Testimonial from Col. George Harvey, Mark Twain's publisher:
I think that perhaps the funniest thing about Mark Twain now is not
his writing, but his bed. He lies in bed a good deal; he says he has
-formed the habit. His bed is the largest one I ever say, and on it is
+formed the habit. His bed is the largest one I ever saw, and on it is
the weirdest collection of objects you ever saw, enough to furnish a
Harlem flat--books, writing materials, clothes, any and everything that
could foregather in his vicinity.
-- John Ruskin
~
She's not a babe. She's a sophisticated real-time computer system.
- -- Spokesman for Anova, a virtual news anchor
+ -- Spokesman for Ananova, a virtual news anchor
~
The man who laughs has not yet been told the terrible news.
-- Berthold Brecht
As soon as we can catch it and be aware of what's going on in our mind,
and come back to that silent space inside, the more peaceful we'll be. Our
lives will be more productive in terms of having the Dharma grow in our
-hearts, and we’ll be more focused in whatever daily activities we're doing.
+hearts, and we'll be more focused in whatever daily activities we're doing.
We won't be quite so distracted.
-- Thubten Chodron, author of numerous books, including Buddhism for
Beginners; Taming the Mind; Open Heart, Clear Mind; and Working
...one of the things you can learn from history is that men have learned
to live with machinery at least as well as, and probably a good deal better
than, they have learned to live with one another.
- -- E. E. Morison, from “Computers and the World of the Future”
+ -- E. E. Morison, from "Computers and the World of the Future"
~
Everything is perfect in the universe--even your desire to improve it.
-- Dr. Wayne Dyer
love and compassion. (p.52)
-- Geshe Sonam Rinchen, "The Bodhisattva Vow", translated and edited by
Ruth Sonam, published by Snow Lion Publications
-##If you are totally concerned and preoccupied with the affairs of this
+~
+ If you are totally concerned and preoccupied with the affairs of this
lifetime, there is a great danger of causing your own downfall. If by such
concern you were able to achieve the desired happiness, that is okay, but this
is not the case.
-~
We all let ourselves be caught in this web of preoccupation with the
activities and confusion of this lifetime. Having too much worldly
involvement ends in confusion. We spend our whole lives thinking that this
with all their subpoints. There are five paths and ten bhumis, and each path
is divided into a number of stages, with certain numbers of obscurations
having to be relinquished on each one of those subpaths. Most people just
-think, "Who wants or needs to know all that? Don’t we have too many
+think, "Who wants or needs to know all that? Don't we have too many
thoughts already? I thought this was about letting go of all reference
points."
Of course nobody really wants to know all those details and in a sense we
If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have
to be a horrible warning.
-- Catherine Aird
+~
+THE MIND OF CLEAR LIGHT
+
+ Is spiritual practice really worthwhile? Is it really possible to eliminate
+from within ourselves the forces that give rise to suffering? As is said,
+"The ultimate nature of mind is clear light." Consciousness has many
+levels, and although the coarser levels are affected by the defiling forces,
+the most subtle level remains free of gross negativities. In the Vajrayana
+this subtle level of consciousness is called the mind of clear light.
+ The delusions and emotional afflictions as well as the dualistic mind of
+right and wrong, love and hatred, etc., are associated only with the coarse
+levels of consciousness. At the moment, we are totally absorbed in the
+interplay of these coarse states, so we must begin our practice by working
+within them. This means consciously encouraging love over hate, patience in
+place of anger, emotional freedom rather than attachment, kindness over
+violence, and so forth. Doing this brings immediate peace and calm to the
+mind, thus making higher meditation possible.
+ Then, because grasping at a self and at phenomena as being truly existent is
+the cause of all the vast range of distorted states of mind, one cultivates
+the wisdom that eliminates this ego-grasping. To overcome ego-grasping is to
+overcome the entire host of mental distortions.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+It is the general Buddhist procedure that one's own pleasure and pain are
+acheived by oneself and not from the outside, and that, therefore, sentient
+beings themselves must understand and implement practices to bring about their
+own happiness. Thus, the most efficacious way to help others is through
+teaching what should be adopted in practice and what should be discarded from
+among current behavior. There is no way to do this unless you come to know
+all of the topics involved in what should be adopted in practice and what
+should be discarded—you must become omniscient. As mentioned earlier, there
+is no way to accomplish this except by removing the obstructions to
+omniscience, and one who has overcome, utterly and forever, the obstructions
+to omniscience is a Buddha.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ In meditation, imagine that in front of you are three persons—an enemy, a
+friend, and a neutral person. At that time, in our minds we have (1) a sense
+of closeness for one of them, thinking, "This is my friend"; (2) a sense
+of dislike even when imagining the enemy; and (3) a sense of ignoring the
+neutral person. Now, we have to think about the reasons why we generate these
+feelings—the reasons being that temporarily one of them helped us whereas
+the other temporarily harmed us, and the third did neither. However, when we
+think in terms of the long course of beginningless rebirth, none of us could
+decide that someone who has helped or harmed us in this life has been doing so
+for all lifetimes.
+ When you contemplate this way, eventually you arrive at a point where a
+strong generation of desire or hatred appears to you to be just senseless.
+Gradually, such a bias weakens, and you decide that one-sided classification
+of persons as friends and enemies has been a mistake.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Generally speaking, even if money brings us happiness, it tends to be the
+kind that money can buy: material things and sensory experiences. And these,
+we discover, become a source of suffering themselves. As far as actual
+possessions are concerned, we must admit that they often cause us more, not
+less, difficulty in life. The car breaks down, we lose our money, our most
+precious belongings are stolen, our house is damaged by fire. Or we worry
+about these things happening.
+ The problem is not materialism as such. Rather it is the underlying
+assumption that full satisfaction can arise from gratifying the senses alone.
