864 Quotes by Thich Nhat Hanh

Emperor Wu asked Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism in China, how much merit he had earned by building temples all over the country. Bodhidharma said, “None whatsoever.” But if you wash one dish in mindfulness, if you build one small temple while dwelling deeply in the present moment – not wanting to be anywhere else, not caring about fame or recognition – the merit from that act will be boundless, and you will feel very happy.

I am inviting you to go deeper, to learn and to practice so that you become someone who has a great capacity for being solid, calm, and without fear, because our society needs people like you who have these qualities, and your children, our children, need people like you, in order to go on, in order to become solid, and calm, and without fear.

We disregard the wonders of the present moment, thinking that heaven and the ultimate are for later, not for now.

The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

True love is like the sun, shining with its own light, and offering that light to everyone.

Consciously choosing what and who you surround yourself with is among the keys to finding more space for joy.

The miracle is not to walk on water or in thin air, but to walk on Earth. Walk in such a way that you become fully alive and joy and happiness are possible. That is the miracle that everyone can perform... If you have mindfulness, concentration, and insight then every step you make on this Earth is performing a miracle.

Our own life is the instrument with which we experiment with the truth.

The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.