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Quotations on:
A Spiritual Path
We should take a moment to reflect on our Dharma practice from when we began practicing up until now. Have our afflictive emotions decreased since that time? Are we less angry, less dramatic, and less extreme? Are we less worried about the behavior of others and more mindful about our own behavior? Has our self-attachment decreased? Are we experiencing more clarity and stability in the mind? Are we able to practice more?
If, after making this examination, we feel that we are progressing pretty well, then it would be good to keep at Dharma practice just the way we have been. If we examine ourselves and then think: "I haven't changed as much as I should have as a result of practicing this long," it would be good to evaluate and reflect on ways that we could change.
Anyen Rinpoche, Momentary Buddhahood: Mindfulness and the Vajrayana Path
The Buddha |
I teach about suffering and the way to end
it.
Conquer the angry man by love.
Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness.
Conquer the miser with generosity.
Conquer the liar with truth."
Dhammapada
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not
to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live the present
moment wisely and earnestly.
The best of all paths is the Eightfold Path. The best of all truths are the Four Noble Truths. Non-attachment is the best of all states. The best of all men is the Seeing One (the Buddha).
Dhammapada v. 273
Who does not strives when it is time to strive, who - though young and strong - is indolent, who is low in mind and thought, and is lazy, that idler never finds the way to wisdom.
Dhammapada v.280 |
In a sense everything is dreamlike and illusory, but even so, humorously you go on doing things. For example, if you are walking, without unnecessary solemnity or self-consciousness, lightheartedly walk toward the open space of truth. When you sit, be the stronghold of truth. As you eat, feed your negativities and illusions into the belly of emptiness, dissolving them into all-pervading space. And when you go to the toilet, consider all your obscurations and blockages are being cleansed and washed away.
Dudjom Rinpoche
If
you seek liberation, you must have more than an intellectual understanding of
suffering, its causes, and the antidotes; you must practice for this understanding
to mature. Just as a deer shot by a hunter retreats into solitude to heal itself,
so too, you should withdraw from all superfluous activity. At the very least,
occasionally withdraw into solitude in order to practice. As a result, you may
realize the one taste of reality and cut through the divisions created by delusion,
attachment, and hatred. Once you have gained this realization, you become as fearless
and powerful as a snow lion. You have then achieved the state of confidence. At
this point, your own self-interest is fulfilled as you observe all phenomena as
displays of awareness. Having brought your own inner transformation to perfection
with the motivation of being of benefit to others, you are now fully capable of
serving others' needs. This is the path of a true Dharma practitioner.
Karma Chagme from
"A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra
and Atiyoga"
Ajahn Chah |
The Buddha taught us to give up all forms of evil and cultivate virtue.
This is the right path. Teaching in this way is like the Buddha picking us up
and placing us at the beginning of the path. Having reached the path, whether
we walk along it or not is up to us. The Buddha's job is finished right there.
He shows the way, that which is right and that which is not right. This much
is enough, the rest is up to us.
First you understand the Dhamma with your thoughts. If you begin to understand
it, you will practice it. And if you practice it, you will begin to see it.
And when you see it, you are the Dhamma, and you have the joy of the Buddha.
It's like a child who is learning to write. At first he doesn't write
nicely -- big, long loops and squiggles -- he writes like a child. After a while
the writing improves through practice. Practicing the Dhamma is like this. At
first you are awkward...sometimes calm, sometimes not, you don't really know
what's what. Some people get discouraged. Don't slacken off! You must persevere
with the practice. Live with effort, just like the schoolboy: as he gets older
he writes better and better. From writing badly he grows to write beautifully,
all because of the practice from childhood. |
Always recognize the dreamlike qualities of life and reduce
attachment and aversion. Practice good-heartedness toward all beings. Be loving
and compassionate, no matter what others do to you. What they will do will not
matter so much when you see it as a dream. The trick is to have positive intention
during the dream. This is the essential point. This is true spirituality.
Chakdud Tulku Rinpoche
The more we generate an attitude of contentment in our lives, the happier we
will be and the more open we will be to engage in genuine Dharma practice. Letting
go of the eight worldly concerns brings mental peace right now.
The defining characteristic of a thought or action being Dharma is whether
or not we're attached to the happiness of this life. The eight worldly concerns
are completely involved with attachment to the happiness of this life. How can
we practice genuine Dharma when our self-centered mind is fixated on getting
our own way and making everyone and everything around us suit our preferences
and needs?
That doesn't mean the happiness of this life is bad or wrong. The Buddha did
not say that we should suffer in this life so that we'll get our reward in heaven.