+Unlike animals whose quest for happiness is restricted to survival and to the
+immediate gratification of sensory desires, we human beings have the capacity
+to experience happiness at a deeper level, which, when achieved, can overwhelm
+unhappy experiences.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of
+others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like
+it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives in which we do not benefit
+from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most
+of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others. Nor
+is it so remarkable that our greatest joy should come when we are motivated by
+concern for others. But that is not all. We find that not only do altruistic
+actions bring about happiness, but they also lessen our experience of
+suffering. Here I am not suggesting that the individual whose actions are
+motivated by the wish to bring others happiness necessarily meets with less
+misfortune than the one who does not. Sickness, old age, mishaps of one sort
+or another are the same for us all. But the sufferings which undermine our
+internal peace—anxiety, doubt, disappointment—these are definitely less.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+If we view the world's religions from the widest possible viewpoint and
+examine their ultimate goal, we find that all of the major world religions,
+whether Christianity or Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, are dedicated to the
+achievement of permanent human happiness. They are all directed toward that
+goal. All religions emphasize the fact that the true follower must be honest
+and gentle, in other words, that a truly religious person must always strive
+to be a better human being. To this end, the different world religions teach
+different doctrines which will help transform the person. In this regard, all
+religions are the same, there is no conflict. This is something we must
+emphasize. We must consider the question of religious diversity from this
+viewpoint. And when we do, we find no conflict.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Emptiness vs. Non-Existence
+
+The doctrines of emptiness and selflessness do not imply the non-existence of
+things. Things do exist. When we say that all phenomena are void of self-
+existence, it does not mean that we are advocating non-existence, that we are
+repudiating that things exist. Then what is it we are negating? We are
+negating, or denying, that anything exists from its own side without depending
+on other things. Hence, it is because things depend for their existence upon
+other causes and conditions that they are said to lack independent self-
+existence.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+If we view the world's religions from the widest possible viewpoint and
+examine their ultimate goal, we find that all of the major world religions,
+whether Christianity or Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, are dedicated to the
+achievement of permanent human happiness. They are all directed toward that
+goal. All religions emphasize the fact that the true follower must be honest
+and gentle, in other words, that a truly religious person must always strive
+to be a better human being. To this end, the different world religions teach
+different doctrines which will help transform the person. In this regard, all
+religions are the same, there is no conflict. This is something we must
+emphasize. We must consider the question of religious diversity from this
+viewpoint. And when we do, we find no conflict.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ The process of overcoming our defilements goes in conjunction with gaining
+higher levels of realisation. In fact, when we speak of gaining higher levels
+of realisation in Buddhism we are speaking primarily of the processes through
+which our wisdom and insight deepen. It is actually the wisdom aspect that
+enables the practitioner to move from one level to the next on the path.
+ The attainment of the levels of the path is explained in condensed form in
+the Heart Sutra, where we find the mantra tadyatha om gate gate paragate
+parasamgate bodhi svaha. Tadyatha means It is thus; gate gate means go, go;
+paragate means go beyond and transcend; parasamgate means go utterly beyond,
+go thoroughly beyond; and bodhi svaha means firmly rooted in enlightenment.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ENDURING SUCCESS
+ It is often seen that human beings can endure problems quite well, but
+cannot endure success. When we are successful and have everything we desire,
+it can easily go to our heads. There is a great danger of losing our common
+sense and becoming careless and arrogant. As it is said, "Nothing corrupts a
+person more than power." Very powerful people sometimes become so proud that
+they no longer care about their actions or about the effect they have on
+others. Losing any sense of right and wrong, they create severe problems for
+themselves and everyone else.
+ Even if we have all the success we could dream of—fame, wealth, and so
+on—we must understand that these things have no real substance. Attachment
+does not come from having things, but from the way our mind reacts to them.
+It is fine to participate in good circumstances, provided we can see that they
+have no real essence. They may come and they may go. When seeing this, we
+will not become so attached. Even if we lose our wealth we will not be badly
+affected, and while it is there we will enjoy it without being senseless and
+arrogant.
+ -- Ringu Tulku, from "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha",
+ edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, page 92.
+~
+The role of other sentient beings
+
+ In relation to the attainment of liberation from cylic existence, which is
+known also as "definite goodness," the role of other sentient beings is
+indispensable. In the Buddhist understanding, the key spiritual practices
+that lead to the attainment of liberation are the Three Higher
+Trainings—higher training in morality, in meditation, and in wisdom. The
+last two are based upon the foundation of the first, namely the training in
+morality. As I said before, the presence of other sentience beings is
+indispensable for this training. This is how we come to the powerful
+realisation that the role of other sentient beings is essential in all areas
+of our mundane and spiritual activities.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ To avoid being hurt by thorns and brambles, we might consider covering all
+the mountains with leather. That would be impossible, but putting on shoes
+would serve the same purpose. Similarly, if we tried to subdue all our outer
+enemies, we would never succeed. Once one was eliminated, another would rise
+against us. While doing this, our anger would continue to breed new foes.
+The only way to overcome our enemies is to turn inward and kill the real one,
+which is our own hatred.
+ -- Ringu Tulku, from "Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha",
+ edited and translated by Rosemarie Fuchs.
+~
+ One should not view one's dharma practice as being something decorative,
+regarding statues and images as material possessions or as furnishings for
+one's house, or thinking that because there is an empty space on a wall one
+might as well put up a thangka for decoration. That kind of attitude should
+not be cultivated. When you arrange the statues or thangkas, you should do so
+out of a deep respect from the mind, moved by your faith and conviction. If
+you can arrange these physical representations—statues and so forth—out of
+deep respect and faith, that's all right. On the other hand, the attitude
+that they are merely material possessions is dangerous and destructive. I
+think that some people who have a cupboard or the like in which they keep all
+their precious possessions may arrange an altar on it just for the sake of
+decoration. This is very wrong.
+ Having such motivations is not the proper way to become a Buddhist; the
+proper way to become a Buddhist is to bring about some positive change within
+the mind. Any practice that can give you more courage when you are undergoing
+a very difficult time and that can provide you with some kind of solace and
+calmness of mind is a true practice of the dharma.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+The environment where you are doing the meditation should be properly cleaned.
+While cleaning, you should cultivate the motivation that since you are engaged
+in the task of accumulating great stores of merit by inviting the hosts of
+buddhas and bodhisattvas to this environment, it is important to have a clean
+place. You should see that all external dirt and dust around you is basically
+a manifestation of the faults and stains within your own mind. You should see
+that the most important aim is to purge these stains and faults from within
+your mind. Therefore, as you cleanse the environment, think that you are also
+purifying your mind. Develop the very strong thought that by cleaning this
+place you are inviting the hosts of buddhas and bodhisattvas who are the most
+supreme merit field, and that you will subsequently engage in a path that will
+enable you to purge your mind of the stains and delusions.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ From the point of view of one who seeks enlightenment, it is far better to
+be a human being than to be born even in the heavens of the gods, where there
+is nectar to live on and all wishes are granted by the wish-fulfilling tree;
+where there is neither fatigue nor difficulty, neither sickness nor old age.
