Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheNone of your assumptions about who you are, who you make-believe you are, or the labels you attach to yourself is the real ‘you’; it’s all guesswork. And it is this very guesswork – assumption, make-believe, labelling and so on – that creates the illusion of samsara. Although the world around you and the beings within it ‘appear’, none of it ‘exists’; it’s all a fabricated illusion. Once you fully accept this truth – not just intellectually but practically – you will become fearless. You will see that just as life is an illusion, so is death. Even if you cannot fully realize this view, becoming familiar with it will reduce your fear of death exponentially.
The deluded power of habit ~ Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
Thinley Norbu RinpocheIf we are attracted to objects which affect us, we must remember that it is not external reality which affects us, but only our previous habit of the reality of those objects reflecting back to us.
As long as we have dualistic mind, we always think objects affect each other, but these effects are only the activity of habit created by the passions.
For example, when we are awake, if we are attracted to someone through the habit of a previous karmic connection and create more habit through our attraction, we may begin to dream about this person.
Also, just as our waking phenomena affect our dream phenomena, our dream attachment affects our waking phenomena. If we dream that we are separated from the person to whom we are attracted, we may awaken feeling sad, and if we dream we are united with this person, we may awaken feeling happy.
The strength of karmic effects depends on the strength of the passions formed by the mind’s reflections and the energy of intention. For example, the winner of a game may be satisfied by winning, while the loser may think continuously about his frustrated desire to win. The loser, therefore, trains his mind with the energy of strong intention, which creates the new karmic form of the habit of winning.
In a future game, the loser may conquer his opponent with the new energy he has created from his reaction to his previous defeat. But samsaric losers and winners never realize that they are only playing against their minds’ apparitions, making what does not exist seem to exist through the deluded power of habit.
The student’s responsibility ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheTibetans say, “When you meet a teacher, don’t devour that person like a dog that gulps down meat without tasting it first.” Investigate. Examine. This is the student’s responsibility. Remember, we can complete Vajrayana teachings without having one special teacher. Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche had twenty-five gurus.
Calmness in activity ~ Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu SuzukiCalmness of mind does not mean you should stop your activity. Real calmness should be found in activity itself. We say, “It is easy to have calmness in inactivity, it is hard to have calmness in activity, but calmness in activity is true calmness.
The Possibility of Egolessness ~ Pema Chödron
Pema ChödronAll ego really is, is our opinions, which we take to be solid, real, and the absolute truth about how things are. To have even a few seconds of doubt about the solidity and absolute truth of our own opinions, just to begin to see that we do have opinions, introduces us to the possibility of egolessness. We don’t have to make these opinions go away, and we don’t have to criticize ourselves for having them. We could just notice what we say to ourselves and see how so much of it is just our particular take on reality, which may or may not be shared by other people.
Integrating awareness in all daily actions ~ Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
Namkhai Norbu RinpocheIf one does not know how to integrate the presence of awareness with all one’s daily actions, such as eating, walking, sleeping, sitting, and so on, then it is not possible to make the state of contemplation last beyond the limited duration of a session of sitting meditation.
If this is so, not having been able to establish true present awareness, one creates a separation between one’s sessions of sitting practice and one’s daily life. So it is very important to continue in present awareness without distraction, integrating it with all the actions of one’s daily life.
Discipline and conduct ~ Gyaltsab Rinpoche
Gyaltsab RinpocheFormal practice is made more effective through a proper application of discipline and conduct. Proper discipline in this sense means the constant practice of mindfulness; while proper conduct means the practice of generosity, proper motivation and so forth. These two can greatly increase the effectiveness of meditation practice.
Great compassion ~ Thrangu Rinpoche
Thrangu RinpocheBodhicitta is focused on all beings without exception. This differs from ordinary compassion in that usually we feel compassion for those who are obviously suffering and wish that they be free from suffering, but we may not feel compassion for those that are doing well or who are apparently happy. However, the aspect of great compassion in bodhicitta is that one feels compassion not only for those who are presently suffering, but also for those who are enjoying happiness. One does this because of recognizing that the happiness that beings are now enjoying is impermanent, and then they, too, will suffer.
Inner conditions of interdependence ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaIn order to work with interdependence to bring about change, we must attend to both the inner and outer: both the experiences within us and all the interactions we have with our social or natural environment. Outer interdependence may be more tangible and thus easier to observe, but in actual fact, inner conditions of interdependence admit of a far richer versatility and variety.
A genuine sense of affection ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaThe world today is sorely lacking in love, and that lack stems in large part from a failure to appreciate the contributions of others to our well-being. Others did not simply clothe and feed us; they made us who we are as individuals. By training ourselves to recognize the many ways others have contributed to our survival, well-being and our very identity, we can develop a genuine sense of cherishing and affection toward them, and these emotions are conditions for developing a vivid sense of responsibility. As we come to truly understand ourselves as interdependent individuals, responsibility comes to feel and look very different, as we will explore in a later chapter.
If we are successful in internalizing our awareness of interdependence and allowing it to become deeply felt, we can shift our self-perception so as to actually experience the intimate connections that link us constantly to others and to the planet. We will be able to move beyond knowing that we are dependent upon other people and the natural world to feeling an active sense of love and concern for them.
Bodhichitta ~ Tai Situ Rinpoche
Tai Situ RinpocheAs a Vajrayana Buddhist whose ultimate aim is to reach Buddhahood, not just nirvana but Buddhahood, we must have Bodhichitta. We cannot attain Buddhahood unless we wish to attain Buddhahood. We cannot attain it by mistake or accident. It has to happen intentionally. The intention must be to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. If I were to wish to become a Buddha just for my own reasons, it would never happen. This intention would make my Buddhahood limited, private, but Buddhahood cannot be limited. By definition Buddha is limitless. This means that Buddhahood has to be attained by a limitless purpose – the limitless freedom and liberation of limitless sentient beings. Bodhichitta, therefore, must be focused on enlightenment in this way.
