Stages of Meditation Quotes

“We are attached to friends and relatives because of the temporary benefit they have brought us in this life. We hate our enemies because of some harm they have inflicted on us. People are not our friends from birth, but become so due to circumstances. Neither were our enemies born hostile. Such relationships are not at all reliable. In the course of our lives, our best friend today can turn our to be our worst enemy tomorrow. And a much hated enemy can change into our most trusted friend. Moreover, if we talk about our many lives in the past, the unreliability of this relationship is all the more apparent. For these reasons, our animosity toward enemies and attachment toward friends merely exhibits a narrow-minded attitude that can only see some temporary and fleeting advantage. On the contrary, when we view things from a broader perspective with more farsightedness, equanimity will dawn in our minds, enabling us to see the futility of hostility and clinging desire.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Special insight arises from its cause, correct view, which in turn arises from listening and contemplation.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“For a teacher to be productive and effective in the process of teaching, compassion, or a kind heart, is explained here as the most crucial quality. There are other defects in teaching, for example being tired of explaining to the students. So being tolerant and patient in the face of such difficulties is also important.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“How we fare in any given situation depends on the conduct of our body, speech, and mind. Since mind is the chief, a disciplined mind is essential.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“What we want is happiness, but if in pursuit of our own personal happiness we ignore the welfare of other sentient beings and only bully and deceive them, the results will be negative.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Compassion is a mind wishing that sentient beings be free from suffering, and loving-kindness is a mind wishing that they meet with happiness.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“It is in relation to enemies that we can primarily practice patience and tolerance and thus reduce the burden of anger and hatred.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Through meditation we can train our minds in such a way that negative qualities are abandoned and positive qualities are generated and enhanced.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“It is in the nature of the mind that when you habituate it with a positive quality it can be developed limitlessly.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“The quality of any action of body, speech, and mind is primarily determined by the motivation. Thus any action done with positive motivation brings virtue and happiness and becomes a cause to attain Buddhahood in the long run. On the other hand, if a good or healthy motivation is missing, then even apparently spiritual practices could bring negative consequences in place of virtue.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“External enemies, however brutal they are, only affect us during one lifetime. They have no power to harm us beyond this life. On the other hand, disturbing emotions are our inner enemies and can definitely cause disaster in future lives. These are, in fact, our worst enemies. The”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“When the positive qualities of your mind increase and negativities decrease, that is what blessing means. The”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“MEDITATION:

The practice of making offerings is followed by confession, rejoicing, requesting teachings, beseeching the Buddhas not to enter parinirvana, and dedication.
He should confess his misdeeds and rejoice in the merit of all other beings.


Then, he should sit in the full lotus posture of Vairochana, or the halflotus posture, on a comfortable cushion. The eyes should not be too widely opened or too tightly closed. Let them focus on the tip of the nose. The body should not be bent forward or backward. Keep it straight and turn the attention inwards. The shoulders should rest in their natural position and the head should not lean back, forward, or to either side. The nose should be in line with the navel. The teeth and lips should rest in their natural state with the tongue touching the upper palate. Breathe very gendy and softly without causing any noise, without laboring, and without unevenness. Inhale and exhale natu- rally, slowly, and unnoticeably.


Meditators need to pay special attention to the way they breathe. Breathing should be free of any noise or congestion. Violent breathing is harmful. Breathe gently and deeply. Inhale and exhale calmly and evenly.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“When meditating, the yogi should first complete all the preparatory practices. He should go to the toilet and in a pleasant location free of disturbing noise he should think, "I will deliver all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment." Then he should manifest great compassion, the thought wishing to liberate all sentient beings, and pay homage to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions by touching the five
limbs of his body to the ground.


When you make prostrations, tradition recommends that you do so by touching your five limbs your forehead, two palms, and two knees to the ground. The important thing is that it should be done properly and with delight. It is unwholesome to perform prostrations either as a mere formality or under coercion.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Yogis should at all times avoid fish, meat, garlic, onion and so forth, should eat with moderation, and avoid foods that are not conducive to health.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“What's more, those who overeat can hardly stay awake.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Meditators need to pay special attention to the way they breathe. Breathing should be free of any noise or congestion. Violent breathing is harmful. Breathe gently and deeply. Inhale and exhale calmly and evenly.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“What are the prerequisites of special insight? They are relying on holy persons, seriously seeking extensive instruction, and proper contemplation.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“If there is regret and an awareness of the intention not to repeat it, and an awareness of the lack of a true identity of the mind that performed the action, or familiarity with the lack of a true identity of all phenomena, that person's morality can be said to be pure.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Not being involved in many activities refers to giving up ordinary activities like business, avoiding too close association with householders and monks, and totally abandoning the practice of medicine and astrology.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“A conducive environment should be known by these five characteristics:
- providing easy access to food and clothes
- being free of evil beings and enemies
- being free from disease
- containing good friends who maintain moral ethics and who share similar views
- being visited by few people in the daytime and with little noise at night.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“The prerequisites necessary for the development of calm abiding meditation are: to live in a conducive environment, to limit your desires and practice contentment, not being involved in too many activity, maintaining pure moral ethics, and fully eliminating attachment and all other kinds of conceptual thoughts.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“For those of us who profess to believe in a particular religious practice, it is extremely important that we try to help each other and cultivate a feeling of affection for each other. That is the source of happiness in our life. The”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Then having seen all sentient beings as equal, with no difference between them, you should meditate on sentient beings to whom you are indifferent. When the compassion you feel toward them is the same as the compassion you feel toward your friends and relatives, meditate on compassion for all sentient beings throughout the ten directions of the universe. When”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Thus it should be clear that a kind heart and a helpful attitude are the very foundation of happiness, both for others and ourselves for now and forever. The”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“A person’s general goodness is in direct correlation to the force, or quality, of the kind thoughts he or she generates.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Compassion is a mind that focuses on the sentient beings that are miserable and wishes them to be free from suffering. Compassion can be of three types, depending on the aspect of wisdom that accompanies it. These three are: compassion focused on sentient beings, compassion focused on phenomena, and compassion focused on the unapprehendable.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“If we don’t do anything constructive and expect that others will, then obviously nothing is possible. The first step is to cultivate within our minds those positive qualities taught by the Buddha.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“So actual blessing is received when the mind’s virtuous attributes gain strength and its defective characteristics weaken or deteriorate. The”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation

“Faith should be backed by reason.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, Stages of Meditation