Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realise your ideal of compassion.
Nhat HanhRead
In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mindfulness allows us to be fully present and aware, promoting both happiness and alertness.
This quote emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and meditation as practices that not only foster inner peace and happiness but also enhance our awareness of the present moment. Rather than being a form of escape from reality, meditation encourages a deeper engagement with life, helping individuals to confront and appreciate reality with serenity and clarity.
Themes
MindfulnessMeditationAwarenessHappinessSerenity
In practice
Example use cases
During a mindfulness workshop, this quote inspired participants to approach meditation with renewed clarity.
More from Nhat Hanh
All quotes βI have lost my smile, but don't worry. The dandelion has it.
Nhat HanhRead
I realize that many elements of the Buddhist teaching can be found in Christianity, Judaism, Islam. I think if Buddhism can help, it is the concrete methods of practice.
Nhat HanhRead
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.
Nhat HanhRead
The therapist does not treat patients by simply giving them another set of beliefs. He or she tries to help them see which kinds of ideas and beliefs have led to their suffering. Many patients want to get rid of their painful feelings, but they do not want to get rid of their beliefs, the viewpoints that are the very roots of their feelings.
Nhat HanhRead
Scientists tell us that we have enough technology to save our planet. . . . Yet we don't take advantage of this new technology. . . . The technological has to work hand-in-hand with the spiritual. Our spiritual life is the element that can bring about the energies of peace, calm, brotherhood, understanding, and compassion. Without that, our planet doesn't stand a chance.
Nhat HanhRead
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Treat every piece of advice as a gift or a compliment and simply say, βThank you.
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May we be enlightened by a ray of the light that comes from Bethlehem, the light of He who is 'The Greatest' and made himself small.
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To confront a person with their own shadow is to show them their own light.
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Minds that are great and free, should not on fortune pause: 'Tis crown enough to virtue still, her own applause.
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I had always been impressed by the fact that there are surprisingly many individuals who never use their minds if they can avoid it, and yet are not stupid, and an equal number who obviously do use their minds but in an amazingly stupid way.
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