Should all practitioners give up everything and retreat to the caves to meditate like Milarepa did? It would be great if one can do that, but most laypeople cannot and so the Buddha did not rule this way. In a nutshell, the Buddha only asked all Buddhists to be content with fewer desires, which means differently to the monastics and lay practitioners. How then should lay practitioners interpret this request from the Buddha?

I have seen that someone who owns three or four villas but hardly ever lives in any of them. Very often this person just spends the night on the office sofa. Others own three or four cars but only use one; the rest just lay idle in the garage. This kind of lifestyle does not comply with the Buddha’s request for a life filled with fewer desires. From the standpoint of the world as a whole, over-consumption of either fossil fuels or trees is also a wrong way of living, which does not meet the Buddha’s request either.

~Depicted from THE RIGHT VIEW - The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life

It is stated in the sutras that practitioners are classified into three levels. Top-level practitioners are able to make progress every day. Those in the middle fare a little worse but are still capable of some breakthrough each month. Even the ones in the low level can better themselves at least by the year.

Let us ask ourselves: “Which level do I belong? Did I or can I improve over last year?” If the answer is no, we do not belong to any one of the three levels of practitioners. Since there is no fourth level, it just goes to show that we are practitioners in name only. And even that could be an overstatement.

I met some lay practitioners who still had not completed the very basic practices long after taking refuge. It is terrible and very disappointing. The reason for that is primarily a lack of motivation, which leads to practice at a snail’s pace or sometimes even withdrawal to a complete stop.

~Depicted from THE RIGHT VIEW - The Three Supreme Methods—the ultimate methods of cultivating virtue and training the mind

In the sutras, suffering of suffering is defined as having a feeling of suffering when it occurs; as soon as it disappears, a feeling of happiness arises. For instance, when we are sick, we feel pain; when we recover, we feel happy. Hence, physical pain from illness is suffering of suffering.

Why is the word “suffering” repeated? This alludes to the great intensity of the suffering. That aspect of suffering which all living beings, whether human or animal, perceive alike and reject, and which is clearly recognized as a painful feeling, is said to be suffering of suffering. This suffering is found primarily in the lower three realms; it is also evident in the human and god realms, for example, in the eight basic types of suffering of human beings such as birth, aging, sickness, and death.

In The Words of My Perfect Teacher, suffering of suffering is clearly expounded. This aspect of suffering in each of the six realms is explained in great detail and is therefore not repeated here.

~Depicted from THE FOUR SEALS OF DHARMA - All Contaminated Things are Unsatisfactory

In the process of observing the image of Vajrasattva, start with the face, then proceed to the right hand, the left hand, the right foot, and then the left foot. Alternatively, you can also observe other elements in turn, such as Vajrasattva’s face or bodily ornaments, the whole image in a general sense, or the details of the image, such as the white part of Vajrasattva’s eyes. Having engaged in such careful observation, the image of Vajrasattva will appear in your mind. Some people claim they cannot visualize Vajrasattva clearly, but the fact is that without following the instruction on visualization or devoting time to practice, there is no way one can visualize Vajrasattva clearly. It’s not easy to perform visualization, so you should not give up altogether if the image fails to appear in your mind after only one or two afternoons of observation. To successfully have a clear vision requires persistent practice. 

~Depicted from VAJRASATTVA PRACTICE – THE WISH-FULLILING JEWEL

Indeed, even the slogans on the main roads say “We live but once!” but in fact this is not so. As sentient beings with strong karmic imprints, we will continue to take rebirth in samsara over countless lifetimes; however, without practice, we will only end this life in spiritual decline. As you know, beings who take rebirth in the lower realms – even in the most favorable animal realm – do not have a chance to practice Dharma, let alone hear the sacred designations and mantras of the buddhas. Beings in the hungry ghost and hell realms are even less likely to have this chance. Therefore, however busy or difficult it may be, we must still seize the moment to practice. If we forgo this most propitious opportunity, we cannot be sanguine about coming back as human beings again.

~Depicted from THE FOUR SEALS OF DHARMA -SUMMATION

To learn Buddhism is to learn wisdom and compassion. To attain Buddhahood means the manifestation of the inherent wisdom and compassion of Buddha-nature after all the obscurations have been purified. That is all it means.

Rongzom Pandita, one of the greatest scholars of the Nyingma lineage, once said, “The invariable definition of Buddhism is wisdom and compassion. No other explanation can fully express the core of Buddhism.”

~Depicted from THE RIGHT VIEW - Buddhism—the Definition

The World Bank and World Health Organization expect depression to be the biggest public health problem worldwide in the not too distant future. In 2006 alone, the annual expenditure on anti-depressants in the United States was estimated at seventy-six billion US dollars. However, the effectiveness of these drugs has been less than ideal, since the drugs cause damage to that part of the brain that controls the subtle thought processes. Thus, the long term use of anti-depressants will affect our emotional state.

How can we solve this problem?

To treat mental problems we must work with the mind. Nothing could be more appropriate for the treatment of mental conditions than methods that work with the mind. Especially in our present business-oriented society, it is imperative that we look immediately for methods and answers within the Buddhist culture to address concrete problems in our life, and ameliorate the stress and anxiety we feel.

~Depicted from ARE YOU READY FOR HAPPINESS - The Significance of Buddhist Philosophy Today

After meditation sessions, we should apply these concepts and experiences to our everyday life. At all times, it is important to remember everything in life is illusory, impermanent, and non- substantial; this way we will ultimately come to a profound realization there is nothing to be attached to. Such is the right kind of non-attachment.

~Depicted from THE FOUR SEALS OF DHARMA - The Practice of No-Self

All the schools of Tibetan Buddhism offer chöd (cutting though the ego) practice. Chöd is a very special practice that has many versions. There is an initial chöd practice in the preliminary practice of Dzogchen, called kusali chöd. In this practice, one visualizes offering one’s own body to the guru and the Three Jewels as well as to the ghosts and non-humans. The real chöd practice is, by applying a rather uncommon method, to cut through attachment and defilement with realization of emptiness. The premise of undertaking this practice is to attain realization of emptiness and to grow and strengthen the power of this realization. When one has reached a more mature state in the practice, one then meditates in places where mundane spirits inhabit. There one is likely to encounter real ghosts, hear unusual sounds, or witness some strange phenomena. Most people will get nervous in this situation and have a heightened sense of self. If one concentrates on the void nature of phenomena at that time, self-grasping can be eliminated successfully along with other negative emotions such as fear and anxiety.

~Depicted from THE HANDBOOK FOR LIFE'S JOURNEY -On The Three Poisons-How to Confront Anger