+It is as humans, possessed of the eight freedoms and the ten endowments, and
+not as gods, that every one of the thousand Buddhas of this age has attained,
+or will attain, enlightenment. This human existence, moreover, is not to be
+achieved by force or mere chance; it is the result of positive actions. And
+because it is rare for beings to accomplish positive actions, a precious human
+existence is indeed difficult to obtain.
+ Nevertheless, we have now managed to be born into such a state; we have
+encountered the Buddadharma, have entered the path and are now receiving
+teachings. But if we are unable to practise them, simply listening to the
+teachings will not in itself liberate us from samsara, and will be of no help
+to us when we are confronted by the hardships of birth, disease, old age and
+death. If we do not follow the doctor's prescription when we are sick, then
+even if the doctor sits constantly by our side, the pain will not go away.
+ -- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, from "Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the
+ Seven-Point Mind Training", translated by Padmakara Translation Group.
+~
+The realization of the nature of the mind is not something we can find by
+searching for it from afar. It is present within the essence of the mind
+itself. If we do not alter or change that in any way, that is enough. It is
+not as if we were lacking something before, so we need to make something new
+through our meditation. It is not as if we are bad and have to go through all
+sorts of efforts to make ourselves good. Goodness is something we all have.
+It has always been with us, but we have just not looked for it or seen it yet,
+so we have become confused. Therefore all we need to do is to just rest
+within it without changing it. We see where it stays and rest there, so we
+are like a kusulu. This means that we rest free and easy with nothing to do,
+very simply. We do not need to think that we are making something good or
+that we need to meditate properly. It is enough just to know what we already
+have.
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from "Vivid Awareness", in "The Best Buddhist
+ Writing 2012", edited by Melvin McLeod and the editors of the Shambhala
+ Sun, pages 196–197.
+~
+We all have to recognize the tremendous opportunity that we have. As humans
+we have this rare intelligence, but there is a real danger that we will waste
+it. Death is certain, but when we will die is totally unpredictable. We
+could lose our precious human existence at any moment. With such reflections,
+we must motivate ourselves to do something meaningful right now. The best way
+to make your human existence meaningful is to really engage in the practice of
+Dharma. During formal sitting meditation and in between sessions, in
+different ways, be mindful and introspectively vigilant. Keep constant watch
+on your mind.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ In order to carry out a practice--such as constantly watching the mind--you
+should form a determination, make a pledge, right when you wake up: "Now, for
+the rest of this day, I will put into practice what I believe just as much as
+I can." It is very important that, at the start of the day, we should set out
+to shape what will happen later. Then, at the end of every day, check what
+happened. Review the day. And if you carried through for that whole day your
+morning's determination, then rejoice. Reinforce further your motivation to
+continue in the same line. However, when you do your reviewing, you may
+discover that you did things during the day that are contrary to your
+religious values and beliefs. You should then acknowledge this and cultivate
+a deep sense of remorse. Strengthen your resolve not to indulge in these
+actions in the future.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ There are two different ways in which we can understand the term "ordinary
+mind." One way is to not take control over anything and end up following our
+afflictions. When a thought of anger arises, we follow it; when greed arises,
+we lose control of ourselves to it. Similarly, we lose control of ourselves
+to our pride and jealousy. Although we might think of this as our ordinary
+state of mind, it is not what we mean here. Here it does not mean losing
+control of ourselves to negative emotions. Instead, it means that we do not
+need to do anything at all to the essence of the mind itself.
+ We do not need to alter this essence in any way. We do not have to worry
+about what we are thinking, what is pleasant, or what is painful. We can
+leave this mind as it is. If we try to alter the mind in any way, thoughts
+will arise. But if we do not do anything to it and let it rest easily, then
+it is unaltered. The Kagyu masters of the past called this the ordinary mind,
+or the natural state. They called it this out of their experience. This
+ordinary mind itself is the dharma expanse and the essence of the buddhas; it
+is our buddha-nature.
+ -- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from "Vivid Awareness" in "The Best Buddhist
+ Writing 2012", edited by Melvin McLeod and the editors of the Shambhala
+ Sun, page 200.
+~
+ If your engagement with others is tainted by strong attachment, craving,
+aversion, anger, and so forth, then that form of grasping is undesirable. But
+on the other hand, when you are interacting with other living beings and
+become aware of their needs or suffering or pain, then you need to fully
+engage with that and be compassionate. So there can be positive attachment in
+this sense of active engagement.
+ Buddhist masters have long used the term attachment to describe the quality
+of compassion for others. For example, a verse from Haribhadra's Clear
+Meaning Commentary refers to compassion that is attached to other living
+beings. And as we have seen, Nagarjuna teaches that attachment for other
+living beings will arise spontaneously in the person who realizes emptiness.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Kongtrul Rinpoche suggested we pray to the guru, buddhas, and bodhisattvas and
+ask them to grant their blessings, "So I may give birth to the heart of
+sadness." But what is a "heart of sadness"? Imagine one night you have
+a dream. Although it is a good dream, deep down you know that eventually you
+will have to wake up and it will be over. In life, too, sooner or later,
+whatever the state of our relationships, or our health, our jobs and every
+aspect of our lives, everything, absolutely everything, will change. And the
+little bell ringing in the back of your head to remind you of this
+inevitability is what is called the "heart of sadness." Life, you realise,
+is a race against time, and you should never put off dharma practice until
+next year, next month, or tomorrow, because the future may never happen.
+ -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-
+ Called Preliminary Practices"
+~
+ What we want to eliminate is grasping that is grounded upon falsification of
+the object, distortions that arise as afflictions grasp at the apparent
+substantial existence of an object. Some texts say that mental states such as
+compassion and faith are, by their very nature, virtuous and thus cannot at
+the same time be afflicted mental states. Yet there are other texts that
+refer to "afflicted compassion" or "afflicted faith." For those of us
+who have not realized emptiness, when we generate strong devotion toward the
+Buddha perhaps there is within that faith, within that devotion, an element of
+grasping at the Buddha as substantially real. This makes it an instance of
+so-called "afflicted devotion."
