Refuge

"Through practice we come to understand that there is no state or object that can give us safety from the neuroses of our own minds. We come to understand that the only way we can be liberated from conditioned perception and response, and the confusion that arises from our attempts to separate emptiness and form, is to aspire to the enlightened state and the spontaneous realisation of the non-duality of emptiness and form. This confidence and Refuge can only remain alive and of use to us through practice."

Refuge, Ngala Nor’dzin Pamo, Aro Encyclopaedia

Referentiality

"Referentiality is the process by which we retreat from the direct experience of everyday life. Being present in the moment may be initially fearful, but by welcoming the sensation of fear with complete openness we cut through the barriers created by habitual emotional reaction patterns."

Refuge, Ngala Nor’dzin Pamo, Aro Encyclopaedia

Emotional responses

"We are not wholly responsible for every aspect of our circumstances but we are entirely responsible for our emotional responses in each moment."

The Ten Paramitas, Khandro Déchen, Aro Encyclopaedia

Beginninglessly enlightened

"We all have basic goodness because we are beginninglessly enlightened. We spend our lives naturally manifesting basic goodness – yet we suppress it with referentiality – attempting to prove to ourselves that we are solid, permanent, separate, continuous, and defined."

The Ten Paramitas, Khandro Déchen, Aro Encyclopaedia

Falling in love

"Falling in love is gloriously unpredictable-and as such, presents us with a context in which to turn our fixed concepts inside out."

p102, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

Working with view

"Being able to work with view means opening yourself to seeing the five-fold expressions of duality as being the warp and weft of your life's experience."

p237, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, 0-9653948-0-8

Dualism

"Dualism is the split between emptiness and form, existence and non-existence."

Seven Line Song, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Experiences with emptiness

"Our usual experiences with emptiness can be disconcerting and uncomfortable, so it is helpful to become accustomed to this experience in our meditation practice in order to find emptiness less threating when it naturally occurs

."
p135, Relaxing into Meditation, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1898185178

Infinite hall of mirrors

"Vajrayana reveals an infinite hall of mirrors in which there is no final answer beyond the fleeting answers-shifting endlessly within the empty mirror."

p57, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

The nature of reality

"The nature of reality is the dance of chaos and order."

p7, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

The bedazzlement of existence

"We do not need to ritualise the universe with nihilistic pretences. All we need to do is gaze tenderly at the living bedazzlement of existence. We could just simply gaze at whatever arises and enjoy the immense vision. We would then realise that celebration is taking place without remission in the vastness of inner and outer space."

p171, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

Whole-hearted intention

"When we open our perception, we do not feel constrained to anticipate events or people's possible reactions. We stop registering every being detected by our perceptual sonar in terms of our preconceptions. Perception then begins to expand beyond its set boundaries. Once perception has begun to open we're led naturally toward the liberation in our responses, which is known as whole-hearted intention.."

p33, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

Letting go

"Dying means letting go of self-image and self-conception. We have to let go of what we are and open ourselves to what we can un-become. From a Buddhist point of view it is unbecoming not to un-become."

p87, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

Everyone is a fascinating manifestation

"Everyone is beginninglessly enlightened. Everyone may be worth listening to, seeing and knowing. Everyone is a fascinating manifestation of form and emptiness.."

p199, Spacious Passion , Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-07-9

Mantra

"Mantra is the sense of terminal intimacy with the sound – through which one's capacities become ‘self apparent’. Mantra is a ‘carrier wave’ on which the unique frequency of the yidam travels. By reciting mantra, one tunes oneself to the ‘frequency’ of the yidam."

The Bristol Talks, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Practice excites change

"Practice inevitably excites change. The whole thrust of Dharma is that it is a path that will transform our experience and behaviour."

p91, Spacious Passion , Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-07-9

Celebrate

"Celebrate every aspect of each other"

p31, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

If there was no sadness in loss

"If there was no sadness in loss, there would have been no joy prior to it – but that sadness does not have to be permanent"

p9, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

With awareness and kindness

"With awareness and kindness there is no limit to the possibilities available in terms of being human."

p114, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, 0-9653948-0-8

Spectrum of radiant energies

"Every emotion is an open-ended opportunity. Every feeling or sensation we experience is an expression of enlightenment-a manifestation of our spectrum of radiant energies."

p32, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, 0-9653948-0-8