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The heart is just the heart; thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be just as they are.

Ajahn Chah

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
Try to be mindful, and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.
AJAHN CHAH

Animal Clear Course Forest Let Mind Mindful Natural Surround Thing Trying
We protect virtue so that virtue will protect us.
AJAHN CHAH

Protect Us Virtue
A madman and an arahant both smile, but the arahant knows why while the madman doesn’t.
AJAHN CHAH

Arahant Both Know Madman Smile
We will come to understand that everything in the world is our teacher.
AJAHN CHAH

Come Everything Teacher Understand World
The ladle is in the soup pot every day, but it doesn’t know the taste of the soup. You must reflect and meditate.
AJAHN CHAH

Day Every Ladle Meditate Pot Reflect Soup Taste
Investigate yourself to find the truth – inside, not outside. Knowing yourself is most important.
AJAHN CHAH

Find Important Inside Investigate Knowing Most Outside Truth
Whatever he taught, we should practise it. Only bowing to him is not enough. We need to renounce, give up, stop, so that we may see the Buddha.
AJAHN CHAH

Bowing Buddha Enough Need Practice Renounce Teach
The serene and peaceful mind is the true epitome of human achievement.
AJAHN CHAH

Achievement Epitome Mind Peaceful Serene
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
Even if the water is falling right on it, it only touches the outside and not the inside. In this way the bowl will never get full.
AJAHN CHAH

Bowl Falling Full Inside never Outside Right Touch Water Way
Just go into the room, sit in the centre of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to visit.
AJAHN CHAH

Centre Come Door Into Job Room Visit Window
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
What’s so great about brightness? My flashlight has it. It can’t help us rid ourselves of our suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

Brightness Flashlight Great Help Ourselves Suffer
Dharma is in your mind, not in the forest. Don’t believe others, just listen to your mind. You don’t have to go anywhere else.
AJAHN CHAH

Belief Forest Listen Mind Other Sweet
Hear the bird’s song then let go. If you know nature, you’ll know truth. If you know truth, you’ll know nature.
AJAHN CHAH

Bird Go Hear Know Nature Song Truth
But when I know that the glass is already broken, every minute with it is precious.
AJAHN CHAH

Broken Glass Know Minute Precious
The mind of one who practises doesn’t run away anywhere, it stays right there. Good, evil, happiness and unhappiness, right and wrong arise, and he knows them all.
AJAHN CHAH

Anywhere Away Evil Mind Practice Right Run Running Stay
Don’t fall for it. Whenever the mind is happy or sad, don’t fall for it. Its all a deception.
AJAHN CHAH

Deception Fail Fall Happy Mind Sad
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

Balance Dhamma Found Heart Look Own Se True
We should conquer ourselves, rather than conquer others. Whether coming or going, standing, sitting or lying down, our mind should be focused in this way.
AJAHN CHAH

Coming Conquer Down Focus Going Laying Ourselves Sitting Standing Way
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
Then we don’t have to celebrate it or let anybody know about it, simply let the mind have firm confidence in the goodness and keep going like this.
AJAHN CHAH

Anybody Celebrate Confidence Going Keep Know Mind Simply
The only way to experience it is to put the teachings into practice. Once you taste it, you are no longer in any doubt about its flavour and you do not have to ask anyone else. The problem is solved.
AJAHN CHAH

Anyone Ask Experience Flavour Longer Practice Problem Solve Taste Teaching
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
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
If suffering arises you must contemplate right there, you don’t have to run away.
AJAHN CHAH

Arise Away Contemplate Have Right Run Suffer

The heart is just the heart; thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be just as they are.

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The heart is just the heart; thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be just as they are.

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