
+"Oh, well, this person (or whatever) is coming from this position because,
+just like me, they want to be happy and they want to avoid suffering.
+That's their basic purpose. They're not out to get me; they're only
+doing what they think they need to do."
+ Compassion is the spontaneous wisdom of the heart. It's always with us.
+It always has been and always will be. When it arises in us, we've simply
+learned to see how strong and safe we really are.
+ -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche from "All the Rage: Buddhist Wisdom on Anger and
+ Acceptance", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Who knows the true nature of things? The actual knower--the empty, cognizant
+aspect of mind--is the primordial Buddha, Samantabhadra, the personification
+of one's own rigpa. Rigpa, the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, is very,
+very important. It is the clear light, luminous buddha-nature, that which
+knows. Innate awareness-wisdom, rigpa, is functioning through us even now, if
+we only knew it.
+ -- Nyoshul Khenpo and Lama Surya Das, "Natural Great Perfection: Dzogchen
+ Teachings and Vajra Songs", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+I recognize that this wish to create a better society, end all the suffering
+of all beings everywhere, and protect the entire planet may not seem
+particularly feasible. But whether or not we accomplish such goals in our
+lifetime, it is nevertheless deeply meaningful to cultivate such a vast sense
+of responsibility, and the wholehearted wish to be able to benefit others.
+This outlook is so wholesome and noble that it is worth developing, regardless
+of the probability of actually accomplishing such a vast vision.
+ -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble:
+ Changing the World from the Inside Out", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
+ -- Oscar Wilde
+~
+We might feel terrible, utterly hopeless, but if we look at ourselves fully
+and thoroughly, we will find fundamental goodness. There is something that
+makes us look up at the blue sky or the clouds or the sun, something that
+allows us to polish our shoes and press our clothes. When we wake up in the
+morning, there is something that allows us to brush our teeth, comb our hair,
+or use a bar of soap. Such actions may seem rather ordinary, but they come
+from a very powerful instinct. That sense of workability comes from ultimate
+bodhichitta.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. Volume
+ Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+Respect and develop pure perception and devotion toward
+Those who are practicing Dharma as the noble sangha.
+If you see faults in others, think that they're the reflections
+ of your own delusions.
+If you see good qualities in others, meditate on rejoicing
+ over them.
+Disclose and expel your own faults.
+Generate virtuous qualities and act with astonishing perserverance.
+Be with holy people and abandon evil friends.
+Stay in solitary places and promise to pursue meditation.
+Make sure that whatever you do is consonant with Dharma practice.
+ -- Longchen Rabjam, "Counsel for Liberation", published by Shambhala
+ Publications.
+~
+The key point of the mahayana approach is the commitment to dedicate yourself
+to helping other sentient beings. Building yourself up or perpetuating your
+own existence is regarded as neurosis. Instead of building yourself up, you
+should continue with your pursuit of helping others. Instead of being
+selfish, you should empty yourself. The basic definition of ego is holding on
+to one's existence--and paramita practices are techniques that allow you
+not to grasp onto or propagate the notion of me-ness, or "I am." Experiencing
+egolessness is a process of letting go. But you do not regard the ego as an
+enemy or obstacle, you regard it as a brussels sprout that you cook and eat.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. Volume
+ Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Sentient beings are brought to maturation through three forms of generosity:
+giving all, giving equally, and giving tirelessly. Bodhisattvas do not have
+even one iota of their own body or enjoyments that they are not willing to
+give to others if they see that it would help the other person to do so. They
+give all that they possess.
+ Moreover, their generosity does not simply benefit others by supplying them
+with the particular thing that is given. It benefits others in this life by
+completely fulfilling their wishes, and, as it also matures them and
+establishes them in virtue, which is the cause of the fulfillment of one's
+wishes, it benefits them in future lives as well. Thus, bodhisattvas
+establish these beings in lasting happiness by planting the seed of
+liberation. In this way, generosity matures sentient beings by helping them
+in two ways, insofar as there are both temporary and lasting benefits.
+ Moreover, this generosity is practiced with equal regard for all. Since
+there are no biases in terms of the recipients' moral standing, social
+position, or relation to oneself, they characteristically practice giving
+equally.
+ Finally, not content with giving a confined number of material things for a
+certain number of years or eons, a bodhisattva never knows enough of the
+qualities of generosity, even were he or she to continue giving until the end
+of cyclic existence.
+ -- from "Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras: Maitreya's
+ Mahayanasutralamkara", with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham,
+ published by Shambhala Publications.
+~
+Something I find worthy of meditation is how in the dialectic between Samsara
+and Nirvana, the dreamworld of Samsara is logically prior to and quite
+necessary for the awakening to Nirvana. When discussing Tantric Buddhism,
+Gunapala Dharmasiri says in the spirit of Nagarjuna, "We make a Samsara out of
+Nirvana through our conceptual projections. Tantrics maintain that the world
+is there for two purposes. One is to help us to attain enlightenment. As the
+world is, in fact, Nirvana, the means of the world can be utilized to realize
+Nirvana, when used in the correct way."
+ -- Charles Johnson, "Taming the Ox: Buddhist Stories and Reflections on
+ Politics, Race, Culture, and Spiritual Practice", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Basically speaking, when you say "I am," you begin to ask yourself the
+question, "Who said that?" You might say, "I said that." But then you
+ask, "Who are you?" And when you look, you find it is very difficult to
+find out who that actually is. You might timidly come back to saying your
+name, thinking that this is who is speaking, but beyond the name that was
+given to you, nothing really exists. You may think that you exist because
+your name is so-and-so, or because your driver's license says so-and-so.
+But if you look beyond such things, and beyond beyond, you find that there is
+no substance. That is ultimate prajna: it is the discovery of egolessness,
+which frees you from fixation.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma.
+ Volume Two: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The appearances of this life--all the various appearances of forms, sounds,
+smells, tastes, and bodily sensations we perceive--seem to truly exist. But
+life's appearances do not say to us, "I am real." They only seem to be real
+from our confused thoughts' perspective when we think, "Those things really
+exist out there." That is like what we do in a dream when we do not know we
+are dreaming.
+ Similarly, we mistakenly believe that aging, sickness, and death are truly
+existent... but this is just confused consciousness at work. The buddhas'
+perfect wisdom does not view this life, or the aging, sickness, and death that
+occur within it, as truly existent. The noble buddhas and bodhisattvas with
+wisdom that sees genuine reality do not see these events as real. Training in
+the view of the Mind-Only school that all phenomena are mind, and in the
+Middle Way view that all phenomena are emptiness, helps us transform our
+confused consciousness into perfect wisdom.
