WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

Actually, concept and practice are essential aspects of any method; the two are inseparable. Of these, concept is likened to our eyes when we take a walk, while practice is our footsteps. We can proceed to walk only after seeing the road ahead; however, if we only see the road but fail to take steps, we will never arrive at our destination. In the same way, we should fully comprehend the underlying concept in the practice before we begin. But concepts are no more than knowledge found in the books. Except when one is truly enlightened, whatever is gained through listening or thinking — be it listening to the Dharma, reading, or contemplating — is considered conceptual knowledge. If this knowledge is not put into practice, it will not be very helpful in eliminating our afflictions. Having established the right understanding, we must then begin to practice. The purpose of listening to the Dharma and applying the teachings is to eliminate afflictions and attain liberation, not only for ourselves but also for all sentient beings.

- Quote from The Four Seals of Dhama, "Summation"

Liberating living beings is the best antidote to karma of killing lives. However, if we liberate beings simply for the purification of our karma, though karma can be purified, it is not the way to practice Mahayana. Whether to liberate beings to purify our own negative karma or, out of bodhicitta, to do it for the sake of all sentient beings is ultimately a personal choice.

- Quote from The Right View, "Liberating Living Beings"

As a matter of fact, it is an extremely rare opportunity that we were born human, have encountered the teachings of the Buddha and had some time to practice. No other things in the world are as extraordinary as such opportunity. In our countless past lives, we must once have enjoyed great wealth and high esteem that made others envious and might even have owned the most precious wish-fulfilling jewel (Cintamani). The same will happen in the innumerable future lives as well. But all those did not make us any better off today.

- Quote from The Right View, "A Buddhist’s Mode of Life"

However, real austerity means undertaking to practice with diligence and great patience as well as overcoming all kinds of difficulties without fear. Otherwise, paupers among all people would be the first to reach enlightenment.

- Quote from The Right View, "A Buddhist’s Mode of Life"

Although freeing small fry or other beings that will not be killed in the near future is also liberating living beings, they are not lives saved at the point of being killed. To engender great merit and to be deemed a genuine form of fearless offering, lives saved should be those that are about to be killed such as the assorted fish sold in the marketplace.

- Quote from The Right View, "Liberating Living Beings"

We are all ordinary people; all must be reborn. No one can stop this, not even the Buddha. If the Buddha were able to end death and rebirth, we would all be out of samsara by now. Unfortunately, that is not the case! No ordinary people can choose what to be in the next life or not to be reborn. If we were to come back to samsara willingly, no one would choose to be animal, let alone hungry ghost or go to the hell realm. Yet, there are innumerable sentient beings in the hell realm, all because of the stubborn desire for samsara.

- Quote from The Right View, "The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life"

All phenomena are the effects of causes of which there are two kinds, proximate cause and distant cause. Distant cause is the one committed long time ago while proximate cause is formed at the present. 

- Quote from The Right View, "The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life"

Momentary Impermanence is the basis of continuous impermanence. All composite phenomena are impermanent in that they are momentary: the moment they come into existence, they disintegrate. In other words, whatever is created is annihilated in the same instant.

From a macro perspective, all things that are created abide in the world for a time before they disintegrate – the process of arising and ceasing cannot be instantaneous. However, in examining phenomena on a microcosmic level, we discover all things arise and cease at the same time.

- Quote from The Four Seals of Dhama, "All Phenomena Lack Self-Existence"

 As long as we can manage to live a reasonably decent life, they wish we should concentrate on the practice of Dharma and do our best to take control of our own cyclic existence. This is really what we should be doing now.

- Quote from The Right View, "The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life"