..续本文上一页, it was Novice Sang sitting under his bamboo clump, lantern lit, cross-legged, bellowing at full blast, expounding the Dhamma to the night! "Sang, have you flipped your lid

　　" "Oh, I just can”t hold it in!" he said. "When sitting, I gotta teach; when walking, I gotta teach...don”t know where it”ll end!" A real nut! Oh well, that”s how it is, it can happen, you know.

　　But keep at it. Don”t just follow your moods. When lazy, keep at it! When energetic, keep at it! Do the sitting and walking and even when lying down, watch your breath. Before sleeping, teach your mind: "I won”t indulge in the pleasure of sleep." When you awaken, continue meditating. And when eating, we remind ourselves: "I won”t eat this food with greed, but only as medicine to sustain my life for this day and night, in order to have strength enough to carry on meditating." Before sleeping we teach ourselves; before eating we teach ourselves like that continually. If standing, be aware; if sitting, be aware; if lying down, be aware. Everything, do it that way! When you lie down, lie on your right side, focusing on your breath, "BUD-DHO, BUD-DHO..." until you fall asleep. And as soon as you awaken, continue "BUD-DHO, BUD-DHO..." as if you hadn”t skipped a breath! Then peacefulness will arise...be continuously mindful.

　　Don”t look at another”s practice, you can”t do that. Regarding sitting meditation, sit balanced and erect. Don”t have your head tilted back or hanging down. Keep it balanced. Like the Buddha statue -- now he”s "sitting tight" and bright! If you want to change posture, endure the pain to the utmost limit before changing. "What

　　" you say, "I can”t handle that!" But wait before moving. Endure the pain to its limit, then take more. However much it hurts, go ahead and endure it. And if it”s too painful to keep "BUD-DHO" in mind, then take the pain as your object of awareness: "Pain, pain, pain, PAIN!" on and on instead of "BUD-DHO." Stay with it till the pain reaches its end, and see what comes up. The Buddha said that pain arises by itself, and it”ll stop by itself. Let it just die, don”t give up! Maybe you”ll break out in a sweat -- drops as big as corn kernels rolling down your back. But if you can get past the feeling once, then you”ll know what it”s about. But that comes gradually, don”t push yourself too far. Just slowly keep at it.

　　And know about eating...chew, swallow, and where does it end up

　　 Food that”s right or wrong for your body, you”ll know it. Know where it reaches. Refine the art of eating; eat and estimate when you”ll be full after five more mouthfuls, then stop! Take enough water and that”s it. Try and see if you can do it. Most people don”t do it like that. Instead, they eat till full, then top up with five more mouthfuls! But that”s not the way, understand

　　 The Buddha said just keep eating attentively and know you”re not yet full, but you will be in five more mouthfuls, then stop! Take enough water till full. Then, whether walking or sitting, you”ll not feel heavy and your meditation will become automatically better. But people don”t want to do it like that. If you don”t really want to train yourself, then you can”t do it. Otherwise, you eat till you”re too full, topping up with another five mouthfuls. That”s how it is, the nature of our greed and defilements and the things the Buddha taught go in different direction. We have to watch ourselves.

　　And sleeping, being aware, it”s up to your know-how. Sometimes you won”t get to sleep on time; sleep early, sleep late, never mind. That”s what I do. Get to sleep late or not late, doesn”t matter, when I first awaken, I get right up. don”t make a fuss over it. Cut it right there. If you awaken and are still sleepy, just get right up! Get up and go, wash your face and start walking meditatio…

《Bodhinyana》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…