Oct 2019, I was discharged from hospital after two months fighting for my life with liver failure. I left hospital that day with the daunting task of beginning a new life away from all I’d ever known. I began the path of recovery, free from…
There have been so many practices, habits, techniques that have helped me along the way with my recovery – far too many to put into one post. Therefore, today I will be focusing on just three, which created huge transformation within at the beginning of…
Those who practice meditation soon learn the value of silence, and that silence is much greater than not speaking words or even the absence of sound. What is silence, then? From the spiritual perspective, silence is empty of words, sound, or image but full of presence.…
The right quote at the right time can transform your life. Not all quotes are powerful, but every once in a while, you come across a quote that stands out from the rest. These powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to…
A spiritual journal is a place where you can discover yourself, heal your heart, receive answers to questions no one can answer for you, and essentially come into the fullness of who you really are. Journaling is a wonderful way to gain clarity about your…
Mooji, whose original name is Anthony Paul Moo-Young is a spiritual teacher hailing from Jamaica. He moved to Brixton (London) in 1969 and lived there for many years. He worked as a street portrait painter to make a living. His life changed after he came across a Christian mystic and after which he travelled to India in 1993. He became of follower of Papaji, who was a devotee of Advaita and studied Advaita Teaching with him.
Mooji has many followers all over the world. He currently lives in Portugal but travels all around the world and hosts satsangs (gatherings) and retreats. He has also authored many spiritual books. Wherever he goes, people flock to hear his teachings and seek blessings.
Mooji has written many inspirational and devotional quotes that focus on finding the “true self” and understanding it. Mooji has called his relaxed philosophical approach, “the lazy man’s way to enlightenment“. His quotes encourage to love yourself first and live a fuller life. Today I will be sharing 100 enlightening Mooji quotes to expand your awareness. I hope you enjoy these quotes as much as I do!
1) “Feelings are just visitors, let them come and go.”
2) “Surrender is not a weakness it is strength. It takes tremendous strength to surrender life to the supreme – to the cosmic unfolding.”
3) “Let it be whatever it will be. Give up trying to manipulate. This is Freedom.”
4) “Whatever comes, don’t push it away. When it goes, do not grieve.”
5) “Dying to your own attachments is a beautiful death. Because this death releases you into real life. You have to die as a seed to live as a tree.”
6) “Go beyond everything. Don’t collect anything. A king does not need to go shopping in his own kingdom….Remember, you are the inner reality, pure awareness. All that arises are appearances in consciousness.”
7) “Don’t be a storehouse of memories. Leave past, future and even present thoughts behind. Be a witness to life unfolding by itself. Be free of all attachments, fears and concerns by keeping your mind inside your own heart. Rest in being. Like this, your life is always fresh and imbued with pure joy and timeless presence. Be happy, wise and free.”
8) “The greatest step towards a life of happiness and simplicity is to let go. Trust in the power that is already taking care of you spontaneously without effort.”
9) “Throw everything away, forget about it all! You are learning too much, remembering too much, trying too hard . . . relax a little bit, give life a chance to flow its own way, unassisted by your mind and effort. Stop directing the river’s flow.”
10) “You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy.”
11) “Nothing belongs to you or me. Nothing belongs. Everything, everything, everything simply is.”
12) “If you make human company too important you will not discover your true Self. Relationships not based in truth are never entirely reliable and are rarely enduring.”
13) “Taking time to discover yourself is the best use of time. Prioritize this”.
14) “One should not excessively seek partners or friends, one should seek to know and be oneself. As you begin to awaken to the Truth, you start noticing how well life flows by itself and how well you are cared for. Life supports the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of the one who is open to self-discovery. Trust opens your eyes to the recognition of this. Surrender allows you to merge in your own eternal being.”
15) “Love, loves to love. It’s nothing personal.”
16) “If you wish to find love, don’t look for the object of love but rather for the source of love. There you will find the Beloved.”
17) “My love, leave behind all this fruitless thinking and come lay down here in the silence of Being.”
18) “Love lives inside the one who is free.”
19) “Live by the light of your own heart… but make sure this heart is silent and empty.”
20) “Don’t expect anything from anybody, this is also a great freedom. Don’t expect things to be different or people to be in service to you or your own life or projections.”
21) “The ones who will trouble you most, are the ones who feel they know you because every time they limit you to their projections of who you are or are supposed to be.”
