If mastering the mystery of mind, when encountering suffering, one is able, not only to face up with suffering courageously and calmly, but also give rise to joy due to one understanding that it’s a rare opportunity to practice when experiencing suffering and happiness. There is a mundane saying: Transforming sorrow into strength, which means transforming negative emotions such as sadness and sorrow into the progressing impetus on the path.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
If we don’t fear for ghosts, even seeing a ghost, it cannot harm us. If seeing something which seem like a ghost, even if it’s not a ghost, due to great fear and psychological factors of believing it’s inauspicious to see a ghost, one or one’s family members will fall ill and encounter unfavourable conditions. Therefore, upon suspecting to see a ghost, one needs to stop right there and start to look at the nature of the mind, then fear and disturbance will vanish immediately, without causing any negative effect.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Being poverty-stricken is part of poverty, being well-off is part of being wealthy. However, being well-off doesn’t represent one’s total wealth; being poverty-stricken doesn’t represent one’s total poverty. Although being wealthy, some people feel empty, bored, having no spiritual dependence, and end up going on shopping sprees to make up for their inner hollowness, this is not an effective means to address their inner hollowness, rather, it’s a temporary satiating of their mind. If one has altruistic mind, then this problem might be addressed quickly.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Some Buddhists and some followers of other religions like going on about supernatural powers or spiritual attainments, this is not the focus of Buddhism. Despite the fact that Buddhism doesn’t refute supernatural power, neither does Buddhism pursuit it. What Buddhism promotes most is how to cultivate loving kindness, how to develop wisdom and how to learn to contribute, etc.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
When making the mandala offering, one needs to refrain from overly focusing on the number; rather, the quality needs to be emphasised. If one hastily finishes the number of mandala offerings without proper visualisation, then even though one has finished the outer mandala offering for 100,000 times, due to not having made inner mandala offering, then just as if one doesn’t have a message to pass on, only attaching a thread on one’s finger, it’s useless. Therefore, making inner mandala offering is vital.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Shakyamuni Buddha taught us: birth, old age, illness and death are the natural law and nobody can escape from it. Attachment is the culprit to confront these suffering. Having attachment is bound to lead to suffering. How to face up with suffering is the most important task of life. Buddhism teaches us that the best way to confront this suffering is to let go of it.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
One needs to make a strenuous effort in the Ngöndro Practices, it may take three or five years, or even longer. One should not hasten to seek results. The process is vital, one needs to engage in solid practice methodically. Some of Patrul Rinpoche’s students had practiced Ngöndro over ten or twenty times, eventually all of them attained enlightenment. We need to meet all criteria of attaining enlightenment through practicing Ngöndro. Our mind is so turbulent and our defilements are so severe, without the power of Ngöndro, it’s impossible for us to attain enlightenment.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
One needs to make a strenuous effort in the Ngöndro Practices, it may take three or five years, or even longer. One should not hasten to seek results. The process is vital, one needs to engage in solid practice methodically. Some of Patrul Rinpoche’s students had practiced Ngöndro over ten or twenty times, eventually all of them attained enlightenment. We need to meet all criteria of attaining enlightenment through practicing Ngöndro. Our mind is so turbulent and our defilements are so severe, without the power of Ngöndro, it’s impossible for us to attain enlightenment.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
We should refrain from thinking that all suffering and unfavourable conditions will be eliminated once we undertake dharma study. Even from the perspective of the Shravakayana, although having realised the selflessness of self, arhats still encounter undesirable conditions and experience karmic consequences.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
