Advice for Beginners ~ Mipham Rinpoche

Kyeho! All activities within samsara are pointless and hollow —
Unreliable and fleeting, like lightning’s streaking dance,
And there is no certainty as to when death will strike.
Still, since death is certain, limit idle plans and speculations
Allow the teacher’s instructions to hit home and strike a chord,
And, single-pointedly, in solitude, seek perfect certainty of mind.
Mind, which is like lightning, a breeze, or passing clouds,
Is coloured by its various thoughts of everything under the sun,
But when examined thoroughly is found to lack a basis or origin.
Just like a mirage on the horizon, it is devoid of essential nature.
While being empty, it appears; and while appearing, it is empty.
Left to settle, naturally, by itself, mind arrives at a genuine state of ease,
And, when familiarity grows stable, mind’s natural condition is seen.
If devotion to the teacher grows vast, blessings will enter and inspire the mind,
And when accumulations are gathered and obscurations purified, realization will dawn —
So take this practice to heart, carefully and with constant effort!

Mipham Rinpoche

Realizing emptiness ~ 14th Dalai Lama

Since emptiness, from between positive and negative phenomena, is a negative phenomenon and, from between affirming negatives and non-affirming negatives, is a non-affirming negative, when it appears to the mind, nothing will appear except an absence of such inherent existence—a mere elimination of the object of negation. Thus, for the mind of a person realizing emptiness there is no sense of, “I am ascertaining emptiness,” and there is no thought, “This is emptiness.” If you had such a sense, emptiness would become distant. Nevertheless, the emptiness of inherent existence is ascertained and realized.
After such realization, even though whatever phenomena appear appear to exist in their own right, you understand that they do not exist that way. You have a sense that they are like a magician’s illusions in that there is a combination of their appearing one way but actually existing another way. Though they appear to exist inherently, you understand that they are empty of inherent existence.
When phenomena are seen this way, the conceptions that superimpose a sense of goodness or badness on phenomena beyond what is actually there and serve as a basis for generating desire and hatred lessen; this is because they are based on the misconception that phenomena are established in their own right.

14th Dalai Lama

A Very Subtle Obstacle ~ Tai Situ Rinpoche

Habit is also a factor to be dealt with. The Tibetan term is ‘pa cha che dipa’. Defilement is also, of course, habit, but it is a little bit different. ‘Pa cha che dipa’ is a very subtle obstacle. An example is the way we project our own thoughts, feelings, or motivations on others. This can be very difficult to see and overcome, and it takes effort to do so. When we always find ourselves making the same mistake by misunderstanding others and judging them in an inaccurate, stupid, or uncompassionate way, we are being blocked by this habitual pattern. Later we find out that we were wrong, but usually by then it’s too late, the damage is done. We can only learn from the mistake. These are subtle habitual obstacles stemming directly from the concept of “I”.

Tai Situ Rinpoche

The profound significance of being ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

We should learn to see everyday life as mandala – the luminous fringes of experience, which radiate spontaneously from the empty nature of our being. The aspects of our mandala are the day-to-day objects of our life experience moving in the dance or play of the universe. By this symbolism the inner teacher reveals the profound and ultimate significance of being.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Like moths to the flame ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

When struck by the desire arrow, all of our common sense, sobriety, and sanity go out the window while false dignity, decadence, and immorality trickle in. Poisoned, we stop at nothing to get what we want. Someone struck with passion might even find a streetwalking hippopotamus sexy, even as a beautiful girl loyally waits for him at home. Like moths to the flame and fish to baited hooks, many on this earth have been ensnared by their desire for food, fame, praise, money, beauty, and respect.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

The guru’s presence ~ Shabkar

As I see the rising sun spreading radiance all around,
The authentic guru’s wisdom and compassion
Come to mind.
Then he tenderly looked after me;
Now that time is gone.
Thinking and thinking of him,
The guru’s presence fills my mind.

Shabkar

Experiencing without getting involved ~ Ringu Tulku

A great meditator can experience everything and view all the impressions of the senses without getting involved and entangled, without making anything up. The point is how we deal with and react to appearances. … And Tilopa said to Naropa, ‘My son, appearance does not bind you, it’s your grasping that binds you.’

Ringu Tulku

Be unshakable ~ 17th Karmapa

If you find yourself angry at any government, please recollect how harmful anger is to yourself and others, and steady yourself with a firm resolve. Make an unwavering commitment to yourself that you will not allow your mind to become perturbed. Be immovable – unshakable from a peaceful state of mind.

17th Karmapa

What actually takes place ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

An appearance can only exist if there is a mind that beholds it. The ‘beholding’ of that appearance is nothing other than experience; that is what actually takes place. All the elements are vividly distinguished as long as the mind fixates on them. Yet they are nothing but a mere presence, an appearance. When the mind doesn’t apprehend, hold, or fixate on what is experienced, ‘reality’ loses its solid, obstructing quality.

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Bringing relief for the people around ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

When you practice sitting meditation in the temple and you hear bombs and the cry of victims outside, you have to go out and help. You have to do the kind of work that will bring relief for the people around, because to meditate is to be aware of what is going on in yourself and around you.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Self-liberate even the antidote ~ Pema Chödron

In case you thought you understood “Examine the nature of unborn awareness,” let go even of that understanding, that poise, that security, that sense of ground. Let go even of the idea of emptiness, of openness, of space…so whenever you come up with a solid conclusion, let the rug be pulled out. You can pull out your own rug, and you can also let life pull it out for you.
So if you think that everything is solid, that’s one trap, and if you change that for a different belief system, that’s another trap. We have to pull out the rug from under our belief systems altogether. We can do that by letting go of our beliefs, and also our sense of what is right and wrong, by just going back to the simplicity and the immediacy of our present experience, resting in the nature of alaya.

Pema Chödron

Act accordingly ~ Chatral Rinpoche

There’s no real happiness among any of the six classes,
But if we consider the sufferings of the three lower realms,
Then, when you feel upset just by hearing about them,
How will you possibly cope when you experience them directly?
Even the happiness and pleasures of the three upper realms
Are just like fine food that’s been laced with poison—
Enjoyable at first, but in the long run a cause of ruin.
What’s more, all these experiences of pleasure and pain,
Are not brought about by anyone besides yourself.
They are produced by your very own actions, good and bad.
Once you know this, it’s crucial that you act accordingly,
Without confusing what should be adopted and abandoned.

Chatral Rinpoche

Yidams ~ 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche

Are the many yidams we see in pictures and visualize real? No, they are symbols of the ultimate yidam. The various forms and attributes of the deities point to manifold habits of clinging, grasping, and holding impure appearances in one’s mind. There are so many impure ideas and things one thinks are real. Each yidam symbolizes one of the many aspects of clinging and clutching. One needs to know this. […] The deity’s body represents the indivisibility of emptiness and appearance; the mantra of each deity is the indivisibility of emptiness and sound; the deity’s mind is the indivisibility of emptiness and awareness.

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche

Still practicing ~ Patrul Rinpoche

You know the relative to be a lie, yet still you practise the two accumulations.
You realize that in the absolute there is nothing to be meditated on, yet still you practise meditation.
You see the relative and absolute as one, yet still you diligently practise.
Peerless teacher, at your feet I bow.

Patrul Rinpoche

Finally very free and easy ~ Tsoknyi Rinpoche

What is the difference between the real state of rigpa and the imitation? Check whether or not there is any clinging, any sense of keeping hold of something. With conceptual rigpa you notice a sense of trying to keep a state, trying to maintain a state, trying to nurture a state. There is a sense of hope or fear and also a sense of being occupied. Understand? The keeping means there’s a sense of protecting, of not wanting to lose it, in the back of the mind. This is not bad, it’s good, and for some people there’s no way around training like that in the beginning. Through training in this way, that conceptual aspect becomes increasingly refined and clarified.
So you practice more, more, more. Now you have more of a sense of openness, but still you’re holding this openness. All right, then, let the openness go. Let’s say that after two months you let it go. But still you’re staying within the openness — so then you practice letting go of the staying. And somehow there is still a remnant of wanting to achieve it again. So you let that go as well, and slowly again let it go, let it go, until you become very much “just there,” and finally very free and easy.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche

Negativity ~ Chögyam Trungpa

There’s nothing wrong with negativity.

Chögyam Trungpa

All you need ~ Chatral Rinpoche

The clothing and alms needed to keep you alive are all you need.
You might dine on the finest meal of delicious meat and alcohol,
But it all turns into something impure the very next morning,
And there is nothing more to it all than that.
So be content with life-sustaining provisions and simple clothes,
And be a loser when it comes to food, clothing and conversation.