makes freedom from thought possible, because when the mind is only at the
stage of an impulse arising, the energies haven't fully engaged. There is
an almost impartial quality about the energy of the impulse. When it is
-driven into specific thought, the situation changes and it becomes “my
-thought with my feeling, therefore me.” This is what is meant by being
+driven into specific thought, the situation changes and it becomes "my
+thought with my feeling, therefore me." This is what is meant by being
caught in the thought. The inner energy has transmuted from being something
relatively neutral and therefore not very important or compelling into
something entirely personal and therefore extremely important and compelling.
-- Maitreya, in "Buddha Nature", published by Shambhala Publications
~
Meditation means learning to control our minds, thereby protecting our minds
-from domination by delusion and other afflictions. We may think, “Oh, I
-wish my mind were not dominated by ignorance and other afflictions.” But
+from domination by delusion and other afflictions. We may think, "Oh, I
+wish my mind were not dominated by ignorance and other afflictions." But
these afflictions are very powerful and very destructive; they operate despite
our wishes. We have to work to develop effective countermeasures. We cannot
buy such remedies from a store; even very sophisticated machines cannot
If we were asked to be free right now, to jump into the sea of love in this
very moment, we might turn our attention inward and try it, and it may not
work. Why? Because of a hindrance, a block. That block is the very sense of
-“I am” that is the false image of who we are. It is the shell that is
+"I am" that is the false image of who we are. It is the shell that is
veiling, covering our true nature. So the goal of all spiritual endeavors is
to actually realize the enlightened part of who we are, not sometime in the
future, but right now.
-- Dza Kilung Rinpoche, "The Relaxed Mind", published by Shambhala
Publications
~
-Awareness does not engage with objects of the ordinary mind. It is “self-
-cognizing primordial wisdom.” This can be illustrated by the “light” of
+Awareness does not engage with objects of the ordinary mind. It is "self-
+cognizing primordial wisdom." This can be illustrated by the "light" of
the new moon: a profoundly indwelling luminosity, which does not radiate
outward. Therefore, despite the fact that the five primordial wisdoms are
spontaneously present in awareness, the latter is without thoughts related to
sense objects. By contrast, even when it is still, the ordinary mind
-nevertheless “moves” and follows after different objects. It is like the
+nevertheless "moves" and follows after different objects. It is like the
light of the moon on the fifteenth of the month, which radiates outward and
engulfs everything.
-- Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche, and Jigme Lingpa, in "Treasury of
feelings, and their sensations. If we want to develop society so that there
is more peace and happiness, each one of us must work with our condition. For
example, our society is like numbers. When we count, we must always begin
-with the number “1.” If I think about society, I must start with myself as
-“number one.”
+with the number "1." If I think about society, I must start with myself as
+"number one."
-- Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, from "Dzogchen Teachings", published by Shambhala
Publications
~
articulation of that same quality of compassion. Among the many
interpretations of the mantra, here is one I find especially meaningful. Oṃ
signifies the manifest body, speech, and mind. Maṇi in Sanskrit means
-“jewel.” Padme, pronounced pémé in Tibetan, means “in the lotus.”
+"jewel." Padme, pronounced pémé in Tibetan, means "in the lotus."
Hūṃ, pronounced by the Tibetans as hoong, is a syllable suggestive of the
deepest, essential, transcendent nature of consciousness. So the mantra
starts out from the manifest state of the body, speech, and mind, then through
with. Yet it's within the ordinary sangha, monastic or lay, that the
roughest edges of our arrogance and pride can be smoothed down a little.
Americans—with their car obsessions—have a good expression for this:
-“Where the rubber meets the road.” Let's say there's a shiny new car
+"Where the rubber meets the road." Let's say there's a shiny new car
on the floor. It appears to be perfect. But we still need to take it for a
test–drive. The car that never leaves the shop is like a practitioner
reciting nice words about compassion and selflessness, but removed from the
Activity, the essence-meaning of mahamudra. Here, Mahasiddha Tilopa does not
mean all sentient beings in general but rather some who cling to tenet
systems—those with attachment to their own system. There are quite a few
-such intellectual logicians. Such intransigent stubborn “silly ones” who
+such intellectual logicians. Such intransigent stubborn "silly ones" who
lack the eye of wisdom
-- Sangyes Nyenpa, "Tilopa's Mahamudra Upadesha", published by Shambhala
Publications
ourselves from it.
-- Thubten Chodron, "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart", published by
Shambhala Publications
-
+~
+ Completely understanding his dire circumstances, the man had a strong
+feeling that the only way to be saved from deportation was to extend loving-
+kindness to Calcutta’s police inspector general. He placed a photograph of
+the police inspector general on his desk. He then completely focused his
+attention on it, extending his feeling of loving-kindness toward the man. In
+fact, he sat up the entire night looking at the photograph and practicing his
+loving-kindness meditation.
+ When the police inspector general arrived in the morning, he approached
+the man and looked directly into his eyes. He then said, "I will not send
+you to Sri Lanka, Sir, but I will instead look after you here as if you were
+my own father."
+ -- Bhante Walpola Piyananda, "The Bodhi Tree Grows in L.A.", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
+~
+The scriptures say that thinking is not thinking, so do not even think about
+not having thoughts. There is no thinking about nonconceptualization, or
+about anything else. The scriptures also say that one should not think
+"stop thinking!" Do not think in order to clarify the meaning of
+nonconceptuality. This becomes more and more subtle, more and more peaceful,
+more and more clear, more and more equal. Once the basis has been
+transformed, rest in equanimity in the space of reality.
+ -- Sam van Schaik, "Tibetan Zen: Discovering a Lost Tradition", published by
+ Shambhala Publications
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