Quotes from Ming-Dao Deng

Death is not an ending. It is a transformation. Death is the threshold of this life. Beyond it is something else, some mystery.

Why is it so hard to find liberation? Because our own minds are the source of our difficulties. Eliminate desire, accept personal shortcomings, and work toward a patient elimination of the mind's own hunger for outward satisfaction.

It is secondary whether we choose belief or defiance. What is precious is that we are always able to choose.

To simply be ourselves is the greatest challenge but the simplest spiritual technique. A

She withdrew into herself, First writing just for one, Then touching thousands. She incarnated ghosts, hurt, and joy Into paper-and-ink stories of wonder

A moving door hinge never corrodes. Flowing water never grows stagnant.

Death is not an ending. It is a transformation.

you cannot remain on your meditation cushion forever. You must go out and explore life as well.

Such is the case with unseasonable rain. It is supposed to be hot summer, yet it is a day like midwinter. What is there to do but to accept it? Following cycles does not mean that you can then expect things to occur with precision and regularity. The actual ways that circumstances develop will always remain beyond complete regimentation. Nature doesn't act according to human theories. Rather, our sciences are imperfect at analyzing nature.

We cannot allow ourselves to be hobbled by the woes and alienation of our race or nation. It is our responsibility to overcome these, even if we can only succeed in our hearts.

Tradition is first. Mercy is greater than tradition. Wisdom is greater than mercy.

Adversity is the tempering of one's mettle. Without it, we cannot know any true meaning in our accomplishments.

The mind that turns ever outward Will have no end to craving. Only the mind turned inward Will find a still-point of peace.

To be a Taoist, one need not engage in fanatical denial of any part of life, nor does one need to leave family and career in order to gain a foothold on the path. One need only balance the various parts of one's personality and provide them with a strong focus.

If you hold a real weapon in your hand, you will feel its character strongly. It begs to be used. It is fearsome. Its only purpose is death, and its power is not just in the material from which it is made but also from the intention of its makers.

If you go personally to war, you cross the line yourself. You sacrifice ideals for survival and the fury of killing. That alters you forever. That is why no one rushes to be a veteran. Think before you want to change so unalterably. The stakes are not merely one's life, but one's very humanity.

There is no utopia. There never will be. There is only the valiant attempt of each person to live spiritually in a world where spirituality is almost impossible.

Those who attain the middle Dominate the whole.

The path is difficult to ensure worthiness. The lazy look elsewhere, The persevering find riches.

Help others for all the times that you have been ignored. Be kind to others, for all the times that you have been scorned.

There is injustice in this world, yes. But there is no need to add to it.

You could tell the secret of life ten times over, and it would still be safe. After all, the secret is only known when people make it real in their own lives, not when they simply hear it.

The same is true of the misfortune, failures, and disappointments of life. If we understand the importance of manure, we understand that nothing is truly wasted. Everything can be useful if correctly applied. Therefore, even the bad things in life may become fertilizer that will help us grow and become strong.

What good is self-cultivation and wisdom if you just keep it for yourself? Knowledge is meant to be used, and if you can use it on behalf of others, you should.