The Essence of the Buddhist teachings ~ 17th Karmapa

The Essence of the Buddhist teachings is as the following verse states:

Do not commit any evil actions,
Engage in excellent virtue,
And tame your own mind –
This is the teaching of the Buddha.

The entire Buddhist Dharma can be summarized by the instruction to give up harming
others and to benefit them… For human beings in general and, in particular, for all followers of a spiritual tradition, the most important prerequisite for being a Buddhist is to give rise to altruistic motivation… A spiritual practitioner needs to have a peaceful and serene mind and altruistic attitude… If together with that you uphold the distinct view of a spiritual tradition, you will be able to benefit both yourself and many others.


17th Karmapa

from the book Heart Advice of the Karmapa

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