Although we all have a fundamentally pure nature, it is not easy to get in touch with it. The gross way our mind originally functions drowns out this deeper, more subtle vibration to such an extent that we generally remain unaware of its existence. If we truly want to connect with this subtle essence, we need to quiet all distractions and loosen the hold our ordinary appearances and conceptions have on us.
~ Lama Thubten Yeshe, Introduction to Tantra
For as long as there is the dualistic grasping of ‘self’ and ‘other’ it is impossible to get rid of all of the external problems that cause us to suffer. But when there is no more dualistic grasping, it’s as if they have disappeared. As the great master Shantideva said:
“Where would I find enough leather to cover the entire surface of the world? But with leather on my feet, it’s as if the whole world has been covered.”
~ Chamtrul Rinpoche
Surrendering all thoughts of outcome,
unperturbed, self-reliant,
{the sage} does nothing at all, even
when fully engaged in actions.
There is nothing that he expects,
nothing that he fears. Serene,
free from possessions, untainted,
acting with the body alone,
content with whatever happens,
unattached to pleasure or pain,
success or failure, he acts
and is never bound by his actions.
when a man has let go of attachments,
when his mind is rooted in wisdom,
everything he does is worship
and his actions all melt away.
~ Bhagavad Gita
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When talking about others is motivated by thoughts of ill will, jealousy, or attachment, conversations turn into gossip. These thoughts may seem to be subconscious, but if we pay close attention to our mind we’ll be able to catch them in the act. Many of these are thoughts that we don’t want to acknowledge to ourselves, let alone to others, but my experience is that when I become courageous enough to notice and admit them, I’m on my way to letting them go.
~ Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, “The Truth About Gossip”
I am medicine for the sick. May I be both the doctor and their nurse, until the sickness does not recur. ~ Santideva, Chapter 3 verse 7
May the bodhicitta never cease or decrease.
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A Buddhist's Journey 