Even were all gods and demigods to rise up against me as my enemies, they could not drag me and cast me into the blazing fire of the eternal hells. Yet this powerful enemy, my afflictions, can fling me instantly where even mighty Mount Meru would be crushed into dust upon contact.
— Shantideva
A loving relationship between husband and wife can also become a catalyst for our Dharma practice. The caring that is shared between husband and wife is a kind of respect for life, a cherishing of life. Starting with this feeling of caring and loving, one should gradually extend it to the surrounding environment. In a story I have previously mentioned, there is a couple who is deeply in love. They have great love and respect each other. Because they have so much love for each other, even when the husband comes out to water flowers in the garden, he is emanating joy, and caring for the flowers with love. This is an example of how one can extend love and caring to a wider surrounding.
~17th Gyalwang Karmapa’s Teachings – “Living The Dharma”(1)
http://the17thkarmapa.blogspot.tw/2012/07/17th-gyalwang-karmapas-teachings-living.html
Whatever sensory experiences we go through, if we go through them with mindfulness and awareness, there is no limit to how far we can go. The limit is mindfulness and awareness. Even if we don’t enjoy the experience, that itself becomes a trip. The nonenjoyment becomes a cause of suffering. That’s why, if we don’t practice mindfulness and awareness, asceticism just becomes pain rather than a cause for liberation. That’s why Buddha said to forget about asceticism. That’s what Buddha did. He left asceticism, became very mindful in every step, and achieved enlightenment.
— 7th Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
How could millions of blind men, with no one to lead them and not knowing the path, arrive at the city? In the same way, without wisdom, the five blind perfections, having no leader, cannot touch enlightenment.
— Dignāga
There will come teachers who act as if they are me, though they are not. They will claim to be my tulkus, but dismantle my tradition. They deceive many with teachings of demonic and unknown entities. Nonhuman forces prop them up and promote their celebrity. Such teachers of erroneous paths cause the Dharma to decline. They don’t practice (Dharma), but only talk and only intensify desire. They contradict what they teach and what they do, and indulge in corrupt activities. Without gaining any confidence, they are zealous to teach others. They lack any intention of benefiting others, but focus on self-interest. They lack moral discipline. Dharma will be left just as a shadow.
— Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche
Painting about Tibetans
It is quite normal for us to look for answers when we are at a critical juncture in our lives. Time and time again, we seek answers with the wrong attitude. Instead of searching somewhere else for answers, we should look within to find our own capacities and to identify the destructive forces hidden inside us, because external conditions are simply not as important.
— Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche
学佛需要掌握知识，因为学佛需要知识的工具。如果说：不学也能开悟，等于说，盲人照样可以看到美丽的景色。学佛的目的不是为了获得一身华丽的知识外衣，而掩盖不具正信灵魂的僵尸。
学佛首先要具备坚定不移的正信。在私利驱动下烧高香拜佛是唯利不净信，不弃邪见，不改恶行而表面上装作有信是欺诈信，安乐时不信，面临危机时‘抱佛脚’是投机取巧信，有利则信，无利不信是商人信，受邪见邪说的影响而动摇是不坚信，不具正信而半信半疑是无诚信。学佛是学做菩萨，学做佛。菩萨是无私利众，具有大慈大悲心的大英雄。所以佛殿称作“大雄宝殿”。佛不是虚构的创世造物主，也不是掌握生死大权的上帝。
佛是除尽一切世俗自私恶习，心灵呈现纯净光明的最高觉悟者。佛法指出的是一条人心变得高尚善良，充满光明粒子的光明大道。学佛就是走进这条佛菩萨走的大道。佛法的核心只有两条：即平等对待一切众生的大慈悲心和破除一切错见的大智慧。八万四千法，法法不离这二法。学佛的根本就是培养慈爱怜悯的慈悲心和开发自己心中潜在的聪明智慧 — 佛光。
— 多识仁波切
What we call life is threatened by various things, just like a candle flickering in the wind. Life is as transient as bubbles in water. The distinction between life and death is only that of an inhalation and an exhalation. That we actually wake up every day should be a source of wonderment!
– Nāgārjuna
1) 我们并不是在讨论藉由念咒、供香等方法从某处唤起的一个神圣的心，不是这样，佛教徒也不会相信是这样。佛教并不是一个有神论的道，佛教徒不相信一个独立存在于外在，并且决定我们生命的造物主。佛教根本的见地是，你自心的本性就是所谓的本善。你必须自己去发觉它。这就是我们所说的智慧。
— 宗萨仁波切
2) 智慧並非神秘的、傳說般的能量，它的定義非常簡單：可以看見真相的能力。真相也非神秘的不可觸摸的能量。彌勒菩薩說過，無論佛是否來臨，真相都一直在那裡， ⋯一切無常的事物在佛來之前、來時和走了以後都一直保持無常。
— 宗萨仁波切
Buddhist Quote for the day 