The objects we're attached to and have aversion for aren't the problem; there's
nothing wrong with experiencing pleasure and happiness. Those aren't the issue.
Rather, attachment to pleasant feelings and to the people, objects, and situations
that cause them, and aversion to unpleasant ones—it is these emotions
that create trouble. They make us unhappy and propel us to harm others in order
to get what we want. The troublemakers of attachment and hostility are what
we want to abandon, not people and things. There is nothing wrong with being
happy. But when we're attached to it, we actually create more unhappiness for
ourselves.
Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, from 'How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator'
His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.
I believe that constant effort, tireless effort, pursuing clear goals with sincere effort is the only way.
According to Buddhist practice, there are three stages or steps. The initial stage is to reduce attachment towards life. The second stage is the elimination of desire and attachment to this samsara. Then in the third stage, self-cherishing is eliminated.
Through actual practice in his daily life, man well fulfils the aim of
all religion, whatever his denomination.
In the beginning of Buddhist practice, our ability to serve others is
limited. The emphasis is on healing ourselves, transforming our minds and hearts.
But as we continue, we become stronger and increasingly able to serve others.
Firstly, we should re-examine our own attitude towards others and constantly
check ourselves to see whether we are practicing properly. Before pointing our
finger at others we should point it towards ourselves. Secondly, we must be
prepared to admit our faults and stand corrected.
Even when we are helping others and are engaged in charity work, we should
not regard ourselves in a very haughty way as great protectors benefiting the
weak.
When one is very involved in hatred or attachment, if there is time or
possibility during that very moment, just try to look inward and ask: 'What
is attachment? What is the nature of anger?
To develop genuine devotion, you must know the meaning of teachings.
The main emphasis in Buddhism is to transform the mind, and this transformation
depends upon meditation. in order to meditate correctly, you must have knowledge.
Question: A person, particularly in the West, must have the foundation of humility,
honesty and an ethical way of life. Once one has this foundation, what else
does Your Holiness suggest that one cultivate in one's life, if there is the
foundation of virtue, ethics and humility?
Dalai Lama: The next thing to be cultivated is mental stabilization. Ethics is a method
to control oneself--it is a defensive action. Our actual enemy, you see, is
within ourselves. The afflicted emotions (pride, anger, jealousy) are our real
enemies. These are the real trouble makers, and they are to be found within
ourselves. The actual practice of religion consists of fighting against these
inner enemies.
As in any war, first we must have a defensive action, and in our spiritual
fight against the negative emotions, ethics is our defense. Knowing that at
first one is not fully prepared for offensive action, we first resort to defensive
action and that means ethics. But once one has prepared one's defenses, and
has become somewhat accustomed to ethics, then one must launch one's offensive.
Here our main weapon is wisdom. This weapon of wisdom is like a bullet, or maybe
even a rocket, and the rocket launcher is mental stabilization or calm abiding.
In brief, once you have a basis in morality or ethics, the next step is to train
in mental stabilization and eventually in wisdom
A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings by and
about the Dalai Lama
The essence of all spiritual life is your attitude toward others. Once
you have pure and sincere motives all the rest follows.
Do your best and do it according to your
own inner standard - call it conscience - not just according to
society's knowledge and judgment of your deeds.
When we practice, initially, as a basis we
control ourselves, stopping the bad actions which hurt others
as much as we can. This is defensive. After that, when we develop
certain qualifications, then as an active goal we should help
others. In the first stage, sometimes we need isolation while
pursuing our own inner development; however, after you have
some confidence, some strength, you must remain with, contact,
and serve society in any field -- health, education, politics,
or whatever.
There are people who call themselves religious-minded,
trying to show this by dressing in a peculiar manner, maintaining
a peculiar way of life, and isolating themselves from the rest
of society. That is wrong. A scripture of mind-purification
(mind-training) says, "Transform your inner viewpoint,
but leave your external appearance as it is." This is important.
Because the very purpose of practicing the Great Vehicle is
service for others, you should not isolate yourselves from society.
In order to serve, in order to help, you must remain in society.
A
Policy of Kindness
Spiritual practice is difficult in the
beginning. You wonder how on earth you can ever do it. But as
you get used to it, the practice gradually becomes easier. Do
not be too stubborn or push yourself too hard. If you practice
in accord with your individual capacity, little by little you
will find more pleasure and joy in it. As you gain inner strength,
your positive actions will gain in profundity and scope.
My Western friends often ask me for the
quickest, easiest, most effective, and cheapest way of practising
Dharma! I think to find such a way is impossible! Maybe that is
a sign of failure!
