““The parable of the gem in the robe is very short, only one paragraph long in the Murano translation. Yet in spite of its brevity it packs a very powerful message. In each of us is already the enlightened nature or potential. Enlightenment isn’t something we have to bring into our lives, it is already resident. The practice of Buddhism isn’t so much about becoming someone different, as it is about becoming who we really are. We do not take on enlightenment from outside ourselves, but develop what we already have. We have the gem, we just need to take it out and use it, there is no need for us to continue our sufferings.””
![“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted through other Tibetan Buddhist lineages. For example [...] Chöd practices gradually merged with pre-existing models of deity yoga, such…” quote by Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b05/michelle-sorensen-60370_2013_the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d_4303.jpg)