22) “Don’t expect life to be perfect. Leave room for the unexpected. Like this, disappointment will not be your regular visitor.”
23) “The one who is free is not expecting anything at all. They are one with the unfolding stream of life.”
24) “When you drop all your ideas, fantasies and projections about who you are and what freedom is and remain completely empty, this is freedom.”
25) “You don’t know how things are going to work out. Don’t make premature conclusions.”
26) “Day by day become more and more intimate with the inner stillness, joy and love, which is the fragrance of your own pure heart.”
27) “If you seek approval from others in this world, you will not know happiness.”
28) “You need nothing to be happy.”
29) “This is the great opportunity of having the human form, because in this form you may have come to know the formless. Go beyond the sorrows of this world, you are freedom itself. Your nature is eternal, know this and be happy.”
30) “I don’t have a future therefore I am supremely happy.”
31) “Why are you shopping for shoes, when you can open your wings and fly?”
32) “There is a presence, a silence, a stillness which is here by itself. There is no doer of it, no creator of this stillness. It is simply here in you, with you. It is the fragrance of your own self. There is nothing to do about this, it is naturally present. This fragrance of peace, this spaciousness, it is the fragrance of your own being.”
33) “When the attention rests inside, automatically the mental noise subsides and Presence alone prevails.”
34) “You say you want to get rid of the noise, but you and the noise go together. You have to be you without ‘you’ and all noise will stop. The real You is the formless witness within. The person, the noisy one, is only imagined. To recognize this is Freedom.”
35) “There is a mystery within all beings bursting to reveal itself, in the ones who become quiet enough to discover it.”
36) “Everything goes back into silence, and there is nobody there to assess the silence. Silence is not disturbed by thought or speech. Space is not affected by whatever appears in it. You are that. Stay in this imageless seeing.”
37) “Surrender, let silence have you. Surrender to the source, surrender to awareness, this is the only place of protection. Surrender your heart and you will know all.”
38) “Learn to keep quiet in your heart and trust that it is the Universal power, that is unfolding this body and this body’s existence and not your mind.”
39) “I don’t have to be anything at all. I don’t even have to be myself, because there is no such thing as not being myself. I am inescapably myself.”
40) “Don’t worry about anything at all. You are not here by accident. This form is just a costume for a while. But the one who is behind the costume, this one is eternal. You must know this. If you know this and trust this, you don’t have to worry about anything. This world is so full of love. And your heart, your being, is so full of love, so full of peace. You don’t have to go to some place else to find peace. It is right where you are.”
41) “If you take yourself to be the body and mind only, you will die! When you discover yourself as awareness, the fear of death will not trouble you any longer.”
42) “The ways of the mind are ancient but your Self is timeless.”
43) “You say you want to get rid of the noise, but you and the noise go together. You have to be you without ‘you’ and all noise will stop. The real You is the formless witness within. The person, the noisy one, is only imagined. To recognize this is Freedom.”
44) “Step into the fire of self-discovery. This fire will not burn you, it will only burn what you are not.”
45) “You are the unchanging manifesting as the changefulness”
46) “My love, stay here. Going in search of Self (as a goal) is an illusion; You are already the One Self. You will purchase the map, only to find you are already here.”
47) “If you are not clear about who you are, what else can you be clear about?”
48) “The Self cannot leave you. Awareness cannot leave you. Everything else will leave you. But awareness is what you are.”
49) “You are eternally yourself. The rest is only a dream. This is why it is called awakening.”
50) “If I could give you only one advice, I would say: Don’t identify with anything. Be completely empty – no one. Be no-body and see if you lose anything but delusion.”
51) “Actually, being what you are is the simplest. What is difficult is to stop being what you are not.”
52) “It takes a lot of energy to be a person. It takes no energy to be yourself.”
53) “Within your own being is the only real there is. The teacher only reminds you of the appointment you have within your own being.”
54) “I am not telling you, you are good enough. I am telling you, you are complete and perfect before even the birth of time.”
Want to learn more from Mooji? I cannot recommend the below enough. The below book has been tremendously influential on my spiritual journey.
55) “Never assume that you have attained truth. Don’t make any claim to knowledge. Form no conclusion or evaluation concerning truth. The minute you do, your downfall is assured. Whenever you imagine you know something, you cease being open to the living exploration. You have closed a door and cut off the oxygen to the breathing truth.”
56) “Life cannot be against you, for you are life itself. Life can only seem to go against the ego’s projections, which are rarely in harmony with the truth.”
57) “Everything is serving your awakening. And if you are genuinely seeking truth, you will be carried along even while you are still in a state of identity. The support is there until the very end of delusion. Keep this in your mind and heart.”
58) “The highest purpose of this body is to be used to wake up to the truth of who you are. If it is for some other purpose, then the body is just the pyjamas of the being we are just sleeping in it.”
59) “The light of one human being who discovers the truth has been lighting human existence for thousands of years. Such is the power of a human being who realizes the truth of who they are.”
60) “The minute you say yes in your heart; your life goes on fire. This fire is very important. It will burn the forest of all duality. The forest of noise from your ego. This pull must awaken within you. It is the pull for truth. It doesn’t have to report to your head. It is not something to understand. You come alive.”
61) “Don’t be too quick to interpret the moment. Just keep quiet. My encouragement would always be: never think anything is against you, everything is a blessing. Why should it be different? Just be quiet. Let it all work itself out.”
62) “The final bridge to cross is to let go of the mind-created ‘spiritual’ self. Burn that bridge behind you. Stay empty of self-image and cease looking back. Remain in the neutrality of being. That’s it!”
63) “Be in the ‘now’ and not in the ‘and then’. Like this, watch all suffering dissolve in the light of pure presence.”
64) “You already are, the peace you are looking for. Be still and know that.”
65) “Don’t play ping-pong with your mind. Simply stay as the detached witnessing presence. Observe that when left alone, [the] mind calms down by itself. Don’t wait for this to happen. Just stay as the unmixed presence. Perceive without interest or identity. Stay as the Self.”
66) “When attention and presence become one, the world that is moving outside takes on the fragrance of that unity.”
67) “If you give yourself one complete minute of focused presence, to simply stop; even to listen to your heart beating, it will take you out of your head and introduce you to the moment which is complete in itself. It is not on the way to another moment.”
68) “Feelings, by themselves, do not create problems. It is rather the tendency to interpret and analyze them. When out of habit you believe those interpretations, it is there that the suffering begins.”
69) “Emotions and thoughts and sensations, they come and go. What is really ‘here’ is you. Everything else is a tourist. Everything else is coming and going. You are the witness of the coming and going. Once you know that you are not the thing which is coming and going, peace will prevail inside your mind and heart.”
70) “It is not what the ego says, it is how much it is believed.”
71) “When you live guided by intuition rather than thought, your life dances like writing on water, fresh and untraceable.”
72) “You have all the power to stay in your neutrality, in the height of your being. When you observe with detachment, you enter and move into the field of presence. This is a higher altitude than the claustrophobic realm of personhood. This is the dimension of the real.”
73) “Every thought, every emotion is only a tourist, and I am not a hotel. Let them come and let them go.”
74) “When you’re free of egoic will, your actions are the actions of the universe.”
75) “Leave your existence to existence. Stop caring for yourself so much and let the universe care for you; it is the best mother. There has to be some trust, not just belief, because trust is intimate.”
76) “Ignoring the mind is a beautiful sadhana. This is what many of the sages did. They ignored the mind out of existence. It loses its influence and its potency when it is ignored.”
77) “No thought has any power. You have power. And when you identify and believe in the thought, you give power to the thought.”
78) “You believe thoughts, therefore you become easily confused and so peace is hidden. Behind the screen of mind is the realm of unchanging awareness – silent, vast and perfect.”
79) “Your heart is the light of this world. Don’t cover it with your mind.”
80) “The mind has a dilemma. It is afraid of change, deeper change, yet the mind is attracted to life, which is change. Don’t be mixed up in all that business. You merely observe, casually, passively and keep your attention inside your heart.”
81) “It’s not about mind-watching; but rather recognizing that which watches the mind.”
82) “Trying to understand consciousness with your mind is like trying to illuminate the sun with a candle.”
83) “You are already the Being, without any condition. Just stop believing the mind.”
84) “It is the conditioned mind that says, ‘I’m lost.’ Let the mind be lost. Lose your mind. Lose your mind inside your heart.”
85) “Let the mind be as fiery as it can be; but don’t identify. Don’t panic. And see what happens.”
86) “It’s not what the mind says. It’s how seriously it is taken.”
87) “Just as you wash your hands before eating, clear your mind before engaging with the world.”
88) “Don’t let your mind see through your eyes.”
89) “If you are going to believe your mind every time resistance comes, you are going to be in a long standing relationship of avoidance and suffering.”
90) “The best mantra is ‘thank you’.”
91) “Your mantra is thank you. Just keep saying thank you. Don’t explain. Don’t complain. Just say thank you. Say thank you to existence.”
92) “All the ups and downs are grace in different wrappings, sent to refine consciousness. Say thanks to them all.”
93) “Don’t remind the world that it is sick and troubled. Remind it that it is beautiful and free.”
94) “Say thank you to your inmost Being. Even if you cannot see at the moment what to say thank you for, keep on saying thank you. It will change the vibration inside and make you light and open and full of love, forgiveness and joy.”
95) “Once you begin to recognize the divine gifts in life, you come to see that there are so many. Your life is abundant.”
96) “The peace that you are searching for is already inside your heart. We only need to be aware of it. It cannot be created. Peace was never created. It is the perfume of the living God, of truth.”
97) “Find the peace that does not need practice, because any peace that is merely an outcome of practise will collapse under stress.”
98) “There can not be peace externally if you are not in peace.”
99) “Don’t worry about anything at all. You are not here by accident. This form is just a costume for a while. But the one who is behind the costume, this one is eternal. You must know this. If you know this and trust this, you don’t have to worry about anything. This world is so full of love. And your heart, your being, is so full of love, so full of peace. You don’t have to go to someplace else to find peace. It is right where you are.”
100) “Neutrality is the greatest resting place for perception, it is the hammock of the being. This is the most wonderful thing when your own senses become so empty of the ‘You’ that you begin to see the harmony of existence and feel it within your own self.”
I hope you enjoyed these Mooji quotes. The right quote at the right time can transform your life. I hope these powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to reflect your life. Other quotes will motivate you to get rid of the things in your life the drag you down. Don’t shy away from thinking about challenging your existing belief system. Instead, see if you can replace false assumptions with knowledge that is more truthful.
I would love to hear your thoughts on what you are doing to change your life in the coming days and years! If you have any questions, please reach out to me via adam@adam-lawrence.org. I would love to hear from you!
The right quote at the right time can transform your life. Not all quotes are powerful, but every once in a while, you come across a quote that stands out from the rest. These powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to…
How many times have you been angry, stressed, or anxious and someone told you to just take a deep breath? Often at times, we write this phrase off as just what you’re supposed to say when you don’t really know how to help. But the…
Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist who is known for his dedication to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts. He was a lifelong peace-activist who has travelled extensively giving talks on peace and spiritual values. Born Nguyen Xuan Bao, in the city of Quang Ngai in Central Vietnam in 1926, Thich Nhat Hanh has spent most of his later life living in Plum Village spiritual community in the South of France.
His teachings revolve around mindfulness and meditation, and how these practices can enable us to have a better grasp on reality, act more wisely, and inspire change, primarily in ourselves, and later, in others. Besides practicing Mindfulness and Meditation, Thich Nhat Hanh has published more than 100 books. He also founded a voluntary organisation which provided education, healthcare services, and improved local infrastructure in rural areas in Vietnam.
Thich Nhat Hanh passed away on January 22nd 2022, leaving behind a legacy that will live in our hearts eternally. In his honour, below is our collection of 100 enlightening, profound, and inspirational Thich Nhat Hanh quotes, collected from a variety of sources over the years.
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”
“I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live.”
“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”
“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
“Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.”
“To dwell in the here and now does not mean you never think about the past or responsibly plan for the future. The idea is simply not to allow yourself to get lost in regrets about the past or worries about the future. If you are firmly grounded in the present moment, the past can be an object of inquiry, the object of your mindfulness and concentration. You can attain many insights by looking into the past. But you are still grounded in the present moment.”
“The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.”
“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.”
“Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.”
“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”
“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.”
“The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.”
“Suffering is not enough. Life is both dreadful and wonderful…How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural–you need to smile to your sorrow because you are more than your sorrow.”
“If you suffer and make your loved ones suffer, there is nothing that can justify your desire.”
“When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.”
“Some people live as though they are already dead. There are people moving around us who are consumed by their past, terrified of their future, and stuck in their anger and jealousy. They are not alive; they are just walking corpses.”
“In modern society most of us don’t want to be in touch with ourselves; we want to be in touch with other things like religion, sports, politics, a book – we want to forget ourselves. Anytime we have leisure, we want to invite something else to enter us, opening ourselves to the television and telling the television to come and colonize us.”
“Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, sounds. By such means, …awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world. If we get in touch with the suffering of the world, and are moved by that suffering, we may come forward to help the people who are suffering.”
“We will not just say, “I love him very much,” but instead, “I will do something so that he will suffer less.” The mind of compassion is truly present when it is effective in removing another person’s suffering.”
“People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don’t suffer anymore.”
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.”
“For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.”
“Smile, breathe and go slowly.”
“When you are born a lotus flower, be a beautiful lotus flower, don’t try to be a magnolia flower. If you crave acceptance and recognition and try to change yourself to fit what other people want you to be, you will suffer all your life. True happiness and true power lie in understanding yourself, accepting yourself, having confidence in yourself.”
“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.”
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
“Because you are alive, everything is possible.”
“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
“We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.”
“I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live.”
“The wave does not need to die to become water. She is already water.”
“Around us, life bursts with miracles–a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there.”
“The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth.”
“If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything.”
“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change”
“Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.”
“Many people think excitement is happiness…. But when you are excited, you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.”
“Our notions about happiness entrap us. We forget that they are just ideas. Our idea of happiness can prevent us from actually being happy. We fail to see the opportunity for joy that is right in front of us when we are caught in a belief that happiness should take a particular form.”
“Happiness does not come from consumption of things.”
“Through my love for you, I want to express my love for the whole cosmos, the whole of humanity, and all beings. By living with you, I want to learn to love everyone and all species. If I succeed in loving you, I will be able to love everyone and all species on Earth… This is the real message of love.”
“If you love someone but rarely make yourself available to him or her, that is not true love.”
“You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.”
“The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person’s suffering and bring that person joy.”
“If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.”
“In true love, you attain freedom.”
Learn the weird new way to get your life together without using visualization, meditation or any other self-help techniques
“If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love.”
“A real love letter is made of insight, understanding, and compassion. Otherwise, it’s not a love letter. A true love letter can produce a transformation in the other person, and therefore in the world. But before it produces a transformation in the other person, it has to produce a transformation within us. Some letters may take the whole of our lifetime to write.”
“It is possible to live twenty-four hours a day in a state of love. Every movement, every glance, every thought, and every word can be infused with love.”
Want to learn more from Thich Nhat Hanh? I cannot recommend the below books enough The below books were tremendously influential at the beginner of my spiritual journey.
“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
“I am inviting you to go deeper, to learn and to practice so that you become someone who has a great capacity for being solid, calm, and without fear, because our society needs people like you who have these qualities, and your children, our children, need people like you, in order to go on, in order to become solid, and calm, and without fear.”
“Please don’t wait until the doctors tell you that you are going to have a baby to begin to take care of it. It is already there. Whatever you are, whatever you do, your baby will get it. Anything you eat, any worries that are on your mind will be for him or her. Can you tell me that you cannot smile? Think of the baby, and smile for him, for her, for the future generations. Please don’t tell me that a smile and your sorrow just don’t go together. It’s your sorrow, but what about your baby? It’s not his sorrow, it’s not her sorrow.”
“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos — the trees, the clouds, everything.”
“The secret of Buddhism is to remove all ideas, all concepts, in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself.”
“Usually when we hear or read something new, we just compare it to our own ideas. If it is the same, we accept it and say that it is correct. If it is not, we say it is incorrect. In either case, we learn nothing.”“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.
“Attachment to views is the greatest impediment to the spiritual path.”
“I am determined to practice deep listening. I am determined to practice loving speech.”
“When our beliefs are based on our own direct experience of reality and not on notions offered by others, no one can remove these beliefs from us.”
“We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality.”
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”
“Feelings, whether of compassion or irritation, should be welcomed, recognized, and treated on an absolutely equal basis; because both are ourselves. The tangerine I am eating is me. The mustard greens I am planting are me. I plant with all my heart and mind. I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. Nothing should be treated more carefully than anything else. In mindfulness, compassion, irritation, mustard green plant, and teapot are all sacred.”
