All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death. Knowing this, one should, from the very first, renounce acquisitions and storing-up, and building, and meeting; and, faithful to the commands of an eminent Guru, set about realizing the Truth. That alone is the best of religious observances.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the transient nature of worldly pursuits and encourages focusing on spiritual truth.
Milarepa reflects on the ephemeral nature of life and the inevitability of sorrow that comes with worldly achievements. He suggests that rather than clinging to temporary acquisitions or relationships, one should pursue spiritual enlightenment and truth, as this is ultimately more fulfilling and meaningful than material pursuits. By renouncing the ephemeral, individuals can adhere to a higher spiritual calling, as advised by a wise Guru, which is considered the true essence of religious practice.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of living a meaningful life, one could invoke this quote to inspire listeners to prioritize what truly matters.
Life is short and the time of death is uncertain; so apply yourself to meditation. Avoid doing evil, and acquire merit, to the best of your ability, even at the cost of life itself. In short: Act so that you have no cause to be ashamed of yourselves and hold fast to this rule.
He who knows that all things are his mind, That all with which he meets are friendly, Is ever joyful.
When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick
I have no desire for wealth or possessions, and so I have nothing. I do not experience the initial suffering of having to accumulate possessions, the intermediate suffering of having to guard and keep up possessions, nor the final suffering of loosing the possessions.
When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick: every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower. One only throws a stick at a lion once.
In the gap between thoughts_x000D_ nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.
Writing long books is a laborious and impoverishing act of foolishness: expanding in five hundred pages an idea that could be perfectly explained in a few minutes. A better procedure is to pretend that those books already exist and to offer a summary, a commentary.
I agree that two times two makes four is an excellent thing; but if we are dispensing praise, then two times two makes five is sometimes a most charming little thing as well.
You can make the Ring into an allegory of our own time, if you like: and allegory of the inevitable fate that waits for all attempts to defeat evil power by power.
All perfection is there already in the soul. But this perfection has been covered up by nature; layer after layer of nature is covering this purity of the soul.
Grief and disappointment are like hate: they make men ugly with self-pity and bitterness. And how selfish they make us too.
In a culture where profit has become the true God, self-sacrifice can seem incomprehensible rather than noble.
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