..续本文上一页hing, the sound another, and we are consciously aware of both without compounding the event. We rely on nature to provide the raw material for the investigation in search of Truth. Eventually the mind dissects and separates phenomena on its own. Simply put, the mind doesn”t get involved. When the ears pick up a sound, observe what happens in the heart and mind. Do they get bound up, entangled, and carried away by it
Do they get irritated
At least know this much. When a sound then registers, it won”t disturb the mind. Being here, we take up those things close at hand rather than those far away. Even if we”d like to flee from sound, there”s no escape. The only escape possible is through training the mind to be unwavering in the face of sound. Set sound down. The sounds we let go of, we can still hear. We hear but we let sound go, because we”ve already set it down. It”s not that we have to forcefully separate the hearing and the sound. It separates automatically due to abandoning and letting go. Even if we then wanted to cling to a sound, the mind wouldn”t cling. Because once we understand the true nature of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and all the rest, and the heart sees with clear insight, everything sensed without exception falls within the domain of the universal characteristics of impermanence, un-satisfactoriness, and not-self.
Anytime we hear a sound it”s understood in terms of these universal characteristics. Whenever there”s sense contact with the ear, we hear but it”s as if we didn”t hear. This doesn”t mean the mind no longer functions. Mindfulness and the mind intertwine and merge to monitor each other at all times without a lapse. When the mind is trained to this level, no matter what path we then choose to walk we will be doing research. We will be cultivating the analysis of phenomena, one of the essential factors of enlightenment, and this analysis will keep rolling on with its own momentum.
Discuss Dhamma with yourself. Unravel and release feeling, memory, perception, thinking, intentions, and consciousness. Nothing will be able to touch them as they continue to perform their functions on their own. For people who have mastered their minds, this process of reflection and investigation flows along automatically. It”s no longer necessary to direct it intentionally. Whatever sphere the mind inclines towards, the contemplation is immediately adept.
If Dhamma practice reaches this level, there”s another interesting side benefit. While asleep: snoring, talking in our sleep, gnashing our teeth, and tossing and turning will all stop. Even if we”ve been resting in deep sleep, when we wake up we won”t be drowsy. We”ll feel energized and alert as if we”d been awake the whole time. I used to snore, but once the mind remained awake at all times, snoring stopped. How can you snore when you”re awake
It”s only the body that stops and sleeps. The mind is wide awake day and night, around the clock.
This is the pure and heightened awareness of the Buddha: the One Who Knows, the Awakened One, the Joyous One, the Brilliantly Radiant One. This clear awareness never sleeps. Its energy is self-sustaining, and it never gets dull or sleepy. At this stage we can go without rest for two or three days. When the body begins to show signs of exhaustion, we sit down to meditate and immediately enter deep samadhi for five or ten minutes. When we come out of that state, we feel fresh and invigorated as if we”ve had a full night”s sleep. If we”re beyond concern for the body, sleep is of minimal importance. We take appropriate measures to care for the body, but we aren”t anxious about its physical condition. Let it follow its natural laws. We don”t have to tell the body what to do. It tells itself. It”s as if someone is prodding us, urging us…
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