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Just know what is happening in your mind – not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer see it, know it, and be empty. It’s like a letter – you have to open it before you can know what’s in it.

Ajahn Chah

Why do we suffer? Because we stepped on it. So the suffering comes from us.
AJAHN CHAH

Come From Suffering
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
We will come to understand that everything in the world is our teacher.
AJAHN CHAH

Come Everything Teacher Understand World
Another man understands that nature of the river is to change constantly, regardless of his likes and dislikes, and therefore he does not suffer.
AJAHN CHAH

Another Chance Constant Dislike Man Nature Suffer Understand
If you listen to the Dhamma teachings but don’t practice you’re like a ladle in a soup pot.
AJAHN CHAH

Pot Practice Soup Teaching
A madman and an arahant both smile, but the arahant knows why while the madman doesn’t.
AJAHN CHAH

Arahant Both Know Madman Smile
If you let go a little you will have a little happiness.
AJAHN CHAH

Happiness Inspirational Letting Little
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
The forms of the world have their place, but in another way, there is nothing there. To be free, we need to respect both of these truths.
AJAHN CHAH

Another Both Form Need Nothing Place Respect Truth World
I touch it and it rings! One day the wind may blow it off the shelf, or my elbow may knock it from the table.
AJAHN CHAH

Blow Day Elbow Knock Ring Shelf Table Touch Wind
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 do it, not with desire, but with letting go. If you want anything, you wont find it.
AJAHN CHAH

Anything Desire Find Letting
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
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
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
When sitting in meditation, say, “That’s not my business!” with every thought that comes by.
AJAHN CHAH

Buddhist Business Inspirational Meditation Spiritual Thought
Where does peace arise? Peace arises whenever we let something go.
AJAHN CHAH

Arise Doe Peace Something
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
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
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 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
If you have time to be mindful, you have time to meditate.
AJAHN CHAH

Meditate Mindful 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
When coming out of sitting, don’t think that you’re coming out of meditation, but that you are only changing postures.
AJAHN CHAH

Change Coming Meditation Out Posture Sit
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
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
Do not be in a hurry or try to push your practice. If you become peaceful, then accept it,; if you don’t become peaceful, then accept that also.
AJAHN CHAH

Accept Mind Peaceful Practice Push

Just know what is happening in your mind – not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer see it, know it, and be empty. It’s like a letter – you have to open it before you can know what’s in it.

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Just know what is happening in your mind – not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer see it, know it, and be empty. It’s like a letter – you have to open it before you can know what’s in it.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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