[OceanofDharma] Quotes of the Week: The Birth of Enlightenment

[Carolyn Gimian]

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week

March 5, 2008

THE BIRTH OF ENLIGHTENMENT

We have the idea that an enlightened person is supposed to be more or 
less an old-wise-man type: not quite like an old professor, but 
perhaps an old father who can supply sound advice on how to handle 
all of life's problems or an old grandmother who knows all the 
recipes and all the cures. That seems to be the current fantasy that 
exists in our culture concerning enlightened beings. They are old and 
wise, grown-up and solid. Tantra has a different notion of 
enlightenment, which is connected with youth and innocence. We can 
see this pattern in Padmasambhava's life, the life of the great 
teacher who brought the tantric teachings of Buddhism to Tibet. Here 
the awakened state of mind is portrayed not as old and adult but as 
young and free. Youth and freedom in this case are connected with the 
birth of the awakened state of mind. The awakened state of mind has 
the quality of morning, of dawn -- fresh and sparkling, completely awake.

 From "Primordial Innocence," in CRAZY WISDOM, pages 26 to 27.

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

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

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his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
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