Perception and response are inherently and simultaneously crime and punishment

"Perception and response are inherently and simultaneously crime and punishment. Any concept of being extradited for ‘sentences unserved’ and ‘crimes unpunished’ is nonsensical in terms of Dharma. This may sound slightly shocking to some people. It could well offend your sense of spiritual law and order. You might feel moral outrage about the fact that we are all our own punishment. Each one of us is the worst punishment we could ever fear – and best reward we could hope to achieve."

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

Remain steadfast in that choice

"There is no purpose in requesting a Lama to accept one as a student and then to take issue with his or her advice on the basis of information received from other quarters. One chooses one's Lama on the basis of one's recognition of his or her qualities, and, having made the choice, one should remain steadfast in that choice."

p17, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

One treats thoughts as welcome yet transient guests

"This is why in the practice of shi-nè we let go and let be. We do not encourage thought, yet neither do we block it. We treat the process of thought gently. We let thoughts come, and we let thoughts go. We translate shi-nè as 'remaining uninvolved.' If thoughts arise, one lets them arise; if they dissolve, one allows their dissolution. If thoughts are present, one allows their presence. One does not add to them or protract them. If thoughts depart, one does not detain them. One treats them as welcome yet transient guests. One treats thought as a fire that has served its purpose -- one merely ceases to add further fuel. If one stops fueling thought with active involvement, thought settles and one enters into a calm and undisturbed state"

p44, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

The Lama is integral and essential with regard to practice

"Different lineages and different Lamas have their own particular approaches, and one cannot proceed without advice as to the path one chooses to follow. The Lama is integral and essential with regard to practice, and so all decisions about what is or is not necessary depend on one's own Lama. It would be inappropriate, therefore, to take advice on this subject from a book -- if that book conflicted with the advice one had received from one's chosen Lama."

p16, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

Make a difference to how we are in the world

"If we get up from our meditation cushion feeling we have done well but do not remember it in our everyday life, the experience never extends out into our life to make a difference to how we are in the world."

p101, Relaxing into Meditation, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1898185178

The Khandro's Spacious Nature

"Any attempt to glamourise herself distances the khandro from her spacious nature. The committed femme fatale merely occludes herself as khandro through assuming the clothing, dialogue, and mien of societally sanctioned pulchritude."

p186, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

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

One has to die

"In order to have some apprehension of what death is, one has to die ...we have to discover the moment of death every day. "

The Nine Bardos,Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

The sea and sky are our shrine room

"The sea and sky are our shrine room. The natural elements are our meditation."

Aro Buddhism, Ngak'chang Rinpoche

Hot-blooded kindness

"We stay in the human realm by allowing ourselves to be touched by the pain of others… and by not becoming too spiritual so that we lose the ability to laugh. Hot-blooded kindness is what roots us in this precious human rebirth. "

Hot-blooded kindness, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

A living manifestation of Dharma

"The Lama is a living manifestation of pure dharma and what we do is to try and harmonise with that as much as our neuroses will allow. "

Vajra Command, Ngakma Shardröl, Aro Encyclopaedia

The nature of samsara

"The nature of samsara is the experience of unsatisfactoriness which arises through the attempt to maintain the illusion of duality."

Dzogchen View of Tantric Ngöndro, His Holiness Düdjom Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Appreciation

"Appreciation generates generosity which knows no limits."

The Ten Paramitas, Khandro Déchen, Aro Encyclopaedia

The root of karma is the dualistic mind

"The root of karma is the dualistic mind. When the dualistic mind is not present, then karma is also not present."

The Four Noble Truths, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, quoted by Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Encyclopaedia

Shi-nè - the path of renunciation

"Shi-nè equates to the path of renunciation, because one renounces attachment to that which arises in mind."

Compassion, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

View, Meditation and Action

"View provokes or incites our natural intelligence. Meditation opens our realisation to the view. Action is the pure appropriateness of our spontaneity in the state of realisation. "

p5, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

Dzogchen proclaims the self-existent confidence of all beings

"Dzogchen proclaims the self-existent confidence of all beings as they essentially are. The enlightened state is simply there as the basis of what we are."

p1, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

Dzogchen is the vastness of each moment

"Dzogchen is the vastness of each moment. It is the natural simplicity of being which, in itself, is the only teaching or practice."

p1, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

Just let go

"The whole teaching around shi-nè is pretty blunt and simplistic – it is just let go. Whatever it is, whatever the problem is, I let go. "

Inspiration and Practice, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Shocking

"Vajrayana is intrinsically shocking, because we need to be shocked into contact with our natural kindness. "

The Bristol Talks, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Transmission

"... transmission means sharing the experience of the nature of the teacher’s mind: nothing actually moves."

Buddhism in the West, Ngala Rig’dzin Dorje, Aro Encyclopaedia

The laboratory of one's own experience

"Testing the tenets in the laboratory of one’s own experience is the real definition of accepting the Buddhist path."

Counting the cars, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Bodhicitta is the nature of Mind itself

"Bodhicitta is the nature of Mind itself – it is the energy that arises spontaneously from the nature of Mind; everything being self-liberated in its own condition."

Bodhicitta, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Self-created illusory samsara

"Externally speaking, one should take refuge in sang-gyé, chö and gendün with devotion. But internally, sang-gyé, chö and gendün are symbolic. They are a profound and skilful way to lead us out of this self-created illusory samsara."