“The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”
“In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.”
“From time to time, to remind ourselves to relax and be peaceful, we may wish to set aside some time for a retreat, a day of mindfulness, when we can walk slowly, smile, drink tea with a friend, enjoy being together as if we are the happiest people on Earth.”
“If you touch one thing with deep awareness, you touch everything.”
“Your breathing should flow gracefully, like a river, like a watersnake crossing the water, and not like a chain of rugged mountains or the gallop of a horse. To master our breath is to be in control of our bodies and minds. Each time we find ourselves dispersed and find it difficult to gain control of ourselves by different means, the method of watching the breath should always be used.”
“Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.”
“My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand.”
“Our own life has to be our message.”
“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”
“At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.”
“Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.”
“I have noticed that people are dealing too much with the negative, with what is wrong. … Why not try the other way, to look into the patient and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?”
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
“To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.”
“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.”
“By eating meat we share the responsibility of climate change, the destruction of our forests, and the poisoning of our air and water. The simple act of becoming a vegetarian will make a difference in the health of our planet.”
“Being vegetarian here also means that we do not consume dairy and egg products, because they are products of the meat industry. If we stop consuming, they will stop producing. Only collective awakening can create enough determination for action.”
“When you say something really unkind, when you do something in retaliation your anger increases. You make the other person suffer, and he will try hard to say or to do something back to get relief from his suffering. That is how conflict escalates.”
“We often think of peace as the absence of war, that if powerful countries would reduce their weapon arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds- our own prejudices, fears and ignorance. Even if we transport all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the roots of bombs are still there, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later we will make new bombs. To work for peace is to uproot war from ourselves and from the hearts of men and women. To prepare for war, to give millions of men and women the opportunity to practice killing day and night in their hearts, is to plant millions of seeds of violence, anger, frustration, and fear that will be passed on for generations to come.”
“It is my conviction that there is no way to peace – peace is the way.”
“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.”
“When we walk like (we are rushing), we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth… Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.”
“Root out the violence in your life, and learn to live compassionately and mindfully. Seek peace. When you have peace within, real peace with others is possible.”
“Until there is peace between religions, there can be no peace in the world.”
“Each moment is a chance for us to make peace with the world, to make peace possible for the world, to make happiness possible for the world.”
“We who have touched war have a duty to bring the truth about war to those who have not had a direct experience of it. We are the light at the tip of the candle. It is really hot, but it has the power of shining and illuminating. If we practice mindfulness, we will know how to look deeply into the nature of war and, with our insight, wake people up so that together we can avoid repeating the same horrors again and again.”
“The secret of Buddhism is to remove all ideas, all concepts, in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself.”
“There is no enlightenment outside of daily life.”
“Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment”
“Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible.”
“In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.”
“Being rich is an obstacle to loving. When you are rich, you want to continue to be rich, and so you end up devoting all your time, all your energy, in your daily life to stay rich.”
“A human being is like a television set with millions of channels…. We cannot let just one channel dominate us. We have the seed of everything in us, and we have to recover our own sovereignty.”
“An oak tree is an oak tree. That is all it has to do. If an oak tree is less than an oak tree, then we are all in trouble.”
“This body is not me; I am not caught in this body, I am life without boundaries, I have never been born and I have never died. Over there the wide ocean and the sky with many galaxies All manifests from the basis of consciousness. Since beginningless time I have always been free. Birth and death are only a door through which we go in and out. Birth and death are only a game of hide-and-seek. So, smile to me and take my hand and wave good-bye. Tomorrow we shall meet again or even before. We shall always be meeting again at the true source, always meeting again on the myriad paths of life.”
Thich Nhat Hanh teachings seek to bring practical Buddhist wisdom into daily life. He has also written extensively on ways to find inner peace and inner happiness. A cornerstone of Thich Nhat’s Hanh’s teaching is the simplicity of being in the present moment. Hopefully, the above quotes have inspired you to be mindful and live a more meaningful life.
Which of these Thich Hat Hanh quotes resonated with you best? Do you have any other Thich Nhat Hanh quotes to add to the list? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have any questions please reach out to me via adam@adam-lawrence.org. I would love to hear from you!
