Living Fully: Finding Joy In Every Breath

This summary comes directly from the author Liberland’s very own Ambassador for Peace, Shyalpa Rinpoche

Unlock the chains of Self-Cherishing;

When our motivation is pure, we can accomplish everything easily, like an eagle soaring effortlessly on the wind. When we lack the noble aspirations of a compassionate heart, we will not achieve anything worthwhile in our spiritual practice, even if we sit in meditation day and night for over a hundred years. What matters most is not what we do, but how we do it.

Put a drop of poison in a glass of milk and you would not drink it. If you are motivated purely by selfish aims, the results could be just as deadly. On the other hand, if you are sincerely in-terested in relieving the suffering and pain of others, your life will flourish.

A miserly person who hoards wealth and cares nothing for others feels lonely and unloved. If we focus too much on our own desires and interests, we limit our chances for happiness. Caring about others is the way to hone our emotional intelligence. If we start with the noble aspiration to be helpful to all of humanity, our lives will be blessed with joy and graced with purpose. We begin with the sublime intention to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all. As we say in our tradition, sublime in the beginning, sublime in the practice, and sublime at the conclusion.

A genuine spiritual path loosens the chains of self-cherishing, the tightness in our hearts that narrows our vision and limits our horizons. True compassion illuminates our lives and helps us to guide others, just as a lighthouse signals a safe path for ships lost at sea. Always appraise your intentions by asking yourself, “Is this kindhearted? Or is this meaningful?” Make this your natural way of being. Unlock the chains of Self-Cherishing;

When our motivation is pure, we can accomplish everything easily, like an eagle soaring effortlessly on the wind. When we lack the noble aspirations of a compassionate heart, we will not achieve anything worthwhile in our spiritual practice, even if we sit in meditation day and night for over a hundred years. What matters most is not what we do, but how we do it.

Put a drop of poison in a glass of milk and you would not drink it. If you are motivated purely by selfish aims, the results could be just as deadly. On the other hand, if you are sincerely in-terested in relieving the suffering and pain of others, your life will flourish.

A miserly person who hoards wealth and cares nothing for others feels lonely and unloved. If we focus too much on our own desires and interests, we limit our chances for happiness. Caring about others is the way to hone our emotional intelligence. If we start with the noble aspiration to be helpful to all of humanity, our lives will be blessed with joy and graced with purpose. We begin with the sublime intention to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all. As we say in our tradition, sublime in the beginning, sublime in the practice, and sublime at the conclusion.

A genuine spiritual path loosens the chains of self-cherishing, the tightness in our hearts that narrows our vision and limits our horizons. True compassion illuminates our lives and helps us to guide others, just as a lighthouse signals a safe path for ships lost at sea. Always appraise your intentions by asking yourself, “Is this kindhearted? Or is this meaningful?” Make this your natural way of being.