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Read yourself, not books. Truth isn’t outside, that’s only memory, not wisdom. Memory without wisdom is like an empty thermos bottle – if you don’t fill it, it’s useless.

Ajahn Chah

If we want to really see the Buddha, we should observe his virtuous qualities.
AJAHN CHAH

Buddha Giving Need Observe Quality Up Virtue
We have limited time in our life, therefore we should try to teach ourselves, not to teach others.
AJAHN CHAH

Limited Lying Mind Other Ourselves Practice Teach Try
When we sit in meditation and hear a sound, we think, ‘Oh, that sound’s bothering me.’ If we see it like this, we suffer. But if we investigate a little deeper,
AJAHN CHAH

Bother Deeper Hear Investigate Meditation Sound Suffer Think
If you haven’t cried deeply a number of times, your meditation hasn’t really begun.
AJAHN CHAH

Cried Deeply Happen Meditation Number Time
The Dharma Path is to keep walking forward. But the true Dharma has no going forward, no going backward, and no standing still.
AJAHN CHAH

Backward Forward Path Practice Standard Standing Still Walking
Meditation is like a single log of wood. Insight and investigation are one end of the log; calm and concentration are the other end. If you lift up the whole log, both sides come up at once. Which is concentration and which is insight? Just this mind.
AJAHN CHAH

Calm Concentration End Insight Investigation Long Meditation Mind Other Single Wood
I touch it and it rings! One day the wind may blow it off the shelf, or my elbow may knock it from the table.
AJAHN CHAH

Blow Day Elbow Knock Ring Shelf Table Touch Wind
Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.
AJAHN CHAH

Actual Run Suffer Toward Try
Isn’t it wonderful how the sky can take that dirty water and change it into pure, clean water? Your mind can do the same with your defilements if you let it.
AJAHN CHAH

Change Clean Defilement Dirty Let Mind Pure Sky Water Wonderful
Where does peace arise? Peace arises whenever we let something go.
AJAHN CHAH

Arise Doe Peace Something
I am like a tree in a forest. Birds come to the tree, they sit on its branches and eat its fruits.
AJAHN CHAH

Bird Branch Come Eat Forest Fruit Sweet Tree View
There are two kinds of suffering. There is the suffering you run away from, which follows you everywhere. And there is the suffering you face directly, and so become free.
AJAHN CHAH

Away Beautiful Everywhere Follow Kind Running Suffer Two
The ultimate truth is like the flavour of an apple which you can’t see with the eye or hear with the ear.
AJAHN CHAH

Apple Ear Eye Flavour Hear Like Teaching Ultimate
Of course there are dozens of meditation techniques, but it all comes down to this – just let it all be. Step over here where it is cool, out of the battle. Why not give it a try?
AJAHN CHAH

Battle Come Course Down Dozen Giving Just Let Meditation Technique
When you sit, let it be. What you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing.
AJAHN CHAH

Grasp Nothing Resist Sit Walk
Whatever he taught, we should practise it. Only bowing to him is not enough. We need to renounce, give up, stop, so that we may see the Buddha.
AJAHN CHAH

Bowing Buddha Enough Need Practice Renounce Teach

Read yourself, not books. Truth isn’t outside, that’s only memory, not wisdom. Memory without wisdom is like an empty thermos bottle – if you don’t fill it, it’s useless.

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Read yourself, not books. Truth isn’t outside, that’s only memory, not wisdom. Memory without wisdom is like an empty thermos bottle – if you don’t fill it, it’s useless.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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