1. Before death comes, what goodness have you left behind for future generations? 2. Since birth, have you come to know which of your habits are unwholesome and which are wholesome? Which unwholesome habits have you managed to correct? 3.…
Those who think only of remaining alive in order to do good have nothing to be anxious about. First, remind yourself: death is inevitable regardless — whether it comes sooner or later is another matter entirely. If death were to…
Where does the difference between a mistake and evil lie? A mistake arises from ignorance, or from knowing yet acting carelessly or inadvertently — and so the error occurs. But a mistake is not evil; the two must be clearly…
When water is turbid, the shrimps, shellfish, crabs, and fish that fill the sea become invisible to the eye. Likewise, when the mind is clouded, good and evil cannot be distinguished from one another; what is beneficial and what is…
When problems arise, one must not look outward. Every problem, in part, certainly originates from within oneself. Upon encountering a problem, one should proceed as follows: Through such examination and reflection, one will come to recognize that the crisis or…
Each day of our lives, from the moment we wake until we retire at night, the mind thinks ceaselessly. Yet how many among us ever pause to ask ourselves: of all the thoughts that occupy our minds each day, which…
If Buddhists throughout the entire land were willing to set aside one hour of their own time each day — to still and settle the mind together, simultaneously, across the whole land — and not only in Thailand, but throughout…
If anyone should say, “My heart stands firm as a mountain,” do not believe it. The mind arises and passes away constantly. Be aware of this — and why should one be aware? So that one will not be left…
In Buddhism, the cultivation of a clear and pure mind is regarded as a matter of greater importance than anything else. There is a parable comparing the mind to water: in murky water, even a sea teeming with shrimps, shellfish,…
