..續本文上一頁em. Don”t do that! Don”t criticize them, but rather keep on instructing them and leading them along. Whenever their faculties have ripened sufficiently, then they will want to do it. Just like when we are selling medicine, we just keep on doing our business. When people have ailments that trouble them, they will buy. Those who don”t see a need to buy medicine probably aren”t suffering from any such conditions. So never mind.

　　Keeping at it with this attitude, these problems will be done with. There were such situations in the Buddha”s time too. We want to do it right, but somehow we can”t get there yet; it means that our own faculties are not sufficiently mature. Our spiritual perfections (parami) are not complete. It”s like fruit that”s still growing on the tree. If you want to force it to be sweet, you can”t. It”s still unripe, it”s small and sour, simply because it hasn”t finished growing. You can”t force it to be bigger, to be sweet, to be ripe—you have to let it ripen according to its nature. As time passes and things change, people may come to spiritual maturity. As time passes, the fruit will grow and ripen and become sweet of its own. With such an attitude, you can be at ease. But if you are impatient and dissatisfied, if you keep asking, “Why isn”t this mango sweet yet

　　 Why is it sour

　　” when it isn”t ripe, then what can be done

　　 It”s still sour because it”s not ripe. That”s the nature of fruit.

　　The people in the world are like that. It makes me think of the Buddha”s teaching about four kinds of lotus. Some are still in the mud, some have grown out of the mud and are in the water, some are at the surface of the water, and some have come out of the water and bloomed. So the Buddha was able to give his teachings to so many various beings because he understood their different levels of spiritual development. We should think about this and not feel oppressed by what happens here. Just consider yourselves to be like someone selling medicine. Your responsibility is to advertise it and make it available. If someone gets sick, they are likely to come and buy it. Likewise, if people”s spiritual faculties mature sufficiently, one day they are likely to develop faith. It”s not something we can force them to do. Seeing it in this way, we will be OK.

　　Living here is certainly meaningful. It”s not something without benefit. All of you, please practice together harmoniously and amicably. When you experience obstacles and suffering, recollect the virtues of the Buddha. What was the knowledge the Buddha realized

　　 What did the Buddha teach

　　 What does the Dharma point out

　　 How does the Sangha practice

　　 Constantly recollecting the qualities of the Three Jewels brings a lot of benefit.

　　Whether you are Thais or people from other countries is not important. It”s important to maintain harmony and work together. People come from all over to visit this monastery. When folks come to Wat Pah Pong, I urge them to come here, to see the monastery, to practice here. It”s a legacy you are creating. It seems that the populace have faith and are gladdened by it. So don”t forget yourselves. You should be leading people rather than being led by them. Make your best efforts to practice well and establish yourselves firmly, and the good results will come.

　　Are there any doubts about practice you need to resolve now

　　Q: When the mind isn”t thinking much, but is in a sort of dark and dull state, is there something we should do to brighten it

　　 Or should we just sit with it

　　AC: Is this all the time, or when you are sitting in meditation

　　 What exactly is this darkness like

　　 Is it a lack of wisdom

　　Q: When I sit to meditate, I don”t get drowsy, but my mind feels dark, sort of dense or opaque.

　　AC: So you would like to make your mind have wisdom, right

　　 Change …

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