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.
Bringing an end to suffering ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheTo bring an end to suffering, we need to cut through dualistic habits of perception and the illusions that hold them in place — not by fighting or suppressing them, but by embracing and exploring them.
The Worst Forms of Abuse Award ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheWhen people talk about bad gurus, they often focus on moral and ethical failings involving sexual abuse and alcohol. Alcohol is harmful in many ways, especially if the alcoholic is a guru. Not only does it harm the guru, but because this person is supposed to set an example and be a model for the community, drunken behavior might end up encouraging other alcoholics. And it goes without question that sexual abuse is destructive. But sexual and substance abuse are usually easy to spot, whereas there are much more insidious and pervasive abuses taking place in the spiritual world. These abuses are more subtle and therefore more dangerous. Three intoxicating habits compete for the Worst Forms of Abuse Award: money, power, and fame.
The signs of having studied and of meditation ~ Thrangu Rinpoche
Thrangu RinpocheMaking efforts in your practice, be diligent until there is certainty that the sign of having studied – your mind being peaceful and tamed – and the sign of meditation – being without afflictions – have arrived.
Three essential points ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheMindfulness should guide all your actions and your spiritual endeavors. Whatever you do, always apply three essential points: undertake the action with the intention of doing so for the good of all beings; execute it with perfect concentration, free of attachment to concepts of subject, object, and action; and, finally, dedicate the merit you have created to the enlightenment of all beings.
Intention to achieve enlightenment in that very session ~ Ponlop Rinpoche
Ponlop RinpocheIt is important to sit with confidence and to arouse the intention to achieve enlightenment in that very session. If you become accustomed to generating such confidence now, then at the time of death you can manifest the same level of confidence and trust in your practice.
Unconstructed self -knowing ~ Naropa
NaropaMind is neither existent nor nonexistent,
Since each of these [constructs] is negated.
It is also not both,
Since existing and not existing are a contradiction.
It is not a living being
Nor other than living beings.Therefore, it is free from all constructs.
This is how I have established the ultimate:
“Mind is based on space,” as it is said.This unconstructed self-knowing
Perceives while empty, and while empty it perceives.
Experience and emptiness are therefore indivisible,
Like the analogy of the moon in water.
This is how I have established nonduality:
“Space is not based on anything,” as it is said.This unconstructed self-knowing
Is itself the very basis of samsara.
Nirvana as well is also just this.
The Great Middle Way is also just this.
That to be seen is also just this.
That to train in is also just this.
That to attain is also just this.
The valid truth is also just this.The renowned threefold tantras
Of basic cause, method, and result,
And what is known as ground, path, and fruition,
Are just different situations of this.The basic consciousness, the all-ground,
And all possible aggregates in samsara,
Are known as the ‘dependent,’ and so forth.
The union of appearances and emptiness ~ Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
Shechen Rabjam RinpocheUltimate reality cannot be apprehended by concepts. We can, however, in an experiential way that transcends the ordinary conceptual mind, achieve a genuine understanding of reality as being the union of appearances and emptiness.
Think non-thinking ~ Dogen Zenji
Dogen ZenjiBefore you begin meditation take several slow, deep breaths. Hold your body erect, allowing your breathing to become normal again. Many thoughts will crowd into your mind; ignore them, letting them go. If they persist be aware of them with the awareness which does not think. In other words, think non-thinking.
It is only your mind which experiences ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen RinpocheThe essential practise is about nothing other than realizing your mind. It is only your mind which experiences; there is nothing other in this world that can experience. The five outer and inner elements, comprising the world and your body, don’t experience anything. Neither do the five sense organs. Thus, it’s this mind that we need to be one hundred percent clear about.
Morning pledge ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheIn the morning, on awaking, we should make the following pledge: ‘Throughout the whole of today, I will remember Bodhichitta. Eating, dressing, meditating, wherever I go, I will practice it constantly. Should it slip my mind, I will remind myself. Mindful of it, I will not allow myself to wander into states of anger, desire or ignorance.’ We should make a concerted effort to keep this vow and at night before going to sleep, we should examine ourselves as to how much we have been able to generate Bodhichitta, how much we have been able to help others and whether all our actions have been in accordance with the teachings.
It’s how we relate to emotions ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheEmpty minds, empty bodies, empty emotions, but not nothingness. The waves that surface in the form of emotions, desires, and aversions are also empty, and their force is also empty. Yet the empty force of the empty wave has the empty power to knock over a mind that is also essentially empty but does not know it, and is stuffed with ideas. But if we do not create a story around the wave, then we have empty water dissolving into the empty ocean, like water being poured into water. No problem. Emotions themselves are not the problem. It’s how we relate to them.
Unbearable compassion ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaWhen we practice various kinds of meditations on compassion, it is not enough for us simply to feel a compassionate sensation in our minds. We must bring our meditation on compassion to the deepest level possible. To make our compassion as deep as possible, we must reflect on the suffering of sentient beings in all six realms of samsara, the wheel of cyclic existence. These sentient beings who are undergoing such intense suffering are the same beings who are our kind parents of the past, present, and future. In short, we are intimately connected with all of these sentient beings.
Therefore, since we are connected to all of these beings, it is possible for us to further our connection to them by bringing them benefit. The most excellent connection we could possibly make would be to cultivate the heart of compassion for them and to think of ways we can reduce their suffering. Reflecting on our connection to these beings, we must engender a level of compassion that cannot bear their suffering to endure any longer. This great, unbearable compassion is extremely important. Without it, we might be able to feel a compassionate sensation in our minds from time to time, but this sensation will not bring forth the full power of compassion. It cannot form the basis of a comprehensive practice.
On the other hand, once unbearable compassion takes birth in our hearts, we will immediately be compelled to altruistic action. We will automatically start thinking about how we can free sentient beings from suffering. Therefore, the way to develop altruism is through meditating on compassion. When our compassion becomes genuine and deep, our actions for the benefit of others will be effortless and free from doubt. That is why it is so crucial for us to deepen our practice of compassion until our compassion becomes unbearable.
Unlike our usual kind of compassion—meditating now and then on the general notion that sentient beings experience suffering—unbearable compassion penetrates and moves our heart. If we were to see someone trapped in a raging fire, we would not hesitate to assist that person. Right then and there, we would immediately begin thinking of and engaging in ways to extract him or her from the fire. Similarly, with unbearable compassion, we witness the suffering of all sentient beings of the six realms and immediately seek ways to free them from that suffering. Not only do we genuinely try to free them from suffering; we are also completely willing to endure any obstacles we may encounter on our path to freeing them. We are unfazed by complications and doubts.