Quote collection
723 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Each time you look at a tangerine, you can see deeply into it. You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it’s wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy."
"Our life is a manifestation, and we can very well make that manifestation beautiful and meaningful and have a good influence."
"When we enter the present moment deeply, our regrets and sorrows disappear, and we discover life with all its wonders."
"Nonviolent action, born of the awareness of suffering and nurtured by love, is the most effective way to confront adversity."
"If we are too busy, if we are carried away every day by our projects, our uncertainty, our craving, how can we have the time to stop and look deeply into the situation-our own situation, the situation of our beloved one, the situation of our family and of our community, and the situation of our nation and of the other nations?"
"Mindfulness is like that—it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life."
"Compassion is a verb."
"I am determined to practice deep listening. I am determined to practice loving speech."
"We inter-breath with the rain forests, we drink from the oceans. They are part of our own body."
"Anger and hatred are the materials from which hell is made."
"Mother Earth is very talented. She has produced Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great beings."
"In all the practice centers in the tradition of Plum Village whenever the phone rings or the clock chimes in the dining hall, people stop everything they are doing and breathe consciously, releasing all thinking and any tension."
"If love is in our hearts, every thought, word, and deed can bring about a miracle. Because understanding is the very foundation of love, words and actions that emerge from our love are always helpful."
"Birth is okay and death is okay, if we know that they are only concepts in our mind. Reality transcends both birth and death."
"To develop understanding, you have to practice looking at all living things with the eyes of compassion."
"You cannot transmit wisdom and insight to another person. The seed is already there. A good teacher touches the seed, allowing it to wake up, to sprout, and to grow."
"Meditation is not to avoid society; it is to look deep to have the kind of insight you need to take action. To think that it is just to sit down and enjoy the calm and peace, is wrong."
"There is a time for everything. There is a time when I sit down, I concentrate myself on the problem of my bills, but I would not worry before that. One thing at a time."
"It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available-more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don't have to run into the future in order to get more."
"Life is a miracle, and being aware of simply this can already make us very happy."