Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheThe classic question students often ask at this point is, “If everything I experience is just a product of my mind, is there such a thing as ‘accumulating merit’?” In this context, the concept that merit either exists or does not exist is just another of mind’s constructions.
At first, it may be difficult to arouse the motivation of bodhichitta and remember nonduality every time you act. It’s also unlikely that you will immediately be able to meditate on emptiness for a whole hour each day. Instead, start by trying to remember that everything you see and experience is merely the product of your own perception. However simple your dharma activity, for example offering a flower to your teacher, remember that although you accumulate merit by making the offering, in reality the idea of accumulating merit is itself a creation of your mind. At every opportunity, get used to the thought that everything you perceive is produced by mind and there is no such thing as a truly existing “holy” activity.
The essence of dharma ~ Mindrolling Trichen Rinpoche
Mindrolling Trichen RinpocheThe essence of dharma lies in being true to oneself (one’s innate nature) and in exerting great effort to be courageous. When truth and the courage to walk on the path of truth are joined with mindfulness, a practitioner truly begins to practice the dharma. Until these qualities of truth and courage are generated, we will be vulnerable to our own pretenses and fabrications.
The arising of truth and courage allows us to realize the core essence of dharma. Not understanding this leads us into the trap of endless cyclic existence. A lack of courage keeps us from being true to our buddhanature.
Both virtuous and nonvirtuous actions are formed in the mind. Actions’though more apparent’are secondary to our motivation. Even an apparently virtuous action is of little benefit if the root of our motivation is selfishness. Any action performed with wisdom and selfless motivation is an expression of our own buddhanature.
A lump of earth ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheThe mind inhabits the body like a visitor in a house. Whatever the body encounters, it is the mind that sees, hears, smells, tastes, or feels it. Once the mind has gone, the body is just a corpse. It doesn’t care whether what is placed in front of it is beautiful or ugly. It doesn’t care whether it is praised or insulted. It feels no pleasure when it is wrapped in brocade, no pain when it is burned. By itself, the body is an object not essentially different from a lump of earth or stone.
By then it’s too late! ~ Chatral Rinpoche
Chatral RinpocheIf you don’t reflect on death and impermanence, there’ll be no way to practise Dharma purely, practice will remain an aspiration, one that is constantly postponed, and you may feel regret the day that death comes, but by then it’s too late!
Letting it be without seeking ~ Naropa
NaropaWhen speaking of Mahamudra,
It is not an identity that can be shown.
Therefore the mind’s suchness
Is itself the state of Mahamudra.It is neither something to be corrected nor transformed,
But when anyone sees and realizes its nature
All that appears and exists is Mahamudra,
The great and all-encompassing dharmakaya.Naturally and without contriving, allowed simply to be,
This unimagined dharmakaya,
Letting it be without seeking is the meditation training.
But to meditate while seeking is deluded mind.
Ignoring causation ~ Dogen Zenji
Dogen ZenjiIgnoring causation invites disaster.
Fooled by appearance ~ Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
Shechen Rabjam RinpocheIf we recognize the unchanging, absolute nature of phenomena, we will also recognize their intangibility. Things appear yet are empty; they are empty yet appear. Emptiness is not the absence of phenomena, and phenomena are not the absence of emptiness. Rather, there is a union of appearance and emptiness. Just having a glimpse of understanding that things are not as they appear is already a big step toward seeing the true nature of things. We are like a naïve child who is easily fooled by appearances until we gain this understanding. In our confusion, we treat the phenomenal world as solid and real. We do not see that it is merely an expression of wisdom and the display of emptiness. We reify phenomena and this sets in motion an unending succession of attractions and aversions that lead to craving and desire. This one mistake, solidifying phenomena, gives rise to the endless cycle of samsara.
Open to all the possibilities ~ Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu SuzukiThe mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities.
Nothing endures but change ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheNothing endures but change, and accepting this has the potential to transform the dread of dying into joyful living.