+ Still, it is important to distinguish grasping rooted in falsification and
+distortion from the attachment, focus, or holding that we associate with
+compassion. In our immediate experience, these two forms of grasping may seem
+the same, but in terms of the overall mental environment they are quite
+different. Compassion is fact-based, while distorted grasping is not.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ By and large, human beings tend to prefer to fit in to society by following
+accepted rules of etiquette and being gentle, polite, and respectful. The
+irony is that this is also how most people imagine a spiritual person should
+behave. When a so-called dharma practitioner is seen to behave badly, we
+shake our heads over her audacity at presenting herself as a follower of the
+Buddha. Yet such judgments are better avoided, because to "fit in" is not
+what a genuine dharma practitioner strives for.
+ Think of Tilopa, for example. He looked so outlandish that if he turned up
+on your doorstep today, odds are you would refuse to let him in. And you
+would have a point. He would most likely be almost completely naked; if you
+were lucky, he might be sporting some kind of G-string; his hair would never
+have been introduced to shampoo; and protruding from his mouth would quiver
+the tail of a live fish. What would your moral judgment be of such a being?
+"Him! A Buddhist?" This is how our theistic, moralistic, and judgmental
+minds work. Of course, there is nothing wrong with morality, but the point of
+spiritual practice, according to the vajrayana teachings, is to go beyond all
+our concepts, including those of morality.
+ -- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, from "Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-
+ Called Preliminary Practices".
+~
+Because it is a reality that we are by nature social animals, bound to depend
+on each other, we need to cultivate affection and concern for other people if
+we really desire peace and happiness. Look at wild animals and birds. Even
+they travel together, flock together, and help each other. Bees do not have a
+particular legal system, they do not follow any spiritual practice, but for
+their livelihood and survival they depend on each other--that is their
+natural way of existence. Even though we intelligent human beings must also
+depend on each other, we sometimes misuse our intelligence and try to exploit
+each other. That goes against human nature. For those of us who profess to
+believe in a particular religious practice, it is extremely important that we
+try to help each other and cultivate a feeling of affection for each other.
+That is the source of happiness in our life.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ It's important to differentiate a thought from an emotion. We say things
+such as, "I feel like they don't accept me." Actually, that is a thought.
+We may feel hurt or frustrated, and it's because we're thinking that others
+don't accept us. How do we know they don't accept us? We don't. We
+haven't asked them. Instead, on the basis of how they looked at us or a
+comment they made, our mind constructs a story that we believe.
+ As soon as you hear yourself saying, "I feel like...," stop and recognize
+that you can't "feel like" something. You are thinking. After you have
+identified the thought, ask yourself, "Is that true? How do I know it's true?
+What evidence do I have to prove the validity of that thought?" It's really
+startling to see how often we assume our interpretation of a situation is true
+when in fact it is based on flimsy evidence.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, from "Don't Believe Everything You Think: Living with
+ Wisdom and Compassion"
+~
+We are all human beings, and from this point of view, we are the same. We all
+want happiness and we do not want suffering. If we consider this point, we
+will find that there are no differences between people of different faiths,
+races, colors, or cultures. We all have this common wish for happiness.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Enlightenment is not anything new or something we create or bring into
+existence. It is simply discovering within us what is already there. It is
+the full realization of our intrinsic nature. In Tibetan, buddha is sang
+gyay. Sang means that all of the faults have been cleared away, while gyay
+means "full realization"; just as from darkness, the moon waxes, likewise
+from ignorance, the qualities of the mind's intrinsic nature emerge.
+ -- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
+~
+The fundamental teaching of the Buddha is that we should view others as being
+more important than we are. Of course, you cannot completely ignore yourself.
+But neither can you neglect the welfare of other people and other sentient
+beings, particularly when there is a clash of interest between your own
+welfare and the welfare of other people. At such a time you should consider
+other people's welfare as more important than your own personal well-being.
+Compare yourself to the rest of sentient beings. All other sentient beings
+are countless, while you are just one person. Your suffering and happiness
+may be very important, but it is just the suffering and happiness of one
+individual, whereas the happiness and suffering of all other sentient beings
+is immeasurable and countless. So, it is the way of the wise to sacrifice one
+for the benefit of the majority and it is the way of the foolish to sacrifice
+the majority on behalf of just one single individual. Even from the point of
+view of your personal well-being, you must cultivate a compassionate
+mind—that is that source of happiness in your life.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Attachment and love are similar in that both of them draw us to the other
+person. But in fact, these two emotions are quite different. When we're
+attached we're drawn to someone because he or she meets our needs. In
+addition, there are lots of strings attached to our affection that we may or
+may not realize are there. For example, I 'love' you because you make me feel
+good. I 'love' you as long as you do things that I approve of. I 'love' you
+because you're mine. You're my spouse or my child or my parent or my friend.
+With attachment, we go up and down like a yo-yo, depending on how the other
+person treats us. We obsess, "What do they think of me? Do they love me?
+Have I offended them? How can I become what they want me to be so that they
+love me even more?" It's not very peaceful, is it? We're definitely stirred
+up.
+ On the other hand, the love we're generating on the Dharma path is
+unconditional. We simply want other to have happiness and the causes of
+happiness without any strings attached, without any expectations of what these
+people will do for us or how good they'll make us feel.
+ -- Thubten Chodron, "Don't Believe Everything You Think: Living with Wisdom
+ and Compassion"
+~
+Because we don't recognize our essential nature--we don't realize that
+although appearances arise unceasingly, nothing is really there--we invest
+with solidity and reality the seeming truth of self, other, and actions
+between self and others. This intellectual obscuration gives rise to
+attachment and aversion, followed by actions and reactions that create karma,
+solidify into habit, and perpetuate the cycles of suffering. This entire
+process needs to be purified.
+ -- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, from "In the Presence of Masters: Wisdom from 30
+ Contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Teachers", edited by Reginald A. Ray.
+~
+ Effort is crucial in the beginning for generating a strong will. We all
+have the Buddha nature and thus already have within us the substances through
+which, when we meet with the proper conditions, we can turn into a fully
+enlightened being having all beneficial attributes and devoid of all faults.
