Principles in the Practice, Principles in the Heart
January 19, 1977
The important point for a meditating monk is to have principles in the heart. ”Principles in the heart” means the various stages of concentration and levels of discernment, all the way to the level of arahantship. These are called the principles in the heart for meditating monks. If the principles in the heart are good, every aspect of the principles in our practice will be good as well, because the heart is what gives the orders. This is why we see the heart as having primary importance. When a person with principles in the heart practices, it”s very different from a person without principles in the heart. When a person with principles in the heart makes compromises in line with events at some times, in some places, and with some inpiduals, and when he is strict with himself at normal times, he does so with reason -- which is different from a person who is simply determined, without having principles in the heart. Even though such a person may be resolute and courageous, he”s pervaded with error, pride, and conceit. He”s not as even as he should be in his ascetic practices (dhutanga), which are means of cleansing away the defilements of pride and conceit fermenting inside him. The body is an affair of the world, like the world in general. It has to be involved with the world, which requires compromises with certain people, in certain places, and on certain occasions. But if, when we have to make compromises, we can”t do so for fear that we”re sacrificing our strictness or our ascetic practices; or if once we compromise we can”t return to our strictness, it”s a matter of pride in either case and can”t help but have an impact on ourselves and on others both when we should be strict and when we should make compromises in line with events.
When a person with principles in the heart sees fitting, in line with reason, he makes compromises when he should with certain inpiduals, places, and events that may happen from time to time. But when that necessity is past, he returns to his original strictness without any difficulty in forcing himself. This is because reason, the Dhamma, is already in charge of his heart, so he has no difficulties both when making compromises and when following the ascetic practices strictly as he is accustomed to.
All of this is something I practiced when living with Ven. Acariya Mun. For example, I”d vow to follow a particular practice or several practices without telling him -- although he would know perfectly well, because I couldn”t keep it secret from him. But because of my great respect for him, I”d have to make compromises, even though it bothered me (bothered my defilements).
As a rule, I wouldn”t be willing to make compromises at all. That was a feeling set up like a barrier in the mind, because my intentions were really determined like that. I wouldn”t let anything pass without my working right through it with this determination of mine.
The first year I went to stay with him, I heard him talk about the ascetic practices -- such as the practice of accepting only the food received on one”s alms round -- because he himself was very strict in observing them. From that point on, I”d vow to take on special ascetic practices during the Rains Retreat, without ever slacking. I”d vow to eat only the food I got while on my alms round. If anyone else would try to put food in my bowl aside from the food I had received on my round, I wouldn”t accept it and wouldn”t be interested in it. Ever since then, I”ve kept to this without fail. I”d be sure that I for one wouldn”t let this vow be broken. Once the Rains Retreat came, I”d have to make this vow as a rule in my heart, without missing even a single year.
The years we spent the rains …
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