Not Criticising Bodhisattvas

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When we start attacking somebody else verbally with the intent to ruin their reputation, we are actually saying more about ourselves and our own faults, than we are about the person whom we are bad-mouthing.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Look at our own minds

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Sometimes when we first meet the Dharma, we become so enthused by the idea of bodhicitta and of benefiting all sentient beings that we become busy helping others but forget to look at our own minds. We think, “I’m working so hard to benefit sentient beings.” 
We might be busy doing charity work or setting up a Dharma centre, but we forget that the bottom line of benefiting sentient beings is not to harm them. And to not harm them, we have to examine our own mind and motives.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Look Within

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If we are really going to have a Dharma mind, we have to look within and be attentive so that we recognise our own ignorance, anger and attachment when they arise.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Mind Games

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When you watch a movie, you get emotional about what happens to the characters. But when you remember that there are no real people on the screen, your mind calms down. Life occurrences are the same. They are just illusory appearances. There are no real things out there that have their own essence for one to hold onto, crave or grasp onto. So our mind relaxes and then, because we are no longer overwhelmed by personal distress, there is space to act with compassion in these illusion-like circumstances.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Seeing the Hated as Empty

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All forms of suffering are like a child’s death in a dream.
Holding illusory appearances to be true makes you weary.
Therefore when you meet with disagreeable circumstances,
See them as illusory—
This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Seeing the Desired as Empty

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When you encounter attractive objects,
Though they seem beautiful
Like a rainbow in summer, don’t regard them as real
And give up attachment—
This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Whatever Appears Is Your Own Mind

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Things that appear to our minds exist by merely being labelled by mind.

They are not literally our mind, but they exist in relationship to the mind that perceives them.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Realising Emptiness

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Whatever appears is your own mind.
Your mind from the start was free from fabricated extremes.
Understanding this, do not take to mind
[Inherent] signs of subject and object—
This is the practice of bodhisattvas..

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Sense Pleasure

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Beautiful sights, melodious sounds and music, pleasant odours, delicious food, luxurious tactile objects, a good sex life, a new airconditioner or heater, the latest electronic device—the list goes on and on. 

We are addicted to sense pleasure, constantly running after it. But like drug addicts, the more we have, the more we need. Although we live in rich countries, we suffer from dissatisfaction and all its ramifications.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Transforming Desire into the Path

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Sensual pleasures are like saltwater:
The more you indulge, the more thirst increases.
Abandon at once those things which breed
Clinging attachment—
This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Transforming Anger into the Path

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We can’t practise patience with people who are nice to us; we need people who harm us to do that.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Happiness Comes Within

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We are locked into the narrow view that happiness comes from outside, and so we need external things, people and situations in order to be happy. But when we understand the type of happiness that comes through Dharma practice—mental peace— lasts longer, is more stable, and can be experienced no matter what our external situation is, then our interest in worldly happiness will naturally decline.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Worldly Fortune

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For that reason, we practise seeing that worldly fortune is without essence. In other words, wealth comes and goes. Fame comes and goes. Praise, honour and respect come and go. They are impermanent, transient, arising only when the causes and conditions for them have assembled.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Transforming Wealth into the Path

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Though you become famous and many bow to you,
And you gain riches equal to Vaishravana’s,
See that worldly fortune is without essence,
And be unconceited —
This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Impressing Other

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No matter how much we try to impress them, people are going to think whatever they wish about us. 

We might as well relax, because we don’t have any control over what opinion they will form of us or when they will change it.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Free from Craving

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Our minds are tied up, not just by craving, but also by resentment, hostility and a host of other disturbing emotions. 
Are you free when your mind is tormented by craving something—a house, a relationship, delicious food or whatever? 
Are you free when your mind is overwhelmed by jealousy because others have more or by competition, wanting to prove yourself and be better than someone else?

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

The Role of Spiritual Teacher

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Without a teacher, we won’t know the correct path to follow to actualise our spiritual aspirations. We may then make up our own path, but we’ve done that many times in previous lives and look where it’s gotten us!

Giving up our body harms just this life, but giving up reliable guides on the path to enlightenment brings harm

in many future lifetimes and leaves us drowning in samsara.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Uncontrolled minds

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The reason our three poisons increase is not because the people are bad, but because our minds are uncontrolled.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Give Up Bad Friends

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When we hang around people who swear, we start to swear. When we socialise with people who gossip and talk about others behind their back, we begin to do that too. We lose our mindfulness and awareness and get involved in many harmful actions. 

Coming under their influence, we waste time pursuing things that are of no ultimate value from a Dharma point of view.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")

Let Go of This Life

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The solution to attachment and the problems that come with it is to let go of this life. This means to let go of attachment to this life.

(Thubten Chodron, "37 Practices of Bodhisattvas")