+The very root of failure in our lives is to think, "Oh, how useless and
+powerless I am!" It is important to have a strong force of mind thinking,
+"I can do it," this not being mixed with pride or any other afflictive
+emotion.
+ Moderate effort over a long period of time is important, no matter what you
+are trying to do. One brings failure on oneself by working extremely hard at
+the beginning, attempting to do too much, and then giving it all up after a
+short time. A constant stream of moderate effort is needed. Similarly, when
+meditating, you need to be skillful by having frequent, short sessions; it is
+more important that the session be of good quality than that it be long.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight"
+~
+We Buddhists are supposed to save all sentient beings, but practically
+speaking, this may be too broad a notion for most people. In any case, we
+must at least think in terms of helping all human beings. This is very
+important. Even if we cannot think in terms of sentient beings inhabiting
+different worlds, we should nonetheless think in terms of the human beings on
+our own planet. To do this is to take a practical approach to the problem.
+It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily
+lives. If we find we cannot help another, the least we can do is to desist
+from harming them. We must not cheat others or lie to them. We must be
+honest human beings, sincere human beings.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ How things appear and how they actually exist differ greatly. A person
+engaging in practice of the perfection of wisdom does this kind of analysis
+and then examines how things appear in ordinary experience, alternating
+analysis and comparison with the usual mode of appearance in order to notice
+the discrepancy between the actual mode of subsistence of phenomena and their
+appearance.
+ In this way the inherent existence which is the object of negation will
+become clearer and clearer. As much as the object of negation becomes
+clearer, so much deeper will your understanding of emptiness become. Finally,
+you will ascertain a mere vacuity that is a negative of inherent existence.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Three attitudes prevent us from receiving a continual flow of blessings.
+They are compared to three "pots": a full pot, a pot with poison in it,
+and a pot with a hole in the bottom.
+ The pot that's filled to the brim is like a mind full of opinions and
+preconceptions. We already know it all. We have so many fixed ideas that
+nothing new can affect us or cause us to question our assumptions.
+ The pot containing poison is like a mind that's so cynical, critical, and
+judgmental that everything is poisoned by this harshness. It allows for no
+openness and no willingness to explore the teachings or anything else that
+challenges our righteous stance.
+ The pot with a hole is like a distracted mind: our body is present but
+we're lost in thought. We're so busy thinking about our dream vacation or
+what's for dinner that we're completely deaf to what's being said.
+ Knowing how sad it is to receive blessings and not be able to benefit,
+Shantideva wants to save himself grief by remaining open and attentive.
+Nothing will improve, he says, unless we become more intelligent about cause
+and effect. This is a message worth considering seriously.
+ -- Pema Chödrön, from "No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the
+ Bodhisattva".
+~
+ Shantideva cites three benefits of pain. First, it is valuable because
+through sorrow, pride is driven out. No matter how arrogant and condescending
+we've been, great suffering can humble us. The pain of a serious illness or
+loss of a loved one can be transformative, softening us and making us less
+self-centered.
+ The second benefit of pain is empathy: the compassion felt for those who
+wander in samsara. Our personal suffering brings compassion for others in the
+same situation. A young woman was telling me that when her baby died, she
+felt a deep connection to all the other parents who had lost children. This
+was, as she put it, the unexpected blessing of her sorrow.
+ The third value of suffering is that evil is avoided and goodness seems
+delightful. When we practice according to Shantideva's instructions, we can
+get smarter about cause and result. Based on this understanding, we'll have
+less inclination to cause harm, and more desire to gather virtue and benefit
+others.
+ -- Pema Chödrön, from "No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the
+ Bodhisattva"
+~
+ Since emptiness, from between positive and negative phenomena, is a negative
+phenomenon and, from between affirming negatives and non-affirming negatives,
+is a non-affirming negative, when it appears to the mind, nothing will appear
+except an absence of such inherent existence—a mere elimination of the
+object of negation. Thus, for the mind of a person realizing emptiness there
+is no sense of, "I am ascertaining emptiness," and there is no thought,
+"This is emptiness." If you had such a sense, emptiness would become
+distant. Nevertheless, the emptiness of inherent existence is ascertained and
+realized.
+ After such realization, even though whatever phenomena appear appear to
+exist in their own right, you understand that they do not exist that way. You
+have a sense that they are like a magician's illusions in that there is a
+combination of their appearing one way but actually existing another way.
+Though they appear to exist inherently, you understand that they are empty of
+inherent existence.
+ When phenomena are seen this way, the conceptions that superimpose a sense
+of goodness or badness on phenomena beyond what is actually there and serve as
+a basis for generating desire and hatred lessen; this is because they are
+based on the misconception that phenomena are established in their own right.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ Rely on timeless awareness, which is free of elaboration, without
+ identity, and the very essence of being;
+ do not rely on ordinary consciousness, which is a mind fixated
+ on characteristics and concepts.
+
+ Timeless awareness entails (a) understanding that the way in which phenomena
+actually abide is, from the ultimate perspective, free of all limitations
+imposed by elaborations of origination, cessation, and so forth; (b)
+realization of the nonexistence of the two kinds of identity; and (c) unerring
+knowledge of sugatagarbha as utter lucidity, the way in which things actually
+abide, beyond any context of speculative value judgments. It is on this
+awareness that one should rely.
+ Ordinary consciousness entails (a) belief that what one immediately
+perceives constitutes something truly existent; (b) conceptualization in terms
+of characteristics, such as the sense of personal identity and the mind-body
+aggregates; and (c) mental states that are conditioned, for example, by
+attitudes of naively fixating on the pleasures of the senses. One should not
+rely on such consciousness.
+ -- Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Taye, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven
+ and Book Eight, Parts One and Two"
+~
+ Such is the process of karma: it is ineluctable; its results are greatly
+magnified; actions not committed have no effect; and the effects of actions
+committed never expire on their own.
+ Generally speaking, whether you are an ordinary mortal individual or a
+spiritually advanced being, all positive experiences that carry with them any
+pleasant sensation—down to even the slightest pleasure caused by a cool
+breeze for beings reborn in a hell realm—occur due to positive karma
+reinforced in the past; it is not in accord with the nature of things that
+happiness be due to negative karma. And all negative experiences that carry
+with them any unpleasant sensation—down to even the slightest suffering that
+could occur in the experience of an arhat—occur due to negative karma one
+has reinforced in the past; for it is not in accord with the nature of things
+that suffering be due to positive karma.
