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Difficult or easy, the Buddha said not to be heedless. Just that–don’t be heedless. Why? Because life is not certain.

Ajahn Chah

Wherever we start to think that things are certain, uncertainty is lurking right there. Heedlessness is just holding things as certain. It is grasping at certainty where there is no certainty and looking for truth in things that are not true. Be careful! They are likely to bite you sometime in the future!
AJAHN CHAH

Bite Careful Future Grasp Hold Lurk Sometimes Thing Think Truth Uncertainty
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
We practice to learn how to let go, not how to increase our holding on to things. Enlightenment appears when you stop wanting anything.
AJAHN CHAH

Enlightenment Holding Increase Learn Let Go Practice Thing
I am like a tree in a forest. Birds come to the tree, they sit on its branches and eat its fruits.
AJAHN CHAH

Bird Branch Come Eat Forest Fruit Sweet Tree View
When nature finally calls, they have no idea where to go and are in a mess.
AJAHN CHAH

Call Finally Idea Mess Nature No
Where does rain come from? It comes from all the dirty water that evaporates from the earth, like urine and the water you throw out after washing your feet.
AJAHN CHAH

Come Dirty Earth Evaporate Rain Sky Through Urine Wash Water
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
There are two kinds of suffering. There is the suffering you run away from, which follows you everywhere. And there is the suffering you face directly, and so become free.
AJAHN CHAH

Away Beautiful Everywhere Follow Kind Running Suffer Two
If we only make merit but have not stopped doing bad things, then we will never have a day of completion. It is like an overturned bowl which is left outside in the rain.
AJAHN CHAH

Bad Bowl Completion Day Doing Make Merit Outside Overturn Rain Stop Thing
Learn to let go without struggle, simply let go, to be just as you are – no holding on, no attachment, free.
AJAHN CHAH

Attachment Free Just Learn No Simply Struggle
The Dharma Path is to keep walking forward. But the true Dharma has no going forward, no going backward, and no standing still.
AJAHN CHAH

Backward Forward Path Practice Standard Standing Still Walking
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
Some people are afraid of generosity. They feel they will be taken advantage of or oppressed.
AJAHN CHAH

Advantage Afraid Attachment Feel Generously Nature Oppressed Taken
There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Explain Hate Length Need Own Practice Thing
If you let go a little you will have a little happiness.
AJAHN CHAH

Happiness Inspirational Letting Little
All that I have said up to now has merely been words. When people come to see me, I have to say something. But it is best not to speak about these matters too much.
AJAHN CHAH

All Friend Good Matter Merely Practice Regret Something Speak Word

Difficult or easy, the Buddha said not to be heedless. Just that–don’t be heedless. Why? Because life is not certain.

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Difficult or easy, the Buddha said not to be heedless. Just that–don’t be heedless. Why? Because life is not certain.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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