..續本文上一頁ir studies and taken their exams I could see a change in the behavior of the monks. There was no walking meditation, only a little sitting, and an increase in socializing. There was less restraint and composure.

　　Actually, in our practice, when you do walking meditation, you should really determine to walk; when sitting in meditation, you should concentrate on doing just that. Whether you are standing, walking, sitting or lying down, you should strive to be composed. But when people do a lot of study, their minds are full of words, they get high on the books and forget themselves. They get lost in externals. Now this is so only for those who don”t have wisdom, who are unrestrained and don”t have steady sati. For these people studying can be a cause for decline. When such people are engaged in study they don”t do any sitting or walking meditation and become less and less restrained. Their minds become more and more distracted. Aimless chatter, lack of restraint and socializing become the order of the day. This is the cause for the decline of the practice. It”s not because of the study in itself, but because certain people don”t make the effort, they forget themselves.

　　Actually the scriptures are pointers along the path of practice. If we really understand the practice, then reading or studying are both further aspects of meditation. But if we study and then forget ourselves it gives rise to a lot of talking and fruitless activity. People throw out the meditation practice and soon want to disrobe. Most of those who study and fail soon disrobe. It”s not that the study is not good, or that the practice is not right. It”s that people fail to examine themselves.

　　Seeing this, in the second rains retreat I stopped teaching the scriptures. Many years later more and more young men came to become monks. Some of them knew nothing about the Dhamma-Vinaya and were ignorant of the texts, so I decided to rectify the situation, asking those senior monks who had already studied to teach, and they have taught up until the present time. This is how we came to have studying here.

　　However, every year when the exams are finished, I ask all the monks to re-establish their practice. All those scriptures which aren”t directly concerned with the practice, put them away in the cupboards. Re-establish yourselves, go back to the regular standards. Re-establish the communal practices such as coming together for the daily chanting. This is our standard. Do it even if only to resist your own laziness and aversion. This encourages diligence.

　　Don”t discard your basic practices: eating little, speaking little, sleeping little; restraint and composure; aloofness; regular walking and sitting meditation; meeting together regularly at the appropriate times. Please make an effort with these, every one of you. Don”t let this excellent opportunity go to waste. Do the practice. You have this chance to practice here because you live under the guidance of the teacher. He protects you on one level, so you should all devote yourselves to the practice. You”ve done walking meditation before, now also you should sit. In the past you”ve chanted together in the mornings and evenings, and now also you should make the effort. These are your specific duties, please apply yourselves to them.

　　Those who simply "kill time" in the robes don”t have any strength, you know. The ones who are floundering, homesick, confused... do you see them

　　 These are the ones who don”t put their minds into the practice. They don”t have any work to do. We can”t just lie around here. Being a Buddhist monk or novice you live and eat well, you shouldn”t take it for granted. Kamasukhallikanuyogo [23] is a danger. Make an effort to find your own practice. Whatever is faulty, work to rectify, don”t get lo…

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