Sunday

We're constantly surrounded by potential causes of death, and by the news of the dead and dying, yet many people still wander around in denial, thinking to themselves “It can never possibly happen to me - not yet!”

However, each moment that passes is yet another moment closer to the end of our precious human life, and we have absolutely no idea how or when death will strike - it really is that uncertain. The only certainty is that it's going to happen.

Each passing moment of our life is so precious - Each moment we have a chance to do something that can contribute towards better rebirths in samsara, and even liberation, and enlightenment. So use what precious life that you have left, in a way that you will be able to face death with as few regrets as possible.

Chamtrul Rinpoche

Monday

My foes will become nothing. My friends will become nothing. I, too, will become nothing. Likewise, all will become nothing.

Just like a dream experience, whatever things I enjoy will become a memory. Whatever has passed will not be seen again.

Shantideva

Tuesday

We must train ourselves, as in the story of an Indian brahmin who began making two piles of pebbles: he placed a white pebble in one pile for every positive thought he had, such as faith and devotion, and a black pebble in the other pile for every negative thought.

At first most of his pebbles were black and the white pebbles were few. Great regret overcame him when he realized that he had such a huge amount of negative thoughts and so few positive ones. But as he persevered—by developing antidotes, adopting positive acts, and rejecting negative ones—the amount of white pebbles gradually increased, until the piles of white and black pebbles were equal.

Seeing that there were still many black ones and fearing that negative thoughts would cast him back into samsara, he trained his mind again and again, until at last there were only white pebbles.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Wednesday

So as a meditator, as a practitioner, somehow, even if you have a family, even if you have a job, even if you have a business, and even if you have lots of plans for your life, that is alright, you are not a hundred percent yogi, but you are a yogi in the making, so stop and minimize anything that will make you get lost and wander.

That way your time and energy, everything will be efficient and will be focused towards your goal, your samsaric goal as well as your dharma goal – your dharma goal and samsaric goal should be complementary.

Your samsaric goal cannot be one way and your dharma goal another way; they can be a support to each other. If you want to be in samsara and try to practice dharma, then slowly, maybe in this life, you can be a yogi, but if not, then the next life.

Anyway, this way you really will achieve something in this life, as far as your dharma practice is concerned.

Tai Situ Rinpoche

Thursday

Perfectly stay in the natural flow,

There is no other concentration.

Perfectly realize the natural state,

There is no other wisdom.

Patrul Rinpoche

Friday

If you are going, remember bodhicitta
If you are sitting, remember bodhicitta
If you are lying down, remember bodhicitta
If you are standing, remember bodhicitta.

Khunu Lama

Saturday

You have to remember buddha nature. In the emptiness of your heart, remember you have buddha nature. Delusions are not permanent, they are not part of you, they are temporary.

You can be free from delusions and negative karma. Like a mirror covered by dust, you can clean it. The more you clean it, the clearer the reflection becomes. Your mind becomes clearer the more the delusions are purified.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche