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Don’t be attached to visions or lights in meditation, don’t rise or fall with them.

Ajahn Chah

All that I have said up to now has merely been words. When people come to see me, I have to say something. But it is best not to speak about these matters too much.
AJAHN CHAH

All Friend Good Matter Merely Practice Regret Something Speak Word
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
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 want a chicken to be a duck, and a duck to be a chicken, you will suffer.
AJAHN CHAH

Chicken Children Duck Suffer Want
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
Just know what is happening in your mind – not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer see it, know it, and be empty. It’s like a letter – you have to open it before you can know what’s in it.
AJAHN CHAH

Attach Happen Letter Mind Open Sad Suffer
Do everything with a mind that lets go. Do not expect praise or reward.
AJAHN CHAH

Everything Expectation Generosity Go Letting Mind Praise Reward
We don’t meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

End Heaven Meditate Suffer
We see that the sound is simply sound. If we understand like this, then there’s nothing more to it. We leave it be.
AJAHN CHAH

Leave Like More Nothing Simply Sound Understand
You will see many strange and wonderful things come and go, but you will be still. This is the happiness of the Buddha.
AJAHN CHAH

Buddha Come Happiness Many Strange Thing Wonderful
It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

Experience Forest Found Freedom Suffer Teacher
We will come to understand that everything in the world is our teacher.
AJAHN CHAH

Come Everything Teacher Understand World
When one does not understand death, life can be very confusing.
AJAHN CHAH

Confuse Doe Life Death Understand
Regarding this Dhamma, it is not something that we can simply talk about or take another’s word for it.
AJAHN CHAH

Another Dhamma Listen Meditation Regard Simply Something Take Understanding Word
We can always find time to breathe. In the same way, if we see the importance of meditation practice we will find the time to practice.
AJAHN CHAH

Always Breath Important Meditation Practice Time
The sound is just sound, why should you go and grab it? You see that actually it was you who went out and disturbed the sound.
AJAHN CHAH

Actually Distribute Grab Out Sound Went
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
The Dhamma has to sink deeply into the mind so that whatever we do, the mind has always goodness within it. All the ways of making merit are aiming at this. Goodness lies in the right view that is established in the mind.
AJAHN CHAH

Aim Deeply Do Establishment Goddess Lying Mind Right Sink View
There are people who are born and die and never once are aware of their breath going in and out of their body. That’s how far away they live from themselves
AJAHN CHAH

Aware Body Born Breath Far Away Going Once Out People
The meditator simply knows them, they don’t enter his mind. That is, he has no clinging. He is simply the experiencer.
AJAHN CHAH

Cling Enter Experience Meditator Mind Simply
This is the nature of the mind. We must find our own practice and persevere.
AJAHN CHAH

Mind Nature Own Persevere Practice
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
The heart of the path is quite easy.
AJAHN CHAH

Easy Equity Hate Letting Go Love Path
But when I know that the glass is already broken, every minute with it is precious.
AJAHN CHAH

Broken Glass Know Minute Precious
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
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
Some people are afraid of generosity. They feel they will be taken advantage of or oppressed.
AJAHN CHAH

Advantage Afraid Attachment Feel Generously Nature Oppressed Taken

Don’t be attached to visions or lights in meditation, don’t rise or fall with them.

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Don’t be attached to visions or lights in meditation, don’t rise or fall with them.

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