The teachings of the Dharma have great power, but unless you practice them properly that power will remain merely as a potential which is never expressed. If one has a tool and does not use it, not much will be accomplished. An unused tool is not particularly beneficial in itself. But if you truly put […]
The whole thrust of the Buddha’s teaching is to master the mind. If you master the mind, you will have mastery over body and speech, and your own and others’ suffering can only come to an end. But if you leave the mind full of negative emotions, then however perfect the actions of your body […]
Keep your perception pure, considering all that appears to be infinite purity. Then everything will inspire you to practice the dharma, and everything will be an illustration of the teachings. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
The guru is the equal of all the buddhas. To make any connection with him, whether through seeing him, hearing his voice, remembering him or being touched by his hand, will lead us toward liberation. To have full confidence in him is the sure way to progress toward enlightenment. The warmth of his wisdom and […]
When an enlightened master who has wisdom and compassion meets a disciple who has faith and diligence, it is as if the sun’s rays where suddenly concentrated through a magnifying glass and focused onto dry grass, causing it to burst into flames, at once. In the same way, the blessings we receive will correspond directly […]
In our delusion, we see things as being permanent and truly self-existing. But in reality phenomena are impermanent, and devoid of any true substantial existence. We want to believe that our friends, partner, wealth and influence will all endure, but by nature they are bound to change. It is therefore senseless to be so preoccupied […]
In essence, the mind is what is aware of everything — it is a clarity that perceives all external objects and events. But try to find it, and it turns out to be as impossible to grasp and as elusive as a rainbow — the more you run after it, the farther away it appears […]
Never forget how swiftly this life will be over, like a flash of summer lightning or the wave of a hand. Now that you have the opportunity to practice dharma, do not waste a single moment on anything else. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Try to bring all your experience into the context of devotion to the teacher. If you can grasp this vital point of the practice, you will have no obstacles. If your situation is pleasant and easy, see your happiness, without any attachment, as the blessings of the teacher, and as a dream, an illusion. And […]
The seven branches serve as antidotes: prostration is the antidote to pride; offering is the antidote to attachment, greed, meanness, and poverty; confession is the antidote to aggression and anger; rejoicing is the antidote to envy and jealousy; requesting the turning of the Wheel of Dharma is the antidote to ignorance; requesting the buddhas and […]
Enlightenment will be ours when we are able to care for others as much as we now care of ourselves, and ignore ourselves to the same extent that we now ignore others. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Experiences are like mist: they will fade away. Practitioners who spend their time practicing in seclusion are certain to have many different experiences, but these experiences are very unreliable. As it is said, experiences are like rainbows, but the great meditator who runs after them like a child will be deceived. We may occasionally have […]
Even in times of peace, a nation foresees the eventuality of war, and remains ready to respond. In the same way, stay on the alert, and prepare yourself for death by practicing the Dharma. Like an eternal harvest, it will keep you supplied with provisions for the life to come and will be the very […]
Compassion is the effortless radiance of emptiness, free of concepts and beyond description. That is how a buddha’s activity for beings can be limitless. If you understand this, you will know that even when a cool breeze blows upon a sick person burning with fever, that itself is the blessings and compassion of the buddhas. […]
To expect happiness without giving up negative action is like holding your hand in a fire and hoping not to be burned. Of course, no one actually wants to suffer, to be sick, to be cold or hungry – but as long as we continue to indulge in wrong doing we will never put an […]
Someone with eye disease might see all kinds of objects apparently floating in the sky -lights, lines, and spots – when in truth there is nothing there. Similarly, because we have the disease of believing in an ‘I’, we see that ‘I’ as an inherently existing entity. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Never get angry, even with someone who has deliberately and maliciously harmed you. You should be grateful to such a person for helping you to purify past negative actions, to increase your determination to be free from samsara and to develop love and compassion. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Again and again, develop compassion for all sentient beings in general, and particularly for those who dislike you. It might be difficult at first, but you will never attain enlightenment as long as you continue to feel ill-will towards your enemies. Those who are now your enemies were in former lives your parents, and there […]
Once you overcome the hatred within your mind, you will discover that in the world outside, there is no longer any such thing as even a single enemy. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Unlike ordinary drinks, the nectar of mindfulness is available everywhere all the time, and can quench your thirst once and for all. Jetsun Milarepa said: If you need something to drink, drink the tea of mindfulness and vigilance. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
