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The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah Vol. 1 – Daily Life Practice by Ajahn Chah — Transcript

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0:00this is the uh collected teachings of
0:02arjun shah
0:04a collection of more than 50
0:07dumber talks of energy and charles that
0:09have been published in english in
0:10different places
0:11at different times
0:13and this first talk is called
0:16the middle way within
0:18and this was
0:20originally published in a taste of
0:21freedom
0:22and it was given in the northeastern
0:24thai dialect to an assembly of monks and
0:26laypeople
0:27in 1970.
0:30the teaching of buddhism is about giving
0:32up evil and practicing good
0:35then when evil is given up and goodness
0:37is established we must let go of both
0:39good and evil
0:42we've already heard enough about
0:44wholesome and unwholesome conditions to
0:45understand something about them so i'd
0:47like to talk about the middle way that
0:49is the path to transcend both of those
0:52things
0:55all the dhamma talks and teachings of
0:56the buddha have one aim to show the way
0:59out of suffering to those who have not
1:00yet escaped
1:02the teachings are for the purpose of
1:03giving us the right understanding
1:06if we don't understand rightly then we
1:08can't arrive at
1:10peace when all the buddhas became
1:12enlightened and gave their first
1:14teachings they pointed out these two
1:16extremes
1:17indulgence in pleasure and indulgence in
1:19pain
1:21these two types of infatuation are the
1:23opposite poles between which those who
1:25indulge in sense pleasures must
1:27fluctuate never arriving at peace
1:30they are the paths which spin around in
1:32sansara
1:35the enlightened one observed that all
1:37beings are stuck in these two extremes
1:41never seeing the middle way of dumbo
1:43so he pointed them out in order to show
1:46the penalty involved in both
1:49because we're still stuck
1:51because we are still wanting
1:53we live repeatedly under their sway
1:57the buddha declare that these two ways
1:58are the ways of intoxication
2:00they're not the ways of a meditator not
2:03the ways to peace
2:05these ways are indulgence in pleasure
2:07and indulgence in pain or to put it
2:09simply the way of slackness and the way
2:12of tension
2:16if you investigate
2:18if you investigate within moment by
2:20moment you will see that the tense way
2:22is anger the way of sorrow
2:25going this way there is only difficulty
2:27in distress
2:29if you transcended indulgence in
2:30pleasure it means you've transcended
2:32happiness
2:34happiness and unhappiness are not
2:36peaceful states
2:38the buddha taught to let go of both of
2:39them
2:40this is right practice this is the
2:42middle way
2:46and these words the middle way
2:48do not refer to our body in speech they
2:51refer to the mind
2:53when a mental impression which we don't
2:55like arises it affects the mind and
2:57there's confusion
2:59when the mind is confused when it's
3:01shaken up this is not the right way
3:04when a mental impression arises which we
3:06like
3:07the mind goes to indulgence in pleasure
3:09that's not the way either
3:13we people don't want suffering we want
3:15happiness
3:16but in fact happiness is just a refined
3:18form of suffering
3:21suffering itself is the course form
3:23you can compare it to a snake
3:26the head of the snake is unhappiness the
3:28tail of the snake is happiness
3:31the head of the snake is really
3:32dangerous it has poisonous fangs
3:34if you touch it the snake will bite you
3:37straight away
3:38but never mind the head even if you go
3:40and hold on to the tail it'll turn
3:42around and bite you just the same
3:44because both the head and the tail
3:46belong to the one snake
3:50in the same way both happiness and
3:51unhappiness or pleasure and sadness
3:53arise from the same parent
3:55wanting
3:57so when you're happy the mind isn't
3:59peaceful it really isn't
4:01for instance when we get the things we
4:03like such as wealth
4:05prestige
4:07praise or happiness
4:08we become pleased as a result
4:11but the mind still harbors some
4:13uneasiness because we're afraid of
4:14losing it
4:16that very fear isn't a peaceful state
4:19later on we may actually lose that thing
4:22and then we really suffer
4:25thus if you aren't aware even if you're
4:27happy
4:28suffering is imminent
4:30it's just the same as grabbing the
4:32snake's tail
4:33if you don't let go it'll bite
4:37so whether it's the snake's tail or his
4:38head that is hold some more unholes and
4:41they're all just characteristics of the
4:43wheel of existence
4:45of endless change
4:48the buddha established morality
4:50concentration and wisdom as the path to
4:52peace the way to enlightenment
4:55but in truth these things are not the
4:57essence of buddhism
4:58they are merely the path
5:01the buddha called them magga which means
5:03path
5:05the essence of buddhism is peace
5:07and that peace arises from truly knowing
5:10the nature of all things
5:13if we investigate closely we can see
5:15that peace is neither happiness nor
5:17unhappiness
5:19neither of these is the truth
5:23the human mind the mind which the buddha
5:25exhorted us to know and investigate is
5:27something we can only know by its
5:29activity
5:30the true original mind
5:33has nothing to measure it by
5:35there's nothing you can know it by
5:38in its natural state it is unshaken
5:40unmoving
5:42when happiness arises all that happens
5:45is that this mind gets lost in a mental
5:47impression
5:48there is movement
5:50when the mind moves like this clinging
5:52and attachment to those things come into
5:54being
5:57the buddha has already laid down the
5:58path of practice in its entirety but we
6:01have not yet practiced or if we have
6:04we've practiced only in speech
6:07our minds and our speech are not yet in
6:09harmony we just indulge in empty talk
6:12but the basis of buddhism is not
6:14something that can be talked about or
6:15guessed at
6:17the real basis of buddhism is full
6:19knowledge of the truth of reality
6:22if one knows this truth then no teaching
6:24is necessary
6:26if one doesn't know even if he listens
6:28to the teaching he doesn't really hear
6:31this is why the buddha said the
6:33enlightened one only points the way
6:36he can't do the practice for you because
6:38the truth is something you could not put
6:40into words or give away
6:45all the teachings are merely similes and
6:47comparisons
6:48means to help the mind see the truth
6:51if we haven't seen the truth we must
6:53suffer
6:55for example we commonly use the term
6:57sankara when referring to the body
7:00anybody can say it but in fact we have
7:02problems simply because we don't know
7:04the truth of the sankhara and thus cling
7:07to them
7:08because we don't know the truth of the
7:09body we suffer
7:12here's an example
7:14suppose one morning you're walking to
7:15work and a man yells abuse and insults
7:17at you from across the street
7:19as soon as you hear this abuse your mind
7:21changes from its usual state
7:23you don't feel so good
7:25you feel angry and hurt
7:27that man walks around abusing you night
7:29and day
7:30whenever you hear the abuse
7:33you get angry and even when you return
7:35home you're still angry because you feel
7:37vindictive you want to get even
7:41a few days later another man comes to
7:42your house and calls out hey
7:44that man who abused you the other day
7:46he's mad he's crazy
7:49has been for years he abuses everybody
7:51like that nobody takes any notice of
7:53anything he says
7:56as soon as you hear this you're suddenly
7:58relieved
7:59that anger and hurt that you've pent up
8:01within you all these days melts away
8:03completely
8:04why
8:06because you know the truth of the matter
8:08now
8:09before you didn't know you thought that
8:11man was normal so you were angry at him
8:14thinking like that has caused you to
8:16suffer
8:18as soon as you find out the truth
8:20everything changes oh he's mad
8:23that explains everything
8:26when you understand this you feel fine
8:28because you know for yourself
8:30having known then you can let go
8:34if you don't know the truth you cling
8:36right there
8:37when you thought that man who abused you
8:39was normal you could have killed him but
8:41when you find out the truth but he's mad
8:44you feel much better
8:45this is knowledge of the truth
8:49someone who sees the dhamma has a
8:50similar experience
8:52when attachment aversion and delusion
8:54disappear they disappear in the same way
8:57as long as we don't know these things we
8:59think what can i do
9:01i've so much greed and aversion
9:04this is not clear knowledge
9:06it's just the same as when we thought
9:08the madman was sane
9:09when we finally see that he was mad all
9:11along we're relieved of worry
9:14no one could show you this
9:16only when the mind sees for itself can
9:19it uproot and relinquish attachment
9:23it's the same with this body which we
9:24call sankhara
9:26although the buddha has already
9:27explained that the body is not
9:29substantial or a real being as such we
9:31still don't agree we stubbornly cling to
9:34it if the body could talk it would be
9:37telling us all day long
9:39you're not my owner you know
9:41actually it's telling us all the time
9:44but it's dumb a language so we're unable
9:46to understand it
9:48for instance the sense organs of eye ear
9:51nose tongue and body are continually
9:54changing but i've never seen them ask
9:56permission from us even once
9:58like when we have a headache or a
10:00stomach ache the body never asks
10:02permission first it just goes right
10:04ahead following its natural course
10:06this shows that the body doesn't allow
10:08anyone to be its owner
10:11it doesn't have an owner
10:13the buddha described it as an object
10:15void of substance
10:18we don't understand the dhamma and so we
10:20don't understand these sankhara we take
10:22them to be ourselves as belonging to us
10:26or belonging to others
10:28this gives rise to clinging
10:30when clinging arises becoming follows
10:34once becoming arises then there's birth
10:36once there's birth then old age sickness
10:38death
10:39the whole mass of suffering arises
10:43this is the patica samupada
10:46we say ignorance gives rise to
10:48volitional activities
10:50they give rise to consciousness and so
10:52on
10:53all these things are simply events in
10:54the mind
10:56when we come into contact with something
10:57we don't like if we don't have
10:59mindfulness ignorance is there
11:01suffering arises straight away
11:04but the mind passes through these
11:06changes so rapidly that we can't keep up
11:08with them
11:09it's the same as when you fall from a
11:10tree
11:11before you know it thug you've hit the
11:14ground
11:15actually you've passed many branches and
11:17twigs on the way but you couldn't count
11:19them you couldn't remember them as you
11:20passed you just fall and then
11:23thud
11:25the patica samupada dependent co-arising
11:28or dependent origination the description
11:31of the arising and ceasing of the five
11:32kundas
11:34it is the same as this
11:36if we divide it up as it is in the
11:38scriptures
11:39we say ignorance gives rise to
11:41volitional activities
11:44volitional activities give rise to
11:46consciousness consciousness gives rise
11:49to mind and matter
11:51mind and matter give rise to the sixth
11:52sense spaces the sun spaces give rise to
11:55sense contact
11:57contact gives rise to feeling feeling
