- “We must look deeply in order to see and understand the needs, aspirations, and suffering of the person we love. This is the ground of real love. You cannot resist loving another person when you really understand him or her.”
- “Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.”
- “You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.”
- “The present moment contains past and future. The secret of transformation is in the way we handle this very moment.”
- “Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself- if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself- it is very difficult to take care of another person. In the Buddhist teaching, it’s clear that to love oneself is the foundation of the love of other people. Love is a practice. Love is truly a practice.”
- “When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”
- “In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.”
- “I am determined to practice deep listening. I am determined to practice loving speech.”
- “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
Thích Nhất Hạnh (1926 – )
Nature and Mind 