Rest assured

Rest assured that you [have] entered this life

and have the opportunity to continue in the stream of Buddhist teachings

as a result of the vows and practices you engaged in during previous lives.

-- Chögyam Trungpa, Crazy Wisdom

In the realm of matter

In the realm of matter, one and the same object can serve as a cause of happiness for some living beings, and a cause of suffering for others. Certain plants, for example, function as medicine for some creatures, but for other species they can be poisonous. rom the point of view of the object itself there is no difference, but because of the physical constitution and the material state of the particular living being, that single self-same object can affect them in different ways. Then, in the sphere of our own experiences, the same holds true. A certain individual may appear to some as very friendly, kind and gentle, and so gives them feelings of happiness and pleasure. Yet to others that same person can appear harmful and wicked, and so cause them discomfort and unhappiness. What this kind of example points to is that, although external matter may act as a cause for our experience of pain and pleasure, the principal cause that determines whether we experience happiness or suffering lies within. This is the reason why, when Buddha identified the origin of suffering, he pointed within and not outside, because he knew that the principal causes of our suffering are our own negative emotions and the actions they drive us to do. --from Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection by the Dalai Lama, translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, Foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion Publications

The Wind of Peace

THE WIND OF PEACE

May the great revolutionary bannerBlow in the wind of peace.
May it blow in the wind of karma.
May it blow in the wind of fearlessness.
One's own mind is revolutionized:
There is no need to conquer others.
Like the warriors of ancient times
Going to war by imperial command,
Like seasoned masters of the martial arts,
We will destroy the fortress of erroneous thinking.
We will no longer tolerate the confused way of life
Controlled by the impersonal forces of materialism,
Since these forces may snatch away
The freedom of human dignity.
One must first give up the ego
And enter the war with one's mind.
That is the first step to freedom.
But we will never be free
By following the voice of desire.
Liberation is only gained
By treading the path of what is.

Written in Bhutan, September 1968. During this visit to Bhutan, Chogyam Trungpa composed (or received) THE SADHANA OF MAHAMUDRA, a major text dedicated to overcoming spiritual materialism. Published in WARRIOR SONGS, Trident Publications, available at shambhalashop.com.

In order to get beyond ignorance

In order to get beyond ignorance, we have to see mind's empty nature without conceptualizing it; then we must accustom the mind to this experience and gradually stabilize it so that it remains free from distraction under all circumstances. -- Kalu Rinpoche, Luminous Mind

Complete Acceptance

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week November 6, 2006 COMPLETE ACCEPTANCE Maitri [or loving kindness] is not only maitri toward others, but it is also maitri toward ourselves. In fact, the first step of awakening buddha nature is friendship with ourselves. This tends to help a great deal. We don't have alternatives or side tracks anymore because we are satisfied with ourselves. We don't try to imitate anyone else because we hate ourselves and we would like to be like somebody else instead. We are on our own ground and we are our own resources. We might be fantasizing that there is a divine force or higher spiritual energy that might save us, but even that depends on our recognition that such a thing exists. Finally we end up just relating with ourselves. So friendship, or maitri, means the complete acceptance of ourselves. From "Awakening Buddha Nature," in GLIMPSES OF MAHAYANA, page 20, published by Vajradhatu Publications. For a copy go to shambhalashop.com.

Of interest to readers: Tonight Diana J. Mukpo reads from DRAGON THUNDER: MY LIFE WITH CHOGYAM TRUNGPA in Halifax, Nova Scotia. For continuing reports on the book tour and the activities of the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project, see the blog at ChogyamTrungpa.com All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission. OCEAN OF DHARMA QUOTES OF THE WEEK now has 4,830 subscribers. Please send comments on and contributions to OCEAN OF DHARMA QUOTES OF THE WEEK to the list moderator, Carolyn Gimian at: carolyn@shambhala.com. Carolyn Rose Gimian