..续本文上一页admirable; you have your own good qualities which you can offer to the community, In most of the village monasteries around here, it is the study of the scriptures and the theory which is emphasized, but ultimately, they are studying that which just goes on and on endless, unbroken flow. They never manage actually to cut through the flow and finish. They only study that which is santati and sandhi, or that which gives rise to continued birth. If you can halt the mental momentum, you can really use your theoretical knowledge as a basis for research and investigation into the cause of suffering. Because the true nature of the mind doesn”t deviate from what you have learnt in the books, it goes in accordance with what you have studied. But if you study without ever practicing, you will never really know. Once you have practiced, you can gain a deep and profound knowledge, actually seeing and understanding clearly in the mind those things which you have studied in the books. The important thing is to start practicing.

　　So go and live in a small hut in the forest, make the effort to train yourself and experiment with the teaching. It”s better than just studying the theory. Practice discussing the Dhamma inwardly with yourself, living in seclusion and observing your heart and mind. When the mind is still, it”s in a state of normality. When it moves out from that state of normality, when different thoughts and imagination arise, that is sankhara. These sankharas will continue to condition the mind, so be careful and maintain awareness of them. Once the mind moves out from the state of normality, it will no longer be samma patipada. It will either go in the direction of kamasukhallikhanuyoga or attakilamathanuyoga. These two tendencies are citta sankhara conditioning the mind. If the conditioning is wholesome, the mind takes on wholesome characteristics; if the conditioning is unwholesome, it takes on unwholesome ones. The process takes place in the mind. If you are practicing awareness, closely observing the mind, it”s actually very interesting. I would be happy to talk about this one topic the whole day through.

　　Once you are aware of the movements of the mind, you can see the conditioning process. The mind has been raised and trained by the defilements. I see it as being like a central place. These things which we call cetasika (mental factors), are like visitors which come to stay at this place. Sometimes this “person” comes to visit, sometimes that “person” comes to visit and sometimes someone else. They all come to stay at this one spot. All these “visitors” which arise out of the mind, we call mental factors.

　　The way to practice is to awaken the mind and make it “that which knows”, waiting and watching over itself. Whenever a visitor approaches, you must wave your hand to forbid them from coming in. Where could they sit, when the whole day long you occupy the only seat available, your awareness being right in the centre, receiving all the visitors who come

　　 This is what “Buddho” means: a firm and unshakeable awareness. If you can sustain this awareness, it will guard the mind. You simply sit down and establish awareness on this one spot, because this is where all the visitors have come to, right from the time you were just a baby throughout you entire life until the present. So you must get to know them all and this is how. You simply sustain “Buddho”. All this visitors will tend to want to fashion and concoct the mind in various ways, conditioning your experience accordingly. These conditioned states which are produced by the actions of the visitors, are called mental factors. Whatever their nature might be or wherever they might lead the mind is not the important thing. Your job is to get to know these visitors who drop in. When…

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