+ -- Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Taye, from "The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Seven
+ and Book Eight, Parts One and Two"
+~
+ "That which is seen and that which is touched are of a dream-like and
+ illusion-like nature. Because feeling arises together with the mind,
+ it is not [ultimately] perceived." --Shantideva
+
+ There is nothing whatever that has a true mode of existence. Nevertheless,
+this does not suggest that a person who experiences feelings and the feelings
+themselves—pleasant and unpleasant—are utterly non-existent. They do
+exist, but in an untrue fashion. Thus, the things that we see and touch have
+a dream-like and illusion-like quality.
+ In the second line the author refutes the true existence of the mind that
+experiences feelings. Since feelings arise in conjunction with the mind,
+feelings are not perceived by the mind that is simultaneous with them. There
+must be a causal relationship between the experienced object and the
+experiencing subject. If two entities are substantially distinct and exist
+simultaneously, there could be neither a causal relationship nor an identity
+relationship between them.
+ For this reason the author denies that either [intrinsic] relationship could
+hold for the feelings and the awareness that is simultaneous with them. Two
+mental events that arise in conjunction with each other are not able to
+apprehend one another. This holds true for all states of awareness. Thus,
+feelings are not observed by the awareness that arises in conjunction with
+them and that exists simultaneously with them.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+Any happiness there is in the world ultimately turns to pain. Why? Consider
+the two sides of a coin: just because what we desire is to be seen on the
+front does not mean that dislike won't soon appear on the back. Likewise,
+hope and fear are a single coin, one entity with two faces--on the other side
+of a moment in which we hope for more happiness will be our fear of more
+suffering. Until attachment is eliminated, we can be certain of having both
+hope and fear. As long as there is hope and fear, the delusions of samsara
+will be perpetuated and there will be constant suffering. Thus attachment is
+the nature of both hope and fear: looking at the ultimate emptiness of the
+self-envisioned magical illusion of hope and fear, we should hang loosely in
+the flow.
+ --Tulku Pema Rigtsal, "The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the
+ Nonduality of Dzogchen", translated by Keith Dowman
+~
+ The feelings of joy and sorrow do not exist from their own side. Although
+they exist as conceptual imputations, you cling to them as existing from their
+own side. Feelings do not exist by their own intrinsic nature; rather, they
+are identified on the basis of contributing circumstances.
+ Therefore, this analysis is cultivated as an antidote for that [false
+conception of intrinsic existence]. The meditative absorption that arises
+from the field of discriminative investigation is the food of the
+contemplative.—Shantideva
+ Feelings do not truly exist; they are not found when sought through
+analysis; they do not exist independently, but exist by the power of
+convention. Thus, the means for overcoming the misconception of the true
+existence of feelings is meditation on their lack of such existence. This
+entails analyzing the mode of existence of feelings.
+ Such investigation is an aid to meditative absorption and leads to the
+integration of meditative quiescence and insight. That increases the physical
+vitality of the contemplative and enhances the power of his [or her] spiritual
+practice. Thus it is called the nourishment of the contemplative.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Transcendent Wisdom".
+~
+It is not enough merely to look into the space of happiness or sadness; it is
+important to have pure presence constant in that flow. If the power of
+meditation is not constant, it is impossible to remain long in the place of
+nondual perception. Thoughts that arise intermittently will break the
+continuity, and radiating out from this, like ripples on a pond, the poisonous
+taste of emotion will arise to obstruct the meditation. As gross thoughts
+increase, ripples become rough waves that intensify the emotion. Until subtle
+emotions are left behind, we cannot eradicate suffering, so it is crucially
+important to sustain the state of meditation. When we gain strong familiarity
+by staying in that space for a long time, then no matter what thoughts arise,
+whether gross or subtle, they will not be able to dislodge us: upon
+recognizing the first thought, whatever thought it may be, in that very
+moment, we realize it to be the play of the spontaneous creativity of
+dharmakaya. Like a wave falling back into the ocean, the thought vanishes
+into the dharmakaya. In that space of naked empty pure presence that is the
+view, always cherishing thoughts of the five poisonous emotions and all the
+movements of body, speech, and mind, and the acts of eating, sleeping, moving,
+and sitting, we are known as the yogins and yoginis who stand guard over the
+shifting dharmakaya display. This is the supreme method of sustaining the
+essence of meditation. According to Dzogchen teaching, this is unadulterated
+by any kind of focus; it is called "the great meditation that is
+nonmeditation."
+ --Tulku Pema Rigtsal, "The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the
+ Nonduality of Dzogchen", translated by Keith Dowman.
+~
+ Who is more shameless in this world,
+ Than one who abandons to samsara's ocean of suffering
+ All the mothers who have tenderly cared for him since beginningless time
+ And instead strives toward the peace of a solitary nirvana?
+ --Shechen Gyaltsap Pema Namgyal
+
+ In each of our lives since beginningless time, our mother carried us within
+her body for nine months. She took care of us when we were helpless babies;
+she gave us food, education, and protection. In return, we feel love and
+gratitude for her kindness.
+ Why not extend our respect and appreciation for our mother to everyone else?
+If we take a broader perspective, we can consider that, within the countless
+existences we have lived, every being has been our mother at one time or
+another. Don't they also deserve our kindness now? We can extend the same
+debt of gratitude that we owe our present mother to all sentient beings. By
+doing so, we naturally begin to develop a deep concern for the happiness of
+others, and this feeling makes sense to us.
+ We take the refuge vow not just for our own sake, but also for the sake of
+all sentient beings. This is bodhichitta, or the altruistic mind, which aims
+for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.
+ --Shechen Rabjam, "The Great Medicine That Conquers Clinging to the Notion
+ of Reality: Steps in Meditation on the Enlightened Mind"
+~
+ Direct perfect enlightenment [with regard to] all aspects,
+ and abandonment of the stains along with their imprints
+ [are called] buddha and nirvana respectively.
+ In truth, these are not two different things.
