Your favorite quotes.

General forum on the teachings of all schools of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Topics specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
Huseng
Former staff member
Posts: 6336
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:19 pm

Your favorite quotes.

Post by Huseng »

Let's start a thread of powerful and insightful quotes from past masters. Please keep them relatively short and provide the author and/or text.

I'll get the ball rolling.
Unless you reflect on the truth of suffering to the point of actually becoming revolted by cyclic existence, your desire to attain liberation will be mere words, and whatever you do will lead to origins of further suffering. -Tsong Khapa in Lam Rim Chen Mo
muni
Posts: 5559
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:59 am

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by muni »

"We hardly ever even think about the welfare of others in fact, we are no more interested in others than a tiger is interested in eating grass".

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
AlexanderS
Posts: 416
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:58 am

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by AlexanderS »

The first utterance of Lord Buddha after he attained enlightment.

Deep and quiet,
simple, clear, unformed.

A truth that is
like nectar, I have found.

Whoever I explain it,
no one will understand.

So, in the jungle,
silent, I remain.
User avatar
Mr. G
Posts: 4080
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:36 am
Location: Spaceship Earth

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by Mr. G »

  • What people usually consider blessings are what I would call ‘superficial blessings.’ It’s like when you have something you want to get rid of you ask, “Please bless me to be free from what I don’t like,” whether this is being sick or in pain, evil spirits are attacking you, your business isn’t going that well, etc.. So, people ask for something to wear around their necks, something to eat, maybe some charm to be made and so on. Then when they are feeling better, the evil spirits are repelled, business is going well or whatever, they say, “I got the blessings.” These are known as ‘superficial blessings.’


    On the other hand, the real blessings are the oral instructions on how to become enlightened in a single lifetime, which you can receive from a qualified master.

    - Tulku Urgyen
  • How foolish you are,
    grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
    - Vasubandhu
User avatar
DharmaKitty
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2010 3:23 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by DharmaKitty »

Image

Shantideva
The essence of a real practice is to bring our intellectual understanding to the level of our heart - so as to feel it - to live it!
Huseng
Former staff member
Posts: 6336
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:19 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by Huseng »

You dwell among the causes of death
Like a butter lamp standing in a strong breeze.

-Nāgārjuna
User avatar
DharmaKitty
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2010 3:23 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by DharmaKitty »

Image

Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
The essence of a real practice is to bring our intellectual understanding to the level of our heart - so as to feel it - to live it!
Rakz
Posts: 1381
Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2010 8:04 am

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by Rakz »

“We should know that Amida’s Primal Vow does not discriminate whether one is young or old, good or evil, and that true entrusting alone is needed, for it is the Vow that seeks to deliver sentient beings burdened with foolishness and blind passions.” - Shinran
muni
Posts: 5559
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:59 am

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by muni »

To cling to a concrete reality is to be as foolish as cattle.
But clinging to emptiness is even more foolish.
Saraha.
User avatar
pueraeternus
Posts: 865
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:10 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by pueraeternus »

The verse of impermanence:

Impermanent are compounded things,
prone to rise and fall,
Having risen, they are destroyed,
their passing truest bliss

- Indra, at the Buddha's Parinirvana.
"Men must want to do things out of their own innermost drives. People, not commercial organizations or chains of command, are what make great civilizations work. Every civilization depends upon the quality of the individuals it produces. If you over-organize humans, over-legalize them, suppress their urge to greatness - they cannot work and their civilization collapses."
- A letter to CHOAM, attributed to the Preacher
User avatar
DarwidHalim
Posts: 418
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:04 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by DarwidHalim »

If you attach to this life, you are not a dharma practitioner.

If you attach to this samsara, you do not have renunciation.

If you attach to your self interest, you do not have bodhicitta.

If you grasp, you don't have the right view.

