Quotes About Practice

Nothing is stronger than habit.

Don't just plan to write—write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.

A genius! For 37 years I've practised fourteen hours a day, and now they call me a genius!

O, [you], with your mind far away, thinking that death will not come, Entranced by the pointless activities of this life, If you were to return empty-handed now, would not your [life's] purpose have been [utterly] confused? Recognise what it is that you truly need! It is a sacred teaching [for liberation]! So, should you not practise this divine [sacred] teaching, beginning from this very moment?

Don't mistake mere words to be the meaning of the teachings. Mingle the practice with your own being and attain liberation from samsara right now.

Although your mind lies beyond birth and death, this illusory body does die, so practice while remembering death […] The guru said: Human beings don't think of death. A man's life is like a pile of chaff or a feather on a mountain pass. The demon Lord of Death comes suddenly, like an avalanche or a storm. Disturbing emotions are like straw catching fire. Your life-span decreases like the shadows of the setting sun.

The guru said: If you want to genuinely practice the Dharma, do what is virtuous, even the most minute deed. Renounce what is evil, even the tiniest deed. The largest ocean is made from drops of water; even Mount Sumeru and the four continents are made of tiny atoms. (p. 30)

You are not a Dharma practitioner if you don't mingle your mind with the Dharma. (p. 115)

Don't mistake mere words to be the meaning of the teachings. Mingle the practice with your own being and attain liberation from samsara right now. (p. 100)

Tsogyal, if you want to practice the Dharma in an authentic way, it is most important to cut your ties to unwholesome places, companions, and so forth. So give them up!

I near the practice hall and pause, trying to push down my dread. Though I have trained with Astrid every day, I still have not let go and flown. Each day I wait for her to give up and tell me to leave. Come back tomorrow, she simply says

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring — quite often the hard way.

For who could be taught the knowledge of experience from paper? Since paper has the property to produce lazy and sleepy people, who are haughty and learn to persuade themselves and to fl y without wings. . . . Therefore the most fundamental thing is to hasten to experience.

Religion is what you sing on Sunday. Your true faith is what you want all week.

We installed something Dean called "the persistence drill," which tested their stamina: they had to make consecutive full-court layups for two straight minutes—and if they missed, start over. On the defensive end, they had to make seven straight defensive stops before they could get off the floor.

A minimum of comfort is necessary for the practice of virtue.

Once you decide what your heart gesture will be, practice it routinely during the four crucial times of each day: 1. when you wake up, 2. before you leave home, 3. when you come back home, and 4. before you go to sleep.

If we don't manage our feelings, thoughts, actions, and patterns, they operate on automatic and can sabotage our dreams, place stress on our personal and professional relationships, and distract us from our goals. Just as we need lots of practice to learn to ride a bike and to speak a second language, we need practice to become skillful at managing our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and patterns.

Patricia Ryan Madson

And just like with any kind of skill, it can be learned.

As quickly as possible, write three associations for that word. Take the last word you came up with, and then as quickly as possible, write three associations for that new word. Repeat three times, and then move to the next set of words. Napkin -> table, spoon, fine dining. Fine dining -> France, Michelin Star, butler. Butler -> Jeeves, white gloves, Michael Jackson. And so on. Practicing

What are the three most important rules of the chemist?" This I knew from Ben. "Label clearly. Measure twice. Eat elsewhere.

My father referred to it as "the finest song ever written for fifteen fingers." He made me play it when I was getting too full of myself and felt I needed humbling. Suffice to say I practice it with fair regularity, sometimes more than once a day.

La abracé y apoyé la mejilla contra su oreja. Encajábamos como dos bailarines, como si hubiéramos practicado aquel abrazo un millar de veces.