..續本文上一頁ody as well as the cleanliness of the place are conducive to concentration and wisdom. So we also need to keep our bodies clean and keep the place where we meditate clean. Although we are not to neglect the cleanliness of the body we should be more concerned about the cleanliness of our minds. So here the Buddha said that mindfulness is the only way for the purification of minds of beings.

　　With this passage Buddha mentioned the benefits we will get from the practice of mindfulness. The first benefit the Buddha mentiond is purification of mind. Then Buddha said, "for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation". If we want to overcome sorrow and lamentation or crying aloud we should practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the only way to overcome sorrow and lamentation. Here sorrow is a mental state. Lamentation is crying aloud through sorrow and saying this thing or that. To overcome sorrow and lamentation also we should practice the Foundations of Mindfulness.

　　"For the disappearance of pain and grief": Pain here means physical pain, pain in the body, and grief means mental pain, depression, ill will, hatred; all these are included in the word "grief". For the overcoming and disappearance of pain and grief we should practice the Foundations of Mindfulness. As I said you may not conquer pain, you may not overcome pain altogether, pain may not disappear altogether. But, if you practice mindfulness you will be able to live with pain and accept it. Like that of the Venerable Anuruddha, your mind will not be disturbed or perturbed by the physical pain. If your mind is not perturbed by physical pain, pain is virtually non-existent. So, for the disappearance of pain or the overcoming of pain, we should practice mindfulness meditation. For the overcoming of grief, overcoming of ill will, depression and so on we should practice mindfulness meditation.

　　Grief is a mental state and sorrow is also a mental state. They are actually connected with each other. These are mental states and so these mental states can be overcome or made to disappear or can be avoided by the practice of mindfulness.

　　Mind cannot take two things or more than one thing at a time. Mind can only take one object at a time. I think we are lucky. If mind could take two or more things at a time our suffering would be much greater. Since mind can take only one thing at a time, we can overcome sorrow and grief by the practice of mindfulness. Let”s take anger, for example. Suppose I am angry with Mr. A. So long as my mind is on Mr. A, my anger will increase and I will be getting more and more angry with him because I am taking him as the object of my consciousness or mind. But once I turn my mind from Mr. A, who is the source of my anger, to anger itself

　　the moment I turn my mind to anger itself

　　Mr. A does not exist for me at that time. He has already disappeared from my mind. When my mind is on the anger itself and when the source of anger has disappeared, anger has to disappear also.

　　That way, we treat such mental states with mindfulness, with just simple but strong or forceful mindfulness. This is how we deal with what are called emotions such as attachment, anger, hatred, depression, and sorrow. Whatever the mental state, we just treat it with mindfulness and try to be mindful of it. When our mindfulness is really strong, they will surely disappear. So Buddha said, "This is the only way to overcome sorrow and lamentation and to overcome pain and grief."

　　"This is the only way for reaching the Noble Path." When you read books on Buddhism, you will see this word "Path" many times. Sometimes it is spelt with a lower case

　　p

　　, but mostly with the upper case

　　P

　　. "Path" as a technical term is a name for the combination or group of the eight Factors of the Path

　　Right Understanding,…

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