Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Thus the misconceptions about Buddhism that prevailed in Tibet were completely
eliminated, the Dharma was made pure and much sutra and tantra was practiced and
actualized.
Attaining enlightenment comes from the base, the two truths: the truth for the all-obscuring
mind and the truth for absolute mind. These two truths are the base, the path is practicing
method and wisdom—putting the essence of method and wisdom into the path—and the
goal to be achieved is the buddha’s holy body and holy mind. This is the entire
Buddhadharma, and both sutra and tantra are what the monks studied in the monasteries in
Tibet for their whole lives. Through that, numberless meditators became bodhisattvas and
were able to achieve buddhahood, becoming enlightened beings.
In many other holy places in Tibet practitioners also achieved realizations; not only Milarepa
but many others attained enlightenment there as well. Because of that, there are many, many
places in Tibet that are unbelievably blessed.
Just as the pandits did in Tibet, you Western students also need to study what is written in
the texts and, through intensive contemplation, meditate on and actualize the path. You
must try to hold in your heart the teachings that the Buddha and those other great holy
beings in India and Tibet explained. If you can do that then the West too can become an
extremely blessed place, like India, Nepal and Tibet.
Otherwise it is just studying words, as people do at universities. Of course, you have to start
with words, but without actualizing the path in your mind, without transforming your life,
then it is merely study. It is still unbelievably fortunate that you can do it, but it’s not
Buddhadharma as found in India, Nepal and Tibet. When tsampa is thrown into a river it
doesn’t sink, it stays on the surface. Likewise, if the Buddhadharma you study does not enter
your heart but just stays on the surface, all you’re doing is studying words. It’s kind of empty.
However, I think there are many people who are learning and trying to meditate and
practice, and gradually this is having a beneficial effect on their mind. That is very good.
The Buddha manifests in an ordinary form to guide us
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the sole object of refuge for the numberless sentient beings
of the six realms: for the beings of the hell realm, the hungry ghost realm, the animal realm,
the human realm, the god realm, the demigod realm and the intermediate state. He is the
sole object of refuge for all sentient beings including us. He is the embodiment of the
compassion of all the numberless past buddhas, present buddhas and future buddhas, the
definitive meaning of Avalokiteshvara, the Compassion Buddha.
The buddhas manifest in human form in order to show us how to be free from the lower
realms, from samsara and even from the peace of lower nirvana. Through their guidance we
can become free from all subtle obscurations and actualize all realizations and so attain
buddhahood, the peerless state of the omniscient mind. In order to guide us, to explain the
teachings in a way that we can understand, the buddhas manifest in an ordinary aspect, in a
human form.
“Ordinary” means this. Although for them there is no suffering of rebirth, they show the
suffering of rebirth; although they have no suffering of old age, they show the suffering of
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