14th Dalai LamaWe should examine how destructive emotions harm us and others, cause discord in families and in society at large and even bring us physical health problems. Whether you are a national leader or a beggar on the street, destructive emotions disturb your peace of mind.
Just to live ~ Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu SuzukiZen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make our effort, moment after moment, is our way.
Weeping deeply ~ Ajahn Chah
Ajahn ChahIf you haven’t wept deeply, you haven’t begun to meditate.
The three vital supports ~ Longchenpa
LongchenpaBegin with bodhicitta, do the main practice without concepts,
Conclude by dedicating the merit.
These, together and complete,
Are the three vital supports for progressing on the path to liberation.
Nothing to be grasped ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheWhen a rainbow appears vividly in the sky, you can see its beautiful colors, yet you could not wear it as clothing, or put it on as an ornament. It arises through the conjunction of various factors, but there is nothing about it that can be grasped. Likewise, thoughts that arise in the mind have no tangible existence or intrinsic solidity. There is no logical reason why thoughts, which have no substance, should have so much power over you, nor is there any reason why you should become their slave.
Being inspired by everyday good fortune ~ Pema Chödron
Pema ChödronRejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.
True love ~ Lama Yeshe
Lama YesheTrue love does not depend on physical expression. You should realize this. True love is a feeling deep within you. It is not just a matter of wearing a smile on your face and looking happy. Rather, it arises from a heartfelt understanding of every other being’s suffering and radiates out to all of them indiscriminately. It does not favor a chosen few to the exclusion of everyone else. This is true love.
Renouncing this life’s concerns ~ Gyelse Tokme Zangpo
Gyelse Tokme ZangpoThe practice of all the bodhisattvas is to renounce this life’s concerns,
For friends and relatives, long acquainted, must all go their separate ways;
Wealth and prized possessions, painstakingly acquired, must all be left behind;
And consciousness, the guest who lodges in the body, must in time depart.
Inner goodness ~ Tai Situ Rinpoche
Tai Situ RinpocheDiscovering inner goodness only truly happens through meditation. You can discover your inner goodness intellectually of course, but it is just knowledge of what is possible.
Take joy in your sincere intentions ~ 17th Karmapa
17th KarmapaJust look within to the virtuous thoughts you have had, and you will always find a reason to love yourself. Take joy in your sincere intentions. Everything starts with an intention. If you have been able to have beautiful aspirations, these aspirations will always be part of you, a beautiful part.
Welcoming any experience without judgement ~ Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Tsoknyi RinpocheLet yourself become that space that welcomes any experience without judgement.
Understanding and love ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat HanhUnderstanding and love aren’t two separate things, they’re just one.
The basic problem ~ Kalu Rinpoche
Kalu RinpocheThe basic problem is that one believes that everything is real, and thus everything is treated as such.
Examine yourself ~ Tilopa
TilopaLo! This is self-awareness!
It surpasses all avenues of speech and thought.
I, Tilopa, have nothing to reveal.
You should know it yourself through inward examination.
Nothing genuinely works in samsara ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheIt is vital to understand that however positive this worldly life, or even a small part of it, may appear to be, ultimately it will fail because absolutely nothing genuinely works in samsara.
The real obstacle to resting meditation ~ Mingyur Rinpoche
Mingyur RinpocheYou know the real obstacle to resting meditation? It’s too simple. There’s no “wow” experience, there’s nothing added, and there’s no work to do. It’s as close as the tip of your nose, meaning it’s too close to see. Sometimes teachers tell us: “Stop meditating.” This does not mean to give up awareness, but rather: “Don’t use a flashlight in the sunshine.” Assuming that we’re inherently insufficient, we use the mind’s equivalent of a flashlight to improve on the sun.
Discipline without ego ~ Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam TrungpaRight morality or right discipline on the buddhist path is based on egolessness. If there is no one to impose discipline and no one to impose discipline on, then there is no need for discipline in the ordinary sense at all! If there is a tree, there must be branches. However, if there is no tree, there are no such things as branches. Likewise, if there is no ego, a whole range of projections becomes unnecessary. Right discipline is that kind of giving up process. It brings us into complete simplicity.
A fool sees himself as another ~ Dogen Zenji
Dogen ZenjiA fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself.
Every step I take is my home ~ Dogen Zenji
Dogen ZenjiBut do not ask me where I am going,
As I travel in this limitless world,
Where every step I take is my home.
Maintaining a strong grip on the habits ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheMillions of people in this world are interested in some version of meditation, or yoga, or one of the many so-called spiritual activities that are now so widely marketed. A closer look at why people engage in these practices reveals an aim that has little to do with liberation from delusion, and everything do to with their desperation to escape busy, unhappy lives, and heartfelt longing for a healthy, stress-free, happy life. All of which are romantic illusions. So, where do we find the roots of these illusions? Mainly in our habitual patterns and their related actions. Of course, no one of sound mind imagines any of us would willingly live an illusion. But we are contrary beings, and even though we are convinced we would shun a life built on self-deception, we continue to maintain a strong grip on the habits that are the cause of countless delusions.