Wishing all a Happy New Year. May all be well, happy and enjoy good health always.
Monthly Archives: Dec 2014
You must resolve through Right View, gaining understanding of all the teachings, like a bird soaring in the skies. You must find certainty through Right Conduct, without being intimidated by anything whatsoever, like an elephant entering the water. You must practice through Right Concentration, clearing away the darkness of ignorance, like lighting a lamp in a dark room. You must accomplish the aim through the instructions, liberating all phenomena in your nature, like finding a wish-fulfilling jewel. You must progress gradually through the empowerments, being free from the fear of falling into samsara, like a prince ascending the royal throne. You must keep the basis through the commitments, not letting any of your actions be wasted, like fertile ground. You must liberate your being through learning, becoming adept in all aspects of the Dharma, like a noble steed freed from its chains. You must compare all sources, understanding all the schools of the Dharma, like a bee seeking a hive. You must condense them into a single point, understanding that all the numerous teachings are of one taste, like a trader adding together his profits. You must reach eminence in knowledge, understanding clearly and distinctly the meaning of all the teachings, like arriving at the summit of Mount Sumeru.
— Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche
This photo (credit to the photographer) was taken many years ago at Kong Meng San, Phor Kark See Monastery in Singapore. H.E. Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche was in the monastery compound and the bird decided to land on his hand. Rinpoche was such a person, full of compassion and wisdom. He benefited many people during the 100 Million Mani recitation retreat held in Singapore yearly till his passing in 2007.
Most of us are vaguely familiar with this attitude, because we are able to feel that way when our friends or relatives experience good fortune, and when something is going well for them, we want it to continue. We are also familiar with the attitude of compassion in a general sense. When friends or relatives are experiencing difficulties, we genuinely wish for them to become free of these sufferings. We have these basic qualities, but our experience of loving-kindness and compassion is, shall we say, tainted. It is something like the toy we call a yo-yo: you play with it and make it spin, but there is always a string attached. Similarly, we can afford genuine sympathy, concern, and loving-kindness for these people because they are our relatives, our friends, because they somehow seem to fit within our territory. There is a string attached; the pull is back towards ourselves. Therefore, egocentric tendencies and fixations remain, so these experiences are contaminated and are not free from deception. Still, although we have not worked on developing these qualities, we have glimpses of them because they are inherent potentialities.
— Khenpo Kathar Rinpoche
No clouds gathered in the skies and the polluted streams became clear, whilst celestial music rang through the air and the angels rejoiced with gladness. With no selfish or partial joy but for the sake of the law they rejoiced, for creation engulfed in the ocean of pain was now to obtain release.
— Buddha
In the earth beneath a poor person’s home, there may be an inexhaustible treasure, but that person does not know of it, and the treasure does not exclaim, “I am here!” Likewise, with the stainless treasure contained within the mind — the dharma that is inconceivable and without decay — not being realized, the suffering of being destitute is continuously experienced by all beings in many ways.
— Maitreya, Uttaratantra
Since citta and caittas depend on other things to arise (paratantra), they are like a magician’s trick, not truly substantial (“real”) entities. But so as to oppose false attachments to the view that external to citta and caittas there are perceptual-objects (ching, viśaya) [composed of] real, substantial entities, we say that the only existent is consciousness. But if you become attached to the view that vijnapti-mātra is something truly real and existent, that’s the same as being attached to external perceptual-objects, i.e., it becomes just another dharma-attachment [and definitely not liberating].
— Venerable Hsüan Tsang
He wears a hat with a pen-tip representing the highest view, that outshines other views and overcomes opposing arguments. On the hat the flaps of compassion hang down. Its colour is that of dominion over samsara and nirvana.
— Vimalamitra
The nature of mind is free, yet we are binding it every minute. That is the problem: we want it to be free, but we won’t let it be free.
— 7th Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Once we commit a negative action, unless it is purified we will experience its consequences. We can’t shrink the responsibility or try to make the karma disappear by justifying it. It doesn’t work that way. Whoever commits an act will infallibly experience its results, whether positive or negative. Every movement of our thought, words, and deeds is like a stitch in the fabric of our coming reality. Latent in our present experience are oceans of karma from countless past lifetimes, which under the proper conditions will come to fruition. In order to find liberation from samsara, we must work at the causal level, not the level of results, the pleasure and pain that are the consequences of our behaviour. To do so, we need to purify our earlier mistakes and change the mind that plants the seeds of suffering, purify the mental poisons that perpetuate endless karma.
— Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
Buddhist Quote for the day 