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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

Do not be a bodhisattva, do not be an arahant, do not be anything at all. If you are a bodhisattva, you will suffer, if you are an arahant, you will suffer, if you are anything at all, you will suffer.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Arahant Bodhisattva Suffer
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
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
A madman and an arahant both smile, but the arahant knows why while the madman doesn’t.
AJAHN CHAH

Arahant Both Know Madman Smile
When the heart truly understands, it lets go of everything.
AJAHN CHAH

Everything Heart Let Go Truly Understand
Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.
AJAHN CHAH

Actual Run Suffer Toward Try
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
If you are still following your likes and dislikes, you have not even begun to practise Dhamma.
AJAHN CHAH

Begun Dhamma Dislike Follow Like Still
You say that you are too busy to meditate. Do you have time to breathe? Meditation is your breath. Why do you have time to breathe but not to meditate?
AJAHN CHAH

Breathe Busy Meditation Practice Time
If we practise like this and develop mindfulness continuously, wisdom arises quickly and this is a fast way of practice.
AJAHN CHAH

Arise Continous Develop Fast Mindfulness Practice Quick Way Wisdom
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
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
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 is revealing itself in every moment, but only when the mind is quiet can we understand what it is saying, for the Dhamma teaches without words.
AJAHN CHAH

Every Mind Moment Quiet Reveal Understand
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
One day some people came to the master and asked: How can you be happy in a world of such impermanence, where you cannot protect your loved ones from harm, illness or death?
AJAHN CHAH

Ask Blow Happy Illness Loved Master Philosophy Protect Wind
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
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
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
When one does not understand death, life can be very confusing.
AJAHN CHAH

Confuse Doe Life Death Understand
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
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
This is the nature of the mind. We must find our own practice and persevere.
AJAHN CHAH

Mind Nature Own Persevere Practice
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
When suffering arises, where does it arise from? The cause is wrong view, the fruit of that being suffering. If it was right view it wouldn’t cause suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

Arise Cause Fruit Right Suffer View Wrong
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
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 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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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