When the mind is positive, body and speech, the servants of the mind, will of course be positive also. But how are we to make the mind positive? At the moment, we cling to the notion that our minds are real entities. When someone helps us, we think, ‘That person has been so good to […]
Malicious criticism of other traditions of dharma, in particular, is a major cause of the dharma as a whole declining and being corrupted. View all traditions and views as non-contradictory, and as true expressions of the Buddha’s teachings. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
If someone defames and disgraces you, that is simply the result of having criticized and dishonored others in the past, especially bodhisattvas. Instead of feeling angry with such people, you should feel grateful to them for giving you the opportunity to purify your past misdeeds. In all circumstances, it is important to act in accordance […]
Like waves, all the activities of this life have rolled endlessly on, one after the other, yet they have left us feeling empty-handed. Myriads of thoughts have run through our mind, each one giving birth to many more, but what they have done is to increase our confusion and dissatisfaction. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Those who practice the Dharma of the Mahayana in accordance with the Buddha’s intention are known as bodhisattvas. If you practice the teachings of the Mahayana, you can reach the level of the great bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri, in the best case, or become like the Buddha’s two main disciples Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, who were […]
We should remember that the main obstacle which prevented us from generating bodhicitta before was the distinction we made between friends and enemies. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Most people, thinking of the future, make a lot of plans — but the future they plan for is only the very few years of this life. This is very shortsighted; we have such a long way to go in lives to come. Death is just the threshold, which we have to cross alone, aided […]
The only position from which you can never fall is the awakened state. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
If you waste your life now on endless minor tasks, you can be sure that at the time of death you will weep with regret and be stricken with intense anxiety, like a thief who has just been thrown into jail and anxiously anticipates his punishment. A person might find himself with nothing to eat, […]
If we see others in trouble, although we cannot immediately take their suffering upon ourselves, we should make the wish to be able to relieve them from their misfortunes. Prayers like this will bear fruit eventually. Again, if others have very strong afflictive emotions, we should think, ‘May all their emotions be concentrated in me.’ […]
When performing the meditation practice one should develop the feeling of opening oneself completely to the whole universe with absolute simplicity and nakedness of mind, ridding oneself of all protecting barriers. Don’t mentally split into two when meditating, one part of the mind watching the other like a cat watching a mouse. One should realize […]
It is said that there is no greater evil than hatred and no greater virtue than patience. While a single moment of anger destroys countless aeons of merits and leads to unmitigated suffering in the hell realms, patience towards those who harm you and the sincere wish to bring them happiness will bring you swiftly […]
Guru yoga is a method or skillful means for generating in ourselves the fervent devotion that enables us effortlessly the see the guru as the Buddha himself. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Just as every single thing is always moving inexorably closer to its ultimate dissolution, so also your own life, like a burning butter-lamp, will soon be consumed. It would be foolish to think that you can first finish all your work and then retire to spend the later stages of your life practicing the Dharma. […]
We should also avoid thinking of ourselves as worthless persons – we are naturally free and unconditioned. We are intrinsically enlightened and lack nothing. When engaging in meditation practice, we should feel it to be as natural as eating, breathing and defecating. It should not become a specialized or formal event, bloated with seriousness and […]
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 […]
At night, it is good to examine what you have thought and done during the day, and to confess your faults and unconsidered actions and repair them. Tell yourself that, having encountered a teacher and received his instructions, you know better than to behave in that way. As for your positive actions, dedicate the merit […]
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 of […]
A crystal takes on the color of the cloth upon which it is placed, whether white, yellow, red or black. Likwise, the people with whom you spend your time whether their influence is good or bad, will make a huge difference to the direction your life and practice take. Spending your time with true spiritual […]
The attainment of the level of omniscience and liberation depends on realizing the coemergent wisdom of your mind. The birth of this realization depends exclusively on the lama’s blessings, and receiving these blessings depends on the link of devotion alone. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
