..续本文上一页a life of renunciation may seem like a life of getting pared down and narrowed down, it”s not really that way at all. It broadens out because you”re dealing with the few really essential issues in life that cover everything. Years back when I was a young monk I had to take the Dhamma exams—the exams they give to the monks in Thailand once a year—and part of each exam involved writing a little Dhamma talk. They”d give you a phrase from the Pali canon or a couple of verses from the Dhammapada or Sutta Nipata, and you”d have to develop that particular theme, bringing in another related Dhamma quote before you finished. The first year you bring in one, the second year you bring in two, and for the final exam you bring in three. To prepare you for this part of the exam they give you a book with Dhamma quotes for you to memorize. And being your typical American I hadn”t had that much memorization practice in school. The little novices would memorize pages and pages of these Dhamma quotes, but I realized that in my own case it would be wise just to pick a couple of quotes that would be useful in all circumstances. The one I found useful every year was a passage from the Dhammapada: If when you see that there”s a greater happiness that comes from abandoning a lesser happiness, be willing to abandon that lesser happiness for the sake of the greater one.

　　That”s a principle that covers all situations and it”s a principal that underlies the teachings on renunciation. In fact, it underlies the whole practice: realizing that as long as we”re putting forth effort in our lives we might as well put forth effort that will leave us something to show for it. Think of the number of people you know that have lived very active lives but then toward the end look back and say they have nothing to show for all that activity, for all that effort, for all that suffering. But you won”t find in that group of people anyone who”s been practicing the Dhamma. The effort that goes into the Dhamma does give long-term benefits in terms of developing the qualities of the mind, opening us up to new dimensions that we wouldn”t have even imagined otherwise. So when the Dhamma requires that you give things up, remember that it”s a tradeoff in giving up a lesser happiness for a greater one. You”re giving up the habit of scattering your energy around in exchange for a better habit, one of focusing on the qualities of the mind that will see you through every situation and take you beyond situations. This is why it”s so important to strip things down to the essentials and keep on that level. The essentials cover everything, they take care of everything, they can provide you with all of the refuge you need.

　　So even though it may seem simple minded, we”re sitting right here focusing on what

　　 Focusing on the breath coming in and out. It may not seem all that profound or intellectually stimulating, but it”s one of the essentials. Not only the breath in and of itself, but the habits we develop as we keep the mind focused on the breath, in terms of mindfulness, alertness, persistence, clarity of mind. These skills are basic to all skills in life, so make sure that you really have them mastered. Whatever you have to give up in terms of time devoted to other things in order to master these skills, it”s a wise trade, a trade that”s more than worth whatever has been abandoned. That”s something you can depend on, because these are qualities that teach you how to depend on yourself. There”s that passage, “The self is its own refuge.” It means that ultimately you have to be your own refuge, and that you can be your own refuge only if you develop these qualities that make you dependable. If you depend on them, ultimately you find that they allow you to depend on yourself. That”s a promise that comes with a 2,600 year old guarantee.

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