When we respect our blood ancestors and our spiritual ancestors, we feel rooted. If we find ways to cherish and develop our spiritual heritage, we will avoid the kind of alienation that is destroying society, and we will become whole again. ... Learning to touch deeply the jewels of our own tradition will allow us to understand and appreciate the values of other traditions, and this will benefit everyone.
Nhat HanhI clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath.
Nhat HanhMeditation is to be aware of what is going on in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the world.
Nhat HanhThe Buddha said that if we know how to look deeply into our suffering and recognize what feeds it, we are already on the path of emancipation.
Nhat HanhWe have to understand in order to be of help. We all have pain, but we tend to suppress it, because we don't want it to come up to our living room. the most important thing is that we need to be understood. We need someone to be able to listen to us and to understand us, then we will suffer less, but everyone is suffering, and no one wants to listen. We don't know how to express ourselves so that people can understand. because we suffer so much, the way we express our pain hurts other people, and they don't want to listen.
Nhat Hanh