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When the mind is full of memories and preoccupied by the future, it misses the freshness of the present moment. In this way, we fail to recognize the luminous simplicity of mind that is always present behind the veils of thought.

Matthieu Ricard

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Matthieu Ricard
Age: 78
Born: 1946
Born: February 15
Bhikkhu
Geneticist
Monk
Philosopher
Photographer
Translator
Writer
Mind
Memories
Simplicity
Way
Present
Buddhism
Always
Full
Recognize
Suffering
Fail
Preoccupied
Future
Missing
Misses
Moment
Failing
Freshness
Moments
Behinds
Luminous
Thought
Behind
Veils

More quotes by Matthieu Ricard

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The basic root of happiness lies in our minds outer circumstances are nothing more than adverse or favourable.
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What counts is not the enormity of the task, but the size of the courage.
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A big part of pain is the subjective reaction of trying to revolt against pain. If it's there, it's better to deal with it. Most of it is I cannot stand it, and that component is enhancing pain so much.
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Placebos are like the lollipop of optimism, but we can do much better by dealing directly with the mind... And it works!
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Authentic happiness is not linked to an activity, it is a state of being.
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By breaking down our sense of self-importance, all we lose is a parasite that has long infected our minds. What we gain in return is freedom, openness of mind, spontaneity, simplicity, altruism: all qualities inherent in happiness.
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Let us live simply in the freshness of the present moment, in the clarity of pure awakened mind.
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Enlightenment is eliminating mental confusion, eliminating hatred, jealousy, mental toxins, cravings. That's very simple and straightforward. Whether you can do it or not is another matter.
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Anyone can be happy by simply training their brain.
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Good and evil exist only in terms of the happiness or suffering they create in ourselves and others
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We try to fix the outside so much, but our control of the outer world is limited, temporary, and often, illusory.
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The ultimate reason for meditating is to transform ourselves in order to be better able to transform the world or, to put it another way, to transform ourselves so we can become better human beings in order to serve others in a wiser and more efficient way. It gives your life the noblest possible meaning.
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We vastly underestimate the power of transformation of mind.
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Happiness is the result of inner maturity. It depends on us alone, and requires patient work, carried out from day to day. Happiness must be built, and this requires time and effort. In the long term, happiness and unhappiness are therefore a way of being, or a life skill.
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The way you experience [pain] can change so much depending on your attitude.
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Envy and jealousy stem from the fundamental inability to rejoice at someone else's happiness or success
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It's not the magnitude of the task that matters, it's the magnitude of our courage.
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