According to Buddhism, the cause of sentient being’s cyclic existence doesn’t lie in the body, rather, it lies in karma. If karma exists, cyclic existence persists even if the body perishes. Because our alaya consciousness has lots of previous habitual patterns, when these habitual patterns ripen, the body comes into being. We can come to a conclusion that all phenomena is the by-product of alaya consciousness, be it a mountain, river, field, the sun, the moon, the stars or the body of sentient beings.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

The goal of dharma study is to dispel suffering. To dispel a part of suffering of samsara is referred to as Buddhism oriented towards the rebirth of the human and heavenly realms; to dispel all the suffering of samsara is referred to as the Shravakayana Buddhism; to endeavour to dispel all the suffering of samsara for the sake of oneself and all sentient beings is referred to as Mahayana Buddhism. From this perspective, Buddhism is the method to dispel suffering.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

As a practitioner, one needs to have a certain assurance of facing death. Otherwise, even if one practices dharma well in this life, but after passing through the bardo state, due to difference of this life and the next, one will forget all one has learned in this life. Besides, if not acknowledging of bardo practices, one will miss many great opportunities to attain liberation. Thus, bardo practices are vital.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

It’s stressed in shastras that we need to rely on the dharma, rather than the person. Which means in the course of dharma study and research, we need to have conviction and rely on the authentic dharma or truth, rather than rely on the person’s fame, status, or power. We need to analyze if this person’s words are in accordance with the dharma and the truth, if the answer is yes, then we can trust this person’s words. Otherwise, regardless how famed a person is, we should not follow this person’s words blindly.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Countless buddhas in the past, including Shakyamuni Buddha, vowed to liberate all sentient beings when giving rise to bodhicitta, vowing to attain buddhahood after all sentient beings attain buddhahood. We haven’t attained buddhahood yet, but they have. Why? Buddhas make such aspirations out of vast compassion. Due to the greatest and sublimity of their aspirations, they attained buddhahood swiftly. Whereas we are preoccupied with our own interest, thus we are still struggling in the samsara.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Countless buddhas in the past, including Shakyamuni Buddha, vowed to liberate all sentient beings when giving rise to bodhicitta, vowing to attain buddhahood after all sentient beings attain buddhahood. We haven’t attained buddhahood yet, but they have. Why? Buddhas make such aspirations out of vast compassion. Due to the greatest and sublimity of their aspirations, they attained buddhahood swiftly. Whereas we are preoccupied with our own interest, thus we are still struggling in the samsara.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

One needs to keep some distance from bad friends, regardless of whoever they are. One needs to maintain one’s views in regards to religious belief and practices even when dealing with one’s parents, relatives and friends. It’s best to influence them to undertake dharma study; if not, one needs to keep some distance from them. The primary principle of Buddhism is dependent arising, one can create causes and conditions, there doesn’t exist a creator of omnipotent god to make all causes and conditions, or fate predestined, just like the programming of computer, as though nobody can change it.

~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

In our daily life, we tend to avoid difficulty and suffering. Shakyamuni Buddha did not let us avoid this; rather he taught us various methods to face up with them. The best method to train our mind is to realise emptiness, then we will become so strong that we’ll not be affected by external factors. After that, we need to think: despite the fact I’m courageous now, so many sentient beings have no understanding of the principle of emptiness, and their mind is not trained, thus I need to benefit them.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES