It’s one of the t-shirt mottos that Deer Park had on offer:
No Mud – No Lotus
It’s not that we bring about the mud – the suffering – the pain & confusion – in order to enhance growth and peace. We don’t need to go out somewhere to find trouble.
It’s there already.
Instead, we take things as they are, seeing what is.
Instead, we favor peace, we favor love.
At each turning point, with each breath, we choose.
Awake & aware, we choose.
This was from the recent retreat to Deer Park Monastery. It was lead by Thich Nhat Hanh, also called Thay (teacher).