HALLOWED TREATS

Trying to see through whatever guise you choose to whoever you truly are--in other words, to stop tricking yourself and others with identity crises, seems to be the essence of Buddhist practice. So in keeping with tonight’s practice of knocking on doors to demand strangers to give you something sweet if you can trick them about your identity, here are a few dharma treats for the Halloween feed bag:

Though we all wish to be happy and pursue that state daily, we may feel our efforts are often ineffectual. At the end of the day, instead of feeling content, we may feel we have missed the boat once again; in fact, we can practically see it sailing off without us.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Good actions and selfless sharing are very good investments even in a business sense for they will inevitably bring blessings.
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

An abundance of material items provides such a variety of external distractions, people lose the connection to their inner lives.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

The Tibetan word for a negative emotion—anger, envy, pride, desire—means “large bubble.” It’s there all right when you look but poke it and it disappears because it’s totally empty of any substance.
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

At all times, and in all circumstances
May the wish to conform to conventional expectations
Not arise for even an instant.
If, due to the power of strong habits,
Such deluded intentions occur,
May they not succeed.
--Jigme Lingpa

…there are a whole lot of people, the modern people, who might not buy into the concept of reincarnation. …But we have to think in a more subtle way. For example, between yesterday and today there has been some kind of re-incarnation. There has been a continuity of yourself.
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

…when you start practicing, you should not expect too much. We live in a time of computers and automation, so you may feel inner development is also an automatic thing for which you press a button and everything changes. It is not so. Inner development is not easy and will take time.
The Dalai Lama

Journey of mind is infinite. If only I could have accumulated the mileage from this journey in samsaric realms, I would have two free tickets to nirvana by now.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

~Sandy Garson
"Wordsmithing to attest how the Dharma saved me from myself!"
http://www.sandygarson.com
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