We should realize that practising the Dharma is actually something
that needs to be done twenty four hours a the day.That's why we
make a distinction between actual meditation sessions and post
meditation periods, the idea being that both while you are in
the meditative session and also when you are out of it, you should
be fully within the realm of Dharma practice. In fact, one could
say that the post-meditation periods are the real test of the
strength of your practice.
Robert Thurman: Now for a really simple question: What is the essence of Buddhism?
His Holiness: Respect all forms of life, and then compassion and affection toward all sentient
beings, with the understanding that everything is interdependent - so my happiness
and suffering, my well-being, very much have to do with others.
Three qualities enable people to understand
the teachings: objectivity, which means an open mind; intelligence,
which is the critical faculty to discern the real meaning by checking
the teachings of Buddha; and interest and commitment, which means
enthusiasm.
Reason well from the beginning and then there
will never be any need to look back with confusion and doubt.
The
Path to Enlightenment
The nature of samsaric evolution is not such that death is followed by nothingness,
nor that humans are always reborn as humans and insects as insects. On the contrary,
we all carry within us the karmic potencies of all realms of cyclic existence.
Many beings transmigrate from higher to lower realms, others from lower to higher.
The selection of a place of rebirth is not directly in our own hands but is
conditioned by our karma and delusions. They who possess spiritual understanding
can control their destiny at the time of death, but for ordinary beings the
process is very much an automatic chain reaction of karmic seeds and habitual
psychic response patterns....
Our repeated experience of frustration, dissatisfaction and misery does not
have external conditions as its root cause. The problem is mainly our lack of
spiritual development. As a result of this handicap, the mind is controlled
principally by afflicted emotions and illusions. Attachment, aversion and ignorance
rather than a free spirit, love and wisdom are the guiding forces. Recognizing
this simple truth is the beginning of the spiritual path.
The
Path to Enlightenment
...when seeking work, or if you already have a job, it is important to keep
in mind that a human being isn't meant to be some kind of machine designed only
for production. No. Human life isn't just for work, like [a socialistic] vision
where everyone's purpose is just to work for the state, and there is no individual
freedom, where the state even arranges the person's vacations and everything
is planned out for the individual. That is not a full human life. Individuality
is very important for a full human life, and then accordingly some leisure time,
a bit of holiday, and time spent with family or friends. That is the means to
a complete form of life.... If your life becomes only a medium of production,
then many of the good human values and characteristics will be lost--then you
will not, you cannot, become a complete person.
So if you're looking for work and have a choice of a job, choose a job that
allows the opportunity for some creativity, and for spending time with your
family. Even if it means less pay, personally I think it is better to choose
work that is less demanding, that gives you greater freedom, more time to be
with your family, or to do other activities, read, engage in cultural activities,
or just play. I think that's best.
The Art of Happiness at Work
The Buddha's life exemplifies a very important principle--a certain amount of hardship is necessary in one's spiritual pursuit. We can also see this principle at work in the lives of other great religious teachers, such as Jesus Christ or the Muslim prophet Mohammed. Furthermore, I think that the followers of these teachers, if they wish to attain the highest spiritual realizations within their tradition, must themselves undergo a process of hardship, which they endure through dedicated perseverance. There is sometimes the tendency among the followers of the Buddha to imagine, perhaps only in the back of their minds, that "Although the Buddha went through all of those hardships to attain enlightenment they aren't really necessary for me. Surely, I can attain enlightenment without giving up life's comforts." Perhaps such people imagine that, because they are somehow more fortunate than the Buddha, they can attain the same spiritual state as he did without any particular hardships or renunciation. This is, I think, mistaken.
...While Buddhism has adapted to the culture of each new civilization it has encountered, it nonetheless retains its emphasis on morality and discipline as essential for spiritual maturation. If we ourselves want the attainments described by the Buddha--the deep concentration and the penetrating insights--then we too must endure some amount of hardship and observe ethical behavior. Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart of Wisdom Teachings
In his Precious Garland of Advice, Nagarjuna lays out the triad of practices that a follower of Buddha should take up:
If you and the world wish to attain unparalleled enlightenment,
Its roots are the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment
Firm like the monarch of mountains,
Compassion reaching to all quarters,
And wisdom not relying on duality.
Those who take refuge in Buddha should practice compassion, the wisdom realizing emptiness, and the altruistic intention to become enlightened. I practice these as much as I can and I have found over the course of my life that they are indeed very beneficial, making me happier and happier. Even if there were no future life, I would have no regrets; that these practices help in this life is sufficient. If there is a future life after this one, I am certain that the effort I have put into practicing altruism and the view of emptiness will have beneficial effects. Though I have not yet achieved control over how I will be reborn, if I continue these practices I will likely die with confidence that I can direct my own future rebirth... Altruism puts your mind at ease. You will live longer, your body will be healthy, sickness and disease will diminish, and you will have many friends without having to resort to trickery or force.
