Buddha's World

Buddhist mindfulness meditation quotes

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
Dalai Lama
The Buddha described his teaching as "going against the stream." The unflinching light of mindful awareness reveals the extent to which we are tossed along in the stream of past conditioning and habit. The moment we decide to stop and look at what is going on (like a swimmer suddenly changing course to swim upstream instead of downstream), we find ourselves battered by powerful currents we had never even suspected - precisely because until that moment we were largely living at their command.
Stephen Batchelor
Some people do not know the difference between "mindfulness" and "concentration." They concentrate on what they're doing, thinking that is being mindful. . . . We can concentrate on what we are doing, but if we are not mindful at the same time, with the ability to reflect on the moment, then if somebody interferes with our concentration, we may blow up, get carried away by anger at being frustrated. If we are mindful, we are aware of the tendency to first concentrate and then to feel anger when something interferes with that concentration. With mindfulness we can concentrate when it is appropriate to do so and not concentrate when it is appropriate not to do so.
Ajahn Sumedho
If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories and expectations, I am but dimly aware of this present. I shall still be dimly aware of the present when the good things that I have been expecting come to pass. For I shall have formed a habit of looking behind and ahead, making it difficult for me to attend to the here and now. If, then , my awareness of the past and future makes me less aware of the present, I must begin to wonder whether I am actually living in the real world.
Alan Watts
"Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor."
Thich Nhat Hanh (Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training)
"The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently."
Pema Chödrön (When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Library))
"Feelings, whether of compassion or irritation, should be welcomed, recognized, and treated on an absolutely equal basis; because both are ourselves. The tangerine I am eating is me. The mustard greens I am planting are me. I plant with all my heart and mind. I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. Nothing should be treated more carefully than anything else. In mindfulness, compassion, irritation, mustard green plant, and teapot are all sacred."
Thich Nhat Hanh (The Miracle of Mindfulness)
"The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. (21)"
Thich Nhat Hanh (Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life)
More quotations from the Buddhist tradition:
Buddhist Quotes - Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes - Quotes on Attachment and Love
See also: Mindfulness meditation and Mindfulness meditation books