religious-leaders-from-tibet

"Vikramasila was still existing in the time of the Elder Dharmasvamin 1 2 and the Kashmir Pandita*, but when the Dharmasvamin visited the country there were no traces of it left, the Turushka soldiery having razed it to the ground, and thrown the foundation stones into the Ganga."

"Two [Muslim] soldiers were in the ferry boat, which was taking Dharmasvamin across the Ganga…They demanded gold from him. Being a simple person or a simpleton, Dharmasvamin threatened to report them to the king, forgetting that Hindu and Buddhist kings were at this time unable to protect themselves, much less their subjects. This threat made the Muslim soldiers wild and they snatched away the begging bowl of Dharmasvamin. Two Buddhist lay passengers tried to assuage the Muslim soldiers by offering them precious things, but the soldiers replied, “We do not want your wealth; we want this Tibetan.” The matter was eventually compromised by Dharmasvamin offering a Pana [typically a gold coin]…Had the fellow passengers not intervened, Dharmasvamin would have been carried away as a slave, and Indian history would have lost this important source-book."

"At the time of the Dharmasvamih’s visit to Vajrasana, the place was deserted and only four monks were found staying (in the Vihara). One (of them) said, “It is not good ! All have fled from fear of the Turushka soldiery”. They blocked up the door in front of the Mahabodhi image- with bricks and plastered it. Near it they placed another image as a substitute. They also plastered the outside door (of the temple). On its surface they drew the image of Mahesvara in order to protect it from non-Buddhists. The monks said, “We five do not dare to remain here and shall have to flee.” As the day’s stage was long and the heat great, said the Dharmasvamin, they felt tired, and as it became dark, they remained there and fell asleep. Had the Turushkas come, they would not have known it. At daybreak they fled towards the North following the rut of a cart, and for seventeen days the Dharmasvamin did not see the face of the image (i. e. the Mahabodhi image). At that time also a woman appeared, who brought the welcome news that the Turushka soldiery had gone far away."

"His visit to India falls in the reign of Iltutmlsh (1211-1236 A.D.) of the “Slave” dynasty. Chag lo-tsa-ba witnessed the constant Muslim incursions which followed the conquest of Bihar and Bengal by Ikhtiyar-ud-Din Muhammad between 1193 and 1204-5. Bands of Turushka (Gar-log or Qarluq) soldiers roamed about the country side. Chag lo-tsa-ba describes the defensive measures taken by the inhabitants of Pattala (Pa-ta of our text) in Tirhut. He found Vajrasana in Magadha deserted. Chag lo-tsa-ba describes his meeting with the Raja Buddhasena, whom he calls the ruling Raja of Magadha who had his residence at Vajrasana. Buddhasena is known to Taranatha who adds that the local Sena kings to whom Buddhasena belonged, professed allegiance to their Muslim overlord.. 1 At Vajrasana, Chag lo-tsa-ba found Sravakas in control of the temples. The great Vihara of VikramaSila, one of the seats of Tantric learning, was still existing in the time of Chag dGra-bcom, the uncle of the author (1153-1216 A.D.) and of the Kashmir Pantjita Sakyafrlbha dra (1145-1225 A.D.), who had come to Magadha in about 1174 A.D. and who had been invited to Tibet by Khro-phulo’tsa-ba in 1203 A.D. 1 When our author Chag-Jo-tsa-ba Chos-rje-dpal visited Magadha, there were no traces of it left, the Turushka soldiers having razed it to the ground and thrown the foundation stones into the Ganga. The sack of VikramaSila must have taken place about 1 199 or 1200 A.D. at the time of the conquest by Ikhtiyar-ud-Din Muhammad. The Vihara of Odantapuri, which was also destroyed at the time of the conquest, is mentioned only twice as the residence of a Turushka military commander. From the account of Chag lo-tsa-ba it appears that the great Vihara of Nalanda, though largely deserted and damaged, was still standing in 1235-6, and that scholastic activities continued, notwithstanding the constant perils of the time. At Nalanda Chag-lo-tsa-ba studied with the venerable Pandit a Rahulasribha- dra and witnessed the arrival of Turushka soldeirs. This Rahu- laSribhadra is mentioned by Taranatha in his rGya-gar-chos - byuh, or “ History of Buddhism in India”*, who says that “In the reign of Buddhasena there lived in Nalanda a great Pantjita Rahula- Srlbhadra, who had some seventy students.”"

"In the account of the Tibetan pilgrim Dharmasvamin, who visited eastern India in the years 1234-36, the Vihiira of Uddandapura is mentioned twice as the residence of a Turushka military commander. Of Vikramashila 'there were then no traces left, the Turushka soldiery having razed it to the ground, and thrown the foundation stones into the Ganges' .206In Nalanda, Dharmasvamin observed about eighty small viharas which were damaged by the Turushkas, 'and there was absolutely no-one to look after them, or to make offerings', although two of them were in a serviceable condition."

"# "Middle way" is defined [by professors of Nirakara] in terms of a self-awareness that is not nil; it appears as blue, etc. objects, but characteristics do not arise in it."

