It is not you
The nature of mind has to be recognized by the nature of mind. It is not ‘you’ recognizing your nature of mind; it is your nature of mind recognizes your nature of mind. It is so easy therefore it is so difficult. It is there all the time. Our mind recognizes our nature of mind all the time. We are never separate. But somehow, as it is said in the mahamudra prayer, “self awareness, under the power of ignorance, is confused into a ‘self'”. So because of ignorance, the nature of mind that we recognize every moment, every moment we mistake it as ‘I’.
– Tai Situ Rinpoche
from the book “Shangpa Kagyu Teaching
We have incredible freedom to develop our minds in any way we desire
Since healing comes essentially from our mind, not from our body, it’s important to understand the nature of the mind. The intrinsic nature of the mind is pure, in the sense that it is not one with the defects of the mind, with disturbing thoughts and obscures. All the defects of our mind — selfishness, ignorance, anger, attachment, guilt, and other disturbing thoughts — are temporary, not permanent and eternal. And since the cause of our suffering, disturbing thoughts and obscures, is temporary, so is our suffering.
The mind is also empty of real existence, of existence on its own side. This quality of the mind, known as the Nature of the Buddha, gives us the potential to completely free ourselves from all suffering, including disease, and from the causes of suffering and to achieve whatever happiness we desire, including that of enlightenment. Because the mind has so much potential, we don’t have to be depressed or hopeless. It’s not like we have to experience problems forever. We have incredible freedom to develop our minds in any way we desire. It’s just a matter of finding the right way to harness the potential of our minds.”
Lama Zopa RinpocheGreat news
Don’t conclude that your mind is significantly different from anyone else’s. We all have this monkey mind. Once we put the monkey under the magnifying glass, the mind commonly appears crazier than ever. It’s not. You are just allowing yourself to become acquainted with how crazy it has always been. This is great news.
– Mingyur Rinpoche
No roots, no home
The clouds that wander through the sky have no roots, no home,
Nor do the distinctive thoughts floating through the mind. Once the self-mind is seen,
Discrimination stops.
– Tilopa
Distinguishing between beneficial and harmful states of mind
Within the body there are billions of different particles. Similarly, there are many different thoughts and a variety of states of mind. It is wise to take a close look into the world of your mind and to make the distinction between beneficial and harmful states of mind. Once you can recognize the value of good states of mind, you can increase or foster them.
– 14th Dalai Lama
With thanks to Just Dharma Quotes
The greatest of all mistakes
The wise man strives to no goals
but the foolish man fetters himself.
There is one Dharma, not many;
distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant.
To seek Mind with discriminating mind
is the greatest of all mistakes.
– Sengcan
Who is your enemy?
“Who is your enemy? Mind is your enemy. No one can harm you more than your own untamed mind. And who is your friend? Mind is your friend. No one can help you more than your own mind, wisely trained.”
— Buddha
Just projections of the mind
A beautiful object has no intrinsic quality that is good for the mind, nor does an ugly object have any intrinsic power to harm it. Beautiful and ugly are just projections of the mind. The ability to cause happiness or suffering is not a property of the outer object itself. For example, the sight of a particular individual can cause happiness to one person and suffering to another. It is the mind that attributes such qualities to the perceived object.
– Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
With thanks to Just Dharma Quotes
Enlightenment mind
From loving kindness and compassion, enlightenment mind arises. Enlightenment mind, again, is defined as the resolution to attain ultimate enlightenment so that one may be of greatest benefit of all sentient beings, just like Shakyamuni Buddha himself. The Buddha also first generated enlightenment mind, then accumulated wisdom and merit, and eventually attained enlightenment, through which he benefited countless sentient beings.
We are followers of the Buddha, and particularly we are Mahayanists. We must cultivate not only the abandonment of non-virtuous deeds and defilements but also the accumulation of loving kindness, compassion, and enlightenment mind. In this way, we will be able to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.
– Sakya Trizin
To know that the mind is empty is to see the Buddha
To know that the mind is empty is to see the Buddha. To see no mind is to see the Buddha.
To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity.
To transcend motion and stillness is the highest Meditation. Mortals keep moving while the Awakened stay still.
Yet, the highest meditation surpasses both that of Mortals and that of the Awakened.
Individuals who reach such understanding free themselves from all appearances and without effort cure illness without treatment. Such is the power of great Zen.