Becoming Enlightened
It is vital for us to obtain genuine confidence in the nature of mind and reality, grounded in understanding and reason. What we need is a skeptical curiosity and constant inquiry, a curious mind, drawn toward all possibilities; and when we cultivate that, the desire to deeply investigate naturally arises.
The Middle Way
When we speak about enlightenment and the path leading to it, we are naturally speaking about a quality, or state of mind. In the final analysis, enlightenment is nothing other than a perfected state of mind.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
His Holiness Gyalwang Drukgpa |
We tend to have a very selfish, impure motivation. We want to get the
teachings for our own sakes and this is not respected in terms of spiritual
development. We need to have at least a motivation to help others as a result
of the practice or listening to the teachings. Even if that motivation is not
there right away, we need to work on th teachings from that time and eventually
be able to benefit beings. This must be the true motivation.
Drukpa Kargyud Trust Summer Newsletter
Whatever your practice, this is a path. The path is the mind, the motivation
the mental state. The spiritual path actually means one's mental state. So,
wherever and whatever your motivation is, that is the path - path is motivation
always has to be there continuously. When the motivation stops, the path stops.
There is no path other than motivation; there is no motivation other than the
path
Drukpa Kargyud Trust Summer Newsletter
|
Grant your blessings so that my mind may be one with the Dharma.
Grant your blessings so that Dharma may progress along the path.
Grant your blessings so that the path may clarify confusion.
Grant your blessings so that confusion may dawn as wisdom.
Gampopa
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.
Thomas Merton (Christian monk)
When the Buddha
said "Do not pursue the past," he was telling us not to be overwhelmed
by the past. He did not mean that we should stop looking at the past in order
to observe it deeply. When we review the past and observe it deeply, if we are
standing firmly in the present, we are not overwhelmed by it. The materials of
the past which make up the present become clear when they express themselves in
the present. We can learn from them. If we observe these materials deeply, we
can arrive at a new understanding of them. That is called "looking again
at something old in order to learn something new."
If we know that the
past also lies in the present, we understand that we are able to change the past
by transforming the present. The ghosts of the past, which follow us into the
present, also belong to the present moment. To observe them deeply, recognize
their nature, and transform them, is to transform the past.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Our Appointment with Life
Few people are capable of wholehearted
commitment, and that is why so few people experience a real transformation
through their spiritual practice. It is a matter of giving up
our own viewpoints, of letting go of opinions and preconceived
ideas, and instead following the Buddha's guidelines. Although
this sounds simple, in practice most people find it extremely
difficult. Their ingrained viewpoints, based on deductions derived
from cultural and social norms, are in the way.
We must also remember that heart and mind need to work together.
If we understand something rationally but don't love it, there
is no completeness for us, no fulfillment. If we love something
but don't understand it, the same applies. If we have a relationship
with another person, and we love the person but don't understand
him or her, the relationship is incomplete; if we understand that
person but don't love him or her, it is equally unfulfilling.
How much more so on our spiritual path. We have to understand
the meaning of the teaching and also love it. In the beginning
our understanding will only be partial, so our love has to be
even greater.
Ayya Khema; When
the Iron Eagle Flies
Few people are capable of wholehearted
commitment, and that is why so few people experience a real transformation
through their spiritual practice. It is a matter of giving up
our own viewpoints, of letting go of opinions and preconceived
ideas, and instead following the Buddha's guidelines. Although
this sounds simple, in practice most people find it extremely
difficult. Their ingrained viewpoints, based on deductions derived
from cultural and social norms, are in the way.
We must also remember that heart and mind need to work together.
If we understand something rationally but don't love it, there
is no completeness for us, no fulfillment. If we love something
but don't understand it, the same applies. If we have a relationship
with another person, and we love the person but don't understand
him or her, the relationship is incomplete; if we understand that
person but don't love him or her, it is equally unfulfilling.
How much more so on our spiritual path. We have to understand
the meaning of the teaching and also love it. In the beginning
our understanding will only be partial, so our love has to be
even greater.
Ayya Khema; When
the Iron Eagle Flies
When we are humble everyone is a potential
best friend and our generosity naturally grows. We want to do
things, to help out. A wonderful Zen tradition is called "inji-gyo,"
or secret good deeds. The virtue gained through performing a secret
good deed is believed to be immense. So, in a monastery, if one
watched closely, you might see a monk secretly mending another's
robes or taking down someone's laundry and folding it before the
rain comes. In our temple I often find chocolate spontaneously
appearing in my mailbox, or a beautiful poem, unsigned. This year
the Easter Bunny visited our Sunday service, leaving chocolate
eggs under everyone's cushions, even the one prepared for a visiting
Zen master. Sometimes the bathrooms are miraculously cleaned overnight.
