Texture of existence

"Vajrayana is not ‘an answer’ or ‘an antidote’ – it is an endless process of opening to the nondual texture of existence. "

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

New to practice

"When you're new to practice, you need to treat yourself a little more gently and take account of the fact that you can easily become distracted."

p160, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Silent space

"Sound manifests within silent space, and the function of practice is to discover silent mind."

p159, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Ecstatic dance

"Every sense-perception and sense-field performs, and is performed by, the same ecstatic dance. "

p100, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

Dimension of the sound

"Just find the presence of your awareness in the dimension of the sound."

p160, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Obession

"Obsession with individual freedom at the expense of others is the death of compassion. Obsession with neurotic parental-style control at the expense of the personal liberty of others is the death of wisdom."

pxvii, Dangerous Friend, Rig’dzin Dorje, Shambhala, 2001, 978-1570628573

Silent mind

"When mind is silent, there is endless silent space in which sounds sing infinitely separate songs."

p159, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Embracing the emptiness

"We need to be able to practise emptiness, simply through embracing the emptiness qualities of our life situations and our lovers."

p49, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

Sense of self-existence

"Because the world around us is the ‘form’ in which we attempt to establish our sense of self-existence, reflections of emptiness tend to be interpreted as ‘disturbing’."

p49, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

Definition of oneself

"If one’s definition of oneself as either male or female is orchestrated by how one sees the rest of the world, then one simply doesn’t have to have a definition …. One doesn’t have to have a definition of what it is to be a man or a woman."

p18, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

Visceral fire of our intimate relationships

"We should not be blatant in revealing the visceral fire of our intimate relationships. When we speak of lovers, we need to be cautious with our words. The knowledge that hovers above and below the surface of mundane expression should be left unspoken. Voluptuous landscapes of feeling should be left to be inferred."

p18, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Inc., 2010, 978-0965394833

Simply be

"Being is not attached to reference points. Being does not rely for its existence on any style of perceptual cross-referencing. Trying to pin-point being is like attempting to suspend time and movement - it is not possible, so we might as well simply be."

p73, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, 0-9653948-0-8

Letting Go

"Let go of the busy-ness of your day and the concerns of your life. Settle into your meditation posture and bring your attention to your breathing."

p59, Relaxing into Meditation, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1898185178

Relaxation of mind and body

"To achieve relaxation of mind-as well as relaxation of body-we need to examine and understand our mind."

p58, Relaxing into Meditation, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1898185178

Learning to be fearless and at ease

"Learning to be fearless and at ease in the empty space of the mind-mind without thought-enables us to be fearless and at ease when our life circumstances thrust us into moments of emptiness."

p148, Relaxing into Meditation, Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1898185178

Buddhism is a vast field

"Buddhism is a vast field of wonder for its sincere practitioners, and so many, many, many different methods are encompassed within its parameters."

p108, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

Happiness is not accidental

"Everything either occurs or does not. That would appear to be a fact of nature. Happiness, however, is not accidental."

p239, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

Change

"Not wanting to change is the only thing that prevents change."

p236, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

Laughter is a gift

"Laughter is a gift-and causing laughter is an act of kindness. Laughter requires space-space to see the ridiculous in our situations as beginninglessly non-dual beings who create the illusion of duality."

p47, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

Brilliant pattern of energies

"Our being is a brilliant pattern of energies, a spectrum of possibilities. At every moment we have the capacity to experience the open dimension of what we are."

p3, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, 0-9653948-0-8