+ -- Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso, in "Stars of Wisdom", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ Egolessness is not the same as self-extinction. We do not cease to exist,
+but we come to know more about ourselves. Realizing that there is no
+unchanging self can in fact be an enriching experience. The path consists of
+working with ourselves so that gradually, by overcoming the various
+inhibitions, confusions, and delusions of the mind, we start to develop more
+insight into our own nature.
+ When we look at ourselves in the present moment, we see all kinds of
+confusions and defilements in our mind. Yet the possibility of overcoming all
+that and becoming enlightened is a reality. Our own lives become enriched
+from having undertaken this journey. So it's important not to mistranslate
+this concept of selflessness or nonexistence of ego. To say that we do not
+exist at all is the nihilistic view, which the Buddha rejected completely.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "The Essence of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its
+ Philosophy and Practice", published by Shambhala Publications
+##Karma is basically habit. It's the momentum of repeated actions that
+become habitual. It's in our best interest to develop as many positive
+habits as we can. In the Mahanama Sutta, the Buddha said, "Just as oil
+rises to the top of a pot submerged in water, your virtue, your goodness, your
+faith, or generosity will rise to the top, and that is what will carry you to
+your next destination."
+~
+ Karma is basically habit. It's the momentum of repeated actions that
+become habitual. It's in our best interest to develop as many positive
+habits as we can. In the Mahanama Sutta, the Buddha said, "Just as oil
+rises to the top of a pot submerged in water, your virtue, your goodness, your
+faith, or generosity will rise to the top, and that is what will carry you to
+your next destination."
+ Try to get to the point where your emotional default is into bodhichitta.
+In other words, what is your automatic reflex to life situations, especially
+difficult ones? Do you think about yourself, and how you might profit or
+escape from a situation? Or do you think about others, and how you can help?
+Progress on the path, and a sign that you're well prepared for death, is
+when the former changes into the latter, when you default not into selfishness
+but into selflessness. If you're uncertain about what to do in a situation,
+just open your heart and love. This is training in bodhichitta.
+ -- Andrew Holecek, from "Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual
+ Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+When you explain or hear the teachings, if your mind and the teachings remain
+separate, then whatever is explained will be inconsequential. Hence, listen
+in such a way that you determine how these teachings apply to your mind. For
+example, when you want to find out whether or not there is some smudge, dirt,
+or whatever, on your face, you look in a mirror and then remove whatever is
+there. Similarly, when you listen to the teachings, your faults such as
+misconduct and attachment appear in the mirror of the teachings. At that
+time, you regret that your mind has become like this, and you then work to
+clear away those faults and establish good qualities.
+ -- Tsong-kha-pa, from "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to
+ Enlightenment, Volume 1", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+We work hard to bring happiness and peace into our lives, but there is no way
+to achieve real peace through material goods alone. Perhaps we can accomplish
+a little artificial joy and happiness, but these don't last long. Truly
+substantial and lasting happiness and peace can be established only by
+exercising our inner mind with the precious Dharma teachings. This is the
+purpose of our meditation practice, and this is what Jigten Sumgön taught.
+Mental afflictions and neuroses can be pacified only through the Dharma.
+Dharma is the ultimate remedy for confusion.
+ -- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, "Opening the Treasure of the Profound",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ The purpose of practice is to habituate ourselves to openness. This means
+we need to understand reactive mind. How do we experience the difference
+between reacting and staying open?
+ At what point do we decide to go with the habitual tendencies of
+exaggeration and denial or try something new? Where is the fork in the road?
+We need to explore these two experiences: reacting... staying open...
+reacting... staying open... reacting... staying open again. We begin to see
+the difference. It's a process of refinement. Our investigation cultivates
+a discerning intelligence that guides us in a positive direction.
+ We need to ask ourselves: "If our confusion finds its genesis in our
+habit of turning away from the open state, what would happen if we habituated
+ourselves to staying open?"
+ -- Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, "The Power of an Open Question: The Buddha's
+ Path to Freedom", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Recognizing the instability of causes and conditions leads us to understand
+our own power to transform obstacles and make the impossible possible. This
+is true in every area of life. If you don't have a Ferrari, you very well
+may create the conditions to have one. As long as there is a Ferrari, there
+is the opportunity for you to own one. Likewise if you want to live longer,
+you can choose to stop smoking and exercise more. There is reasonable hope.
+Hopelessness--just like its opposite, blind hope--is the result of a belief
+in permanence.
+ You can transform not only your physical world but your emotional world,
+for example, turning agitation into peace of mind by letting go of ambition or
+turning low self-respect into confidence by acting out of kindness and
+philanthropy. If we all condition ourselves to put our feet in other
+people's shoes, we will cultivate peace in our homes, with our neighbors,
+and with other countries.
+ -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, "What Makes You Not a Buddhist", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+On the path of seeing there is (1) mindfulness whereby one does not forget the
+object, the truth; (2) the wisdom of perfect discernment with regard to the
+object; (3) diligence, delight in virtue, being assiduous in undertaking what
+is right and avoiding what is wrong in accordance with the path; (4) joy or
+mental happiness regarding the latter; (5) flexibility, in which mind and body
+function appropriately; (6) concentration; and (7) evenness, in which the mind
+enters the natural state, free from the conditions of lack of clarity and
+wildness. These seven are elements of the path of seeing, the essence of
+enlightenment. They will make one accumulate or accomplish the positive
+actions that help one attain nirvana.
+ -- Nagarjuna, "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend"
+~
+ What is the relationship between bodhichitta and love? When you are in
+love, your heart and mind are naturally open and awake to life. When you
+cultivate bodhichitta by opening and awakening your heart and mind, love can
+flow and grow.
+ Bodhichitta is like opening the curtains, and love is like the sun shining
+through, bringing light and warmth into the room. Or we could say that
+bodhichitta is like opening the window, and love is the cool breeze that
+refreshes the stuffiness and stagnation of living inside a personal fortress.
+Bodhichitta is like discovering an inexhaustible treasure, and love is its
+enjoyment. Bodhichitta is our direct connection with basic goodness.
+ -- Moh Hardin, from "A Little Book of Love", published by Shambhala Pub.
+~
+ Use mindfulness to become aware of these negative thoughts as they arise.
