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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

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 Young
Well, if it really was her anger, then she should be able to tell it to go away, shouldnt she? But it really isn’t hers to command.
AJAHN CHAH

Anger Away Command Really Tell Well
If you are still following your likes and dislikes, you have not even begun to practise Dhamma.
AJAHN CHAH

Begun Dhamma Dislike Follow Like Still
To give up doing evil is more important than making merit.
AJAHN CHAH

Doing Evil Give Up Important Merit Mke
This is the nature of the mind. We must find our own practice and persevere.
AJAHN CHAH

Mind Nature Own Persevere Practice
Time is our present breath.
AJAHN CHAH

Breath Our Present Time
The forms of the world have their place, but in another way, there is nothing there. To be free, we need to respect both of these truths.
AJAHN CHAH

Another Both Form Need Nothing Place Respect Truth World
If you want a chicken to be a duck, and a duck to be a chicken, you will suffer.
AJAHN CHAH

Chicken Children Duck Suffer Want
Don’t think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking.
AJAHN CHAH

Attitude Close Eye Lying Practice Quick Sit
Why are we born? We are born so that we will not have to be born again.
AJAHN CHAH

Again Born
Wherever we start to think that things are certain, uncertainty is lurking right there. Heedlessness is just holding things as certain. It is grasping at certainty where there is no certainty and looking for truth in things that are not true. Be careful! They are likely to bite you sometime in the future!
AJAHN CHAH

Bite Careful Future Grasp Hold Lurk Sometimes Thing Think Truth Uncertainty
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

Book Bottle Memory Outside Read Wisdom Yourself
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
If you let go a little you will have a little happiness.
AJAHN CHAH

Happiness Inspirational Letting Little
If suffering arises you must contemplate right there, you don’t have to run away.
AJAHN CHAH

Arise Away Contemplate Have Right Run Suffer
If it shouldn’t happen, it wouldn’t happen.
AJAHN CHAH

Happen

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