--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the West everyone wants the “highest”…" description: "\"“In the West everyone wants the “highest” practice, a wish that indicates a misunderstanding of the path. Everyone wants to hurry through the foundatio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/tenzin-wangyal-45031_enlightenment_in-the-west-everyone-wants-the-highest-p_2456273.jpg" --- # In the West everyone wants the “highest” practice, a wish… ![“In the West everyone wants the “highest” practice, a wish that indicates a misunderstanding of the path. Everyone wants to hurry through the foundational practices (ngön dro). But great masters do these practices all their lives. They continue to contemplate impermanence, cultivate compassion, do…” quote by Tenzin Wangyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/tenzin-wangyal-45031_enlightenment_in-the-west-everyone-wants-the-highest-p_2456273.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/tenzin-wangyal-45031_enlightenment_in-the-west-everyone-wants-the-highest-p_2456273.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/tenzin-wangyal-45031_enlightenment_in-the-west-everyone-wants-the-highest-p_2456273.jpg) > ““In the West everyone wants the “highest” practice, a wish that indicates a misunderstanding of the path. Everyone wants to hurry through the foundational practices (ngön dro). But great masters do these practices all their lives. They continue to contemplate impermanence, cultivate compassion, do purification practices, make offerings, and do Guru Yoga. It is not a stage to get over. The most accomplished masters and teachers do these practices and cultivate these qualities all the way to the highest stages of realization, because there is still benefit in doing them.”” [Tenzin Wangyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-wangyal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True mastery requires lifelong dedication to foundational practices, not shortcuts to higher states. **In simple terms:** Great teachers keep practicing basics forever. Key Takeaway Commit to ongoing practice. Themes discipline patience spiritual growth Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily meditation - teaching - rituals - long-term study Key Concepts impermanence compassion purification Questions to Reflect On - What basic practice can you deepen? - How does patience shape mastery? A Different Perspective Some may view it as slow progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) ## Related quotes > [“The highest practice is the one that is most effective, not necessarily the one categorized as “higher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-wangyal/the-highest-practice-is-the-one-that-is-most-effective-not/) [Tenzin Wangyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-wangyal/) > [“In order to benefit yogis and yoginis who are applying themselves diligently in the preliminary practices and guru yoga, like rivers of various sizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nida-chenagtsang/in-order-to-benefit-yogis-and-yoginis-who-are-applying-themselves/) Nida Chenagtsang > [I think enlightenment is something that you decide to do after you have met someone who is enlightened. 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Something touches your heart, your being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-enlightenment-is-something-that-you-decide-to-do-after-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Don't worry. These poses have nothing to do with meditation or enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharma-mittra/don-t-worry-these-poses-have-nothing-to-do-with-meditation-or/) [Dharma Mittra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharma-mittra/) [Browse all 3,404 Enlightenment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In the West everyone wants the “highest” practice, a wish that indicates a misunderstanding of the path. Everyone wants to hurry through the foundational practices (ngön dro). But great masters do these practices all their lives. They continue to contemplate impermanence, cultivate compassion, do purification practices, make offerings, and do Guru Yoga. It is not a stage to get over. 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