..續本文上一頁spoken by the Buddha," the follower replied. "No Buddha," retorted Ajahn Chah. Then he said, "This is talking about deep wisdom beyond all conventions. How could we teach without them

　　 We have to have names for things, isn”t that so

　　"

　　182

　　To become a Noble One, we have to continuously undergo changes until only the body remains. The mind changes completely but the body still exists. There is hot, cold, pain, and sickness as usual. But the mind has changed and now sees birth, old age, sickness and death in the light of truth.

　　183

　　Someone once asked Ajahn Chah to talk about enlightenment; could he describe his own enlightenment

　　 With everyone eagerly waiting to hear his answer, he said, "Enlightenment isn”t hatd to understand. Just take a banana and put it into your mouth, then you will know what it tastes like. You have to practice to experience realization, and you have to persevere. If it were so easy to become enlightened, everyone would be doing it. I started going to the temple when I was eight years old, and I have been a monk for over forty years. But you want to meditate for a night or two and go straight to Nibbana. You don”t just sit down and - zip! - there you are, you know. You can”t get someone to blow on your head and make you enlightened either.

　　184

　　The worldly way is to do things for a reason to get something in return, but in Buddhism we do things without any idea of gain. But if we don”t want anything at all, what will we get

　　 We don”t get anything! Whatever we get is just a cause for suffering, so we practice not getting anything. Just make the mind peaceful and have done with it.

　　185

　　The Buddha taught to lay down those things that lack a real abiding essence. If you lay everything down you will see the truth. If you don”t, you won”t. That”s the way it is. And when wisdom awakens within you, you will see Truth wherever you look. Truth is all you”ll see.

　　186

　　An "empty" heart doesn”t mean it”s empty as if there were nothing in it. It”s empty of evil, but it”s full of wisdom.

　　187

　　People don”t reflect on old age, sickness and death. They only like to talk about non-aging, non-sickness, and non-death, so they never develop the right feeling for Dhamma practice.

　　188

　　Most people”s happiness depends on having things go to their liking. They have to have everybody in the world say only pleasant things. Is that how you find happiness

　　 Is it possible to have everybody in the world say only pleasant things

　　 If that”s how it is when will you ever find happiness

　　189 Trees, mountains, and vines all live according to their own truth. They appear and die following their nature. They remain impassive. But not we people. We make a fuss over everything. Yet the body just follows its own nature: it”s born, grows old and eventually dies. If follows nature in this way. Whoever wishes it to be otherwise will just suffer.

　　190

　　Don”t go thinking that by learning a lot and knowing a lot you”ll know the Dhamma. That”s like saying you”ve seen everything there is to see just because you have eyes, or that you”ve heard everything there is to hear just because you have ears. You may see but you don”t fully see. You see only with the "outer eye", not with the "inner eye". You hear with the "outer ear", but not with the "inner ear".

　　191

　　The Buddha taught us to give up all forms of evil and cultivate virtue. This is the right path. Teaching in this way is like the Buddha picking us up and placing us at the beginning of the path. Having reached the path, whether we walk along it or not is up to us. The Buddha”s job is finished right there. He shows us the way, that which is right and that which is not right. This much is enough; the rest is up to us.

　　192

　　You must know the Dhamma for yourself. To know for yo…

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