Nothing is permanent. The sun and the moon rise and then set. The bright, clear day is followed by the deep dark night. From hour to hour everything changes.
To take for permanent that which is only transitory is like the delusion of a madman.
Our lifes are like an hourglass that never stops...Each moment follows the one before, without end. From moment to moment, life drains away. We are babies, then adults, then old and dead. Each moment follows the one before, without end. Our lives are like a bubble or a candle; impermanence and dead are like the wind!
We must make good use of this life for the time that we have left. This brief flash of light, like the sun appearing through the clouds.
The mind produces a powerful illusion, that of existing in this body which we consider to be our own.
The better we understand the nature of mind, the more deeeply we will be able to see into the endless chain of cause and effect that is karma. This understanding not only allows us to avoid or reduce the negative actions which harm others or ourselves and the suffering caused by these, but also lets cultivate and increase positive actions which create well-being and happiness.
This body and the words have great importance: it is through their support that true nature of mind can be realized. It could be said that, in a way, the body and the word are the servants of the mind.
Aggressive words damage and hurts others. They can be thrown in someone else's face, or hidden among jokes; they can even mean telling friends their faults to their faces. The result of these actions is a scorching, arid and thorny environment.
Unfortunately, we do not recognize the empty nature of words and we become fixated on them as if they were something real. This is why pleasant words make us happy, and unpleasant words make us unhappy or angry. These reactions are a sign that we believe to the reality of words.
The mind in its natural state can be compared to the sky, covered by layers of cloud which hide its true nature.
To exercise right mindfulness, the mind must be neither too taut, nor too relaxed, like the string of a vina.
It is right mindfulness and attention that allow us to change our behaviour.
From possessiveness is born need, from non-attachment satisfaction.
We do not realize often enough that we are dependent on one another; at the simplest material level, we are all interdependent for daily needs, and in this way we owe a debt to all beings.
The pure nature of mind; emptiness, lucidity and intelligence without limit, has always been inside us.


