Our life is vast. It does not stop at the limits of what we personally experience. It is not something concrete or bounded. I do not think it is valid to view our life as limited to just ourselves — as if our human life extended only as far as our own body. Rather, we […]
True compassion is something that is always on the move, and something is always in a state of readiness. We usually think of compassion as something that sometimes moves, sometimes is responsive, and sometimes is dormant. We might see a very serious situation of a sentient being suffering, then we think that our compassion rises […]
Even if you are sitting in the same place as the lama, without focus and devotion, you won’t receive many blessings. 17th Karmapa
Young children are inquisitive and curious. They are trying to work things out for themselves, so it can be very effective to explain the reasons for the instructions and guidance we give them. Rather than mandating behavior or imposing a discipline based on external authority, it is better to help them see the results of […]
Done right, discipline is taken on joyfully and with a clear understanding of why engaging in it is good. For example, many people nowadays have given up eating meat. Why would we do that? We should not become vegetarian just because someone says we should, or because the Buddha taught that we should not eat […]
Whether or not you go in a positive direction depends entirely on you. You have to be your own teacher and try to figure out what it takes to accomplish your goals. You have to be your own judge and try to get yourself to do the right thing and stop yourself from doing the […]
Shifting your concern from your own well-being to include a genuine concern for the other person can transform your relationships, and it can also transform you as a person. You can become a person who provides well-being to others, and who shoulders the burden for others, too. This is a very uncomplicated shift in outlook […]
The goal of our renunciation should be to commit to what is beneficial for beings, and to what serves the cause of the dharma. 17th Karmapa
I have observed a strange idea of love that many people seem to have: they see love as a kind of gift that has to be given back. Someone says, “I love you,” and if the other person does not reply with an “I love you, too,” the first person gets upset. But love doesn’t […]
Compassion arises within our minds and therefore is like a seed that is present within the mind. Like any seed, it has to be nurtured. In the case of compassion, we nurture it in several ways. One is to reflect on it, to direct our minds to it. Another is to take joy in compassion. […]
When we say practice, it’s not all that helpful for us just to hear the dharma, or listen to the dharma. It’s not all that helpful for us to develop some kind of understanding about the dharma. What we really need to do is join the dharma with our own being, and then we need […]
You offer joy and happiness to another person, and it reflects back into your own life. 17th Karmapa
Generally speaking, people are concerned with their own welfare. You cannot really know whether their advice is meant for your benefit – or for themselves. You may find some who appear to want to help you but actually have other intentions and others who sincerely mean well but lack the wisdom to give good advice. […]
Hardships are inevitable for everyone, but the key is how we meet them. If we can maintain hope and optimism we will see hardships as opportunities to meet new situations and a new way to think about things rather than being weighted down by the burden of hardships. 17th Karmapa
There is no way to be a good person without making any efforts, doing nothing. But if we bring to bear the sort of confidence and sincere determination that says, “I don’t care what happens; no matter what, I will be a good person in the world; it is not alright for everyone in the […]
Real satisfaction does not come from having an easy life and plenty of money. These days I have a fairly comfortable life, even peace of mind, but that alone does not give me the greatest satisfaction. Real satisfaction comes when I can do something that really helps someone else without any hope of getting something […]
When Buddhism talks about emptiness, it’s not talking about a type of nonexistence whatsoever. Rather, the teachings on emptiness point to the notion of possibility: that anything can happen. 17th Karmapa
Treasury of mind, this young white moon is brilliant with the signs and marks. An aural ambrossia thrums a sweet melody of the teachings that mature and free. May a gladding rain of nectar from this moon of great bliss Bring auspicious splendor above, below, and upon this earth. 17th Karmapa
When I say, “they are masses of defects” I mean understanding that the kleshas or disturbing emotions are completely defective, completely rotten, or, I don’t want to say “bad,” but like bad, that there is no part of them that is worthwhile. An analogy for this and how it gives you the ability not to […]
What is most important is to use one’s study of dharma texts to bring oneself closer to the dharma itself. This is something that each person must do for themselves, and it is what I am concentrating on, what I am putting my main effort into. First, you feel that there is some gap between […]
