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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

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
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
Happiness and suffering do not depend on being poor or rich, they depend on having the right or wrong understanding in our mind.
AJAHN CHAH

Depend Mind Poor Rich Suffer Understanding
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
When we sit in meditation and hear a sound, we think, ‘Oh, that sound’s bothering me.’ If we see it like this, we suffer. But if we investigate a little deeper,
AJAHN CHAH

Bother Deeper Hear Investigate Meditation Sound Suffer Think
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 haven’t cried deeply a number of times, your meditation hasn’t really begun.
AJAHN CHAH

Cried Deeply Happen Meditation Number Time
Better to begin practice without delay. I am like a good friend inviting you to go somewhere. Do not hesitate, just get going. You won’t regret it.
AJAHN CHAH

Better Delay Friend Going Good Hesitate Inviting Practice Regret Somewhere
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
The forest is peaceful, why aren’t you? You hold on to things causing your confusion. Let nature teach you.
AJAHN CHAH

Cause Confuse Confusion Go Hold Letting Peaceful Song
To practice Dhamma means to observe and examine oneself.
AJAHN CHAH

Examine Mean One Oneself Practice
Time is our present breath.
AJAHN CHAH

Breath Our Present Time
This is the nature of the mind. We must find our own practice and persevere.
AJAHN CHAH

Mind Nature Own Persevere Practice
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
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
Holding on to anger as a personal possession will cause suffering. If anger really belonged to us, it would have to obey us. If it doesn’t obey us, that means it’s only a deception.
AJAHN CHAH

Anger Belong Deception Hold Obey Personal Possession Suffering
You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable.
AJAHN CHAH

Actor Everything Kind Scene Story Temptation Witness
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
Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: You won’t be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.
AJAHN CHAH

Able Find Heart Looking Mustache Peace Turtle
Anything which is troubling you, anything which is irritating you, THAT is your teacher.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Irritate Teacher Trouble
Investigate yourself to find the truth – inside, not outside. Knowing yourself is most important.
AJAHN CHAH

Find Important Inside Investigate Knowing Most Outside Truth
To know existence as this flow, empty of lasting pleasure, void of self, is to find that which is stable and free of suffering, to find true peace in the world.
AJAHN CHAH

Empty Existence Flow Lasting Peace Pleasure Self Stable True Vold World
Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

Agitation Found Oneself Place Running Suffer Teacher
The serene and peaceful mind is the true epitome of human achievement.
AJAHN CHAH

Achievement Epitome Mind Peaceful Serene
When you sit, let it be. What you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing.
AJAHN CHAH

Grasp Nothing Resist Sit Walk
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
When we gain some understanding we need to chew on it again so that we see it for ourselves with certainty: paccattam.
AJAHN CHAH

Certainty Chew Need Ourselves Some Understanding

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.

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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.

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