Through the practice of meditation, we see past the superficial waves of discursiveness and discover the noble qualities that are the true nature of mind.

Underlying all our discursiveness and dramas, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, are inherent qualities of peacefulness, compassion, and clarity that we can access through meditation practice.

Virtue, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, is like the legendary jewel that fulfills all our wishes. By meditating on and practicing the virtues of wisdom and compassion, we make our lives meaningful, happy, and successful.

Dragon, waves and clouds; Japan; 1568-1615; Ink on paper; H x W: 97.8 x 176.3 cm (38 1/2 x 69 7/16 in); Gift of Charles Lang Freer. Courtesy of the Freer Sackler Gallery.

The mind of the dragon is powerful, vast, and skillful. That’s because it sees the emptiness of all things, both self and other. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche on how to bring the wisdom of the dragon’s mind into our lives.

A peaceful, stable world is built on freedom of mind and openness of heart, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. The place to begin is with our own basic goodness.

Winning and losing is a mug’s game, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. All gain ends in loss anyway, and trying to achieve victory over others is unpleasant and delusional.

The tsunami disaster asks us, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, to reach out to others and to confront, once again, the deep truth that death comes without warning and there is no time to waste.

Appreciation is a relaxing and peaceful state of mind, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Narrowing our mind with complaint is unpleasant and claustrophobic.

“It is said that our mind runs through our body, and that it rides the element of wind,” says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, who recently ran his second marathon. “By harnessing this wind, our body is relaxed and our mind can handle whatever life offers.