The goal of dharma practice is not to keep ourselves from ageing, or dying or being poor, rather, it’s about how we can be more compassionate, endowed with more wisdom, and benefit sentient beings more effectively.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Before engaging in main practice, we need to cultivate renunciation, which entails four practices of outer preliminary practices: preciousness of human body, the impermanence of human life, the infallibility of the law of karma, and the defects of samsara. Once having cultivated renunciation, we should not hurry to engage in practice of calm abiding and meditative concentration; rather, we need to cultivate bodhicitta. Without bodhicitta, there is no aim in our practice. Without aim, what’s the point of engaging in meditative concentration and dzogchen practice?
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Nobody can vanquish all foes, however if one can eliminate aggression, then it’s the equivalent to vanquishing all foes. The true foe exists in our mind, not outside.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
To generate uncontrived bodhicitta is difficult. From beginningless time, we have been habituated to arrange everything for ourselves, whereas the thoughts of benefiting sentient beings one-pointedly and sincerely are limited. Even these thoughts arise occasionally, the scope is very limited. We are so accustomed to selfishness and have never habituating the thought of benefiting others. Thus it’s really hard to give rise to bodhicitta. Nevertheless, even if the difficulties are greater, we need to exert ourselves to cultivate bodhicitta.
~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
Each time we die, the nature of mind will be revealed, but we never can perceive it. Every night when entering a deep sleep, for a split second we are in touch with the nature of mind, but we never can perceive it. Thus we need our lama’s pith instruction, with which we can attain enlightenment instantly. This is the swift method of the Vajrayana to attain enlightenment.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Shakyamuni Buddha once stated during transmitting dharma: it’s difficult for ordinary beings to analyse and comprehend the law of karma; thus before one’s wisdom reaches to certain levels, it’s best for one not to analyze the law of karma. Even analyzing it, one would not reap any result, rather, it’ll bring us doubt towards cause and effect, which will lead in turn to violating law and morality for some benefits of this life, causing harm to others with the wish not to be caught.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Enduring Hardship ~Buddhism teaches us to face suffering in the right way. We cannot run away from suffering; we should accept all circumstances with an open heart and embrace hardship. In so doing, we are able to transform suffering into a positive force or see it as a good teacher and friend.
~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