11:59gives rise to wanting wanting gives rise
12:01to clinging clinging gives rise to
12:03becoming becoming gives rise to birth
12:06birth gives rise to old age sickness
12:08death and all forms of sorrow
12:10but in truth when you come into contact
12:13with something you don't like there's
12:15immediate suffering
12:17that feeling of suffering is actually
12:18the result of the whole chain of the
12:20participator
12:23this is why the buddha exhorted his
12:24disciples to investigate and know fully
12:26their own minds
12:32when people are born into the world they
12:34are without names
12:35once born we name them
12:38this is convention
12:40we give people names for the sake of
12:42convenience to call each other by
12:45the scriptures are the same
12:47we separate everything with labels to
12:49make studying the reality convenient
12:52in the same way all things are simply
12:54sankara
12:56their original nature is merely that of
12:58compounded things
13:00the buddha said that they are
13:01impermanent unsatisfactory and not self
13:04they're unstable we don't understand
13:07this firmly our understanding is not
13:09straight and so we have wrong view
13:12this wrong view is that the sankara are
13:14ourselves
13:16we are the sankhara or that happiness
13:19and unhappiness are ourselves
13:21we are happiness and unhappiness
13:25seeing like this is not full clear
13:27knowledge of the true nature of things
13:30the truth is that we can't force all
13:32these things to follow our desires
13:35they follow the way of nature
13:39here's a simple comparison
13:41suppose you go and sit in the middle of
13:43a freeway with the cars and trucks
13:45charging down at you
13:46you can't get angry at the cars shouting
13:49don't drive over here don't drive over
13:50here
13:52it's a freeway
13:54you can't tell them that
13:56so what can you do
13:58you can get off the road
14:00the road is the place where the cars run
14:02if you don't want the cars to be there
14:04you suffer
14:06it's the same with sankara
14:08we say they disturb us
14:10like when we sit in meditation and hear
14:12a sound we think oh that sounds
14:14bothering me
14:16if we understand that the sound bothers
14:18us then we suffer accordingly
14:21if we investigate a little deeper we
14:23will see that it's we who go out and
14:26disturb the sound
14:28the sound is simply sound
14:30if we understand like this then there's
14:32nothing more to it we leave it be
14:35we see that the sound is one thing
14:38we are another
14:40one who understands the sound comes to
14:42disturb him is one who doesn't see
14:44himself he really doesn't
14:47once you see yourself then you're at
14:49ease
14:51the sound
14:52is just sound
14:54why should you go and grab it
14:57you see that actually it was you who
14:59went out and disturbed the sound
15:03this is the real knowledge of the truth
15:05you see both sides so you have peace
15:09if you see only one side there's
15:10suffering once you see both sides then
15:13you follow the middle way
15:16this is the right practice of the mind
15:18this is what we call straightening out
15:20our understanding
15:24in the same way the nature of sankhara
15:26is impermanence and death but we want to
15:29grab them
15:30we carry them about and covet them
15:33we want them to be true
15:36we want to find truth within the things
15:38that aren't true whenever someone sees
15:40like this and clings to the sankhara as
15:42being himself he suffers
15:46the practice of dhamma is not dependent
15:48on being a monk a novice or a layman it
15:50depends on straightening out your
15:52understanding
15:53if our understanding is correct we
15:55arrive at peace
15:57whether you are ordained or not is the
15:59same every person has a chance to
16:01practice dumb to contemplate it
16:04we all contemplate the same thing
16:07if you attain peace it's all the same
16:10peace
16:11it's the same path with the same methods
16:15therefore the buddha didn't discriminate
16:17between laymen and monks
16:19he taught all people to practice in
16:20order to know the truth of the sankhara
16:24when we know this truth we let them go
16:27if we know the truth there'll be no more
16:29becoming or birth
16:30how is there no more birth
16:33there's no way for birth to take place
16:35because we fully know the truth of
16:37sankara
16:38if we fully know the truth then there's
16:40peace
16:41having or not having it's all the same
16:44gain and loss are one
16:46the buddha taught us to know this
16:48this is peace
16:50peace from happiness
16:52unhappiness gladness and sorrow
16:57we must see that there is no reason to
16:59be born
17:00born in what way
17:02born into gladness when we get something
17:04that we like we're glad over it
17:07if there's no clinging to that gladness
17:09there's no birth
17:10if there is clinging this is called
17:13birth
17:14so if we get something we aren't born
17:16into gladness if we lose something we
17:19aren't born into sorrow
17:21this is the birthless and the deathless
17:24birth and death are both founded in
17:26clinging to and cherishing the sankhara
17:31so the buddha said there is no more
17:33becoming for me finished is the holy
17:35life this is my last birth
17:38there he knew the birthless and the
17:41deathless
17:42this is what the buddha constantly
17:43exhorted his disciples to know
17:45this is the right practice
17:47if you don't reach it if you don't reach
17:49the middle way then you won't transcend
17:52suffering
17:54this is the second talk in this
17:56collection
17:58of
17:59teachings this is called
18:01the peace beyond
18:03and this is
18:04a condensed version of a talk that was
18:06given by ajahn chah to the chief privy
18:09councillor of thailand mr sanya dharma
18:12sakti
18:13and this was at what nam papang in 1978
18:18it's a great importance that we practice
18:20the dhamma
18:21if we don't practice then all our
18:23knowledge is only superficial knowledge
18:26just the outer shell of it
18:28it's as if we have some sort of fruit
18:30but we haven't eaten it yet
18:32even though we have that fruit in our
18:34hand we get no benefit from it
18:36only through the actual eating of the
18:38fruit will we really know its taste
18:42the buddha didn't praise those who
18:44merely believe others he praised the
18:46person who knows within himself
18:49just as with that fruit
18:50if we have tasted it already we don't
18:53have to ask anyone else else if it's
18:55sweet or sour
18:56our problems are over
18:58why are they over
19:00because we see according to the truth
19:03one who has realized the dumber is like
19:05one who has realized the sweetness or
19:07the sourness of the fruit
19:09all doubts are ended right here
19:13when we talk about dhamma although we
19:14may say a lot it can usually be brought
19:16down into four things
19:18they are simply to know suffering
19:21to know the cause of suffering to know
19:23the end of suffering
19:24and to know the path of practice leading
19:26to the end of suffering
19:28this is all there is
19:30all that we have experienced on the path
19:31of practice so far comes down to these
19:34four things
19:35when we know these things
19:37our problems are over
19:40where are these four things born
19:43they're born just within the body and
19:44the mind nowhere else
19:47so why is the teaching of the buddha so
19:49detailed and extensive
19:51this is in order to explain these things
19:53in a more refined way to help us to see
19:56them
19:59when siddhartha gotuna was born into the
20:01world before he saw the dhamma he was an
20:03ordinary person just like us
20:06when he knew what he had to know that is
20:09the truth of suffering the cause the end
20:11and the way leading to the end of
20:13suffering he realized the dhamma and
20:15became a perfectly enlightened buddha
20:18when we realized the namna wherever we
20:20sit we know dhamma
20:22wherever we are we hear the buddha's
20:24teaching
20:26when we understand our mother buddha is
20:27within our mind the dhamma is within our
20:29mind and the practice leading to wisdom
20:32is within our own mind
20:34having the buddha the dhamma and the
20:36sangha within our mind means that
20:38whether our actions are good or bad we
20:40know clearly for ourselves their true
20:41nature
20:44that is how the buddha discarded worldly
20:46opinions praise and criticism
20:49when people praised or criticized him he
20:51just accepted it for what it was
20:54these two things are simply worldly
20:56conditions so he wasn't shaken by them
20:58why not
20:59because he knew suffering
21:01he knew that if he believed in that
21:03praise or criticism they would cause him
21:05to suffer
21:09when suffering arises it agitates us we
21:12feel ill at ease
21:14what's the cause of that suffering
21:16it's because we don't know the truth
21:18this is the cause
21:20when the cause is present then suffering
21:22arises
21:23once arisen we don't know how to stop it
21:26the more we try to stop it the more it
21:28comes on we say don't criticize me or
21:32don't blame me
21:34trying to stop it like this suffering
21:36really comes on
21:37it won't stop
21:41so the buddha taught that the way
21:42leading to the end of suffering is to
21:44make the dhamma arise as a reality
21:46within our own minds
21:48we become those who witness the dharma
21:49for themselves
21:52if someone says we're good we don't get
21:54lost in it
21:55if they say that we're no good we don't
21:57forget ourselves
21:58this way we can be free
22:01good and evil are just worldly dumbest
22:04they're just states of mind
22:07if we follow them our mind becomes the
22:09world we just grope in the darkness and
22:11don't know the way out
22:15if it's like this then we've not yet
22:17mastered ourselves
22:19we try to defeat others but in doing so
22:21we defeat only ourselves
22:24but if we have mastery over ourselves
22:26then we have mastery over all
22:28over all mental formations sights sounds
22:31smells tastes and bodily feelings
22:37now i'm talking about externals they're
22:39like that but the outside is reflected
22:41inside also
22:44some people only know the outside they
22:46don't know the inside
22:48like when we say to see the body in the
22:50body quote unquote
22:52having seen the outer body is not enough
22:54we must know the body within the body
22:57then having investigated the mind we
23:00should know the mind within the mind
23:04why should we investigate the body
23:07what is this body in the body
23:11when we say to know the mind what is
23:13this mind
23:15if we don't know the mind then we don't
23:17know the things within the mind
23:19this is to be someone who doesn't know
23:21suffering doesn't know the cause doesn't
23:23know the end and doesn't know the way
23:25leading to the end of suffering
23:28the things which should help to
23:29extinguish suffering don't help because
23:31we get distracted by the things which
23:33aggravated
23:34it's just as if we have an itch on our
23:36head and we scratch our leg
23:39if it's our head that's itchy then we're
23:41obviously not going to get much relief
23:43in the same way when suffering arises we
23:45don't know how to handle it we don't
23:47know the practice leading to the end of
23:49suffering
23:52for instance take this body
23:54this body that each of us has brought
23:56along to this meeting
23:58if we just see the form of the body
24:00there's no way we can escape suffering
24:02why not because we still don't see the
24:05inside of the body we only see the
24:07outside
24:08we only see it as something beautiful
