Dharma Quote: Fruition of the Seed of Enlightenment

Heartfelt Advice
by Lama Dudjom Dorjee
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Dharma Quote of the Week

1.18 Fruition of the Seed of Enlightenment
When we engage in virtuous actions, we realize they are beneficial not only for others, but also for ourselves. Our good deeds can earn the praise and appreciation of others, and the benefits of our work come back to us through others. When we are involved with virtuous works, people respect us and hold us in high esteem. And we know we must be doing something good, because we experience a wholesome, pleasant feeling about our life's work. We quickly begin to see the short-term benefits of our involvement in virtuous action as our bodies and minds become more peaceful in our daily lives.

This serenity in turn increases our longevity as our body and mind become more harmonized. Even after our death, we will be reincarnated in higher realms of existence as a result of our involvement with virtuous works during this life. Yet a higher rebirth is merely a short-term benefit, a temporary relief from the sufferings of samsara, for until we achieve liberation from samsara we remain trapped in the cycle of suffering, and "whatever goes up, must come down!"

Within the mundane world, when our evil deeds are common knowledge, no one sings their praises. If such deeds are remembered at all, it is in infamy. However, when a being lives with a mind of true bodhichitta and does great works of pure altruism, their deeds are remembered for centuries. Of such cases we have many examples within the Kagyu lineage alone: the historical Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, Milarepa, the Karmapas, and countless others. Yet it is also important to remember that virtuous action eventually leads us to the liberation of buddhahood; this is the ultimate long-term benefit of planting the seed of enlightenment of which we speak. Hence, as we make this journey towards liberation, it is extremely important for us to learn to recognize which of our actions are virtuous and which are not.

--from Heartfelt Advice by Lama Dudjom Dorjee, published by Snow Lion Publications

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Tags: Dharma Quote, Fruition of the Seed of Enlightenment, Snow Lion Publications, Buddhism, Heartfelt Advice, Lama Dudjom Dorjee