An autumn leaf floating down a river doesn’t change its color, and it doesn’t struggle with the river. It goes along with it. This has a natural effect, because the brook or the river has never carried such an autumn leaf before. It takes people off guard when you don’t react to them. You don’t fight back when they attack you, but you just remain as an autumn leaf, whatever they do. This is the gentle way of working.

Chögyam Trungpa

from the book Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery

Read a random quote or see all quotes by Chögyam Trungpa.

Further quotes from the book Smile at Fear:

• Using our intellect to understand life
• Goodness is always there
• Bravery
• Joyful to be here
• Gentleness toward ourselves
• We Have to Be Honest With Ourselves
• Facing yourself
• Facing ourselves
• We are fundamentally awake
• Cultivating mindfulness
• Becoming the breathing
• Ego finds a name for itself
• Indigestion in the mind
• The strength of fearlessness
• Be there all along
• The warrior is also an artist
• The warrior approach
• Just looking at fear
• Joining fear and uncertainty with genuine confidence