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Quote by Ayya Khema

“As long as we have practiced neither concentration nor mindfulness, the ego takes itself for granted and remains its usual normal size, as big as the people around one will allow.”

Quote by Ayya Khema

Author

Ayya Khema, born on August 25, 1923, in Thailand, passed away on November 21, 1997. She was a renowned Buddhist teacher, known for her unique teaching methods and profound understanding of Buddhist teachings. more

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“The Buddha compared anger with picking up hot coals with one's bare hands and trying to throw them at the person with whom one is angry. Who gets burned first? The one who is angry of course.”

Trying Firsts Persons Hands Courses Hot Angry Burned Coal

Book:Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought:

Source: Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought:

“Unless we practice loving feelings toward everyone we meet, day in, day out, we're missing out on the most joyous part of life. If we can actually open our hearts, there's no difficulty in being happy.”

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Author:Ayya Khema

“Trying to achieve something in the spiritual world is just as foolish as trying to achieve something in the material world. There's nothing to achieve. There's only letting go. As we let go, more and more, of ego identifications, desires, and support systems, bliss will arise.”

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Author:Ayya Khema

“Mindfulness is not just a word or a discourse by the Buddha, but a meaningful state of mind. It means we have to be here now, in this very moment, and we have to know what is happening internally and externally. It means being alert to our motives and learning to change unwholesome thoughts and emotions into wholesome ones Mindfulness is a mental activity that in due course eliminates all suffering.”

Knows Mind Mean States Moments Suffering Courses Emotion Activity Mindfulness Happenings Dues Meaningful Motive State Of Mind Discourse Be Here Now Thoughts And Emotions

Author:Ayya Khema

“A truly happy person is someone who is joyfully independent of outer conditions.”

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Author:Ayya Khema

“Eventually we will find (mostly in retrospect, of course) that we can be very grateful to those people who have made life most difficult for us.”

People Made Courses Difficult Gratitude Grateful Retrospect

Author:Ayya Khema

“Suffering is our best teacher because it hangs onto us and keeps us in its grip until we have learnt that particular lesson. Only then does suffering let go. If we haven’t learnt our lesson, we can be quite sure that the same lesson is going to come again, because life is nothing but an adult education class, If we don’t pass in any of the subjects, we just have to sit the examination again. Whatever lesson we have missed, we will get it again. That is why we find ourselves reacting to similar situations in similar ways many times.”

Ifs Way Doe Life Is Suffering Situation Class Teacher Subjects Havens Particular Lessons Letting Go Adults Examination Reacting Best Teacher Adult Education

Author:Ayya Khema

“If we want to be loved, we are looking for a support system. If we want to love, we are looking for spiritual growth.”

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Author:Ayya Khema

“Mindfulness is a mental activity that in due course eliminates all suffering.”

Suffering Courses Activity Mindfulness Dues

Author:Ayya Khema

“Every moment of mindfulness means the gradual destruction of latent defilements. It is somewhat like cutting away a piece of wood with a small axe, every stroke helping to get rid of the unwanted fragments of wood.”

Mean Moments Helping Pieces Cutting Mindfulness Destruction Woods Strokes Fragments Unwanted Latent Defilement

Book:Collected Wheel Publications Volume XX: Numbers 296–311

Source: Collected Wheel Publications Volume XX: Numbers 296–311