The right quote at the right time can transform your life. Not all quotes are powerful, but every once in a while, you come across a quote that stands out from the rest. These powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to…
Today I will be discussing what a brain dump exercise is and the benefits of this practice. I don’t know about you, but I used to often have so many thoughts running through my head at once, it would be overwhelming. I would end up…
Self-care is about having the courage, tenacity, and resilience to take responsibility for your health and well-being. It’s a lifestyle where we recognise and honour our self-worth by engaging regularly and consistently in strategies that empower us to live our best lives.
If there is something my breakdown and suffering has taught me, it was the importance of paying regular attention to my physical, psychological, and spiritual needs. And by that, I don’t mean a one-time self-care experience every time we are already feeling exhausted or ill.
Taking care of ourselves should not be seen as an occasional act, it should be regular practice added into our daily routine. Today I will be sharing with you 40 self-care ideas for mind, body and lifestyle. I hope you find this post most helpful.
Self-care is a concept about maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself. Sometimes we try to meet the needs of everyone around us but forget about ours. But what self-care means, is to be conscious about our own needs, both physical and mental. Eating well, exercising regularly, meditating, journaling. These are all examples of self-care actions.
Self-care is so important in improving our wellbeing and the quality of life. When practicing self-care, we do whatever is good to our body and mental health. This helps us avoid fatigue, stress, anxiety, and worry. To put it simply, self-care makes us feel content, refreshed and happy.
The ultimate goal of self-care is to maintain a good physical and mental health. With this, we will be more able to help and support others and therefore we will have more healthy relationships with those around us. Self-care also teaches us to give ourselves a break off from the tiring work. This might also help us to attain a work-life balance.
This seems like a no-brainer. But so many people forget how neglecting self-care damages other areas of our life – until it actually happens. With energised minds and bodies, we can, first of all, be more productive. You can get more done in less time, and in turn have more hours left for the things you love. As you can see, a good kind of a self-perpetuating cycle grows out of making your wellness and emotional contentedness a priority.
Through these activities/through patterns/habits, you make sure you live as your best self, rather than just exist. Cheesiness ahead warning, but why are so many of us concerned about making ‘enjoying life’ a frequent, rather than an occasional treat?! Focusing on wellbeing and happiness now prevents burnout from creeping up on you and throwing your health and stress levels out of control. You should never feel bad about making yourself a priority, and inspires you to take action accordingly.
One of the best ways to reach a goal or form any habit is through consistency and regular practice. The same thing applies to self-care. In your calendar, try blocking out ‘non-negotiable’ self-care times. How frequent and how long these are depending on your lifestyle.
For example, you might pick thirty minutes before bed every night to journal and read a few chapters of a book. You might want to spend Sunday afternoons getting out into nature, or meditate for five minutes every morning. For me, working out, reading and meditation makes up my self-care morning routine. This is the perfect way to nourish my body and mind alike.
So, after consistently dedicating 1+ hours every morning 5-6 times a week to it, the routine feels effortless and I feel the benefits afterwards each time. This will give you a more concrete plan of action than just wishing for some spare time to appear, and also something to look forward to as a way of recharging yourself!
Below is an excellent book on self-care, that I cannot recommend enough!
Ok, now you know why self-care in general is important, what’s the significance of having a self-care routine for depression or any mental health issue? Basically, routines tell our brain and body we’re safe. Think about it for a second, if you are massively stressed or in danger you don’t do the same things every day because you’re dealing with stress or a dangerous situation.
The disruption in routine acts as a signal that all is not well. A signal we really don’t want to give our brains when we have depression. Therefore, routines are really important because they do the opposite, they signal to our brains that everything is well and we don’t need to worry. Which is exactly what we want – a nice, relaxed brain equals a happy life.
Here we have some ideas to help you practice self-care. Get cracking right now!
Unfortunately, there is no magic wand that will bring us immediate peace and total relaxation during trying times like these, but if you slowly and consciously make healthy choices for yourself, it will start to pay off. Show yourself some compassion and by treating your body and mind kindly, you are bound to feel better.
Do you have any self-care rituals that you love? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear what works for you. If you have any other questions, please reach out to me via adam@adam-lawrence.org. I would love to hear from you. I really hope you found inspiration in this post.
When is the last time you had a calm and peaceful morning? Think about that for a moment…how we start our mornings has a huge impact on how the rest of our days go. And for many of us, the mornings are far from relaxing.…
