WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

The more socially competitive one is, the less happiness one attains. For instance, someone has a fancy car, but this person likes comparing. When others surpass him, he cannot maintain calm, exerting oneself to be competitive. Such pursuits are rather tiring. Being competitive is not a necessity of the life. Lots of suffering stems from being as such.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

We need to come to a clear understanding of what do we need? Is it money or happiness? Desiring both is difficult to achieve. Even endowed with some merit, one can make some profit through exertion, yet one might not be able to live an easeful life. Other than attaining a high level of spiritual achievement, how can one maintain a calm mind while being preoccupied with various engagements? Thus as an ordinary being, we have to choose one between these two.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Buddhists never believe in destined fate; rather, we believe all phenomena is the product of causes and conditions and subject to change. If everything is destined and changeless, then why do we bother to undertake dharma study and practice? Is it the goal of studying dharma to change fate? Therefore, in order to dismantle these preconceptions and transcend these causes and conditions, we must practice dharma.

~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

The antidote of greed is renunciation. Generating renunciation will eliminate greed or keep it at bay; the antidote of selfishness is bodhicitta. Generating bodhicitta will reduce and eliminate selfishness; the antidote of attachment is to realise emptiness. Once realising emptiness, all problems will be solved, such as greed, selfishness, attachment, etc. Thus it’s vital to realise emptiness.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

The most amazing and outstanding of the Nyingma tradition is terma. Although other traditions have terma as well, and many masters of those tradition are tertons, the source of terma is Guru Rinpoche. Guru Rinpoche’s time was in the Old Translation period, when only Nyingma tradition was existent, thus most of terma texts are in the sphere of the Nyingma tradition.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Virtue and evil are the same in terms of the scale of its karmic result. Even engaging in an insignificant, positive act will enable us to experience good health and longevity in the next five hundred lifetimes; however, committing an insignificant, negative act will enable us to experience poor health and short life span in the next five hundred lifetimes or even longer. These are due to insignificant acts leading to great results.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

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

Without keeping our mindset at bay when dying — only engaging in dharmic activities such as offering and prostrating to the buddhas and bodhisattvas, reading scriptures, etc — one might descend to the three lower realms due to a split second of anger.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES