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One man watches a river flow by. If he does not wish it to flow, to change ceaselessly in accord with its nature, he will suffer great pain.

Ajahn Chah

If we see suffering then we don’t have suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

Have See Suffer
We do it, not with desire, but with letting go. If you want anything, you wont find it.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Desire Find Letting
Know and watch your heart. It’s pure but emotions come to colour it. So let your mind be like a tightly woven net to catch emotions and feelings that come, and investigate them before you react.
AJAHN CHAH

Colour Emotion Feeling Heart Investigate Know Mind Pure
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
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
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
If you see certainty in that which is uncertain, you are bound to suffer
AJAHN CHAH

Bound Certainty Suffer Suffering Uncertain
One man watches a river flow by. If he does not wish it to flow, to change ceaselessly in accord with its nature, he will suffer great pain.
AJAHN CHAH

Ceaseless Change Flow Great Man Nature Pain River Self Suffering Watch Wish
If you let go a little you will have a little happiness.
AJAHN CHAH

Happiness Inspirational Letting Little
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
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
The mind is intrinsically tranquil. Out of this tranquility, anxiety and confusion are born. If one sees and knows this confusion, then the mind is tranquil once more.
AJAHN CHAH

Anxiety Born Confusion Mind Tranquil
The master held up a glass and said: Someone gave me this glass; It holds my water admirably and it glistens in the sunlight.
AJAHN CHAH

Admire Gave Glass Glinten Hold Master Someone Sunlight Water
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
To give up doing evil is more important than making merit.
AJAHN CHAH

Doing Evil Give Up Important Merit Mke
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
When nature finally calls, they have no idea where to go and are in a mess.
AJAHN CHAH

Call Finally Idea Mess Nature No
Don’t be attached to visions or lights in meditation, don’t rise or fall with them.
AJAHN CHAH

Attach Fall Light Meditation Rise Vision
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
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
This is the nature of the mind. We must find our own practice and persevere.
AJAHN CHAH

Mind Nature Own Persevere Practice
Why do we suffer? Because we stepped on it. So the suffering comes from us.
AJAHN CHAH

Come From Suffering
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
If you haven’t cried deeply a number of times, your meditation hasn’t really begun.
AJAHN CHAH

Cried Deeply Happen Meditation Number Time
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
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
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

One man watches a river flow by. If he does not wish it to flow, to change ceaselessly in accord with its nature, he will suffer great pain.

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One man watches a river flow by. If he does not wish it to flow, to change ceaselessly in accord with its nature, he will suffer great pain.

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