Quotes by Eknath Easwaran

“As meditation deepens, compulsions, cravings, and fits of emotions begin to lose their power to dictate our behavior. We see clearly that choices are possible: we can say yes, or we can say no.... ...”

“As long as we lean on anything outside ourselves for support, we are going to be insecure. Most of us try to find support by leaning on all sorts of things - gold, books, learning, sensory stimulat...”

“Good books are rare, and to have a really good library, a few shelves are all we need. When I was still on my campus in India, I was convinced, like many professors, that if the Lord was to be foun...”

“We can all avoid travel that is unnecessary we do not need to travel around the world when the source of all joy and all beauty is right within us. ”

“If someone who is agitated comes to visit you, wanting to discuss their agitation and weigh the pros and cons of what action he should take, my suggestion is to give him the mantram album and say, ...”

“Peace would always be less compelling than war. Perhaps that was why there was so little of it in the world. (p. 160)”

“But when we train the senses we conserve our vital energy, the very stuff of life. Patient and secure within, we do not have to look to externals for satisfaction. No matter what happens outside--w...”

“To be secure everywhere is the mark of sophistication. To be unshakeable is the mark of courage. To be permanently in love with every person is the mark of masculinity or femininity. To forgive is ...”

“Judged by the normal standards of human affairs, the lives of men and women of God may look overburdened with suffering, and even inconclusive.”

“I have tremendous respect for anyone who can control his palate enough to learn not only to drink beer but to enjoy it too.”

“The mind is powerful, but it needs something to hold on to so it doesn't wander.”

“Anything that tends to make us elated is inevitably going to throw us into depression.”

“A mind that is fast is sick. A mind that is slow is sound. A mind that is still is divine.”

“When Nureyev appeared in San Francisco not long ago there were quite a few ballet fans who flew all the way from New York to see him. The mystics would point out how fruitless it is to go to see im...”

“Meditation is the basis of a life of splendid health, untiring energy, unfailing love, and abiding wisdom. It is the very foundation of that deep inner peace for which every one of us longs. No hum...”

“Children naturally ask all kinds of questions and take a long time to tell their stories, and in millions of homes the parents are doing something else as they reply, Yes, yes, I see. And in millio...”

“It is a very difficult secret to understand that when we do not want to possess another selfishly, he or she will always love us. It is when we do not want to possess, when we do not make demand af...”

“You occasionally hear it said that spiritual aspirants should drop everything and set off for the woods, or go to India and wander about on the slopes of the Himalayas. But only through daily conta...”

“Make wise choices about what you read. Read only what is necessary or worthwhile. And then take the time to read carefully. One book read with concentration and reflected upon is worth a hundred fl...”

“The goal of meditation is awareness, not relaxation.”