It is always beneficial to be near a spiritual teacher. These masters are like gardens or medicinal plants, sanctuaries of wisdom. In the presence of a realized master, you will rapidly attain enlightenment. In the presence of an erudite scholar, you will acquire great knowledge. In the presence of a great meditator, spiritual experience will dawn in your mind. In the presence of a bodhisattva, your compassion will expand, just as an ordinary log placed next to a log of sandalwood becomes saturated, little by little, with its fragrance.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
from the book The Hundred Verses of Advice: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on What Matters Most
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Further quotes from the book The Hundred Verses of Advice:
- Dwell in the simplicity of the present moment
- Dreamlike obsessions
- Free of being caught by anything at all
- Start that very day
- Without settling anywhere
- Have you prepared yourselves a boat
- Love and compassion for all
- The most profound spiritual practice
- Nothing to be gained or lost
- There is never any time to spare
- Flying off into the bardo
- When you reach the threshold of death
- The faults within
- Happiness and suffering
- Overcoming obstacles
- Put on the armor of diligence
- You will have to go
- Abandon negative friendships
- Practice with joy and enthusiasm
- The right moment is now