We may often think to ourselves: I am not really willing to generate bodhicitta, as I am only interested in my own benefit. But I will force myself to do it. Because if I don’t, whatever I do will not be considered practicing Mahayana. This is called “contrived” bodhicitta.
~ Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1
To love just family and friends is a lesser love. To love all sentient beings is greater love. The nature of the lesser love is selfishness and hence the cause for all kinds of suffering and dissatisfaction. The nature of great love is dedication and hence be capable of generating immense happiness and fulfillment. To exchange lesser love for great love is the right way for humans to find happiness.
~Depicted from the Seasonal Quotations of Khenpo
What then are the methods we can use to train our minds? They are the four general preliminary practices, and their importance should not be treated lightly. Centuries ago, Venerable Atisha and many eminent practitioners in Tibet attained supreme achievements with nothing but contemplation of precious human birth and impermanence throughout their lives. They are our role models and we should do likewise. Those unwilling to practice the preliminaries yet hoping to stride far on first try will never be able to reach the final goal of liberation, just as if they were blocked from reaching the end of a journey by the numerous high mountain passes.
~ Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1
People are all afraid of suffering, want to avoid suffering and adopt every possible means to prevent suffering, but they only succeed in bringing more suffering upon themselves in the end. The Buddhist way is to know what suffering is, face it, overcome it and finally eradicate suffering altogether.
~Depicted from the Seasonal Quotations of Khenpo
In the teachings of Guru Padmasambhava, he says that he would teach different kinds of sentient beings by manifesting into different forms, lives, identities and appearances in Tibet, the Han areas and even all over the world, in order to liberate different kinds of beings. In this degenerate time, humans are selfish and lack of faith. They hold numerous wrong views; they are endangered by psychological crises and frequent natural disasters. At this kind of moment, the blessings of Guru Padmasambhava will be greater than the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
~ Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 10
Our sense organ with their many flaws are like defective tools. It would be fundamentally wrong to ascertain the truth of life and the world through sense perceptions. What we should trust is the transcendent wisdom of the Buddha, instead of relying totally on our senses.
~Depicted from the Seasonal Quotations of Khenpo
As physical illness needs the right medication to be cured, cyclic existence can only be stopped with practice of the Dharma. To counteract defilements and attachment, one must exert a sharply opposing force in order to be effective. The process of exerting this counteracting force is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.
In other words, the purpose of undertaking Dharma practice is to cease the endless cycle of rebirth and death, not unlike what the right medicine is to a patient.
~ Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1
The Buddha said, “Human’s sense of sight, hearing and sense of smell are all inaccurate, neither are that of taste, touch and man’s consciousness.” If these senses were all correct, how would the path of the enlightened benefit anyone ?
~Depicted from the Seasonal Quotations of Khenpo
We must be aware that, as far as any of the mundane dharmas are concerned—,whether money, fame, status or people—as long as there is attachment, they will give us a great deal of suffering. The bigger the attachment, the greater the pain they will give us; the pain may even go beyond the happiness that thing originally brought us. This is certain. To stop the suffering in this mundane world, we should, first and foremost, stop our attachment.
~ Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 4
