Despite the fact that buddhas and bodhisattvas have transcended relative truth, not having a body of flesh and body, in order to liberate us, still they manifest a body of flesh and blood. BuddhaAmitabha of the Pure Land can’t liberate us, neither does Buddha Samantabhadra; although the sambhogakaya and the nirmanakaya of buddha are sublime, they are not able to liberate us, because they can’t communicate with us. Thus a teacher in a relative sense is vital.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

From the perspective of material life, our era has the most abundance of material wealth in human history. We possess advanced devices and products such as airplanes, wireless, computers, etc. However, compared with ancient people, we lost freedom, which is the most precious thing in the world. We need to contemplate on this problem and make some proper choices, endeavoring to give ourself more freedom.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

The Buddha told his disciples: it’s clinging to any objects that will become obstacles to liberation, not the value of the clung objects. At the time of death, if a rich person can distribute his assets properly, which leaves him with no attachment to his assets, the assets will not become obstacles to his liberation. To the contrary, even if one’s assets are not abundant, if one clings to them, then the assets will become obstacles to one’s liberation.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Countless buddhas in the past, including Shakyamuni Buddha, vowed to liberate all sentient beings when giving rise to bodhicitta, vowing to attain buddhahood after all sentient beings attain buddhahood. We haven’t attained buddhahood yet, but they have. Why? Buddhas make such aspirations out of vast compassion. Due to the greatest and sublimity of their aspirations, they attained buddhahood swiftly. Whereas we are preoccupied with our own interest, thus we are still struggling in the samsara.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

An aged practitioner needs to focus on Dzogchen and the Ngöndro Practices, meanwhile doing pure-land practice as well. This is requested by H.H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. Why is it? If one’s practice on Dzogchen or other trantric practices are not effective, one can hope for taking rebirth in the pure land.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

With strenuous effort, an iron bar can be ground into a needle. Likewise, with persistent meditation, we can suppress negative and destructive emotions such as greed, aggression, pride, and jealousy, etc, and our mind will reach a state of freedom to some extent. Freedom here means being free from anxiety, and maintaining joy for extended periods if you want.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

As a Mahayanist, we should refrain from giving rise to thoughts of conquest: conquering nature, countries, nations or people; rather we should be grateful to nature and all sentient beings. Due to the existence of nature and sentient beings, we can achieve noble goals, which are engendering bodhicitta and realising emptiness.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Although trying to avoid suffering, all living beings are not free from suffering, which derives from ignorance. Due to ignorance, the method to seek happiness is tainted. Thus despite the fact that we seek happiness, we reap the result of suffering. Therefore, the primary driving force of cyclic existence is ignorance, which leads to self-clinging, then it is followed by the clinging to one’s possessions, next defilements such as greed, aggression, and pride, etc, ensue.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

What does “preliminary practice” of Tibetan Buddhism mean? It means preparatory practice. Despite the fact that ultimately we need to attain the wisdom of emptiness, without laying a solid foundation of cultivating renunciation and bodhicitta, we are not able to realise emptiness.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES