Lamrim Quotes

“It is more kind to give a bowl of simple food to someone dying of hunger than to give a handful of golden coins to someone who has every luxury. For this reason it is said that one’s spiritual Guru is kinder then even Buddha himself.” From Essence of Refined Gold by His Holiness the […]

“The stages of the path to enlightenment have passed down intact through successive generations from both Nagarjuna and Asanga, the crown jewels of all erudite masters of the Southern Continent, and the banner of whose fame flies above the wandering masses. As (following the stages) can fulfill, without an exception, the desired spiritual aims of […]

“(The Buddha said) in the King of Samadhi: “Use your intellect to apply to all else your understanding of the self-concept – all things have an utterly pure nature just like the sky. By a single (insight), all things are known – by one (vision), all things are seen.” That is, if one knows well […]

“Once you become convinced that compassion is the excellent key to the path through such proof as reason and limitless scriptures, why would you not hold the spirit of enlightenment together with its root – compassion – to be the supreme instruction? The teacher Shang-na-chung said, “Even though I asked for instructions from the Great […]

“Wisdom without skillful means And skillful means, too, without wisdom Are referred to as bondage. Therefore do not give up either.” The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment by Atisha Dipamkarashrijnana as translated by Ruth Sonam is included in Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment: A Commentary on Atisha Dipamkara Shrijnanas’ “A Lamp for the Path […]

“The actual identification of the mental afflictions: Attachment Anger Pride Ignorance Doubt The view of the transitory collection View holding to an extreme The view holding a bad view to be best The view holding a bad ethics and ascetic practice to be best Wrong view”   From Textual Outline for the Medium Treatise on […]

“In all our births from beginningless time till the present, there has not been any form of suffering we have not undergone here in samsara, nor any form of happiness we have not experienced. But no matter how many bodies we have had, we have obtained nothing worthwhile from them. Now that we have gained […]

“Alas! Though all these wandering sentient beings always want only happiness, nevertheless, since they don’t know that happiness’ cause is virtue, or if they do, are unable to achieve it, they’re destitute of happiness. If they now had happiness and it’s cause, how wonderful! May they have it! I will make this happen! Please inspire […]

“If the darkness that hides the basis of right and wrong Is not illuminated by the lamp of true learning, You cannot know even the path; not to speak of Entrance into the supreme city of liberation! Therefore, not satisfied with partiality and rough ideas, I trained carefully in all the treatises of the Invincible […]

“Even if I develop only bodhicitta, without practicing the three types of morality I will not achieve enlightenment. With my clear recognition of this, Please bless me to practice the bodhisattva vows with great energy.” Verse 8 from Foundation of All Good Qualities by Je Tsong Khapa as published in Essential Buddhist Prayers: An FPMT Prayer Book, volume […]