17th KarmapaIn order to make your sense of closeness more vivid, you could take a further step in connecting to the people who have benefited you from afar. You could take a look at the labels on the clothes you are wearing to see where they were made. Taking advantage of the easy access to information and images that the Internet affords you, you can investigate to actively educate yourself about working conditions and the experiences of factory workers in the place your clothes were made. Do not wait for news of their lives to reach you. Extend yourself and connect with them. Do this with the awareness that, no matter how different the backdrop of their lives appears, just like you they yearn to be happy and free of suffering.
Renouncing this life is a mental action ~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa RinpocheNobody can tell from external appearances who has renounced this life and who hasn’t. Renunciation is a state of mind and having lots of possessions is no indication at all. Even though somebody is a king with countless servants, stores of jewels and possessions and many rich apartments, we can’t conclude that his mind is not living in renunciation. Renouncing this life is a mental action, not physical one.
Useful rational attitude ~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai LamaIllness happens. It is not something exceptional; it is part of nature and a fact of life. Of course we have every right to avoid illness and pain, but in spite of that effort, when illness happens it is better to accept it. While you should make every effort to cure it as soon as possible, you should have no extra mental burden. As the great Indian scholar Shantideva has said:
‘If there is a way to overcome the suffering, then there is no need to worry; if there is no way to overcome the suffering, then there is no use in worrying.’
That kind of rational attitude is quite useful.
Dharma Centers and Monastries ~ Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
Thinley Norbu RinpocheRigzin Jigme Lingpa said,
“If you really aren’t weary of samsara, monasteries and centers become just like a big house. If you really want to have pure practice, then you’d better not go from a small house to a big house.”
Whenever there are monasteries or centers, there are also Lamas, directors, and systems. If they don’t set up classical systems, then they are not a benefit to the monastery. If they do, then they create a bureaucracy involved in very much work, secretly whispering behind closed doors and conspiring to oust those outside their clique who have pure Dharma intentions, offering extravagant banquets with inner black intentions, and in general being constantly overwhelmed by worldly business. In this sense, the only difference between a monastery and a government are the clothes and the name; otherwise, everything is the same. So don’t make spiritual gangster groups with the retinue and sponsors of high Lamas who by their conniving are more dangerous than Hitler or Mao Zedong. Murder kills the body of one lifetime; wrong intentions destroy innumerable lifetimes.
Nevertheless, I don’t mean to criticize monasteries or centers. If we can keep our inner practice and pure motivation within the center’s traditional environment, then they can be the basis of Sangha and an opportunity to benefit all sentient beings. Moreover, in such places we may encounter sublime individuals, and associating with them and assimilating their spiritual qualities can lead even ordinary persons toward enlightenment.
Awareness is always present ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheOne of the first qualities of buddhanature that my teachers introduced me to was awareness. Awareness is like a thread that runs through every experience we have. Our thoughts and emotions are constantly changing. Our reactions and perceptions come and go. Yet despite these changes, awareness is always present. It is wide open and accommodating like the sky, immeasurably deep and vast like the ocean, and stable and enduring like a massive mountain.
Awareness doesn’t get better when we have an inspired thought or a sublime emotion. It doesn’t get worse when we’re completely neurotic. Awareness just is. It’s not something we do. It’s who we are.
Since awareness is always there, the only thing we need to do is recognize it. We don’t need to improve it, and we couldn’t even if we tried.
The biggest challenge with awareness is that it’s so close, we don’t see it. It’s so ordinary, we don’t believe it. It’s just knowing, effortless presence.
When the root of the mind is severed ~ Tilopa
TilopaA tree spreads its branches and puts forth leaves,
But when its root is cut its foliage withers;
So too, when the root of the mind is severed,
The branches of the tree of samsara die.
Motivation to achieve enlightenment ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen RinpochePlease understand that all sentient beings, all our past parents, want nothing but happiness. Unfortunately, through their negative actions they only create the causes for further pain and suffering. Take this to heart and consider all our parents, wandering blindly and endlessly through painful samsaric states. When we truly take this to heart, out of compassion we feel motivated to achieve enlightenment to truly help all of them. This compassionate attitude is indispensable as a preparation for practice.
Your own mind ~ Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro ThayeAll 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 from the state of the dharmatā;
Whatever appears is the jewel display of wisdom.If your mind is of an impure nature,
You’ll see faults even in the buddhas,
You’ll get angry even at your parents,
Most things will appear as if they were your enemies.
The art of creating a happy moment ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhWe want to know where we come from and where we are going. And most of all, we want to be happy. Humanity has given rise to many talented artists, musicians, and architects, but how many of us have mastered the art of creating a happy moment — for ourselves and those around us?
Like Mirages ~ Buddha Shakyamuni
Buddha ShakyamuniLike mirages and cities of gandharvas,
Illusions and dreams,
all characteristics you entertain are empty of any essence.
Know all phenomena are this way.
