Dharma Thoughts
“Instead of seeing the person who tests our patience as an obstacle to our spiritual practice, we should constantly remember his or her kindness and feel joy at having found such a person. It is he who has made our practice of patience possible, and whatever virtue or positive energy arises from this opportunity should be dedicated first to him.”
— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems
39 notes
2 months ago
We underestimate the value of patience.

Even if we never found the opportunity to sit down to study and meditate throughout our entire life, but we truly learnt to practice patient acceptance every moment of the day, we would make vast progress on the path to enlightenment. One the other hand, if we spent our whole life studying and meditating, but never practiced patience, our spiritual practice would remain superficial and inauthentic.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems

19 notes
2 months ago
If I do not retaliate when others harm me, what will people think? Will my fame, reputation, and praise not decrease?

Although one of the main reasons we retaliate is to defend our reputation, in reality we can protect and enhance our reputation far more effectively by practicing patience. When people see that we have the strength and stability of character to absorb criticism, slander, and abuse without losing our poise and good humor, their respect for us will increase. When a fim star or politician takes offence at a petty crtiticism and immediately sues for libel, does our respect for them increase? Probably we would respect them more if they took themselves less seriously and could weather a little criticism without losing their dignity or peace of mind.

Patience is a strength, not a weakness; and if by practicing patience we stop retaliating to harm and criticism, people will gradually come to understand that our real nature is very special.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems

2 notes
2 months ago
“Jealousy is one of the most senseless and purposeless of all the delusions. Nothing can be gained from being jealous of another’s good fortune, good job, reputation, or success. Suppose someone gives a rival some money. The jealousy and unhappiness we feel about this will do nothing to change the situation. Whether our rival is given money or not, there is no way in which we are going to receive that money ourself. So why should we be jealous?”
— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems
51 notes
2 months ago
“

Rejoicing in the good fortune of others creates the cause for us to enjoy similar good fortune in the future, and rejoicing in the good qualities of others creates the cause for us to develop similar qualities.

It is said that those who now appreciate and rejoice in the good qualities of spiritual practitioners and realized beings will become pure spiritual practitioners in their next life.

”
— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems
14 notes
2 months ago
What do you see when you look at a stranger?

kadampalife:

What (or who) do we see when we look at strangers? Do we mainly see their bodies? Their minds, after all, are formless and therefore invisible. Are we evaluating them based mainly on their bodies and on what we imagine must be their external lifestyle and background (e.g. jobs, family, income, possessions, politics, sexuality, choice of entertainment) as opposed to their vast, indeed infinite, spiritual potential?! ~ from a new article on Kadampa Life

7 notes
2 months ago
Even if I can learn to bear the suffering of separation, I cannot bear the pain of abuse and slander!

If we cannot bear this relatively slight suffering, how shall we ever be able to endure the unbearable sufferings of the lower realms? Yet if we cannot bear the sufferings of the lower realms, why do we continue to become angry and thereby create the causes for such unfortunate rebirths?

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems

2 months ago
“When we are attached to someone, we need him to make us happy; but when he is in pain or difficulty he does not function properly to provide us with the happiness we want from him. This is why we get angry when he is harmed. Pure love unmixed with attachment, however, does not lead to anger. When someone we love, but for whom we have no attachment, is harmed, a powerful desire to protect and help arises in our hears; but we feel no anger towards his aggressor. We take whatever practical steps we can to defend our friend, but we have no desire at all to make the aggressor suffer. What we need to do, therefore is give up our attachment for our loved ones, but never give up our love.”
— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems
38 notes
2 months ago
“Enlightenment is the inner light of wisdom that is permanently free from all mistaken appearance, and whose function is to bestow mental peace upon each and every living being every day.”
— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (via gardenofthefareast)

(via dancingdakini)
38 notes
2 months ago
“Practicing patience does not mean that we should let others commit non-virtue without intervening - it only means that we should guard our own mind from the delusion of anger.”
— Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ~ How to Solve Our Human Problems
31 notes
2 months ago