..續本文上一頁w broadly or how narrowly — take the whole universe and worldly elements. Is there anything there on which the heart can depend and which offers refuge
Take note of this term ”refuge”. Even those things that are intimately associated with ourself are not safe. Farther out than the body, there”s no hope of finding refuge in anything.
Even those things closely connected with us aren”t trustworthy. If we can”t discern the threat they pose, then where else will we be able to see it
It”s here where the danger must be seen and the heart withdrawn from its peril. The quality that then arises in full measure is called:
”Attaa hi attano naatho”: ”self is the protector of self.”
It doesn”t depend on anything. ”Virtue”, ”samadhi” or ”wisdom” in the final stage of release, are also terms no longer needed. Why should a refuge be found in tools and instruments that have successfully done their job of clearing out the defilements. The tools are laid down in accordance with their condition. A knife taken up to chop vegetables or to peel fruit is put aside when we take the food and eat it. It”s obvious that we don”t eat the knife as well.
Virtue, samadhi and wisdom are tools for dealing with the defilements. When the defilements are eliminated, all the problems for the heart also go. While life remains these tools can be utilized for the sake of the world, in line with conventional notions. However, they won”t be needed to correct the defilements ever again. In particular, at the final time when the passage from the elements and aggregates will take place, there”s definitely no need for anything. Mindfulness and wisdom are no longer an issue and the body poses no problem, because all problems in the heart are already finished with. Nothing can possible cause concern. So you should move forward to this ending of problems, for this is where all your worries will cease.
If you still have problems — then that is a problem. We hear of problems concerning suffering and hardship, concerning birth, aging, sickness and death. They follow on from what we call ”problems”.
With the ending of problems all issues cease. Investigate and understand. All the things I”ve mentioned here lie in your own body or heart. Analyze them through the power of your mindfulness and wisdom. Examine day after day. Don”t be complacent. It”s not that mindfulness and wisdom are something that can be brought in to cook and eat, but they can be brought in to deal with the defilements. By utilizing them in this way the removal can carry on all day long. However, complacency will only lead you to sink — and there”s certainly nothing to be gained by that. The final result will be that when you”re stuck in a corner, you won”t even know where your wisdom has disappeared to. You”ll end up banging your head against the walls. That certainly won”t do!
We”re not disciples of a Tathaagata, the Lord Buddha, who banged his head against the wall. The Lord Buddha didn”t do it, neither did the Noble Disciples whom we revere with, "Sangha.m sara.na.m gacchaami". How can we go and bang our heads in this way
You must endeavor, using whatever means and strategies, to find the way that leads out. Try to the best of your ability. Reaching the [present] limit of our capability, then that”s all we can manage. Whatever state or level we reach, we accept it — because that”s as much as we can do. But as long as it”s not beyond our ability we can strive to go further, struggling, crawling and forcing our way through.
Sinking into the cycle of birth and death is similar to when a ship capsizes and everything on board goes down. The ship, the goods and cargo all sink together and the people die. We go down with the elements and aggregates through delusion and ignorance. The body goes down in accordanc…
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