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The Dhamma has to be found by looking into your own heart and seeing that which is true and that which is not, that which is balanced and that which is not balanced.

Ajahn Chah

To practice Dhamma means to observe and examine oneself.
AJAHN CHAH

Examine Mean One Oneself Practice
These days people don’t search for the Truth. People study simply in order to find knowledge necessary to make a living.
AJAHN CHAH

Knowledge Living Make Necessary Order People Simply Smart Study Truth Wise
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
A woman wanted to know how to deal with anger. I asked when anger arose whose anger it was. She said it was hers.
AJAHN CHAH

Anger Ask Deal Fall Mean Mind Want Woman
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
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
If you let go a little you will have a little happiness.
AJAHN CHAH

Happiness Inspirational Letting Little
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
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
We don’t meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

End Heaven Meditate Suffer
The heart of the path is quite easy.
AJAHN CHAH

Easy Equity Hate Letting Go Love Path
We protect virtue so that virtue will protect us.
AJAHN CHAH

Protect Us Virtue
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
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
All religions are like different cars all moving in the same direction. People who don’t see it have no light in their hearts.
AJAHN CHAH

Car Different Direction Heart Light Moving Religion Same
Learn to see that it is not things that bother us, that we go out to bother them.
AJAHN CHAH

Bother Learn Mirror Reflection Them Thing Understanding
No. It’s simply a thorn. It doesn’t give suffering to anybody. If we step on it, we suffer immediately.
AJAHN CHAH

Anybody Come Immediate Simply Suffering Thron
Truth is all there is. It’s like when you learned how to read, you can then read anywhere you go.
AJAHN CHAH

Anywhere Go Learn Like Read Truth
To give up doing evil is more important than making merit.
AJAHN CHAH

Doing Evil Give Up Important Merit Mke
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
Sati is life. Whenever we don’t have sati, when we are heedless, it’s as if we are dead.
AJAHN CHAH

Dead Heedless Ifs Life Mindfulness Sail Sati
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
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
Therefore we have to train our mind. The meditation practice in Buddhism is all about training one’s own mind.
AJAHN CHAH

Buddhism Meditation Mind Own Practice Train
We need to develop meditation so that the understanding arises clearly within oneself. It is not the case that merely by listening to another’s explanation our defilements will disappear.
AJAHN CHAH

Another Arise Defliment Develop Disappear Explain Listen Meditation Need Oneself Understanding
The heart is just the heart; thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be just as they are.
AJAHN CHAH

Feeling Heart Just Thought
Once you understand non-self, then the burden of life is gone. You’ll be at peace with the world. When we see beyond self, we no longer cling to happiness and we can truly be happy.
AJAHN CHAH

Burden Cling Go Gone Happiness Letting Life Struggle Understand

The Dhamma has to be found by looking into your own heart and seeing that which is true and that which is not, that which is balanced and that which is not balanced.

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The Dhamma has to be found by looking into your own heart and seeing that which is true and that which is not, that which is balanced and that which is not balanced.

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