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