Living in the World with Dhamma
by Ajahn Chah
Most people still don”t know the essence of meditation practice. They think that walking meditation, sitting meditation and listening to Dhamma talks are the practice. That”s true too, but these are only the outer forms of practice. The real practice takes place when the mind encounters a sense object. That”s the place to practice, where sense contact occurs. When people say things we don”t like there is resentment, if they say things we like we experience pleasure. Now this is the place to practice. How are we going to practice with these things
This is the crucial point. If we just run around chasing after happiness and away from suffering all the time we can practice until the day we die and never see the Dhamma. This is useless. When pleasure and pain arise how are we going to use the Dhamma to be free of them
This is the point of practice.
Usually when people encounter something disagreeable to them they don”t open up to it. Such as when people are criticized: "Don”t bother me! Why blame me
" This is someone who”s closed himself off. Right there is the place to practice. When people criticize us we should listen. Are they speaking the truth
We should be open and consider what they say. Maybe there is a point to what they say, perhaps there is something blame-worthy within us. They may be right and yet we immediately take offense. If people point out our faults we should strive to be rid of them and improve ourselves. This is how intelligent people will practice.
Where there is confusion is where peace can arise. When confusion is penetrated with understanding what remains is peace. Some people can”t accept criticism, they”re arrogant. Instead they turn around and argue. This is especially so when adults deal with children. Actually children may say some intelligent things sometimes but if you happen to be their mother, for instance, you can”t give in to them. If you are a teacher your students may sometimes tell you something you didn”t know, but because you are the teacher you can”t listen. This is not right thinking.
In the Buddha”s time there was one disciple who was very astute. At one time, as the Buddha was expounding the Dhamma, he turned to this monk and asked, "Sariputta, do you believe this
" Venerable Sariputta replied, "No, I don”t yet believe it." The Buddha praised his answer. "That”s very good, Sariputta, you are one who us endowed with wisdom. One who is wise doesn”t readily believe, he listens with an open mind and then weighs up the truth of that matter before believing or disbelieving."
Now the Buddha here has set a fine example for a teacher. What Venerable Sariputta said was true, he simply spoke his true feelings. Some people would think that to say you didn”t believe that teaching would be like questioning the teacher”s authority, they”d be afraid to say such a thing. They”d just go ahead and agree. This is how the worldly way goes. But the Buddha didn”t take offense. He said that you needn”t be ashamed of those things which aren”t wrong or bad. It”s not wrong to say that you don”t believe if you don”t believe. That”s why Venerable Sariputta said, "I don”t yet believe it." The Buddha praised him. "This monk has much wisdom. He carefully considers before believing anything." The Buddha”s actions here are a good example for one who is a teacher of others. Sometimes you can learn things even from small children; don”t cling blindly to positions of authority.
Whether you are standing, sitting, or walking around in various places, you can always study the things around you. We study in the natural way, receptive to all things, be they sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings or thoughts. The wise person considers them all. In the real practice…
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