Khunu RinpocheMeditate upon bodhicitta when afflicted by disease.
Meditate upon bodhicitta when sad.
Meditate upon bodhicitta when suffering occurs.
Meditate upon bodhicitta when you get scared.
The greatest find ~ Marpa
MarpaAlthough all practitioners have a lineage,
If one has the dakini lineage, one has everything.Although all practitioners have a grandfather,
If one has Tilo, one has everything.Although practitioners have a lama,
If one has Naro, one has everything.Although practitioners have teachings,
If one has the hearing lineage, one has everything.All attain the Buddha through meditation,
But if one attains Buddhahood without meditation, there is definite enlightenment.There is no amazing achievement without practice,
But there is amazing achievement without practice.By searching, all will find enlightenment,
But to find without searching is the greatest find.
Mind as it is at that moment ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheEach flash of bliss, clarity, or non-conceptuality is a spontaneous experience of the mind as it is at that particular moment.
Tricky ego ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaThe problem is that ego can convert anything to its own use, even spirituality.
Cultivating equanimity ~ Pema Chödron
Pema ChödronTo cultivate equanimity we practice catching ourselves when we feel attraction or aversion, before it hardens into grasping or negativity.
Taking Pain and Illness as the Path ~ Thrangu Rinpoche
Thrangu RinpocheWhen you get sick, you should not indulge in the illness. Do not focus on the pain, thinking, “I’m sick. I have a headache. My tooth hurts.” That is indulging in the sickness. Pain and sickness just happen, and when they do, we cannot just stop the sensation. Instead, we can rest, relaxing our mind and letting it settle in naturalness in relation to the essence of that sensation itself without any feeling of displeasure or not wanting it, looking at the essence of the sensation itself. In the sutras, this is called the foundation of mindfulness of feeling.
Look Carefully ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaLook carefully at your experiences to recognize all the love you have received. Look carefully at your own actions and gestures to find ways to show love. Make room for that in your heart, and painful conflicts will lose their sting.
Truth ~ Gyaltsab Rinpoche
Gyaltsab RinpocheBuddhism is all about truth. Samsara means not knowing the truth and enlightenment means knowing the truth. So, nothing is more important than truth in buddhism.
Experiencing the unlimited nature of the mind ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheFor most of us, our natural mind or buddha-nature is obscured by the limited self-image created by habitual neuronal patterns – which, in themselves, are simply a reflection of the unlimited capacity of the mind to create any condition it chooses. Natural mind is capable of producing anything, even ignorance of its own nature. In other words, not recognizing natural mind is simply an example of the mind’s unlimited capacity to create whatever it wants. Whenever we feel fear, sadness, jealousy, desire, or any other emotion that contributes to our sense of vulnerability or weakness, we should give ourselves a nice pat on the back. We’ve just experienced the unlimited nature of the mind.
Truth is not something far away ~ Krishnamurti
KrishnamurtiWe do not have to seek truth. Truth is not something far away. It is the truth of the mind, truth of its activities from moment to moment. If we are aware of this moment-to-moment truth, of this whole process of time, this awareness releases consciousness or that energy to be. As long as the mind uses consciousness as the self-activity, time comes into being with all its miseries, with all its conflicts, with all its mischiefs, its purposive deceptions; and it is only when the mind, understanding this total process, ceases, that love will be. You may call it love or give it some other names; what name you give is of no consequence.
The best thing you can offer ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhWhen you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?
Without dharma ~ Gendun Choepel
Gendun ChoepelWithout sleep the night is long,
Without rest the journey is long,
Without knowledge of the best dharma,
For those children, existence is long.
Rejoicing whenever there is an obstacle ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaWe try to rejoice whenever there is an obstacle, and we try to regard that as something that makes us smile. Each particular setback creates a further smile. We keep on going in that way, and we never give up or give in to any obstacles…. For instance, I myself had a lot of hard times getting out of my country and being sick. And all sorts of things still happen to me personally. Although everybody is trying to be extremely helpful to me; nonetheless obstacles happen to me all the time. But I don’t regard those obstacles as a sign of anything at all; I keep on going, myself. I was terribly sick yesterday, and it was not very pleasant — however, it made me smile. So I’m here, smiling, right now.
The anxiety of opening ~ Pema Chödron
Pema ChödronA first step [in remaining open] is to understand that a feeling of dread or psychological discomfort might just be a sign that old habits are getting liberated, that we are moving closer to the natural open state. Trungpa Rinpoche said that awakening warriors would find themselves in a constant state of anxiety. Personally, I’ve found this to be true. After a while I realized that since the shakiness wasn’t going away, I might as well get to know it. When our attitude toward fear becomes more welcoming and inquisitive, there’s a fundamental shift that occurs. Instead of spending our lives tensing up, as if we were in the dentist’s chair, we learn that we can connect with the freshness of the moment and relax.
Seed, water and fruit ~ Chandrakirti
ChandrakirtiAt the beginning, compassion is like a seed; in the middle, it is like water; at the end, it is like a ripened fruit. Achieving the result of full enlightenment is all due to compassion.
Three kinds of dharma practitioners ~ Chatral Rinpoche
Chatral RinpocheThere are three kinds of dharma practitioners: firstly, there are those who look like practitioners outwardly, but inwardly they are not real practitioners; secondly, there are those who talk very high, but have no realization at all; thirdly there are those who do not look like practitioners outwardly, but who are in fact genuine practitioners inside.
Striving precludes attainment ~ Longchenpa
LongchenpaO great being, listen!
We strive in meditation because we desire excellence,
but any striving precludes attainment;
excellence resides only in timeless self-sprung awareness.
The Mind Is Like Space ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaThe essential nature of the mind is like space. There is no such thing as a mind that truly exists or a mind that is inherently established even though we might find reasonings, scriptures, or experience to the contrary. Mind is empty. Our ordinary mind, however, becomes confused in thinking that things really exist. The nature of our mind is emptiness, but not a blankness, not the result of mere negation: emptiness is also radiant clarity, the basis for the appearances of both samsara and nirvana. The mind is like space and it also has a clear and knowing aspect, which allows us to say, “This is space.” Resting in mind’s empty, clear nature, we will be at ease as we move along the path of practice.
One problem – one solution ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheThere is really only one problem – distraction.
And therefore only one solution – mindfulness.
The very first sign of waking up ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheThe very first sign of waking up is the insight that we are not doomed to retrace our steps forever.