“Zenfully Quool Quotes”
“The Art of Living” By Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
The concentration on aimlessness means
arriving in the present moment to discover that
the present moment is the only moment in which
you can find everything you’ve been looking for,
and
that you already are everything you want to become.
Aimlessness does not mean doing nothing.
It means not putting something in front of you to chase after.
When we remove the objects of our craving and desires,
we discover that happiness and freedom are available to us
right here in the present moment.
We have a habit of running after things,
and
this habit has been transmitted to us by our parents and ancestors.
We don’t feel fulfilled in the here and now, and so
we run after all kinds of things we think will make us happier.
We sacrifice our life
chasing after objects of craving or striving for success in our work or studies.
We chase after our life’s dream and yet
lose ourselves along the way.
We may even lose our freedom and happiness in our efforts to be mindful,
to be healthy, to relieve suffering in the world, or
to get enlightened.
We disregard the wonders of the present moment,
thinking that heaven and the ultimate are for later,
not for now.
To practice meditation means
to have the time to look deeply and see these things.
If you feel restless in the here and now, or
you feel ill at ease, you need to ask yourself:
“What am I longing for?”
“What am I searching for?”
“What am I waiting for?”
