..續本文上一頁hting the Tathagata. One sees him by way of cause, which is our practice; and by way of result, which is the steadily attained fruit of that practice. The Lord Buddha went this way before, seeing and steadily realizing and passing beyond.

　　Therefore, the heart of the one who practices is never apart from the Lord Buddha, Dhamma, or the Sangha. By virtue of that practice, reverence is given to the Tathagata, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. This is true reverence and is the way — through diligent effort — of having continuous audience with the Lord Buddha.

　　Departing and going away is only activity. There is a departing right here when, for example, after sitting here you leave to sit over there; from there you return to sit here. There is a continual departing. You shouldn”t be concerned with leaving this place for that, this town for that, this house for elsewhere. Leaving from here for far or near — there is continual departing in this world of impermanence where things are constantly changing.

　　By using the three marks8 we can reflect upon these things so that it becomes a Dhamma lesson. Those who truly know and see will always depend on this principle as the way to move forward. While we are here we practice Dhamma and when we are there we practice Dhamma — because it is aimed at letting go, at eradicating defilements and ending all the suffering within the heart. We practice wherever we are so as to uproot and release, and for this purpose our present location isn”t relevant.

　　The Lord Buddha therefore taught the Noble Disciples:

　　"Go bhikkhus, and seek secluded places. Be steadfast and resolute there. This is the way to have constant audience with the Tathagata. There is no need for all of you to come here to gather around the Tathagata. That is not the way. But rather, whoever has mindfulness and is diligent in all postures immediately gives reverence and has audience with the Tathagata. Nonchalantly sitting around here is not the way to meet, nor to see or have audience with the Tathagata. The Tathagata does not regard the coming here and the going away as having an audience with or taking leave of the Tathagata. The Tathagata considers that diligence in the practice to eradicate defilements from the heart, whether little or much, as steadily gaining audience with the Tathagata."

　　This is the progressive seeing of the Tathagata. It is the major principle in the Teaching that allows a clear sight of the Tathagata, rather than peering with dim and blurry eyes, lacking in mindfulness. Just completely rid yourselves of the poisons in the heart, and then compare the resulting state that you have realized — is there any difference between that nature and the Tathagata

　　 Plainly, without question, such a purified nature is identical with it. Listen! The essence of the Lord Buddha”s teaching is just like this.

　　Training your heart and developing yourself into a good person is the way to accumulate happiness. With increasing growth within the heart the result will, of course, be happiness. Not being able to find happiness or it being incomplete, arises because of obstructions in the heart, which are the defilements. Nothing else is able to obstruct and pierce the hearts of all sentient beings, preventing them from finding happiness and fulfillment. Suffering and hardship, whether internal or external, is solely caused by defilements. For example, when the body is feverish or ill, the defilements will also get in the act by moaning about the pain here or the ache there. This disturbs and worries, which adds yet another load of suffering for the heart, to go with the bodily illness.

　　Common bodily upset or illness was experienced by both the Lord Buddha and the Noble Disciples. It”s the nature of the aggregates to be ruled by the this-worl…

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