Pema ChödronDeep down in the human spirit there is a reservoir of courage. It is always available, always waiting to be discovered.
Becoming aware ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheIf we were to become aware of our habitual thoughts, perceptions, and sensations, rather than being carried away by them, their power over us would begin to fade.
Rejoicing in the way things are ~ Lao Tzu
Lao TzuBe content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
Enlightened activity only ~ Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu SuzukiThere are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.
A mere indescribable luminosity ~ Maitreya
MaitreyaIf what appears to be apprehended does not exist by its very own essence apart from that which apprehends it, then what appears to be the apprehender does not exist either. The reason, here, is that the apprehender exists in relation to the apprehended, not in isolation. Therefore, awareness is devoid of both apprehender and apprehended, in all their various forms. Free from subject and object, by its very own nature awareness is a mere indescribable luminosity.
Gaining the riches of a Dharma practitioner ~ Chatral Rinpoche
Chatral RinpocheLimit yourself to just a few activities and undertake them all with diligence.
Not allowing your mind to become fidgety and restless,
Make yourself comfortable on the seat in your retreat cabin,
This is the surest way to gain the riches of a Dharma practitioner.You might remain sealed in strict retreat for months or even years,
But if you fail to make any progress in the state of your mind,
Later, when you tell everyone about all that you did over such a long time,
Aren’t you just bragging about all the hardships and deprivation?
And all their praise and acknowledgements will only make you proud.
The lack of comprehension of reality ~ Matthieu Ricard
Matthieu RicardAs the contemporary Tibetan master Chögyam Trungpa explains, ‘When we talk of ignorance, it has nothing to do with stupidity. In a way, ignorance is very intelligent, but it is an intelligence that works exclusively in one direction. That is, we react elusively to our own projections instead of simply seeing what is there.’
This fundamental ignorance is linked to the lack of comprehension of reality, that is, the true nature of things, free from mental fabrications we superimpose upon it. These fabrications hollow out a gap between the way things appear to us and the way they are: we take as permanent what is ephemeral and as happiness what is usually a source of suffering – thirst for wealth, power, fame and fleeting pleasures.
We perceive the external world as totally autonomous entities to which we attribute characteristics that seem to us to belong to them by their nature. Things appear to us as intrinsically ‘pleasant’ or ‘unpleasant’ and we rigidly divide people into ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘friends or ‘enemies’, as if these were characteristics inherent to people. The ‘self’, of the ego that perceives them, seems to us equally real and concrete. This mistake gives rise to powerful reflexes of attachment and aversion, and as long as our mind remains obscured by this lack of discernment, it will fall under the sway of hatred, attachment, greed, jealousy, or pride and suffering will always be ready to appear.
Joyful path ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaThe basic idea of the practice is actually very joyful. It is wonderful that human beings can do such a fantastic exchange and that they are willing to invite such undesirable situations into their world. It is wonderful that they are willing to let go of even their smallest corners of secrecy and privacy, so that their holding on to anything is gone completely. That is very brave. We could certainly say that this is the world of the warrior, from the Bodhisattva’s point of view.
The language of experience ~ Ajahn Chah
Ajahn ChahIf you look for the Dhamma, you will find that it has nothing to do with the forests, the mountains, or the caves – it exists in the heart. The language of the Dhamma isn’t English or Thai or Sanskrit. It has its own language, which is the same for all people – the language of experience. There is a great difference between concepts and direct experience. Whoever puts a finger into a glass of hot water will have the same experience of hot, but it is called by many words in different languages. Similarly, whoever looks deeply into the heart will have the same experience, no matter what his or her nationality or culture or language.
Transformation into your ultimate self ~ Tai Situ Rinpoche
Tai Situ RinpocheAll Buddhist practices are methods of transformation. When applied correctly, these can transform an ignorant person into a possessor of wisdom. The word transformation, as it is used here, signifies a change within an individual being that is a revolutionary change, but one that does not change that being’s essential nature. It brings out the essential nature. Buddhist practice is a process of transformation through purification that brings out the best of what is already there. It does not make people into what they are not, nor import any new material. It allows your ultimate identity as an enlightened being to emerge as you overcome the relative delusions and defilements that mask your buddha nature. It is transformation into your ultimate self.
Flowers of peace ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhIn the garden of my heart, the flowers of peace bloom beautifully.
Benefiting other sentient beings ~ Sakya Trizin
Sakya TrizinFrom beginningless time up until this moment, we have cared solely for ourselves and worked solely for our own benefit. Every exertion we performed was for our own benefit alone. But by acting in this way, all we have actually accomplished is more and more suffering. So this time, instead of caring for ourselves, we must care for others.
As Shantideva said, “All the sufferings that beings experience in this universe arise from caring for oneself, and all the happiness that beings experience in this world arise from caring for others.” If we had already practiced caring for others in our previous lives, we would not still be in samsara — we would have already attained liberation and enlightenment. The cause of our not having cared for others is the natural tendency to care for ourselves. This is a very gross mistake. The way to correct it is to ignore oneself and to totally devote one’s energy and efforts to benefiting other sentient beings.
Living the way you want to live your life ~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai LamaThere is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life.
Loving Responsibility ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaIf we connect to others and to the planet with love and affection, our responsibility to bring about change does not have to weigh heavily on us at all. We will carry it gladly.
Verses on the Heart of Dependent Origination ~ Nagarjuna
NagarjunaHomage to Mañjuśrī, the Youthful!
These different links, twelve in number,
Which Buddha taught as dependent origination,
Can be summarized in three categories:
Mental afflictions, karma and suffering.The first, eighth and ninth are afflictions,
The second and tenth are karma,
The remaining seven are suffering.
Thus the twelve links are grouped in three.From the three the two originate,
And from the two the seven come,
From seven the three come once again—
Thus the wheel of existence turns and turns.All beings consist of causes and effects,
In which there is no ‘sentient being’ at all.
From phenomena which are exclusively empty,
There arise only empty phenomena.
All things are devoid of any ‘I’ or ‘mine’.Like a recitation, a candle, a mirror, a seal,
A magnifying glass, a seed, sourness, or a sound,
So also with the continuation of the aggregates—
The wise should know they are not transferred.Then, as for extremely subtle entities,
Those who regard them with nihilism,
Lacking precise and thorough knowledge,
Will not see the actuality of conditioned arising.In this, there is not a thing to be removed,
Nor the slightest thing to be added.
It is looking perfectly into reality itself,
And when reality is seen, complete liberation.
See it as a dream ~ Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
Chagdud Tulku RinpocheAlways recognize the dreamlike qualities of life and reduce attachment and aversion. Practice good-heartedness toward all beings. Be loving and compassionate, no matter what others do to you. What they will do will not matter so much when you see it as a dream. The trick is to have positive intention during the dream. This is the essential point. This is true spirituality.
Forgetfulness ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhMost people are forgetful; they are not really there a lot of the time. Their mind is caught in their worries, their fears, their anger, and their regrets, and they are not mindful of being there. That state of being is called forgetfulness — you are there but you are not there. You are caught in the past or in the future. You are not there in the present moment, living your life deeply.
Open Hands ~ Deshimaru
Taisen DeshimaruTo receive everything, one must open one’s hands and give.
Complete acceptance ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheThe everyday practice is simply to develop a complete acceptance and openness to all situations and emotions, and to all people, experiencing everything totally without mental reservations and blockages, so that one never withdraws or centralizes into oneself.
Preventing conflicts ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheThe more we allow ourselves to be guided by compassion – to pause for a moment and try to see where another person is coming from – the less likely we are to engage in conflict.