And flowers spontaneously appear in a neighbor's yard, thanks
to the children in the temple. Secret good deeds. They are so
much fun. In their doing you can't help but smile.
Geri Larkin in Tap
Dancing in Zen
Practice now. Don’t think you will do
more later.
From Dipa
Ma, The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master
To train your mind in the actual body of the graduated path to
enlightenment, you should attempt to purify your obstacles and
accumulate merit, which are the necessary conditions. Then,
you should make single-pointed requests to the guru inseparable
from the deity in order to receive blessings within your heart. If
you attempt to strongly and continuously practice in this way
every day, realizations will come without any difficulty.
Manjushi's advice to Lama Tsongkhapa, from The Heart of the Path
There are four kinds of people when it comes to acquiring wisdom. They can be likened to clay pots.The first kind are like a pot with a hole in the bottom. Wisdom can pour in, but it flows out just as fast and they never acquire any.The second kind is like a cracked pot. The wisdom fills it when it is poured in but it leaks away and is diminished.Thirdly they may be like a pot already full with its own water. This water is not allowed to change and becomes stagnant. New knowledge pours out and overflows as it is poured in.The fourth is an empty vessel w ith sound wallsHaving become enlightened, having received the Dharma properly, then the bottom of the vessel is dropped out. What good is it to keep the teachings to oneself? It will only become stagnant. Let the Dharma flow freely through us so that others may benefit.
Dennis Merzel in Beyond Sanity and Madness, page 78
One can encompass a whole range of means and methods which are elaborate
and complex. But one should know that even while that may be so that
part of the Dharma path may involve complex practices, all are meant to
provide a single insight: the insight into the basic nature of things,
which is not complex, without any elaboration, simplicity. Because of
being the intrinsic nature of things, it transcends elaboration and
complexities we are used to. The key point is, all means and methods
that we see described in teachings, and that you may make personal use
of in practice, are all meant to bring an end to complexity. While they
may be complex, they are meant to provide a realization which is beyond
all complexity!
Not that those methods won't work, but don't confuse methods with the
discovery one gets through the methods. Methods are very helpful
conditions. Necessary factors need to be brought together for us to gain
insight of the nature of things just as it is, the abiding way of
things, beyond all complexities. It is discovered because of the means
and methods. We need to understand this relationship and use the means
and methods in a correct and skillful way.
Chökyi Nyima Rimpoche
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss
that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important
of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless,
but disastrous.
Thomas Merton
Remember the example of an old cow:
She’s content to sleep in a barn.
You have to eat, sleep and shit—
That’s unavoidable—
Anything beyond that is none of your business.
Do what you have to do
And keep yourself to yourself.
Patrul Rinpoche
While we may begin to understand our intrinsic potential, our
human fallibility is nevertheless glaringly evident in so many aspects of
life. We may try to overlook it or strive towards some ideal or vision of
perfection, but even then, our humanity is just below the surface. The
spiritual search and the quest for personal growth is often an attempt
to transcend this fallibility. We may have a vision of wholeness, but if
we relate to this vision unskillfully, it may not lead us beyond suffering
but instead perpetuate its causes.
Rob Preece, The Wisdom of Imperfection
When we forget the real reason we are living
for,
the worldliness of life becomes like quicksand that sucks you into
a spiritual vacuum.
When that happens, we live less and less; we merely stay alive.
Shian (TheDailyEnlightenment@yahoogroups.com)
|
In Tibetan, the word for “body” is lü, which means “something you leave behind,” like baggage. Each time we say lü, it reminds us that we are only travelers, taking temporary refuge in this life and this body. In Tibet, people did not distract themselves by spending all their time trying to make their external circumstances more comfortable. They were satisfied if they had enough to eat, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their heads.
Going on, as we do, obsessively trying to improve our conditions, can become an end in itself, and a pointless distraction. Would people in their right mind think of fastidiously redecorating their hotel room every time they checked in to one?
We must never forget that it is through our actions, words, and thoughts that we have a choice. And if we choose to do so, we can put an end to suffering and the causes of suffering, and help our true potential, our buddha nature, to awaken in us. Until this buddha nature is completely awakened and we are freed from our ignorance and merge with the deathless, enlightened mind, there can be no end to the round of life and death. So, the teachings tell us, if we do not assume the fullest possible responsibility for ourselves now in this life, our suffering will go on not only for a few lives but for thousands of lives.
