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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

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
Raise families and look after themselves, that’s all. To them, being smart is more important than being wise!
AJAHN CHAH

Family Important Look Raise Smart Themselves Wise
You should know both the universal and the personal, the realm of forms and the freedom to not cling to them.
AJAHN CHAH

Both Cling Form Needs World Personal Realm Universal Way
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
This is the nature of the mind. We must find our own practice and persevere.
AJAHN CHAH

Mind Nature Own Persevere Practice
With even a little intuitive wisdom we will be able to see clearly the ways of the world.
AJAHN CHAH

Clear Intuitive Little Teacher Wisdom World
When sitting in meditation, say, “That’s not my business!” with every thought that comes by.
AJAHN CHAH

Buddhist Business Inspirational Meditation Spiritual Thought
Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

Agitation Found Oneself Place Running Suffer Teacher
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
Where does peace arise? Peace arises whenever we let something go.
AJAHN CHAH

Arise Doe Peace Something
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
If it shouldn’t happen, it wouldn’t happen.
AJAHN CHAH

Happen
Anything which is troubling you, anything which is irritating you, THAT is your teacher.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Irritate Teacher Trouble
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
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
We don’t meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering.
AJAHN CHAH

End Heaven Meditate Suffer
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
Do not try to become anything. Do not make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Become Buddhist Enlighten Trying
The serene and peaceful mind is the true epitome of human achievement.
AJAHN CHAH

Achievement Epitome Mind Peaceful Serene
Meditation is like a single log of wood. Insight and investigation are one end of the log; calm and concentration are the other end. If you lift up the whole log, both sides come up at once. Which is concentration and which is insight? Just this mind.
AJAHN CHAH

Calm Concentration End Insight Investigation Long Meditation Mind Other Single Wood
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
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
Proper effort is not the effort to make something particular happen. It is the effort to be aware and awake each moment, the effort to overcome laziness and merit, the effort to make each activity of our day meditation.
AJAHN CHAH

Effort Happen Meditation Overcome Particular Proper Something
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 Wisdom Young Yourself
If you reflect in this way, you will have peace. Wherever you are, you will have this attitude of practice with you constantly.
AJAHN CHAH

Attitude Constantly Peace Practice Reflect Way
When nature finally calls, they have no idea where to go and are in a mess.
AJAHN CHAH

Call Finally Idea Mess Nature No

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.

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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.

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