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

[Carolyn Gimian]

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his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.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