For in truth: if one breathes in but does not breathe out, one dies. If one breathes out but does not breathe in, one dies. And if one neither breathes out nor breathes in — death is certain.

Human life is exceedingly brief — nothing more than a succession of inhalations and exhalations, linked together moment by moment. Therefore, whenever one hears news of a death, or any tidings that serve as an inauspicious reminder, let one take it as a warning to oneself — to hasten in the doing of good, to accumulate merit with diligence and urgency, and to delay not.

Beyond cultivating merit for oneself, if one has children or grandchildren — young and small as they may be — let one bring them along in the making of merit, so that they may behold a worthy example of virtuous conduct and generous giving.

February 23^rd, 2015

A person who does not know their own measure, on the other hand, is one who does not truly understand the scope of their own abilities, yet presumptuously undertakes great works far beyond their actual capacity — which, in truth, amounts to but a small handful. The inevitable result is failure to complete what was begun. This is what is meant by not knowing one’s own measure.

Let us rather aspire to be magnanimous as a mountain, and broad of heart as the ocean — so that we may employ whatever capabilities we possess to render the greatest possible benefit to humanity. When we set our hand to a task, let us give it our full strength — never holding back in reserve.

October 10^th, 2019

When your resources are insufficient, greed and selfishness begin to take hold. You start to infringe upon others, becoming opportunistic and taking unfair advantage of those around you. Ultimately, this cultivates the character of a “fair-weather friend” or a “stripper of wealth”—someone who only seeks to take from others.

September 8^th, 2017

A person who does not know how to manage their resources is like a wicker basket full of holes. Earning a living is like pouring water into that basket. If the basket is perforated everywhere, no matter how much water you pour in, the moment you stop, the water drains away completely.

Conversely, if we “plug the holes” effectively—leaving only small openings for truly necessary things like food, clothing, shelter, medicine, and other essentials—then the chances of our bodies not being overtaxed increase. We gain more opportunities to rest and more chances to avoid destroying our physical health through overwork.

Source: For the Merit-Maker, Volume 2 (Padet Dattajeevo)

The first kind of poor person is poor because of having nothing — destitute through lack of material means. Such a person may, in the course of time, come to acquire wealth.

The second kind of poor person is poor because nothing is ever enough — no matter how much is possessed, it never suffices. Such a person remains poor across lifetimes.

As for the wealthy, there are likewise two kinds. The first is wealthy through abundance — rich by virtue of possessing great material surplus. The second is wealthy through knowing contentment — not possessing mountains of gold and silver, yet finding satisfaction in whatever wealth one has, and managing that wealth wisely: setting a portion aside for daily use, a portion for savings, and a portion for meritorious giving — never spending beyond one’s means in a wasteful or reckless manner. This, too, is a form of genuine wealth.

January 16^th, 2018

Regarding this precise closing of the eyes, Luang Pu used the expression: “Once you are seated in correct alignment, gently turn the eyes inward and upward to gaze back within. Should the eyes then begin to fall, allow them to fall naturally of their own accord.” As one sits, the upper eyelids will close to ninety percent. Only one who knows how to close the eyes in this manner shall perceive the Dhamma. Therefore, do not take this lightly.

Luang Por Dhammajayo uses the expression “closing the eyes ninety percent,” while Luang Pu uses the expression “turning the eyes upward and inward to gaze back within.” Both expressions, in their entirety, serve to emphasize and underscore the same point — that the closing of the eyes must never be treated as a trivial matter.

It is the Luang Por Dhammajayo’s words that resonate most deeply: “Only one who knows how to close the eyes shall see within.” Do not let these words pass you by.

February 18^th, 2014

1. Necessity (Need)
2. Desire (Want)
3. Extravagance (Luxury)

Discern with wisdom. Resolve with determination. Preserve your life with care and integrity. Walk this path — and you shall endure.

March 17^th, 2020

It lies in eating, sleeping, waking, and elimination — these must be clearly observed. One should eat at proper times, not indiscriminately. What is wholesome, one should consume; what is not, one should refrain from. Eating at regular intervals is the first principle to be firmly established.

On this matter, the Blessed One further advised: “When you are four or five bites away from being full — stop.”

Why stop four or five bites before fullness? Because at that point, in truth, one is already full. Those four or five remaining bites are still making their way from the throat, not yet having fully reached the stomach — they are gradually descending. Therefore, if one drinks half a glass of water, the water will carry the food down to the stomach, and one will then know that one has eaten to just the right measure. That is sufficiency.

However, if one continues eating until one feel completely full, then upon drinking water afterward, one will realize that those four or five extra bites were in excess. That excess becomes a burden upon the intestines and stomach, which must then labor far harder than they ought. Therefore, stopping four or five bites before fullness is a practice that genuinely serves one’s digestive health.

Furthermore, eating at regular times has been a principle of medicine since ancient times. Buddhist monastics have observed this discipline for over two thousand five hundred years — eating at proper times and stopping four or five bites before fullness. This is the general principle.

March 17^th, 2020

Those who regularly clean and organize their own homes — without delegating such tasks to household staff — will ultimately come to understand and define for themselves where Need ends and Want begin. For whenever one cleans one’s own home, one discovers that many of the possessions within it were never truly necessary at all, yet they have been purchased and accumulated in abundance.

January 18^th, 2014