Good gurus are on the verge of extinction ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheIt’s almost impossible to find a guru in this world at this time who has all the noble qualities of a Vajrayana master described in the ancient tantric texts. But in the Mahayana sutras the Buddha offered advice about what to do if we can’t find an authentic master. He said if you encounter a person who talks about buddha nature, such a person should be venerated as the Buddha himself. If you think about how many millions of people there are who talk only about food and clothes and bank balances and never about buddha nature, you see why the Buddha would say such a thing. In this degenerate time, if you can find a guru with even a few of these qualities, then you should consider accepting him or her as your teacher because such a person is so rare, on the verge of extinction.
Don’t wish for perfect health ~ Kyong Ho
Kyong HoDon’t wish for perfect health. In perfect health there is greed and wanting. So an ancient said, “Make good medicine from the suffering of sickness.”
The essence of generosity ~ Pema Chödron
Pema ChödronThe essence of generosity is letting go. Pain is always a sign that we are holding on to something — usually ourselves. When we feel unhappy, when we feel inadequate, we get stingy; we hold on tight. Generosity is an activity that loosens us up. By offering whatever we can — a dollar, a flower, a word of encouragement — we are training in letting go.
Delight in positive thoughts ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaIf you know that you harbor within you kind thoughts and goodhearted feelings, that itself can be enough. If you lose heart just because no one else sees it, this is a sign you yourself do not truly appreciate the value of your positive thoughts and feelings. You need to delight in them yourself, and be heartened by their presence within you. You can actively appreciate them and feel that they make your existence meaningful. You more than anyone else have the resources to warm yourself from within.
Please give yourself a good time ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaWe have to learn to be kinder to ourselves, much more kind. Smile a lot, although nobody is watching you smile. Listen to your own brook, echoing yourself. You can do a good job. In the sitting practice of meditation, when you begin to be still, hundreds of thousands, millions, and billions of thoughts will go through your mind. But they just pass through, and only the worthy ones leave their eggs behind. We have to leave ourselves some time to be. You’re not going to see the Shambhala vision, you’re not even going to survive unless you leave yourself a minute to be, a minute to smile. Please give yourself a good time.
Changing the way the mind experiences reality ~ Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
Chagdud Tulku RinpocheWe often think the only way to create happiness is to try to control the outer circumstances of our lives, to try to fix what seems wrong or to get rid of everything that bothers us. But the real problem lies in our reaction to those circumstances. What we have to change is the mind and the way it experiences reality.
The realization of emptiness ~ Thrangu Rinpoche
Thrangu RinpocheAll phenomena originate through dependence upon something else and have no true existence of their own. The realization of this fact is the realization of emptiness, and with this realization, the kleshas cease.
Accepting whatever happens ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheIf you can accept whatever happens – good, bad, or indifferent – that is the best practice.
Meditation without bodhicitta ~ Lama Yeshe
Lama YesheWhy is bodhicitta necessary for success in meditation? Because of selfish grasping. If you have a good meditation but don’t have bodhicitta, you will grasp at any little experience of bliss: ‘Me, me; I want more, I want more.’ Then the good experience disappears completely. Grasping is the greatest distraction to experiencing single-pointed intensive awareness in meditation. And with it, we are always dedicated to our own happiness: ‘Me, me I’m miserable, I want to be happy. Therefore I’ll meditate.’ It doesn’t work that way. For some reason good meditation and its results — peacefulness, satisfaction and bliss — just don’t come.
Awareness contains impermanence ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheAwareness contains impermanence, not the other way around. But they have this in common: Our liberation comes from recognition.
Our closest and most reliable allies ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaTo ease loneliness we first need to find friends within ourselves. We can start by connecting with our own positive qualities, such as love and compassion. We can learn to treasure and value these inner qualities and draw our strength from them first and foremost. These qualities are our inner conditions for interdependence and are our closest and most reliable allies in negotiating the outer conditions of our interdependence.