Thích Nhất Hạnh Quotes

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. If we really know how to live, what better way to start the day than with a smile? Our smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a true smile is an awakened mind.

Venerable Svasti and the young buffalo boys were rivers that flowed from that source. Wherever the rivers flowed, the Buddha would be there.

The same clouds that Buddha had seen were in the sky. Each serene step brought to life the old path and white clouds of the Buddha. The path of Buddha was beneath his very feet.

The Buddha also counseled the monks and nuns to avoid wasting any precious time by engaging in idle conversation, oversleeping, pursuing fame and recognition, chasing after desires, spending time with people of poor character, and being satisfied with only a shallow understanding of the teaching.

Freedom from suffering is a great happiness.

Contemplating the bowl, it is possible to see the interdependent elements which give rise to the bowl.

The leaf and his body were one. Neither possessed a separate permanent self. Neither could exist independently from the rest of the universe.

One included all, and all were contained in one.

Undoubtedly, even for enlightened men, however determined they may be, it is very difficult to go against the system. The question posed today is what must we do to prevent ourselves from being taken over by the system? Engaging in political or economic conflict does not seem to be the answer.

Seeds can produce seeds
Seeds can produce formations.
Formations can produce seeds.
Formations can produce formations.

The present moment
contains past and future.
The secret of transformation,
is in the way we handle this very moment.

The quality of our life
depends on the quality
of the seeds
that lie deep in our consciousness.

Your first love has no beginning or end. Your first love is not your first love, and it is not your last. It is just love. It is one with everything.

When you feel anger arising, remember to return to your breathing and follow it. The other person may see that you are practicing, and she may even apologize.