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Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Quotes

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Famous Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Quotes

“Right now we have obtained a human rebirth and have the opportunity to attain enlightenment through Dharma practice, so if we waste this precious opportunity in meaningless activities there is no greater loss and no greater foolishness.”

IfsHumansOpportunityLossPracticeGreaterRight NowActivityWasteEnlightenmentMeaninglessFoolishnessRebirthDharma
Book:Modern Buddhism: The Path of Compassion and Wisdom - Volume 1 Sutra
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“As Shantideva says, suffering has many good qualities because it purifies our negative karma, increases our renunciation and compassion, reduces our pride, and helps us to overcome our bad mental habits. If we think in this way we will feel that difficult circumstances are our best friends. When our mind is balanced in this way it becomes as stable as Mount Meru, and nothing can cause it to shake.”

IfsThinkingWayFeelsMindHelpingSufferingCausesDifficultQualityCompassionPrideFriendsHabitBalanceCircumstancesNegativeOvercomingIncreaseKarmaShakesStableBalancedRenunciationGood QualityDifficult CircumstancesNegative Karma
Author:Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
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“No matter how many possessions we acquire, they will not provide us with any lasting happiness and freedom. On the contrary, it is often our pursuit of material possessions that causes our problems. If we want ultimate happiness and freedom from suffering, we must engage in the supreme practices of training the mind. There is no other way.”

IfsWayWantMindMatterProblemHappinessSufferingCausesFreedomPracticeMaterialsTrainingUltimatePossessionContraryPursuitSupremeAcquireLastingWant UMaterial PossessionsLasting HappinessTraining The MindUltimate Happiness
Author:Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
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“We know that we are happy when our mind is peaceful, and unhappy when it is not. It is therefore clear that our happiness depends upon our having a peaceful mind and not on good external conditions. Even if our external conditions are poor, if we maintain a peaceful mind all the time we shall always be happy.”

IfsKnowsMindHappinessTimePoorClearConditionsDependsHappyUnhappyPeacefulPeace Of MindAlways Be HappyPeaceful Mind
Book:Modern Buddhism: The Path of Compassion and Wisdom - Volume 1 Sutra
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“Pride is a mental factor causing us to feel higher or superior to others. Even our study of dharma can be the occasion for the delusion of pride to arise if we think our understanding is superior to that of everyone else. Pride is harmful because it prevents us from accepting fresh knowledge from a qualified teacher. Just as a pool of water cannot collect on the tip of a mountain, so too a reservoir of understanding cannot be established in a mind falsely elevated by pride.”

IfsThinkingFeelsMindUnderstandingWaterAcceptingStudyTeacherPrideHigherMountainAriseSuperiorsFactorsOccasionsDelusionPoolQualifiedDharmaReservoirs
Author:Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
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“Normally we divide the external world into that which we consider to be good or valuable, bad or worthless, or neither. Most of the time these discriminations are incorrect or have little meaning. For example, our habitual way of categorizing people as friends, enemies, and strangers depending on how they make us feel is both incorrect and a great obstacle to developing impartial love for all living beings. Rather than holding so tightly to our discriminations of the external world, it would be much more beneficial if we learned to discriminate between valuable and worthless states of mind.”

PeopleIfsWorldWayFeelsMindLittlesStatesWould BeEnemyExampleObstaclesStrangerValuableBe GoodDiscriminationDevelopingDividesState Of MindWorthlessBeneficialHabitualFriend EnemyCategorizing
Book:Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness
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“When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations, we tend to regard the situation itself as our problem, but in reality whatever problems we experience come from the side of the mind. If we were to respond to difficult situations with a positive or peaceful mind they would not be problems for us; indeed, we may even come to regard them as challenges or opportunities for growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to difficulties with a negative state of mind. Therefore, if we want to be free from problems, we must transform our mind.”

IfsWantMindMayStatesProblemRealityOpportunityDifficultSidesGrowthChallengesAttitudeSituationOur LivesTroublePositiveDevelopmentNegativeDifficultyRegardArisePeacefulBuddhistPositive AttitudeEncountersState Of MindPredicamentsDifficult SituationsWhen Things Go WrongPeaceful Mind
Book:Modern Buddhism: The Path of Compassion and Wisdom - Volume 1 Sutra
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“Many people are very intelligent in accomplishing worldly attainments. This intelligence is not wisdom because worldly attainments such as a high position, reputation, wealth and success in business are deceptive. If we die tomorrow they will disappear tomorrow, and nothing will be left for our future. Wisdom, however, will never deceive us.”

PeopleIfsDiesLeftWealthPositionTomorrowIntelligentDisappearReputationOur FutureDeceivingBusiness SuccessWorldlyAttainmentDeceptiveWealth And Success
Author:Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
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“If we want to cook food we need to leave the stove on continuously and not keep turning it on and off. If the heat is continuous, no matter whether it is high or low our food will eventually be cooked. Similarly, if we continuously apply effort, even if it is only a small effort, it is certain that we shall eventually experience the fruits of our practice.”

IfsWantNeedsMatterCertainInspiringEffortPracticeLowsFruitCooksHeatAnd OffStovesSmall Efforts
Book:Joyful Path of Good Fortune: The Complete Buddhist Path to Enlightenment
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