It is this sobering knowledge that makes Buddhists consider that future lives are more important even than this one, because there are many more that await us in the future. This long-term vision governs how they live. They know if we were to sacrifice the whole of eternity for this life, it would be like spending our entire life savings on one drink, madly ignoring the consequences.
For us to survive on the spiritual path, there are many challenges to face, and there is much to learn. We have to discover how to deal with obstacles and difficulties; how to process doubts and see through wrong views; how to inspire ourselves when we least feel like it; how to understand ourselves and our moods; how really to work with and integrate the teachings and practices; how to evoke compassion and enact it in life; and how to transform our suffering and emotions.
On the spiritual path, all of us need the support and the good foundation that come from really knowing the teachings, and this cannot be stressed strongly enough. For the more we study and practice, the more we shall embody discernment, clarity, and insight. Then, when the truth comes knocking, we will know it, with certainty, for what it is, and gladly open the door, because we’ll have guessed that it may well be the truth of who we really are.
The teachings tell us what it is we need to realize, but we also have to go on our own journey, in order to come to a personal realization. That journey may take us through suffering, difficulties, and doubts of all kinds, but they will become our greatest teachers. Through them we will learn the humility to recognize our limitations, and through them we will discover the inner strength and fearlessness we need to emerge from our old habits and set patterns, and surrender into the vaster vision of real freedom offered by the spiritual teachings.
Taking life seriously does not mean spending our whole lives meditating as if we were living in the Himalaya Mountains or in the old days in Tibet. In the modern world, we have to work to earn our living, but we should not get entangled in a nine-to-five existence, where we live without any view of the deeper meaning of life.
Our task is to strike a balance, to find a middle way, to learn not to overextend ourselves with extraneous activities and preoccupations, but to simplify our lives more and more. The key to finding a happy balance in modern life is simplicity.
Things will never be perfect. How could they be? We are still in samsara. Even when you have chosen your master and are following the teachings as sincerely as you can, you will meet difficulties and frustrations, contradictions and imperfections. Don’t succumb to obstacles and tiny difficulties. These are often only ego’s childish emotions. Don’t let them blind you to the essential and enduring value of what you have chosen. Don’t let your impatience drag you away from your commitment to the truth.
I have been saddened, again and again, to see how many people take up a teaching or a master with enthusiasm and promise, only to lose heart when the smallest, unavoidable obstacles arise, then tumble back into samsara and old habits, and waste years or perhaps a lifetime.
When little obstacles crop up on the spiritual path, a good practitioner does not lose faith and begin to doubt, but has the discernment to recognize difficulties, whatever they may be, for what they are—just obstacles, and nothing more. It is the nature of things that when you recognize an obstacle as such, it ceases to be an obstacle. Equally, it is by failing to recognize an obstacle for what it is, and therefore taking it seriously, that it is empowered and solidified and becomes a real blockage.
What is a great spiritual practitioner? A person who lives always in the presence of his or her own true self, someone who has found and who uses continually the springs and sources of profound inspiration. As the modem English writer Lewis Thompson wrote:
“Christ, supreme poet, lived truth so passionately that every gesture of his, at once pure Act and perfect Symbol, embodies the transcendent.”
To embody the transcendent is why we are here.
All the spiritual teachers of humanity have told us the same thing, that the purpose of life on earth is to achieve union with our fundamental, enlightened nature. It says in the Upanishads:
There is the path of wisdom and the path of ignorance. They are far apart and lead to different ends. . . . Abiding in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, fools go aimlessly hither and thither like the blind led by the blind. What lies beyond life shines not to those who are childish, or careless, or deluded by wealth.
To serve the world out of the dynamic union of wisdom and compassion would be to participate most effectively in the preservation of the planet. Masters of all the religious traditions on earth now understand that spiritual training is essential not solely for monks and nuns but for all people, whatever their faith or way of life. The nature of spiritual development is intensely practical, active, and effective. The danger we are all in together makes it essential now that we no longer think of spiritual development as a luxury but as a necessity for survival.
As a famous Tibetan teaching says: “When the world is filled with evil, all mishaps should be transformed into the path of enlightenment.”
The teachings of all the great mystical paths of the world make it clear that there is within us an enormous reservoir of power, the power of wisdom and compassion, the power of what Christ called the Kingdom of Heaven. If we learn how to use it—and this is the goal of the search for enlightenment—it can transform not only ourselves but the world around us. Has there ever been a time when the clear use of this sacred power was more essential or more urgent? Has there ever been a time when it was more vital to understand the nature of this pure power and how to channel it and how to use it for the sake of the world?
