Lay practitioner’s practice starts from observing precepts. Observing precepts is also considered as a kind of practice and it is in fact most vital. I have met many lay practitioners who, despite the fact that they have taken refuge in the Three Jewels and believed they’re a seasoned practitioner, have yet to take the five precepts of lay practitioners. This is rather unreasonable. In order be a lay practitioner, observing precepts is paramount. Precepts are the foundation of all practice and developing wisdom. Without observing precepts, one is not a genuine practitioner, thus observing precepts is compulsory.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

My teacher, H.H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, once told me, before you attain the enlightenment, your comprehension of the dharma can be likened to reading a road map, thus you must practice vigorously.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Today some Buddhists are reluctant to do ngondro practices; rather, they seek to practice on emptiness, deities and dzogchen — but this will not lead to any result. Without finishing the education of the primary school, how can one directly go to university?

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Someone endowed with relative bodhicitta has embarked on the path of accumulation. Without bodhicitta, one is a mere Buddhist, not having entered the path of accumulation. Thus the key element to enter the path of accumulation hinges on whether or not one has generated bodhicitta.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

All practices of the peerless Vajrayana put great importance on cultivating renunciation and bodhicitta. For instance, when engaging in development stage practice, without the view of emptiness and compassion, even if one can visualise the deity clearly, it’s meaningless. Similarly, according to sutras, without renunciation and bodhicitta, even if one has recited deity’s mantra over 100 million times, it’s not a big deal. Thus the prerequisite of any practice is to engender renunciation and bodhicitta.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Lay practitioner’s practice starts from observing precepts. Observing precepts is also considered as a kind of practice and it is in fact most vital. I have met many lay practitioners who, despite the fact that they have taken refuge in the Three Jewels and believed they’re a seasoned practitioner, have yet to take the five precepts of lay practitioners. This is rather unreasonable. In order be a lay practitioner, observing precepts is paramount. Precepts are the foundation of all practice and developing wisdom. Without observing precepts, one is not a genuine practitioner, thus observing precepts is compulsory.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Actually, bodhicitta is a resolution, which entails two folds: first, we resolve to enlighten all sentient beings; second, in order to enlighten all sentient beings, I resolve to attain buddhahood, embarking and progressing on the path of liberation from today onwards. In order to attain buddhahood, we engage in various dharmic activities, be it offering incense to buddhas, prostrating to buddhas, reading sutras, chanting the name of Buddha Amitabha, chanting mantras, or meditating; eventually we are bound to attain buddhahood, after which we can proceed to liberate sentient beings.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

According to the Bodhisattva vow in the Mahayana, once giving rise to aggression and forsaking compassion to anyone, one violates the root precept of the Bodhisattva vow and cannot generate bodhicitta. Of all defilements, aggression is the most severe. The downfalls of aggression are countless.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Although from the meditative concentration’s point of view, the heavenly beings in the form and formless realm are endowed with great capacity, the meditative concentration they abide in is mere tranquility, which is devoid of the wisdom of realisation, thus their meditative concentration has nothing to do with liberation. Among sentient beings in the three worlds and the six realms, only humans have the best chance to attain liberation. Thus being a human is fairly significant, we need to cherish our human body.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES