..續本文上一頁 arises from existence (bhava). If there is existence then there is birth. Upadana -- clinging or attachment -- this is the pre-requisite which creates suffering. Wherever suffering arises look into it. Don”t look too far away, look right into the present moment. Look at your own mind and body. When suffering arises..."Why is there suffering

　　" Look right now. When happiness arises, what is the cause of that happiness

　　 Look right there. Wherever these things arise be aware. Both happiness and suffering arise from clinging.

　　The cultivators of old saw their minds in this way. There is only arising and ceasing. There is no abiding entity. They contemplated from all angles and saw that there was nothing much to this mind, nothing is stable. There is only arising and ceasing, ceasing and arising, nothing is of any lasting substance. While walking or sitting they saw things in this way. Wherever they looked there was only suffering, that”s all. It”s just like a big iron ball which has just been blasted in a furnace. It”s hot all over. If you touch the top it”s hot, touch the sides and they”re hot -- it”s hot all over. There isn”t any place on it which is cool.

　　Now if we don”t consider these things we know nothing about them. We must see clearly. Don”t get "born" into things, don”t fall into birth. Know the workings of birth. Such thoughts as, "Oh, I can”t stand that person, he does everything wrongly," will no longer arise. Or, "I really like so and so...", these things don”t arise. There remain merely the conventional worldly standards of like and dislike, but one”s speech is one way, one”s mind another. They are separate things. We must use the conventions of the world to communicate with each other, but inwardly we must be empty. The mind is above those things. We must bring the mind to transcendence like this. This is the abiding of the Noble Ones. We must all aim for this and practice accordingly. Don”t get caught up in doubts.

　　Before I started to practice, I thought to myself, "The Buddhist religion is here, available for all, and yet why do only some people practice while others don”t

　　 Or if they do practice, they do so only for a short while then give up. Or again those who don”t give it up still don”t knuckle down and do the practice

　　 Why is this

　　" So I resolved to myself, "Okay... I”ll give up this body and mind for this lifetime and try to, follow the teaching of the Buddha down to the last detail. I”ll reach understanding in this very lifetime... because if I don”t I”ll still be sunk in suffering. I”ll let go of everything else and make a determined effort, no matter how much difficulty or suffering I have to endure, I”ll persevere. If I don”t do it I”ll just keep on doubting."

　　Thinking like this I got down to practice. No matter how much happiness, suffering or difficulty I had to endure I would do it. I looked on my whole life as if it was only one day and a night. I gave it up. "I”ll follow the teaching of the Buddha, I”ll follow the Dhamma to understanding -- Why is this world of delusion so wretched

　　" I wanted to know, I wanted to master the Teaching, so I turned to the practice of Dhamma.

　　How much of the worldly life do we monastics renounce

　　 If we have gone forth for good then it means we renounce it all, there”s nothing we don”t renounce. All the things of the world that people enjoy are cast off: sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings... we throw them all away. And yet we experience them. So Dhamma practicers must be content with little and remain detached. Whether in regard to speech, in eating or whatever, we must be easily satisfied: eat simply, sleep simply, live simply. Just like they say, "an ordinary person," one who lives simply. The more you practice the more you will be able to take satisfac…

《Food for the Heart》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…