WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

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

Ignorance leads to attachment, such as clinging to external world, one’s own body, fame and gain. Without satisfying one’s desire, one will suffer. In order to satisfy one’s desire, one will engage in negative acts, such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying, etc. All negative acts stem from attachment and ignorance.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Venerable Atisha stated: if one hundred thoughts arise during the day, then one needs to examine their arising, abiding, and cessation one hundred times. When doing this for each, one will not find the thoughts; this is Dharmadhātu, dharmatā, or buddha nature, referred to as enlightenment.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

All sentient beings wish to attain happiness as we do, hence we should refrain from undermining any beings’ happiness. All sentient beings wish to be free from suffering, hence we should refrain from causing suffering to any being. This is the principle of equality in Buddhism.

~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

We forsake lots of worldly pleasures and undertake various penance such as staying up to chant mantras, meditate, make offering, and practice generosity, etc. However, Mipham Rinpoche warns us in the shastras: without addressing the fundamental problem, regardless of how many practices we engage in, we won’t attain genuine happiness. Thus we need to give up practicing superficial virtues which lack inner mindfulness, rather, in order to eradicate self-clinging, we need to commit ourself to hearing, contemplating and meditating.

~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

There are two ways to realise Dzogchen: one is to listen to dharma extensively, then to accumulate immense merits by engaging in the practice of cultivating renunciation and bodhicitta, the practice of mandala offering and embarking on the path of bodhisattvas. When accumulation of merit rises to a certain level, one can realise emptiness; another way is to rely on the qualified master’s blessing. The premise to receive such blessing is to have devotion. The stronger the devotion, the more blessing one can receive.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Undertaking dharma doesn’t mean that one needs to be a monastic, or become a strange person. A genuine Buddhist is a kind person who can tame one’s mind and remedy one’s defilement such as pride and aggression with dharma, and who will become the best person in society. When doing your best at work and setting examples for others, bear sentient being in your mind, then you’re official bodhisattvas, businessman bodhisattva, worker bodhisattvas or farmer bodhisattva.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES