Saturday, September 6, 2008

[OceanofDharma] Quotes of the Week: Strength for the Darkest Hour


Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week

September 6, 2008, the 40th Anniversary of the Sadhana of Mahamudra

STRENGTH FOR THE DARKEST HOUR

This is the darkest hour of the dark ages. Disease, famine and warfare are raging like the fierce north wind. The Buddha's teaching has waned in strength. The various schools of the sangha are fighting amongst themselves with sectarian bitterness; and although the Buddha's teaching was perfectly expounded and there have been many reliable teachings since then from other great gurus, yet they pursue intellectual speculations. The sacred mantra has strayed into Bon and the yogis of tantra are losing the insight of meditation. They spend their whole time going through villages and performing little ceremonies for material gain.
        On the whole, no one acts according to the highest code of discipline, meditation and wisdom. The jewel-like teaching of insight is fading day by day. The Buddha's teaching is used merely for political purposes and to draw people together socially. As a result, the blessings of spiritual energy are being lost. Even those with great devotion are beginning to lose heart. If the buddhas of the three times and the great teachers were to comment, they would surely express their disappointment. So to enable individuals to ask for their help and to renew spiritual strength, I have written this practice, the Sadhana of Mahamudra.

From THE SADHANA OF MAHAMUDRA.

OF INTEREST TO READERS: Today is the 40th Anniversary of the Sadhana of Mahamudra, a very important text that Chogyam Trungpa discovered, so to speak, at Tagstang in Tibet. For information about this text and to hear a talk by Chogyam Trungpa, go to the Chronicles of CTR:  http://www.chronicleproject.com/stories_110.html

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

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Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications,  the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
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