Affliction Quote by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
“Ignorance, vulnerability, fear, anger, and desire are expressions of the infinite potential of your buddha nature. There's nothing inherently wrong or right with making such choices. The fruit of Buddhist practice is simply the recognition that these and other mental afflictions are nothing more or less than choices available to us because our real nature is infinite in scope.”
About This Quote
Source Talk: Buddhist Teachings on Nature, 2020
All mental states, including negative ones, are expressions of our boundless Buddha nature, and they are ultimately choices we can recognize and transform.
In simple terms: Negative emotions are choices from infinite nature.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and transform mental afflictions.
Themes
mindfulness
Buddha nature
choice
transformation
Mood
calm
inspirational
Type
spiritual
psychological
When to use this quote
- meditation practice
- emotional regulation
- spiritual growth
- conflict resolution
- self‑awareness
Key Concepts
non‑duality
emptiness
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you view negative emotions as choices?
- What practices help transform mental afflictions?
A Different Perspective
May understate the difficulty of changing deep‑seated habits.
![“May I strike my heart's keys clearly, and may none fail because of slack, uncertain, or fraying strings. May the tears that stream down my face make me more radiant: may my hidden weeping bloom… How we waste our afflictions!... [T]hey're really our wintering foliage, our dark greens of meaning…” quote by Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c7/rainer-maria-rilke-193_abode_may-i-strike-my-heart-s-keys-clearly-and_52479.jpg)
