Feelings of Pain

　　In the Discourse on Good Omens (Mangala Sutta), the Buddha teaches us to associate with sages, and not with fools. The first and foremost fool here is our own heart. In other words, there are fools outside and fools inside, and for the most part the fools inside are the ones who keep stirring up trouble all the time. When we live with meditation masters, which is called associating with sages, we keep gaining lessons from sages, because that”s what they are. They are wise in the various tactics they teach us. They have practiced and gained knowledge of everything from experience. Their teachings are thus correct, precise, and convincing to those who listen to them, with no room for any doubt.

　　In particular, Venerable Acariya Mun: There never was a time when he would teach saying, ”It seems to be like this. It seems to be like that.” There was nothing but, ”This is the way it is for sure, for sure” — and we were sure, because he spoke only the absolute truth taken right from a heart that had already known and seen, and from his own well-conducted practice. Especially in the case of illness: If there were any weak-willed cases, he would tell them, ”Whoever is weak, whoever cries and moans, can take his moans as his medicine. There”s no need to search out medicine anywhere, no need to have anyone to look after him. His moans are his medicine. If moaning serves any purpose, then why search for medicine to treat the disease

　　”

　　Then he would add, ”Keep moaning. Everyone can moan. Even children can moan — if it serves a purpose. But here it doesn”t serve any purpose at all other than to annoy those good people who are unflinching in the practice. So you shouldn”t moan out of weakness. You”re a meditation monk. When you act like this, who can bear to see it

　　 If you were a child or an ordinary person, there wouldn”t be anything wrong with it, because they haven”t received any training. They don”t have any knowledge or understanding of the various ways to contend with the pain, such as contemplating it.

　　”But you, you already know everything of every sort. Yet when trouble comes, such as illness, you can”t find any methods or tactics to care for yourself. You just go all to pieces. This won”t do at all. You”re a shame to yourself and your fellow meditators.”

　　Venerable Acariya Mun was very talented in teaching the heart. When those of his disciples who were intent on studying with him would listen to anything he”d say, it would go straight to the heart. Straight to the heart. The things we should put into practice, we would put into practice. The things we should understand right then, dealing with internal matters, we would understand — every time, step after step.

　　When we were ill, he would teach us how to contemplate. ”When you have a fever, where did you get it from

　　” He”d say this so as to serve a purpose, as food for thought for meditators. ”From where did you drag out the fever and chills

　　 They arise in this body, don”t they

　　 When they disappear, where do they go, if not back to where they came from

　　 Even if they don”t disappear, they die together with each of us: There are no exceptions at all in this body. Investigate it so as to know it.

　　”All stress, all pains are Noble Truths. If we don”t investigate them, what are we going to investigate

　　 The Buddha gained Awakening with the Noble Truths, his disciples gained Awakening with the Noble Truths — so are we going to gain Awakening with weakness

　　 Would that be in keeping with the Dhamma of the Buddha

　　 Then we”ve come to resist the Dhamma!

　　”Where does the pain arise

　　 In which part

　　 Ask so as to find out. When it hurts here and aches there, who is it that hurts

　　 Who is it that aches

　　 Probe on in to find what instigates it. Where does it come from

　　 Where does it h…

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