Enlightenment is referred to as en-lighten-ment. It is further luminosity; it illuminates life. Up to this point, we had a very bad lighting system; but now we are getting a better lighting system, so we begin to see every curve of skin, every inch of our world, properly. We might get irritated by such sharpness... Continue Reading →
On the whole, it could be said that the discovery of confusion is enlightenment. When we discover confusion, the enlightened state becomes redundant. Discovering the confusion is the most important thing of all. It is facing reality and getting beyond the many kinds of self-deception. Whereas if we are purely searching for something glorious and... Continue Reading →
Although we use words such as achieving, wishing, and praying for enlightenment, ultimately we don’t acquire enlightenment from an external source. A more correct way to put it is discovering the enlightenment that has always been there.Enlightenment is part of our true nature. Our true nature is like a golden statue; however, it is still... Continue Reading →
All living beings seek happiness and the causes and conditions of happiness and wish to avoid suffering and the causes and conditions of suffering. That natural intelligence is a sign of the buddhanature and is known as the natural disposition toward enlightenment.The activation of that natural disposition into actual movement toward enlightenment starts when you... Continue Reading →
Even in this world, and even now, there are said to be many hidden yogis or discreet yogis, called Bepay Naljor in Tibetan. It means those realized ones who are not generally recognized as great spiritual sages or saints, but have deeply tasted the fruit of enlightenment, and are living it. Perhaps they are anonymously... Continue Reading →
The idea of enlightenment is born out of confusion. Because somebody is confused, there is the other aspect that contrasts with that confusion, which is enlightenment. We have to approach this scientifically: if confusion exists, then enlightenment exists, therefore confusion exists. We have to work with this polarity Chögyam Trungpa
The notion of enlightenment means "not bound". Not bound to what? Not bound to one's own mind in ordinary ways; not bound in confusion to all the suffering that one’s mind has produced and is experiencing. So the notion of enlightenment is not something outside of one's own mind.We cannot imagine achieving enlightenment, let alone... Continue Reading →
One time one of our yogis on the hill was giving a lung, an oral transmission, of one very famous Dzogchen text. — Dzogchen is the mind training of the Ningmapa school. — He was, of course, reading it out and then he stopped and said, “You know, the problem with these kind of books... Continue Reading →
One idea that really hampers us is to believe that people get 'enlightened,' and then they’re that way forever and ever. We may have our moments, and if we get sick and have lots of things happening, we may fall back. But a person who practices consistently over years and years is more that way,... Continue Reading →
Enlightenment, or Nirvana, is nothing other than the state beyond all obstacles, in the same way that from the peak of a very high mountain one always sees the sun. Nirvana is not a paradise or some special place of happiness, but is in fact the condition beyond all dualistic concepts, including those of happiness... Continue Reading →
The root word "budh" means to wake up, to know, to understand. A person who wakes up and understands is called a Buddha. It is as simple as that. The capacity to wake up, to understand, and to love is called Buddha nature. When Buddhists say, "I take refuge in the Buddha," they are expressing... Continue Reading →
Our life’s work is to use what we have been given to wake up. If there were two people who were exactly the same—same body, same speech, same mind, same mother, same father, same house, same food, everything the same—one of them could use what he has to wake up and the other could use... Continue Reading →
According to the Buddhist tradition, the spiritual path is the process of cutting through our confusion, of uncovering the awakened state of mind. When the awakened state of mind is crowded in by ego and its attendant paranoia, it takes on the character of an underlying instinct. So it is not a matter of building... Continue Reading →
In almost all spiritual traditions, renouncing the world is regarded as one of the first steps in spiritual practiseSpiritual practise is often regarded as a means of salvation. According to that conception, spirituality should provide a permanent shelter where we can be happy and free; and since our daily living situation does not provide permanent... Continue Reading →
The notion of enlightenment means, “not bound”. Not bound to what? Not bound to one’s own mind in ordinary ways; not bound in confusion to all the suffering that one’s mind has produced and is experiencing. So the notion of enlightenment is not something outside of one’s own mind.We cannot imagine achieving enlightenment, let alone... Continue Reading →
You don’t particularly expect happiness out of the path. However, you do expect sophistication and a sense of relief or confidence that something is actually happening. You don’t have to know where you are on the path but you need to know that you are moving and you are going to get to your destination.... Continue Reading →
Enlightenment is not purely a matter of collecting information. If a Buddha didn’t know how to change his snow tires, for example, a person might begin to have doubts about him, if you have the view of an enlightened being as a learned person, a great scholar. After all, a Buddha is supposed to be... Continue Reading →
The question that we're going to discuss tonight is a very simple one. It is a question of heart. That is what the world needs. The heart of warriorship is also fearlessness. Having a heart at all is based on being fearless and manifesting a sense of warriorship. When we talk about becoming a warrior,... Continue Reading →
