Quotes from Renuka Singh

HERE IS A GENERAL statement about Tibetan medicine: Human physiology is spoken of in terms of the three humours — wind, bile and phlegm. Where do disturbances originate? Wind, bile and phlegm imbalances occur respectively, from the 'three poisons', or primary mental afflictions, namely attachment, anger and ignorance.

WHETHER ONE BELIEVES in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.

MAY 12 I MYSELF STILL occasionally become irritated and angry and use harsh words towards others. Then, a few moments later when the anger has subsided, I feel embarrassed; the negative words are already spoken, and there is no way to take them back. Although the words have been uttered and the sound of the voice has ceased to exist, their impact still lives on. Hence, the only thing I can do is to go to the person and apologize, isn't that right?

TRY TO DEVELOP a deep conviction that the present human body has great potential and that you shall never waste even a single minute of its use. Not taking any essence of this precious human existence, but just wasting it, is almost like taking poison while being fully aware of the consequences of doing so. It is very wrong for people to feel deeply sad when they lose some money, while when they waste the precious moments of their lives they do not have the slightest feeling of repentance.

MAY 8 IN THE TIBETAN medical system disorders of the flesh are related to ignorance, disorders of the bones to anger, and disorders of the blood to attachment.

IN OUR WORLD, we need a clear awareness of the interdependent nature of nations, of humans and animals, and of humans, animals and the world. Everthing is of interdependent nature. I feel that many problems, especially man-made problems, are due to a lack of knowledge about this interdependent nature.

IF WE ARE very forbearing, then something we would normally consider very painful will not appear so bad after all. But without patient endurance, even the smallest thing becomes unbearable. A lot depends on our attitude.

MAY 27 CRUCIAL TO THE hermeneutical approach is the Mahayana principle of the four reliances. These are: (i) reliance on the teaching, not on the teacher; (ii) reliance on the meaning, not on the words that express it; (iii) reliance on the definitive meaning, not on the provisional meaning; and (iv) reliance on the transcendent wisdom of deep experience, not on mere knowledge.

APRIL 9 TAKING YOUR OWN body and mind as the laboratory, engage in some thoroughgoing research on your own mental functioning, and examine the possibility of making some positive changes within yourself.

FEBRUARY 5 FOR DISCOVERING ONE'S true inner nature, I think one should try to take out some time, with quiet and relaxation, to think more inwardly and to investigate the inner world. That may help. Then sometimes when one is very much involved in hatred or attachment, if there is time or possibility during that very moment, just try to look inward and ask: 'What is attachment? What is the nature of anger?

THE IMAGE WE have of ourselves readily tends to be complacent. We look at ourselves with indulgence. When something unpleasant happens to us, we always have the tendency to cast the blame on others, or on fate, a demon, or a god. We shrink from descending into ourselves, as the Buddha recommended.

MAY 22 YOU SHOULD SEE that all the external dirt and dust around you is basically a manifestation of the faults and stains within your mind. The most important aim is to purge these stains and faults from within your mind. Therefore, as you cleanse the environment, think that you are also purifying your mind.