Unless you have made a clear decision to turn your back on samsara, then however many prayers you recite, however much you meditate, however many years you remain in retreat, it will all be in vain. You may have a long life, but it will be without essence. You may accumulate great wealth, but it will be meaningless. The only thing that is really worth doing is to get steadily closer to enlightenment and further away from samsara. Think about it carefully.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
from the book The Heart of Compassion: The Thirty-seven Verses on the Practice of a Bodhisattva
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Further quotes from the book The Heart of Compassion:
- Cutting through subtler misconceptions
- Protecting ourselves from future suffering
- Just projections of the mind
- Impermanence dawning in your mind
- A practice based on your mind
- The three aspects of diligence
- Opportunity
- The children of the buddhas
- I like suffering
- The magnifying glass of your faith and devotion
- Meaningless activities without end
- The best opportunity to put the teachings into practice
- Nothing to be grasped
- No greater obstacle to Dharma practice
- Start observing your mind
- Before it is too late
- Sealing your merit with authentic dedication
- Never stop thinking about how to gain liberation
- No more than an empty echo
- Giving and taking