Even creating a small bad deed will result in terrible fear and disasters in future lives, like having ingested poison.

Even creating a little merit will bring great happiness in future lives and accomplish vast objectives, like grains that ripen to perfection.

From: The Collection of Indicative Verses

"Four sublime states of mind have been taught by the Buddha:

Love, or loving kindness (mettā)
Compassion (karuṇā)
Sympathetic Joy (muditā)
Equanimity (upekkhā).

In Pali, the language of the Buddhist noscriptures, these four are known as Brahma-vihāra, a term which may be rendered as excellent, lofty, or sublime states of mind; or alternatively, as Brahma-like, god-like, or divine abodes.

These four attitudes are said to be excellent or sublime because they are the right or ideal way of conduct towards living beings (sattesu sammā paṭipatti). They provide, in fact, the answer to all situations arising from social contact. They are the great removers of tension, the great peace-makers in social conflict, and the great healers of wounds suffered in the struggle of existence. They level social barriers, build harmonious communities, awaken slumbering magnanimity long forgotten, revive joy and hope long abandoned, and promote human brotherhood against the forces of egotism.

The Brahma-vihāras are incompatible with a hating state of mind, and in that they are akin to Brahmā, the divine but transient ruler of the higher heavens in the traditional Buddhist picture of the universe. In contrast to many other conceptions of deities, East and West, who by their own devotees are said to show anger, wrath, jealousy, and “righteous indignation,” Brahmā is free from hate; and one who assiduously develops these four sublime states, by conduct and meditation, is said to become an equal of Brahmā (brahma-samo).

If they become the dominant influence in one’s mind, one will be reborn in congenial worlds, the realms of Brahmā. Therefore these states of mind are called god-like, Brahma-like."

Nyanaponika Thera

"The world suffers. But most people have their eyes and ears closed. They do not see the unbroken stream of tears flowing through life; they do not hear the cry of distress continually pervading the world. Their own little grief or joy bars their sight, deafens their ears. Bound by selfishness, their hearts turn stiff and narrow. Being stiff and narrow, how should they be able to strive for any higher goal, to realize that only release from selfish craving will effect their own freedom from suffering?

It is compassion that removes the heavy bar, opens the door to freedom, makes the narrow heart as wide as the world. Compassion takes away from the heart the inert weight, the paralyzing heaviness; it gives wings to those who cling to the lowlands of self.

Through compassion the fact of suffering remains vividly present to our mind, even at times when we personally are free from it. It gives us the rich experience of suffering, thus strengthening us to meet it prepared when it does befall us.

Compassion reconciles us to our own destiny by showing us the lives of others, often much harder than ours.
Behold the endless caravan of beings, men and beasts, burdened with sorrow and pain! The burden of every one of them, we also have carried in bygone times during the unfathomable sequence of repeated births. Behold this, and open your heart to compassion!

And this misery may well be our own destiny again! One who is without compassion now will one day cry for it. If sympathy with others is lacking, it will have to be acquired through one’s own long and painful experience. This is the great law of life. Knowing this, keep guard over yourself!

Beings, sunk in ignorance, lost in delusion, hasten from one state of suffering to another, not knowing the real cause, not knowing the escape from it. This insight into the general law of suffering is the real foundation of our compassion, not any isolated fact of suffering.

Hence our compassion will also include those who at the moment may be happy, but act with an evil and deluded mind. In their present deeds we shall foresee their future state of distress, and compassion will arise."

Nyanaponika Thera

"Isolated virtues, if unsupported by other qualities which give them either the needed firmness or pliancy, often deteriorate into their own characteristic defects. For instance, loving kindness, without energy and insight, may easily degenerate into a mere sentimental goodness of weak and unreliable nature. Moreover, such isolated virtues may often carry us in a direction contrary to our original aims and contrary to the welfare of others, too. It is the firm and balanced character of a person that knits isolated virtues into an organic and harmonious whole, within which the single qualities exhibit their best manifestations and avoid the pitfalls of their respective weaknesses. And this is the very function of equanimity, the way it contributes to an ideal relationship between all four sublime states.

Equanimity is a perfect, unshakable balance of mind, rooted in insight. But in its perfection and unshakable nature equanimity is not dull, heartless, and frigid. Its perfection is not due to an emotional “emptiness,” but to a “fullness” of understanding, to its being complete in itself. Its unshakable nature is not the immovability of a dead, cold stone, but the manifestation of the highest strength.

In what way, now, is equanimity perfect and unshakable? Whatever causes stagnation is here destroyed, what dams up is removed, what obstructs is destroyed. Vanished are the whirls of emotion and the meanderings of intellect. Unhindered goes the calm and majestic stream of consciousness, pure and radiant.

Watchful mindfulness (sati) has harmonized the warmth of faith (saddhā) with the penetrative keenness of wisdom (paññā); it has balanced strength of will (viriya) with calmness of mind (samādhi); and these five inner faculties (indriya) have grown into inner forces (bala) that cannot be lost again. They cannot be lost because they do not lose themselves any more in the labyrinths of the world (saṃsāra), in the endless diffuseness of life (papañca). These inner forces emanate from the mind and act upon the world, but being guarded by mindfulness, they nowhere bind themselves, and they return unchanged.

Love, compassion and sympathetic joy continue to emanate from the mind and act upon the world, but being guarded by equanimity, they cling nowhere, and return unweakened and unsullied."

Nyanaponika Thera

“For one who clings, motion exists; but for one who clings not, there is no motion. Where no motion is, there is stillness. Where stillness is, there is no craving. Where no craving is, there is neither coming nor going. Where no coming nor going is, there is neither arising nor passing away. Where neither arising nor passing away is, there is neither this world nor a world beyond, nor a state between. This, indeed, is the end of suffering.”

Udāna 8:4, Nibbāna Suttaṁ

Even a crow feels like Garuda in front of a dead snake. If your spirit is weak, even minor troubles can break you.

Shantideva

The only source of any kind of benefit to others is awareness of our own situation.

When we know how to help ourselves and how to work with our situation, our sense of compassion arises spontaneously, without the need to adhere to the rules of conduct of any religious doctrine.

Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche

We need to rethink our conception of ourselves. When we say “I” or “self,” we think of a solid and unified entity. But in reality, this “I” is merely a collection of components, and these components are ephemeral and change every moment, like a waterfall or the flame of an oil lamp. A waterfall seems continuous, but in reality it consists of a constantly changing stream of water droplets. Similarly, the flame of an oil lamp is simply a series of flickering moments without a constant flame.

Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche

"Phenomena have two distinct aspects: the conventional or relative level of reality and the ultimate or absolute level of reality. The conventional or relative nature of phenomena is suffering, difficulties, problems, and obstacles. On the ultimate or absolute level, the true nature of phenomena is the cessation of suffering and its obstacles. To become free of the conventional view we must realize the true nature first. The true nature is actually experiencing the emptiness of phenomena."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"There is a method by which we can eliminate this belief in a self which is the attachment to "I" or "me." If we examine the self The Correct View of Buddha-dharma carefully and try to discover what and where it is, we will not be able to find anything that is "I." It cannot be logically established.

Through this careful reasoning process, we will come to under-stand that the thought "I" has no inherent reality. There is no "I." It is only a delusion. This understanding undermines the belief in a self and thus cuts the root of the disturbing emotions.

The Buddha taught this method of analysis in the Foundation vehicle and showed how to attain liberation from samsara by realizing the "selflessness or egolessness of the individual." In the second turning of the wheel of dharma, the Buddha taught the methods of the Mahayana (the greater vehicle). The scope of the Mahayana is deeper than the Foundation because here we are concerned with not only helping ourselves, but also with helping all other sentient beings.

In the first turning we may fear the suffering of samsara as long as we believe that it has true existence. However, in the second turning, the Buddha taught that phenomena of samsara are also empty of any inherent true nature. Realizing the emptiness of phenomena, the belief and attachment to a self will be finally eliminated.

The teachings of the Mahayana were called "the middle turning" (the second of the three vehicles), in which the Buddha taught that all phenomena (whether body, mind, or material things) have no inherent nature of their own. All phenomena are devoid of a true nature and are therefore empty. By seeing the emptiness of all phenomena, we can become free from the belief in and attachment to a personal self and of phenomena's illusion.

