..续本文上一页cial.

　　If we are going to undertake the task of developing the mind in meditation, don”t let the defilement of craving know the ground rules or the goal. ”How will you meditate, Venerable

　　”, it inquires. ”How much will you do

　　 How late are you thinking of going

　　” Craving keeps pestering until we submit to an agreement. Once we declare we”re going to sit until midnight, it immediately begins to hassle us. Before even an hour has passed we”re feeling so restless and impatient that we can”t continue. Then more hindrances attack as we berate ourselves, ”Hopeless! What! Is sitting going to kill you

　　 You said you were going to make your mind unshakeable in samadhi, but it”s still unreliable and all over the place. You made a vow and you didn”t keep it”. Thoughts of self-depreciation and dejection assail our minds, and we sink into self-hatred. There”s no one else to blame or get angry at, and that makes it all the worse. Once we make a vow we have to keep it. We either fulfill it or die in the process. If we do vow to sit for a certain length of time, then we shouldn”t break that vow and stop. In the meantime however, just gradually practice and develop. There”s no need for making dramatic vows. Try to steadily and persistently train the mind. Occasionally, the meditation will be peaceful, and all the aches and discomfort in the body will vanish. The pain in the ankles and knees will cease by itself.

　　Once we try our hand at cultivating meditation, if strange images, visions or sensory perceptions start coming up, the first thing to do is to check our state of mind. Don”t discard this basic principle. For such images to arise the mind has to be relatively peaceful. Don”t crave for them to appear, and don”t crave for them not to appear. If they do arise then examine them, but don”t allow them to delude. Just remember they”re not ours. They are impermanent, unsatisfying and not-self just like everything else. Even if they are real, don”t dwell on or pay much attention to them. If they stubbornly refuse to fade, then refocus your awareness on your breath with increased vigor. Take at least three long, deep breaths and each time slowly exhale completely. This may do the trick. Keep re-focusing the attention.

　　Don”t become possessive of such phenomena. They are nothing more than what they are, and what they are is potentially deluding. Either we like them and fall in love with them or the mind becomes poisoned with fear. They”re unreliable: they may not be true or what they appear to be. If you experience them, don”t try to interpret their meaning or project meaning onto them. Remember they”re not ours, so don”t run after these visions or sensations. Instead, immediately go back and check the present state of mind. This is our rule of thumb. If we abandon this basic principle and become drawn into what we believe we are seeing, we can forget ourselves and start babbling or even go insane. We may lose our marbles to the point where we can”t even relate to other people on a normal level. Place your trust in your own heart. Whatever happens, simply carry on observing the heart and mind. Strange meditative experiences can be beneficial for people with wisdom, but dangerous for those without. Whatever occurs don”t become elated or alarmed. If experiences happen, they happen.

　　Another way to approach Dhamma practice is to contemplate and examine everything we see, do, and experience. Never discard the meditation. When some people finish sitting or walking meditation they think it”s time to stop and rest. They stop focusing their minds on their object of meditation or theme of contemplation. They completely drop it. Don”t practice like that. Whatever you see, inquire into what it really is. Contemplate the good people in the world. Contemplate the …

《Unshakeable Peace》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…