..續本文上一頁avish following. You must constantly go against the stream of ignorance. This is called "Discipline." When you discipline your heart, it becomes very dissatisfied and begins to struggle. It becomes restricted and oppressed. When the heart is prevented from doing what it wants to do, it starts wandering and struggling. Suffering (Dukkha) [12] becomes apparent to us.

　　This Dukkha, this suffering, is the first of the Four Noble Truths. Most people want to get away from it. They don”t want to have any kind of suffering at all. Actually, this suffering is what brings us wisdom; it makes us contemplate Dukkha. Happiness (Sukha) tends to make us close our eyes and ears. It never allows us to develop patience. Comfort and happiness make us careless. Of these two defilements, Dukkha is the easiest to see. Therefore we must bring up suffering in order to put an end to our suffering. We must first know what Dukkha is before we can know how to practice meditation.

　　In the beginning you have to train your heart like this. You may not understand what is happening or what the point of it is, but when the Teacher tells you to do something, then you must do it. You will develop the virtues of patience and endurance. Whatever happens, you endure, because that is the way it is. For example, when you begin to practice Samadhi you want peace and tranquillity. But you don”t get any. You don”t get any because you have never practiced this way. Your heart says, "I”ll sit until I attain tranquillity." But when tranquillity doesn”t arise, you suffer. And when there is suffering, you get up and run away! To practice like this can not be called "developing the heart." It”s called "desertion."

　　Instead of indulging in your moods, you train yourself with the Dhamma of the Buddha. Lazy or diligent, you just keep on practicing. Don”t you think that this is a better way

　　 The other way, the way of following your moods, will never reach the Dhamma. If you practice the Dhamma, then whatever the mood may be, you keep on practicing, constantly practicing. The other way of self-indulgence is not the way of the Buddha. When we follow our own views on practice, our own opinions about the Dhamma, we can never see clearly what is right and what is wrong. We don”t know our own heart. We don”t know ourselves.

　　Therefore, to practice following your own teachings is the slowest way. To practice following the Dhamma is the direct way. Lazy you practice; diligent you practice. You are aware of time and place. This is called "developing the heart."

　　If you indulge in following your own views and try to practice accordingly, then you will start thinking and doubting a lot. You think to yourself, "I don”t have very much merit. I don”t have any luck. I”ve been practicing meditation for years now and I”m still unenlightened. I still haven”t seen the Dhamma." To practice with this kind of attitude can not be called "developing the heart." It is called "developing disaster."

　　If, at this time, you are like this, if you are a meditator who still doesn”t know, who doesn”t see, if you haven”t renewed yourself yet, it”s because you”ve been practicing wrongly. You haven”t been following the Teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha taught like this: "Ananda, practice a lot! Develop your practice constantly! Then all your doubts, all your uncertainties, will vanish." These doubts will never vanish through thinking, nor through theorizing, nor through speculation, nor through discussion. Nor will doubts disappear by not doing anything. All defilements will vanish through developing the heart, through right practice only.

　　The way of developing the heart as taught by the Buddha is the exact opposite of the way of the world, because his Teachings come from a pure heart. A pure heart, unattache…

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