Mia Koenig

“The mind is like a baby The mind of most of us ordinary beings is like a child, a baby, and needs to be taken care of like a baby. We can’t listen to and do everything that our mind says, just as we can’t listen to and do everything that a child says. Before acting on what a child says we have to analyze whether or not it’s worthwhile. If it is, we can do it; if it’s not, we don’t. Since our mind is like a child, it’s dangerous to do everything it says—doing so can destroy our life; instead of bringing peace and happiness, it can bring great harm to us and others. Therefore, using our own wisdom, we need to analyze the validity of what our mind tells us to see whether it’s beneficial or harmful. With that wisdom we can then direct, or guide, our mind. In other words, we can then guide and protect ourselves.”
― Thubten Zopa, How Things Exist: Teachings on Emptiness

“In modern life, people tend to think their bodies belong to them, that they can do anything they want to themselves. But your body is not only yours. Your body belongs to your ancestors, your parents, and future generations. It also belongs to society and to all the other living beings. The trees, the clouds, the soil, and every living thing brought about the presence of your body. We can eat with care, knowing we are caretakers of our bodies, rather than their owners.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, How to Eat

“Instead of “watching the thinker,” you can also create a gap in the mind stream simply by directing the focus of your attention into the Now. Just become intensely conscious of the present moment. This is a deeply satisfying thing to do. In this way, you draw consciousness away from mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This is the essence of meditation.”
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

“Whenever we study the Dharma or do any Dharma practice, the most important thing is to have a pure motivation. If we have a pure motivation, whatever we do with our body, speech, and mind will turn out well. But if our motivation is not pure, then even if what we do with our body, speech, and mind seems good from the outside, it will actually not turn out well in the end.”
― Khenchen Thrangu, Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo Gangshar