..续本文上一页actice in this way, but it didn”t work out.

　　It”s because of not listening in the right way, misinterpreting the words, merely listening to the words. ””Making the postures even”” refers to the mind, nothing else. It means making the mind bright and clear so that wisdom arises, so that there is knowledge of whatever is happening in all postures and situations. Whatever the posture, you know phenomena and states of mind for what they are, meaning that they are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not your self. The mind remains established in this awareness at all times and in all postures. When the mind feels attraction, when it feels aversion, you don”t lose the path, but you know these conditions for what they are. Your awareness is steady and continuous, and you are letting go steadily and continuously. You are not fooled by good conditions. You aren”t fooled by bad conditions. You remain on the straight path, your practice remains straight. This can be called ””making the postures even.”” It refers to the internal, not the external; it is talking about mind.

　　If we do make the postures even with the mind, then when we are praised, it is just so much. If we are slandered, it is just so much. We don”t go up or down with them, but remain where we are - we remain steady. Why is this

　　 Because we see the danger in these things. We see equal danger in praise and in criticism, we are steadily aware of the danger of good and bad phenomena, and this is called making the postures even. We have this inner awareness, whether we are looking at internal or external phenomena.

　　In the ordinary way of experiencing things, when something good appears, we have a positive reaction, and when something bad appears, we have a negative reaction. Like this, the postures are not even. If they are even, we always have awareness. We will know when we are grasping at good and grasping at bad - this is better. Even though we can”t yet let go, we are aware of these states continuously. Being continuously aware of ourselves and our attachments, we will come to see that such grasping is not the path. We know but can”t let go: that”s 50 percent. Though we can”t let go, we do understand that letting go of these things will bring peace. We see the fault in the things we like and dislike. We see the danger in praise and blame. This awareness is continuous.

　　So whether we are being praised or criticized, we are continuously aware. For worldly people, when they are criticized and slandered, they can”t bear it; it hurts their hearts. When they are praised, they are pleased and excited. This is what is natural in the world. But for someone who is practising, when there is praise, they know there is danger. When there is blame, they know the danger. They know that being attached to either of these brings ill results. They are all harmful if we grasp at them and give them meaning.

　　When we have this kind of awareness, we know phenomena as they occur. We know that if we form attachments to phenomena, there really will be suffering. If we are not aware, then grasping at what we conceive of as good or bad, suffering is born. When we pay attention, we see this grasping; we see how we catch hold of the good and the bad, and how this causes suffering. So at first we are grasping hold of things and with awareness seeing the fault in that. How is that

　　 It”s because we grasp tightly and experience suffering. Then we will start to seek a way to let go and be free. ””What should I do to be free

　　”” we ponder.

　　Buddhist teaching says not to have grasping attachment, not to hold tightly to things. We don”t understand this fully. The point is to hold, but not tightly - to hold without grasping. For example, I see this object in front of me. I am curious to know what it is, so I pick…

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