..续本文上一页 standing, walking, sitting or reclining you have sati with you. If you have this kind of awareness you can maintain your internal practice. In the evening when you sit again the practice continues uninterrupted. Your effort is unbroken, allowing the mind to attain calm.

　　This is called steady practice. Whether we are talking or doing other things we should try to make the practice continuous. If our mind has recollection and self-awareness continuously, our practice will naturally develop, it will gradually come together. The mind will find peace, because it will know what is right and what is wrong. It will see what is happening within us and realize peace.

　　If we are to develop sila (moral restraint), or samadhi (firmness of mind) we must first have pañña (wisdom). Some people think that they”ll develop moral restraint one year, samadhi the next year and the year after that they”ll develop wisdom. They think these three things are separate. They think that this year they will develop, but if the mind is not firm (samadhi), how can they do it

　　 If there is no understanding, (pañña) how can they do it

　　 Without samadhi or pañña, sila will be sloppy.

　　In fact these three come together at the same point. When we have sila we have samadhi, when we have samadhi we have pañña. They are all one, like a mango. Whether it”s small or fully grown, it”s still a mango. When it”s ripe it”s still the same mango. If we think in simple terms like this we can see it more easily. We don”t have to learn a lot of things, just to know these things, to know our practice.

　　When it comes to meditation some people don”t get what they want, so they just give up, saying they don”t yet have the merit to practice meditation. They can do bad things, they have that sort of talent, but they don”t have the talent to do good. They throw it in, saying they don”t have a good enough foundation. This is the way people are, they side with their defilements.

　　Now that you have this chance to practice, please understand that whether you find it difficult or easy to develop samadhi is entirely up to you, not the samadhi. If it is difficult, it is because you are practicing wrongly. In our practice we must have "Right View" (sammaditthi). If our view is right then everything else is right: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Recollection, Right Concentration -- the Eightfold Path. When there is Right View all the other factors will follow on.

　　Whatever happens, don”t let your mind stray off the track. Look within yourself and you will see clearly. For the best practice, as I see it, it isn”t necessary to read many books. Take all the books and lock them away. Just read your own mind. You have all been burying yourselves in books from the time you entered school. I think that now you have this opportunity and have the time, take the books, put them in a cupboard and lock the door. Just read your mind.

　　Whenever something arises within the mind, whether you like it or not, whether it seems right or wrong, just cut it off with, "this is not a sure thing." Whatever arises just cut it down, "not sure, not sure." With just this single ax you can cut it all down. It”s all "not sure."

　　For the duration of this next month that you will be staying in this forest monastery, you should make a lot of headway. You will see the truth. This "not sure" is really an important one. This one develops wisdom. The more you look the more you will see "not sure"-ness. After you”ve cut something off with "not sure" it may come circling round and pop up again. Yes, it”s truly "not sure." Whatever pops up just stick this one label on it all..."not sure." You stick the sign on .."…

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