..续本文上一页ncentration for those whose minds gather quickly -- namely, those who start out with concentration -- won”t have any thought processes, because the moment thoughts forms, their minds will begin to withdraw from concentration. The concentration attained through the guardian power of discernment, though, can still form thoughts without the mind”s withdrawing from concentration -- and both types of concentration must have mindfulness alert as they gather inward.
Today I”ve explained the differences between wrong and right concentration -- enough so that you as meditators will understand and take this as a guide. I”ve stressed that mindfulness and discernment are very important factors. Those of you who are training mindfulness shouldn”t wait to train it only when you are meditating. You must train it at all times. Wherever you go, whatever you do, be mindful. Always take your stance in the effort of the practice. Once there is mindfulness, there also has to be self-awareness (sampajañña), because self-awareness comes from established mindfulness. If mindfulness is lacking, no self-awareness appears. So try to develop your basic mindfulness until it is capable and strong enough to be the sort of mindfulness suitable for the effort of the practice within the heart. From that point it will become super-mindfulness because you have continually fostered it and kept it established.
The same holds true with discernment. Try to contemplate the things that make contact with the mind: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, and the thoughts that occur exclusively within. You have to explore these things, ferreting out their causes, until you find it habitual to contemplate and think. When this level of discernment gains strength, it will advance to a higher level, and you will be able to use this higher level of discernment to investigate your doubts about the situation exclusively within the heart. You will be able to see things clearly and cut away your various doubts through the power of discernment, the discernment you have trained in this way so that it becomes super-discernment, just like super-mindfulness. I”ve never seen it happen anywhere that anyone who hasn”t started out by training discernment in this way has suddenly gained full results through superlative discernment. Even those who are termed khippabhiñña -- who have attained Awakening quickly -- started out from crude discernment, advancing quickly, step by step, and gained Awakening in the Buddha”s presence, as we all know from the texts. So when we train our mindfulness and discernment to follow our every movement, without any thought for whether we”re meditating or not, but simply keeping this hidden sort of meditation going at all times, then no matter what, our minds will have to enter stillness, and discernment will begin to appear.
In particular -- for those of us who are monks, or who are single-mindedly intent on practicing for the sake of mental peace and release from suffering and stress -- mindfulness and discernment are even more necessary. Once we have trained mindfulness and discernment to become so habitual that we”re constantly circumspect, then when we focus outside, we”ll be intelligent. When we focus inside -- on the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena -- we”ll become more and more astute. When we investigate body, feelings, labels, thought-formations, and cognizance, we”ll develop techniques for removing defilement without break. Mindfulness is especially important. If you lack mindfulness as a protective barrier at any time, discernment will simply turn into labels without your realizing it. Thus mindfulness is the quality with a solidity that helps discernment become astute in a smooth and even way. The power …
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