+For example, when the first thought of anger arises, notice it and don't let
+it multiply. Instead, remember what happened in the past when you were
+overwhelmed by anger. Based on your direct experience, see the suffering and
+problems anger caused you and recognize its defects. You can crush anger
+using antidotes once you clearly see it as something destructive.
+ You can find a particular antidote to destroy each afflictive emotion. To
+conquer desire, you can meditate on the unappealing aspects of the object; for
+hatred, meditate on loving-kindness; for jealousy, joy; and so on. This is
+how you discard negative mental factors.
+ -- Shechen Rabjam, from "The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the
+ Notion of Reality", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+During my first trip to France, we didn't speak the same language, so we
+often communicated with gestures. Sometimes I think it is better not to know
+a language. Rather than talking, it is better to reserve energy through
+silence. But most Westerners try to look intelligent through talking and
+think silence is uncomfortable, so it is better to be talkative if you want to
+spend time in the West. Of course, since human beings have dualistic tongue,
+everything that is said is an impetuous expression of incurable, contagious
+blurting. We who have ordinary limited qualities incessantly chatter, while
+those with limitless wisdom qualities remain silent. It is like the
+difference between the movement of shallow water and the stillness of the
+deepest sea. Western people have many fine qualities, like the rapid waters
+of mountain rivers, but they cannot put out the blazing fire of their mouth.
+ -- Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, "A Brief Fantasy History of a Himalayan",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Every moment of our lives, things are both perishing and arising. Some of
+our cells are dying while others are revitalized or reborn. We get old, and
+at the same time we get young. We get polluted physically, emotionally, and
+mentally, and simultaneously we get purified. Things decrease and increase.
+We forget, learn, and remember many things.
+ The Heart Sutra claims that in the midst of phenomena where all things are
+changing, the reality of boundless interactions continues, and that this fact
+itself will not change. After all, the ultimate reality both encompasses and
+is free of change in all manifestations.
+ -- Kazuaki Tanahashi, "The Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic
+ of Mahayana Buddhism", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+In the state of mindfulness, your mind should look at both its going and
+staying. Other than that there is nothing else to cultivate. It suffices if
+awareness recognizes the nature of everything that arises. Apart from this
+you do not need to search somewhere else for more quality or clarity...
+Don't put aside what you have and look elsewhere for what you don't have.
+Just watch the identity of awareness, no matter what it thinks or where it
+goes. Don't give importance to whether the awareness is clear or not.
+Avoid stopping thought movement and pursuing stillness. Whatever stillness
+there is and no matter what arises, just sustain their natural flow at their
+own pace, without tainting it with alterations. Without allowing yourself to
+forget undistracted mindfulness even for a moment, persevere in maintaining
+its prevalence.
+ -- Khamtrul Rinpoche III, from "The Royal Seal of Mahamudra, Volume One: A
+ Guidebook for the Realization of Coemergence", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+As your true view, look into the changeless, empty cognizance.
+As your true meditation, let your mind nature be as it is.
+As your true conduct, let the delusion of dualistic fixation collapse.
+As your true fruition, don't seek the result that is spontaneously present.
+ -- from "The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast
+ Expanse", by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered
+as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded,
+that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers
+against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious
+persecution.
+ -- George Washington, letter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia (1789)
+~
+Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one,
+he must more approve of the homage of reason, then that of blindfolded fear.
+ -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr (1787)
+~
+In regard to religion, mutual toleration in the different professions thereof
+is what all good and candid minds in all ages have ever practiced, and both by
+precept and example inculcated on mankind.
+ -- Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists (1771)
+~
+Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the
+strongly marked feature of all religions established by law. Take away the
+law-establishment, and every religion re-assumes its original benignity.
+ -- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man (1791)
+~
+Congress has no power to make any religious establishments.
+ -- Roger Sherman, Congress (1789)
+~
+The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.
+ -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack (1758)
+~
+I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people
+build a wall of separation between Church & State.
+ -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury Baptists (1802)
+~
+To argue with a man who has renounced the use of reason is like administering
+medicine to the dead.
+ -- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis No. V (1776)
+~
+Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than
+our opinions in physics or geometry.
+ -- Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1779)
+~
+Christian establishments tend to great ignorance and corruption, all of which
+facilitate the execution of mischievous projects.
+ -- James Madison, letter to William Bradford, Jr. (1774)
+~
+There is nothing which can better deserve our patronage than the promotion of
+science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of
+public happiness.
+ -- George Washington, address to Congress (1790)
+~
+During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity
+been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride
+and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both,
+superstition, bigotry and persecution.
+ -- James Madison, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia (1785)
+~
+Being civil often has an element of acting. However, in the hinayana, you are
+behaving rather than acting. Acting is trying to manifest yourself for the
+sake of display, whereas behaving is how you feel. Acting is the way you
+dance, and behaving is the way you sneeze or hiccup. You know if you are
+being genuine. You are the first person who knows. When you are acting, you
+are concerned with other people's possible reactions; but when you are
+behaving, you are just behaving. It's like sitting on the toilet seat and
+doing your duty: nobody is watching. It's your private concern, so there is
+a quality of genuineness. In the hinayana, you behave decently because the
+dharma is actually a part of you. That is the meaning of taming yourself...
+Becoming a dharmic person means that in your everyday life from morning to
+morning, around the clock, you are not trying to kid anybody.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "The Path of Individual Liberation: Volume One of
+ The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Today's world requires us to accept the oneness of humanity. In the past,
+isolated communities could afford to think of one another as fundamentally
+separate. Some could even exist in total isolation. But nowadays, whatever
+happens in one region eventually affects many other areas. Within the context
+of our inter-dependence, self-interest clearly lies in considering the
+interest of others.
+ -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "The Pocket Dalai Lama", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Compassion is an internal attitude that may manifest in our behavior.
+However, compassion is not the behavior itself, for one behavior can be done
+with different motivations. For example, we may take care of a sick relative
+because we have genuine affection for him. Conversely, we may care for him
+because we want to inherit his estate. The action is the same, but the
+motivations differ. The first motivation is prompted by genuine compassion,
+the second by self-concern.
+ Acting with compassion entails being creative and knowing that one
+behavior is not suitable for all occasions. In some circumstances, we may be
+compassionate by sharing our possessions; while in others, we may show it by
+saying, "no." In this way, compassion must be combined with good judgment to
+be effective.
