We might still wonder, What is this enlightenment if it is not happiness or unhappiness? How does an enlightened being appear and function? How does it feel to discover our buddhanature? In Buddhist texts, when these questions are posed, the answer is usually that it’s beyond our conception, inexpressible. Many seem to have misunderstood this […]
As a Buddhist, you have been taught that aggression is generally considered to be a negative emotion. Therefore your immediate reaction to any aggressive tendency or thought that arises in your mind will be to reject it. And you reject it because you are in love with your “self,” which makes you an egoist. As […]
Driven by the hunger for fame and originality, we are like these monkeys, thinking that we are so clever in discovering things and convincing our fellow humans to see what we see, think what we think, driven by ambition to be the savior, the clever one, the seer of all. We have all kinds of […]
Be skilful and practise whichever method works for you at this very moment. And don’t restrict yourself, because as a beginner it is so important for you to develop a taste for practice. Once you find the one or two practices that work best, concentrate on them. It’s a bit like moving to the city. […]
Initially, to understand dharma even on an intellectual level is not at all simple. Then once we have some understanding, to put dharma into practice is even more subtle, because it requires that we go beyond our habitual patterns. Intellectually, we may recognize how our narrow-minded habits have brought about our own cycle of suffering, […]
Although we use words such as achieving, wishing, and praying for enlightenment, ultimately we don’t acquire enlightenment from an external source. A more correct way to put it is discovering the enlightenment that has always been there. Enlightenment is part of our true nature. Our true nature is like a golden statue; however, it is […]
When we think of ourselves as inherently angry and ignorant, and we doubt our ability to achieve enlightenment, we are thinking that our true nature is permanently impure and defiled. But like the fingerprints on the wineglass, these emotions are not part of our true nature; we have only gathered pollutants from all sorts of […]
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 […]
Most of us tend to resent being confronted with the truth, and from resentment springs denial. The most obvious example is that we feel annoyed when we are forced to acknowledge the illusory nature of our lives and the reality of death. We also take exception to contemplating it, even though death is an irrefutable […]
Without the personal advice of Buddha, our only option is to rely on the existing generalisations provided by the dharma that are themselves the result of centuries of guesswork. Not very encouraging news in some ways, but do not despair. This guesswork may be hundreds of years old, but it was originally developed by some […]
The quintessence of the path is to have the wisdom that realizes egolessness. Until we have this wisdom, we have not understood the essence of the Buddha’s teaching. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
It is vital to understand that however positive this worldly life, or even a small part of it, may appear to be, ultimately it will fail because absolutely nothing genuinely works in samsara. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Millions of people in this world are interested in some version of meditation, or yoga, or one of the many so-called spiritual activities that are now so widely marketed. A closer look at why people engage in these practices reveals an aim that has little to do with liberation from delusion, and everything do to […]
We are like monkeys who dwell in the forest and shit on the very branches from which we hang. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Be ambitious about the magnitude of the motivation you arouse. Don’t settle for simple kindness when nothing less than the fully-fledged mind of bodhicitta is what is needed. Kyabje Dudjom Rinpopche said that dharma practice is really not that difficult, it’s all a matter of motivation. So never forget to arouse the motivation of wanting […]
From time immemorial we have been addicted to the self. It is how we identify ourselves. It is what we love most dearly. It is also what we hate most fiercely at times. Its existence is also the thing that we work hardest to try to validate. Almost everything that we do or think or […]
Once you understand that real dharma practice is not just about formal sitting meditation, but a never-ending confrontation with and opposition to pride and ego, as well as a lesson in how to accept change, you will be able to start practicing right away. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Buddha saw the same old age and sickness and death that we see, but he was driven to find the root causes; and that, too, is a miracle. His realization that all compounded things are impermanent was his ultimate triumph. Instead of flaunting victory over some externally existing enemy, he found that the real enemy […]
Mind’s ultimate nature, emptiness endowed with vividness, I was told is the real Buddha. Recognizing this should help me Not to be stuck with thoughts of hierarchy. Mind’s ultimate nature, its emptiness aspect, I was told is the real Dharma. Recognizing this should help me Not to be stuck with thoughts of political correctness. Mind’s […]
We follow a spiritual path because we want to defeat our emotions and attain enlightenment, and to achieve that goal we need discipline, guidance and the courage to confront everything we have spent many lifetimes trying to avoid. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
