A wonderful meditation with Lama Surya Das on the Great Luminous Perfection teachings of Dzogchen.
Meditation is always ideal; there is no need to correct anything.
Since everything that arises is simply the play of the mind as such, there is no unsatisfactory meditation and no need to judge thoughts as good or bad.
If you recognize the emptiness of your thoughts instead of solidifying them, the arising and subsiding of each thought will clarify and strengthen your realization of emptiness.
Banishing all hope and all fear, rest in the diamond-like certainty that the primordial simplicity of awareness is itself Buddhahood. That is the way of perfect bliss, in which all the qualities of enlightenment will flourish without effort.
– Quotes by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
The fundamental philosophical principle of Buddhism is that all our suffering comes about as a result of an undisciplined mind, and this untamed mind itself comes about because of ignorance and negative emotions. For the Buddhist practitioner then, regardless of whether he or she follows the approach of the Fundamental Vehicle, Mahayana or Vajrayana, negative emotions are always the true enemy, a factor that has to be overcome and eliminated. And it is only by applying methods for training the mind that these negative emotions can be dispelled and eliminated. This is why in Buddhist writings and teachings we find such an extensive explanation of the mind and its different processes and functions. Since these negative emotions are states of mind, the method or technique for overcoming them must be developed from within. There is no alternative. They cannot be removed by some external technique, like a surgical operation.”
from ‘Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection’
Well first of all, to my mind, we try to be present when we are drinking our tea, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s very easy to think, right now I’m going to be really present while I’m drinking my tea, here I am drinking my tea, and I’m so present, look this is easy, I am here drinking my tea and I know I’m drinking my tea blah blah blah blah….right? And the one place where the mind is not, is here. It’s just thinking about being here. So the first thing is to learn how to quiet the mind, relax the mind, and bring the awareness to the front so that we are conscious of what we’re doing when we’re doing it without all the commentary.
~ Tenzin Palmo
The gift of the Dharma excels all gifts;
The taste of the Dharma excels all tastes;
Delight in the Dharma excels all delights.
The eradication of craving and clinging overcomes all sorrow.
