WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

The more vain one is, the more hollow one feels in one’s mind. This vicious circle results in filling the hollowness of mind with vainness. In fact, feeling hollow in one’s mind is tremendous suffering. Although being wealthy, many people are tormented by the hollowness of their mind and their wealth cannot bring any happiness to them.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Commoners tend to think… if I contribute or give, then I end up with nothing. This is a misconception. In the process of giving, one is bound to attain more, according to Mahayana doctrines. It’s awful not having loving kindness. A person without loving kindness deems wealth and gain paramount, without any restraints, it’s hard to foretell what they will end up with.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

Suffering conveys to us intangibly that it’s repaying karmic debt faced with suffering. When crops mature, their seeds dissolve. Likewise, having experienced suffering, a great deal of negative karma will be purified. Thus experiencing suffering is the way of purify obscurations. One needs to think that fortunately one’s own negative karma doesn’t mature in the three lower realms, instead it matures in the realm of human. It’s a positive thing, I should be happy about it.

~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

Preliminary practice entails five practices, starting from taking refuge, up to guru yoga. Relying on the capacity of these five practices, one can realise emptiness, which is referred to as realising the nature of mind in the Chan tradition, it means actualising the truth of phenomena. In tantric context, it’s referred to as realising the primordial wisdom. What is it meant by primordial wisdom? Buddha nature is the primordial wisdom.

~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

It’s been analysed and inferred in sutras and shastras over and over again that suffering stems from self-clinging or attachment; this is expounded from another perspective. Here we come to a conclusion that suffering and happiness don’t come from external things, rather they’re closely related to our views, habitual pattern or habit. All suffering comes form our attachments.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES

What does lineage mean? It means a line of transmission of the dharma that is handed down by lineage masters such as Shakyamuni Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, etc. It’s a pure line of transmission of the dharma like the running river without stop. These lineages contain intangible blessings of lineage masters which can only be experienced in the process of practice; this is vital for our practice, thus it’s best to seek a pure lineage before one engages in tantric practice.

~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