Sakyong Mipham Quotes - Page 3

What distinguishes Shambhala is its intention of trying to create a society based upon certain principles. So, Shambhala's focus is not just on the individual, but on society as a whole.

It's one thing to have the attitude of enlightenment and another thing to act in an enlightened way, which is conduct or activity.

Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act non-virtuously, suffering results.

Sometimes it seems like most people are being pulled into a negative energy, but then you meet strong individuals or strong leaders and they are free from it.

What is really happening in meditation is that we are developing the ability to think when we want to, and to not think when we don’t want to.

Running and meditation are very personal activities. Therefore they are lonely. This loneliness is one of their best qualities because it strengthens our incentive to motivate ourselves.

Your life and your practice should not be separate. You bring your practice into experience. You bring it about.

I want people to know you can live a life that is less aggressive and still have success.

Each of us holds human destiny in our hands. It will be completely determined by how the mind feels about itself.

If you rise with a positive attitude - because everything is possible, everything is doable - if you have that level of confidence, you exude it. It actually inspires the people around you.

The bones and tendons of the mind are mindfulness and awareness. Mindfulness is the mind’s strength, and awareness is its flexibility. Without these abilities, we cannot function. When we drink a glass of water, drive a car, or have a conversation, we are using mindfulness and awareness.

When we are using this term 'basic goodness,' we are talking about our inherent completeness.

In looking for my mind, I discovered that it seems to be in many different places. Sometimes it is drinking a glass of water, remembering swimming in the summer, feeling the breeze. In this contemplation I observed that the self is more elusive than I thought.

Changing our decision sets up a bad habit. It reinforces decision-making as an expression of bewilderment and ignorance, instead of wisdom and freedom.

Caring for others is the basis of worldly success.

You need to eat well, sleep well, and have a roof over your head, but don’t go much further than that before extending yourself to others.

It is said that if our intention is to help others-even if we are unable to follow it through-we will never have any regret. Regret is a result of trying to make "me" happy.

When we are certain that the way to accomplish our own wishes is to help others, we have no regrets.

If we cut speed and relax with what’s going on in our life right now, kindness and patience will naturally come about.

The most important thing is having the right mind - a mind that can see it. Once you have an open mind, you see a lot of auspicious coincidence taking place.

We can't hire out our own inner work, but we can do the manual labor with delight and decency.

If we are going to live in a society, there has to be an attitude where people really do care for others.

The first thing you have to do is acknowledge the basic and fundamental goodness of all beings. If you don't, then you are going to have conflict. That's at the core of Shambhala.

Many of us are slaves to our minds. Our own mind is our worst enemy. We try to focus, and our mind wanders off. We try to keep stress at bay, but anxiety keeps us awake at night. We try to be good to the people we love, but then we forget them and put ourselves first.

After you run, there's a sense of accomplishment; you feel like your life is meaningful. It's a moment of clarity.