‘No matter how long we listen to a teacher talk about the truth we won’t know or see that truth just from listening. If we did it would be only through guesswork or conjecture.’

‘Even though simply listening to the Dhamma may not lead to realization, it is beneficial. In the Buddha’s time there were those who arrived at the highest realization while listening to a discourse. But those people were already highly developed. It’s like a football. When a football is pumped up with air it expands. Now the air in that football is all pushing to get out, but there’s no hole for it to do so. As soon as a no needle punctures the football the air comes bursting out.’

‘Don’t be in a hurry to judge whether this teaching is right or wrong. Just listen to it first. If I were to give you all a fruit and tell you it’s delicious, you should take note of my words, but don’t believe me offhand, because you haven’t tasted it yet. The teaching I give you today is the same. If you want to know whether the fruit is sweet or sour you have to slice a piece off and taste it. Then you will know its taste for yourself.’ ~Ajahn Chah

Dragonflys. Photo credit: Randy Neufeldt