Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheThe whole thrust of the Buddha’s teaching is to master the mind. If you master the mind, you will have mastery over body and speech, and your own and others’ suffering can only come to an end. But if you leave the mind full of negative emotions, then however perfect the actions of your body and the words you speak might seem, you are far from the path. Mastery of the mind is achieved through constant awareness of all your thoughts and actions. Check your mind over and over again, and as soon as negative thoughts arise, remedy them with the appropriate antidotes. When positive thoughts arise, reinforce them by dedicating the merit they bring, wishing that all sentient beings be established in ultimate enlightenment.
Seeing what Dharma practice actually is ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaWe all know that when we practice a lot and become a bit tired or upset, we can become unbalanced, and then all sorts of seemingly positive or negative things can appear in our mind. These are not necessarily the real signs of practice. The real sign of our practice should be how we work with our afflicting emotions. For example, we could recall, “Yesterday at nine o’clock someone did something awful to me and I was about to get angry, but then I reflected on it and didn’t get angry.” This kind of result shows whether or not our practice has actually become the antidote to our negative feelings and thoughts. This is very important, because sometimes we do not see what Dharma practice actually is and what it is really for. We do some practice, but we take another kind of outcome as the real result. This is a mistake we should not make.
Potential for violence ~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai LamaLike anyone else, I too have the potential for violence; I too have anger in me. However, I try to recall that anger is a destructive emotion. I remind myself that scientists now say that anger is bad for our health; it eats into our immune system. So, anger destroys our peace of mind and our physical health. We shouldn’t welcome it or think of it as natural or as a friend.
The strength of fearlessness ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaIn the practice of yoga and also within the martial arts, one’s strength or power comes from the development of a balanced state of mind. One is going back or returning to the origin of the strength that exists within oneself. This kind of strength is known as strength in its own right, the strength of fearlessness. To be without fear is to have great strength.
Our relationship to the material world ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaThe priority we give to material goods in our life is up to each of us to determine. This is also part of deciding how we want to define ourselves. If we are looking to our jobs and to material things to tell us how we are, what we are worth, and where we fit in the world, this is a sign that we have become profoundly confused about the order of things. It shows we have missed the point about how we human beings stand in relation to the material world.
Ego finds a name for itself ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaThe ego feels rather lonely and, at the same time, keeps busy trying to defend itself. It finds that it consists of a collection of desires, expectations, ideas, conclusions, memories, and many other things. This collection is too complicated for the ego to grasp; therefore, it conveniently constructs “I am” or “I am the ego” and puts this label on itself as if it were a real individual entity. Having found a name for itself, the ego has to constantly work to secure itself, because fundamentally it knows that it is not real and sound.
The idea of a separate self ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhDon’t try to look outside yourself. There is no separate self, there are only the five skandhas: form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and conciousness. All our suffering is based in this idea of a separate self.
Progressing along our way ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaAll of us have our own life’s path, and while moving along it, we will meet with various kinds of problems and suffering. No matter how many difficulties may arise, we should look back at what we have accomplished and keep in mind the path we wish to travel along. This will help us to remain stable. However much we may have to endure, we should develop tolerance so that we can progress along our way. Until we have come to the end of our path and accomplished all our goals, we should heed neither suffering nor joy; otherwise, the goal we seek will never come within our reach.
To work for others, you need composure ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaTo work for others, you first have to develop composure. If you have no basic stability, when you try to help others, they will not benefit from your help. If you are trying to prevent someone from falling out of a window, you will both go out the window together. To prevent that, you have to stay inside so that you can pull them back. In order to do this, training in mindfulness and awareness is absolutely necessary.
Start a New Life Every Morning ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaWe sometimes wake up fresh in the morning yet still go through the day half asleep. Our busy 21st century lives overwhelm us with a relentless stream of immediate tasks. We lose sight of how precious it is just to have a human life.
