..續本文上一頁ng. We know there is pain, drowsiness - whatever suffering we experience. We know that suffering arises in the body and watch what the mind feels. We will see that the mind experiences disliking, unpleasantness, it is not calm. We try to have patience and endurance and if we are really not able to endure it, then we change the posture and watch the unpleasant feeling - how does it change, when we change our posture

　　 We watch it and we will see how it ceases. So we can see feelings arise and cease. If we are mindful like that then the permanent changing of postures, which we usually do, is not hiding the suffering anymore.

　　If we do so, we will understand the teaching of the Buddha in which he mentioned that there is only suffering in what arises, only suffering in what stays for a while and suffering in what ceases.

　　I give you one example, which should make it clearer. We are hungry. When we are hungry we need to eat and drink. Hunger is suffering. But some people do not know hunger. Whenever the time comes they eat and drink. But if we are mindfully watching our body and mind, then we will see hunger is suffering. We will see when we eat and drink that we feel comfortable and happiness arises. So we can see hunger is suffering when hunger disappears then we call this happiness.

　　 When we feel hot and we move into the shadow or take a shower - then we feel comfortable. Again we see too much heat is suffering, we do not feel comfortable. Happiness arises when the suffering ceases, in this case when we move from a hot to a cool place.

　　So, wherever a meditator goes - he or she will be aware of feelings, which arise. They will know if they experience happiness and will see this happiness ceasing. They will know the suffering and they will see it ceasing.

　　If we practice so - we won”t get attached to happiness and pleasant feelings, knowing their impermanence; - we won”t get lost and deluded from happiness. Too much happiness can make people deluded and foolish, whereas suffering can help people to understand better and to develop wisdom. Suffering is usually a very clear experience - like a child touching something hot - you might tell the child it should not touch it, but it will only believe it, when it has the painful experience of touching it.

　　So we practice continually and the wisdom arising from suffering will become clearer and clearer and one will remember it. We practice and will see sometimes the mind is calm, sometimes it is not calm. We want to be calm but we are not. The mind wanders here and there - you can”t trust it. Those who believe in the mind can get mad. We need mindfulness and we need to contemplate the arising and the cessation of phenomena. We see things arise - stay for a while and then cease.

　　So we understand that everything is impermanent. Happiness arises, stays for a while and ceases - seeing this we won”t get too attached to happiness. Suffering arises, stays for a while and ceases. Everything is impermanent. So we ourselves are impermanent too - why should we cling too much, why be so attached to others or ourselves

　　 We learn to let go. If we are able to let go - then we can experience happiness for the rest of our life.

　　We suffer because of attachment, we say this is mine, that belongs to me, this is me.

　　So, we have to meditate. As a human being we should try to develop ourselves for good. The highest goal is the cessation of suffering. However much or little we do - we should do it. If we do not practice, we waste this good opportunity we have.

　　Don”t forget - if we are born as a human being and we only work to get food and material things but we do not try to work on inner development, then we do not differ from birds or rats and dogs. We try to get our food and when the time comes we get children and in the end we die.

　　 If humans live their lives just like that then they do not differ from animals. They are even worse then animals. Because humans are able to destroy much more, steal, kill, tell lies and are able to do many unwholesome things. They are able to be good or bad.

　　That”s why we have morality and meditation. With them humans can develop their mind to go to a higher state. But one really has to work on it. If you make up your mind - to practice sincerely - then you will achieve good results.

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