
"Meditation is like a single stick of wood. Insight (vipassana) is one end of the stick and serenity (samatha) is the other. Insight has to proceed from peace and tranquility. The entire process will happen naturally of its own accord. We can't force it...In my own search I tried nearly every possible means of contemplation. I sacrificed my life for the Dhamma, because I had faith in the reality of enlightenment and the Path to get there... But to realize them takes practice, right practice. It takes pushing yourself to the limit. It takes the courage to train, to reflect and to fundamentally change. It takes the courage to actually do what it takes.You've got to discover the depths of your own heart."Venerable Ajahn Chah