24:10something substantial
24:13the buddha said that seeing only this is
24:15not enough
24:16we see the outside with our eyes a child
24:18can see it animals can see it that's not
24:21difficult
24:22the outside of the body is easily seen
24:25but having seen it we stick to it we
24:28don't know the truth of it
24:30having seen it we grab onto it and it
24:32bites us
24:34so we should investigate the body within
24:36the body
24:38whatever is in the body go ahead and
24:40look at it
24:42if we just see the outside it's not
24:44clear
24:45we see hair nails and so on and they're
24:47just pretty things which entice us
24:50so the what the buddha taught to see the
24:52inside of the body to see the body
24:54within the body
24:56what is in the body look closely
24:58we'll find many surprises inside because
25:01even though they are within us we've
25:02never seen them
25:04wherever we walk we carry them with us
25:06sitting in a car we carry them with us
25:08but we still don't know them at all
25:13we take it and put it in our bag then
25:15leave without opening it to see what's
25:17inside
25:18when at last we open it it's full of
25:20poisonous snakes
25:22our body is like this
25:24if we just see the shell we say it's
25:26fine and beautiful we forget ourselves
25:29we forget impermanence suffering and not
25:32self
25:33if we look within this body it's really
25:35repulsive
25:37if we look according to reality without
25:39trying to sugar things over we'll see
25:41that it's really pitiful and worrisome
25:44dispassion will arise
25:46this feeling of disinterest is not that
25:49we feel aversion for the world or
25:50anything
25:51it's simply our mind clearing up our
25:54mind letting go we see things as not
25:57substantial or dependable but that all
25:59things are naturally established just as
26:01they are
26:02however we want them to be they just go
26:04their own way regardless
26:06whether we laugh or cry they simply are
26:09the way they are
26:11things which are unstable are unstable
26:14things which are not beautiful
26:16are not beautiful
26:19so the buddha said that when we
26:20experience sight sounds tastes smells
26:23bodily feelings or mental states we
26:25should release them
26:28when the ear hears sounds let them go
26:31when the nose smells an odor let it go
26:33just leave it at the nose
26:36when bodily feelings arise let go of the
26:39like or dislike that follow
26:41let them go back to their birthplace
26:44the same for mental states all these
26:46things just let them go their way
26:48this is knowing
26:50whether it's happiness or unhappiness
26:52it's all the same
26:53this is called meditation
26:58meditation means to make the mind
26:59peaceful in order to let wisdom arise
27:03this requires that we practice with body
27:05and mind in order to see and know sense
27:07impressions of form sound taste smell
27:10touch and mental formations
27:14to put it briefly
27:16it's just a matter of happiness and
27:17unhappiness
27:19happiness is pleasant feeling in the
27:20mind unhappiness is just unpleasant
27:23feeling
27:24the buddha taught to separate this
27:26happiness and unhappiness from the mind
27:29the mind is that which knows
27:32feeling is the characteristic of
27:33happiness or unhappiness like or dislike
27:37when the mind indulges in these things
27:39we say that it clings
27:41it clings to or takes that happiness and
27:43unhappiness to be worthy of holding
27:46that clinging is an action of mind
27:49that happiness or unhappiness is feeling
27:54when we say the buddha told us to
27:56separate the mind from the feeling he
27:58didn't literally mean to throw them to
27:59different places
28:01he meant that the mind must know
28:03happiness and no unhappiness
28:06when sitting in samadhi for example and
28:08peace fills the mind happiness comes but
28:11it doesn't reach us
28:13our unhappiness comes but it doesn't
28:15reach us
28:16this is how one separates the feeling
28:18from the mind
28:20we can compare it to oil and water in a
28:22bottle they don't combine
28:24even if you try to mix them the oil
28:26remains oil and the water removes water
28:29because they are of different density
28:33the natural state of the mind is neither
28:34happiness nor unhappiness
28:37when feeling enters the mind that
28:38happiness or unhappiness is born
28:40if we have mindfulness then we know the
28:42pleasant feeling is pleasant feeling
28:44the mind which knows will not pick it up
28:48happiness is there but it's outside the
28:51mind not buried within the mind
28:54the mind simply knows it clearly
28:57if we separate unhappiness from the mind
29:00does that mean that there's no suffering
29:02that we don't experience it
29:04yes we experience it but we know mind is
29:07mind feeling as feeling
29:10we don't cling to that feeling or carry
29:11it around
29:14the buddha separated these things
29:16through knowledge
29:17did he have suffering
29:19he knew the state of suffering but he
29:21didn't cling to it
29:23so that we say that he cut suffering off
29:26and there was happiness too but he knew
29:28that happiness
29:30if it's not known it's like a poison
29:33he didn't hold it to be himself
29:35happiness was there through knowledge
29:37but it didn't exist in his mind thus we
29:40say that he separated happiness and
29:42unhappiness from his mind
29:47when we say that the buddha and the
29:48enlightened ones killed defilements it's
29:51not that they really killed them
29:53if they had killed all defilements then
29:54we probably wouldn't have any
29:56they didn't kill defilements
29:58when they knew them for what they are
30:00they let them go
30:02someone who's stupid will grab them but
30:04the enlightened ones knew the
30:06defilements in their own minds as a
30:08poison so they swept them out
30:10they swept out the things which caused
30:12them to suffer
30:13they didn't kill them
30:16one who doesn't know
30:18one who doesn't know this will see some
30:19things such as happiness as good and
30:21then grab them but the buddha just knew
30:24them and simply brushed them away
30:28but when feeling arises for us we
30:30indulge in it that is the mind carries
30:33that happiness and unhappiness around in
30:36fact there are two different things
30:39the activities of mind pleasant feeling
30:41unpleasant feeling and so on are mental
30:43impressions
30:44they are the world
30:46if the mind knows this it can equally do
30:49the work
30:51if the mind knows this it can equally do
30:53work involving happiness or unhappiness
30:56why
30:57because it knows the truth of these
30:59things
31:00someone who doesn't know them
31:02sees them as having different value the
31:04one who knows sees them as equal
31:07if you cling to happiness it'll be the
31:09birthplace of unhappiness later on
31:12because happiness is unstable it changes
31:14all the time
31:16when happiness disappears
31:17unhappiness arises
31:22the buddha knew that because both
31:23happiness and unhappiness are
31:24unsatisfactory they have the same value
31:28when happiness arose he let it go
31:31he had right practice seeing that both
31:33these things have equal values and
31:35drawbacks
31:37they come under the law of dhamma that
31:39is they're unstable and unsatisfactory
31:42once born they die
31:44when he saw this right view arose
31:47the right way of practice became clear
31:50no matter what sort of feeling or
31:51thinking arose in his mind he knew it as
31:53simply the continuous play of happiness
31:55and unhappiness he didn't cling to them
32:00when the buddha was newly enlightened he
32:02gave a sermon about indulgence in
32:03pleasure and indulgence in pain
32:06monks
32:07indulgence in pleasure is the loose way
32:10indulgence in pain is the tense
32:12way these are the two things that
32:14disturbed his practice until the day he
32:16was enlightened because at first he
32:18didn't let go of them
32:20when he knew them he let them go and so
32:23was able to give his first sermon
32:26so we say that a meditator should not
32:28walk the way of happiness or unhappiness
32:30rather he should know them
32:32knowing the truth of suffering he will
32:34know the cause of suffering though the
32:36end of suffering and the way leading to
32:38the end of suffering
32:40and the way out of suffering is
32:41meditation itself
32:44to put it simply we must be mindful
32:49mindfulness is knowing or presence of
32:52mind
32:53right now what are we thinking what are
32:56we doing
32:57what do we have with us right now
33:00we observe like this we're aware of how
33:02we're living
33:04practicing like this wisdom can arise
33:07we consider it and investigate at all
33:09times in all postures
33:12when a mental impression arises that we
33:14we like we know it as such we don't hold
33:17it to be anything substantial
33:19it's just happiness
33:21when unhappiness arises we know that
33:23it's indulgence in pain it's not the
33:25path of a meditator
33:28this is what we call separating the mind
33:30from the feeling
33:32if we are clever we don't attach we
33:34leave things be
33:36we become the one who knows quote
33:39unquote
33:40the mind and feeling are just like oil
33:43and water
33:44they're in the same bottle
33:46but they don't mix
33:48even if we're sick or in pain we still
33:50know the feeling is feeling the mind is
33:53mind
33:54we know the painful or comfortable
33:55states but we don't identify with them
33:59we stay only with peace
34:01the peace beyond both comfort and pain
34:07you should understand it like this
34:09because if there is no permanent self
34:11then there is no refuge
34:14you must live like this that is without
34:16happiness and without unhappiness
34:18you stay only with the knowing you don't
34:20carry things around
34:24as long as we're still unenlightened all
34:26this may sound strange but it doesn't
34:27matter we just set our goal in this
34:29direction
34:31the mind is the mind
34:33it meets happiness and unhappiness and
34:35we see them as merely that there's
34:37nothing more to it
34:39they are divided not mixed
34:42if they're all mixed up then we don't
34:43know them
34:45it's like living in a house
34:47the house and his occupant are related
34:49but separate
34:51if there is danger in our house we're
34:53distressed because we must protect it
34:55but if the house catches fire we get out
34:58of it
35:00if painful feeling arises we get out of
35:02it just like that house
35:04when it's full of fire and we know it we
35:06come running out of it
35:08they are separate things
35:10the house is one thing the occupant is
35:12another
35:17we say that we separate mind and feeling
35:20in this way but in fact they are by
35:23nature already separate
35:25our realization is simply to know this
35:28natural separateness according to
35:29reality
35:32when we say they are not separated it's
35:34because we're clinging to them through
35:35ignorance of the truth
35:38so the buddha told us to meditate this
35:40practice of meditation is very important
35:43merely to know with the intellect is not
35:44enough
35:46the knowledge which arises from practice
35:48with the peaceful mind and the knowledge
35:49which comes from study are really far
35:52apart
35:53the knowledge which comes from study is
35:55not real knowledge of our own mind the
35:58mind tries to hold on to and keep this
36:00knowledge
36:01why do we try to keep it
36:03just to lose it and then when it's lost
36:06we cry
36:09if we really know then there's letting
36:11go leaving things be
36:13we know how things are and don't forget
36:15ourselves
36:17if it happens that we're sick we don't
36:19get lost in that
36:21some people think oh
36:23this year i was sick the whole time i
36:25couldn't meditate at all
36:27these are the words of a really foolish
36:29person
36:31someone who's sick or dying should be
36:33really diligent in his practice
36:35one may say he doesn't have the time to
36:37meditate he's sick he's suffering he
36:39doesn't trust his body and so he feels
36:41that he can't meditate
36:43if we think like this then things are
36:45difficult
36:47the buddha didn't teach like that he
36:49said that right here is the place to
36:51meditate
36:52when we're sick or almost dying that's
36:54when we can really know and see reality
36:59other people say they don't have the
37:01chance to meditate because they're too
37:03busy
37:04sometimes school teachers come to see me
37:06they say they have so many
37:07responsibilities so there's no time to
37:09meditate
37:11i ask them
37:12when you're teaching do you have time to
37:14breathe
37:18they answer
37:19yes
37:20so so how can you have the time to
37:23breathe if the work is so hectic and
37:25confusing here you're far from the
37:27dhamma
37:29actually this practice is just about the
37:31mind and its feelings
37:33it's not something that you have to run
37:34after or struggle for
37:37breathing continues while working
37:39nature takes care of the natural
37:41processes
37:42all we have to do is to try to be aware
37:46just to keep trying going inwards to see
37:48clearly meditation is like this
37:54if we have that presence of mind then
37:56whatever work we do will be the very
37:58tool which enables us to know right and
38:00wrong continually
38:02there's plenty of time to meditate we
38:05just don't fully understand the practice
38:07that's all
38:09while sleeping we breathe
38:11while eating we breathe don't we
38:13why don't we have the time to meditate
38:16wherever we are we breathe
38:18if we think like this then our life has
38:20as much value as our breath
38:22wherever we are
38:24we have time
38:28all kinds of thinking are mental
38:30conditions not conditions of body so we
38:33need to simply have presence of mind
38:35then we will know right and wrong at all
38:37times
38:38standing walking sitting in line we just
38:40don't know how to use it properly
38:43please consider this
38:46cannot run away from feeling
38:48we must know it
38:50feeling is just feeling happiness is
38:52just happiness unhappiness is just
38:55unhappiness
38:56they are simply that
38:58so
38:59why should we cling to them
39:02if the mind is clever
39:03simply hearing this is enough to enable
39:05us to separate feeling from the mind
39:09if we investigate like this continuously
39:12the mind will find release but it's not
39:14escaping through ignorance
39:16the mind lets go but it knows
39:19it doesn't let go through stupidity or
39:21because it doesn't want things to be the
39:22way they are
39:24it lets go because it knows according to
39:26the truth this is seeing nature the
39:30reality that's all around us
39:34when we know this we are someone who's
39:36skilled with the mind
39:38we're skilled with mental impressions
39:40when we're skilled with mental
39:42impressions we are skilled with the
39:43world
39:45this is to be a quote noah of the world
39:48unquote
39:50the buddha was someone who clearly knew
39:51the world with all its difficulty
39:54he knew the troublesome and that would
39:56which was not troublesome was right
39:57there
40:00this world is so confusing
40:02how is it that the buddha was able to
40:04know it
40:05here we should understand that the
40:07dharma tour by the buddha is not beyond
40:09our ability
40:10in all postures we should have presence
40:12of mind and self-awareness and when it's
40:14time to sit in meditation we do that
40:18we sit in meditation to establish
40:20peacefulness and cultivate mental energy
40:23we don't do it in order to play around
40:25with anything special
40:28insight meditation is sitting in samadhi
40:31itself
40:33at some places they say
40:35now we are going to sit in samadhi after
40:37that will do insight meditation
40:40don't divide them like this
40:42tranquility is the base which gives rise
40:44to wisdom wisdom is the fruit of
40:46tranquility
40:48to say that now we're gonna do calm
40:49meditation later we'll do insight you
40:52can't do that
40:54you can only divide them in speech
40:56just like a knife
40:58the blade is on one side the back of the
41:00blade is on the other you can't divide
41:02them if you pick up one side you get
41:05both sides
41:06tranquility gives rise to wisdom like
41:08this
41:11morality is the father and mother of
41:13dhamma
41:14in the beginning we must have morality
41:17morality is peace
41:19this means that one does no wrong doings
41:21in body or speech
41:23when we don't do wrong then we don't get
41:25agitated
41:27when we don't become agitated then peace
41:29and collectedness arise within the mind
41:34we say that morality concentration and
41:36wisdom are the path on which all the
41:38noble ones have walked to enlightenment
41:40they are all one
41:42morality is concentration concentration
41:44is morality
41:46concentration is wisdom wisdom is
41:48concentration
41:50it's like a mango
41:52when it's a flower we call it a flower
41:55when it becomes a fruit we call it a
41:57mango
41:58when it ripens we call it a ripe mango
42:00it's all one mango but it continually
42:03changes
42:05the big mango grows from the small mango
42:07the small mango becomes a big one
42:09you can call them different fruits or
42:10all one fruit
42:12morality concentration and wisdom are
42:15related like this
42:17in the end it's all the path that leads
42:19to enlightenment
42:22the mango from the moment it first
42:24appears as a flower simply grows to
42:26ripeness
42:27this is enough
42:28we should see it like this
42:30whatever others call it it doesn't
42:32matter
42:33once it's born it grows to old age and
42:35then where
42:37we should contemplate this
42:40some people don't want to be old
42:43when they get old they become depressed
42:46these people shouldn't eat ripe mangoes
42:49why do we want the mangoes to be ripe
42:51if they're not ripe in time we ripen
42:53them artificially don't we
42:55but when we become old we're filled with
42:57regret
42:58some people cry they're afraid to get
43:00old or die
43:02if it's like this then they shouldn't
43:04eat ripe mangoes
43:05better to just eat the flowers
43:08if we can see this then we can see the
43:10dhamma everything clears up
43:12we are at peace
43:14just determined to practice like that
43:18today the chief privy councillor and his
43:20party have come together to hear the
43:22dhamma
43:24you should take what i've said and
43:25contemplate it
43:26if anything is not right please excuse
43:28me
43:29but for you to know whether it's right
43:30or wrong depends on your practicing and
43:32seeing for yourselves
43:34whatever is wrong throw it out if it's
43:36right then take it and use it
43:39but actually we practice in order to let
43:41go of both right and wrong
43:43in the end we just throw everything out
43:45if it's right throw it out wrong throw
43:47it out
43:49usually if it's right we cling to
43:50rightness if it's wrong we hold it to be
43:53wrong and then arguments follow
43:55but the dhamma is the place where there
43:57is nothing
43:58nothing at all
44:00this is the
44:02third dhamma talk from this collection
44:05this is called convention and liberation
44:09and this
44:10was first published in
44:12the book called the taste of freedom
44:15and it's from an informal talk given in
44:17the northeastern dialect from an
44:19unidentified tape
44:22the things of this world are merely
44:24conventions of our own making
44:26having established them we get lost in
44:28them and refuse to let go
44:31giving rise to clinging to personal
44:32views and opinions
44:34this clinging never ends
44:36it is sansara flowing endlessly on
44:40it has no completion
44:43now if we know conventional reality then
44:46we'll know liberation
44:48if we clearly know liberation
44:50then we'll know convention
44:52this is to know the dhamma here there is
44:55completion
44:58take people for instance
45:00in reality people don't have any names
45:03we're born naked into the world
45:06our names arise only through convention
45:10i've contemplated this and seen that if
45:12you don't know the truth of this
45:13convention it can be really harmful
45:16it's simply something we use for
45:18convenience
45:19without it we couldn't communicate
45:21there'll be nothing to say
45:23no language
45:26i've seen westerners when they sit in
45:27meditation together in the west
45:30when they get up after sitting men and
45:31women together sometimes they go and
45:33touch each other on the head
45:35when i saw this i thought hey
45:38if we cling to convention it gives rise
45:40to defilements right there
45:42if we can let go of convention give up
45:44our opinions we're at peace
45:47and uh as a footnote it says um to touch
45:50a person's head in thailand is usually
45:52considered an insult
45:54so this was a very strange and
45:56mysterious thing for people to be doing
45:58in a random way after sitting together
46:01meditating
46:05if we can let go of convention give up
46:08our opinions
46:09we are at peace
46:11like the generals and colonels men of
46:13rank and position who come to see me
46:16when they come they say oh please touch
46:18my head
46:20this is being
46:22considered an auspicious thing in
46:23thailand to have your head touched by a
46:25highly esteemed monk
46:28if they ask like this there's nothing
46:30wrong with it they're glad to have their
46:31heads touched but if you tap their heads
46:34in the middle of the street it'll be a
46:35different story
46:37this is because of clinging
46:39so i feel that letting go is really the
46:41way to peace
46:43touching ahead is against our customs
46:45but in reality it's nothing
46:48when they agree to having it touched
46:50there's nothing wrong with it
46:52just like touching a cabbage or a potato
46:56accepting giving up letting go
46:59this is the way of likeness
47:01wherever you're clinging there's
47:03becoming and birth right there
47:05there's danger right there
47:09the buddha taught about convention and
47:10he taught to undo convention in the
47:12right way and so reach liberation
47:18this is freedom
47:19not to cling to conventions
47:22all the things in this world have a
47:24conventional reality
47:26having established them we should not be
47:28fooled by them
47:29because getting lost in them really
47:31leads to suffering
47:33this point concerning rules and
47:35conventions is of utmost importance
47:37one who can get beyond them is beyond
47:39suffering
47:42however they are a characteristic of our
47:44world
47:45take mr bunmar for instance
47:48he used to be just one of the crowd but
47:50now he's been appointed the district
47:52commissioner
47:53it's just a convention but it's a
47:55convention we should respect
47:57it's part of the world of people
48:00if you think oh before we were friends
48:03we used to work at the taylors together
48:06and then you go and pat him on the head
48:07in public you'll get angry
48:09it's not right he'll resent it
48:12so we should follow the conventions in
48:14order to avoid giving rise to resentment
48:17it's useful to understand convention
48:20living in the world is just about this
48:23know the right time and place
