WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

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

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

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

It’s highly possible for one to realise the nature of mind if one is adept in the Ngöndro practices and calm abiding practice, and having fervent devotion in Dzogchen and the teacher. Everyone of us has an opportunity to achieve that. However, without engaging in the Ngöndro practices, one will not have the opportunity as such. Therefore one needs to lay a solid foundation first, refraining from only focusing on one practice of foundational practices. One needs to adopt a down-to-earth approach to practice methodically, starting by cultivating renunciation. One cannot use tricks in dharma practice; rather, one has to begin with foundational practice.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

In our everyday life, when getting irritated and anxious, we need to stop to investigate what exactly make us upset? Our body is void of thinking, being free from the concept of happiness and unhappiness. It’s the consciousness which give rise to defilements. Then what exactly is consciousness? By reflecting as such, we might reach a state of realisation.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

What then is the most important thing to do now? It is to reform our mind, i.e, to adopt a different mindset. For this, we should begin by giving up two things. First, we need to stop the hankering for things of this world, in other words, the attachment to samsara and the yearning for human or celestial rebirths in all future lives. Why ? For if we don't, no matter what practices we take up, they will all be deemed mundane which inevitably will turn out to be a huge obstacle to our progress on the spiritual path. So we must. 

~Depicted from From Believers to Boddhisattvas

Shakyamuni Buddha taught us: birth, old age, illness and death are the natural law and nobody can escape from it. Attachment is the culprit to confront these suffering. Having attachment is bound to lead to suffering. How to face up with suffering is the most important task of life. Buddhism teaches us that the best way to confront this suffering is to let go of it.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

The hell realm doesn't exist underground, nor does it exist in some corner of the universe. Rather, like a dream, it exists in sentient beings' mind. For example, a dreamer dreams about warfare or an earthquake. For a person who is awake, these fearful phenomena don't exist in the dreamer's room. However, from the dreamer's point of view, the terror is real. Who or what produces the phenomena that the dreamer perceives in the dream? The phenomena are not produced by a creator, nor do they arise due to causes and conditions. The fleeting phenomena merely arise in the mind that is dreaming. (HK)

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Certain religions like to stress the mysterious power of ghosts and spirits. Although Buddhism does not deny their existence, it believes the biggest demon in the world is the deeply embedded tendency to cling to the self. Outer demons can only affect our daily life in small ways, such as causing illness or obstacles. They cannot bind us in samsara, not even if the ghosts of the entire universe combine their forces. Only clinging to the self has such power. Yet, we have never realized that this fellow, Self, who abides in our mind at all times and whom we are very fond of, is really a demon. If we are tired of taking the same route back to samsara again, we must first eliminate this demon. Only then can we be completely free of its interference. 

~Depicted from From Believers to Boddhisattvas