Questions, questions 

— they are always the same!
Answers, answers 

— things never change,
Just sand in one’s food and thorns in the flesh.

On one occasion the eccentric yogin, Tangtong Gyalpo, thought by many to be quite mad, said to a group of workmen engaged in a building project:

All straight isn’t straight.

A fool’s straight is crooked.
All crooked isn’t crooked.
A wise man’s crooked is straight.
All benefit isn’t benefit.
A fool’s benefit is harm.
All harm isn’t harm.
A wise man’s harm is benefit
All pleasure isn’t pleasure.
A fool’s pleasure is suffering.
All suffering isn’t suffering.
A wise man’s suffering is pleasure.

Oh, yogin,
To recognise all phenomena as void is the crucial point of the view.
When your belief in true and false is liberated into its own nature, free of grasping,  everything there is, all of saṁsāra and nirvāṇa, is seen to be the spontaneous display of the naturally open condition.

With thoughts self-liberated, bring benefit to all!

Śāriputra's Cave 

Finding himself unable to control his wandering mind in meditation, the disciple asked his teacher,

“Reverend guru, I cannot meditate, no matter what I do.  Do I not have the karma to achieve this?”

And the guru replied,  “How could anyone lack the karma to meditate?  When I say that we have never been separated from innate awareness since beginningless time, do you not understand?”

The student asked,

“So, does that mean that meditation spontaneously flows forth for all living beings?”

“Although we have never been separate from meditation, we fail to recognise it.”

“What is necessary in order to recognise it?”

“You have already received the necessary introduction from your guru, but your meditation has been carried away by ghosts.”

“What manner of ghosts?” asked the terrified disciple, and the guru explained,

“When inner calm is disturbed by the ghosts of proliferating concepts, the foundation is obscured.  This happens to everyone.  Therefore you should hold fast to the root by means of signs or by means of the signless, for these two systems form the basic foundation of calm abiding meditation.  

When meditating with signs, bind your awareness firmly to the object and remain detached from conceptual thought.  

When meditating without signs, allow your awareness to remain like the open sky, free of clouds, and remain detached from conceptual thought ... ”

Human life is shorter than a sheep’s tail.
To act in accordance with Dharma is rarer than precious gold.

Even casually playing around
One amasses negative actions, negative emotions and trouble!
The key point is to develop true insight and let the rest fall away.

The beginningless propensities for obscuration have been with us for such a long time but, if you recognise their essence, they are just the display of one’s own mind.  

Look at that hidden deception!

Thoughts arising from the unborn original nature
Abiding nowhere
Unceasing displays
Dissolving back into the ground from whence they arose ...

The song of a mountain-dwelling hermit:

Above the white summit of the dazzling peaks of snow
A young cloud rises, bright white and beautiful.
It seems to be saying, “This is how one should ascend the path of liberation!”

Meditating in her retreat cave one day, 

Yeshe Tshogyal was attacked by swarms of biting insects.  
Although she felt pity for the creatures, their attacks became more and more vicious until she thought to herself, 

“I have vowed to renounce all attachment to body, speech and mind.  
Why, therefore, should I feel averse to this illusory manifestation of karmic deeds?”  

And she sang this song:

All apparent phenomena are only tricks of the mind.
I see nothing to fear in inner space.
All this is nothing other than the natural radiance of clear light
So there is no reason to react.
Since all activity is my ornamentation
I should remain silent in meditative absorption.

At the end of the verse, she entered the samādhi of universal identity in which there is no discrimination or evaluation, and the apparitions vanished.

When form reveals the content of the void

And the void makes way for spontaneous appearance 
— You have entered the delight of the sages
And will never again fall prey to extreme views.

May I always keep company with those who wish to benefit me, companions who teach excellent conduct.

Followers of the Northern Treasures may be interested to know of a delightful new book on the life of the third Yomo Tulku (1598-1644) in which the lama depicts his own colourful autobiography in an exciting series of 44 miniature paintings.  http://www.serindia.com/item.cfm/621

In the lotus grove of scriptural traditions with its abundance of many leaves, 

The assembly of scholars with the power of truth grows like a vine with the sword of wisdom. 

All these, however, are merely actors putting on a magical show following the commands of the unique director, Mañjuśrī.

A fool deceived by the illusion of appearances is like an animal pursuing a mirage in his thirst for water.  

Trusting in his own beliefs and expecting the fulfilment of his deluded desires, he is trapped in an ocean of disappointment and misery.  

Bewildered by the confusion of thoughts proliferating in his own head, he fails to grasp the reality of his situation and binds himself without release.

Like washing off dirt with dirt,

Purity is released by purity

And every poison cured by poison.

Iron bars are cut by iron,

Stones are smashed by stone

And wood is burned by wood,

Each is its own nemesis.

If this were not so — there could be no release in the moment!

Until the continuity of dualistic mind is purified,

One is compelled to follow karma and one’s habitual tendencies.

Therefore, strive to understand the infallible law of cause and effect.

Until grasping mind ceases in stainless space, 

The karma of cause and result manifests itself, 

Compounded by the mind and performed by the mind.

All phenomena occur in the mind, 

And the mind believes all these mental appearances to be real.  