48:25know the person
48:28why is it wrong to go against
48:30conventions
48:31it's wrong because of people you should
48:34be clever knowing both convention and
48:36liberation know the right time for each
48:39if we know how to use rules and
48:41conventions comfortably then we are
48:43skilled
48:44but if we try to behave according to the
48:46higher level of reality in the wrong
48:48situation this is wrong
48:50where is it wrong
48:52it's wrong with people's defilements
48:54that's where
48:56people all have defilements
48:58in one situation we behave one way in
49:00another situation we must behave in
49:02another way
49:04we should know the ins and outs because
49:05we live within conventions
49:08problems occur because people cling to
49:10them
49:12if we suppose something to be
49:14then it is it's there because we suppose
49:18it to be there
49:19but if you look closely in the absolute
49:22sense these things don't really exist
49:27as i have often said before we were
49:29laymen now we are monks
49:31we lived within the convention of laymen
49:34now we live within the convention of
49:36monk
49:37we are monks by convention not monks
49:40through liberation
49:42in the beginning we established
49:43conventions like this but if a person
49:46merely ordains this doesn't mean he
49:48overcomes his defilements
49:50if we take a handful of sand and agree
49:53to call it salt
49:54does this make it salt
49:57it's salt
49:59but only in name not in reality
50:02you couldn't use it to cook with
50:04its only use is within the realm of that
50:07agreement
50:08because there's really no salt there
50:10only sand it becomes salt only through
50:14our supposing it to be so
50:18this word liberation is itself just a
50:20convention but it refers to that which
50:23is beyond conventions
50:26achieved freedom having reached
50:27liberation we still have to use
50:29convention in order to refer to it as
50:32liberation
50:34if we didn't have convention we couldn't
50:36communicate so it does have its
50:38use for example people have different
50:41names
50:42but they're all people just the same
50:45if we didn't have names to differentiate
50:46between each other and we wanted to call
50:48out to somebody standing in a crowd
50:50saying hey person person
50:52that would be useless
50:54you couldn't say who would answer you
50:56because they're all person
50:58but if you called hey john then john
51:01would respond and the others wouldn't
51:03names fulfill justice need
51:06through them we can communicate they
51:08provide the basis for social behavior
51:12so you should know both convention and
51:14liberation
51:16conventions have a use but in reality
51:18there really isn't anything
51:20there even people are non-existent
51:24they are merely groups of elements born
51:26of causal conditions growing dependent
51:28on conditions existing for a while then
51:31disappearing in a natural way
51:34no one can oppose or control it
51:37but without conventions we would have
51:39nothing to say we'd have no names no
51:42practice no work
51:45rules and conventions are established to
51:47give us a language to make things
51:49convenient and that's all
51:52take money for example
51:54in olden times there weren't any coins
51:56or notes they had no value
51:59people used to barter goods
52:01those things were difficult to keep so
52:03they created money using coins and notes
52:08perhaps in the future we'll have a new
52:09king decree that we don't have to use
52:11paper money we should use wax melting it
52:14down and pressing it into lumps
52:16we'll say this is money and use it
52:18throughout the country
52:20let alone wax they might even decide to
52:22make chicken dung the local currency
52:25all the other things can't be money just
52:27chicken dung
52:28then people would fight and kill each
52:30other over chicken dung
52:33this is the way it is
52:35you could use many examples to
52:36illustrate convention
52:38what we use for money is simply a
52:41convention that we have set that we have
52:43set up
52:44it has its use within that convention
52:47having decreed it to be money it becomes
52:49money
52:50but in reality what is money
52:54nobody can say
52:56when there's a popular agreement about
52:57something then a convention comes about
52:59to fulfill the need
53:01the world is just this
53:05this is convention but to get ordinary
53:07people to understand liberation is
53:09really difficult
53:11our money
53:12our house our family our children our
53:15relatives are all simply conventions
53:17that we've invented but really seen in
53:20the light of dhamma they don't belong to
53:22us
53:24maybe if we hear this we don't feel so
53:26good but reality is like that
53:29these things have value only through the
53:31established conventions
53:33if we establish that it doesn't have
53:35value then it doesn't have value
53:38if we establish that it has value then
53:41it has value
53:43this is the way it is
53:45we bring convention into the world to
53:47fulfill a need
53:50even this body is not really ours we
53:52just suppose it to be so
53:54it's truly just an assumption on our
53:56part
53:58if you try to find a real substantial
54:00self within it you can't
54:03there are many elements which are born
54:05continue for a while and then die
54:07everything is like this there's no tree
54:11a real true substance to it
54:14but it's proper that we use it
54:16it's like a cup
54:18at some time that cup must break
54:20but while it's there you should use it
54:22and look after it well it's a tool for
54:24your use
54:26if it breaks there's trouble
54:28so even though it must break you should
54:30try your utmost to preserve it
54:33and so we have the four supports these
54:35are robes arms food lodgings and
54:37medicines to which the buddha taught
54:39again and again to contemplate
54:43they are the supports on which a monk
54:44depends to continue his practice
54:47as long as you live you must depend on
54:48them but you should understand them
54:51don't cling to them giving rise to
54:53craving in your mind
54:55convention and liberation are
54:57continually related like this
54:59even though we use convention don't
55:01place your trust in it as being the
55:02truth
55:04if you cling to it suffering will arise
55:07the case of right and wrong is a good
55:08example
55:10some people see wrong as being right and
55:12right as being wrong
55:14but in the end
55:15who really knows what is right and what
55:17is wrong
55:18we don't know
55:20different people establish different
55:21conventions about what's right and
55:23what's wrong but the buddha took
55:24suffering as his guideline
55:27if you want to argue about it there's no
55:29end to it
55:31one says right another says wrong one
55:33says wrong another says right
55:36in truth we don't really know right and
55:38wrong at all but at a useful practical
55:41level we can say that right is not to
55:44harm oneself and not to harm others
55:47this way fulfills a constructive purpose
55:49for us
55:52after all rules conventions and
55:54liberation are simply dumbers
55:56one is higher than the other but they go
55:58hand in hand
56:00there's no way that we can guarantee
56:02that anything is definitely like this or
56:04like that
56:05so the buddha said to just leave it be
56:08leave it be as uncertain
56:11however much you like it or dislike it
56:13you should understand it is uncertain
56:17regardless of time and place
56:19the whole practice of dhamma comes to
56:21completion at the place where there is
56:23nothing
56:24it's the place of surrender of emptiness
56:27of laying down the burden this is the
56:30finish
56:31it's not like the person who says
56:33why is the flag flattering in the wind i
56:36say it's because of the wind
56:38another person says it's because of the
56:40flag
56:41the other retorts is because of the wind
56:44there's no end to this
56:46the same as the old riddle which came
56:48first the chicken or the egg
56:50there's no way to reach a conclusion
56:53this is just nature
56:56all these things we say are merely
56:58conventions
56:59we establish them ourselves
57:01if you know these things with wisdom
57:03then you'll know impermanence suffering
57:05and not self
57:07this is the outlook which leads to
57:09enlightenment
57:11training and teaching people with
57:13varying levels of understanding is
57:14really difficult
57:16some people have certain ideas
57:19you tell them something and they don't
57:20believe you
57:22you tell them the truth and they say
57:23it's not true
57:25i'm right you're wrong
57:27there's no end to this
57:29if you don't let go there will be
57:31suffering
57:32i've told you before about the four men
57:34who go into the forest
57:36they hear a chicken
57:38crowing one of them wonders
57:41is that a rooster or a hen
57:44three of them say together it's a hen
57:47but the other doesn't agree he insists
57:49he's a rooster how could i hang crow
57:51like that he asks they retal well it has
57:55a mouth hasn't it
57:57they argue and argue till the tears fall
57:59really getting upset over it but in the
58:01end they're all wrong
58:03whether you say a hen or a rooster
58:05they're only names
58:07we establish these conventions saying a
58:09rooster is like this a hen is like that
58:12a rooster cries like this a hen cries
58:15like that
58:16and this is how he gets stuck in the
58:17world
58:19remember this
58:21actually if you just say that really
58:23there's no hand and no rooster then
58:25that's the end of it
58:28in the field of conventional reality one
58:30side is right and the other side is
58:32wrong but there will never be a complete
58:34agreement
58:36arguing till the tears
58:38arguing till the tears fall has no use
58:43the buddha taught not to cling
58:45how do we practice non-clinging
58:47we practice simply by giving up clinging
58:50but this non-clinging is very difficult
58:52to understand
58:53it takes keen wisdom to investigate and
58:55penetrate this
58:57to really achieve non-clinging
59:00when you think about it whether people
59:02are happy or sad content or discontent
59:05doesn't depend on their having little or
59:06having much it depends on wisdom
59:10all distress can be transcended only
59:13through wisdom
59:14through seeing the truth of things
59:18so the buddha exhorted us to investigate
59:21to contemplate
59:23this contemplation means simply to try
59:26to solve these problems correctly
59:28this is our practice
59:30like birth old age sickness and death
59:33they are the most natural and common of
59:34occurrences
59:36the buddha taught to contemplate birth
59:39old age sickness and death but some
59:41people don't understand this
59:43what's that a contemplate they say
59:46they're born but they don't know birth
59:49they will die
59:50but they don't know death
59:53a person who investigates these things
59:55repeatedly will see
59:57having seen he will gradually solve his
59:59problems
1:00:01even if he still has clinging if he has
1:00:03wisdom and sees that old age sickness
1:00:05and death are the way of nature he'll be
1:00:07able to relieve suffering
1:00:09we study the dharma simply for this
1:00:12to cure suffering
1:00:16there isn't really much as the basis of
1:00:17buddhism
1:00:19there's just the birth and death of
1:00:20suffering
1:00:21and this the buddha called the truth
1:00:24birth is suffering old age is suffering
1:00:26sickness is suffering death is suffering
1:00:30people don't see this suffering as the
1:00:31truth
1:00:32if we know truth then we know suffering
