I truly feel that contentment is the greatest wealth. Anyone can claim it for themselves. Anyone can own it. Contentment is an incredible wealth that we don’t have to pay for, or seek anywhere outside ourselves. The natural resources to create this wealth are the inner riches of our own mind. Contentment is a wealth that gives the highest satisfaction, and we can gain it simply by mining our own resources, and knowing our own mind. We can cultivate the perspective that what we have is enough. We can see that we do not actually need more than we already have, and can be completely satisfied with that.

17th Karmapa

from the book The Heart Is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out

translated by Ngodup Tsering Burkhar & Damchö Diana Finnegan


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Further quotes from the book The Heart Is Noble:

• Interdependent reality
• Protective Inner Wisdom
• The Wealth of Contentment
• Social action
• Life in Balance
• Boxing Love with Our Expectations
• Just Love
• There are no fixed starting points
• Nothing is intrinsically bad
• Difference without Division
• Breaking barriers
• Healthy relationships
• Take joy in your sincere intentions
• Just not been introduced before
• Finding our nobility of heart
• Authentic love toward others
• There are no fixed starting points
• Expanding our sense of ourselves
• Our life is vast
• Open-minded