+ —Arya Maitreya
+
+All aspects of the knowable—all absolute and relative phenomena—are
+directly known. Through this knowledge one is immediately and perfectly
+enlightened. This is the aspect of realization. All the adventitious
+defilements—the two veils along with their remaining imprints—are
+abandoned without any exception. This is the aspect of abandonment. These
+two qualities have been led to ultimate perfection. They are therefore named
+"perfect buddha" ["perfectly awakened and expanded"] from the
+viewpoint of the former aspect, and "nirvana" ["gone beyond any torment
+and pain"] from the viewpoint of the latter aspect. These two aspects are
+contained in one and the same meaning, the meaning of the tathagatagarbha,
+whereas a difference only lies in the convention of the different terms. In
+the sense of the absolute field of experience of the noble ones' primordial
+wisdom the qualities of realization and abandonment are therefore completely
+inseparable and do not exist as two different things.
+ -- Arya Maitreya, "Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with
+ Commentary", with commentary by Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Thaye
+~
+ "Vehicle" (yana) has two meanings: the means by which one progresses and
+the destination to which one is progressing. Mahayana in the sense of the
+vehicle by which one progresses means to be motivated by the mind of
+enlightenment—wishing to attain highest enlightenment for the sake of all
+sentient beings, one's objects of intent—and means to engage in the six
+perfections.
+ Seeing reason and need, Buddha set forth many systems and vehicles, but
+these did not arise due to his being intimate with some and alien to others.
+The trainees who were listening to his teaching had various dispositions,
+interests, and abilities, and thus he taught methods that were suitable for
+each of them. For those who temporarily did not have the courage to strive
+for Buddhahood or who did not at all have the capacity of obtaining Buddhahood
+at that time, Buddha did not say, "You can attain Buddhahood." Rather, he
+set forth a path appropriate to the trainees' abilities. Buddha spoke in
+terms of their situation, and everything that he spoke was a means of
+eventually attaining highest enlightenment even though he did not always say
+that these were means for attaining Buddhahood.
+ Since the purpose of a Buddha's coming is others' realization of the
+wisdom of Buddhahood, the methods for actualizing this wisdom are one vehicle,
+not two. A Buddha does not lead beings by a vehicle that does not proceed to
+Buddhahood; he establishes beings in his own level. A variety of vehicles are
+set forth in accordance with temporary needs.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+You do not have to seek out loneliness--it is always there. Egolessness is a
+concept, a philosophy, but loneliness is a reality that you experience. A
+feeling of loneliness is part of the journey. As for me, I feel that way
+constantly, and I think it’s a very healthy feeling, a very real feeling.
+When you sense that you are not you anymore and that nothing can replace that
+state, you begin to make discoveries. You discover devotion, and you discover
+a quality of richness and artistic expression that is very special. Being
+you, but not being you, is very resourceful. You become a complete mountain
+man: you know how to make fire and cook food. But it doesn’t mean anything.
+You are still nobody. That is the inspiration.
+ -- Chögyam Trungpa, "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma, Volume
+ One: The Individual Path of Liberation"
+~
+ Interdependence is our reality, whether we accept it or not. In order to
+live productively within such a reality, it is better to acknowledge and work
+with interdependence, wholeheartedly and without resistance. This is where
+love and compassion come in. It is love that leads us to embrace our
+connectedness to others, and to participate willingly in the relations created
+by our interdependence. Love can melt away our defenses and our painful sense
+of separation. The warmth of friendship and love makes it easy for us to
+accept that our happiness is intimately linked to that of others. The more
+widely we are able to love others, the happier and more content we can feel
+within the relations of interdependence that are a natural part of our life.
+ Love is possible in all our relationships because all people want happiness.
+No one wants to suffer. This is true of the people we love. It is also true
+of those we dislike. We are all absolutely identical in this respect. I
+think this universal wish for happiness is something we can easily grasp
+intellectually. When we learn to also feel and respect this in our heart,
+love naturally flourishes within us.
+ -- The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, "The Heart is Noble: Changing the World
+ from the Inside Out"
+~
+ Day and night, night and day we spend our lives in the company of the
+afflictions, generating desire for the pleasant and anger at the unpleasant,
+and continue thus even when dreaming, unable to remain relaxed, our minds
+completely and utterly mixed with thoughts of desire and hatred without
+interruption.
+ To what refuge should we go? A source of refuge must have completely
+overcome all defects forever; it must be free of all faults. It must also
+have all the attributes of altruism—those attainments which are necessary
+for achieving others' welfare. For it is doubtful that anyone lacking these
+two prerequisites can bestow refuge; it would be like falling into a ditch and
+asking another who is in it to help you out. You need to ask someone who is
+standing outside the ditch for help; it is senseless to ask another who is in
+the same predicament. A refuge capable of protecting from the frights of
+manifold sufferings cannot also be bound in this suffering but must be free
+and unflawed. Furthermore, the complete attainments are necessary, for if you
+have fallen into a ditch, it is useless to seek help from someone standing
+outside it who does not wish to help or who wishes to help but has no means to
+do so.
+ Only a Buddha has extinguished all faults and gained all attainments.
+Therefore, one should mentally go for refuge to a Buddha, praise him with
+speech, and respect him physically. One should enter the teaching of such a
+being.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+ All that is has me—universal creativity,
+ pure and total presence—as its root.
+ How things appear is my being.
+ How things arise is my manifestation.
+ Sounds and words heard are my messages
+ expressed in sounds and words.
+ All the capacities, forms, and pristine
+ awareness of the buddhas;
+ The bodies of sentient beings, their
+ habituations, and so forth;
+ All environments and their inhabitants,
+ life forms, and experiences;
+ Are the primordial state of pure and total
+ presence.
+
+ Without understanding me, the creativity of
+ the universe,
+ But investigating the phenomena that I
+ manifest,
+ You perceive everything dualistically due
+ to your attachment and longing.
+ Impermanent, apparitional things will fade
+ away.
+ They are aimless, like a blind man.
+
+ All that is experienced and
+ Your own mind are the unique primary reality.
+ They cannot be conceptualized according to
+ the cause and effect systems of thought.
+ Investigate your mind’s real nature
+ So that your pure and total presence will
+ actually shine forth.
+
+ -- Longchenpa, "You Are the Eyes of the World"
+~
+ Devotion, or mögü in Tibetan, can be divided into two aspects: möpa and
+küpa. Möpa means "longing" or "wanting," and küpa means "humility,"
+"respect," or "being without arrogance." With küpa, you are not pretending
+to be somebody who has reached a higher level of wisdom. So in devotion,
+longing and humbleness are put together. That state of mind brings openness
+to the teacher and to the dharma.
