“Meditation gives you more inner strength and confidence, and if you don't feel vulnerable, you can put that to the service of others. So it's not just about sitting and cultivating caring mindfulness. It's building up a way of being and then using it for the service of others.” IfsWayGivingFeelsMeditationBuildingMindfulnessSittingCaringVulnerableInner StrengthCultivatingBuilding Up Author:Matthieu Ricard
“At each point in our lives, we are at a crossroads. We are the fruit of our past and we are the architects of our future... If you want to know your past, look at your present circumstances. If you want to know your future, look at what is in your mind.” IfsKnowsWantMindLooksPastOur LivesCircumstancesFruitOur FutureArchitectOur PastYour FutureYour PastCrossroadsReinvention Author:Matthieu Ricard
“If we dedicate a certain amount of time each day to cultivating compassion or any other positive quality, we are likely to attain results, just like when we train the body... Meditation consists of familiarizing ourselves with a new way of being, of managing our thoughts and the way we perceive the world. Through the recent advances in neuroscience it is now possible to evaluate these methods and to verify their impact on the brain and body.” IfsWorldWayBodyCertainResultsBrainQualityCompassionMeditationAmountMethodImpactTrainPerceiveEach DayNew WaysOur ThoughtsNeuroscienceEvaluateCultivatingVerify Author:Matthieu Ricard
“I think if your direction in life is clear and if you develop the wish to accomplish/have a fulfilled life and to contribute something to others, I think that definitely gives you such a strength to want to be alive, that that would be the best placebo.” IfsThinkingWantGivingWould BeLife IsWishClearAliveAccomplishBeing The BestFulfilledFulfilled LifePlacebo Author:Matthieu Ricard
“If there is a remedy or a cure, a solution to a problem or difficulty, why worry?” IfsProblemWorrySolutionsDifficultyCuresRemedySolution To A Problem Author:Matthieu Ricard
“A big part of pain is the subjective reaction of trying to revolt against pain. If it's there, it's better to deal with it. Most of it is "I cannot stand it," and that component is enhancing pain so much.” IfsTryingBigsPainDealsReactionsComponentsSubjectiveRevolt Author:Matthieu Ricard
“In a way, there's nothing wrong with playing the piano, but it's not a huge trauma if you don't.” IfsWayHugeTraumaPiano Author:Matthieu Ricard
“If you don't have altruism, inner strength, inner peace, attention, then it's a trauma. It makes a difficult life for you and for others.” IfsDifficultAttentionTraumaInner PeaceInner StrengthAltruismDifficult Life Author:Matthieu Ricard
“If contemplation of other people's pain just increases distress, then I think we should see it in another way. If we don't center too much on ourselves, then [we] increase our courage and our determination to remedy the pain, not our distress. If we have unconditional compassion, then it increases our courage. So that's the difference, self-centered motivation versus altruistic motivation.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayShouldSelfPainMotivationDifferencesCompassionToo MuchDeterminationIncreaseContemplationRemedyDistressVersusUnconditionalAnother WaySelf Centered Author:Matthieu Ricard
“Too much involvement with one's feeling [is destructive]. If they have too much self-centered feelings, they get in trouble.” IfsSelfFeelingsToo MuchTroubleDestructiveInvolvementSelf Centered Author:Matthieu Ricard
“When faced with adverse circumstances, if you can do something, do it and there is not need to worry. If you can't do anything, then there is no point to worry. So in either case, worrying is an added suffering. But this does not mean of course that we should not be unhappy about injustice, abuse and other kinds of behavior that brings suffering upon others.” IfsNeedsShouldKindMeanDoeSufferingCoursesCan DoCasesWorryCircumstancesBehaviorAbuseInjusticeUnhappyNo PointCan Do SomethingAdverse Author:Matthieu Ricard
“Various studies indicate that with age people gain more wisdom about life and are somehow happier than younger people. This is especially true if, as we age, we learn how to become more generous, altruistic, and peaceful.” PeopleIfsAgeStudyGainsVariousPeacefulGenerous Author:Matthieu Ricard
“Worries are pointless. If there's a solution, there's no need to worry. If no solution exists, there's no point to worry.” IfsNeedsWorrySolutionsYogaWellnessNo PointPointless Author:Matthieu Ricard
“In the freshness of the present moment, past is gone, future is not yet born, and—if one remains in pure mindfulness and freedom—disturbing thoughts arise and go without leaving a trace. That is basic meditation.” IfsMomentsPastBornGoneMeditationPureMindfulnessRemainsLeavingArisePresent MomentDisturbingFreshness Author:Matthieu Ricard
“If you want to know the future, look at what is in your mind” IfsKnowsWantMindLooksReinvention Author:Matthieu Ricard
“If you see the humanity in the world, grains of sand that bring everything to a halt - corruption, clashes of egos, human factors more than resources. So, how to avoid that? There’s a lack of human maturity. So it’s not been a fertile exercise to perfect yourself to some extent before you serve others, otherwise it’s like cutting the wheat when it’s still green. And nobody is fed by that. So we need a minimum of readiness to efficiently and wisely be at the service of others. So compassion needs also to be sort of enlightened by wisdom. Otherwise, it’s blind.” IfsWorldNeedsHumansStillsHumanityPerfectCompassionCuttingExerciseEgoResourcesBlindGreenCorruptionFactorsVainMaturitySandEnlightenedFedsGrainMinimumClashHaltWheatReadinessGrains Of Sand Author:Matthieu Ricard
“No change occurs if we just let our habitual tendencies and automatic patterns of thought perpetuate and even reinforce themselves, thought after thought, day after day, year after year. But those tendencies and patterns can be challenged.” IfsYearsMindfulnessPatternsTendenciesHabitual Book:The Art of Meditation Source: The Art of Meditation
