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Quotations on:
Faith and Devotion
The Buddha |
Opened are the gates of immortality, you that have ears
to hear, release your faith.
Do not accept any of my words on faith,
Believing them just because I said them.
Be like an analyst buying gold, who cuts, burns,
And critically examines his product for authenticity.
Only accept what passes the test
By proving useful and beneficial in your life.
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Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche |
Devotion is the essence of the path, and if we have in mind nothing but the
guru and feel nothing but fervent devotion, whatever occurs is perceived as
his blessing. If we simply practice with this constantly present devotion, this
is prayer itself.
When all thoughts are imbued with devotion to the guru, there is a natural
confidence that this will take care of whatever may happen. All forms are the
guru, all sounds are prayer, and all gross and subtle thoughts arise as devotion.
Everything is spontaneously liberated in the absolute nature, like knots untied
in the sky.
There are different levels of faith. First, clear faith refers to the joy and
clarity and change in our perceptions that we experience when we hear about
the qualities of the Three Jewels and the lives of the Buddha and the great
teachers. Longing faith is experienced when we think about the latter and are
filled with a great desire to know more about their qualities and to acquire
these ourselves. Confident faith comes through practicing the Dharma, when we
acquire complete confidence in the truth of the teachings and the enlightenment
of the Buddha. Finally, when faith has become so much a part of ourselves that
even if our lives were at risk we could never give it up, it has become irreversible
faith.
The Excellent Path to Enlightenment |
If you have devotion, the Buddha is right in front of you.
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
Faith dispels doubt and hesitation, it liberates you from suffering and
delivers you to the city of peace and happiness.
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A practitioner needs faith, or trust.... Guru Rinpoche said that we should meditate
in the same way that a sparrow enters a nest. A sparrow spends some time investigating
whether or not it is safe to enter. Once his examination is over, he then enters
unhesitatingly. That's a wonderful metaphor for practice. First clear up all
your doubts about your technique, then throw yourself into the technique with
no separation or self-consciousness. Of course, it's easy to say, but that is
the direction toward which we should be moving.
Bruce Newman, A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism
I am never far from those with faith, or even from those without it, though
they do not see me.
My children will always, always, be protected by my compassion.
Padmasambhava
Last
updated:
December 11, 2016
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