..续本文上一页m afraid. I am afraid that they are too serious. They try too hard, but without wisdom. They push themselves into unnecessary suffering. Some of you are determined to become enlightened. You grit your teeth and struggle all the time. This is trying too hard. People are all the same. They don”t know the nature of things (sankhara). All formations, mind and body, are impermanent. Simply watch and don”t cling. Others think they know. They criticize, they watch, they judge. That”s OK. Leave their opinions to the. This discrimination is dangerous. It is like a road with a very sharp curve. If we think others are worse or better or the same as us, we go off the curve. If we discriminate, we will only suffer.
Q: I have been meditating many years now. My mind is open and peaceful in almost all circumstances. Now I would like to try to backtrack and practice high states of concentration or mind absorption.
A: This is fine. It is beneficial mental exercise. If you have wisdom, you will not get hung up on concentrated states of mind. It is the same as wanting to sit for long periods. This is fine for training, but really, practice is separate from any posture. It is a matter of directly looking at the mind. This is wisdom. When you have examined and understood the mind, then you have the wisdom to know the limitations of concentration, or of books. If you have practiced and understand not-clinging, you can then return to the books. They will be like a sweet dessert. They can help you to teach others. Or you can go back to practice absorption. You have the wisdom to know not to hold on to anything.
Q: Would you review some of the main points of our discussion
A: You must examine yourself. Know who you are. Know your body and mind by simply watching. In sitting, in sleeping, in eating, know your limits. Use wisdom. The practice is not to try to achieve anything. Just be mindful of what is. Our whole meditation is looking directly at the mind, . You will see suffering, its cause and its end. But you must have patience; much patience and endurance. Gradually you will learn. The Buddha taught his disciples to stay with their teachers for at least five years. You must learn the values of giving, of patience and of devotion.
Don”t practice too strictly. Don”t get caught up with outward form. Watching others is bad practice. Simply be natural and watch that. Our monks” discipline and monastic rules are very important. They create a simple and harmonious environment. Use them well. But remember, the essence of the monks” discipline is watching intention, examining the mind. You must have wisdom. don”t discriminate. Would you get upset at a small tree in the forest for not being tall and straight like some of the others
This is silly. Don”t judge other people. There are all varieties. No need to carry the burden of wishing to change them all.
So, be patient. Practice morality. Live simply and be natural. Watch the mind. This is our practice. It will lead you to unselfishness. To peace.
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Notes
1. Anicca-Dukkha-Anatta: the three characteristics of existence, namely: impermanence/instability, suffering/unsatisfactoriness, and not-self/impersonality.
2. Siddhartha Gotama: the original name of the historical Buddha. (Buddha, the "one-who-knows," also represents the state of enlightenment or awakening.
3. According to Buddhist thought beings are born in any of eight states of existence depending on their Kamma. These include three Heavenly States (where happiness is predominant), the Human State, and the four above-mentioned Woeful or Hell States (where suffering is predominant). The Venerable Ajahn always stresses that we should see these states in ou…
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