smiles. These smiles do not produce satisfaction, but rather fear or
suspicion. But a genuine smile gives us hope, freshness. If we want a
genuine smile, then first we must produce the basis for a smile to come.
- —- H.H. the Dalai Lama
+ -- H.H. the Dalai Lama
~
Suffering is something very concrete, which everyone knows and wants to
avoid if possible, and the Buddha therefore began his teaching by talking
discipline, an inner calmness of mind, then no matter what external facilities
or conditions we may have, they will never give us the feeling of joy and
happiness that we seek. On the other hand, if we possess this inner
-quality—that is, calmness of mind, a degree of stability within—then even
+quality--that is, calmness of mind, a degree of stability within--then even
if we lack various external facilities that are normally considered necessary
for a happy and joyful life, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful
life.
all know them already, because they are the details of the many reference
points that we already have in our mind. The fact that these sutras and their
commentaries talk about our obscurations is precisely the point why they seem
-so endless and complicated—because our minds are complicated. Emptiness is
+so endless and complicated--because our minds are complicated. Emptiness is
extremely simple, but our convoluted minds that do not get this simplicity are
very complicated. It is not that the Buddha and the other speakers in the
sutras and the commentaries really like to, but they need to address each one
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
+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
+ 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
+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
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.
+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
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
+ 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
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
+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
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
+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
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.
+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
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
+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
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
+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
+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
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
+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
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
+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
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
+ --Arya Maitreya
-All aspects of the knowable—all absolute and relative phenomena—are
+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
+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
"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
+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.
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
+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
being.
-- H.H. the Dalai Lama
~
- All that is has me—universal creativity,
- pure and total presence—as its root.
+ 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
absolutely ordinary. As you begin to work on that, you realize that the
inconvenience, discomfort, and anguish that you experience is no more than
anybody else experiences. So your experience is no longer regarded as
-monumental—no more than if you step on a cat's tail, and the cat cries
+monumental--no more than if you step on a cat's tail, and the cat cries
out, "Wooaaaoow!" However, it is still a problematic situation. Therefore
you need to practice the paramita of discipline, which overcomes that type of
preoccupation altogether. You begin to realize that preoccupations are
Scrutinize Apperances
No matter what our mind makes appear as an object of one of our six
-collections of consciousness—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile or
-bodily sensations, or mental objects or events—we thoroughly scrutinize its
+collections of consciousness--sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile or
+bodily sensations, or mental objects or events--we thoroughly scrutinize its
mode of appearance. Our mind is making it appear as though its existence were
established by virtue of itself, empowered by some truly and inherently
-existent self-nature—and not by virtue simply of mental labeling
+existent self-nature--and not by virtue simply of mental labeling
establishing its existence as what can be labeled "this" or "that"
from this side. We thoroughly scrutinize this mode of appearance and the mode
of existence it implies. There does appear to be something solidly there, not
existing as what it is by virtue simply of mental labeling, but by virtue of
itself, independently of anything else. But, by reminding ourselves that it
-does not exist as it appears to exist—by being mindful that its existence
-and identity are not established through its own power—we automatically
+does not exist as it appears to exist--by being mindful that its existence
+and identity are not established through its own power--we automatically
reconfirm and become even stronger in our conviction in its bare mode of
existence. In other words, as the text [the First Panchen Lama's A Root
Text for the Precious Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra] says, "[You
this determination, courage, and self-confidence are important sources of
victory and success. Without will power and determination, even something
that you might have achieved easily cannot be achieved. If you have will
-power and reasonable courage—not blind courage but courage without
-pride—even things that seemed impossible at a certain stage turn into being
+power and reasonable courage--not blind courage but courage without
+pride--even things that seemed impossible at a certain stage turn into being
possible because of continuing effort inspired by that courage. Thus,
determination is important.
How can this be developed? Not through machines, not by money, but by our
rebirth in the human realm or in the heavenly realms of the gods. He does not
have the power or the courage to leave worldly existence completely. He only
wants the best parts of worldly existence; he wants to avoid the worst parts,
-and that is why he practices the Buddhist religion—to gain a higher rebirth.
+and that is why he practices the Buddhist religion--to gain a higher rebirth.
The middling sort of person understands that the whole of worldly existence,
no matter where one is born, is suffering by its nature, just as fire is hot
by its nature. He wants to get out of it altogether and attain nirvana, the
-- Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub, "Three Visions: Fundamental Teachings of the
Sakya Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism"
~
-Setting out on a spiritual path is a little like planning a trip—to Machu
+Setting out on a spiritual path is a little like planning a trip--to Machu
Picchu, for example. Some travellers will approach the project by investing a
lot of time in reading travel books or Googling Internet sites about the best
route to take and where to stay--a method that works, but only to a certain
~
The Capable One spoke of the following attributes as the seven noble riches,
for they are the causes of untainted happiness and are not in any way
-ordinary. Faith—that is, the three kinds of faith in the Three Jewels and
+ordinary. Faith--that is, the three kinds of faith in the Three Jewels and
confidence in the law of actions and their effects. Discipline, the avoidance
of harmful actions. Learning that comes from listening to the holy Dharma
that leads to liberation, with the intention of gaining complete knowledge.
-Being generous—with a desire to make offerings and to help beings, to give
+Being generous--with a desire to make offerings and to help beings, to give
away all one's possessions without expecting anything in return or any
karmic reward. A sense of shame with respect to oneself that prevents one
from indulging in negative actions, and that is unstained by such things as
stops one from engaging in unvirtuous practices. And wisdom, that is,
knowledge of the particular and general characteristics of phenomena.
You should realize that other common things that the world calls
-riches—gold, for instance—are of no value in obtaining untainted
+riches--gold, for instance--are of no value in obtaining untainted
qualities; they are worthless, hollow, and without essence.
-- from "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend With Commentary by Kyabje Kangyur
Rinpoche", Shambhala Publications
~
"Emptiness" is a rough translation of the Sanskrit term shunyata and the
Tibetan term tongpa-nyi. The basic meaning of the Sanskrit word shunya is
-"zero," while the Tibetan word tongpa means "empty"—not in the sense
+"zero," while the Tibetan word tongpa means "empty"--not in the sense
of a vacuum or a void, but rather in the sense that the basis of experience is
beyond our ability to perceive with our senses and or to capture in a nice,
tidy concept. Maybe a better understanding of the deep sense of the word may
implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue;
assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions;
implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and
-frame of reference. Critical thinking — in being responsive to variable
-subject matter, issues, and purposes — is incorporated in a family of
+frame of reference. Critical thinking--in being responsive to variable
+subject matter, issues, and purposes--is incorporated in a family of
interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical
thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking,
moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.
movement of wind energy. The Tibetan language describes this relationship
between the wind and the mind as the wind-mind (Tib. rlung sems). This
compound word describes the wind energy and the conceptual mind as always
-intertwined and moving together—a singular motion. Again, a metaphor is
+intertwined and moving together--a singular motion. Again, a metaphor is
helpful to understand how the mind and the wind work together. The Tibetan
Buddhist teachings compare the mind and the breath to a rider and its mount.
In this metaphor, the wind energy is the mount and the mind is the rider.
phenomena of apprehender and apprehended, just as when mistakenly not seeing
an existent rope, but seeing it as a nonexistent snake.
Bodhisattvas lack the clinging to a self and phenomena and thus they
-naturally see true reality—emptiness—while not seeing any duality, just as
+naturally see true reality--emptiness--while not seeing any duality, just as
correctly seeing an existent rope, while not seeing it as a nonexistent snake.
-When existent emptiness—true reality—is seen and the nonexistent
+When existent emptiness--true reality--is seen and the nonexistent
characteristics of apprehender and apprehended are not seen anymore, the
-alaya-consciousness—the dependent nature—has undergone the fundamental
+alaya-consciousness--the dependent nature--has undergone the fundamental
change. This fundamental change is liberation and nirvana.
Just as people liberated from bondage can do what they please, once this
fundamental change occurs, bodhisattvas are liberated because they have gained
starting with the generation of bodhichitta, the altruistic aspiration to
achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Once one has
cultivated bodhichitta, all the meritorious actions that are supported by and
-complemented with this altruism—even the slightest form of positive
-action—become causes for the achievement of omniscience.
+complemented with this altruism--even the slightest form of positive
+action--become causes for the achievement of omniscience.
