..续本文上一页 attached to. Let go of your doubts and simply watch. This is how to end doubting.

　　Q: What about other methods of practice

　　 These days, there seem to be so many teachers and so many different systems of meditation that it”s confusing.

　　A: It”s like going into town. One can approach from the north, from the southeast, from many roads. Often these systems just differ outwardly. Whether you walk one way or another, fast or slow, if you are mindful, it”s all the same. There”s one essential point that all good practice must eventually come to-not clinging. In the end, you must let go of all meditation systems. Nor can you cling to the teacher. If a system leads to relinquishment, to not clinging, then it is correct practice.

　　You may wish to travel, to visit other teachers and try other systems. Some of you have already done so. This is a natural desire. You will find out that a thousand questions asked and knowledge of many systems will not bring you to the truth. Eventually you will get bored. You will see that only by stopping and examining your own heart can you find out what the Buddha talked about. No need to go searching outside yourself. Eventually, you must return to face your own true nature. Right where you are is where you can understand the Dharma.

　　Q: Often it seems that many monks here are not practicing. They look sloppy or unmindful, and this disturbs me.

　　A: Seeing other monks behaving badly, you get annoyed and suffer unnecessarily, thinking, "He is not as strict as I am. They are not serious mediators like us. They are not good monks."

　　Trying to get everyone to act as you wish them to act will only make you suffer. No one can practice for you, nor can you practice for anyone else. Watching other people will not help your practice; watching other people will not develop wisdom. It is a great defilement on your part.

　　Don”t make comparisons. Don”t discriminate. Discrimination is dangerous, like a road with a very sharp curve. If we think others are worse than, better than, or the same as we are, we spin off the road. If we discriminate, we will only suffer. It is not for you to judge whether others” discipline is bad or they are good monks. The discipline of monks is a tool to use for your own meditation, not a weapon for criticizing or finding fault.

　　Let go of your opinions and watch yourself. This is our Dharma. If you”re annoyed, watch the annoyance in your own mind. Just be mindful of your own actions; simply examine yourself and your feelings. Then you will understand. This is the way to practice.

　　Q: I have been extremely careful to practice sense restraint. I always keep my eyes lowered and am mindful of every little action I do. When eating, for example, I take a long time find try to see each step chewing, tasting, swallowing, and so on-and I take each step deliberately and carefully. Am I practicing properly

　　A: Sense restraint is proper practice. We should be mindful of it throughout the day. But don”t overdo it. Walk, eat, and act naturally, and then develop natural mindfulness of what is going on within yourself. To force your meditation or force yourself into awkward patterns is another form of craving. Patience and endurance are necessary. If you act naturally and are mindful, wisdom will come naturally.

　　Q: Then what is your advice to new practitioners

　　A: The same as for old practitioners! Keep at it.

　　Q: I can observe anger and work with greed, but how does one observe delusion

　　A: You”re riding a horse and asking ”Where”s the horse

　　" Pay attention.

　　Q: What about sleep

　　 How much should I sleep

　　A: Don”t ask me, I can”t tell you. What”s important, though, is that you watch and know yourself. If you try to go with too little sleep, the body will feel uncomfortable, and mindfulness will be diffi…

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