It is extremely hard to rest undistracted in the nature of mind, even for a
moment, let alone to self-liberate a single thought or emotion as it rises.
We often assume that simply because we understand something intellectually,
or think we do, we have actually realized it. This is a great
delusion. It requires the maturity that only years of listening, contemplation,
reflection, meditation, and sustained practice can ripen.
Anyone looking honestly at life will see that we live in a constant state of
suspense and ambiguity. Our minds are perpetually shifting in and out of confusion
and clarity. If we could be confused all the time, that would at least make
for some kind of clarity. What is really baffling about life is that sometimes,
despite all our confusion, we can also be really wise!
This constant uncertainty may make everything seem bleak and almost hopeless;
but if you look more deeply at it, you will see that its very nature creates
“gaps,” spaces in which profound chances and opportunities for transformation
are continuously flowering—if, that is, they can be seen and seized.
We all have the karma to take one spiritual path or another,
and I would encourage you, from the bottom of my heart, to follow with complete
sincerity the path that inspires you most.
If you go on searching all the time, the searching itself becomes an obsession
and takes you over. You become a spiritual tourist, bustling about and never
getting anywhere. As Patrul Rinpoche says: “You leave your elephant at home
and look for its footprints in the forest.” Following one teaching is not a
way of confining you or jealously monopolizing you. It’s a compassionate and
practical way of keeping you centered and always on your path, despite all the
obstacles that you, and the world, will inevitably present.
As we follow the teachings and as we practice, we will inevitably discover
certain truths about ourselves that stand out prominently: There are places
where we always get stuck; there are habitual patterns and strategies that are
the legacy of negative karma, which we continuously repeat and reinforce; there
are particular ways of seeing things—those tired old explanations of ourselves
and the world around us—that are quite mistaken yet which we hold onto as authentic,
and so distort our whole view of reality.
When we persevere on the spiritual path, and examine ourselves honestly, it begins to dawn on us more and more that our perceptions are nothing
more than a web of illusions. Simply to acknowledge our confusion, even though
we cannot accept it completely, can bring some light of understanding and spark
off in us a new process, a process of healing.
It cannot be stressed too often that it is the truth of the teaching that is all-important, and never the personality of the teacher. This is why Buddha reminded us in the Four Reliances:
Rely on the message of the teacher, not on his personality;
Rely on the meaning, not just on the words;
Rely on the real meaning, not on the provisional one;
Rely on your wisdom mind, not on your ordinary, judgmental mind.
It is important to remember that the true teacher is the spokesman of the truth: its compassionate “wisdom display.” All the buddhas, masters, and prophets are the emanations of this truth, appearing in countless skillful, compassionate guises in order to guide us, through their teachings, back to our true nature.
At first, more important than finding the teacher is finding and following the truth of the teaching, for it is through making a connection with the truth of the teaching that you will discover your living connection with a master.
Mipham, a great Tibetan master who lived around the late 1900s, was a kind of Himalayan Leonardo da Vinci. He is said to have invented a clock, a cannon, and an airplane. But once each of them was complete, he destroyed it, saying it would only be the cause of further distraction.
When you have learned, through discipline, to simplify your life, and so practiced the mindfulness of meditation, and through it loosened the hold of aggression, clinging, and negativity on your whole being, the wisdom of insight can slowly dawn. And in the all-revealing clarity of its sunlight, this insight can show you, distinctly and directly, both the subtlest workings of your own mind and the nature of reality.
The beginner’s mind is an open mind, an empty mind, a ready mind, and if we really listen with a beginner’s mind, we might really begin to hear. For if we listen with a silent mind, as free as possible from the clamor of preconceived ideas, a possibility will be created for the truth of the teachings to pierce us, and for the meaning of life and death to become increasingly and startlingly clear.
My master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche said: “The more and more you listen, the more and more you hear; the more and more you hear, the deeper and deeper your understanding becomes.”
Again and again we need to appreciate the subtle workings of the teachings and the practice, and even when there is no extraordinary, dramatic change, to persevere with calm and patience. How important it is to be skillful and gentle with ourselves, without becoming disheartened or giving up, but trusting the spiritual path and knowing that it has its own laws and its own dynamics.
The most important thing is not to get trapped
in what I see everywhere in the West, a "shopping mentality":
shopping around from master to master, teaching to teaching, without
any continuity or real, sustained dedication to any one discipline.
Nearly all the great spiritual masters of all traditions agree
that the essential thing is to master one way, one path to the
truth, by following one tradition with all your heart and mind
to the end of the spiritual journey, while remaining open and
respectful towards the insights of all others. ...
