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 More Quotes by Ajahn Chah More Quotes From Ajahn Chah We don't meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering. Ajahn Chah ends suffering heaven Don't think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way, then quickly change your thinking. Steady practice is keeping mindful in every posture, whether sitting, walking, standing or lying down. When coming out of sitting, don't think that you're coming out of meditation, but that you are only changing postures. If you reflect in this way, you will have peace. Wherever you are, you will have this attitude of practice with you constantly. You will have a steady awareness within yourself. Ajahn Chah eye attitude lying 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. 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 views mind lying If it shouldn't happen, it wouldn't happen. Ajahn Chah ifs happens Sati is life. Whenever we don't have sati, when we are heedless, it's as if we are dead. Ajahn Chah mindfulness ifs If you let go completely you will have complete peace. Ajahn Chah dharma ifs letting-go If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good. Ajahn Chah dharma mindfulness inspiring When we see beyond self, we no longer cling to happiness. And when we stop clinging, we can begin to be happy. Ajahn Chah clinging self Do everything with a mind that lets go. Do not expect praise or reward. Ajahn Chah generosity expectations letting-go With even a little intuitive wisdom we will be able to see clearly the ways of the world. We will come to understand that everything in the world is our teacher. Ajahn Chah littles teacher world The heart is just the heart; thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be just as they are. Ajahn Chah just-a-thought feelings heart 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 suffering mind letters If you haven't wept deeply, you haven't begun to meditate. Ajahn Chah buddhist freedom feelings 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 mind feelings heart 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 mind looks thinking If you listen to the Dhamma teachings but don't practice you're like a ladle in a soup pot. The ladle is in the soup pot every day, but it doesn't know the taste of the soup. You must reflect and meditate. Ajahn Chah soup teaching practice 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. 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 rain sky dirty 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 meditation overcoming Practicing meditation is just like breathing. While working we breathe, while sleeping we breathe, while sitting down we breathe... Why do we have time to breathe? Because we see the importance of the breath, we can always find time to breathe. In the same way, if we see the importance of meditation practice we will find the time to practice. Ajahn Chah meditation-practice breathing sleep If we want to really see the Buddha, we should observe his virtuous qualities. Whatever he taught, we should practise it. Only bowing to him is not enough. We need to renounce, give up, stop, so that we may see the Buddha. Ajahn Chah quality giving-up needs
