Once you know what has to be taken up and what has to be avoided, you must avoid even the minutest negative action. If you find you have committed a negative action physically, verbally, or mentally, you must acknowledge it immediately, confess, and repair the downfall. And if you see that you have done something […]
The presence of space makes it possible for the whole universe to be set out within it, and yet this does not alter or condition space in any way. Although rainbows appear in the sky, they do not make any difference to the sky; it is simply that the sky makes the appearance of rainbows […]
This refers in general to the vows of the Shravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana and particularly to the special vows of Mind Training. The vows of the Mind Training are: to give victory and benefit to others and to take all loss and failure, especially that of our enemies, upon ourselves. If we act accordingly, the […]
Everything depends on your intention. All the time, therefore, check your attitude and motivation. As Patrul Rinpoche said, everyone wants happiness, but the true way to reach perfect happiness is to bring happiness to others. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Whatever we do, it is the mind that is most important. This is why the Buddhist teachings focus on perfecting the mind. The mind is king, and body and speech are servants which must do its bidding. It is the mind that conceives faith and the mind that conceives doubt; it is the mind that […]
The Buddha has manifested in our world; he has turned the wheel of the teachings and these teachings have survived until now. You have received them from an authentic teacher and are ready to put them into practise. Rather than frittering your life away in futile pursuits, should you not marvel at your good fortune […]
When anger arises in what we think of as our minds, we become oblivious even to the dangers that might threaten us. Our faces flushed with rage, we seize our weapons and could even kill a lot of people. But this anger is an illusion; it is not at all some great force that comes […]
When you have truly attained the realization of this emptiness, you will be like the venerable Milarepa or Guru Rinpoche, who were unaffected by the heat of summer or the cold of winter, and who could not be burned by fire or drowned in water. In emptiness there is neither pain nor suffering. We, on […]
There are different levels of faith. First, “clear faith” refers to the joy and clarity and change in our perceptions that we experience when we hear about the qualities of the Three Jewels and the lives of the Buddha and the great teachers. “Longing faith” is experienced when we think about the latter and are […]
The master is like a great ship for beings to cross the perilous ocean of existence, an unerring captain who guides them to the dry land of liberation, a rain that extinguishes the fire of the passions, a bright sun and moon that dispel the darkness of ignorance, a firm ground that can bear the […]
Until you are ready to give your life and body for the sake of others in reality, which is not the case at present, you can at least do it mentally. As your mind grows used to altruistic love and compassion, your words and actions will naturally reflect that attitude. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
At all times, again and again, we should make vast prayers for the sake of all beings. When falling asleep we should think, ‘May all beings achieve the absolute state’; when waking up, ‘May all beings awake into the enlightened state’; when getting up, ‘May all beings obtain the body of the Buddha’; when putting […]
So if you really wish to benefit others, the first step is to attain realization yourself. You must first mature your own mind; otherwise you will be incapable of helping others. Giving other people water is impossible unless you have a jug with water in it. If it is empty, you might make the gesture […]
Without being concentrated by a magnifying glass, dry grass cannot be set alight by the rays of the sun, even though they bathe the whole earth evenly in their warmth. In the same way, it is only when focussed through the magnifying glass of your faith and devotion that the all-pervading warm rays of the […]
Once you have the view, although the delusory perceptions of samsara may arise in your mind, you will be like the sky; when a rainbow appears in front of it, it’s not particularly flattered, and when the clouds appear, it’s not particularly disappointed either. There is a deep sense of contentment. You chuckle from inside […]
This precious human body, supreme instrument though it is for the attainment of enlightenment, is itself a transient phenomenon. No one knows when, or how, death will come. Bubbles form on the surface of the water, but the next instant they are gone; they do not stay. It is just the same with this precious […]
To make a lamp burn brightly, without flickering, one puts it inside a glass lantern to protect it from the wind. Similarly, to develop deep concentration we have to prepare the mind and still our thoughts with devotion and correct attitude. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
It is said that, “the richer people get, the more miserly they are,” and this saying is often true. Avarice makes you unhappy. It exposes you to rebirth in the florin of tortured spirits. Rather than store useless riches, use them in a constructive way. Be generous toward those in need, build stupas, and make […]
Someone who has faith in the Three Jewels and the teacher, who is interested in hearing, reflecting, and meditating, and who is very diligent should be given the teachings without reserve, for this will bring great benefit. “Instructions” here refers to major instructions — the profound instructions that lead to liberation and enlightenment — and […]
Just as space is infinitely vast, so too is the number of sentient beings. Yet we tend to think that the only relationships we have with other beings are the tiny number, comparatively, that we have at present. Wherever we live, we like a few people, dislike a few others, and ignore all the rest. […]