(Bodhisattva Manjushri to Sakyapa Kunga Nyingpo)
I am not here nor there.
I am not right nor wrong.
I do not exist neither non-exist.
I am not I nor non-I.
I am not in samsara nor nirvana.
To All Buddhas, I bow down for the teaching of emptiness. Thank You!
Huseng
Former staff member
Posts: 6336
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:19 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by Huseng »

Meditate again and again until you have turned your mind away from the activities of this life, which are like adorning yourself while being led to the execution ground.

~ Tsongkhapa in Lamrim Chenmo
User avatar
Thomas Amundsen
Posts: 2034
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:50 am
Location: Helena, MT
Contact:

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by Thomas Amundsen »

I think Huseng is a closet Gelugpa :tongue:
User avatar
Thomas Amundsen
Posts: 2034
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:50 am
Location: Helena, MT
Contact:

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by Thomas Amundsen »

Sitting itself is the practice of the Buddha. Sitting itself is non-doing, it is nothing but the true form of the self. Apart from sitting there is nothing to seek as the buddha-dharma.” (Shobogenzo Zuimonki, 2-22, transl. Okumura)
Huseng
Former staff member
Posts: 6336
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:19 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by Huseng »

tomamundsen wrote:I think Huseng is a closet Gelugpa :tongue:
Not really closet. My guru is a geshe from the Gelug-pa lineage.

I'm kind of an eclectic Buddhist of sorts. I don't identify as a Tibetan Buddhist (or as a Chinese or Japanese Buddhist for that matter), but I do have practices from TB. I just don't know enough about Tibetan Buddhist history and practices to merit participating in serious discussions on the subject.
Nicholas Weeks
Posts: 4209
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:21 am
Location: California

Dharma Gems

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

The guiding Master subdues the multitudes of demons,
he is courageous, strong, and invincible.
Within the light he proclaims the wonderful meaning.
He is this way because of his kindness and compassion.
Avatamsaka Sutra, ch. 9
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
User avatar
pueraeternus
Posts: 865
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:10 pm

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by pueraeternus »

Huseng wrote:
tomamundsen wrote:I think Huseng is a closet Gelugpa :tongue:
Not really closet. My guru is a geshe from the Gelug-pa lineage.

I'm kind of an eclectic Buddhist of sorts. I don't identify as a Tibetan Buddhist (or as a Chinese or Japanese Buddhist for that matter), but I do have practices from TB. I just don't know enough about Tibetan Buddhist history and practices to merit participating in serious discussions on the subject.
This is interesting - I always thought you followed Chinese Mahayana teachings in general, and did practices from one of the classical schools (such as Tiantai or Huayan).
"Men must want to do things out of their own innermost drives. People, not commercial organizations or chains of command, are what make great civilizations work. Every civilization depends upon the quality of the individuals it produces. If you over-organize humans, over-legalize them, suppress their urge to greatness - they cannot work and their civilization collapses."
- A letter to CHOAM, attributed to the Preacher
User avatar
tobes
Posts: 2194
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:02 am

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by tobes »

"All things prevail for him for whom this emptiness prevails. Nothing prevails for him for whom emptiness does not prevail. For whom this emptiness prevails, for him all things - mundane and supramundane - prevail. - Why? - Because dependent co-arising prevails for him whom emptiness prevails...."

Nagarjuna, The Vig, Lxx.

:anjali:
User avatar
kirtu
Former staff member
Posts: 6997
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:29 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by kirtu »

All things have the nature of mind. Mind is the chief and takes the lead. If the mind is clear, whatever you do or say will bring happiness that will follow you like a shadow.

All things have the nature of mind. Mind is the chief and takes the lead. If the mind is polluted, whatever you do or say leads to suffering which will follow you, as a cart trails a horse.
Dharmapada, 1-1,2
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
muni
Posts: 5559
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:59 am

Re: Your favorite quotes.

Post by muni »

How are you?
I don't know. In the time I have noticed, i am already gone.
Post Reply

Return to “Mahāyāna Buddhism”