Henri Nouwen Quotes

I am my own sanctuary and I can be reborn as many times as I choose throughout my life.

I found thee not, O Lord, without, because I erred in seeking thee without that wert within.

One of the values of centering prayer is that you are not thinking about God during the time of centering prayer so you are giving God a chance to manifest. In centering prayer there are moments of peace that give the psyche a chance to realize that God may not be so bad after all. God has a chance to be himself for a change.

I signed up with Kundalini yoga teacher training, which has been shifting me in some really beautiful ways.

The robe of flesh wears thin, and with the years God shines through all things.

Every few months, I would take off to the U.S., which had people wondering why I went away so often. My trips were always to meet my spiritual guru, Maaji, who is based in the U.S. I would always come back with clear mind and sure footing.

Loneliness and solitude are two different things. When you are lonely, it is easy to delude yourself into believing that you are on the right path. Solitude is better for us, as it means being alone without feeling lonely. But eventually it is best to find a person, the person who will be your mirror. Remember, only in another person's heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you.

One of these poems I wrote after having been here only a month. The other, I wrote this morning. In the space between the two poems, I have found acres of grace

Meditate Silently. You will be able to create a totally new life for yourself.

We must relinquish our passive observation of the world outside; we can open the door to the world we want. In understanding ourselves, we come to understand the world. In allowing ourselves to heal, we become the healers of the world. In praying for peace, we become bringers of peace. Thus we actualize the power within us to remedy the psychic wounds of humanity.

Nirvana is something within you. It is not an external reality. No god thunders down from the mountaintop. Just as the great mystics in the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths all discovered, God is within the self. God is virtually inseparable from ourselves.

Meditation is the alchemy of transforming. The unconscious into the conscious. It gives you a tremendous power, Far greater than anger, greed and lust.

Before you came into my life, I believed that God had abandoned me. Now I know that He has blessed me beyond measure. -sir Bannor-

Do not seek God in outer space-- Your heart is the only place in which to meet Him face to face.

The Divine is constantly waiting at your doorstep to move in if only you allow the necessary space.

Self-realization is the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and soul that you are now in possession of the kingdom of God; that you do not have to pray that it come to you; that God’s omnipresence is your omnipresence; and that all that you need to do is improve your knowing.

To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a higher life. It is a death for the sake of life, which leaves behind all that we can know or treasure as life, as thought, as experience, as joy, as being.

If you create any open space within yourself, love will fill it.

How do we nurture the soul? By revering our own life. By learning to love it all, not only the joys and the victories, but also the pain and the struggles.

Only the Holy Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our lives.... We allow Christ to live through us... through the choices we make. We choose to do the right thing in situations and then trust God's Spirit to give us his power, love, faith, and wisdom to do it. Since God's Spirit lives inside of us, these things are always available for asking.

I get clarity through quiet time, reflection, reading, and meditation. Finding the space between thoughts gives me the energy to take on new challenges with enthusiasm.

Having mourned your sin, for outward Eden lost, find paradise within.

You find God the moment you realize that you don't need to seek God

Speak the truth do not become angered and give when asked, even be it a little. By these three conditions one goes to the presence of the gods.

I have been 'diving within' through the Transcendental Meditation technique for over 30 years. It has changed my life, my world. I am not alone. Millions of other people of all ages, religions, and walks of life practice the technique and enjoy incredible benefits.