1:00:38this pride in personal opinions these
1:00:40arguments they have no end
1:00:43in order to put our minds at rest to
1:00:45find peace we should contemplate our
1:00:47past the present and the things which
1:00:50are in store for us like birth old age
1:00:52sickness and death
1:00:55what can we do to avoid being plagued by
1:00:57these things
1:00:58even though we may still have a little
1:01:00worry if we investigate until we know
1:01:02according to the truth all suffering
1:01:04will abate
1:01:05because we will no longer cling to
1:01:07things
1:01:10this is the
1:01:11fourth talk of this collection entitled
1:01:15no abiding and this was first published
1:01:18in a taste of freedom
1:01:20and it was a talk given to the monks
1:01:21novices and laypeople of what
1:01:26during the reigns retreat of 1980
1:01:29we hear some of the teachings and can't
1:01:31really understand them
1:01:33we think they shouldn't be the way they
1:01:35are so we don't follow them
1:01:36but really there's a reason to all the
1:01:38teachings
1:01:40maybe it seems that things shouldn't be
1:01:42that way but they are
1:01:44at first i didn't even believe in
1:01:46sitting meditation i couldn't see what
1:01:48was the use what user would be just to
1:01:50sit with your eyes closed and walking
1:01:52meditation
1:01:53walking from this tree to that tree
1:01:55turning around and walking back again
1:01:57why bother i thought
1:01:59what's the use of all that walking
1:02:02i thought like that but actually walking
1:02:04and sitting meditation are a great use
1:02:09some people's tendencies cause them to
1:02:10prefer walking meditation others prefer
1:02:13sitting but you can't do without either
1:02:15of them
1:02:16the scriptures refer to the four
1:02:18postures
1:02:19standing walking sitting and lying down
1:02:22we live with these four postures
1:02:24we may prefer one to the other but we
1:02:26must use all four
1:02:29the scriptures say to make these four
1:02:31postures even
1:02:32to make the practice even in all
1:02:34postures at first i couldn't figure out
1:02:36what it meant to make them even
1:02:39maybe it means we sleep for two hours
1:02:40then stand for two hours and walk for
1:02:42two hours maybe that's it
1:02:45i tried it couldn't do it
1:02:47it was impossible
1:02:49that's not what it meant to make the
1:02:51postures even
1:02:53making the postures even refers to the
1:02:55mind to our awareness
1:02:57giving rise to wisdom in the mind to
1:02:59illumine the mind
1:03:02this wisdom of ours must be present in
1:03:04all postures we must know or understand
1:03:07constantly
1:03:09standing walking sitting or lying down
1:03:12we know all mental states is impermanent
1:03:14unsatisfactory and not self
1:03:16making the postures even in this way can
1:03:18be done it is possible
1:03:21whether like or dislike are present in
1:03:22the mind we don't forget our practice
1:03:25we are aware
1:03:29if we just focus our attention on the
1:03:30mind constantly
1:03:32then we have the gist of the practice
1:03:34whether we experience mental states
1:03:36which the world knows is good or bad we
1:03:38don't forget ourselves
1:03:40we don't get lost in good or bad we just
1:03:42go straight
1:03:44making the postures constant in this way
1:03:46is possible
1:03:49if we have constancy in our practice
1:03:51when we're praised then it simply prays
1:03:53if we're blamed it's just blame
1:03:56we don't get high or low over it we stay
1:03:58right here
1:04:00why
1:04:01because we see the danger in all those
1:04:02things we see their results
1:04:05we are constantly aware of the danger in
1:04:07both praise and blame
1:04:09normally if we have a good mood the mind
1:04:12is good also
1:04:13we see them as the same thing
1:04:16if we have a bad mood the mind goes bad
1:04:18as well we don't like it
1:04:20this is the way it is
1:04:21this is uneven practice
1:04:25if we have constancy just to the extent
1:04:27of knowing our moods
1:04:29and knowing we're clinging to them this
1:04:31is better already
1:04:33that is we have awareness
1:04:35we know what's going on but we still
1:04:37can't let go
1:04:39we see ourselves clinging to good and
1:04:40bad and we know it
1:04:42we cling to good and we know it's not
1:04:44right practice but still we can't let go
1:04:48this is fifty to seventy percent of the
1:04:50practice already
1:04:52there still isn't release but we know
1:04:55that if we could let go that would be
1:04:57the way to peace
1:04:59we keep seeing the equally harmful
1:05:00consequences of all our likes and
1:05:02dislikes of praise and blame
1:05:04continuously
1:05:06whatever the conditions may be the mind
1:05:08is constant in this way
1:05:12but if worldly people get blamed or
1:05:13criticized they get really upset
1:05:16if they get praised it cheers them up
1:05:19they say it's good and get really happy
1:05:21over it
1:05:22if we know the truth of our various
1:05:24moods
1:05:25if we know the consequences of clinging
1:05:27to praise and blame the danger of
1:05:29clinging to anything at all we will
1:05:31become sensitive to our moods
1:05:33we will know that clinging to them
1:05:35really causes suffering
1:05:37we see the suffering and we see our very
1:05:39clinging as the cause of that suffering
1:05:42we begin to see the consequences of
1:05:44grabbing and clinging to good and bad
1:05:46because we grasped them and seen the
1:05:48result before
1:05:49no real happiness
1:05:51so now we look for the way to let go
1:05:56where is this way to let go
1:05:59in buddhism we say don't cling to
1:06:01anything
1:06:02we never stop hearing about this don't
1:06:04cling to anything
1:06:05this means to hold
1:06:07but not to cling
1:06:08like this flashlight
1:06:10we think what is this so we pick it up
1:06:13oh it's a flashlight then we put it down
1:06:16again
1:06:17we hold things in this way
1:06:20if we didn't hold anything at all what
1:06:22could we do
1:06:23we couldn't do walking meditation or do
1:06:25anything so we must hold things first
1:06:28it's wanting yes that's true but later
1:06:31on it leads to bharami
1:06:32virtue or perfection
1:06:34like wanting to come here for instance
1:06:37venerable jaguar came to wat papong he
1:06:39had to want to come here first
1:06:41if he hadn't felt that he wanted to come
1:06:43he wouldn't have come
1:06:45for anybody it's the same they come here
1:06:48because of wanting
1:06:50but when wanting arises don't cling to
1:06:52it
1:06:53so you come and then you go back
1:06:55what is this we pick it up look at it
1:06:57and see oh it's a flashlight then we put
1:07:00it down
1:07:02this is called holding but not clinging
1:07:06we let go
1:07:08we know
1:07:09and then we let go
1:07:11to put it simply we say just this no
1:07:14then let go
1:07:15keep looking and letting go
1:07:18this they say is good this they say is
1:07:20not good
1:07:21no and then let go
1:07:23good and bad we know it all but we let
1:07:25it go
1:07:27we don't foolishly cling to things but
1:07:29we hold them with wisdom
1:07:32practicing in this posture can be
1:07:34constant
1:07:35you must be constant like this
1:07:37make the mind know in this way
1:07:40let wisdom arise
1:07:41when the mind has wisdom what else is
1:07:44there to look for
1:07:47we should reflect on what we're doing
1:07:48here for a reason we are living here
1:07:52what are we working for
1:07:54in the world they work for this or that
1:07:57reward
1:07:58but the monks teach something a little
1:07:59deeper than that
1:08:01whatever we do we ask for no return
1:08:04we work for no reward
1:08:07worldly people work because they want
1:08:08this or that because they want some gain
1:08:10or other
1:08:12but the buddha taught to work just in
1:08:14order to work
1:08:15we don't ask for anything beyond that
1:08:19if you do something just to get some
1:08:20return
1:08:22it'll cause suffering
1:08:23try it out for yourself
1:08:25you want to make your mind peaceful so
1:08:27you sit down and try to make it peaceful
1:08:29you'll suffer try it
1:08:32our way is more refined we do and then
1:08:35we let go
1:08:36do and then let go
1:08:40look at the brahmin who makes a
1:08:41sacrifice he has some desire in mind so
1:08:43he makes a sacrifice
1:08:45those actions of his won't help him
1:08:47transcend suffering because he's acting
1:08:49on desire
1:08:51in the beginning we practice with some
1:08:53desire in mind
1:08:55we practice on and on but we don't
1:08:56attain our desire
1:08:58so we practice until we reach a point
1:09:00where we're practicing for no return
1:09:02we're practicing in order to let go
1:09:07this is something we must see for
1:09:08ourselves it's very deep
1:09:11maybe we practice because we want to go
1:09:12to nirvana
1:09:14right there you won't get to nibana
1:09:17it's natural to want peace but it's not
1:09:19really correct
1:09:21we must practice without wanting
1:09:23anything at all
1:09:24if we don't want anything at all what do
1:09:26we get
1:09:27we don't get anything
1:09:29whatever you get is a cause of suffering
1:09:32so we practice not getting anything
1:09:36just this is called making the mind
1:09:38empty
1:09:39it's empty but there is still doing
1:09:42this emptiness is something people don't
1:09:44usually understand
1:09:46only those who reach it see the real
1:09:47value of it
1:09:49it's not the emptiness of not having
1:09:51anything
1:09:52it's emptiness within the things that
1:09:54are here
1:09:55like this flashlight we should see this
1:09:57flashlight as empty
1:10:00because of the flashlight there is
1:10:02emptiness
1:10:04it's not the emptiness where we can't
1:10:05see anything it's not like that
1:10:08people who understand like that have got
1:10:10it all wrong
1:10:11you must understand emptiness within the
1:10:13things that are here
1:10:18those who are still practicing because
1:10:19they have some gaining idea are like the
1:10:21brahmin making a sacrifice just to
1:10:23fulfill some wish
1:10:25like the people who come to see me to be
1:10:27sprinkled with holy water
1:10:29when i ask them why do you want this
1:10:30holy water they say we want to live
1:10:33happily and comfortably and not get sick
1:10:35there they'll never transcend suffering
1:10:38that way
1:10:41the worldly way is to do things for a
1:10:43reason to get some return
1:10:46but in buddhism we do things without the
1:10:48idea of gaining anything
1:10:50the world has to understand things in
1:10:52terms of cause and effect but the buddha
1:10:54teaches us to go above and beyond cause
1:10:56and effect his wisdom was to go above
1:10:59cause
1:11:00beyond effect
1:11:02to go above birth and beyond death
1:11:05to go above happiness and beyond
1:11:07suffering
1:11:10think about it there's nowhere to stay
1:11:14we people live in a home
1:11:17to leave home and go where there is no
1:11:19home we don't know how to do that
1:11:21because we've always lived with becoming
1:11:23with clinging
1:11:24if we can't clean we don't know what to
1:11:26do
1:11:28so most people don't want to go to
1:11:30nirvana
1:11:32there's nothing there
1:11:33nothing at all
1:11:36look at the roof and floor here
1:11:38the upper extreme is the roof that's an
1:11:40abiding
1:11:42the lower extreme is the floor and
1:11:44that's another abiding
1:11:46but in the empty space between the floor
1:11:48and the roof there's nowhere to stand
1:11:51one could stand on the roof or stand on
1:11:53the floor but not on that empty space
1:11:56where there is no abiding that's where
1:11:58there's emptiness
