Dharma Quotes Thread

[DNS]

Heedfulness is the Deathless path,
heedlessness, the path to death.
Those who are heedful do not die,
heedless are like the dead.

Dhammapada 21

[DNS]

Mind agitated, wavering,
hard to guard and hard to check,
one of wisdom renders straight
as arrow-maker a shaft.

Dhammapada 33

[plwk]

"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I.'

For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, the Teacher's message is healing & nourishing.

For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this: 'Gladly would I let the flesh & blood in my body dry up, leaving just the skin, tendons, & bones, but if I have not attained what can be reached through human firmness, human persistence, human striving, there will be no relaxing my persistence.'

For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, one of two fruits can be expected:
either gnosis here & now, or — if there be any remnant of clinging-sustenance — non-return."
Kitagiri Sutta

[plwk]

"Wherever the Buddha comes to stay, there is no state, town or village which is not blessed by His virtues.
The whole country reposes in peace and harmony. The sun and the moon shine with pure brilliance; wind rises and rain falls at the right time.
There is no calamity or epidemic, and so the country becomes wealthy, and its people enjoy peace.
Soldiers and weapons become useless; and people esteem virtue, practice benevolence and diligently cultivate courteous modesty."
The Larger Amitayus Sutra

[plwk]

In a similar fashion, kulaputras, when I regard all beings with my Buddha cakshur (eye), I see that hidden within the kleshas (barbs) of raga (greed), lobha (confusion), dvesha (hatred) and moha (obscuration) there is seated augustly and unmovingly the Tathagata jnana , the Tathagata-vision and the Tathagata kaya. kulaputras, all beings, though they find themselves with all sorts of kleshas, have a tathagata-garbha that is eternally unsullied, and that is replete with virtues no different from my own.

Whether or not buddhas appear in the world, the tathagata-garbha of all beings are eternal and unchanging.
It is just that they are covered by kleshas of sentient beings.
Tathagatagarbha Sutra

[plwk]

"There is nothing wrong in the Sutra," replied the Patriarch, "so that you should refrain from reciting it.
Whether sutra-reciting will enlighten you or not, or benefit you or not, all depends on yourself.

He who recites the Sutra with the tongue and puts its teaching into actual practice with his mind 'turns round' the Sutra.
He who recites it without putting it into practice is 'turned round' by the Sutra.

Listen to my stanza:--
When our mind is under delusion, the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra 'turns us round'.
With an enlightened mind we 'turn round' the Sutra instead.

To recite the Sutra for a considerable time without knowing its principal object
Indicates that you are a stranger to its meaning.

The correct way to recite the Sutra is without holding any arbitrary belief;
Otherwise, it is wrong.

He who is above 'Affirmative' and 'Negative'
Rides permanently in the White Bullock Cart (the Vehicle of Buddha)."
The Platform Sutra: Chapter VII. Temperament and Circumstances

[DNS]

Who will comprehend this earth,
the world of Yama, and the gods?
Who will discern the well-taught Dhamma
as one who’s skilled selects a flower.

Dhammapada 44

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

A human being has his limits. And thus, in every conceivable way, with every possible mens, he tries to make the teaching enter into his own limits.

p. 16 "Dzogchen and Zen" by ChNN.

[Ayu]

"Neither from itself nor from another,
Nor from both,
Nor without a cause,
Does anything whatever, anywhere arise."

Nagarjuna in Mūlamadhyamakakārikā

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

This non-conceptual Wisdom Mind is not the object of the conceptualizing process and so is not negated by Mahyamaka reasoning. Therefore, it can be said to be the only thing that has absolute and true existence.

It is important to understand that this true existence does not mean that it can be conceptualized. If it were even the most subtle object of the conceptual process, it could be refuted by Prasangika reasoning. The non-conceptual Wisdom Mind is not something that even supreme wisdom (Skt. prajna) can take as its object. Anything that can be an object of consciousness, however pure and refined, is dependently arising and has no true existence.

p.66 "Progressive Stages on the Meditation on Emptiness" by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

Ultimate reality is the mandala of the perfectly pure expanse of voidness. It is like a "magic" mirror. What unimpededly appears on it are all the things (dharmas) of relative reality, your mind included. These things appear naturally in this "magic" mirror, through and to your mind. There is no third reality of a truly existing mind or objects juxtaposed to the ultimate reality of the mirror and the relative reality of the images in it.
(formatting mine)

p.18 "The Four-Themed Precious Garland" by Longchenpa, commentary by Dudjom R.

That ain't Mind Only folks!

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

Appearances are infallible dependent arisings;
Emptiness is free of assertions.
As long as these two understating (sic) are seen as separate,
One has not yet realized the intent of the Buddha.

p. 43 "Three Principal Aspects of the Path" by Tsongkhapa, commentary by HHDL 14.

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

The rain of Chenrezi's compassion falls everywhere on the fields of sentient beings impartially; but the crop of happiness cannot grow where the seeds of faith have been shriveled. To lack faith is to close yourself to the reliant sun of his blessings, as if you were shutting yourself away in a dark room. But if you have faith, there is no distance, no delay, between you and Chenrezi's blessings.

p. 59 "Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones" by Dilgo Khyentse

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

Faith is a vital element in the path, opening us to the Buddha's blessings. Expecting to attain realization without having faith would be like sitting in a north facing cave waiting for the sunshine to pour in*.

p.62 "The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones" by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

*(I guess he didn't understand that it could happen south of the equator.)

[DNS]

Long is the night for the sleepless,
long is the league for the weary one,
samsara’s way is long for fools
who know not the Dhamma True.

Dhammapada 60

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

The sun's rays fall everywhere uniformly, but only where they are focused through a magnifying glass can they set dry grass on fire. In the same way, Chenrezi's compassion radiates to al beings equally, but only in those who have the magnifying glass of faith will the flame of his blessings be kindled.

p.63 "Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones" by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

[DNS]

But one who is self-cleansed of stain,
in moral conduct firmly set,
having restraint and truthfulness
is fit for the stainless robe.

Dhammapada 10

[Mkoll]

There has never been found a fire
Which intends, ‘Let me burn the fool,’
But a fool who assaults a fire
Burns himself by his own doing.

-Ven. Mahā Moggallāna, MN 50

[plwk]

82,000 Teachings from the Buddha
I have received;
2,000 more from his disciples;
Now, 84,000 are familiar to me.

Who nothing has heard and nothing understood,
He ages only oxen-like:
His stomach only grows and grows,
But his insight deepens not.

Who has much heard and learned,
But does despise him who is poor in learning,
Is like one blind who holds a lamp.
So must I think of such a one.

Thou follow him who has heard much,
Then what is heard shall not decline.
This is the tap-root of the holy life;
Hence a Dhamma-guardian thou should'st be!
Ananda

[plwk]

Further, Manjushri, in the future ending age, when the Dharma is about to become extinct, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva who receives, upholds, reads, or recites this Sutra should harbor no thoughts of envy, flattery, or deceit. He should also not ridicule or malign those who study the Buddha Way, nor should he seek their strengths or weaknesses.

If there are Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas, those who seek to be Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, or those who seek the Bodhisattva Way, he should not torment them or cause them to have doubts by saying to them, “You are all very far from the Path, and you will never obtain the wisdom of all modes.
Why not? Because you are careless and lax in the Way.” Further, he should not frivolously discuss the Dharma for the sake of argument.
The Sddharmapundarika Sutra: Chapter 14: Happily Dwelling Conduct