--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first meditation teacher told me that…" description: "\"My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. He was right. During the difficult meditations you build up your s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/ajahn-brahm-22720_difficult_my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that_466843.png" --- # My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such… ![“My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. He was right. During the difficult meditations you build up your strength, which creates meditation for peace.” quote by Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/ajahn-brahm-22720_difficult_my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that_466843.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/ajahn-brahm-22720_difficult_my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that_466843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/ajahn-brahm-22720_difficult_my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that_466843.png) > “My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. He was right. During the difficult meditations you build up your strength, which creates meditation for peace.” [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meditation challenges build inner strength, leading to deeper peace. **In simple terms:** Hard meditations strengthen you for peace. Key Takeaway Embrace difficulty to grow. Themes mindfulness resilience inner peace Mood calm reflective Type inspirational spiritual When to use this quote - stressful work - personal setbacks - daily meditation - therapy sessions Key Concepts Buddhist practice psychological growth Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when meditation feels painful? - What habits support peace after struggle? A Different Perspective Strength alone doesn't guarantee peace; external factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-meditation-4044710/) [Creates Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creates-meditation-4044712/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Meditations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-meditations-4044711/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Meditation Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-peace-4044709/) [Meditation Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-right-3359094/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) ## Related quotes > [There's No Such Thing as a Bad Meditation. Any Time you Spend in Silence is Valuable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-bad-meditation-any-time-you-spend-in/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“Even though peak experiences might show us the truth and inform us about why we are training, they are essentially no big deal. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/even-though-peak-experiences-might-show-us-the-truth-and-inform-us/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Meditation begins now , right here . It can't begin someplace else or at some other time. To paraphrase the great Zen master Dogen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/meditation-begins-now-right-here-it-can-t-begin-someplace-else-or-at/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [The only bad meditation is when you don't meditate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-only-bad-meditation-is-when-you-don-t-meditate/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Concentration is the creation of the instrument; meditation is the right use of it; contemplation transcends it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christmas-humphreys/concentration-is-the-creation-of-the-instrument-meditation-is-the/) [Christmas Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christmas-humphreys/) > [“The Buddha's original teaching is essentially a matter of four points -- the Four Noble Truths: 1. Anguish is everywhere. 2. We desire permanent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aitken/the-buddha-s-original-teaching-is-essentially-a-matter-of-four-points/) [Robert Aitken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aitken/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Unless and until you introspect you cannot even respect yourself. You cannot even love yourself. If you love yourself you will introspect and find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/unless-and-until-you-introspect-you-cannot-even-respect-yourself-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [If you have time to be mindful, you have time to meditate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/if-you-have-time-to-be-mindful-you-have-time-to-meditate/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“Inside every pause lived a contemplation”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jerome-dickey/inside-every-pause-lived-a-contemplation/) [Eric Jerome Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jerome-dickey/) ## More by Ajahn Brahm > [The secret of life is... everything is out of control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/the-secret-of-life-is-everything-is-out-of-control/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Complaining is finding faults, wisdom is finding solutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/complaining-is-finding-faults-wisdom-is-finding-solutions/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [The selfless giving, the service, the kindness which you give out into this world that is the currency of (the) meaning (of life).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/the-selfless-giving-the-service-the-kindness-which-you-give-out-into/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Love, oneness, is no separation between you and life. It is a progressive letting go, a progressive not fault finding. Just do nothing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/love-oneness-is-no-separation-between-you-and-life-it-is-a/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/meditation-is-like-a-gym-in-which-you-develop-the-powerful-mental/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [“Another simile is that of the man who was born and raised in a prison and who has never set foot outside. All he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/another-simile-is-that-of-the-man-who-was-born-and-raised-in-a-prison/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [How many times have you tried to solve “the problem”? you’ll be trying to solve it not just until you die but for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/how-many-times-have-you-tried-to-solve-the-problem-you-ll-be-trying/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Understand the place of love in a spiritual life. A powerful and blissful type of love has no conditions, no ownership and no people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/understand-the-place-of-love-in-a-spiritual-life-a-powerful-and/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [“We should always be grateful for the faults in our partner because if they didn't have those faults from the start, they would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/we-should-always-be-grateful-for-the-faults-in-our-partner-because-if/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity in thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/silence-is-so-much-more-productive-of-wisdom-and-clarity-in-thinking/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Peace is the most valuable commodity. And it's free!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/peace-is-the-most-valuable-commodity-and-it-s-free/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Why seek revenge? Karma is going to get the bastards anyway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/why-seek-revenge-karma-is-going-to-get-the-bastards-anyway/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [“Better lite a candle than complain about the darkness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/better-lite-a-candle-than-complain-about-the-darkness/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [Love is not liking somebody. Anyone can do that. Love is loving things that sometimes you don't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/love-is-not-liking-somebody-anyone-can-do-that-love-is-loving-things/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) > [What are people searching for in life? God. In the christian scriptures, it says 'Be still and know you are God.' What is this?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/what-are-people-searching-for-in-life-god-in-the-christian-scriptures/) [Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) [Explore all 25 Ajahn Brahm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/) ## More Difficult quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) [Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. He was right. During the difficult meditations you build up your strength, which creates meditation for peace.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ajahn Brahm" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Difficult" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/ajahn-brahm-22720_difficult_my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that_466843.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/ajahn-brahm-22720_difficult_my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that_466843.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/ajahn-brahm-22720_difficult_my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that_466843.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. He was right. During…” — Ajahn Brahm", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ajahn Brahm", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My first meditation teacher told me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/my-first-meditation-teacher-told-me-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```