+ With küpa, the longing of möpa does not become purely an emotional
+indulgence or demand on the part of either the student or the teacher. The
+devotion of küpa is the respect or sacredness that comes from that experience
+of aah [the space before first thought]! Küpa arises because every highlight
+in your life has always been touched by the sacredness of vajrayana, even
+before you knew it.
+ -- Chogyam Trungpa, from "The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma,
+ Volume Three: The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness"
+~
+All suffering in this life and others is created by the unsubdued mind.
+Similarly, the basis of all the practices of the six paramitas, such as
+generosity, moral discipline, and so on, is the mind.
+
+Nothing is more important than guarding the mind. Let us constantly keep
+watch over the wild elephant of the mind, curbing it with mindfulness and
+vigilance. This is how to avoid being influenced by different external
+conditions. But even in retreat in a very secluded place, if the mind is not
+kept under control, it will wander all over the place. Even completely alone,
+we can have an enormous amount of negative emotions.
+
+How are we to guard the mind? We should use attentiveness to watch our
+thoughts and use mindfulness to judge whether we are acting correctly. With
+these two we have the means to annihilate all adverse conditions. But without
+them, we will not see whether our thoughts are positive or negative or whether
+we are doing right or wrong, nor will we then be able to use antidotes as
+necessary.
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+~
+The great yogi Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol replies to a Losar Day request from
+his disciple Depa Wangpo on what to adopt and what to reject regarding
+attitude and conduct...
+
+ Don’t harm your friends and neighbors; help them.
+ Don’t be stingy; use your wealth for offerings and charity.
+ Don’t let your body be idle; do prostrations and circumambulations.
+ Don’t let your mouth be idle; recite the mani mantra.
+ Always have pure thoughts towards others.
+
+ In brief, keeping Death in mind, practice the sacred Dharma.
+ Give up doing wrong, and do what is wholesome.
+ Whatever happiness and sufferings you undergo,
+ Regard them as the result of previous actions.
+ Always act in accord with the Dharma.
+ Even though I may be far away,
+ These instructions will remain like my very presence.
+ Keep them in mind!
+
+ -- Shabkar Natshok Rangdrol, in "The Life of Shabkar"
+~
+On the very night of Dodrupchen’s death, his spiritual testament was
+received by his principal disciple, Do Khyentse. Dodrupchen appeared in the
+sky in a radiant light body and an attire of lights. He was floating on a
+carpet of light, which was held up by four dakinis. In a very enchanting
+voice he sang the verses of his testament, which include the following lines:
+
+ I am going into the expanse of the Wisdom of the Ultimate Sphere,
+ Which is the state that transcends thoughts and expressions.
+ I am going into the state of Mirrorlike Wisdom,
+ Which is the ceaseless clear glow, fresh and open.
+ I am going into the expanse of the Wisdom of Evenness,
+ In which all the thoughts of grasping and grasper have vanished into the
+ ultimate sphere.
+ I am going into the Wisdom of Discriminative Awareness,
+ Which is the clarity, the dawn of six kinds of foreknowledge.
+ I am going into the state of the Wisdom of Accomplishment,
+ Which emanates various manifestations in accordance with [the needs of]
+ trainable beings.
+
+ Son, please stay healthy.
+ Now you have won over the obstructions of your life.
+ Until all the phenomenal existents are liberated as the signs and
+ teachings [of Dharma],
+ [You should be] aware of samsara and nirvana as dreams and illusions.
+ Dedicate yourself to the meditation where there is no reference point.
+ This is the empowerment of total entrustment and aspiration.
+ This is the supreme empowerment of empowerments.
+
+ -- from "Masters of Meditation and Miracles", by Tulku Thondup.
+~
+ The view of interdependence makes for a great openness of mind. In general,
+instead of realizing that what we experience arises from a complicated network
+of causes, we tend to attribute happiness or sadness, for example, to single,
+individual sources. But if this were so, as soon as we came into contact with
+what we consider to be good, we would be automatically happy, and conversely,
+in the case of bad things, invariably sad. The causes of joy and sorrow would
+be easy to identify and target. It would all be very simple, and there would
+be good reason for our anger and attachment. When, on the other hand, we
+consider that everything we experience results from a complex interplay of
+causes and conditions, we find that there is no single thing to desire or
+resent, and it is more difficult for the afflictions of attachment or anger to
+arise. In this way, the view of interdependence makes our minds more relaxed
+and open.
+ By training our minds and getting used to this view, we change our way of
+seeing things, and as a result we gradually change our behavior and do less
+harm to others. As it says in the sutras:
+
+ Abandon evildoing;
+ Practice virtue well;
+ Subdue your mind:
+ This is the Buddha's teaching.
+
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama, from "For the Benefit of All Beings"
+~
+In the avadhuti, the main path of enlightenment,
+Prana and mind, bliss and warmth, are united,
+Becoming unconditioned great bliss.
+The wisdom of unobscured insight dawns.
+
+"This is unsurpassable," the guru has said.
+The darkness of ignorance is purified in space.
+One is free from the two obscurations of grasping and fixation.
+Therefore bliss and luminosity dawn in simplicity.
+
+This appearance of collective coincidence
+Is a reflection without self-nature.
+All appearances are realized like that,
+And just like appearances in a dream,
+All dharmas arise as illusions...
+
+When thoughts arise, rest naturally.
+When dreaming, be mindful without corrupting it.
+When in the pardo, don’t control, but be aware.
+When there is fruition, let it arise without obscuration.
+
+ -- from "The Life of Marpa the Translator" translated by Chögyam Trungpa
+ and the Nalanda Translation Committee.
+~
+The Four Seals in Buddhism are:
+
+ All products are impermanent.
+ (or all compounded phenomena are impermanent?)
+ ('du byed thams cad mi rtag pa)
+
+ All contaminated objects are miserable.
+ (zag bcas thams cad sdug bsngal ba)
+
+ All phenomena are selfless.
+ (chos thams cad bdag med pa)
+
+ Nirvana is peace.
+ (mya ngan las 'das ba zhi ba)
+
+ --from "Meditation on Emptiness" (London: Wisdom, 1983), by Jeffrey Hopkins
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