“When at the top of the ladder kings, ministers, and whole countries fight, or when on the bottom rung their subjects, families, etc., argue – or even when monks squabble – self-cherishing is at fault…. When you die from poison, or from undigested food, you do not really die of poison: because of your self-cherishing you ate far too much. Your self-cherishing killed you. When you are innocent but get accused of being a thief, it is the direct [karmic] result of having harmed others due to self-cherishing.”
From Liberation in the Palm of One’s Hand, spoken by Pabongka Rinpoche and compiled by Trijang Rinpoche As translated in: Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment by Pabongka Rinpoche / Trijang Rinpoche. Translated by Michael Richards. Wisdom Publications. Click here to download a PDF of 100 pages of excerpts, including the multiple introductions and appendixes, extensive Lamrim outline, and first chapter “Introductory Discourse on the Lamrim”; courtesy of Wisdom Publications.