Quotes and Excerpts

Please feel free to add on quotes or excerpts that you think are worth sharing.


"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."

"Whether
one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth
or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and
compassion."

"In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher."

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."

"Self-discipline,
although difficult, and not always easy while combating negative
emotions, should be a defensive measure. At least we will be able to
prevent the advent of negative conduct dominated by negative emotion.
That is 'shila', or moral ethics. Once we develop this by familiarizing
ourselves with it, along with mindfulness and conscientiousness,
eventually that pattern and way of life will become a part of our own
life."

"Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying
something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by
remaining silent."

-All from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

:hands:
Namaste.

Although I cannot constantely pray with sincerity
To the three Jewels, in which people put their trust,
I vow to maintain the Threefold Commitment
Keep this vow in your hearts, my friends!

Although I am unable to practise recitation and visualization
To the Deity who grants realization and power,
I vow to desist from cursing and malediction
Keep this in your heart my friends!

Although I cannot rejoice in sacramental and symbolic offerings
To the Reality Protectors who keep enemies at bay,
I vow not to invite disaster upon my adversaries
Keep this vow in your hearts, my friends!

Although I cannot meditate without fancy or bias
With a perspective that is always originally pure,
I vow to de-substantialize concrete Name and Form
Keep this vow in your hearts, my friends!

Although I am unable to order my behaviour
In harmony with the regimen of the quarters of the day,
I vow to avoid an hypocritical front and self deception
Keep this vow in your hearts, my friends!

Although what I am is not thoroughly comprehended
As the consummate goal inexpediency abandoned, reality and realized,
I vow to abandon hope of future attainment
Keep this vow in your hearts, my friends!

Although I cannot seal an inactive mind
In an experience that is inexpressible and inconceivable,
I vow never to put faith in my mind's conceptions
Keep this vow in your hearts, my friends!

Drukpa Kunley. :hands:

Life is fragile, like a dewdrop poised on the tip of a blade of grass carried away by the first breath of the morning breeze.

A sincere desire to practice the Dharma is not enough. Do not wait passively for the wind of death to carry away all your plans before you have got around to them.

***

How to practice? We should be like a hungry yak, browsing one tuft of grass with its eyes already fixed on the next.

Filled with joy, we ought to burn with enthusiasm for practice, never falling into indolence or apathy, or thinking that we have made enough "effort".

***

A child thinks: I could walk on the clouds! If he could actually reach the clouds, however, he would find nowhere to set foot.

In the same way, our thoughts appear to be solid until we examine them. Then we find that they are without substance.
Thus we say phenomena are empty and apparent at the same time.

Padampa Sangye.

The steady flame of a stout wick can light a hundred butterlamps. But the tenuous flame of a wick that is too thin cannot even keep itself alight. Remain sharp aware!

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

I hold the sword of vigilance at the gate of my mind.
When the emotions threaten, I threaten them back!!
Only, when they (emotions) relax their grip,
Do I relax mine. _/\_

muni wrote:

Life is fragile, like a dewdrop poised on the tip of a blade of grass carried away by the first breath of the morning breeze.

A sincere desire to practice the Dharma is not enough. Do not wait passively for the wind of death to carry away all your plans before you have got around to them.

***

How to practice? We should be like a hungry yak, browsing one tuft of grass with its eyes already fixed on the next.

Filled with joy, we ought to burn with enthusiasm for practice, never falling into indolence or apathy, or thinking that we have made enough "effort".

***

A child thinks: I could walk on the clouds! If he could actually reach the clouds, however, he would find nowhere to set foot.

In the same way, our thoughts appear to be solid until we examine them. Then we find that they are without substance.
Thus we say phenomena are empty and apparent at the same time.

Padampa Sangye.

:worship:

I forgot to add that the four last lines of last post about emotions are words from the Kadampa masters from before.

When a Bodhisattva, clearminded and undeceived, looks at us, our activities seem to him in exactly the same way as seeing a fool acting. The activities are looking demented. We should be quite convinced that we are thoroughly deluded and that when things appear to us the way they do, separate from our minds, they do not possess the slighstest degree of reality in themselves.

It is in the mind, and it does so when it takes as real that which is illusory and non-existent. Nevertheless, we should clearly understand that such delusion is actually quite distinct from the mind itself, the Buddha-nature or Sugatagharba; it is not something, therefore, which it is impossible for us to remove.

But what about nature, can even the mind itself be said to exist? To understand this; we must analyse the unborn nature of awareness.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. _/\_ _/\_ _/\_

Master: Can you take emptiness in your hand?

Student: Yes sure I can.

Master: Let me see if you understand.

Student: Good! He grasps with one hand in the sky.

Master: Is that all? You understand nothing!

Student: How you think I have to understand?

Master: Take it like this. And he catches the nose of his student.

Student: Aaaaaw aaaaaaaw. That hurts!

Shigong Huicang:

As form is emptiness and emptiness is form; is it better instead of grasping a handful sky, to pinch nicely in someone's nose. As that is coming closer by the truth. :buddha1: