54 Pearls: 38 – Engage in self reflection

What business of yours is it whether someone is good or bad? What is important is whether or not you are a good person. Engage often in self reflection. Do not appoint yourself inspector of others, always on the lookout for their faults and failings. Remind yourself to respect the Law of Cause and Effect. … Continued

54 Pearls: 37 – The door to happiness

Grasping gives rise to the sufferings of samsara. Non-virtuous actions give rise to negative karma. If you wish to close the door on suffering and open the door to happiness, you must overcome these two habitual tendencies. FR

54 Pearls: 36 – Cultivating inner Buddha

Cultivating your inner Buddha is not about manipulating your body. It is about uncovering the original nature of your mind by recovering its primordial, pristine state. FR

54 Pearls: 35 – A fresh perspective

When practicing you should abandon ingrained habits of the heart and use a fresh perspective. You know that your old ways are not bearing fruit, so make a change. Only by consciously changing your approach will you be able to identify changes in the quality of your practice. FR

54 Pearls: 33 – The Who, What and When of Liberation

The Who, What and When of Liberation: A true guru is the one who transforms the mind from an afflicted state to one of equanimity. True Buddhist practice is what transforms the mind from an afflicted state to one of equanimity. True liberation occurs when the mind is transformed from an afflicted state to one … Continued

54 Pearls: 32 – The only real yidam

What is a yidam? A true yidam is none other than the original nature of your mind. The mind’s primordial state of wisdom is the only real yidam. FR

54 Pearls: 31 – Out of thin air

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not appear out of thin air. They are a product of transformation: the ordinary mind is reoriented through the exercise of compassion and wisdom. The more wisdom one accesses, the purer one’s internal state, the less one’s negative emotions and the closer one comes to liberation. FR

54 Pearls: 30 – Sanctuary of the heart

Our ordinary mind is fickle and changeable, always riding an emotional roller coaster. Today I’m happy, tomorrow I’m suffering. This is the ordinary mind which we have unfortunately made our “home.” But it is a flimsy structure built with the fragile walls of negative emotions. At any moment, it could suddenly fall to pieces. Buddhism … Continued

54 Pearls: 29 – Buddha wisdom software

Our mind is similar to a computer. At the moment the only software on this computer is greed, hate, and ignorance. Therefore, every time we use our computer, we animate habitual behavioral tendencies and reactive emotions. We cannot use the Buddha wisdom software because it doesn’t exist on our computer. We have to get that … Continued