WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

From the perspective of material life, our era has the most abundance of material wealth in human history. We possess advanced devices and products such as airplanes, wireless, computers, etc. However, compared with ancient people, we lost freedom, which is the most precious thing in the world. We need to contemplate on this problem and make some proper choices, endeavoring to give ourself more freedom.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

The Buddha told his disciples: it’s clinging to any objects that will become obstacles to liberation, not the value of the clung objects. At the time of death, if a rich person can distribute his assets properly, which leaves him with no attachment to his assets, the assets will not become obstacles to his liberation. To the contrary, even if one’s assets are not abundant, if one clings to them, then the assets will become obstacles to one’s liberation.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Someone endowed with relative bodhicitta has embarked on the path of accumulation. Without bodhicitta, one is a mere Buddhist, not having entered the path of accumulation. Thus the key element to enter the path of accumulation hinges on whether or not one has generated bodhicitta.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

An aged practitioner needs to focus on Dzogchen and the Ngöndro Practices, meanwhile doing pure-land practice as well. This is requested by H.H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. Why is it? If one’s practice on Dzogchen or other trantric practices are not effective, one can hope for taking rebirth in the pure land.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

With strenuous effort, an iron bar can be ground into a needle. Likewise, with persistent meditation, we can suppress negative and destructive emotions such as greed, aggression, pride, and jealousy, etc, and our mind will reach a state of freedom to some extent. Freedom here means being free from anxiety, and maintaining joy for extended periods if you want.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

According to the Bodhisattva vow in the Mahayana, once giving rise to aggression and forsaking compassion to anyone, one violates the root precept of the Bodhisattva vow and cannot generate bodhicitta. Of all defilements, aggression is the most severe. The downfalls of aggression are countless.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Although trying to avoid suffering, all living beings are not free from suffering, which derives from ignorance. Due to ignorance, the method to seek happiness is tainted. Thus despite the fact that we seek happiness, we reap the result of suffering. Therefore, the primary driving force of cyclic existence is ignorance, which leads to self-clinging, then it is followed by the clinging to one’s possessions, next defilements such as greed, aggression, and pride, etc, ensue.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

What does “preliminary practice” of Tibetan Buddhism mean? It means preparatory practice. Despite the fact that ultimately we need to attain the wisdom of emptiness, without laying a solid foundation of cultivating renunciation and bodhicitta, we are not able to realise emptiness.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

In degenerate times, sentient beings suffer from severe obscurations, and practitioners suffer from weak devotion in the Three Jewels and waning diligence compared to that of the Buddha’s time, thus it’s essential to lay a solid foundation of preliminary practice, which leads to the possibility to realise emptiness.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES