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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

Why do we suffer? Because we stepped on it. So the suffering comes from us.
AJAHN CHAH

Come From Suffering
To define Buddhism without a lot of words and phrases, we can simply say, ‘Don’t cling or hold on to anything. Harmonize with actuality, with things as they are.’
AJAHN CHAH

Actuality Anything Buddhism Cling Lot Phrase Word
If we want to really see the Buddha, we should observe his virtuous qualities.
AJAHN CHAH

Buddha Giving Need Observe Quality Up Virtue
People go through life blindly, ignoring death like revellers at a party feasting on fine foods. They ignore that later they will have to go to the toilet, so they do not bother to find out where there is one.
AJAHN CHAH

Blind Bother Death Feast Fine Food Idea Ignore Party People Toilet
In cultivating generosity, we are only oppressing our greed and attachment. This allows our true nature to come out and become lighter and freer.
AJAHN CHAH

Allow Attachment Come Cultivating Generously Greed Lighter Nature Oppress Out
To the birds, the fruit may be sweet or sour or whatever. The birds say sweet or they say sour, but from the tree’s point of view, this is just the chattering of birds.
AJAHN CHAH

Bird Chatter Fruit Point Sour Sweet Tree View Whatever
One day some people came to the master and asked: How can you be happy in a world of such impermanence, where you cannot protect your loved ones from harm, illness or death?
AJAHN CHAH

Ask Blow Happy Illness Loved Master Philosophy Protect Wind
When one does not understand death, life can be very confusing.
AJAHN CHAH

Confuse Doe Life Death Understand
If you have time to be mindful, you have time to meditate.
AJAHN CHAH

Meditate Mindful Time
The ladle is in the soup pot every day, but it doesn’t know the taste of the soup. You must reflect and meditate.
AJAHN CHAH

Day Every Ladle Meditate Pot Reflect Soup Taste
If it isn’t good, let it die. If it doesn’t die, make it good.
AJAHN CHAH

Dharma Good Inspire Lie Mindfulness
We say that to ‘give up all evil and to develop the good’ is the heart of the Buddha’s teaching.
AJAHN CHAH

Develop Evil Fall Give Up Heart Rain Teach
Then we don’t have to celebrate it or let anybody know about it, simply let the mind have firm confidence in the goodness and keep going like this.
AJAHN CHAH

Anybody Celebrate Confidence Going Keep Know Mind Simply
Even if the water is falling right on it, it only touches the outside and not the inside. In this way the bowl will never get full.
AJAHN CHAH

Bowl Falling Full Inside never Outside Right Touch Water Way
The master held up a glass and said: Someone gave me this glass; It holds my water admirably and it glistens in the sunlight.
AJAHN CHAH

Admire Gave Glass Glinten Hold Master Someone Sunlight Water
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

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Ajahn Chah Quotes