--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first thing is to learn how to quiet…" description: "\"The first thing is to learn how to quiet the mind, relax the mind, and bring the awareness to the front so that we are conscious of what we're doing wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/tenzin-palmo-1431_awareness_the-first-thing-is-to-learn-how-to-quiet_2395020.png" --- # The first thing is to learn how to quiet the mind, relax… ![“The first thing is to learn how to quiet the mind, relax the mind, and bring the awareness to the front so that we are conscious of what we're doing when we're doing it without all the commentary.” quote by Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/tenzin-palmo-1431_awareness_the-first-thing-is-to-learn-how-to-quiet_2395020.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/tenzin-palmo-1431_awareness_the-first-thing-is-to-learn-how-to-quiet_2395020.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/tenzin-palmo-1431_awareness_the-first-thing-is-to-learn-how-to-quiet_2395020.png) > “The first thing is to learn how to quiet the mind, relax the mind, and bring the awareness to the front so that we are conscious of what we're doing when we're doing it without all the commentary.” [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Quieting the mind and observing actions without internal commentary leads to conscious living. **In simple terms:** Observe actions without mental chatter. Key Takeaway Cultivate present‑moment awareness. Themes mindfulness awareness self‑control Mood calm focused Type spiritual practical When to use this quote - meditation - daily routines - stress reduction Key Concepts mental silence conscious action Questions to Reflect On - What thoughts arise when you try silence? - How can you integrate awareness into work? A Different Perspective Silence can be uncomfortable for beginners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Quiet Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiet-mind/) ## Related quotes > [“As in other exercises my father taught me, the way to begin is to sit up straight, breathe normally, and gradually allow your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yongey-mingyur/as-in-other-exercises-my-father-taught-me-the-way-to-begin-is-to-sit/) [Yongey Mingyur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yongey-mingyur/) > [“Take this great thought, and dwell upon it: There is nothing to fear in all of the universe! 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Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Never think that someone else knows what's best for you. Trust your way and don't ask for so much advice. Learn how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/never-think-that-someone-else-knows-what-s-best-for-you-trust-your/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [“if one could learn the most important things in life, one would still have to learn how to keep quiet about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-ter-n-das/if-one-could-learn-the-most-important-things-in-life-one-would-still/) [Péter Nádas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-ter-n-das/) > [There are so many noises and pulls and competing demands in our lives that many of us never find out who we are. Learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/there-are-so-many-noises-and-pulls-and-competing-demands-in-our-lives/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“Maybe it was I who needed to learn how to be quiet instead of cluttering the moment with too many words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-steinbach/maybe-it-was-i-who-needed-to-learn-how-to-be-quiet-instead-of/) [Alice Steinbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-steinbach/) ## More by Tenzin Palmo > [All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I really don't know what I could teach and don't really plan to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-really-don-t-know-what-i-could-teach-and-don-t-really-plan-to-teach/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. 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One has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/for-any-practice-to-work-the-mind-which-is-meditating-on-the-object/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-ve-often-said-that-the-seventh-paramita-should-be-a-sense-of-humor/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-take-the-time-to-study-how-to-be-a-doctor-and-how-to-use-your/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Realization is wonderful, but you have to expand it until there's not a single defilement left in the mind and the mind is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/realization-is-wonderful-but-you-have-to-expand-it-until-there-s-not/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We have compassion because of the incredible pain and suffering which we as unenlightened beings cause to ourselves and all others through our ignorance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-have-compassion-because-of-the-incredible-pain-and-suffering-which/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [When I look back I can think that of course I've been lazy and haven't practiced as much as I could have and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/when-i-look-back-i-can-think-that-of-course-i-ve-been-lazy-and-haven/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-do-have-the-precious-opportunity-of-this-human-life/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-the-problem-with-western-students-is-they-re-very-ambitious/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Explore all 242 Tenzin Palmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. 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