Over time I have come to realize that people often associate Buddhism and Buddhists with peace, meditation, and nonviolence. In fact many seem to think that saffron or maroon robes and a peaceful smile are all it takes to be a Buddhist. As a fanatical Buddhist myself, I must take pride in this reputation, particularly the nonviolent aspect of it, which is so rare in this age of war and violence, and especially religious violence. Throughout the history of humankind, religion seems to beget brutality. Even today religious-extremist violence dominates the news. Yet I think I can say with confidence that so far we Buddhists have not disgraced ourselves. Violence has never played a part in propagating Buddhism. However, as a trained Buddhist, I also feel a little discontented when Buddhism is associated with nothing beyond vegetarianism, nonviolence, peace, and meditation. Prince Siddhartha, who sacrificed all the comforts and luxuries of palace life, must have been searching for more than passivity and shrubbery when he set out to discover enlightenment.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
from the book What Makes You Not a Buddhist
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Further quotes from the book What Makes You Not a Buddhist:
- Today is the death of yesterday
- Being a Buddhist
- Primordial purity
- Clinging to our hopes and fears
- A practicing Buddhist
- A simple, scientific fact
- Living fully
- Our true nature is like a wineglass
- The spiritual path is a temporary solution
- Buying into emotions
- Pride and pity
- Like monkeys
- Your own ignorance betrays you
- Relationships
- Not paranoid but prepared
- Not a buddha yet
- I don’t give a damn
- Appreciating the whole cycle of impermanence
- The cup that holds the teachings
- Bound by practicality