The modern faddish idea that we can always keep all our options
open and so never need commit ourselves to anything is one of
the greatest and most dangerous delusions of our culture, and
one of the ego's most effective ways of sabotaging our spiritual
search.
As we follow the teachings and as we practice, we will inevitably discover certain truths about ourselves that stand out prominently: There are places where we always get stuck; there are habitual patterns and strategies that are the legacy of negative karma, which we continuously repeat and reinforce; there are particular ways of seeing things—those tired old explanations of ourselves and the world around us—that are quite mistaken yet which we hold onto as authentic, and so distort our whole view of reality.
When we persevere on the spiritual path, and examine ourselves honestly, it begins to dawn on us more and more that our perceptions are nothing more than a web of illusions. Simply to acknowledge our confusion, even though we cannot accept it completely, can bring some light of understanding and spark off in us a new process, a process of healing.
The modern faddish idea that we can always
keep all our options open and so never need commit ourselves to
anything is one of the greatest and most delusions of our culture,
and one of ego's most effective ways of sabotaging our spiritual
search.
From: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
When we have really grasped the law of karma in all its stark power and complex reverberations over many, many lifetimes, and seen just how our self-grasping and self-cherishing, life after life, have woven us repeatedly into a net of ignorance that seems only to be ensnaring us more and more tightly; when we have really understood the dangerous and doomed nature of the self-grasping mind’s enterprise; when we have really pursued its operations into their most subtle hiding places; when we have really understood just how our whole ordinary mind and actions are defined, narrowed and darkened by it, how almost impossible it makes it for us to uncover the heart of unconditional love, and how it has blocked in us all sources of real love and real compassion, then there comes a moment when we understand, with extreme and poignant clarity, what Shantideva said:
If all the harms
Fears and sufferings in the world
Arise from self-grasping,
What need have I for such a great evil spirit?
And then a resolution is born in us to destroy that evil spirit, our greatest enemy. With that evil spirit dead, the cause of all our suffering will be removed, and our true nature, in all its spaciousness and dynamic generosity, will shine out. |
The purpose of studying Buddhism
is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.
Shunryu Suzuki
The spiritual path is truly simple. It is simple because it is not about acquiring, accumulating, or achieving anything. It is all about giving up what we don't need. It's about giving up what isn't useful instead of acquiring things with the idea of going somewhere or achieving something. That was the old game. That game which we have been playing for a long time is like a vicious circle. It has no end.
Sometimes the spiritual search itself prevents us from seeing the truth that is always one with us. We have to know when to stop the search. There are people who die while they are searching for the highest truth with philosophical formulas and esoteric techniques. For them spiritual practice becomes another egoic plot which simply maintains and feeds delusions. Amazing! Buddha, God, truth, the divine, the great mystery, whatever you have been searching for, is here right now.
Anam Thubten, from No Self, No Problem
In general the teaching of the Buddha is very vast and profound, it is
not so simple as to grasp it in one time. If we had to summarise the complete
teaching of Buddha we would see that all is included in two main points, that
is:
cause no harm to any sentient beings,
always try to benefit all sentient beings;
or, if we are not able to benefit others we should at least avoid all harmful
thoughts and actions.
Buddha Himself summarised in a few lines the essence of His teachings: abandon
all harming actions and all negative actions, practice all positive actions
completely and control your own mind. This is the teaching of Buddha.
His Holiness Trijang Dorje Chang
The birth of a man is the birth of his sorrow. The longer he lives, the more stupid he becomes, because his anxiety to avoid unavoidable death becomes more and more acute. What bitterness! He lives for what is always out of reach! His thirst for survival in the future makes him incapable of living in the present.
Chuang Tzu
The cloistered environment stands in stark contrast to the uncontrolled environment
of everyday active life in the modern world. When I was a graduate student living
in a family housing unit at Stanford University, I meditated early in the morning.
At about 7:00 outside our window, a group of little girls would begin shrieking
and driving their plastic tractors and tricycles across the bricks. I was meditating
and these girls were disturbing my peace. I got to feeling pretty sorry for
myself so I phoned my lama, Gyatrul Rinpoche, and asked for advice. He gave
me a one-liner, "Just view it." This was not just Rinpoche's way of
telling me to quit whining, but a reminder of the more encompassing teaching
to embrace obstacles in practice. And carry on. We can't always control our
environment, but we can embrace it, the good, the bad, and the loud, and integrate
it into Dharma practice.
B. Alan Wallace, Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind-Training
Modesty is the foundation of all virtues.
Let your neighbors discover you before you make yourself known
to them.
A noble heart never forces itself forward.
Its words are as rare gems, seldom displayed and of great value.
Zengetsu
Last
updated:
April 15, 2011
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