Conception must be exhausted. 

Therefore be diligent in subduing the mind of delusion.

It is said:

Simultaneously born wisdom of absolute truth comes only from the handprint of the accumulation of merit, the purification of obscurations, and the blessings of the Guru.   

Someone who thinks that there is a method other than this, is a foolish man.

The developing and completion stages are not able to liberate by the essence of their path – they depend on conduct and advantageous circumstances.  

Guru yoga is only the essence of the path, so the realisation of the unconditioned nature is born in the mind and one becomes liberated.  

Guru yoga is more profound than all other paths. 

— Longchenpa

Rejoicing in the virtues of others.  Aaah!  

Rejoicing is the only method whereby one can instantaneously appropriate all the good qualities and wholesome actions of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas and ordinary beings – “stealing them like a robber!”  

This is accomplished by a single perfect thought, without having to exhaust oneself in the accumulation of merit.  

How wonderful!

May the shrines of the Three Jewels established in the temples of the world never be abandoned or destroyed. 

May peace reign in all counties.  

May suspicion, fear, cruelty and murder be eradicated.  

Dwelling in peace, may all beings receive the blessings of happiness for ten thousand generations and more.  

May the sound of praise for peace extend to every place reached by the rays of the Sun and Moon.   

May peace between all nations arise.  

May the Three Jewels and the assembly of Sages, the Sun and Moon, Planets and Stars expound these solemn words. 

Generally, nowadays, while there is little whole-hearted pursuit of virtue and devotion to the good — men and women who in their prayers seek refuge in the Three Jewels should again and again cling to their oaths, study correct views, discipline their speech to calmness, perfect their lives as best they can, mind all their actions, gather together and take up good counsel from their gurus and spiritual leaders.  

May each Dharma sister and brother take it upon one another to be a guardian of the other and utterly cast out evil actions and thoughts,  and earnestly strive for compassionate awareness. 

If we act in this way all will win happiness both in this existence and in the next.  

Holding firmly to the Dharma teachings — all will be well in the world.  

Sarva Maṅgalam 

— Ancient stone inscription  

A group of followers requested the guru to give them a mantra.

“All you people have the same mantra,” he declared.

“Oh,” they asked, “what mantra is that?” 

And the guru recited, 

“To and fro, back and forth, I grow old as I wander on the path of distraction.         To my useless meaningless life SVĀHĀ.” 

The embarrassed group fell silent as the guru went on, 

“You already know that mantra, so why do you wish for another?”

Feeling very uncomfortable, one person spoke up and requested a mantra to prevent rebirth in hell.

The guru told them,“You must say this:  

OṀ What is wrong with going to hell?  

ĀḤ All has the nature of emptiness, so what’s the difference? 

HŪṀ From the mantra king, wisdom spontaneously arises!

PHAṬ Conceptual thoughts are destroyed!  

HRĪḤ Nothing in saṁsāra possesses inherent existence, SVĀHĀ.”

Gazing into the heart of a clear crystal:

Being unable to fix your mind in meditation, your head spinning around with thoughts,

When you seem trapped by the solidity of hopes and fears and grasp at the reality of a self,

When all the activities of the mind appear in total confusion –

Remember the impermanence of birth, death and transmigration.

Even the terrors of hot and cold sickness are only illusion

And if you were to spend an aeon boiling and burning in hell,

Being free of birth and death, your mind would emerge unscathed.

Food, wealth, and your beloved family and friends are illusory 

And, even though you are particularly attached to your own body,  all are doomed to die one day.

This whole cycle of birth and death (saṁsāra) is the product of  hope, fear and confusion,

Seen as clarity and emptiness without grasping at substance in the mind of a buddha,

Like the open sky, free of clouds,

Brilliant and bright, with absolutely nothing to grasp on to.

People who read this in total amazement, 

Forsake all tendencies to grasp at things as real.

Know that if one’s power and influence becomes too large, the water of suffering overflows!
Know that your own impure appearances cause negativity to adhere to you.
Know that those who, though they sicken and age, don’t think about it and are not mindful of death, are childish.
Know that a human life spent not making provisions for future lives is empty and mistaken.

Know that human life without practice of Dharma, ageing yourself in being a custodian of others, is without purpose.
Know that if you don’t attain the path of liberation now, at this time, you will wander endlessly in samsara.
Know that human life will be but a one -time pleasure if you don’t give up caring about worldly opinion.
If you would listen to this ācārya, understand that working on yourself is more important than trying to look after many people. 

—Padampa Sangye 

Even if the sky falls, don’t ask,  “Is everything o.k.?”

Cultivate unwavering singled pointed awareness in the moment.

Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarov

Always refrain from actions of harmful intent!

Yogic conduct without embarrassment is ever blissful!

Proclaimed devotion burns the ears!  Have we no recognition of kindness?

One's own mind is indeed the dharmakāya,

This you must recognise. 

Padmasambhava said:

Make your dwelling in an empty cave - do not indulge in monastic life.

Do your practice in solitude - do not indulge in social gatherings.

Be detached and free from clinging - do not indulge in attachment.

Be a self-liberated yogin - do not indulge in falsehood.