Externally, the teacher appears in human form and teaches the path to liberation. Then comes a time when, through his instructions and his blessings, one comes to a realization identical to his. Then one sees that the inner, or absolute, teacher has always been present. It is simply the nature of one’s own mind. Jamgon […]
If you follow after thoughts and afflictions Such as hatred, anger, and desire, It will cause you to take birth in the three lower realms. To be born in any of them brings about unimaginable torment. Whatever afflictions or sufferings occur, By looking at their essence they vanish into emptiness. There is no way for […]
Although the nature of mind, the basis, is completely pure, one does not recognize this luminosity. Failing to recognize one’s own mind is what is known as ignorance. Out of ignorance arises the fixation to a self. The nature of mind, which is cognition, or awareness of the fact that one is aware, is fałsely […]
If contentment does not arise within your mind Even if you have everything you could ever want, you’ll be like a beggar. Those who are content and rid of clinging Are always rich even without possessions. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye
How things appear is my being; how things arise is my reality; there is no phenomenon that is not me in the whole universe. 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche
Confusion has no beginning, since as such it does not exist; this is beginningless samsara. The same is true also for the end of confusion. On the one hand, confusion has no end, since it does not exist; on the other hand, one can actually put an end to it in the sense of liberating […]
Unless mind is tamed within, Outer enemies will be inexhaustible. If you tame the anger within, All enemies on earth will be pacified. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye
When one realizes the ultimate nature of mind, there are no longer any moments that fall outside the sphere of meditation. However, the only way to achieve this realization is through meditation. One is free from the struggle to give up afflictive emotions or to “attain” wisdom. At this point, meditation as such no longer […]
The bardo of death is a successive process. Our physical body is an aggregation of flesh, blood, etc. and deteriorates at death. Mind, on the other hand, does not die since it isn’t composed of particles. The physical components of our body are formed at birth and disintegrate at death. Our physical body only functions […]
Self and other — everything — is as a dream; There isn’t even the slightest thing which is truly established. When you maintain the natural state as it is Without spoiling or fabricating your mind, The emptiness of all inner and outer phenomena Is realized to be the sky-like union of clarity and emptiness. That […]
The Tibetan word for Buddhism, nangpa, has the meaning of internalizing, indicating that we need to turn inward and work within ourselves. By doing so and gaining a clearer sense of who we really are, we develop a sense of our existence as it relates to all that surrounds us. If we look outside and […]
All of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are your own mind; They don’t arise from anything else in the slightest. Everything, such as joy and suffering, good and bad, High and low, are the conceptual constructs of mind. If your mind is pure, you are buddha: Wherever you reside is a pure realm; Whatever you do is […]
What does it mean to practice shamatha and vipashyana together? Shamatha involves letting the mind rest on an object in a state of concentration. Both mind and object lack ultimate reality. This true nature is present at all times, not only when one achieves insight into it through vipashyana meditation. Maintaining this awareness or insight […]
All of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are your own mind; They don’t arise from anything else in the slightest. Everything, such as joy and suffering, good and bad, High and low, are the conceptual constructs of mind. If your mind is pure, you are buddha: Wherever you reside is a pure realm; Whatever you do is […]
Atisha, the protector of the snowland, said: “Among many, examine your speech; When you stay alone, examine your mind.” Briefly he taught these two points. The mind is the root of faults And the mouth is the gateway for these faults to emerge. Thus, always watch over both. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye
Mind is by its very nature empty, yet appearances arise from it without obstruction. Out of the unobstructed emptiness of mind the whole range of appearances can manifest without limit. On a relative level, phenomena manifest through dependent origination; this is inseparable from the emptiness of mind, which is the ultimate level. Freedom from extremes […]
Adverse conditions are spiritual friends. Devils and demons are emanations of the victorious ones. Illness is the broom for evil and obscurations. Suffering is the dance of what is. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye
Are the many yidams we see in pictures and visualize real? No, they are symbols of the ultimate yidam. The various forms and attributes of the deities point to manifold habits of clinging, grasping, and holding impure appearances in one’s mind. There are so many impure ideas and things one thinks are real. Each yidam […]
If you follow any thought or emotion, major or minor, and let your mind wander outward, your work is in error and you’re no different from an ordinary person. Turn your emotion right in and look right at your mind. When you look at it, nothing is seen. Relax completely, let everything go, and rest […]
Mind itself and the true nature of objects have no reality whatsoever and are beyond intellect and inexpressible. This one point could well be the synopsis of all teachings. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye