Chenrezig
In truth, devotion, compassion and intelligence should come about naturally, but their natural arising is a bit difficult at the beginning. The Dzogchen texts mentions that on the 'exterior,' we should maintain a training in rigpa that is uncontrived, while on the 'interior' we sometimes start a session with a fabricated meditation. Whatever the case may be, you must definitely train in loving-kindness and compassion during the post-meditation. Since they are rooted in intelligence, love and compassion naturally and gradually blossom the more you genuinely train in rigpa.
Please understand that the compassion and devotion that arise from experiencing the awakened state are not what we conventionally know as compassion and devotion. It is together with true intelligence, the real knowledge of how to be free—that is why they can become true compassion and true devotion.
Fearless Simplicity, p. 258
Don’t regard the instructions as personal property, or any experience or realization as mine. Rather, treat them as something that can be used to help. We cultivate spiritual qualities so that we can be like a dispensary providing whatever is needed for other beings, rather than making a boundary around our feeling for peace and isolating others. That is a risk with some older practitioners; the older they become, the more selfish they get, not necessarily about material things, but about my private space and my peace. Be careful about this attitude!
Fearless Simplicity, p. 230
I would like to suggest that you practice in such a way that you are at ease with the whole process. Gradually expand that attitude of ease to encompass more and more. Once you’ve freed yourself of all these annoying emotions and become naked, it’s not like you can just lean back and take it easy. That is not sufficient. You can awaken a sense of responsibility for all the other sentient beings who are exactly the way you used to be, tormented by negative emotions. You can begin helping them—first one, then two, then three, and finally all sentient beings.
Fearless Simplicity, p. 26
Chenrezig
As we practice progressively, we discover that there’s more and more juice, automatically. That is, of course, the best situation. But when it doesn’t happen so naturally, then we should apply some methods. We can read inspiring books, receive further teachings, or use a practice that activates a feeling of devotion. It is the same with compassion: together with training in Dzogchen, we use other methods until it happens all by itself. When you feel real sincerity of devotion and compassion, then recognize rigpa. When the rigpa’s continuity is full of the juice of devotion and compassion, you have reached a very good level. We should be sure we do not loose contact with being compassion and having a sense of devotion.
Fearless Simplicity, p. 230
How does compassion first appear? In the beginning, the first compassion is for oneself. It appears with a sense of joy, of delight, and when this delight expands it encompasses others as well. Where does this delight come from? It comes from appreciating how it is to be free. True freedom comes about through confidence in liberating any and all thought states.
Fearless Simplicity, p. 253 |
