What is worrying is that many who receive empowerment today do not emphasize the secret mantra vehicle vow. Those requesting empowerment do not even know these vows are required for the empowerment. So they think once they receive empowerment, everything will be great. The fact is, once one receives empowerment, the difficulty is in maintaining the secret mantra vehicle vow.
~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 not indulge in our present petty merit, enjoying eating hotpot and playing Majang daily and believing this is the life style of heaven. We need to gain an understanding that all the unexpected incidents fall on us out of our expectation. It’s necessary for us to review "The Words of My Perfect Teacher", Lama Tsong Khapa’s "The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment", and the chapter of the suffering of samsara of Longchenpa’s "Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind".
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
For many practices, transmission is empathised, especially of the Vajrayana. What do we mean by transmission? It means since the first turning of wheel of dharma of the Buddha, the stream of dharma handed down from one generation to another is called lineage, or transmission, which is non-stop, if it’s broken, then the great blessing of the dharma will not continue. Thus, notwithstanding the existence of scriptures,without oral transmission and transmission of pith instruction, the dharma would be extinct.
~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
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
Preliminary practice entails five practices, starting from taking refuge, up to guru yoga. Relying on the capacity of these five practices, one can realise emptiness, which is referred to as realising the nature of mind in the Chan tradition, it means actualising the truth of phenomena. In tantric context, it’s referred to as realising the primordial wisdom. What is it meant by primordial wisdom? Buddha nature is the primordial wisdom.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
Some people believe that Buddhism is a religion, which entails faith. Faith is necessary in Buddhism, however, the view of Buddhism as a religion is rather simplistic, because faith is just one element of Buddhism. The foundation and focal point are not faith, rather they are wisdom and compassion.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
As the saying goes: One takes the behavior of one's company. The impact of one's environment upon oneself is difficult to determine. If you spend a long time with friends that are a bad influence, then not only will you not have the hope of arousing bodhicitta, but the good habits that you previously developed may fade away. A person's buddha nature can mature in this life, but due to encounters with others who are negative influences, the seed of buddha nature would not be able to mature and sprout. There would be no chance of liberation in this life. Isn't that a pity?
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