"# To professors of Mayopamadvaya, "freedom from the four extremes" is [to know that] the characteristics are false, and [in reality] clear light. The following system had evidence for its beliefs."

"# To know the emptiness of objects is to know emptiness free of appearance and free of coverings. That is the Middle Way from which the "subsequent" or conventional has been purged."

"# To professors of Sakara, "freedom from the four extremes" means understanding that the object of cognition exists in a momentary mode, empty of thought-constructions and lacking objectification."

"The idea is not to regard the spiritual path as something very luxurious and pleasurable but to see it as just facing the facts of life."

"The point of meditation is not merely to be an honest or good person in the conventional sense, trying only to maintain our security. We must begin to become compassionate and wise in the fundamental sense, open and relating to the world as it is."

"Our vast collections of knowledge and experience are just part of ego’s display, part of the grandiose quality of ego. We display them to the world and, in so doing, reassure ourselves that we exist, safe and secure, as “spiritual” people."

"Meditation is a way of scientifically looking at our basic situation and seeing what is important in dealing with it."

"Meditation practice ... has nothing to do with achieving perfection, achieving some absolute state or other. It is purely getting into what we are, really examining our actual psychological process without being ashamed of it."

"Unless we are able to make friends with outselves, there is no hope at all. If we abandon ourselves as hopeless, as villains, then there is no steppingstone."

"Even if our state of being is disgusting we should look into it. It is beautiful to see it."

"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 up the awakened state of mind, but rather of burning out the confusions which obstruct it. In the process of burning out these confusions, we discover enlightenment. If the process we otherwise, the awakened state of mind would be a product, dependent upon cause and effect and therefore liable to dissolution."

"When all the world is filled with evil, transform adversity into the path of enlightenment."

"Walking the spiritual path properly is a very subtle process; it is not something to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks which leades to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality; we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques. This fundamental distortion may be referred to as spiritual materialism."

"Anything which is created must, sooner or later, die. If enlightenment were created in such a way, there would always be a possibility of ego reasserting itself, causing a return to the confused state. Enlightenment is permanent because we have not produced it; we have merely discovered it. In the Buddhist tradition the analogy of the sun appearing from behind the clouds is often used to explain the discovery of enlightenment. In meditation practice we clear away the confusion of ego in order to glimpse the awakened state. The absence of ignorance, of being crowded in, of paranoia, opens up a tremendous view of life. One discovers a different way of being."

"We cannot be truly peaceful unless we have the invincible quality of peace within us; a feeble or temporary peacefulness could always be disturbed. If we try to be kind and peaceful in a naive way, encountering a different or unexpected situation might interfere with our awareness of peace because that peace has no strength in it, has no character. So peace must be stable, deeprooted, and solid.”"

"When the Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma, he taught the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is that there is suffering, and it should be recognised. The Second Noble Truth is that suffering has a cause, which therefore needs to be given up. That cause is the kleshas, the negative emotions or afflicting mental factors. Although there are many such obscured states of mind, the five principal obscurations are desire, aggression, ignorance, pride, and jealousy. The Third Noble Truth is that there is a path that leads beings away from suffering; this path therefore needs to be followed. The Fourth Noble Truth is that suffering can thus be brought to cessation. Through the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha urged us to renounce worldly concerns and strive for liberation from samsara."

"As you progress through these three steps, spiritual qualities will naturally arise, and you will see the truth of the teachings. Those qualities will bloom spontaneously because the buddha nature within you is being revealed."

"The buddha nature, or tathagatagarbha, is present in all beings, but is hidden by obscurations, in the same way that buried gold is hidden by the earth under which it lies. As you listen to, reflect, and meditate on the Dharma, all the inherent qualities of your buddha nature will be actualized."

"When a field has been carefully prepared and planted with seeds, and all favorable conditions are present, such as temperature, moisture, and warmth, the seeds will germinate and grow into crops. It is said that there is nothing, however difficult, that cannot become easy through familiarization. If you persevere in the practice of these instructions, you can be sure of achieving results."

"In my native land waves of attachment to friends and kin surge, Hatred for enemies rages like fire, The darkness of stupidity, not caring what to adopt or avoid, thickens - To abandon my native land is the practice of a bodhisattva"

"The meaning of leaving behind your native land is to leave behind the emotions of attachment, hatred, and the obscuring ignorance that permeates both. These three poisons, generally speaking, are most active in the relationships you establish with family and friends in your own homeland. There, it is all too easy for the protection of those to whom you are attached, and the increasing of their wealth and happiness, to become your main preoccupation... you end up engaging in meaningless activities without end, frittering away what is left of your precious life... Not to see how pointless it would be to waste your life with such goals is simply ignorance."

"So, rather than stay near the people and things that are liable to arouse your attachment and resentment, go to a completely unknown place where there is nothing that will engender negative emotions. Your mind will not be disturbed, and you will be able to devote your time and energy to the practice of Dharma."

"As it is said: Go hundreds of miles away From places of dispute; Don't stay for an instant Where disturbing emotions prevail."