We also become free from fear of suffering as well as from actual suffering. Having freedom from suffering and the fear of suffering, we are in a position to truly help other beings."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"To gain a definite understanding of emptiness, it is necessary first to receive the teachings from a teacher, to read the texts of great masters, or to study the sutras taught by the Buddha, so that one can have a strong foundation of the Buddha's teachings.

Thus, there is the wisdom or prajna that comes from studying (literally "from hearing the teachings"). It is not sufficient to simply know what the Buddha taught; one needs also to contemplate the teachings in order to understand why the teachings are correct. Then one gains the wisdom or prajna that comes from contemplating the teachings.

Both wisdoms are necessary, the wisdom arising from learning and the wisdom arising from contemplating the teachings."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"All of the aggregates are impermanent, undergo change, and are eventually destroyed. What is new eventually decays, becomes old, and finally ends. We are not a single entity but rather a coming together of the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness). These various components will change and eventually come to an end.

The components are also not single. For example, a form (such as the body) does not consist of one single unit but is made up of components that are continually changing and being destroyed. The view of the self also is called "the view of that which will be destroyed" because it is a view founded upon the aggregates coming together and then dispersing. Even though elements come together and make up an entity composed of many different things, we think ofthem as a single entity. For example, our body is composed of many parts and yet we consider ourselves to be a single individual.

We see ourselves as "one being," as an "I" or a "self' who took birth, has grown older and will die. But, in fact, the self is a composite of changing aggregates that come together, undergo change, and will finally end. As babies we had a small body and the thoughts of a baby. As a grown-up we have another body and the thoughts of an adult.

As long as we are not aware of the changes that take place from childhood through adolescence to old age, we think of ourselves as a single individual. If we examine this closely, however, we discover that there is no place where the self exists and that the view of a self is nothing but a delusion. This is the delusion based on ignorance that must be eliminated."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"First, if something doesn't exist, then it doesn't exist, but whatever does exist is composite and not a single, indivisible entity. All things are made up of various ingredients and these ingredients form existing things.

Therefore, all phenomena that exist are composed of various ingredients and as a result are impermanent. Living beings die, objects wear out and disintegrate. At this coarse or obvious level of impermanence, everything changes over time, and this is obvious and can be understood by everyone. The subtle level of impermanence is the main concern here; it is the momentary impermanence of every instant.

When looking at momentary impermanence on a gross level, we can see that a person changes from childhood to adulthood.

One may think that there is continuity in the change that takes place. One may wonder when this change takes place and conclude that every year, everybody is different. However, a change doesn't automatically take place at a certain point each year.

One may conclude that every month, everybody is different, but the change doesn't automatically take place at a certain point in each month either.

One may conclude that every day or every hour, everybody changes. We follow this reasoning down to every single instant in which a change takes place, so there is impermanence in every instant.

This is the subtle level of impermanence. It is easy to see changes that take place over the years, but, in fact, changes are taking place in every instant.

[...]

Whatever phenomena we can perceive are empty like water bubbles. Although we can hear and see things, nothing has a true reality in itself; there is no true self in the individual and no true existence of phenomena. In spite of the fact that they appear, phenomena have no substantial or true reality of their own. Thus it is said that all phenomena are empty and have no self."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"When looking at momentary impermanence on a gross level, we can see that a person changes from childhood to adulthood. One may think that there is continuity in the change that takes place. One may wonder when this change takes place and conclude that every year, everybody is different.

However, a change doesn't automatically take place at a certain point each year. One may conclude that every month, everybody is different, but the change doesn't automatically take place at a certain point in each month either. One may conclude that every day or every hour, everybody changes.

We follow this reasoning down to every single instant in which a change takes place, so there is impermanence in every instant. This is the subtle level of impermanence. It is easy to see changes that take place over the years, but, in fact, changes are taking place in every instant. Chandrakirti said that even a solid-looking diamond, which is as large as a boulder, changes every single instant."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"Whatever phenomena we can perceive are empty like water bubbles. Although we can hear and see things, nothing has a true reality in itself; there is no true self in the individual and no true existence of phenomena. In spite ofthe fact that they appear, phenomena have no substantial or true reality of their own. Thus it is said that all phenomena are empty and have no self."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"The Mind-only (Skt. Chittamatra) followers teach that all external appearances, including one's own body, are created by and are part of the mind. Objects do appear and we do perceive them, but none of the things that appear have any external existence;
they all arise within the mind itself.

How can this be? They give the example ofwhen we are asleep and we dream of a mountain, a house, animals, people, friends, enemies, and so forth, we see various things exactly as we would see them while awake. But, none of these things actually exist; they are all appearances arising from our mind. In the same way, all appearances that we normally perceive while awake also arise in the mind. They are nothing else but mind. This is why this tradition is called "Chittamatra," which in Sanskrit means "mind-only," that is, everything is "only" mind. First, there are tendencies or latencies (Tib. bag chag) that are created in the mind.

If the mind is habituated to something that is positive, gradually the mind gets better and better and one's thoughts become more and more virtuous. If, on the other hand, the mind becomes habituated to something that is negative, gradually the mind gets worse and worse and one's thoughts become more and more unvirtuous.

For example, slight anger may arise within us. If we take control of that anger and get rid of it, then it will not remain in our mind as a latency. If, on the other hand, we do not take control ofthat anger, it will become stronger and stronger. In the beginning we are stronger than the anger, but if we don't control it, the anger becomes stronger and we cannot get rid of it. In this process, what the mind allows to become a habitual pattern becomes more and more powerful.

This applies as well to positive emotions such as love, compassion, and the wish to benefit others. These thoughts can be small in the beginning, but if we cultivate them and habituate ourselves to them, they will increase and become more and more powerful.

The mind is therefore said to be dependent upon these latencies within it. In the Mind-only view, this mind is said to really exist, whereas appearances both in the outer world and in the mind itself are "imaginary," or, we could say, are creations of the mind or delusions."

Thrangu Rinpoche

"Duality is the real root of our suffering and of all our conflicts. All our concepts and beliefs, no matter how profound they may seem, are like nets which trap us in dualism. When we discover our limits we have to try to overcome them, untying ourselves from whatever type of religious, political, or social conviction may contain us. We have to abandon such concepts as 'enlightenment', 'the nature of the mind', and so on, until we no longer neglect to integrate our knowledge with our actual existence."

- Namkhai Norbu

"According to Avalokitesvara, this sheet of paper is empty; but according to our analysis, it is full of everything. There seems to be a contradiction between our observation and his. Avalokita found the five skandhas empty. But, empty of what? The key word is empty. To be empty is to be empty of something.

The five skandhas, which may be translated into English as five heaps, or five aggregates, are the five elements that comprise a human being. These five elements flow like a river in every one of us. In fact, these are really five rivers flowing together in us: the river of form, which means our body, the river of feelings, the river of perceptions, the river of mental formations, and the river of consciousness. They are always flowing in us. So according to Avalokita, when he looked deeply into the nature of these five rivers, he suddenly saw that all five are empty.

And if we ask, "Empty of what?" he has to answer. And this is what he said: "They are empty of a separate self." That means none of these five rivers can exist by itself alone.
Each of the five rivers has to be made by the other four. They have to co-exist; they have to inter-be with all the others.

In our bodies we have lungs, heart, kidneys, stomach, and blood. None of these can exist independently. They can only co-exist with the others. Your lungs and your blood are two things, but neither can exist separately.

The lungs take in air and enrich the blood, and, in turn, the blood nourishes the lungs. Without the blood the lungs cannot be alive, and without the lungs, the blood cannot be cleansed. Lungs and blood inter-are. The same is true with kidneys and blood, kidneys and stomach, lungs and heart, blood and heart, and so on.

When Avalokita says that our sheet of paper is empty, he means it is empty of a separate, independent existence. It cannot just be by itself. It has to inter-be with the sunshine, the cloud, the forest, the logger, the mind, and everything else. It is empty of a separate self.

But, empty of a separate self means full of everything. So it seems that our observation and that of Avalokita do not contradict each other after all."

Thich Nhat Hanh

"The mental consciousness, in concert with the five sensory consciousnesses, fashions the scene of the world as if it were a stage. Consciousness itself dances like a ballerina; the manas performs tricks like a conjurer."

Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra