Just look within to the virtuous thoughts you have had, and you will always find a reason to love yourself. Take joy in your sincere intentions. Everything starts with an intention. If you have been able to have beautiful aspirations, these aspirations will always be part of you, a beautiful part. 17th Karmapa
When we talk about emptiness, is has to be based on an understanding of the relativity of all things. Looking at ‘the reflection of the moon on water’, we can see that there is nothing there. Even that is dependently arisen, dependent on the existence of the moon and the water, on the ability of […]
Once you have committed to a particular path, I suggest that you look for the simplest way forward. You should make things accessible and approachable in your religious community and in your personal practice, rather than more complicated. Keep it simple. The life of the spirit is actually very basic and easy. We often don’t […]
Contentment is a wealth that gives the highest satisfaction, and we can gain it simply by mining our own mental resources, and knowing our own mind. We can cultivate the perspective that what we have is enough. We can see that we do not actually need more than we already have, and can be completely […]
We can always see the stars twinkling in the sky. In the same way, wherever you will be in the world, you can be a lamp brightening the space around you. In the evenings after dusk, I often go out on my terrace and look at the stars. When I do so and then close […]
From the space of the utterly pure extent of phenomena, deep and clear wisdom expands. Mind’s primordial nature is forever free of elaboration. Not deluded by habitual mind or samsara and nirvana as they naturally arise. To this expanse, the equal nature of all things, I bow. 17th Karmapa
No one owns a copyright on the Buddha’s teachings. They belong to the world, and in that sense they are not something I can offer to you. The teachings and teachers are ubiquitous. Reality is your teacher. Everything that appears can become your teacher. The four seasons can teach you. Anything can be a teacher […]
Do you want to let yourself be defined by your possessions or by your job? I mean this as a serious question, because you could identify yourself with your job or your money or your possessions. Or you could identify yourself with your inner qualities and with happiness. It really is up to you. 17th […]
Whatever our negative situation may be, we need to take a long-term view and sustain our hope with an aspiration, which could be a goal that we seek or a way that we want to be. Our aspiration is like a spy keeping an eye out for opportunities. In the olden days, a spy would […]
We must recognize that without taming oneself, one cannot possibly tame others. 17th Karmapa
A garland of dawn’s glowing moonlight this wisdom, profound and clear, sheds luminous joy. Virtuous signs of radiant clarity, a cluster of lively moons turns in the gracious dance of emptiness, free of fabrication, and luminosity, cool and fresh; A broad and calming shade of benefit and happiness permeates the whole universe. The sweet melody […]
The roots of Buddhist practice are the attitude of altruism and non-harm. In other words, the roots of Buddhist practice are loving kindness and compassion. From among these two qualities, I think that compassion is foremost: in general, we develop loving kindness by relying on compassion… Our compassion must have a broad focus, not only […]
In terms of the nature of mind, the true nature of mind, I don’t know what I could say about that. It’s just there. Usually we think of the true nature of mind as something really high, and although I haven’t done a lot of practice in relation to the true nature of mind, if […]
Understanding is crucial in all human communication. When faced with people who are inflexible in their views, that is the time for you to be at your most flexible and accommodating, and to bring all your wisdom and compassion to bear. 17th Karmapa
The amount of work that needs to be undertaken is great, and we bear an enormous responsibility. The future of the world depends on this. We cannot wait for others to act. Who is the hero who can save the world? It is you. It is everyone of us. If you accept this challenge, that […]
The point is to care so keenly for others that you give rise to courage and determination to relieve them of their suffering. That is compassion. 17th Karmapa
In essence all of us want to be good people and accomplish the benefit of others. But the trick is to ask ourselves the question, “How do I do that?” 17th Karmapa
If we allow our compassion to remain only inside of ourselves, our compassion will become powerless, without a function. It would become like a vase that despite having the ability to carry water had been placed high upon a shelf and never used. To expand our compassion we can apply our imagination to everyday’s situations. […]
I recognize that this wish to create a better society, end all the suffering of all beings everywhere, and protect the entire planet may not seem particularly feasible. But whether or not we accomplish such goals in our lifetime, it is nevertheless deeply meaningful to cultivate such a vast sense of responsibility, and the wholehearted […]
Solitude is extremely important, especially for calm abiding or shamatha meditation. […] But actually, outer solitude is not as important as inner solitude, since all disturbances come from within. Therefore, it is more difficult to find inner solitude. We create our own crowd of thoughts that jostle our mind. Since they are within us, these […]
