As soon as there is a concept of "self," there is differentiation between you, me, and him. When we become individual entities, what follows is resentment and competition amongst each other. In this process, greed and anger are like billows that engulf our spirit and prevent us from knowing what to do.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
If everything were predestined and immutable as some non-Buddhists believe, what would be the point of undertaking spiritual practice? Since everything has already been set, there is no point trying to change anything in life—if you are having a good life, rejoice in your good fortune; if you are having a miserable one, just bear it. By the same token, if everything were predetermined, it would be useless to give food to the needy since going hungry would have been their destiny anyway. Hence, fatalism fails to stand up to scrutiny.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
One needs to keep some distance from bad friends, regardless of whoever they are. One needs to maintain one’s views in regards to religious belief and practices even when dealing with one’s parents, relatives and friends. It’s best to influence them to undertake dharma study; if not, one needs to keep some distance from them. The primary principle of Buddhism is dependent arising, one can create causes and conditions, there doesn’t exist a creator of omnipotent god to make all causes and conditions, or fate predestined, just like the programming of computer, as though nobody can change it.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
The goal in Buddhism is to enter into clarity. In everyday life, the longer we can abide in clarity, the more quickly compassion, love, and faith will grow; afflictions will also diminish gradually until finally Buddhahood is attained.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
People can never be fully satisfied with their lives if they do not know how to control their desires, as desires can grow and expand endlessly. No matter who you are, there will always be someone who is better than you. If your aim is to get to the top social stratum, your whole life will be spent in the pursuit of such vanity until the end. The consequence of chasing endless desires is never to be happy. Many such cases can be found in our daily life either from our own experience or that of other people. It is therefore important to be content with fewer desires in life.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Those who refrain from killing and practice life release naturally give rise to love and compassion in their mindstream. This is because the main elements that generate love and compassion are non-killing, practicing life release, and vegetarianism. Buddha also said, "Great compassion is the seed of true dharma." Those who undertake the precept of non-killing, and practice life release are protectors and saviors of sentient beings. They are lamps that shine upon the darkness of cyclic existence. (heidi)
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Ignorance gives rise to volitional actions, volitional actions to consciousness and ultimately birth to old age and death. Each preceding cause gives rise to the subsequent effect which in turn gives rise to the next cause and so on. This is dependent origination. The same also applies in reverse. That is, when ignorance stops, volitional actions stop as well, then consciousness, name and form....until birth stops, finally aging and death stop. Dependent origination thus ceases. The continuation of dependent origination is samsara, its ceasing liberation from samsara.
~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
Arising in the morning is somewhat similar to the Buddha emanating Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya from Dharmakaya to benefit sentient beings. Thus we need to make an aspiration: “May all sentient beings attain dharmakaya, and emanate Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya from Dharmakaya to benefit sentient beings.”
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
