The primordial absence of defilements ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

When we think of ourselves as inherently angry and ignorant, and we doubt our ability to achieve enlightenment, we are thinking that our true nature is permanently impure and defiled. But like the fingerprints on the wineglass, these emotions are not part of our true nature; we have only gathered pollutants from all sorts of unfavorable situations, such as associating with nonvirtuous people or not understanding the consequences of our actions. The primordial absence of defilements, the pure nature of the self, is often called buddhanature. Yet the defilements and the resulting emotions have been there for so long and have become so strong that they are our second nature, always shadowing us. It is not surprising that we think there is no hope.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Afflictive and cognitive obscuration ~ Maitreya

Any thought such as miserliness and so on
Is held to be an afflictive obscuration.
Any thought of ‘subject’, ‘object’ and ‘action’
Is held to be a cognitive obscuration.

Maitreya

Relax at ease ~ Dudjom Rinpoche

This fresh present knowing,
Unbound by the intellect that clings to meditation,
Is naked unobstructed non-meditation.
Relax at ease
And settle in the state of naturalness.
This is the meaning of realization of meditation.
When thoughts move, let them.
Movement arises and is liberated without a trace.
When there is no movement, don’t search for it.
This is empty luminosity, naked empty awareness.
Tantric practice without suppression or cultivation of thoughts
Brings the accomplishment of the destruction of hope and fear.
There is nothing more to add to this.

Madman Dudjom said this:
Let it remain like this in your heart.

Dudjom Rinpoche

Human expectations ~ Milarepa

If one stays too long with friends
They will soon tire of him;
Living in such closeness leads to dislike and hate.
It is but human to expect and demand too much
When one dwells too long in companionship.

Milarepa

Look ~ Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche

Look outward at the appearing objects,
And like the water in a mirage,
They are more delusive than delusion.
Unreal like dreams and illusions,
They resemble reflected moon and rainbows.

Look inward at your own mind!
It seems quite exciting, when not examined.
But when examined, there is nothing to it.
Appearing without being, it is nothing but empty.
It cannot be identified saying, “that’s it!”
But is evanescent and elusive like mist.

Look at whatever may appear
In any of the ten directions.
No matter how it may appear,
The thing in itself, its very nature,
Is the sky-like nature of mind,
Beyond the projection and dissolution of thought and
concept.

Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche

Observing ethical restraint ~ Gyelse Tokme Zangpo

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to observe ethical restraint,
Without the slightest intention of continuing in saṃsāric existence.
For lacking discipline one will never secure even one’s own wellbeing,
And so any thought of bringing benefit to others would be absurd.

Gyelse Tokme Zangpo

Simply a vague concept ~ Khenpo Tsultrim Rinpoche

The self is simply a vague and convenient concept that we project now here and now there onto a stream of experiences, and is nothing in or of itself.

Khenpo Tsultrim Rinpoche

Meditation in your daily life ~ Mingyur Rinpoche

Bringing meditation into your daily life is one of the main objectives of Buddhist practice. Any daily activety can be used as an opportunity for meditation.

Mingyur Rinpoche

The effort to be aware ~ Ajahn Chah

Proper effort is not the effort to make something particular happen. It is the effort to be aware and awake each moment, the effort to overcome laziness and merit, the effort to make each activity of our day meditation.

Ajahn Chah

The real is near ~ Krishnamurti

The real is near, you do not have to seek it; and a man who seeks truth will never find it. Truth is in what is – and that is the beauty of it. But the moment you conceive it, the moment you seek it, you begin to struggle; and a man who struggles cannot understand. That is why we have to be still, observant, passively aware.

Krishnamurti

It’s like a dance ~ Tenzin Palmo

It’s like a dance. And we have to give each being space to dance their dance. Everything is dancing; even the molecules inside the cells are dancing. But we make our lives so heavy. We have these incredibly heavy burdens we carry with us like rocks in a big rucksack. We think that carrying this big heavy rucksack is our security; we think it grounds us. We don’t realize the freedom, the lightness of just dropping it off, letting it go. That doesn’t mean giving up relationships; it doesn’t mean giving up one’s profession, or one’s family,or one’s home. It has nothing to do with that; it’s not an external change. It’s an internal change. It’s a change from holding on tightly to holding very lightly.

Tenzin Palmo

The practice of slow mindful walking ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Once you taste the peace, joy and serenity that result from the practice of slow mindful walking – you can practice walking meditation wherever you are.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Give up partiality ~ Longchenpa

Through being partial towards our lama, lineage and practice,
We believe we are upholding them.
But to praise our own side whilst disparaging others is the source of attachment and aversion.
‘To give all this up’ is my heart advice.

Longchenpa

A constant battle within ~ 14th Dalai Lama

The practice of Dharma is a constant battle within, replacing previous negative conditioning or habituation with new positive conditioning.

14th Dalai Lama

Seeing the truth of the teaching ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Right now, you may be experiencing all sorts of happiness and pleasure; but this won’t last, so do not become attached to it. In this life you are bound to experience all sorts of difficulties, sickness, and other troubles; it is important to see in them the truth of the teachings.

Whenever we experience pain or pleasure, misery or contentment, it is due to our actions in past lives. If you are now healthy, famous, or rich, it is because of meritorious actions you performed in the past. If you suffer from illness, obstacles, or trouble some circumstances, that is the result of your past negative actions. But whatever circumstances you find yourself in, you can purify your mind; when in pain, you can pray from the core of your heart that your suffering may be a substitute for the suffering of others, so that all their pain and suffering will be exhausted forever. The more you suffer, the more you can practice taking on the suffering of all beings.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Discipline and openness ~ Lama Yeshe

Some people think that having self-discipline prevents you from being open and natural. They think you should just relax and let everything flow freely. But to do so is not contradictory to being disciplined. In fact, you can be truly open only if you are disciplined.

Lama Yeshe

Parting Song ~ Tantepa

Had I not known sorrow and remorse,
How could I have entered the path to release?
Had I not placed my trust in a teacher,
How could I have attained the ultimate power?

Tantepa

Abandoning hope ~ Pema Chödron

Hope and fear is a feeling with two sides. As long as there’s one, there’s always the other. This is the root of our pain. In the world of hope and fear, we always have to change the channel, change the temperature, change the music, because something is getting uneasy, something is getting restless, something is beginning to hurt, and we keep looking for alternatives.

In a nontheistic state of mind, abandoning hope is an affirmation, the beginning of the beginning. You could even put “Abandon hope” on your refrigerator door instead of more conventional aspirations like “Every day in every way I’m getting better and better.

Pema Chödron