Respected and dearly loved Zen master, poet, champion of peace, and human rights activist, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us to touch peace with every breath.

You don't have to be a Buddhist to appreciate the universal truths contained within these uplifting quotations.  Use these inspirational seeds as daily reminders to tap into love, compassion, and wisdom every step of the way.

Seeds of Inspiration

• “We do not need to escape reality to harness the joy and peace that is possible with every breath we take—the power of mindfulness can heal us from the suffering caused by the many stresses that surround us.”

• “If we are able to look deeply into our suffering and embrace it tenderly, great compassion can be born.”

• "True power comes from within. What we seek, we already have.”

• “To be alive is a fantastic thing. To be present in the here and now, breathing, is a miracle… With mindfulness and concentration, we can get in touch and live every moment of our daily lives as a miracle. And we can do it right now, today.”

• “Do not fight against pain; do not fight against irritation or jealousy. Embrace them with great tenderness, as though you were embracing a little baby. Your anger is yourself, and you should not be violent toward it. The same thing goes for all your emotions.”

• “We have a lamp inside us. The oil of that lamp is our breathing, our steps, and our peaceful smile. Our practice is to light up the lamp.”

• “Spiritual practice is possible for all of us. You cannot say, ‘I'm just too busy, I have no time for meditation.’ No. Walking from one building to another, walking from the parking lot to your office, you can always enjoy walking mindfully, and enjoy every one of your steps.”

• “The moment you wake up, right away, you can smile…. You are aware that a new day is beginning, that life is offering you twenty-four brand new hours to live, and that that’s the most precious of gifts.”

• “Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles.”

• “Your true home is in the here and the now. It is not limited by time, space, nationality, or race.”

• “Time is more than money, time is life.”

• “A community practicing understanding and loving kindness may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the Earth.”

• “When you contemplate the big, full sunrise, the more mindful & concentrated you are, the more the beauty of the sunrise is revealed to you.”

• “We have to awaken ourselves to the truth that we are here, alive. We are here making steps on this beautiful planet.”

• “Loneliness can only be healed by understanding and love. Sometimes we think that if we have sexual relations with someone else, we'll feel less lonely. But the truth is that such sex doesn't relieve the feeling of loneliness; it makes it worse. Sexuality should be accompanied by understanding and love. Without understanding and love, sex is empty. With understanding and love, sex can be holy.”

• “Our consciousness is fed with other conciousnesses. The way we make decisions, our likes and dislikes, depend on the collective way of seeing things. That's why selecting the people you are around is very important.”

• “When our heart is filled with loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, its capacity becomes boundless, immeasurable. With such a vast heart, immense as the wide-open sea, suffering cannot overpower us, just as a small handful of salt cannot make a great river salty.”

• “…If we do not know how to take care of ourselves and to love ourselves, we cannot take care of the people we love.”

• “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

• “Only your compassion and your loving kindness are invincible, and without limit.”

• “Smile, breathe and go slowly.”

May peace be with you!

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