“If some people are endowed with the wisdom of the Buddha, some are not, then am I endowed with buddha nature or not? It’s difficult to answer. Will I succeed in my diligent practice?” Everyone possesses buddha nature, this is definitely so. Everyone has great potential, because we possess the wisdom of the Buddha innately, it’s up to us to find it’s existence. Once we succeed, all defilements will be gone, it’s that simple.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
If you want to get rich, the best method is to make offerings and give generously—giving to the poor and making offerings to the three jewels. This is the only way to see results in this world.
~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
Death is vital for everyone, because this is the reality everyone is reluctant to face but have to face. For ordinary beings, death is a dark, unknown area, pervaded with despair, mystery, suffering and sorrow. When facing death, almost everyone feels panicked and fearful, these are all due to the misunderstanding derived from not understanding death. If having gained a correct understanding of death, then fear will be dispelled, and preparations for death can be made.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
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
“If some people are endowed with the wisdom of the Buddha, some are not, then am I endowed with buddha nature or not? It’s difficult to answer. Will I succeed in my diligent practice?” Everyone possesses buddha nature, this is definitely so. Everyone has great potential, because we possess the wisdom of the Buddha innately, it’s up to us to find it’s existence. Once we succeed, all defilements will be gone, it’s that simple.
~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
