Quotes from Thích Nh?t H?nh

If you take good care of the present, there is no need to worry about the future.

Effortlessness is the key to success. Don't fight. Don't try hard. Just allow yourself to sit. This relaxing way of sitting is also resting. Allow your body to rest.

The wave can live the life of a wave, but it can also do better. It can live every moment of its life deeply touching its nature of no-birth and no-death, that is, its nature as water.

teacher, to help us not fall back into the past. We

All is in the word "know." To know is to realize. Realization is mindfulness. All the work of meditation is aimed at awakening us in order to know one and only one thing: birth and death can never touch us in any way whatsoever.

Imagine yourself as a pebble which has been thrown into a river. The pebble sinks through the water effortlessly. Detached from everything, it falls by the

often we forget that it is the very people around us that we must live for first of all. If you cannot serve your wife or husband or child or parent—how are you going to serve society? If you cannot make your own child happy, how do you expect to be able to make anyone else happy?

Deeds done from bad motives remain everlastingly tainted.

We have created a culture of constant snacking, drinking, and eating.

In the dimension of space and time, We chew as rhythmically as we breathe. Maintaining the lives of all our ancestors, Opening an upward path for descendants.

The wise man carefully, moment by moment, one by one, eliminates the stains of his mind.

Siddhartha looked at Yasodhara and then confusedly at the ornaments remaining on the table. He appeared flustered—there was nothing on the table worthy of Yasodhara's beauty. Suddenly he smiled. He removed the necklace around his own neck and held it out to Yasodhara. "This is my gift to you, princess.

Those who practice restraint in body, word, and mind are surely in control of themselves.

Time passes quickly, Great King. If I don't use the strength and energy I now possess as a young man, old age will arrive too soon and I will feel deep regret.

Giving up wrong deeds, exercise right action. Giving up wrong speech, exercise right speech. Giving up wrong thoughts, think good thoughts.

The key to creating a home meditation practice is to create a space where the busyness stops.

They criticize the silent ones. They criticize the talkative ones. They criticize the moderate ones. There is no one in the world who escapes criticism.

Health is the highest prize. Contentment is the greatest wealth. A loyal friend is the best relative. Nirvana is supreme bliss.

When we say something that nourishes us and uplifts the people around us, we are feeding love and compassion. When we speak and act in a way that causes tension and anger, we are nourishing violence and suffering.

Releasing both victory and defeat, the tranquil minds dwell in happiness. Victory produces hostility.

The commentaries usually mention nine kinds of internal formations: desire, hatred, pride, ignorance, stubborn views, attachment, doubt, jealousy, and selfishness. Among these, the fundamental internal formation is ignorance, the lack of clear seeing. Ignorance is the raw material out of which the other internal formations are made. Although there are nine internal formations, because "desire" is always listed first, it is often used to represent all the internal formations.

Her smile was as fresh as a half-opened lotus. Siddhartha bowed and looked into her eyes, saying in a quiet voice, "Thank you, princess.

When we cannot handle our suffering, we spew forth our frustration and pain onto those around us. We are victims of our own suffering, but because we do not know how to handle it, we hurt others while we are in pain.

Practice living every moment of your daily life deeply and in freedom. If that's what you really want, then what you need to do is let go of pursuing the past, the future, and all your worries, and come back to the present moment.