..续本文上一页rogressing toward what is good.

　　Mindfulness means care and restraint to make sure that our thoughts, words, and deeds don”t go off the mark; being conscious of good and evil so that our behavior doesn”t fall into ways that are bad and unwise.

　　Concentration means keeping the mind firmly centered in a single object — the direct path (ekayana-magga) — not letting it tip, lean, or waver under the influence of its preoccupations, whether good or bad, past or future; keeping the mind honest and upright.

　　All three of these qualities form the rectitude of the mind that abstains from thoughts of sensuality, ill-will, and harm. This is termed the intention of renunciation (nekkhamma-sankappo): The mind isn”t pleased or displeased with sensual moods or sensual objects, whether good or bad. This is a mind gone forth from the home life. Whether or not we ordain, whether we live at home or in a monastery, we”re classed as having gone forth.

　　The next quality, which the Buddha classed as the highest good, is discernment. Once we have virtue and concentration, discernment will arise from the mind in the first, second, third, and fourth levels of jhana. This is the light of discernment that enables us to see the Dhamma both within us and without. We can see ourself from both sides. We can see that the aspect that takes birth, takes birth; and that there is also an aspect that doesn”t take birth. The aspect that ages, ages; and there is also an aspect that doesn”t age. The aspect that”s ill, is ill; and there is also an aspect that isn”t ill. The aspect that dies, dies; and the aspect that doesn”t die, doesn”t die. This is change-of-lineage knowledge (gotarabhu-ñana), which sees both sides, like having two eyes. Whichever side we look at, we can see, but we aren”t stuck on either side. We simply know things in line with their nature as fashionings, that they have to take birth, age, grow ill, and die. These four facts have made arahants of the many people who have contemplated them and seen their true nature clearly to the point of working free from unawareness.

　　The nature of the body is that it flows in one direction — toward decay — but the mind won”t flow along with it. The mind is sure to progress in line with its strength. Whoever has a lot of strength will go far. Whoever gets stuck on birth will have to take birth. Whoever gets stuck on aging will have to age. Whoever gets stuck on illness will have to be ill. Whoever gets stuck on dying will have to die. But whoever isn”t stuck on birth, aging, illness, and death is bound for a state that doesn”t take birth, doesn”t age, doesn”t grow ill, and doesn”t die.

　　When we can do this, we”re said to have found a hunk of Noble Wealth in birth, aging, illness, and death. We needn”t fear poverty. Even though the body may age, our mind doesn”t age. If the body is going to grow ill and die, let it grow ill and die, but our mind doesn”t grow ill, our mind doesn”t die. The mind of an arahant is such that, even if someone were to break his head open, his mind wouldn”t be pained.

　　* * *

　　When the mind is involved with the world, it”s bound to meet with collisions; and once it collides, it will be shaken and roll back and forth, just as round stones in a large pile roll back and forth. So no matter how good or bad other people may be, we don”t store it up in our mind to give rise to feelings of like or dislike. Dismiss it completely as being their business and none of ours.

　　* * *

　　The five Hindrances are five diseases that fasten on and eat into the mind, leaving it thin and famished. Whoever has concentration reaching deep into the heart will be able to kill off all five of these diseases. Such a person is sure to be full in body and mind — free from hunger, poverty and want — and won”t have to…

《Inner Strength - Part One:Inner Wealth》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…