..續本文上一頁owly and have many accidents. Don”t cling to rules, to outer form. If you watch others at most ten percent of the time and watch yourself ninety percent of the time, you practice is okay.

　　127

　　Disciples are hard to teach. Some know but don”t bother to practice. Some don”t know and don”t try to find out. I don”t know what to do with them. Why is it that humans have minds like this

　　 Being ignorant is not good, but even if I tell them, they still don”t listen. People are so full of doubts in their practice. They always doubt. They want to go to Nibbana but they don”t want to walk the path. It”s baffling. When I tell them to meditate, they”re afraid, and if not afraid, then just plain sleepy. Mostly they like to do the things I don”t teach. This is the pain of being a teacher.

　　128

　　If we could see the truth of the Buddha”s teaching so easily, we wouldn”t need so many teachers. When we understand the teachings, we just do hat is required of us. But what makes people so difficult to teach is that they don”t accept the teachings and argue with the teacher and the teachings. In front of the teacher they behave a little better, but behind his back they become thieves! People are really difficult to teach.

　　129

　　I don”t teach my disciples to live and practice heedlessly. But that”s what they do when I”m not around. When the policeman is around, the thieves behave themselves. When he asks if there are any thieves around, of course they all say there aren”t; that they”ve never seen any. But as soon as the policeman is gone, they”re all at it again. It was like that even in the Buddha”s time. So just watch yourself and don”t be concerned with what others do.

　　130

　　True teacher speak only of the difficult practice of giving up or getting rid of the self. Whatever may happen, do not abandon the teacher. Let him guide you, because it is easy to forget the Path.

　　131

　　Your doubts about your teacher can help you. Take from your teacher what is good, and be aware of your own practice. Wisdom is for you to watch and develop.

　　132

　　Don”t just believe in the teacher because he says a fruit is sweet and delicious. Taste it for yourself and then all the doubting will be over.

　　133

　　Teachers are those who point out the direction of the Path. After listening to the teacher, whether or not we walk the Path by practicing ourselves, and thereby reap the fruits of practice, is strictly up to each one of us.

　　134

　　Sometimes teaching is hard work. A teacher is like a garbage can that people throw their frustrations and problems into. The more people you teach, the bigger the garbage disposal problems. But teaching is a wonderful way to practice Dhamma. Those who teach grow in patience and in understanding.

　　135

　　A teacher cannot really clear up our difficulties. He is just a source to investigate the Path. He can”t make it clear. Actually what he says is not worth listening to. The Buddha never praised believing in others. We must believe ourselves. This is difficult, yes, but that”s really how it is. We look outside but never really see. We have to decide to really practice. Doubts don”t disappear by asking others, but through our own unending practice.

　　--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　Understanding and Wisdom

　　136

　　No one and nothing can free you but your own understanding.

　　137

　　A madman and an arahant both smile, but the arahant knows why while the madman doesn”t.

　　138

　　A clever person watches others, but he watches with wisdom, not with ignorance. If one watches with wisdom, once can learn much. But if one watches with ignorance, one can only find faults.

　　139

　　The real problem with people nowadays is that they know but still don”t do. It”s another matter if they don”t do becaus…

《No Ajahn Chah: Reflections》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…