+ -- Russell Kolts and Thubten Chodron, "An Open-Hearted Life", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+Since the very beginning, the mind streams of all sentient beings possess the
+way of being of the inseparability of being lucid and being empty in an
+intrinsic manner. No matter how it may be obscured by adventitious stains, in
+terms of its nature, it is never tainted by stains, while the stains exist in
+the manner of being separable from it. This mind that is the inseparability
+of being lucid and being empty has the nature of being permanent and being
+free from change, decrease, and increase. It is ever undeceiving, changeless,
+and genuinely stable. Throughout all three phases of ground, path, and
+fruition, it is this nature of the mind that is certain to be solely the
+object of the genuine meditative equipoise within the qualities that are the
+nature of phenomena. This is what needs to be manifested through the practice
+of superior insight.
+ -- from "When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition
+ as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra", translated by Karl Brunnholzl,
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Whatever obstacles we experience, if we can take them the right way, they
+won't obstruct our spiritual path. Rather, they will become a tool to
+stimulate our advancement toward our destination: unconditional love and
+enlightenment.
+ So try to feel joy when facing difficulties, for they provide the chance
+to purify unvirtuous past deeds, the cause of ills, and infuse us with the
+inspiration to generate yet greater virtuous deeds, the cause of healing and
+enlightenment.
+ -- Tulku Thondup, from "The Heart of Unconditional Love: A Powerful New
+ Approach to Loving-Kindness Meditation", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Although deliberately framed as if it were a law of nature or of mathematics,
+its purpose has always been rhetorical and pedagogical: I wanted folks who
+glibly compared someone else to Hitler or to Nazis to think a bit harder about
+the Holocaust.
+ -- Mike Godwin, on "Godwin's Law", originated in 1990, which (paraphrasing)
+ states that any online discussion will eventually devolve into a
+ comparison with Hitler or Nazism. At that point, the person who brought
+ either topic up has lost the argument and their basic credibility.
+~
+Your mind, the primordial buddha,
+Searches elsewhere due to the power of desire.
+Doesn't it notice that it is wandering in samsara?
+
+Now that you have obtained the precious human body,
+You continuously get carried away by mundane actions.
+Don't you notice that your life is running out?
+ -- Padmasambhava
+~
+ The key to understanding the truth of suffering is what the Buddha called
+the "three marks" of everything that exists. All conditioned phenomena,
+he said, are pervaded by these three marks: impermanence (anitya),
+dissatisfaction or suffering (duhkha), and insubstantiality (anatman,
+"without self").
+ According to the Buddha, if we do not understand how conditioned phenomena
+are marked by these three aspects, then we will not be able to understand the
+first Noble Truth. We may do all we can in order to avoid facing the fact
+that everything is contingent and transient--we may try to hide ourselves
+from it, and we may even spin out all kinds of metaphysical theories of an
+unchanging, permanent, substantial reality to avoid this all-pervasive nature
+of ephemerality. Also, if we do not understand that conditioned phenomena are
+unsatisfactory, we will not think about restraining ourselves from
+overindulgence in sensory gratifications, which makes us lose our center and
+become immersed in worldly concerns, so that our life is governed by greed,
+craving, and attachment. All of these things disturb the mind.
+ If we do not understand that everything is insubstantial--anatman--then
+we may believe that there is some kind of enduring essence or substance in
+things, or in the personality, and because of this belief we generate delusion
+and confusion in the mind.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, from "The Essence of Buddhism", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ When we grasp a self, how can we possibly practice self-reflection?
+Everything becomes personal: our pain, our anger, our shortcomings. When we
+take thoughts and emotions personally, they torture us. Looking at our
+thoughts and emotions in this way is like rubbing our nose in something
+unpleasant--what purpose does it serve other than to create more pain? This
+is not the kind of looking we are speaking of here.
+ With the view of selflessness, we can enjoy whatever arises in our
+awareness. We can accept that everything that arises is a result of our past
+actions, or karma, but it is not who we are.
+ -- Dzigar Kongtrul, from "It's Up to You", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+As with attaining any goal, you can't go about putting an end to suffering
+and arriving at enlightenment just any old way. If we throw a stone up into
+the air, we should not be surprised if it falls on our head. In the same way,
+when we commit any act, whatever it may be, we can only expect that sooner or
+later it will produce an effect. Thus it is logical that if we want to free
+ourselves from suffering, we have to perform certain actions and refrain from
+certain others. The law of the causality of actions is the very foundation of
+the teaching of the Buddha, who proclaimed:
+
+ Avoid the least harmful act,
+ Perfectly accomplish the good,
+ And master your mind.
+ That is the teaching of the Buddha.
+
+ -- Tenzin Wangmo, from "The Prince and the Zombie: Tibetan Tales of Karma",
+ with foreword by Matthieu Ricard, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+I am very pleased to be a human being, yet I know that I can make what I have
+been given even better. I know I am not perfect, yet I also know I have the
+ability to transform my imperfections. Remembering this when I begin to
+practice or study makes any effort needed during the session much more freely
+available. Resting meditation is not just sitting on a cushion and zoning
+out. Contemplative Meditation is not just thinking about whatever arises in
+the mind. Practicing either form of meditation takes joyful exertion and
+self-discipline.
+ -- Khenpo Gawang, "Your Mind is Your Teacher", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Not acting on our habitual patterns is only the first step toward not harming
+others or ourselves. The transformative process begins at a deeper level when
+we contact the rawness we're left with whenever we refrain. As a way of
+working with our aggressive tendencies, Dzigar Kongtrül teaches the
+nonviolent practice of simmering. He says that rather than "boil in our
+aggression like a piece of meat cooking in a soup," we simmer in it. We
+allow ourselves to wait, to sit patiently with the urge to act or speak in our
+usual ways and feel the full force of that urge without turning away or giving
+in. This is the journey of developing a kindhearted and courageous tolerance
+for our pain.
+ -- Pema Chödrön, "Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+During lifetimes spent wandering in the round of rebirth without beginning or
+end, your present enemies were once extremely beneficial friends and your
+present friends were once harmful enemies. Moreover, if you do not consider
+present enemies as such, but treat them helpfully as friends, it is possible
+that they will prove even more helpful than friends. Therefore, rest in
+equanimity toward others: give up attachment to friends and reject hatred
+toward enemies.
