RyokanThis world
A fading
Mountain echo
Void and
UnrealWithin
A light snow
Three Thousand Realms
Within those realms
Light snow fallsAs the snow
Engulfs my hut
At dusk
My heart, too
Is completely consumed
What is the mark of enlightenment ~ Ryokan
RyokanMy life may appear melancholy,
But traveling through this world
I have entrusted myself to Heaven.In my sack, three quarts of rice;
By the hearth, a bundle of firewood.If someone asks what is the mark of
enlightenment or illusion
I cannot say –
wealth and honor are nothing but dust.As the evening rain falls
I sit in my hermitage
And stretch out both feet in answer.
Blending our own mind with the Dharma ~ Longchenpa
LongchenpaIf realization does not dawn from within, dry explanations and theoretical understanding will not bring the fruit of awakening.
To put it simply, unless we blend our own mind with the Dharma, it is pointless merely to adopt the guise of a practitioner.
The Three Defects when listening to the Dharma ~ Patrul Rinpoche
Patrul RinpocheNot to listen is to be like a pot turned upside down. Not to be able to retain what you hear is to be like a pot with a hole in it. To mix negative emotions with what you hear is to be like a pot with poison in it. The upside-down pot: when you are listening to the teachings, listen to what is being said and do not let yourself be distracted by anything else. Otherwise you will be like an upside-down pot on which liquid is being poured. Although you are physically present, you do not hear a word of the teaching. The pot with a hole in it: if you just listen without remembering anything that you hear or understand, you will be like a pot with a leak: however much liquid is poured into it, nothing can stay. No matter how many teachings you hear, you can never assimilate them or put them into practice. The pot containing poison: if you listen to the teachings with the wrong attitude, such as the desire to become great or famous, or a mind full of the five poisons, the Dharma will not only fail to help your mind; it will also be changed into something that is not Dharma at all, like nectar poured into a pot containing poison.
Freedom in Eating ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaIt is true that our cultural environment can affect our eating habits. Yet, we have the freedom to decide to change. We have complete freedom to eat meat or not.
Tibetans live on an arid plateau where herding livestock and eating meat have been central to our culture for millennia. If Tibetans can stop eating meat, so can anyone who lives in a place where vegetables and alternate sources of protein are readily available.
If you need more support against the pressures to eat meat, you could list the reasons why you shouldn’t eat meat, and compare them to the reasons in favour of eating meat.
The reasons individuals eat meat are mainly habit and the desire for pleasure. I am sure you will see that the reasons not to eat meat far outweigh such superficial, short-term reasons.
The reasons to be vegetarian are realistic and sensible, and based on long-term thinking. When we think seriously about the impact that our food practices have on our body, on the environment and on the animals themselves, it is clear that logic supports abstaining from eating meat.
If you decide you want to try to stop eating meat, you can fortify yourself in this way with reason. Empower your mind, and take responsibility for your body. Exercise your wisdom, strengthen your resolve and let your mind take good care of your body.
Relative and absolute truth ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheIn Buddhist philosophy, anything that is perceived by the mind did not exist before the mind perceived it; it depends on the mind. It doesn’t exist independently, therefore it doesn’t truly exist. That is not to say that it doesn’t exist “somewhat”. Buddhists called the perceived world relative truth – a truth that is measured and labeled by our ordinary minds. In order to qualify as ultimate truth, it must not be fabricated, it must not be a product of the imagination, and it must be independent of interpretation.
Cloud like emotions ~ Lama Yeshe
Lama YesheYour up and down emotions are like clouds in the sky; beyond them, the real, basic human nature is clear and pure.
Putting others in the center ~ Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
Dzigar Kongtrul RinpocheThe practice of putting others in the center is not simply a crusade to do “good.” It is a practice based on the understanding that our own happiness is inextricably linked with the happiness of others.
Liberating truth ~ Krishnamurti
KrishnamurtiIt is truth that liberates, not your effort to be free.
Signs of success ~ Gampopa
GampopaThe best signs of success are a decreasing of self-centeredness and the easing of mental afflictions.