This is an awareness that we need to feel in our hearts. I would like to share with you a practice that I call ‘living your whole life in a single day.’ You can do this by starting with this thought in the morning: ‘I am starting a whole new life. It begins right now’. Initially, leave yourself a note at your bedside to remind you, and then slowly cultivate the habit of waking up with this thought.
Your body is fresh from the night’s rest; when you wake up with this awareness, so does your mind. Ask yourself what kind of person you want to be in the life that you will live today. Throughout the day, remind yourself that your life is happening right now. In the afternoon, check to see how your life is going and readjust as needed. A whole lifetime of possibilities stretches out before you every moment.
This is the basic truth of interdependence. Conditions are constantly shifting, and what seemed impossible earlier can suddenly become possible. Every moment counts. Every action counts. A single kind act can have a positive impact on the future of many others you share the earth with. You can change the course of the future in any moment. Do so consciously, and the whole world will benefit.
The ability to see this brilliant landscape ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheClarity is a sense of being able to see into the nature of things as though all reality were a landscape lit up on a brilliantly sunny day without clouds. Everything appears distinct and everything makes sense. Even disturbing thougths and emotions have their place in this brilliant landscape.
Feeling too naked ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaWe possess what is known as basic goodness. Then we develop an overlay of unnecessary tricks and occupations. We develop little tricks to shield ourselves from being embarrassed – or from feeling too painful or naked.
Profound compassion ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaCompassion is not just about kind acts; actually it is about being aware of the suffering of other sentient beings from the view of the actual nature of things.
The only constant of relative reality ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheWhatever or whoever made us happy today, this month, or this year is bound to change. Change is the only constant of relative reality.
First mind, first thought ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaBasic goodness is based on your first mind, first thought. Before thought, you have a gasp, a sharp in-breath, Ah-ah! Whatever you think, even before you think before you gasp, there is space. There is purity. There is ah-ah! Sometimes you feel so dumb that you can’t think of anything. Sometimes you you think you’re so intelligent, you can’t think of anything. There is just Ah-ah!
There is no ideal state of meditation ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaThere is no such thing as an ideal state of meditation. Awareness allows us to relate to our mental processes and to see the fundamental expression of mind as it is, including our thoughts. The meditator may find that many thoughts recur during the meditative state. These thoughts could be seen as waves on the ocean. They are part of our intelligence. When they aren’t armed or heavy-handed anymore, they have a transparent quality. Thoughts also develop an evenness when we recognize that, fundamentally, nobody is trying to fight against anything.
Shaping your thinking in beneficial ways ~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai LamaEach morning after you wake up, try to shape your thinking in beneficial ways before you begin your day. You can think, for instance, ‘May my body, my speech, and my mind be used in a more compassionate way, so that they become a service to others.’ This is something I usually do. It makes life more meaningful. Likewise, examine your mind in the evening before you go to bed. Review the way you spent your day, and check whether it was worthwhile.
In the mandala of mahamudra ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaIn the mandala of mahamudra
Shines moonlight, pure and all-pervading,
All apparent phenomena are the play of the mind.
All qualities are complete within the mind.
Infinite purity ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheKeep your perception pure, considering all that appears to be infinite purity. Then everything will inspire you to practice the dharma, and everything will be an illustration of the teachings.
Importance of meditation ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaWhen we are taking up the way of dharma, so as to bring it into our own experience, we must go by way of hearing, contemplating, and meditating. […] These three are indispensable to one’s practice of the dharma. Among the three, most especially, the practice of meditation is indispensable. Why is it that meditation is so important? The true potency of practicing the dharma consists in taming the mind. If all we do is listen to the dharma and think about it from time to time, that may be beneficial, but that is not going to be sufficient in order to tame our mind. Rather, to tame the mind, we must meditate upon the dharma again and again and become deeply familiar with it. Thus, the primary factor for taming our mind is whether or not we meditate. That is why I wish to stress it and emphasize it. It is something all of us must emphasize and regard as extremely valuable and important in our practice.