Karmapa In His Own Words
Environment
Protect the earth. Live simply. Act with compassion. Our future depends on it.
A contaminated environment is the result of human greed. In the final analysis the fate of the environment is entirely in our own hands.
Happiness
It’s really up to the mind of the individual whether you’re happy or not and one of the main keys to happiness is being content with little.
Personal happiness very much depends on how we relate to others. By developing a sense of respect for others and a concern for their welfare, we can reduce our own self-centredness, which is the source of all our problems, and enhance our feelings of kindness, which are a natural source of joy.
Non-violence
Harming anyone – yourself or others – to gain happiness is like eating poison to prolong life. …you will not achieve what you seek.
Blind Faith
To trust something without seeing whether it is beneficial or not is blind faith. It hampers the development of wisdom.
Past, Present and Future
Don’t hold onto the past. Let go of feelings of joy or anger towards whatever has happened, good and bad. The past is already over. Pay attention to the present so you can create the future you seek. This is a meaningful way to live.
Be Your Own Guide
Whether or not you go in a positive direction depends entirely on you.You have to be your own teacher and try to figure out what it takes to accomplish your goals.You have to be your own judge and try to get yourself to do the right thing and stop yourself from doing the wrong thing. Only you know your secrets; no one else can read your mind. If you want to make a change don’t depend on the help of others without taking any initiative yourself.
Freedom and Progress
For human beings to advance further, we must assure freedom of speech and action. Our intelligence increases the more we engage in activity. Freeedom of speech propels us into new areas of knowledge and innovation. Scientific and technological discoveries are not possible if not for the freedom to experiment. Without freedom a human being is like a caged animal.
Buddhism
The essence of Buddhism is to discover a state of lasting happiness and to work for the benefit of others. On this path wisdom and compassion are inseparable. Little by little through a process of investigation, we gradually come closer to understanding the truth.
Buddhism is not a religion but a lifestyle based on loving kindness and compassion.
True Peace
True peace…can only be achieved by training the mind and learning to cultivate inner peace. Peace is a calm and gentle state of mind.
Through peaceful hearts,
Peaceful feelings,
And peaceful intelligence,
May this world truly move
from darkness to light.
(Prayer at Ground Zero at the World Trade Center in New York City)
The Nature of Reality
Fame and fortune are but rainbows in the sky
Loved ones – friends and family – are mere etchings on water,
The business of living life is simply last night’s dream
All creation is just a flash of lightning in the dark.