Simply the mind itself ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheWhen looking into the nature of mind, don’t expect to gain some exceptionally high or profound realization, or to see anything new. Nor should you hesitate or doubt your ability to meditate. Just trust that the nature of mind is simply the mind itself left in an unaltered state, and do all that you can to sustain this, without distraction, at all times, during and between the meditation sessions. Don’t expect to gain realization in just a few months, or even years. Whether you develop any of the qualities that come from the practice or not, remain steadfastly determined and resolve to continue the practice with diligence, day and night, throughout this life, future lives and the bardo state.
Continuity of mind ~ Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
Thinley Norbu RinpocheIf we believe in the continuity of mind, then love inconspicuously connects us to the ones we love with continuous positive energy, so that even tangible separations between people who love each other do not reduce the intangible power of love.
Enlightened beings may seem insane ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheThose who do not pursue praise and gain, those who do not shun criticism and loss, may be stigmatized as abnormal or even insane. When observed from an ordinary point of view, enlightened beings may seem insane because they don’t negotiate, they cannot be lured or swayed by material gain, they don’t get bored, they don’t look for thrills, they have no face to lose, they do not conform to rules of etiquette, they never employ hypocrisy for personal gain, they never do things to impress people, and they don’t display their talents and powers just for the sake of it. But if it benefits others, these saints will do anything necessary, from having perfect table manners to leading a Fortune 500 company. In 2,500 years of Buddhist history there have probably been countless enlightened beings who were never identified or who were banished for being insane.
Learning to open our hearts ~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai LamaRecognizing our shared humanity and our biological nature as beings whose happiness is dependent on others, we learn to open our hearts, and in so doing we gain a sense of purpose and a sense of connection with those around us.
Don’t Assume the Posture of a Wilted Flower ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaWhen you slouch, you are trying to hide your heart, protecting it by slumping over. But when you sit upright but relaxed in the posture of meditation, your heart is naked. Your entire being is exposed – to yourself, first of all, but to others as well. Through the practice of sitting still and following your breath as it goes out and dissolves, you are connecting with your heart. By simply letting yourself be, as you are, you develop genuine sympathy towards yourself. When you sit erect, you proclaim to yourself and to the rest of the world that you are going to be a warrior, a fully human being.
A more fluid sense of identification with other beings ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheClarity, like emptiness, is infinite: it has no limits, no starting point and no end. The more deeply we examine our minds, the less possible it becomes to find a clear distinction between where our own mind ends and other’s begin. As this begins to happen, the sense of difference between “self” and “other” gives way to a gentler and more fluid sense of identification with other beings and with the world around us.
Finding the buddha dharma ~ Ajahn Chah
Ajahn ChahThe buddha dharma is not to be found in moving forwards, nor in moving backwards, nor in standing still.
Nurturing Our Love ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaWe actively nurture our love by working wholeheartedly on ourselves. This is the way our own spiritual practice can become a condition that helps love to last. Spiritual practice means transforming ourselves. It means changing. We cannot hope to just find love and keep it on a shelf – as if I have given you my love, you have given me your love, and now we just have to brush the dust off it from time to time, and we are basically done. Contrary to this, love is a living thing. Like a tree, it needs to grow continually, yielding fresh cycles of leaves and flowers and fruit. If this stops, the tree stagnates and eventually dies. Once we embrace love as a fully active practice, only then can we begin to speak of undying love.
Happiness is the way ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhThere is no distinction between means and ends. There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way.
A proper guru-student communication ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheIt’s probably safe to say that there can’t be a proper guru-student communication if the guru never steps down from the throne, unless the guru is a completely enlightened omniscient being who can communicate through telepathy, light, or supermagical powers. The guru is supposed to act like a doctor, and the disciple is the patient. How can a doctor treat the patient if he doesn’t know what’s wrong? He has to know some of the symptoms in order to diagnose the disease. If there is no communication, or if the communication is staged, formal, or rehearsed, then invariably, it creates a distance between the doctor and the patient, making the chances of a proper diagnosis slim—unless the guru is an omniscient being or his stethoscope is fifty feet long. So when you are looking for a guru, it’s good to consider how approachable he or she is, how much communication will be possible.