+ -- Choying Tobden Dorje, from "The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to
+ Tantra, Books 1 to 10", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Compassion is not logical. It's basically spacious and generous. A
+compassionate person might not be sure whether he is being compassionate to
+you or whether you are being compassionate to him, because compassion creates
+a total environment of generosity. Generosity is implied; it just happens,
+rather than you making it happen. It's just there, without direction,
+without me, without "for them." It's full of joy, a spontaneously
+existing grin of joy, constant joy.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, from "Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with
+ Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+We have a Buddhist prayer in which we ourselves aspire to become like [the
+earth]. We say:
+
+ May I be like the earth,
+ Providing the air, the ground, water,
+ And everything she provides
+ That is our sacred source of life.
+
+Inspired by the example of the earth, this prayer encourages us to aspire to
+be an unconditional source of all well-being and life for others. This is a
+supreme aspiration. We do not just have a great deal to learn about the
+environment--we also have a lot to learn from it.
+ -- H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart Is Noble",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Many people wish to be healthy, to be free from disease, and to remain forever
+young, but these are not very meaningful goals. If you can tame your mind,
+the value of this will far surpass anything in the world. Patrul Rinpoche
+said, "Tame the mind, tame the mind, use bodhichitta to tame the mind. Even
+if we do not cultivate any good deeds in body and speech, taming our mind in
+fact benefits ourselves and all beings."
+ -- Jigme Phuntsok, from "Always Present", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Transcendent knowledge is beyond thought, word, or description. It neither
+arises nor ceases, like the identity of space. It is the domain of
+individual, self-knowing wakefulness. I salute this mother of the buddhas of
+the three times.
+ -- Shantarakshita, in praise of Prajnaparamita, from "Jewels of
+ Enlightenment", by Erik Pema Kunsang, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+To rejoice in others' happiness without any preferences of our own shows
+that we understand that the longing for happiness is the same for all beings.
+We can rejoice in their temporal happiness, which has come from their
+accumulation of merit. When we recognize the quality of happiness in
+others--when we see someone genuinely smile or laugh or see a glimmer of
+brightness in their eyes--we can rejoice. When they obtain something they
+want or need, whatever it may be, we have an opportunity to practice
+rejoicing. Beings long for all kinds of things, some of which we might not
+want ourselves--but that doesn't matter. The important thing is that, if
+only for a single moment, it has brought them some happiness.
+ -- Dzigar Kongtrul, from "Light Comes Through", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Even if we think we have found the origin of phenomena, we are only being
+deluded by the karmic seeds of new discoveries which are constantly ripening,
+becoming exhausted, and being replaced through the ripening of other karmic
+seeds. Yet we continue to be fascinated by trying to define substance,
+constantly trying to catch it, thinking that we have caught it but then losing
+it. We are endlessly lured by the material creations of our conceptions.
+Sublime beings, knowing the characteristics of each phenomenon and the nature
+of all phenomena, are never lured by anything. They abide in the infinite
+display of enlightenment's empty appearance without trying to catch anything
+or being able to be caught.
+ -- Thinley Norbu, from "White Sail", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+When there is never any fear or despair no matter what adversity or suffering
+is encountered, when difficulty is taken as an aid to mind training and you
+always have the help of a joyful mind, then you have acquired proficiency in
+mind training. When adverse conditions come, meditate joyfully and, in
+addition, learn to take joyfully all the adversity others experience.
+ -- Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, from "The Great Path of Awakening", published
+ by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The origin of all science is in the desire to know causes; and the origin of
+all false science and imposture is in the desire to accept false causes rather
+than none; or, which is the same thing, in the unwillingness to acknowledge
+our own ignorance.
+ -- William Hazlitt (1778–1830)
+~
+Not only are there two different categories of phenomena, the person and the
+external phenomena, there are also two different types of misconceptions with
+respect to the nature of phenomena: misconceptions with respect to the nature
+of the person and with respect to the external phenomena. This means to
+overcome these two types of misconception is to realize selflessness, which is
+the ultimate nature of these two types of phenomena. Therefore there are two
+selflessnesses, selflessness of person and selflessness of phenomena.
+Generally speaking, comparing the two, the realization of the selflessness of
+the person is said to be easier than realization of the selflessness of
+phenomena because of long familiarity with the actual self, the person.
+ -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "Gentle Bridges: Conversations with the
+ Dalai Lama on the Sciences of Mind", edited by Jeremy Hayward and
+ Francisco J. Varela, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The Tibetan term for renunciation is ngepar jungwa; nges par 'byung ba,
+which literally means "certainty of release." Ngepar is short for ngepar
+shepa, meaning to have certain, decisive knowledge from within; in this case,
+it refers to having certainty that the nature of worldly existence is
+suffering. In addition to this certainty, there is the heartfelt wish to be
+released, jungwa, from this suffering. One must gain confidence in the fact
+that the nature of cyclic existence in samsara is suffering, together with
+having the powerful wish and intention to be free of this suffering. This is
+what is known as the thought of renunciation.
+ -- Nyoshul Khenpo, "The Fearless Lion's Roar: Profound Instructions on
+ Dzogchen, the Great Perfection", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+"Karma" basically means action. When we talk about karma, we talk about
+action, which in Buddhism entails thinking in terms of cause and effect.
+Actions are performed because there are certain preexisting causes and
+conditions giving rise to the impulse to engage in particular actions, and
+from this the karmic effect issues. In the performance of actions, there is
+usually a propelling factor. We feel compelled by something to do certain
+things, and when we engage in those actions, based on those impulses, the
+actions then produce relevant effects. As we have seen though, this does not
+mean that every action performed has a particular cause and a particular
+effect. Nevertheless, the Buddhist theory of karma is irrevocably tied to
+this mechanism, for want of a better word, and hence to the responsibility of
+the individual, as opposed to a divine governance of sorts.
+ -- Traleg Kyabgon, "Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Nondistraction means not being lost in subtle undercurrents of delusion or
+indifferent stupor; it is immaculate, unending mindfulness. Not understanding
+this, if one is fearful and cautious about being distracted and is bound by a
+repressed, constricted mind, this is an error.
+ Natural, ordinary mind means this present mind unstained by either faults
+or good qualities. This self-nature is usustained by the continuity of
+awareness. Not nderstanding this, if one grasps at the substantiality of the
+rigid concepts of worldly, ordinary mind, this is an error.
+ To be meditationless means to enter profound, unconditioned natural space,
+detached from meditating and non-meditating, without any contrivance or aim,
+stabilizing the expansive fortress of mindfulness. Not understanding this, if
+one remains in ordinary, careless neutrality, or is lost in meaningless
+indifference, this is an error.