1:11:59and nibana is this emptiness
1:12:04people hear this and they back up a bit
1:12:05they don't want to go
1:12:07they're afraid they won't see their
1:12:08children or relatives
1:12:10this is why when we bless the lay people
1:12:11we say may you have a long life beauty
1:12:14happiness and strength
1:12:16this makes them really happy sad who
1:12:19they all say
1:12:20they like these things if you start
1:12:22talking about emptiness they don't want
1:12:24it
1:12:25they're attached to abiding
1:12:29but have you ever seen a very old person
1:12:31with a beautiful complexion
1:12:33have you ever seen an old an old person
1:12:35with a lot of strength or a lot of
1:12:36happiness
1:12:38no but we say long life beauty happiness
1:12:41and strength and they're all really
1:12:42pleased every single one says
1:12:47this is like the brahmin who makes
1:12:48oblations to achieve some wish
1:12:52in our practice we don't make oblations
1:12:54we don't practice in order to get some
1:12:56return
1:12:57we don't want anything
1:13:00if we want something then there is still
1:13:02something there
1:13:03just to make the mind peaceful and have
1:13:05done just make the mind peaceful and
1:13:07have done with it
1:13:09but if i talk like this you may not be
1:13:11very comfortable because you want to be
1:13:13born again
1:13:16all you lay practitioners should get
1:13:18close to the monks to see their practice
1:13:21to be close to the monks means to be
1:13:23close to the buddha to be close to his
1:13:25dumber
1:13:26the buddha said ananda practice a lot
1:13:29develop your practice
1:13:31whoever sees the dhamma sees me and
1:13:33whoever sees me sees the dhamma
1:13:37where is the buddha
1:13:39we may think the buddha has been and
1:13:41gone
1:13:42but the buddha is the dhamma the truth
1:13:45some people like to say oh if i been
1:13:47born in the time of the buddha i would
1:13:49have gone to nibana
1:13:51here stupid people talk like this
1:13:54the buddha is still here
1:13:56the buddha is truth
1:13:58regardless of whoever is born or dies
1:14:01the truth is still here
1:14:03the truth never departs from the world
1:14:05it's there all the time
1:14:07whether a buddha is born or not whether
1:14:09someone knows it or not the truth is
1:14:11still there
1:14:13we should get close to the buddha we
1:14:15should come within and find the dhamma
1:14:18when we reach the dhamma we will reach
1:14:20the buddha
1:14:21seeing the dhamma we will see the buddha
1:14:23and all doubts will dissolve
1:14:26to give a comparison it's like teacher
1:14:28chu
1:14:30at first he wasn't a teacher he was just
1:14:32mr chu
1:14:33when he studied and passed the necessary
1:14:35grades he became a teacher and became
1:14:37known as teacher chu
1:14:39how did he become a teacher through
1:14:42studying the required subjects thus
1:14:44allowing mr chew to become teacher chew
1:14:47when teacher chew dies the study to
1:14:49become a teacher still remains and
1:14:51whoever studies it will become a teacher
1:14:54that of study to become a teacher
1:14:56doesn't disappear anywhere
1:14:58just like the truth the knowing of which
1:15:00enabled the buddha to become the buddha
1:15:03so
1:15:04the buddha is still here
1:15:06whoever practices and sees the dhamma
1:15:08sees the buddha these days people have
1:15:10got it all wrong they don't know where
1:15:12the buddha is
1:15:14they say if i'd been born in the time of
1:15:16the buddha i would have become a
1:15:17disciple of his and become enlightened
1:15:20that's just foolishness
1:15:23don't go thinking at the end of the
1:15:24reigns retreat you'll disrobe don't
1:15:26think like that
1:15:28in an instant an evil thought can arise
1:15:29in the mind you could kill somebody in
1:15:31the same way it only takes a split
1:15:33second for good to flash into the mind
1:15:35and you're there already
1:15:38and don't think that you have to ordain
1:15:39for a long time to be able to meditate
1:15:42the right practice lies in the instant
1:15:44we make kamma
1:15:45in a flash an evil thought arises and
1:15:47before you know you've committed some
1:15:48heavy kama
1:15:50in the same way all the disciples of the
1:15:52buddha practiced for a long time but the
1:15:54time they attained enlightenment was
1:15:56merely one thought moment
1:15:58so don't be heedless even in minor
1:16:00things
1:16:02try hard try to get close to the monks
1:16:04contemplate things and then you'll know
1:16:06about monks
1:16:08well
1:16:08that's enough huh
1:16:10must be getting late now
1:16:11some people are getting sleepy
1:16:13the buddha said not to teach dhamma to
1:16:15sleepy people
1:16:19okay well
1:16:21this is uh
1:16:23talk number five called evening sitting
1:16:27and uh
1:16:28this was originally
1:16:30published in
1:16:31uh the book the path to peace and
1:16:33there's no
1:16:35information about what year or what
1:16:37situation was that it was given in
1:16:41i would like to ask you about your
1:16:42practice
1:16:44you have all been practicing meditation
1:16:46here
1:16:47but are you sure about the practice yet
1:16:50ask yourselves are you confident about
1:16:52the practice yet
1:16:55these days there are all sorts of
1:16:56meditation teachers around both monks
1:16:58and lay teachers and i'm afraid it'll
1:17:00cause you to be full of doubts and
1:17:01uncertainty about what you're doing
1:17:04this is why i'm asking
1:17:07as far as buddhist practice is concerned
1:17:09there is really nothing greater or
1:17:11higher than these teachings of the
1:17:12buddha which you've been practicing with
1:17:14here
1:17:15if you have a clear understanding of
1:17:17them it'll give rise to an absolutely
1:17:19firm and unwavering peace in your heart
1:17:21and mind
1:17:24making the mind peaceful is known as
1:17:27practicing meditation or practicing
1:17:29samadhi
1:17:31the mind is something which is extremely
1:17:33changeable and unreliable
1:17:35observing from your practice so far have
1:17:38you seen this yet
1:17:40some days you practice sitting
1:17:41meditation and in no time at all the
1:17:44mind is calm
1:17:45other days you sit and whatever you do
1:17:47there's no calm
1:17:49the mind constantly struggles to get
1:17:50away until eventually it does
1:17:54some days it goes well some days it's
1:17:56awful this is the way the mind displays
1:17:59these different conditions for you to
1:18:00see
1:18:02you must understand
1:18:04that the eight factors of the noble
1:18:06eightfold path merge in sila samadhi and
1:18:09banya
1:18:10they don't come together anywhere else
1:18:12this means that when you bring the
1:18:14factors of your practice together there
1:18:16must be sila
1:18:17there must be samadhi and there must be
1:18:19panya present together in the mind
1:18:23it means that in practicing meditation
1:18:24right here and now you are creating the
1:18:27causes for the path to arise in a very
1:18:29direct way
1:18:33in sitting meditation you're taught to
1:18:35close your eyes so that you don't spend
1:18:36your time looking at different things
1:18:39this is because the buddha was teaching
1:18:41that you should know your own mind
1:18:43observe the mind
1:18:45if you close your eyes your attention
1:18:47will naturally be turned inwards towards
1:18:49the mind
1:18:50the source of many different kinds of
1:18:52knowledge
1:18:53this is a way of training the mind to
1:18:55give rise to samadhi
1:18:58once sitting with the eyes closed
1:19:00establish awareness with the breath
1:19:03make awareness of the breath more
1:19:04important than anything else
1:19:06this means you bring awareness to follow
1:19:08the breath and by keeping with it you
1:19:10will know that place which is the focal
1:19:12point of sati
1:19:14the focal point of the knowing and the
1:19:16focal point of the mind's awareness
1:19:19whenever these factors of the path are
1:19:21working together
1:19:22you'll be able to watch and see your
1:19:24breath feelings mind and aramana as they
1:19:27are in the present moment
1:19:29ultimately you will know that place
1:19:31which is both the focal point of samadhi
1:19:33and the unification point of the path
1:19:35factors
1:19:38aromana means simply a mental object
1:19:43when developing samadhi fix attention on
1:19:46the breath and imagine that you are
1:19:47sitting alone with absolutely no other
1:19:49people and nothing else around to bother
1:19:51you
1:19:53develop this perception in the mind
1:19:55sustaining it until the mind completely
1:19:57lets go of the world outside and all
1:19:59that's left is simply the knowing of the
1:20:01breath entering and leaving the mind
1:20:04must set aside the external world
1:20:07don't allow yourself to start thinking
1:20:08about this person who's sitting over
1:20:09here or that person is sitting over
1:20:11there
1:20:12don't give space to any thoughts that
1:20:14will give rise to confusion or agitation
1:20:16in the mind it's better to throw them
1:20:19out and be done with them
1:20:21there is no one else here you're sitting
1:20:23all alone
1:20:26develop this perception until all the
1:20:27other memories perceptions and thoughts
1:20:30concerning other people and things
1:20:31subside
1:20:33and you're no longer doubting or
1:20:34wondering about the other people or
1:20:36things around you
1:20:38then you can fix your attention solely
1:20:39on the in-breaths and out-breaths
1:20:42breathe normally
1:20:44allow the in-breaths and the out-breaths
1:20:45to continue to continue naturally
1:20:47without forcing them to be longer or
1:20:49shorter stronger or weaker than normal
1:20:52allow the breath to continue in a state
1:20:54of normality and balance
1:20:56and then sit and observe
1:20:58observe it entering and leaving the body
1:21:02once the mind has let go of external
1:21:03mind objects it means you will no longer
1:21:06feel disturbed by the sound of traffic
1:21:08or other noises
1:21:10you won't feel irritated with anything
1:21:12outside
1:21:13whether it's forms sounds or whatever
1:21:15they won't be a source of disturbance
1:21:17because the mind won't be paying
1:21:19attention to them
1:21:20it will become centered upon the breath
1:21:23if the mind is agitated by different
1:21:25things and you can't concentrate try
1:21:27taking an extra deep breath until the
1:21:29lungs are completely full
1:21:31and then release all the air until
1:21:33there's none left inside
1:21:35do this several times then re-establish
1:21:37awareness and continue to develop
1:21:39concentration
1:21:42re-established mindfulness it's normal
1:21:44that for a period the mind will be calm
1:21:47and then change and then it'll change
1:21:49and become agitated again
1:21:51when this happens make the mind firm
1:21:53take another deep breath and
1:21:54subsequently expel all the air from your
1:21:56lungs
1:21:58fill the lungs to capacity again for a
1:21:59moment and then re-establish mindfulness
1:22:01on the breathing
1:22:03fix satie on the in-breaths and the
1:22:05out-breaths and continue to maintain
1:22:07awareness in this
1:22:08way the practice tends to be this way
1:22:12so we'll have to take many sittings and
1:22:13much effort before you become proficient
1:22:16once you are the mind will let go of the
1:22:18external world and remain undisturbed
1:22:21mind objects from the outside will be
1:22:23unable to penetrate inside and disturb
1:22:25the mind itself
1:22:26once they are unable to penetrate inside
1:22:28you will see the mind
1:22:31you will see the mind as one object of
