The only way to destroy negative potentialities before they ripen as suffering is to purify them. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Although the momentary mental intentions that initiated our past actions have ceased, the potentialities they have created in our mind do not cease until their results have ripened. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Actions cannot simply vanish, and we cannot give them away to someone else and thus avoid our responsibility. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

The actions of living beings are never wasted, even though a long time may pass before their effects are experienced. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

If we do not perform an action, we cannot experience its effect. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Buddha gave eighty-four thousand different instructions to cure these inner diseases, and, unlike other living beings, human beings have the opportunity to receive these instructions and put them into practice. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Even though we have been suffering from these inner diseases of delusions since time without beginning, we now have an opportunity to eradicate them completely. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

A human life has almost limitless potential, but we will be able to realize this potential only if we first learn to appreciate it. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Compared to an animal life, a human life generally provides many advantages, such as good food and shelter; but the greatest advantage of being human is the special opportunity we have to develop our mind and to free ourself and others from suffering. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Right now we have taken rebirth as a human being, and so we now have the opportunity to enjoy all the advantages of a human life. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

All non-virtuous actions have three kinds of effect: the ripened effect, the effect similar to the cause, and the environmental effect. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

We can see that if we want protection from suffering and from the danger of lower rebirth, we must try not to commit any more negative karma, and we must also try to purify the negative karma that we have already committed. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

All the suffering we experience in this life, such as sickness, poverty, conflict, accidents, and harm from human beings and non-human beings, is the result of our own past negative karma. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

if things go well for us in this life – if we have good health, comfortable living conditions, and good relationships with others, or if we meet with success in our activities – this is our previous good karma ripening. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

If we die with an unpeaceful mind, such as in a state of anger, this will stimulate a non-virtuous seed and we will experience an unfortunate rebirth. This is similar to the way nightmares are triggered by being in an agitated state of mind before falling asleep. ~ Geshe Kelsang

Which particular seed ripens at death depends upon the state of mind in which we die. If we die with a peaceful mind, this will stimulate a virtuous seed and we will experience a fortunate rebirth. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

The seeds that ripen when we die are very important because they determine what kind of rebirth we will take in the next life. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In some cases, the dormant seeds in our mind ripening can happen many lifetimes after the original action was performed. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Virtuous actions sow seeds of future happiness and non-virtuous actions sow seeds of future suffering. These seeds remain dormant in our mind until the conditions for them to ripen occur, and then they produce their effect. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Every action we perform leaves an imprint on our very subtle mind, and each imprint eventually gives rise to its own effect. Our mind is like a field, and performing actions is like sowing seeds in that field. ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso