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The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation

Thich Nhat Hanh

Top 10 Best Quotes

“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.”

“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.”

“The wave does not need to die to become water. She is already water.”

“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.”

“Anxiety, the illness of our time, comes primarily from our inability to dwell in the present moment.”

“The Three Kinds of Pride are: (1) thinking I am better than the other(s); (2) thinking I am worse than the other(s); and (3) thinking I am just as good as the other(s).”

“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.”

“Birth is okay and death is okay, if we know that they are only concepts in our mind. Reality transcends both birth and death.”

“Do not lose yourself in the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. Do not get caught in your anger, worries, or fears. Come back to the present moment, and touch life deeply. This is mindfulness.”

“Worrying does not accomplish anything. Even if you worry twenty times more, it will not change the situation of the world. In fact, your anxiety will only make things worse. Even though things are not as we would like, we can still be content, knowing we are trying our best and will continue to do so. If we don't know how to breathe, smile,and live every moment of our life deeply, we will never be able to help anyone. I am happy in the present moment. I do not ask for anything else. I do not expect any additional happiness or conditions that will bring about more happiness. The most important practice is aimlessness, not running after things, not grasping.”

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Book Keywords:

learning, anger, birth, happiness, death, mindfulness, elly-kleinman, peace, zen-buddhism, philosophy, pride, interbeing, buddhism, psychology, freedom

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