A Dhammatalk by Ajahn Chah
Questions and Answers
1 Question:
I”m trying very hard in my practice but don”t seem to be getting anywhere.
Answer:This is very important. Don”t try to get anywhere in the practice. The very desire to be free or to be enlightened will be the desire that prevents your freedom. You can try as hard as you wish, practice ardently night and day, but if it is still with the desire to achieve in mind, you will never find peace. The energy from this desire will be a cause for doubt and restlessness. No matter how long or how hard you practice, wisdom will not arise from desire. So, simply let go. Watch the mind and body mindfully but don”t try to achieve anything. Don”t cling even to the practice of enlightenment.
Q:What about sleep
How much should I sleep
A:don”t ask me, I can”t tell you. A good average for some is four hours a night. What is important, though, is that you watch and know yourself. If you try to go with too little sleep, the body will feel uncomfortable and mindfulness will be difficult to sustain. Too much sleep leads to a dull or a restless mind. Find the natural balance for yourself. Carefully watch the mind and body and keep track of sleep needs until you find the optimum. If you wake up and then roll over for a snooze, this is defilement. Establish mindfulness as soon as your eyes open.
Q:How about eating
How much should I eat
A:Eating is the same as sleeping. You must know yourself. Food must be consumed to meet bodily needs. Look at your food as medicine. Are you eating so much that you only feel sleepy after the meal and are you getting fatter every day
Stop! Examine your own body and mind. There is no need to fast. Instead, experiment with the amount of food you take. Find the natural balance for your body. Put all your food together in your bowl following the ascetic practice. Then you can easily judge the amount you take. Watch yourself carefully as you eat. Know yourself. The essence of our practice is just this. There is nothing special you must do. Only watch. Examine yourself. Watch the mind. Then you will know what is the natural balance for your own practice.
Q:Are minds of Asians and Westerners different
A:Basically there is no difference. Outer customs and language may appear different, but the human mind has natural characteristics which are the same for all people. Greed and hatred are the same in an Eastern or a Western mind. Suffering and the cessation of suffering are the same for all people.
Q:Is it advisable to read a lot or study the scriptures as a part of practice
A:The Dhamma of the Buddha is not found in books. If you want to really see for yourself what the Buddha was talking about, you don”t need to bother with books. Watch your own mind. Examine to see how feelings come and go, how thoughts come and go. don”t be attached to anything. Just be mindful of whatever there is to see. This is the way to the truths of the Buddha. Be natural. Everything you do in your life here is a chance to practice. It is all Dhamma. When you do your chores, try to be mindful. If you are emptying a spittoon or cleaning a toilet, don”t feel you are doing it as a favor for anyone else. There is Dhamma in emptying spittoons. Don”t feel you are practicing only when sitting still, cross-legged. Some of you have complained that there is not enough time to meditate. Is there enough time to breathe
This is your meditation: mindfulness, naturalness in whatever you do.
Q:Why don”t we have daily interviews with the teacher
A:If you have any questions, you are welcome to come and ask them anytime. But we don”t need daily interviews here. If I answer your every little question, you will never understand the process of doubt in your own mind. It is essential that you learn …
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