Think about a summer garden full of beautiful flowers. What made these flowers bloom? It was the seeds, the weather, and the hard work of the gardener. With these conditions in place, flowers will bloom, regardless of anyone’s hopes and fears. And without these causes and conditions, the garden will be a failure. Similarly, happiness […]
People tend to appreciate nature. We associate the natural world with beauty, that which is pure and untouched. When we see someone cutting trees or digging in the wilderness, it disturbs us. We can realize the beauty of our own inner nature when we stop manipulating everything that crosses our path as a way to […]
It may seem naive or unrealistic, especially in these challenging modern times, to rely on something as ordinary and soft as your own tender heart. Most of the world is under the spell of the capitalist mentality, which encourages us to be cynical and look out for our own self-interests first and foremost. This is […]
Many people are afraid of being brainwashed by religion. But there is no fear of brainwashing in Buddhism; we know we are already brainwashed by ego. Because ego does nothing but create pain and suffering, Buddhism is about getting unbrainwashed. It’s about waking up from this hypnotic state of subservience to ego. Through meditation and […]
The practice of putting others in the center is not simply a crusade to do “good.” It is a practice based on the understanding that our own happiness is inextricably linked with the happiness of others. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
The notion of enlightenment means, “not bound”. Not bound to what? Not bound to one’s own mind in ordinary ways; not bound in confusion to all the suffering that one’s mind has produced and is experiencing. So the notion of enlightenment is not something outside of one’s own mind. We cannot imagine achieving enlightenment, let […]
To rejoice in others’ happiness without any preferences of our own shows that we understand that the longing for happiness is the same for all beings. We can rejoice in their temporal happiness, which has come from their accumulation of merit. When we recognize the quality of happiness in others—when we see someone genuinely smile […]
When disturbing thoughts and emotions arise, your only choice is to let them unfold naturally. Don’t try to control or indulge them. Giving them importance only makes them more “real.” Instead, shift your attitude a bit. You will see that this disturbed and anxious mind is just an expression of mind’s basic nature – which […]
Sentient beings possess varying degrees of maturity, but we all possess the same potential. From this point of view, everything is workable for all of us. We are not talking here about having great meditation experiences; we are talking about working with everyday experience within relative awareness, using our spiritual traning and meditation practice as […]
A moment of genuine contemplation of impermanence is the greatest offering among all offerings to the Buddhas. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
This heart of ours is very difficult to soften. But we’d all most probably like our heart to be more soft and compassionate. The way it can ever soften is to be able to put ourselves in others shoes, in the shoes of the person we see suffering, for example. Then go through what they […]
Ironically, we shrink from a pain that doesn’t actually exist. We speak about the truth of suffering only in that we experience it. But what is suffering really when we stop trying to push it away? This kind of questioning needs to be the theme of our lives. We need to take delight in working […]
Instead of self-importance, put others in the center. Do this at the aspirational level first. It’s not that you need to commit yourself to do anything outside of your mind. But, first get the priorities right. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
The sutras ask, where do the buddhas come from? And the answer in the sutras is, they come from ego. What does this mean? This means that realization comes from our ability to expand our sense of self-care and longing for happiness to include others. This is the business of a bodhisattva. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
The Buddha realized the absolute nature because he could really look at things without any deception — without deceiving anyone, and without deceiving himself. It is very clear that we don’t want to be deceived. We want to see the truth, but most of the time it’s just a weak intention. When it really comes […]
Zopa is translated as patience, tolerance, or endurance. Inherent in zopa is a feeling of positive disgust, or renunciation, that comes from knowing the negative results of anger. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
We can realize the beauty of our own inner nature when we stop manipulating everything that crosses our path as a way to fortify a sense of self. This is the practitioner’s approach to life. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
Grasping to a non-existent self, we misread our world and lose the true treasure of our mind. Because of our belief in a self that must be preserved at all costs, ego controls our every mental, emotional, verbal, and physical act. Although our wisdom mind is completely radiant at all times, we become like a […]
Without ego as our primary reference point, mind is naturally open, unconfused, and able to enjoy everything without judgment. In essence, mind is unobstructed and free from ignorance, with the potential to experience everything in a fresh way. Revealing this potential is the purpose of the practice of self-reflection – and this is our natural […]
Someone asked me recently if I am afraid to die. Truthfully, I am more afraid of not living my life fully — of living a life dedicated to cherishing and protecting myself. This fear-driven approach to life is like covering your couch in plastic so it won’t get worn. It robs you of the ability […]
