Quotes from Sakyong Mipham

One of my favorite Tibetan sayings is "Even if you're going to die tomorrow, you can learn something tonight.

There is a direct correlation between physical exertion and mental relief.

One of my favorite sayings is "If you want to be miserable, think of yourself. If you want to be happy, think of others.

The bones and tendons of the mind are mindfulness and awareness. Mindfulness is the mind's strength, and awareness is its flexibility. Without these abilities, we cannot function. When we drink a glass of water, drive a car, or have a conversation, we are using mindfulness and awareness.

Awareness puts us in tune with the elements. This elemental connection is part of being alive. We are too often indoors, unaware of the elements. The elements are not our enemies: we ourselves are made of the elements. When we connect with them, they inspire us and make us stronger, allowing us to communicate with the world in much subtler ways.

Meditate with delight and run with joy.

Once I was running and there was someone on the treadmill next to me who stopped running to answer a question I asked and flew of the back of the treadmill. Being fully engaged has many benefits.

To be gentle is to understand that life is a journey deserving constant attentiveness. Therefore it is gentleness that allows us to finish a marathon, not putting pressure on ourselves to immediately think about the next one. Gentleness is "just doing it" in such a way that we can do it again and again.

Of course, we all go through our own experiences. If we do not push ourselves enough, we do not grow, but if we push ourselves too much, we regress. What is enough will change, depending on where we are and what we are doing. In that sense, the present moment is always some kind of beginning.

We already have what we need—the opportunity to weave the tapestry of happiness every day with the needle and thread of our own mind.

In my constant travels, from the highland meadows of Tibet to the tropical rain forest of Brazil to the busy streets of Hong Kong, I've learned that you have to be content wherever you are. Otherwise, traveling is exhausting, because you're always thinking that the next place will be better.

Then we wonder, "Why is nothing turning out the way I want?" Tiger mind creates a little gap in which we can look at our choices. We could get mad or not get mad. We could manipulate or not manipulate. We could become desirous and fixate. We could get jealous or not. It's up to us. Wisdom and compassion begin with cultivating discernment—not just reacting to what happens.

Meditation stabilizes us in our inherent power as humans. It introduces the possibility of living our lives in a continually conscious, confident, and balanced state of mind.

Auspicious coincidence is the right thing happening at the right time.

If ruling our world stems from developing certainty in our sanity, how do we discover it? The Shambhala teachings instruct us to "put our mind of fearfulness in the cradle of loving-kindnes."

If you want to be miserable, think of yourself. If you want to be happy, think of others.

If you see life as an opportunity, or if you see helping others as an opportunity, then all of a sudden you become joyous. You want to go forward.

Changing our decision sets up a bad habit. It reinforces decision-making as an expression of bewilderment and ignorance, instead of wisdom and freedom.

We can't hire out our own inner work, but we can do the manual labor with delight and decency.

If we are going to live in a society, there has to be an attitude where people really do care for others.

As a leader, people push you. They really want to keep pushing you until you get aggressive. Then they say, "Oh, see, it doesn't work."

Each of us holds human destiny in our hands. It will be completely determined by how the mind feels about itself.

I think we are very environmental people. We need to be supported environmentally. Books very much have that imprint on the mind.

Our root fantasy is that "I" am real and that it's possible for "me" to be happy.