Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings Quotes

“Without ever having met the Dharma, the Buddha’s legacy to the world, and without having developed a good heart, everything we do can only be the cause of the lower realms. Our education is solely for this purpose. We go to kindergarten, primary school, high school and then college and university just to create the causes of the lower realms. I don’t think I have ever put it this way before.”
― Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings

“This means that when the guru appears, he purposely shows us this mistaken, ordinary aspect in order to guide us and all other transmigratory beings to enlightenment. The conclusion is that without the guru guiding us in this ordinary aspect, we would be without a guide, totally lost in samsara. We would be like a baby left out in a hot desert with no food or water, surrounded by dangerous animals.”
― Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings

“Kadampa Geshe Chengawa mentioned, A disciple who practices correct devotion to the virtuous friend, even if he is as foolish as a dog or a pig, will have no difficulty in becoming like Manjushri.”
― Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings

“Otherwise we might have done this retreat or that retreat, this practice or that practice, received this teaching or that teaching, this initiation or that initiation, this and this and this, but nothing happens in our mind. Our mind is still like an empty container. Maybe we know the Dharma intellectually, but when a problem comes it looks like we don’t know it at all, like we have never learned it. This is why correctly devoting to the spiritual friend is called the root of the path to enlightenment.”
― Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama does Yamantaka self-initiation every day. He has said that when he does, he keeps Geshe Kelsang in his heart. Geshe Kelsang is totally against His Holiness; he demonstrates and criticizes so much, but His Holiness says he keeps him in his heart. He told us this.”
― Thubten Zopa, Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings