..續本文上一頁ppear in one”s heart during the practice, but this is something that is difficult to talk about. It is not harmful or damaging to one”s practice. After a period the heart will withdraw and the inner dialogue will start in that place, taking the form of sankhārā or mental formations conditioning the heart. If one doesn”t know that this activity is sankhārā, one might think that it is paññā, or that paññā is arising. One must see that this activity is fashioning and conditioning the heart and the most important thing about it is that it is impermanent. One must continually keep control and not allow the heart to start following and believing in all the different creations and stories that it cooks up. All that is just sankhārā, it doesn”t become paññā.
The way paññā develops is when one listens and knows the heart as the process of creating and conditioning takes it in different directions and then reflects on the instability and uncertainty of this. The realization of its impermanence will provide the cause by which one can let go of things at that point. Once the heart has let go of things and put them down at that point, it will gradually become more and more calm and steady. One must keep entering and leaving samādhi like this and paññā will arise at that point. There one will gain knowledge and understanding.
As one continues to practice, many different kinds of problems and difficulties will tend to arise in the heart; but whatever problems the world, or even the universe might bring up, one will be able to deal with them all. One”s wisdom will follow them up and find answers for every question and doubt. Wherever one meditates, whatever thoughts come up, whatever happens, everything will be providing the cause for paññā to arise. This is a process that will take place by itself, free from external influence. Paññā will arise like this, but when it does, one should be careful not to become deluded and see it as sankhārā. Whenever one reflects on things and sees them as impermanent and uncertain, then one shouldn”t cling or attach to them in any way. If one keeps developing this state, when paññā is present in the heart, it will take the place of one”s normal way of thinking and reacting and the heart will become fuller and brighter in the centre of everything. As this happens - one knows and understands all things as they really are - one”s heart will be able to progress with meditation in the correct way and without being deluded. That is how it should be.
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Footnotes
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Extracts from a conversation between Luang Por Chah and a lay Buddhist
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