-- H. H. the Dalai Lama, from "The Fourteenth Dalai Lama in A Beginner's
Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary
Buddhist Teachers", published by Shambhala Publications
~
-Note that all dualistic concepts and emotions—even positive ones such as
-caring, compassion, and wishing others well—are accompanied by grasping at
+Note that all dualistic concepts and emotions--even positive ones such as
+caring, compassion, and wishing others well--are accompanied by grasping at
“self.” So although positive emotions are good, they still fall short of
perfection, which is the primordial wisdom beyond dualistic thinking and
emotional sensations. Grasping at positive qualities is nonetheless a
Stages of the Path to Enlightenment", published by Shambhala Publications
~
When we look back, at the time of death, the experience of this life will seem
-like a dream. And—just as with our nighttime dreams—it will seem useless
+like a dream. And--just as with our nighttime dreams--it will seem useless
to have put so much effort into it. The fear we experience in a dream is gone
when we wake up; feeling afraid was just an unnecessary exertion of effort
causing us to lose sleep! When we look back on our lives at death, the amount
The three worlds are primordially pure.
Ultimately, there is nothing more to understand.
Not negation, unceasing continuity,
-Unchanging—such is the view.
+Unchanging--such is the view.
The innate essence is naturally luminous.
Unconditioned, meditation is unceasing.
Not negation, beyond losing and gaining,
-Without desire or attachment—such is the meditation.
+Without desire or attachment--such is the meditation.
Arising from the natural occurrence of various coincidences,
The play of illusion is unobstructed.
Not negation,
-Things are unpredictable, abrupt—such is the action.
+Things are unpredictable, abrupt--such is the action.
Mind shines as bodhicitta.
There is no attainment of the three kayas of buddha.
Not negation, beyond hope and fear,
-Without ground or root—such is the fruition.
+Without ground or root--such is the fruition.
- from "The Life of Marpa the Translator", translated by Chögyam Trungpa
and the Nalanda Translation Committee, published by Shambhala Publications
~
for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American
standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no
matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of
-our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed,
+our people--whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth--is ill-fed,
ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under
-the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right
+the protection of certain inalienable political rights--among them the right
of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from
unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
- As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial
-economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us
+ As our nation has grown in size and stature, however--as our industrial
+economy expanded--these political rights proved inadequate to assure us
equality in the pursuit of happiness.
We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual
freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.
job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We
have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of
-security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station,
+security and prosperity can be established for all--regardless of station,
race, or creed.
Among these are:
-- Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the
Congress of the United States on the State of the Union
~
- Whatever arises in our mind—whether it's a thought, an emotion, a
-sensation, or a perception—is the arising of coemergent wisdom. It is the
+ Whatever arises in our mind--whether it's a thought, an emotion, a
+sensation, or a perception--is the arising of coemergent wisdom. It is the
radiation of the mind's emptiness and clarity. Every arising is a temporary
-arising—one thought comes and goes, then another thought comes and goes.
+arising--one thought comes and goes, then another thought comes and goes.
All our thoughts and emotions just appear and disappear.
This is very important, because we usually grasp at whatever occurs. For
instance, when sadness arises, we hold on to this feeling and think, “I am
devotional chauvinists and cease to see the rest of the world properly. In
fact, we become passionately involved with our own arrogance. We indulge our
“devotion” by collecting information, techniques, stories, little words of
-wisdom—all to confirm our chauvinistic view. It actually reaches a point
+wisdom--all to confirm our chauvinistic view. It actually reaches a point
that the teacher upon whom our arrogance is based himself becomes a threat.
The absurdity is that we even end up wanting to use our collection of
ammunition against our teacher when he begins giving our “devotion” a hard
~
To study and to contemplate what one has learned is very important, but these
two can only progress if one engages in meditation practice. Thus, the
-importance of each of these three—moral conduct, study, and
-meditation—cannot be underestimated. If one practices these free of
+importance of each of these three--moral conduct, study, and
+meditation--cannot be underestimated. If one practices these free of
attachment to this life, the benefits are enormous. But to pursue these while
seeking worldly attainments means one will not receive the benefits that would
be gained by a genuine spiritual practitioner. For this reason, it will be
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
+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
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
+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 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
+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
+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
-- 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
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