Buddhism Quotes - Page 86

If you become obsessive in spiritual practice, if you just try and try, you are not going to be happy. You are going to be obsessive.

There is enough room in eternity for everyone to be enlightened. We gain or lose nothing by the success of others.

If you can't think of an enlightened person positively, don't think of them at all.

We must control the tendencies within our being that are destructive, when we want to slam somebody else, hurt them, injure them, or push them out of the way. A reverence for life needs to be developed, in which all things are sacred.

If one thinks of an enlightened person in a negative way, as it hits their aura, it returns very strongly.

Don't judge others. Always be open to them. Avoid the cult mentality, you know, the super-slick, "I'm superior because I meditate, because I'm on the pathway to enlightenment," the subtle ego nonsense, terrible trap.

It takes tremendous self-restraint on the part of the student not to want to monopolize the teacher's attention, to live a very controlled life and a happy life, and of course, be dedicated to the cause.

The more moral you pretend to be, the less moral you are; the less moral you try to be, the more moral you are.

Some people like a harsh teacher. They feel the demands make them learn more quickly. Some like a gentle teacher because they feel that makes them learn more quickly.

If you have humility, you are willing to undertake anything to spread the dharma.

Do not envy others. If someone gets a larger piece of cake, be happy for them. They'll get fat and you'll stay thin.

There is no such thing as spiritual achievement; it is simply an awareness intrinsic to all of life.

The hallmark of a person who is following the pathway to enlightenment is that they bring excellence into everything, no matter how crappy they feel.

Once in a while, you will see someone really drippy. The person has to stare at the teacher all the time with that devoted and disgusting and sick look. It's boring, misplaced devotionalism.

One should never become devoted to a teacher, any more than one should become devoted to a statue of a god. There is only one thing to be devoted to, and that is your mind.

Don't preach about meditation.

If you respect it in others, you respect it in yourself.

What's important is to be supportive of all who practice. Anyone on any level, even if they don't call it self-discovery, who is seeking to awaken to their own potentials and possibilities, to the inner freedom, deserves your respect and support.

Just because it doesn't work out for you, doesn't mean that it's not wonderful for someone else.

It's necessary to respect all other ways and other teachings on the subject because even though they may not make a lot of sense to us, they might to someone else. Who are we to say?

One person's cult is another person's spiritual organization.

Sometimes there are people who only meditate with a teacher. They ride the teacher's energy. They don't really learn how to meditate. They learn how to ride the energy.

What is important in self-discovery is the person who keeps going, who has a smile, who is kind to others, who works hard at everything, and who keeps their mind on their own business and not everybody else's.

It has been my experience as a teacher over the years and incarnations that what really counts are not techniques. What really counts is spirit, love. What really counts is a sense of propriety and dedication.

From a Buddhist perspective, it is incorrect to always assume that we know what is best.