Bad Thoughts, The Primary Cause Of Disease “The primary cause of diseases which afflict the body is bad thoughts. Whatever you hold in your mind will be produced in the physical body. Any ill-feeling or bitterness towards another person will…
The Teacup Layered Lenses “I’ll tell you a story about the Supreme Patriarch, something I’ve heard from other people. He went to China and, when he arrived, the Chinese gave him a teacup. It was really beautiful. There was nothing…
The Stick in the Stream “All of us who have come here to practice: Walk in a way that correctly follows the Dhamma of the Buddha. Follow in line with his footsteps, in line with virtue, concentration, and discernment so…
The Spider “When we’re mindful, we’re like a spider making its web. It stretches its web across the air and then it puts itself in the center. Quiet. Still. Unmoving. Mindful. If a fly or a bee comes flying along…
The Salt of Meditation “Generosity and virtue are like meat. Meditation is like salt. For the meat to keep without spoiling, you have to salt it. Meditation is what makes your generosity correct, makes your virtue correct. That’s why meditation…
The Parts of a Knife “This knife placed here: It has the edge of its blade, it has the back of its blade, it has its handle—all of its parts. When you lift it up, can you lift just the…
The One Mango Explained “This mango is first small, then it’s half-ripe, then it’s ripe. When it’s ripe, is it the same mango as the small one? When it comes out as a flower, it’s this mango. When it’s small,…
The Dhamma in a Pot “When cooked rice is just sitting in the pot, what purpose does it serve? If we don’t practice with it—if we don’t spoon it onto a plate, add a little curry and pepper sauce, and…
The Farmer & the Cobra “In short, the Dhamma teaches that whatever suffering arises will pass away. There’s nothing more than this. There’s just suffering arising and suffering passing away. That’s all there is, which is why we suffer, why…
The Blind Person “Venerable father, what is white like? It’s like white lime. What is white lime like? It’s like a pale sky. What’s a pale sky like? This never comes to an end because you don’t know the truth.…