..续本文上一页: Everywhere you look is the Dharma; constructing a building, walking down the road, sitting in the bathroom, or here in the meditation hall, all of this is Dharma. When you understand correctly, there is nothing in the world that is not Dharma.
But you must understand. Happiness and unhappiness, pleasure and pain are always with us. When you understand their nature, the Buddha and the Dharma are right there. When you can see clearly, each moment of experience is the Dharma. But most people react blindly to anything pleasant, "Oh, I like this, I want more," and to anything unpleasant, "Go away, I don”t like this, I don”t want any more." If, instead, you can allow yourself to open fully to the nature of each experience in the simplest way, you will become one with the Buddha.
It”s so simple and direct once you understand. When pleasant things arise, understand that they”re empty. When unpleasant things arise, understand that they”re not you, not yours; they pass away. If you don”t relate to phenomena as being you or see yourself as their owner, the mind comes into balance. This balance is the correct path, the correct teaching of the Buddha which leads to liberation. Often people get so excited-"Can I attain this or that level of samadhi
" or ”What powers can I develop
" They completely skip over the Buddha”s teaching to some other realm that”s not really useful. The Buddha is to be found in the simplest things in front of you, if you”re willing to look. And the essence of this balance is the no grasping mind.
When you begin to practice, it”s important to have a proper sense of direction. Instead of just trying to which way to go and wandering around in circles, you must consult a map or someone who”s been there before in order to establish a sense of the path. The way to liberation first taught by the Buddha was The Middle Path lying between the extremes
of indulgence in desire and self-mortification. The mind must be open to all experience without losing its balance and falling into these extremes. This allows you to see things without reacting and grabbing or pushing away.
When you understand this balance, then the path becomes clear. As you grow in understanding, when things come that are pleasant, you will realize that they won”t last, that they”re empty, that they offer you no security. Unpleasant things will also present no problem because you will see that they won”t last either, that they”re equally empty. Finally, as you travel further along the path, you will come to see that nothing in the world has any essential value. There”s nothing to hold on to. Everything is like an old banana peel or a coconut husk-you have no use for it, no fascination with it. When you see that things in the world are like banana peels that have no great value for you, then you”re free to walk in the world without being bothered or hurt in any way. This is the path that brings you to freedom.
Q: Do you recommend that students do long, intensive, silent retreats
A: It”s largely an inpidual matter. You must learn to practice in all kinds of situations, both in the marketplace and when you”re really alone. Yet to start where it”s quiet is helpful; that”s one reason we live in the forest. In the beginning you do things slowly, working to become mindful. After a time you can learn to be mindful in any situation.
Some people have asked about doing six months or a year of silent, intensive practice. For this there can be no rule; it has to be determined inpidually. It”s like the ox carts that the villagers use around here. If the driver is going to carry a load to some town, he has to assess the strength of the cart, the wheels, and the oxen. Can they make it, or can”t they
In the same way, the teacher and the student must be sensitive both t…
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