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.
Training in supreme bodhicitta ~ Lama Tsongkhapa
Lama TsongkhapaJust as I have fallen into the sea of samsara,
So have all mother migratory beings.
Bless me to see this, train in supreme bodhicitta,
And bear the responsibility of freeing migratory beings.
Dealing with Emotions ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheFor aeons, almost everything we think and feel, all our interpretations have been rooted in hope and fear, which in turn, have bound our minds up in turbulent emotions, constraining them to such a degree that we no longer have any control over them. That is why, according to the shravakayana teachings, we need to tame the mind, or from the bodhisattvayana point of view train it to become useful, or from the vajrayana perspective recognize mind.
Gentleness ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaWhen you are fully gentle, without arrogance and without agression,
you see the brilliance of the universe.
You develop a true perception of the universe.
Getting unstuck ~ Pema Chödron
Pema ChödronWe can contact our inner strength, our natural openness, for short periods before getting swept away. And this is excellent, heroic, a huge step in interrupting and weakening our ancient habits. If we keep a sense of humor and stay with it for the long haul, the ability to be present just naturally evolves. Gradually we lose our appetite for biting the hook. We lose our appetite for aggression.
No regret ~ Milarepa
MilarepaMy religion is to live and die without regret.
Pure perception and devotion ~ Longchenpa
LongchenpaRespect and develop pure perception and devotion toward those who are practicing Dharma as the noble sangha. If you see faults in others, think that they’re the reflections of your own delusions. If you see good qualities in others, meditate on rejoicing over them. Disclose and expel your own faults. Generate virtuous qualities and act with astonishing perseverance. Be with holy people and abandon evil friends. Stay in solitary places and promise to pursue meditation. Make sure that whatever you do is consonant with Dharma practice.
Source of joy and suffering ~ Shantideva
ShantidevaWhatever joy there is in this world
All comes from desiring others to be happy,
And whatever suffering there is in this world
All comes from desiring myself to be happy.
Hope and fear ~ Tai Situ Rinpoche
Tai Situ RinpocheHope and fear only exist because of each other, they only exist interdependently. Personally I find this very, very comforting. When I remember this, again and again, it is like being tired, going to bed, resting and recovering. Having this practice, knowing this, means we can relax, rejuvenate and then hopefully be able to follow the footsteps of our guru. Before we become a lion maybe we can become a nice puppy.
You are the business of your meditation ~ Lama Yeshe
Lama YesheMeditation is not on the level of the object but on that of the subject – you are the business of your meditation.
Starting to try seeing the nature of our mind ~ 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai LamaIf the first true fact is that life in general is not easy, we should certainly not expect that seeing the nature of our mind will be simple. The actual nature of mind, on any level, is not very obvious. Even to identify and recognize correctly what is mind is extremely difficult. Just to start to try to see it, we need strong motivation. We need to be clear about why we would like to see the nature of our mind.
Love vs attachment ~ Ponlop Rinpoche
Ponlop RinpocheLove is when you are thinking: “How can I make you happy?” Attachment is when you are thinking: “Why aren’t you making me happy?”
The display of your own intrinsic nature ~ Longchenpa
LongchenpaIn the expanse in which self-knowing rigpa arises spontaneously, free of all grasping, rest and relax, without contrivance or fabrication. Whatever thoughts arise, recognizing their essence, allow them all to be liberated as the display of your own intrinsic nature.
Radiate boundless love ~ Buddha Shakyamuni
Buddha ShakyamuniRadiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.
Recognizing what is actually there ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaWhen we talk about the true nature of mind, when we say “nature,” it means the actual state, the actual situation that the mind is in. It’s simply a matter of recognizing what is there, what is actually there. So sometimes what is tricky for us to understand is that the reason we have not recognized the true nature of our mind is not because it is too profound, or too difficult. It is because it is too simple or too easy. The masters of meditation of the past say that we fail to recognize the true nature of mind because it is so simple that we fail to trust it.
So the true nature of mind is simply what we are right now, it is our uncontrived natural state. Since we are in such a habit of living our lives in contrived states, and states where we are always adding concepts onto things, it’s difficult for us to return to the way we naturally are.
Making right decisions made easy ~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa RinpocheWhen you are not clear about the purpose of your life, you are never clear when it comes to making decisions that affect your life. You always hesitate and are always in danger of making the wrong decision. When your only purpose for living is the benefit of others, it is very easy to make the right decision. It is easy because you are very clear about why you are alive.