Lamrim Quotes

“Giving is the wish-granting jewel that satisfies the wishes of all beings; It’s the best weapon to cut the constricting knots of miserliness; It’s an undaunted deed of the bodhisattva giving birth to courage; It’s the basis to proclaim one’s fame throughout all ten directions; Knowing this the learned ones seek the excellent path Of […]

“Although in all of us there is the thought that at the end of our days death will come, every day we think ‘I will not die today,’ ‘Also today I will not die.’ That way, even right until we are about to die, the mind holds on to the idea that we are not […]

“When you rely on patience continually, you do not spoil your joyful attitude, so you are always happy even in this life. Moreover, patience stops miserable rebirths in future lives, gives special rebirths in happy realms, and ultimately bestows certain goodness, so you are utterly happy in this and future lives.” From The Great Treatise on […]

“Although someone may totally fill with gems Buddha-fields equal in number To the grains of sand on the Ganges And offer them to the Guardians of the World, Yet should anyone press his or her palms together And direct his or her mind toward bodhichitta, His or her offering would be more specially noble; It […]

“The advantages of generating wisdom: 1. It is the root of all positive qualities 2. The fact that a bodhisattva is not perturbed by good or bad conditions and that he is skilled in methods such as generosity and so forth depends on wisdom 3. One endowed with wisdom can accomplish without contradiction even those actions […]

“In short, we are free from any unfavorable conditions, except for cheating ourselves by not making effort. If now, when we have attained such an excellent foundation with all the favorable conditions, we cannot achieve buddhahood, it is certain that in the future we will not gain any better rebirth or Dharma. Some of us […]

“If the seed is not sown, no fruit can grow; likewise, If the good or bad action is not accumulated, No happy or painful result whatever can happen, For there is no meeting with uncreated karma.” Verse 258 From The Essence of Nectar – Stages of the Path to Enlightenment by Kongpo Lama Yeshe Tsondru, as […]

“Especially for an egocentric person, the sole door For determining the precise reality of things Is the treatise on valid reasoning; so with many efforts I studied its crucial points again and again. Thinking this over, how well my destiny was fulfilled! Thank you so much, O Holy Wisdom Treasure!” From Destiny Fulfilled: The Spiritual […]

“Just as I have fallen into the ocean of compulsive existence, So, too, have all wandering beings – they have been my mothers. Seeing this, I request inspiration to grow to a supreme bodhichitta aim To take responsibility to free these wandering beings.” From Foundation of All Good Qualities by Tsongkhhapa. Translated by Alex Berzin. PDF […]

“Furthermore, appearance eliminates the extreme of existence And emptiness eliminates the extreme of non-existence. If you realize how emptiness manifests in the manner of cause and effect Then you are not captivated by wrong notions holding extreme views.” From The Three Principles of the Path by Lama Tsong Khapa. Translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. PDF available from FPMT.