--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We don't meditate to see heaven, but to…" description: "\"We don't meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering.\" — Ajahn Chah" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ajahn-chah-4829_ends_we-don-t-meditate-to-see-heaven-but-to-e_60278.png" --- # We don't meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering. ![“We don't meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering.” quote by Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ajahn-chah-4829_ends_we-don-t-meditate-to-see-heaven-but-to-e_60278.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ajahn-chah-4829_ends_we-don-t-meditate-to-see-heaven-but-to-e_60278.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ajahn-chah-4829_ends_we-don-t-meditate-to-see-heaven-but-to-e_60278.png) > “We don't meditate to see heaven, but to end suffering.” [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meditation is a practical tool for alleviating human distress, not a means to attain a supernatural realm. **In simple terms:** Meditation eases suffering. Key Takeaway Focus on present-moment relief. Themes mindfulness suffering spiritual practice psychology Mood calm hopeful Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - stressful workday - grief processing - anxiety attack Key Concepts impermanence compassion Practical Applications - therapy sessions - personal mindfulness routine Questions to Reflect On - How does meditation change your perception of pain? - What aspects of suffering can be reduced through practice? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [It certainly seems like a good idea to talk about Heaven, meditate about Heaven and read about Heaven, because, after all, that's where we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/it-certainly-seems-like-a-good-idea-to-talk-about-heaven-meditate/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [I don't meditate. Silence is golden though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-don-t-meditate-silence-is-golden-though/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [You don't meditate to experiment with altered states of consciousness or whatever else. You meditate only to perceive by yourself that everything is within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-odier/you-don-t-meditate-to-experiment-with-altered-states-of-consciousness/) [Daniel Odier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-odier/) > [You don't have to meditate. You don't have to practice self-discovery and Buddhism. You should only practice self-discovery if you really have had it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-don-t-have-to-meditate-you-don-t-have-to-practice-self-discovery/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I don't meditate in any formal way, but I often lie in bed or find myself in nature and enter into that state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-lennon/i-don-t-meditate-in-any-formal-way-but-i-often-lie-in-bed-or-find/) [Julian Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-lennon/) > [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/) > [Meditation is the way the mind is. That's why in Zen they call it the natural state, which means you don't have to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/meditation-is-the-way-the-mind-is-that-s-why-in-zen-they-call-it-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The relentless attempts to be thin take you further and further away from what could actually end your suffering: getting back in touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/the-relentless-attempts-to-be-thin-take-you-further-and-further-away/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [Buddha says there are two kinds of suffering: the kind that leads to more suffering and the kind that brings an end to suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/buddha-says-there-are-two-kinds-of-suffering-the-kind-that-leads-to/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“When Lovelace speaks of warming oneself “at the fire of God’s love,” he is describing what it means to meditate on the righteousness we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/when-lovelace-speaks-of-warming-oneself-at-the-fire-of-god-s-love-he/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [I don't pay attention to things like the talent for style. I don't meditate on things like that. I just do whatever I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-pay-attention-to-things-like-the-talent-for-style-i-don-t/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [You don't have to do anything to meditate. That's what makes it so difficult. Everybody wants to do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-don-t-have-to-do-anything-to-meditate-that-s-what-makes-it-so/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [There are billions of people out there walking around and they don't meditate. You can tell. They are not having a good time with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-billions-of-people-out-there-walking-around-and-they-don-t/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You don't meditate once and suddenly your life turns around. What it does is it lets you train your brain to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/you-don-t-meditate-once-and-suddenly-your-life-turns-around-what-it/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [Don't meditate on what you don't have, and remind yourself what you do have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/don-t-meditate-on-what-you-don-t-have-and-remind-yourself-what-you-do/) [Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/) ## More by Ajahn Chah > [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/) > [Letting go a little brings a little peace. Letting go a lot brings a lot of peace. Letting go completely brings complete peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/letting-go-a-little-brings-a-little-peace-letting-go-a-lot-brings-a/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Mindfulness is life. Whenever we don’t have mindfulness, when we are heedless, it’s as if we are dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/mindfulness-is-life-whenever-we-don-t-have-mindfulness-when-we-are/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Some people are afraid of generosity. They feel they will be taken advantage of or oppressed. In cultivating generosity, we are only oppressing our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/some-people-are-afraid-of-generosity-they-feel-they-will-be-taken/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Anything which is troubling you, anything which is irritating you, THAT is your teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/anything-which-is-troubling-you-anything-which-is-irritating-you-that/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Know and watch your heart. It's pure but emotions come to colour it. So let your mind be like a tightly woven net to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/know-and-watch-your-heart-it-s-pure-but-emotions-come-to-colour-it-so/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [A woman wanted to know how to deal with anger. I asked when anger arose whose anger it was. She said it was hers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/a-woman-wanted-to-know-how-to-deal-with-anger-i-asked-when-anger/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Sati is life. Whenever we don't have sati, when we are heedless, it's as if we are dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/sati-is-life-whenever-we-don-t-have-sati-when-we-are-heedless-it-s-as/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [In practice, some come to see easily, some with difficulty. But whatever the case, never mind. Difficult or easy, the Buddha said not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/in-practice-some-come-to-see-easily-some-with-difficulty-but-whatever/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [When sitting in meditation, say, "That's not my business!" with every thought that comes by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/when-sitting-in-meditation-say-that-s-not-my-business-with-every/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Proper effort is not the effort to make something particular happen. It is the effort to be aware and awake each moment, the effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/proper-effort-is-not-the-effort-to-make-something-particular-happen/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Regarding this Dhamma, it is not something that we can simply talk about or take another's word for it. We need to develop meditation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/regarding-this-dhamma-it-is-not-something-that-we-can-simply-talk/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [These days people don't search for the Truth. People study simply in order to find knowledge necessary to make a living, raise families and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/these-days-people-don-t-search-for-the-truth-people-study-simply-in/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Things are simply the way they are. They don't give us suffering. Like a thorn: Does a sharp thorn give us suffering? No. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/things-are-simply-the-way-they-are-they-don-t-give-us-suffering-like/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [Of course there are dozens of meditation techniques, but it all comes down to this - just let it all be. Step over here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/of-course-there-are-dozens-of-meditation-techniques-but-it-all-comes/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) [Explore all 105 Ajahn Chah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) ## More Ends quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... 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History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. 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