..续本文上一页s, sit for five minutes, lie down for five minutes... I couldn”t do it for very long. So I sat down and thought about it some more. "What does it all mean

　　 People in this world can”t practice like this!"

　　Then I realized..."Oh, that”s not right, it can”t be right because it”s impossible to do. Standing, walking, sitting, reclining... make them all consistent. To make the postures consistent the way they explain it in the books is impossible."

　　But it is possible to do this: The mind... just consider the mind. To have sati, recollection, sampajañña, self awareness and pañña, all-round wisdom... this you can do. This is something that”s really worth practicing. This means that while standing we have sati, while walking we have sati, while sitting we have sati, and while reclining we have sati, -- consistently. This is possible. We put awareness into our standing, walking, sitting, lying down -- into all postures.

　　When the mind has been trained like this it will constantly recollect Buddho, Buddho, Buddho... which is knowing. Knowing what

　　 Knowing what is right and what is wrong at all times. Yes, this is possible. This is getting down to the real practice. That is, whether standing, walking, sitting or lying down there is continuous sati.

　　Then you should understand those conditions which should be given up and those which should be cultivated. You know happiness, you know unhappiness. When you know happiness and unhappiness your mind will settle at the point which is free of happiness and unhappiness. Happiness is the loose path, kamasukhallikanuyogo. Unhappiness is the tight path, attakilamathanuyogo. [31] If we know these two extremes, we pull it back. We know when the mind is inclining towards happiness or unhappiness and we pull it back, we don”t allow it to lean over. We have this sort of awareness, we adhere to the One Path, the single Dhamma. We adhere to the awareness, not allowing the mind to follow its inclinations.

　　But in your practice it doesn”t tend to be like that, does it

　　 You follow your inclinations. If you follow your inclinations it”s easy, isn”t it

　　 But this is the ease which causes suffering, like someone who can”t be bothered working. He takes it easy, but when the time comes to eat he hasn”t got anything. This is how it goes.

　　So I”ve contended with many aspects of the Buddha”s teaching in the past, but I couldn”t really beat him. Nowadays I accept it. I accept that the many teachings of the Buddha are straight down the line, so I”ve taken those teachings and used them to train both myself and others.

　　The practice which is important is patipada. What is patipada

　　 It is simply all our various activities, standing, walking, sitting, reclining and everything else. This is the patipada of the body. Now the patipada of the mind: how many times in the course of today have you felt low

　　 How many times have you felt high

　　 Have there been any noticeable feelings

　　 We must know ourselves like this. Having seen those feelings can we let go

　　 Whatever we can”t yet let go of we must work with. When we see that we can”t yet let go of some particular feeling we must take it and examine it with wisdom. Reason it out. Work with it. This is practice. For example when you are feeling zealous, practice, and then when you feel lazy, try to continue the practice. If you can”t continue at "full speed" then at least do half as much. Don”t just waste the day away by being lazy and not practicing. Doing that will lead to disaster, it”s not the way of a cultivator.

　　Now I”ve heard some people say, "Oh, this year I was really in a bad way."

　　"How come

　　"

　　"I was sick all year. I couldn”t practice at all."

　　Oh! If they don”t practice when death is near when will they ever practice

　　 If they”re feelin…

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