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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

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
Look at your own mind. The one who carries things thinks he’s got things, but the one who looks on sees only the heaviness. Throw away things, lose them, and find lightness.
AJAHN CHAH

Carry Got Heaven Look Mind Own Thing Think Thinking
To observe and watch one’s own mind is something really interesting. The untrained mind will run and follow its old habit patterns. Because it has not been trained and taught, it will get lost in all kinds of stories and issues.
AJAHN CHAH

Buddhism Habit Interest Issue Meditation Mind Observe Own Pattern Practice Running Solve Story Untrained Watch
If we only make merit but have not stopped doing bad things, then we will never have a day of completion. It is like an overturned bowl which is left outside in the rain.
AJAHN CHAH

Bad Bowl Completion Day Doing Make Merit Outside Overturn Rain Stop Thing
If we see suffering then we don’t have suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

Have See Suffer
Remember you dont meditate to get anything, but to get rid of things.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Let Go Meditate Remember Rid Thing
Where does rain come from? It comes from all the dirty water that evaporates from the earth, like urine and the water you throw out after washing your feet.
AJAHN CHAH

Come Dirty Earth Evaporate Rain Sky Through Urine Wash Water
You should know both the universal and the personal, the realm of forms and the freedom to not cling to them.
AJAHN CHAH

Both Cling Form Needs World Personal Realm Universal Way
When we see beyond self, we no longer cling to happiness. And when we stop clinging, we can begin to be happy.
AJAHN CHAH

Beyond Cling Happiness Happy Longer Self Stop
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
Don’t be attached to visions or lights in meditation, don’t rise or fall with them.
AJAHN CHAH

Attach Fall Light Meditation Rise Vision
Whenever we feel that we are definitely right, so much so that we refuse to open up to anything or anybody else, right there we are wrong. It becomes wrong view.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Definitely Doe Feel Open Refuse Right Suffering View
If you let go a lot you will have a lot of happiness. If you let go completely you will be free.
AJAHN CHAH

Free Freedom Happiness Lot
Do not be a bodhisattva, do not be an arahant, do not be anything at all. If you are a bodhisattva, you will suffer, if you are an arahant, you will suffer, if you are anything at all, you will suffer.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Arahant Bodhisattva Suffer
Wisdom is in yourself, just like a sweet ripe mango is already in a young green one.
AJAHN CHAH

Already Green Mango One Ripe Sweet Wisdom Young Yourself
When coming out of sitting, don’t think that you’re coming out of meditation, but that you are only changing postures.
AJAHN CHAH

Change Coming Meditation Out Posture Sit

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

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