+ -- "Sunlight Speech That Dispels the Darkness of Doubt", translated by
+ Thinley Norbu, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+When Milarepa meditated in the mountains, he was alone for a long time. In
+spite of this, he always felt that he was inseparable from Marpa because his
+devotion was so powerful. Milarepa sang his vajra songs in solitude but,
+through devotion, was always connected to his lama. Devotion to the lama is a
+powerful protection from negative thoughts and nonvirtuous actions. It is
+also a special protection that allows us to properly practice meditation. Our
+awareness of enlightened beings and our knowledge of how to take care of our
+mind protect the mind so that it doesn't flow in a wrong direction. Through
+these joyous practices we develop a feeling of appreciation of how fortunate
+we are, and we cease feeling lonely or depressed.
+ -- "Opening the Treasure of the Profound", by Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen
+ Rinpoche, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ 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
+~
+When, in the Mahayana, one goes for refuge, one cultivates an unbearably
+powerful compassion for beings, who have been one's mothers in the past and
+whose number is as boundless as the sky is vast. But it is not enough to feel
+compassion for them; one must be determined and decide to liberate them from
+their suffering. As long as one is not free oneself, however, one is
+powerless to bring others to freedom. Consequently, in order to free oneself
+and others from the perils of both samsaric existence and the peace of
+nirvana, one takes refuge in the Three Jewels, according to the Mahayana,
+until one gains enlightenment.
+ -- Kunzang Pelden, in "Nectar of Manjushri's Speech", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+Just as a precious jewel, the sky, and water are by nature pure, likewise the
+tathagatagarbha or dharmadhatu is by nature always free from the defilement of
+the mental poisons and thus utterly pure. Whereas this is the meaning of the
+essence, the cause that completely purifies the adventitious defilements
+consists of devotion towards the Mahayana Dharma, of highest discriminative or
+analytical wisdom realizing the non-existence of a self, of limitless samadhi
+endowed with bliss, and of great compassion focusing on sentient beings as its
+point of reference. The realization arising from these [purifying causes] is
+to be known as enlightenment.
+ -- Maitreya, in "Buddha Nature", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+Meditation means learning to control our minds, thereby protecting our minds
+from domination by delusion and other afflictions. We may think, "Oh, I
+wish my mind were not dominated by ignorance and other afflictions." But
+these afflictions are very powerful and very destructive; they operate despite
+our wishes. We have to work to develop effective countermeasures. We cannot
+buy such remedies from a store; even very sophisticated machines cannot
+produce them for us. They are obtained only through mental effort, training
+the mind in meditation.
+ -- H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, "From Here to Enlightenment", published
+ by Shambhala Publications
+~
+If we were asked to be free right now, to jump into the sea of love in this
+very moment, we might turn our attention inward and try it, and it may not
+work. Why? Because of a hindrance, a block. That block is the very sense of
+"I am" that is the false image of who we are. It is the shell that is
+veiling, covering our true nature. So the goal of all spiritual endeavors is
+to actually realize the enlightened part of who we are, not sometime in the
+future, but right now.
+ -- Anam Thubten, "The Magic of Awareness", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+You don't need to be an "excellent meditator" to start with. All you
+need to do is have your heart and mind make the following agreement:
+"Let's rest. There's no reason right now to wander around following
+thoughts or worrying. Let's be relaxed and open." There's not even any
+need to shut down your thoughts. Just be there with them, but not overly
+concerned or engaged. Let there be total openness, and just relax within
+that.
+ -- Dza Kilung Rinpoche, "The Relaxed Mind", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Awareness does not engage with objects of the ordinary mind. It is "self-
+cognizing primordial wisdom." This can be illustrated by the "light" of
+the new moon: a profoundly indwelling luminosity, which does not radiate
+outward. Therefore, despite the fact that the five primordial wisdoms are
+spontaneously present in awareness, the latter is without thoughts related to
+sense objects. By contrast, even when it is still, the ordinary mind
+nevertheless "moves" and follows after different objects. It is like the
+light of the moon on the fifteenth of the month, which radiates outward and
+engulfs everything.
+ -- Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche, and Jigme Lingpa, in "Treasury of
+ Precious Qualities: Book Two", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ According to Buddhism, all existents abide in loving-kindness free from
+concepts in their absolute nature. But the understanding and realization of
+that true nature have been covered over by the webs of our own mental,
+emotional, and intellectual obscurations.
+ Now, in order to uncover the true nature and its qualities, we must dispel
+the cover--our unhealthy concepts, emotions, and actions. Through the power
+of devotion and contemplation, we must uncover and see the true innate
+enlightened qualities--loving-kindness that is free from concepts--shining
+forever.
+ -- Tulku Thondup, from "The Heart of Unconditional Love", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+The method for taking all situations as the path is to rest within the essence
+of the mind. Within our minds, there are three aspects: the way things
+appear, how they are confused, and the way they actually are. We do not take
+our difficulties as the path in relation to how things appear or are confused,
+but in relation to how they actually are. We rest naturally within their
+nature--the clear and empty nature of the mind that is sometimes called the
+union of clarity and emptiness or the union of wisdom and the expanse. We
+rest within this, recognizing it. When we take sickness as the path, we look
+at the essence of the sickness without altering it in any way and just rest
+naturally within that. When we take the afflictions as the path, we just look
+at the essence of the greed, aversion, or delusion that has occurred. We do
+not follow the affliction or block it. We do not try to stop our thoughts.
+Instead, we look at those thoughts and at the afflictions that occur, and we
+rest naturally within their inherently empty essence.
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu, from "Vivid Awareness", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+I suggest that dana--in all its wonderful, profound simplicity--is a
+necessary and significant part of what Dr. Buddha would prescribe for our
+times. It can be understood without hours of study. It liberates us from
+acquisitive and protectionist habits. It mitigates individualism and
+nourishes community. Its meaning spans the most basic levels of practice
+through to the ultimate. It challenges "me" and "mine," fostering letting go.
+A reinvigorated and updated understanding and practice of dana can serve as a
+powerful antidote to consumerism's ills. I see this as essential for
+Buddhism to stay on course as we navigate this bizarre postmodern world
+seeking genuine peace and liberation.
+ -- Santikaro, from "Hooked!: Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the
+ Urge to Consume", edited by Stephanie Kaza, published by Shambhala
+ Publications and Snow Lion Publications
+~
+ The teachings are for living in this world--for having fewer problems and
+fewer tensions. Many people speak now about world peace. What does that
+mean? How can we have world peace if we don't have peace in ourselves? We
+are each members of society--society meaning all of us together, not as
+individuals. Since many individuals make up society, it means that the
+individuals must have a kind of evolution. Although we have power and
+military might, and sometimes there are provisional changes, in the real sense
+it never changes.
+ Society is made up of individuals each having their point of view, their
+feelings, and their sensations. If we want to develop society so that there
+is more peace and happiness, each one of us must work with our condition. For
+example, our society is like numbers. When we count, we must always begin
+with the number "1." If I think about society, I must start with myself as
+"number one."
+ -- Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, from "Dzogchen Teachings", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ One of my favorite quotes from the Buddha is: "Let us rise up and be
+thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,
+and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got
+sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
+ Gratitude is one of the fruits of living from genuine happiness; at the
+same time, it arises from an inherent seed in our being, a seed that requires
+cultivation. There's a quote from Meister Eckhart, the Christian mystic, that
+illustrates how important this quality is: "If the only prayer you said in
+your whole life was 'thank you,' that would suffice." If we truly understood
+the depth of this teaching it would be all we'd need to know. Unfortunately,
+we can't just tell ourselves to be grateful and expect it to happen, yet it's
+a quality that certainly can be nurtured.
+ -- Ezra Bayda, from "Beyond Happiness: The Zen Way to True Contentment",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+In the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) teachings, the issue is always whether or
+not we recognize our true nature and understand that the reflections of that
+nature manifest as experience. The dream is a reflection of our own mind.
+This is easy to believe after we wake up, just as the Buddhas know--after
+they are enlightened--that the entities and objects of samsara are illusory.
+And just as it takes practice to recognize the illusory nature of dream while
+asleep, we must practice to realize the illusory nature of waking life.
+
+ -- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep",
+published by Shambhala Publications
+
+~
+ The jewel in the lotus is a wonderful metaphor for the essential nature of
+mind. It integrates two very different approaches, recognizing that there is
+a worthy role for striving, for engaging in methods, for growth and
+development; and at the same time recognizing that all these methods are
+fundamentally designed simply to bring to light what is already there, in all
+of its perfection, in all of its completeness. This is the pure fountain of
+loving-kindness and wisdom we are trying to cultivate.
+ The mantra OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ is associated with Avalokiteśvara,
+the embodiment of enlightened compassion, and the mantra is the verbal
+articulation of that same quality of compassion. Among the many
+interpretations of the mantra, here is one I find especially meaningful. Oṃ
+signifies the manifest body, speech, and mind. Maṇi in Sanskrit means
+"jewel." Padme, pronounced pémé in Tibetan, means "in the lotus."
+Hūṃ, pronounced by the Tibetans as hoong, is a syllable suggestive of the
+deepest, essential, transcendent nature of consciousness. So the mantra
+starts out from the manifest state of the body, speech, and mind, then through
+the metaphor of the jewel in the lotus, goes to the depths of consciousness.
+ -- B. Alan Wallace, "The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart",
+ published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+ In general, people tend to minimize the importance of the ordinary sangha:
+Buddha is a big deal, Dharma is a big deal, and Sangha is something to put up
+with. Yet it's within the ordinary sangha, monastic or lay, that the
+roughest edges of our arrogance and pride can be smoothed down a little.
+Americans--with their car obsessions--have a good expression for this:
+"Where the rubber meets the road." Let's say there's a shiny new car
+on the floor. It appears to be perfect. But we still need to take it for a
+test–drive. The car that never leaves the shop is like a practitioner
+reciting nice words about compassion and selflessness, but removed from the
+opportunity to test–drive their intentions and aspirations. How do the
+bodhisattva ideals hold up when we actually interact with others?
+ Problems within the sangha inevitably arise because we're talking about
+unenlightened people trying to get along with each other. Jealousy,
+competition, and anger inevitably erupt. Although individual practitioners
+have unenlightened minds and commit unenlightened activities and get ensnared
+in ignorant understanding, the ordinary sangha still offers the best
+opportunity to apply dharma.
+ -- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Turning Confusion into Clarity", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Silly beings, uninterested in this meaning,
+ Are always carried away by the river of samsara and finished.
+
+There are some who do not have much faith in the dharmachakra of No Mental
+Activity, the essence-meaning of mahamudra. Here, Mahasiddha Tilopa does not
+mean all sentient beings in general but rather some who cling to tenet
+systems--those with attachment to their own system. There are quite a few
+such intellectual logicians. Such intransigent stubborn "silly ones" who
+lack the eye of wisdom
+ -- Sangyes Nyenpa, "Tilopa's Mahamudra Upadesha", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+ Ordinary beings--even those who are kind and compassionate--are
+primarily motivated by self-interest and work mainly for their own benefit.
+All of their activities and thoughts are tinged by self-serving motivations
+and attitudes. Even when they perform acts of kindness, they generally do so
+expecting praise or personal satisfaction and not because of pure altruism.
+ Bodhisattvas, however, are motivated by universal compassion, and they
+seek the ultimate goal of buddhahood in order to be of service to others.
+They embark on this path with the generation of the mind of awakening. Unlike
+ordinary beings, who think of their own advantage, bodhisattvas consider how
+best to benefit others.
+ -- John Powers, A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ "I'm fine. My life's together. I know what I'm doing. I've
+got to look like a good Dharma practitioner. People shouldn't see me cry.
+They shouldn't know how distracted I am during meditation. I can't let on
+how incredibly confused I am." We think we're the only one who is confused
+and not wanting to lose face, we hide our turmoil and pretend to be calmly in
+charge of the show. But we're in cyclic existence, so how much control do
+we really have? How peaceful can we be when we have a samsaric body and mind?
+ When our "garbage mind"--as Lama Yeshe used to call it--spills out,
+we may be alarmed and think that we're not doing the practice correctly. In
+fact, we are. Only by exposing the garbage mind can we identify it and free
+ourselves from it.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Completely understanding his dire circumstances, the man had a strong
+feeling that the only way to be saved from deportation was to extend loving-
+kindness to Calcutta’s police inspector general. He placed a photograph of
+the police inspector general on his desk. He then completely focused his
+attention on it, extending his feeling of loving-kindness toward the man. In
+fact, he sat up the entire night looking at the photograph and practicing his
+loving-kindness meditation.