The unity of empty and cognizance ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen RinpocheDidn’t the Buddha say that the mind in itself has no form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no texture, no dharmas? Here,dharma means mental object. He did not call it empty or void, he called it emptiness. This ‘-ness’ means the same as ‘ta’ in the word dharmata, or tathata. This word ‘ta’ refers to being cognizant, and this it what we should understand as its meaning.
What the Buddha said exactly was that mind is the unity of empty and cognizance. It is not said that space is emptiness; space is merely empty. This is how to discriminate between space and mind: space is empty and mind is emptiness. This word ‘ta’ is also used in dharmata, sameness, suchness. This suffix ‘-ness’ always refers back to the cognizant wakefulness. You never said that awareness is empty, you always say that it is emptiness.
In short, awareness is not only empty, it can also know. This knowing is the cognizant nature when you speak about empty essence, cognizant nature – it is not some brillant light like a light bulb. Do not understand it like that. What it means is a sense of being present like the vivid quality of being wide awake. It is empty of any identity, yet it is naturally awake and not limited to being one or the other; it is not an either-or situation.
Merging with the guru’s mind ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheIn Tibetan we have the expression thukyid chikdre: thuk is an honorific term for the guru’s mind, yid is your mind, chik means “one,” and dre means “merged.” This is the quintessence of the quintessence of the guru yoga practice. The whole point is to accomplish this merging with the guru’s mind.
Once the student has matured, the student will begin to realize that the guru is not bound by gender, nationality, or history. In fact, everything that is seen, heard, tasted, or felt is an expression of the guru. So there will be a time when there is no centimeter that is not the guru, not a moment that is not the guru, and at that time you will actualize the phenomenon of nonduality.
In order to understand these things, intellectual speculation is not going to help much. You have to put them into practice to begin to comprehend a different set of logic. At the moment, we don’t have that set of logic. To cultivate it, supplication, beseeching, and praying to the guru are necessary for deluded, ordinary beings like us.
Ordinary worldly goals ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheSpending all your life trying to achieve ordinary worldly goals is like trying to net fish in a dry riverbed. Clearly understanding this, make a firm decision not to allow your life to pursue such a useless course.
Like knots untied in the sky ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheDevotion is the essence of the path, and if we have in mind nothing but the guru and feel nothing but fervent devotion, whatever occurs is perceived as his/her blessing. If we simply practice with this constantly present devotion, this is prayer itself.
When all thoughts are imbued with devotion to the guru, there is a natural confidence that this will take care of whatever may happen. All forms are the guru, all sounds are prayer, and all gross and subtle thoughts arise as devotion. Everything is spontaneously liberated in the absolute nature, like knots untied in the sky.
There is no absolute bad karma ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheNormally, we do not bother to look for goodness in negative actions in ourselves or in others. That’s a mistake, because there’s always one excellent quality: every negative act has within it the seed of purification. There is no such thing as absolute negativity. There is no absolute bad karma. Impossible.
Where does low self-esteem come from ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheWhere does low self-esteem come from? Those with low self-esteem tend to have highly developed egos; they long to be best at everything and valued highly by everyone they meet, and imagine their ego is repressed, weak and needs boosting. But once we develop the attitude of a bodhisattva, we have little or no ego and therefore there is no “I” to worry about giving all the good stuff away or to be bothered by the bad stuff. Bodhisattvas lack “ego” as a reference point, and therefore their confidence continues to grow, giving even the idea of low self-esteem no chance of raising its ugly head. So don’t be afraid of applying the bodhichitta of aspiration again and again.
Can you do that ~ Shri Singha
Shri SinghaYou understand that all phenomena are false, but this does not help anything. This understanding, that everything is dream-like, illusory, unreal and false should be assimilated in your being. Without taking it to heart it becomes mere platitude. This does not result in enlightenment.
If you think that appearance and emptiness are indivisible, you should be detached from appearances. Are you?
If you think that buddhas and sentient beings are indivisible, you should honor and serve sentient beings to the same degree as you would the buddhas. Do you do that?
If you think, ‘I will have no karmic ripening even if I engage in the ten nonvirtues,’ you should be able to accept the ten nonvirtuous actions of others directed towards yourself – even if you yourself are killed. Can you do that?
If you think, ‘Even if I were to engage in the ten virtues there would be no benefit,’ you should not have any sense of joy when you are benefitted by others who are practicing the ten virtues – even if your own life is saved. Do you?
Now, go again to a solitary place and let your body remain like a corpse, let your voice remain like that of a mute and let your mind remain like the sky.
Ignorance ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen RinpocheThere are two kinds of ignorance: coemergent and conceptual ignorance. In the moment after seeing our essence, it almost immediately slips away. We get distracted and we start to think of something. Coemergent ignorance is simply to forget. Conceptual ignorance comes in the moment after forgetting, forming thought after thought. As one thought follows after another, a long train of thoughts can develop.Forgetting and thinking – that is the two-fold ignorance, coemergent ignorance and conceptual ignorance. If these two were purified, we would be buddhas. But as long as the coemergent and conceptual aspects of ignorance are not purified, we are sentient beings.
We are awareness ~ Tenzin Palmo
Tenzin PalmoOur minds are usually half asleep, and even though it seems as though we’re always thinking a lot and we’re very vital and present, in fact we are almost somnolent and robotic in our reactions. The whole point of meditation is to learn how to wake up, to develop greater clarity, to be more aware and more absolutely in the moment. It is to be conscious in the moment without all our usual projections, opinions, ideas and mental chatter going on. At a fundamental level, we are awareness.