Quotes from Sakyong Mipham

If we subject the mind to prolonged periods of watching television or sitting at the computer, or even more potentially harmful environments such as feeling unloved or uncared for or we are subjected to long dissatisfaction or intensely aggressive environments, the mind takes a beating. That piece of tofu is turning many colours. It is being bruised and battered, but we cannot see it.

Being aggressive, you can accomplish some things, but with gentleness, you can accomplish all things.

Running is not simply slogging through the miles, trying to sweat out last night's good times, or burning off excess weight—it is celebrating life.

These lion runs are more advanced in that we are sensing ourselves in relationship to where we are. Awareness puts us in tune with the elements. This elemental connection is part of being alive.

I have always found a natural relationship between running and meditation. Running can be a support for meditation, and meditation can be a support for running.

Because the mind and the body are intimately connected, relieving the stress of the body through exercise has an immediate effect on the mind: the mind is no longer dealing with the discomfort of the body.

In teaching my first meditation and running workshop, I was struck by the number of participants who were ultramarathon runners. When I considered their experience, it made sense. After you run for a while, what do you find in there but your own mind? You work with that mind by meditating regularly.

our muscles and bones are strong enough for us to walk—but not to run, unless we have conditioned them.

Similarly, our mind has developed enough mindfulness and awareness to drive to work, but if we had to drive across the country, we might not have the stamina to stay on the road. Someone who makes long drives all the time, like a trucker, can do it much more easily.

Long periods of overstimulation—too much activity—begin to affect the organs and blood flow. Mentally we may become dull or jaded. Most important, we are not able to have deeper, more contemplative thoughts.

In meditation, we are creating new pathways for the mind, the brain, and even the heart. That's how we build a base. In meditating, just as in running, we are engaging in something that is very different from what we've ever done before. So, especially in the beginning, we should not overdo it.

Benevolence requires the steadiness of an elephant—a sense of trusting ourselves and remembering the suffering of others—because it is easy to become irritated with people.

Obviously it is not good to keep checking your watch, as you might discover that you have supernatural powers that can slow down the time.

When we contemplate our motivation, we expand our attitude from being concerned with just ourselves to caring for the whole world.

in meditation, the mind will get stronger if we keep exercising our mindfulness.

Like meditation, running is a unique combination of relaxation, good posture, and symmetry. When we pay attention to our posture and apply some discipline to how we hold our body, joy and freshness arise.

The first few moments after an injury are important. As soon as possible, we should acknowledge that we are hurt. Recognizing our injury is not a defeat, but rather shows courage. If we ignore an injury, recovery could take longer.

We can use the time recovering from an injury to train our mind in gentleness and firmness.

The point of handling our motivation is not necessarily to channel it into a drive to be successful; that would be ambition. Rather, the point is to

I learned a vital lesson when I began meditation: if I did not respect what I was doing, nobody else would. Meditation has further demonstrated to me that once you begin to respect yourself and what you do—not in an egocentric way, but with appreciation and self-worth—then any activity becomes meaningful. Life is to be respected, appreciated, and lived fully—instead of chastised or rushed through.

First you must come to the conclusion that the activity is important. Then you should make it a daily occurrence, in which every day you motivate yourself in a different way.

The tiger incorporates meditation and running as a natural part of the daily routine, for these endeavors can bring health of body and mind only if we are consistent in practicing them.

If your motivation when you get up in the morning is to have very little contact with anyone, come home, and go to bed as soon as you can, almost everything that occurs during the day will make you feel brittle and irritable, because it's in your way.

Eating and drinking late at night tells the liver that it needs to keep working. Therefore we sleep poorly and wake up sluggish.