Intellectual elaborations are not important

"Kindness is as close as we can come to a moral approximation of awareness. Having a good heart goes further than anything in terms of empathising with the nondual state. Intellectual elaborations are not important."

p49, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

Reflection of the path

"The Lama is crucial in terms of offering a reflection of the path. In Vajrayana, the Lama becomes the path. He or she becomes the path through manifesting the yidam. He or she becomes the path through manifesting the nature of the teachings in terms of the kyil’khor of interaction – the interaction between the students, the interaction between the person and their world, and how the Lama comments on that and interacts with the nature of what is taking place."

Seven Line Song, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Connecting to a sense of kindness

"If a person cannot really connect to a sense of kindness toward others, then the teachings that stress the non-dual approach can simply be distorted into a method of cultivating some form of sanctified misanthropy."

Interview 6th of June 1994, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, 06/06/1994

We fabricate our own perception

"No one else is responsible for how we perceive the world. We accept and reject society’s influences and the influences of our parents and friends on our own terms. We fabricate our own perception, and unless we discontinue the process and de-structure our perception, we will merely continue to be repressed by our personal totalitarian regime."

Karma - The Personal Police State, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Encyclopaedia

Without awarenes

"Without awareness we are continually faced with moral dilemmas. It is impossible to construct the perfect moral philosophy applicable in all circumstances. The only perfect morality is awareness. The only perfect morality is awareness, because all actions which spring from awareness are choiceless pure appropriateness."

Karma - The Personal Police State, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Encyclopaedia

Compassion for our own neuroses

"The more you disapprove of your own neuroses, the more of a problem they become. The time to disapprove of them is if they are hurting others; and then in the moment. But one does not go into punishing oneself for having them at other times. If one is aware that one has patterns, then one has to say, "I need to have some awareness while this pattern is performing"."

Compassion, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

The minds attempt to stay safe

"Worry is the mind's attempt to stay safe"

p23, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

Always attempt to remain open

"It is a shame to become fixated on any idea. One should always attempt to remain open to anything that contradicts one's most cherished beliefs."

p94, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam & Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

Our perception

"Our perception and field of perception are mutually self-creating. What we see incites a reaction which influences how we see it. How we view things changes how they are."

p31, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, 0-9653948-0-8

Generosity, patience and exertion

"Generosity, patience, and exertion equate with compassion, wisdom and energy-the three important factors within Buddhist practice."

p125,Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

We are not sitting in silence for ourselves

"Generosity is vital if we are to give ourselves time to sit and if we are to give all sentient beings our time of sitting. We are not sitting in silence for ourselves; that is crucial."

p124, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Something greater than yourself

"Practice is a pain in the arse - literally. Practice is a pain in the anatomy of your body, speech and mind, and you have to have something greater than yourself to keep you going through that frustration."

 Interview 6th of June 1994, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, 06/06/1994

Meeting the Lama face to face

"To receive empowerment is to meet the Lama face to face, and to experience the touching of Minds - as if snow were falling into the sea, and recognizing no distinction or division."

p211, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, 1-898185-03-4

If we are not kind

"If we are not kind, all our advanced practices are merely a colourful entertainment."

Kindness, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

The beginning of realisation

"From the point of view of shi-nè, boredom marks the beginning of realisation."

p23, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

A rolling wave of energy

"Once we develop our experience of shi-nè, boredom is no longer 'boredom' but a wellspring of nourishment-a rolling wave of energy."

p23, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Being referenceless

"In terms of deep-rooted attachment to thought, one is getting used to non-referentiality. One is getting used to being referenceless."

p46, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Our own enlightenment

"We are unused to our own enlightenment, so meditation is a way of 'getting used to' it."

p46, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

The comedy of our personal dualism

"Without humour we would be unable to relate to the idea that a Lama could comprehend the comedy of our personal dualism in an effective manner, and conjure with it to our advantage."

p15, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

Humor

"We need humour in order to avoid taking ourselves quite so seriously; we need to be able to laugh at the fact that we continually create our own unenlightened condition."

p15, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7