Acting with a completely pure attitude ~ Thrangu Rinpoche
Thrangu RinpocheBy acting with a completely pure attitude, we gather the accumulation of merit. Because of our gathering merit, difficulties and bad circumstances are naturally pacified, and if they should occur, we are able to transform them so that they do not manifest as obstacles.
The harmony between Buddhism and the environmental movement ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaAs I grew up and began studying Buddhist philosophy and teachings, I discovered great harmony between Buddhism and the environmental movement. The emphasis on biological diversity, including ecosystems — in particular, the understanding that animate and inanimate beings are parts of a whole — resonates closely with Buddhism’s emphasis on interdependence. The essence of Buddhism lies in the union of compassion and emptiness: the deeply felt dedication to alleviate the suffering of all living beings and the understanding that everything is devoid of self‐nature. These two halves of a philosophical whole speak particularly to the goals of the environmental movement.
Maintaining awareness ~ Gampopa
GampopaWhen meditators are learning to stabilize the mind, they should not regard meditative equipoise as something good. If they fail to have an experience of meditative equipoise,they should not regard that is a failure. The important point is not whether meditative equipoise is present, but whether you can maintain awareness in both a settled and a disturbed state of mind. If disturbing thoughts arise, you should use them with awareness to recognize that thoughts are transient — they arise, persist for a while, and then disperse. The transience of a thought is revealed by its elusiveness. Before you can get hold of a thought, it is already gone, and another one has appeared in its place.
Difficult relationships ~ Pema Chödron
Pema ChödronBut often it is a seemingly irresolvable relationship that teaches us the most, once we’re willing to be vulnerable and honest, once we’re willing to connect with what Chogyam Trungpa called “the genuine heart of sadness.” As warriors in training we do our best to hold the person in our heart without any hypocrisy. One thing we can do with a difficult relationship is to place a picture of the person somewhere we will see it often and think, “I wish for your deepest well-being”. Or we can write down the person’s name, along with the aspiration that they may be safe, may be happy, may live in peace. Regardless of what specific action we take, our aspiration is to benefit the other person and wish them well.
Mind-made illusions ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheWhile practising or performing dharma activities, we must remain constantly aware that everything we do is illusory—or at least try to bring that thought to mind. If we prick our flesh, our logical mind tells us we will feel pain. The pain itself will feel real because the idea that phenomena are both solid and truly existing has an almost unbreakably strong hold on us. We must therefore try to get used to the notion that everything we see, do and think is an interpretation created by our mind, which itself is an important stepping-stone towards the practice of nonduality. And “getting used” to it means reminding ourselves about it over and over again. For example, when your knees start to hurt as you accumulate prostrations, remind yourself that the “I” in “I am doing prostrations” and the “my” in “my knees hurt” are both mind-made illusions.
Purifiers of beings ~ Buddha Shakyamuni
Buddha ShakyamuniWhenever bodhisattva great beings manifest, it will be in order to purify beings. They teach them the Dharma in accordance with their inclinations. They cut through the cravings of those who are tormented by craving. They clear away the suffering of those tormented by pain. Knowing all phenomena to be insubstantial and knowing them to be like space, they direct sentient beings to the nature of phenomena. Bodhisattvas are then known as purifiers of beings.’
Origin of suffering ~ Ringu Tulku
Ringu TulkuFrom the Buddhist point of view our suffering originates from the limitations of our ordinary, unenlightened mind. Firstly, we are unaware of the basic truths of existence. Through ignorance, we have misunderstood our true nature and the nature of reality. Secondly, confused and easily agitated, we are unable to control our mind. We do not understand ourselves or our emotions.
Adjusting the intensity of your practice day by day ~ Lama Yeshe
Lama YesheThroughout your Dharma practice you must never push yourself, but on the contrary you should try to be at ease and to do only what is possible at the moment. If you push yourself beyond your capacity you may shock your entire nervous system, thus producing an extremely negative reaction; you may even give up trying to deal with your delusions altogether.
Even though we are adults we have the minds of children. A child’s mind requires especially tender care; we need great skill and patience to deal with it. It cannot endure being squeezed, or pushed beyond its limits. Yet many spiritual seekers are perfectionists whose egos impel them to try and advance too quickly. They are severe and ruthless toward themselves, and end up in a state of tension. They become frustrated and angry with themselves and everyone around them. Of course it is good to strive for perfection, but we must be practical. It is best to go by degrees, step by step. Otherwise you are likely to jump in too quickly and break your leg. To succeed in your Dharma practice it is best to be at ease, relaxed and down-to-earth, to adjust the intensity of your practice day by day according to your situation.
Gratitude ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaGratitude is a value of interdependence. It is an inner orientation that aligns us emotionally with the outer reality of our lives. Bringing heart and mind together, gratitude is an affective state that can be produced by an awareness of interdependence. We identify interdependence at work and train ourselves to respond to that awareness with gratitude. Like other values of interdependence, gratitude can lead us from awareness to feelings and, eventually, can culminate in action.”
Attachment and aversion ~ Dogen Zenji
Dogen ZenjiFlowers fall with our attachment, and weeds spring up with our aversion.