"As time goes on, it will become obvious through your practice of the Dharma that hatred toward anyone is a mistake. You will have nothing but good thoughts and intentions toward all beings. So, too, the pointlessness of becoming attached to anyone and anything will also become obvious, and you will see that all objects of attachment are like things perceived in dreams, like phantasmagoric illusions."

"Thirty-six hours after his teacher’s last breath, Trulshik Rinpoche decided that Khyentse Rinpoche’s last meditation was completed, and his body... was enshrined and carried in procession... to the main temple of Thimphu Dzong, where everyone, from the king and the royal family to the most humble people, came and paid homage. Within hours, and day after day, many masters from all schools converged in Bhutan to pay homage. At the request of disciples from Tibet and all over the world, so that they could come to pay a last homage to their teacher, Khyentse Rinpoche’s body was preserved for a year using traditional embalming methods. Every Friday (the day of his death) for the first seven weeks, one hundred thousand butter lamps were offered at the Bodhnath stupa near Shechen Monastery in Nepal. Finally, his remains were cremated near Paro in Bhutan, in November 1992, at a three-day ceremony attended by over a hundred important lamas, the royal family and ministers of Bhutan, five hundred Western disciples and a huge crowd of some sixty thousand devotees..."

"Once you have the view, although the delusory perceptions of samsara may arise in your mind, you will be like the sky; when a rainbow appears in front of it, it’s not particularly flattered, and when the clouds appear, it’s not particularly disappointed either. There is a deep sense of contentment. You chuckle from inside as you see the facade of samsara and nirvana; the View will keep you constantly amused, with a little inner smile bubbling away all the time."

"If your mind is constantly preoccupied by your money and possessions, you are in reality only preparing the ground for rebirth as a spirit tortured by hunger and thirst. If your thoughts are obsessed with your family and loved ones, you are only strengthening the pangs of separation you will suffer when you die."

"To have devotion constantly in your mind will endow you with lasting serenity and satisfaction. Remembering even the name of your spiritual teacher is enough to completely transform your perceptions. Visualizing the guru above the crown of your head, even for an instant, can dissipate the veils of illusion."

"Devotion is the ring that allows the hook of the teacher’s compassion to pull you out of the mire of samsara."

"Even if death were to fall upon you today like lightning, you must be ready to die without sadness and regret, without any residue of clinging for what is left behind. Remaining in the recognition of the absolute view, you should leave this life like an eagle soaring up into the blue sky...."

"When death finally comes you will welcome it like an old friend, aware of how dreamlike and impermanent the whole phenomenal world really is."

"Never forget how swiftly this life will be over, like a flash of summer lightning or the wave of a hand. Now that you have the opportunity to practice dharma, do not waste a single moment on anything else."

"Not long ago your conciousness was wandering alone. Swept by karma, it took its present birth. Soon, like a hair pulled out of butter, Leaving everything behind, you’ll go on alone."

"This body of ours, which we cherish so dearly, will turn into a corpse that our friends and family will only want to dispose of as quickly as possible."

"If you continue investigating, you will find that there is nothing anywhere, not even a single atom, that has a verifiable existence."

"The mantra Om Mani Pädme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pä, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom."

"Recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The path of these six perfections is the path walked by all the Buddhas of the three times. What could then be more meaningful than to say the mantra and accomplish the six perfections?""

"Om Mani Pädme Hum is the compassionate wisdom of all the Buddhas manifested as sound. Within it is contained the essential meaning of all eighty-four thousand sections of the Buddha's teachings. Of all the many mantras of various kinds, such as awareness mantras... and secret mantras... not one is superior to the six syllables of Chenrezi. The great benefits of reciting this mantra, commonly known as the mani, are described again and again..."

"There’s no time, no time! There’s no time to rest! When suddenly death is upon you, what will you do? Now you’d better start practicing the sublime Dharma right away; Now, quick, hurry-recite the six-syllable mantra."

"You have not obtained this precious human existence just by chance. It is the result of having heard the buddha's name in a past life, having taken refuge in him, accumulated virtuous actions, and of having developed some wisdom. There is no certainty that you will obtain this vessel again. If you fail to practice the Dharma in this life, it is certain that you will not obtain a human existence in the next life. To neglect such an opportunity would therefore be very foolish. Do not waste it. Practice day and night."

"Every day, remind yourself that if you do not study and reflect upon the teachings, meditate, and recite prayers and mantras, at the moment of death you will be helpless. Death is certain. If you wait for the moment of death to begin your practice, it will be too late. Think about why you are engaging in practice. Wishing to obtain a long life free from illness, or hoping to increase your wealth and influence are petty aims. Practice to free yourself and all others from the suffering that is samsara."

"When buddhas look at samsara with the eyes of their omniscience, they do not see it as an enjoyable place. They are acutely aware of the sufferings of beings... and they see how senseless are the pointless, temporary goals that beings try so hard to attain."

"It is important to become more and more clearly convinced that the only thing worth achieving is supreme enlightenment."

"Contemplate death and the sufferings of samsara, and you will not want to waste a single moment in pointless distractions and activities, such as trying to get rich, defeating your enemies, or spending your life protecting and furthering the interests of those to whom you are attached. You will only want to practice the Dharma."