..续本文上一页hould not seek the happiness that arises from acquiring money and material things. You should instead seek the happiness that results from giving away your money and possessions because it”s true happiness, without any anxiety or stress.
Live a moral life. Avoid doing anything that will hurt other people and thus in return hurt yourself, by making you worried and afraid.
Practice meditation, control your mind to always stay calm, not to worry about anything, by telling yourself that there is nothing to worry about because whatever going to happen will happen. You cannot cling to anything. You cannot always have it your way. If you can do this at all times, you will be able to control your mind and emotion. This basically is the core of the Buddha”s teaching.
Q: How long can we stay in the state of mental concentration or single-mindedness
A: You might have heard of some yogis or meditators who can remain in meditation for days, like seven days at a time, without getting out of the sitting position. It takes years of training before you can do that. But this is not the goal of Buddhism. You shouldn”t remain in that state all the time but should live a normal life that is capable of coping with life”s trials and tribulations with insight, knowing that everything is impermanent, not conducive to happiness, not your possession. If you know this you will not be afflicted by any mental stress which is more important than sitting in mental absorption, because after you come out of that state you can still be unhappy when you see things you don”t like. You will still be emotionally unstable. The only thing that will make you emotionally stable is the knowledge of the three characteristics, which you must always have close to you.
But you tend to forget. As soon as you see something, you”ll forget that it is impermanent. When you see something you like, you”d say “I want to have that.” You have to train your mind to be quicker than your desire. When you want something, you should say “No, it is not good for me.” If you could do this, it means you have insight. But if you say “I want to have this. I want to become that. I want to go there.” It means you are still deluded. You still don”t have insight or wisdom. You have to contemplate on the three characteristics all the time. If the mind gets tired, you should rest it by concentrating on your breathing, to stop you from thinking, to recharge your mental strength. After you have rested, you will feel refreshed and strong, ready to contemplate the three characteristics again until it becomes second nature. Then you don”t have to contemplate any more because when you want something you will say “I shouldn”t have it. It”s not good for me.” You have become enlightened.
You no longer want anything. You can live alone and be happy. All you need are the four requisites of food, clothing, shelter and medicine,to take care of your body. You don”t need other things because you have something better inside yourself: calmness, peace of mind, which arises from insight, by letting go of your detachment. If you are truly detached, you will feel liberated, no longer affected by what happens. You are not emotionally involved. You know what”s going on. Know that”s the way it is.
Q: What happens to you when you die
A: It depends on how much you have developed your mind. The higher state of development will give you a better birth. You could be born as a human being again and continue your development until becoming a Buddha. That”s what the Buddha did. He spent many life cycles developing his mind until he reached the highest state of mind development. Once you reach that state, then you will not born again.
Q: Are you aware of your previous life
A: Not through vision. Through meditation expe…
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