+ When the police inspector general arrived in the morning, he approached
+the man and looked directly into his eyes. He then said, "I will not send
+you to Sri Lanka, Sir, but I will instead look after you here as if you were
+my own father."
+ -- Bhante Walpola Piyananda, "The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A.", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+The scriptures say that thinking is not thinking, so do not even think about
+not having thoughts. There is no thinking about nonconceptualization, or
+about anything else. The scriptures also say that one should not think
+"stop thinking!" Do not think in order to clarify the meaning of
+nonconceptuality. This becomes more and more subtle, more and more peaceful,
+more and more clear, more and more equal. Once the basis has been
+transformed, rest in equanimity in the space of reality.
+ -- Sam van Schaik, "Tibetan Zen: Discovering a Lost Tradition", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ According the First Noble Truth, the first step in discovering truth and
+relieving our own and anyone else’s suffering is to acknowledge the pain and
+suffering that are present in our lives. Sometimes people assume that
+Buddhism is a pessimistic sort of tradition because of this teaching. In
+fact, however, recognizing that pain is simply part of being alive can be a
+relief. It is not a sign that we have done something wrong, stupid, or
+shameful. Yet I often catch myself and hear others making just that
+assumption--that pain and suffering are signs of some personal defect.
+ If I tell one friend that I have a cold, for instance, she is likely to
+say, "Well, how did that happen? Were you out without your hat in the cold?"
+Even more distressing is the view we all have heard at one time or another,
+which blames sufferers of serious diseases for having them: "Oh, yes, cancer
+is a sign of unexpressed grief." Of course, as modern medical research is
+increasingly showing us, the mind and the body are deeply interconnected, and
+our attitudes, emotions, and behaviors do affect our health. Yet, even if we
+were able to do "everything right," if we live long enough, we will not escape
+old age, sickness, and death.
+ -- Karen Kissel Wegela, "The Courage to be Present", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+In brief, whatever is dawning, be right there with an uncontrived mind. Do
+not involve yourself with stopping, or starting, or with any modification
+whatsoever. Whatever arises, stay uncontrivedly right with that arising.
+Don’t reel your mind in, don’t cast around for an object of meditation out
+there. Be right there with the meditator, your very own mind. Unfound when
+sought, your own mind is primordially empty mindnature. Seeking also is
+unnecessary; the seeker--yourself--is that [which one is seeking].
+Unwaveringly remain right with that very seeker.
+ -- Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche, "Strand of Jewels", published by Shambhala
+ Publications
+~
+Thus, all compounded and uncompounded phenomena--the ten directions, the
+three times, the three worlds, and so forth--are none other than one’s own
+mind, as is stated in the Great Sovereign of Practices, the Victory over the
+Three Worlds: "If one realizes, in accordance with one’s own unmistaken
+mind or the power of the mind, that discerning consciousness is the very
+nature of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and the like, one is enlightened. If one
+fails to understand this, everything appears as the vessel and contents that
+constitute samsara. The three worlds are simply this; the great elements
+are simply this."
+ -- Padmasambhava, "A Garland of Views: A Guide to View, Meditation, and
+ Result in the Nine Vehicles", from Padmasambhava’s classic text with a
+ commentary by Jamgön Mipham, published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The Hinayana counsels a life of discipline--not the onerous, punishing kind,
+but the kind that can actually create a life of joy. Little slips are to be
+avoided because they really seem to pile up. Rather than being seen as moral
+wrongdoings, however, they are seen as obstacles and obscurations to true
+wakefulness and as such are to be eschewed. To do so, tremendous precision is
+required. I mean, take just one of the most basic precepts, common to every
+religion under the sun: "don’t lie." If you can read to the end of this
+paragraph without telling a lie, please alert the media.
+ -- Susan Piver, "Start Here Now", published by Shambhala Publications
+~
+The reason and the meaning of love in our life is very profound. It is unlike
+any other reason. In my own personal view, I do not think that love has to be
+for no reason at all. Rather, I think that the reason to love is so vast that
+it cannot be limited to any particular reasons.
+ -- The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in "The Heart Is Noble", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+ Human beings suffer birth, sickness, aging and death. We enumerate these
+different forms of suffering but prefer not to think about what they entail.
+We only need to watch a birth to know how traumatic and painful the passage
+through the birth canal must be for the baby. Aging is distasteful to
+everyone but small children, who long to be grown up. Everyone else likes to
+be told they don’t look a day older.
+ Even reading about diseases or hearing of others’ sicknesses fills us
+with a dread that we might contract them. When we actually fall ill
+ourselves, we feel afraid and helpless. As for death, everyone avoids talking
+about it. Humans also experience the constant frustration of not getting what
+they want and getting what they don’t want. When we first meet people, they
+may seem successful and happy, but as soon as we get to know them better, we
+discover they all have a tale of woe to tell.
+ -- "Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment", commentary by Geshe
+ Sonam Rinchen, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+The idea is that passion should be transmuted into compassion for yourself and
+others. This is possible because passion without reference point, goal
+orientation, or aggression is compassion. When passion is transmuted into
+compassion, you do not abandon your existence, but you are able to be gentle
+and nice. Since you are not substituting such behavior for your actual self,
+you do not feel particularly lost or deprived of your capabilities. Beyond
+that, you can expand to others as well. So you are full, but at the same
+time, you are empty.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom & Compassion",
+ published by Shambhala Publications.
+~
+Traditionally, many subtle distinctions are made about the various
+characteristics and levels of the development of bodhichitta. Chagme Rinpoche
+mentions these and says, “If you are studying to become a scholar, you need
+to know all of these distinctions. But if you are a practitioner, these
+distinctions are extremely unimportant.” For example, I arrived here at
+these teachings by traveling in airplanes and automobiles. Now, I might
+wonder, “Who built the airplane I traveled in? How does it work?” But, in
+fact, I don’t know the answers to any of these things because it is not
+important for me to know these things. What is important is that I got on an
+airplane and flew thousands of miles and was able to get here. In the same
+way, I regularly travel by automobile, and I might wonder, “How do you make
+an automobile? Who made this automobile? How does it work exactly?” From
+one point of view, of course, it is good to know these things, but from the
+point of view of actually getting somewhere, it is not important. What is
+important is that I got in a car and I came here. So, from one point of view,
+it might be important to know all about the various aspects and
+characteristics of bodhichitta, but according to Karma Chagme, it is perfectly
+okay if you don’t.
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu, "Luminous Clarity: A Commentary on Karma Chagme’s
+ Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen", published by Shambhala Publications
+