Using the mind to look for reality is delusion.
Not using the mind to look for reality is Awareness.
Freeing oneself from words is liberation. Remaining unblemished by the dust of sensation is guarding the Dharma.
Transcending life and death is leaving home.
Not suffering another existence is reaching the Way.
Not creating delusions is Enlightenment.
Not engaging in ignorance is Wisdom.
No affliction is Nirvana and no appearance of the Mind is the other Shore.
When you are deluded this shore exists. When you wake up it does not exist.
Mortals stay on this Shore but those who discover the greatest of all vehicles stay on neither this or nor the other Shore.
They are able to leave both Shores. Those who see the other Shore as different from this Shore don’t understand Zen.
Bodhidharma
First Patriarch of Zen
*Excerpt from the Wake Up Sermon
Thoughts are just displays of the mind
Thoughts are just displays of the mind. They may be waves stirring up the all-ground consciousness, but this is not a fault. If you just rest loosely in them, they will disappear right there. This is why when we meditate we should let the thoughts that occur in the sixth mental consciousness relax into the all-ground consciousness.
– Thrangu Rinpoche
Nothing outside yourself can cause any trouble
Nothing comes from outside your mind. Usually, we think of our mind as receiving impressions and experiences from outside, but that is not a true understanding of our mind. The true understanding is that the mind includes everything; when you think something comes from outside it means only that something appears in your mind. Nothing outside yourself can cause any trouble. You yourself make the waves in your mind. If you leave your mind as it is, it will become calm. This mind is called big mind.
– Shunryu Suzuki
from the book “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind”
All phenomena are merely mind
All phenomena are merely mind, manifesting as environment, objects and the physical body.
Mastery of the mind
The whole thrust of the Buddha’s teaching is to master the mind. If you master the mind, you will have mastery over body and speech, and your own and others’ suffering can only come to an end. But if you leave the mind full of negative emotions, then however perfect the actions of your body and the words you speak might seem, you are far from the path.
Mastery of the mind is achieved through constant awareness of all your thoughts and actions. Check your mind over and over again, and as soon as negative thoughts arise, remedy them with the appropriate antidotes. When positive thoughts arise, reinforce them by dedicating the merit they bring, wishing that all sentient beings be established in ultimate enlightenment.
– Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
With thanks to Just Dharma Quotes
The mind is unbelievably dangerous
The mind is something untouchable; we can’t see it, we can’t touch it, but if it’s not subdued it’s so dangerous—wow, wow, wow—it’s unbelievably dangerous. So the global problems, the country problems, society problems, family problems and individual problems all come from the mind. Therefore, it becomes an important issue to practice, to subdue the mind, so we can bring peace in the world to others, to numberless sentient beings, in particular, in this world. That is the responsibility that we have, each one of us. So that is something to think about. That is the basis of practicing Buddhism.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Taking our reactions less seriously
If we’re not too confused or hard on ourselves, we will discover the sanity beyond habitual reactions. Identifying less with habits and more with our basic nature lightens things up. With more space in our mind, we take our reactions less seriously. We can watch them the way we would watch children at play – knowing they will quickly wear themselves out.
– Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
from the book “It’s Up to You: The Practice of Self-Reflection on the Buddhist Path”
With thanks to Just Dharma Quotes
Don’t investigate the root of things
Don’t investigate the root of things,
Investigate the root of mind!
Once the mind’s root has been found,
You’ll know one thing, yet all is thereby freed.
But if the root of mind you fail to find,
You will know everything but nothing understand.
– Padmasambhava
First I shall examine my mind
Whenever I wish to move,
Or to speak,
First I shall examine my mind,
And firmly act in a suitable way.
Whenever my mind becomes attached,
Or angry,
I shall not act, nor shall I speak.
I shall remain like a piece of wood.
– Shantideva
With thanks to Just Dharma Quotes
Zen: Peace of mind
Zen professes itself to be the spirit of Buddhism, but in fact, it is the spirit of all religions and philosophies. When Zen is thoroughly understood, absolute peace of mind is attained, and a man lives as he ought to live.
― D.T. Suzuki
Three points
Body impermanent like spring mist;
Mind insubstantial like empty sky;
Thoughts unestablished like breezes in space.
Think about these three points over and over.
– Gyalwa Godrakpa
With thanks to Just Dharma Quotes
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