Dzogchen View of Tantric Ngöndro, His Holiness Düd'jom Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Kindness flows naturally

"Kindness flows naturally from our beginningless non-dual nature. So if we remind ourselves constantly to be kind, we constantly put ourselves in closer contact with our primordial non-dual state."

Kindness, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Singing the mantra of Yeshé Tsogyel

"Singing the mantra of Yeshé Tsogyel is a sem’dzin practice. One is finding presence of awareness in the dimension of sound; it is a meditative practice. The function is that the tune itself has a particular quality that enables one to enter into the state of awareness."

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

The refuge of no-refuge

"Buddhism is always the refuge of no-refuge - it is complete. It is open – it is not closed. And it is wakeful – it is not hiding in some way. Sang-gyé kyab-su ché: I establish confidence in the actuality of complete, open wakefulness."

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Motivation

"It is not what you are practising that defines what you are practising – it is what your motivation is. If I practise Dzogchen with a motivation to accomplish my own realisation, I am not practising Dzogchen – I am practising Pratyékabuddhayana."

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Realism

"If I try to practise from the premise that I am somewhere where I am not, I cannot practise."

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Refuge and Bodhicitta

"There is no refuge and bodhicitta greater than the comprehension of the non-duality of emptiness and form."

Seven Line Song, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Real compassion

"Real compassion, from the perspective of Dzogchen, is nonduality. One cannot have compassion without wisdom – compassion can only be compassion where there is wisdom, where they are nondual."

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Whatever style of neurosis

"Whatever style of neurosis we have is intimately connected with our enlightened state"

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Coming to trust your own enlightened nature

"Lama’i Naljor is really a way of coming to trust your own Enlightened nature. Lama’i Naljor authenticates the relationship between Teacher and student and it also enables you to authenticate the sense in which your Enlightened nature can be momentarily experienced. "

Lama'i Naljor, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Tralam-mé

"Poetic turbulence is the romantic energetic which is sparked by the capacity for realisation in two individuals. "

Tralam-mé, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Death

"Everything has to die in order to be born in the next moment and to experience it fully."

The Nine Bardos of the Aro gTér, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Refuge

"Refuge – we seek protection from our own conceptual minds: from our compulsion to split reality into dualistic view; from our addiction to conditioned responses rooted in preconception."

Refuge, Ngala Nor’dzin Pamo, Aro Encyclopaedia

What is Buddhism?

"Buddhism is a statement of our intrinsic goodness; and the possibility of discovering that intrinsic goodness. "

Ah, but I was so much older then, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

The Basis of Compassion

"The basis of compassion is realising that samsara does not work."

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

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

Recognition of Total Presence

"Whether there is stillness or movement, rage or lust, happiness or sadness – sustain recognition of total presence at all times in every situation."

Striking the Essence, Dza Paltrul Rinpoche

The development of spaciousness

"Through the development of spaciousness, our patterning can become totally open and transparent"

p146, Spacious Passion, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2009, 978-1-898185-07-9

The grass is green

"If we woke up one morning and discovered that the grass had changed colour and was now blue, we would all race outside and cry, “Wow! Look at that! The grass is blue!” Whereas in fact we could all gaze outside in wonder every morning and say, “Wow! Look at that! The grass is green!”"

p115, Spacious Passion, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2009, 978-1-898185-07-9

The joy of being

"Impermanence and death are the joy of being. Impermanence and death are the continuity of existence"

p113, Spacious Passion, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2009, 978-1-898185-07-9

To fall in love

"To fall in love is to initiate the dissolution of the boundaries which fix limited ideas of ourselves. To be challenged or threatened by the outrageous transmission of romance is the living blood of Vajrayana."

p151, Moving Being, Khandro Déchen, Aro Books worldwide, 2009, 978-1-898185-05-5

Dharma must be practised

"Dharma teachers continually emphasise the need to practice. Dharma must be practised. We must engage in the methods it offers in order to arrive even at the initial stages of awakening."

p86, Spacious Passion, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2009, 978-1-898185-07-9

Continually becoming a Buddhist

"Becoming a Buddhist is a process of continually becoming a Buddhist – of continually breaking through limitations and conditioned perception."

p86, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

An act of kindness

"An act of kindness enables us to side-step our attachment to the past and future. It is a moment out; a day off; a holiday from me-centred concerns – and, as such, it can be lived vividly moment by moment."

p67, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

Karmic law is directly consequential

"The ‘Law of Karma’ is different from externally enforced societal law, because ‘karmic law’ is directly consequential and self-implementing. We perceive the world in a certain way, and react to it in accordance with that style of perception. That is what is meant by karma. There’s no injustice in this kind of ‘law’ apart from the injustice to the nondual state perpetrated by karmic patterning."

p51, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

The problem lies in our way of seeing

"The first fundamental certainty is the experience of unsatisfactoriness. Dukkha—unsatisfactoriness—is not what we are and where we are – but how we are. It’s the subjective quality of our experience that is being described as unsatisfactory. The problem lies in our way of seeing rather than in the material fabric of the world."

p23, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

The police state of karmic vision

"Awareness means relinquishing the police state of karmic-vision and assuming personal responsibility"

p51, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2