According to sutras, practitioners can be categorized into three levels. The supreme practitioners make progress daily, reaping results everyday day; the mid-level practitioners make less progress, but having breakthroughs monthly; the lesser practitioners make progress only yearly. We need to reflect on ourself, which kind of practitioners are we?
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
My teacher, H.H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, once told me, before you attain the enlightenment, your comprehension of the dharma can be likened to reading a road map, thus you must practice vigorously.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
When anxiety, panic and aversion arise, instead of being scared and unsettled, one needs to act in the following steps: first, realise them; second: observe them; and third, find their secret. Once mastering this secret, defilements lose their power of making you depressed or unsettled.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
After performing virtuous deeds, whether it is reciting mantra, live release, or giving, one should dedicate according to the dharma. People who perform virtuous deeds create merit and can receive positive results. However, practitioners of Mahayana do not want to enjoy the positive results alone. Instead, they want to share with all sentient beings. This is the meaning of dedication.
~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
One who practices compassion will become broad-minded, helpful, having discovered the meaning of life. The energy of loving kindness one exudes will make people around him or her easeful, cheerful and warm. Even practicing compassion for ten minutes will attain countless merit.
~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES
With strenuous effort, an iron bar can be ground into a needle. Likewise, with persistent meditation, we can suppress negative and destructive emotions such as greed, aggression, pride, and jealousy, etc, and our mind will reach a state of freedom to some extent. Freedom here means being free from anxiety, and maintaining joy for extended periods if you want.
~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
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
