Before realising the truth of reality, in the process of undertaking the preliminary practice, it’s indispensable for one to cultivate devotion to the dharma, the lineage masters and the Great Perfection doctrine. The preliminary practice can be tedious, without sufficient motivation, one tends to give up prematurely. This is the reason why some people cannot be persistent in their preliminary practice.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
There are two ways to realise Dzogchen: one is to listen to dharma extensively, then to accumulate immense merits by engaging in the practice of cultivating renunciation and bodhicitta, the practice of mandala offering and embarking on the path of bodhisattvas. When accumulation of merit rises to a certain level, one can realise emptiness; another way is to rely on the qualified master’s blessing. The premise to receive such blessing is to have devotion. The stronger the devotion, the more blessing one can receive.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
The more socially competitive one is, the less happiness one attains. For instance, someone has a fancy car, but this person likes comparing. When others surpass him, he cannot maintain calm, exerting oneself to be competitive. Such pursuits are rather tiring. Being competitive is not a necessity of the life. Lots of suffering stems from being as such.
~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
Buddhists never believe in destined fate; rather, we believe all phenomena is the product of causes and conditions and subject to change. If everything is destined and changeless, then why do we bother to undertake dharma study and practice? Is it the goal of studying dharma to change fate? Therefore, in order to dismantle these preconceptions and transcend these causes and conditions, we must practice dharma.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
If mankind has conviction in law of karma, it will not result in any loss, but rather mankind will lead a more peaceful, happier, harmonious life. The law of karma is the most justified law in universe, the hell realm is the most vicious prison in universe; these things can be verified.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
There are two ways to purify one’s negative karma. The first is to confess before the karma matures, thus purifying the negative karma without suffering the consequences. The second is to suffer the consequences of the negative karma thus eliminating the karma.
~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
Practitioners need to go with the flow in society, do whatever others do, be it fashion or trends, but abstaining from emulating the un-virtuous acts of others. The Mahayana Buddhism is rather humanistic and open. Modern buddhists need to appear as a fashionable and trendy person, but with an inner self liken to practitioners of 2500 years ago; this is a perfect combination! Buddhists need to have a mundane body and supra-mundane mind.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
