..续本文上一页thinking... many, many things. So I say this practice is difficult.

　　Even though some of you may experience some peace when you sit in meditation, don”t be in a hurry to congratulate yourselves. Likewise, if there is some confusion, don”t blame yourselves. If things seem to be good, don”t delight in them, and if they”re not good don”t be averse to them. Just look at it all, look at what you have. Just look, don”t bother judging. If it”s good don”t hold fast to it; if it”s bad, don”t cling to it. Good and bad can both bite, so don”t hold fast to them.

　　The practice is simply to sit, sit and watch it all. Good moods and bad moods come and go as is their nature. Don”t only praise your mind or only condemn it, know the right time for these things. When it”s time for congratulations then congratulate it, but just a little, don”t overdo it. Just like teaching a child, sometimes you may have to spank it a little. In our practice sometimes we may have to punish ourselves, but don”t punish yourself all the time. If you punish yourself all the time in a while you”ll just give yourself a good time and take it easy either. That”s not the way to practice. We practice according to the Middle Way. What is the Middle Way

　　 This Middle Way is difficult to follow, you can”t rely on your moods and desires.

　　Don”t think that only sitting with the eyes closed is practice. If you do think this way then quickly change your thinking! Steady practice is having the attitude of practice while standing, walking, sitting and lying down. When coming out of sitting meditation, reflect that you”re simply changing postures. If you reflect in this way you will have peace. Wherever you are you will have this attitude of practice with you constantly, you will have a steady awareness within yourself.

　　Those of you who, having finished their evening sitting, simply indulge in their moods, spending the whole day letting the mind wander where it wants, will find that the next evening when sitting meditation all they get is the "backwash" from the day”s aimless thinking. There is no foundation of calm because they have let it go cold all day. If you practice like this your mind gets gradually further and further from the practice. When I ask some of my disciples, "How is your meditation going

　　". They say, "Oh, it”s all gone now." You see

　　 They can keep it up for a month or two but in a year or two it”s all finished.

　　Why is this

　　 It”s because they don”t take this essential point into their practice. When they”ve finished sitting they let go of their samadhi. They start to sit for shorter and shorter periods, till they reach the point where as soon as they start to sit they want to finish. Eventually they don”t even sit. It”s the same with bowing to the Buddha-image. At first they make the effort to prostrate every night before going to sleep, but after a while their minds begin to stray. Soon they don”t bother to prostrate at all, they just nod, till eventually it”s all gone. They throw out the practice completely.

　　Therefore, understand the importance of sati, practice constantly. Right practice is steady practice. Whether standing, walking, sitting or reclining the practice must continue. This means that practice, meditation, is done in the mind, not in the body. If our mind has zeal, is conscientious and ardent, then there will be awareness. The mind is the important thing. The mind is that which supervises everything we do.

　　When we understand properly then we practice properly. When we practice properly we don”t go astray. Even if we only do a little that is still all right. For example, when you finish sitting in meditation, remind yourselves that you are not actually finishing meditation, you are simply changing postures. Your mind is still composed. Whether…

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