1:22:32awareness the breath as another and mind
1:22:35objects as another they will all be
1:22:37present
1:22:38within the field of awareness centered
1:22:41at the tip of your nose
1:22:43once sati is firmly established with the
1:22:45in-breaths and the out-breaths you can
1:22:47continue to practice at your ease
1:22:50as the mind becomes calm
1:22:53the breath which was originally coarse
1:22:55becomes correspondingly lighter and more
1:22:57refined
1:22:59the object of mind also becomes
1:23:01increasingly subtle and refined
1:23:03the body feels lighter and the mind
1:23:05itself feels progressively lighter and
1:23:07unburdened
1:23:09the mind lets go of external mind
1:23:11objects and you continue to observe
1:23:13internally
1:23:15from here onwards your awareness will be
1:23:16turned away from the world outside and
1:23:18be directed inwards to focus on the mind
1:23:21once the mind is gathered together and
1:23:23become concentrated maintain awareness
1:23:25at that point where the mind becomes
1:23:27focused
1:23:29as you breathe you'll see the breath
1:23:31clearly as it enters and leaves sati
1:23:33will be sharp and awareness of mind
1:23:35objects and mental activity will be
1:23:37clearer
1:23:38at that point you will see the
1:23:39characteristics of sila samadhi and
1:23:41panya and the way in which they merge
1:23:43together
1:23:45this is known as the unification of the
1:23:47path factors once this unification
1:23:49occurs your mind will be free from all
1:23:51forms of agitation and confusion
1:23:54it will become one pointed and this is
1:23:56what is known as samadhi
1:24:01when you focus attention in just one
1:24:02place
1:24:03in this case the breath
1:24:05you gain a clarity and awareness because
1:24:07of the uninterrupted presence of sati
1:24:10as you continue to see the breath
1:24:11clearly sati will become stronger and
1:24:13the mind will become more sensitive in
1:24:15many different ways
1:24:17you will see the mind in the center of
1:24:19that place the breath one pointed with
1:24:21awareness focused inwards rather than
1:24:24turning towards the world outside
1:24:27the external world gradually disappears
1:24:29from your awareness and the mind no
1:24:31longer goes to perform any work on the
1:24:33outside
1:24:34it's as if you've come inside your house
1:24:37where all your sense faculties have come
1:24:39together to form one compact unit
1:24:43you are at ease and the mind is free
1:24:45from all external objects
1:24:47awareness remains with the breath and
1:24:49over time it will penetrate deeper and
1:24:51deeper inside becoming progressively
1:24:53more refined
1:24:56ultimately awareness of the breath
1:24:58becomes so refined that the sensations
1:25:00of the breath seem to disappear
1:25:02you could say either that awareness of
1:25:04the sensation of the breath has
1:25:06disappeared or that the breath itself
1:25:08has disappeared
1:25:10then there arises a new kind of
1:25:12awareness
1:25:13awareness that the breath has
1:25:15disappeared
1:25:16in other words awareness of the breath
1:25:18becomes so refined that it's difficult
1:25:20to define it
1:25:22so it might be that you're just sitting
1:25:24there and there's no breath really the
1:25:27breath is still there but it has become
1:25:29so refined that it seems to have
1:25:31disappeared
1:25:32why
1:25:33because the mind is at its most refined
1:25:35with a special kind of knowing
1:25:38all that remains is the knowing even
1:25:40though the breath has vanished the mind
1:25:42is still concentrated with the knowledge
1:25:44that the breath is not there
1:25:46as you continue what should you take
1:25:48that was the object of meditation
1:25:50take this very knowing as the meditation
1:25:52object
1:25:53in other words the knowledge that there
1:25:55is no breath and sustain this
1:25:58you could say that a specific kind of
1:26:00knowledge has been established in the
1:26:02mind
1:26:04at this point some people might have
1:26:05doubts arising because it's here that
1:26:07nimita or mental signs images or visions
1:26:10that can arise in meditation these can
1:26:13appear
1:26:13these can be of many kinds including
1:26:16both forms and sounds
1:26:18it's here that all sorts of unexpected
1:26:20things can arise in the course of the
1:26:22practice
1:26:23if nimita do arise some people have them
1:26:26some people don't you must understand
1:26:27them in accordance with the truth
1:26:29don't doubt or allow yourself to become
1:26:31alarmed
1:26:34at this stage you should make the mind
1:26:35unshakable in its concentration and be
1:26:37especially mindful
1:26:39some people become startled when they
1:26:41notice that the breath has disappeared
1:26:43because they're used to having the
1:26:44breath there
1:26:46when it appears that the breath is gone
1:26:48you might panic or become afraid that
1:26:50you're going to die
1:26:52here you must establish the
1:26:53understanding that it's just the nature
1:26:55of the practice to progress in this way
1:26:58what will you observe as the object of
1:27:00meditation now
1:27:02observe this feeling that there is no
1:27:04breath and sustain it as the object of
1:27:06awareness as you continue to meditate
1:27:09the buddha described this as the firmest
1:27:11most unshakeable form of samadhi
1:27:14there is just one firm and unwavering
1:27:17unwavering object of mind
1:27:19when your practice of samadhi reaches
1:27:20this point
1:27:23there will be many unusual and refined
1:27:24changes and transformations taking place
1:27:26within the mind of which you can be
1:27:28aware
1:27:30the sensation of the body will feel at
1:27:32its lightest or might even disappear
1:27:33altogether
1:27:35you might feel like you're floating in
1:27:37mid-air or seem to be completely
1:27:39weightless
1:27:40it might be like you're in the middle of
1:27:42space and wherever you direct your sense
1:27:44faculties they don't seem to register
1:27:45anything at all
1:27:47even though you know the body is still
1:27:48sitting there you experience complete
1:27:50emptiness
1:27:52this feeling of emptiness can be quite
1:27:54strange
1:27:56as you continue to practice understand
1:27:59that there's nothing to worry about
1:28:01establish this feeling of being relaxed
1:28:03and unworried securely in the mind
1:28:07once the mind is concentrated and one
1:28:09pointed no mind object will be able to
1:28:11penetrate or disturb it and you'll be
1:28:13able to sit like this for as long as you
1:28:15want
1:28:16you'll be able to sustain concentration
1:28:18without any feelings of pain and
1:28:20discomfort
1:28:22having developed samadhi to this level
1:28:24you'll be able to enter or leave it at
1:28:26will
1:28:27when you do leave it it's at your ease
1:28:29and convenience
1:28:30you withdraw at your ease rather than
1:28:33because you're feeling lazy or tired
1:28:36you withdraw from samadhi because it's
1:28:38the appropriate time to withdraw and you
1:28:40come out of it at your own will
1:28:44this is samadhi
1:28:45you are relaxed at your ease
1:28:47you enter and leave it without any
1:28:49problems
1:28:50the mind and heart are at ease
1:28:53if you genuinely have samadhi like this
1:28:55it means that sitting meditation and
1:28:57entering samadhi for just 30 minutes or
1:28:59an hour will enable you to remain cool
1:29:01and peaceful for many days afterwards
1:29:04experiencing the effects of samadhi like
1:29:06this for several days has a purifying
1:29:08effect on the mind
1:29:10whatever you experience will become an
1:29:12object for contemplation
1:29:14this is where the practice really begins
1:29:16it's the fruit which arises as samadhi
1:29:19matures
1:29:22samadhi performs the function of calming
1:29:24the mind
1:29:25samadhi performs one function sealer
1:29:28performs one function and panya performs
1:29:30another function
1:29:32these characteristics which you're
1:29:33focusing attention on and developing in
1:29:35the practice are linked
1:29:37forming a circle
1:29:39this is the way they manifest in the
1:29:40mind
1:29:42silas
1:29:43arise and mature from the same place
1:29:46once the mind is calm it will become
1:29:48progressively more restrained and
1:29:50composed due to the presence of panya
1:29:52and the power of samadhi
1:29:56as the mind becomes more composed and
1:29:58refined this gives rise to an energy
1:30:00which acts to purify sila
1:30:04greater purity of sila facilitates the
1:30:07development of stronger and more refined
1:30:08samadhi and this in turn supports the
1:30:11maturing of panya
1:30:13they assist each other in this way
1:30:16each aspect of the practice acts as a
1:30:17supporting factor for the other ones in
1:30:20the end these terms become synonymous
1:30:24as these three factors continue to
1:30:25mature together they form one complete
1:30:28circle
1:30:29ultimately giving rise to magda the path
1:30:32manga is a synthesis of these three
1:30:35functions of the practice working
1:30:36smoothly and consistently together
1:30:40as you practice you have to preserve
1:30:42this energy
1:30:43it is the energy which will give rise to
1:30:45vipassana or panya
1:30:49having reached this stage where panyara
1:30:51is already functioning in the mind
1:30:52independent of whether the mind is
1:30:54peaceful or not
1:30:55panya will provide a consistent and
1:30:57independent energy in the practice
1:30:59you see that whenever the mind is not
1:31:01peaceful you shouldn't attach
1:31:03and even when it is peaceful you
1:31:05shouldn't attach having let go of the
1:31:07burden of such concerns the heart will
1:31:09accordingly feel much lighter whether
1:31:11you experience pleasant mind objects or
1:31:13unpleasant mind objects you will remain
1:31:15at ease
1:31:16the mind will remain peaceful in this
1:31:18way
1:31:20another important thing to see is that
1:31:22when you stop doing formal meditation
1:31:24practice if there is no wisdom
1:31:26functioning in the mind you will give up
1:31:28the practice altogether without any
1:31:30further contemplation development of
1:31:32awareness or thought about the work
1:31:34which has still to be done
1:31:36in fact when you withdraw from samadhi
1:31:38you know clearly in the mind that you
1:31:39have withdrawn
1:31:41having withdrawn you should continue to
1:31:43conduct yourself in a normal manner
1:31:45maintain mindfulness and awareness at
1:31:47all times it isn't that you only
1:31:49practice meditation in the sitting
1:31:50posture
1:31:52samadhi means the mind which is firm and
1:31:54unwavering as you go about your daily
1:31:56life make the mind firm and steady and
1:31:58maintain the sense of steadiness as the
1:32:00object of mind at all times
1:32:04you must be practicing sati and
1:32:05sampajanya continuously
1:32:08san pagenya means self-awareness
1:32:10self-recollection clear comprehension
1:32:14after you get up from the formal sitting
1:32:15practice and go about your business
1:32:17walking riding in cars and so on
1:32:20whenever your eyes see a form where your
1:32:21ears hear a sound maintain awareness
1:32:25as you experience mind objects which
1:32:27give rise to liking and disliking try to
1:32:29consistently maintain awareness of the
1:32:31fact that such mental states are
1:32:33impermanent and uncertain
1:32:36in this way the mind will remain calm
1:32:38and in a state of normality
1:32:41as long as the mind is calm use it to
1:32:43contemplate mind objects
1:32:46contemplate the whole of this form the
1:32:48physical body
1:32:49you can do this at any time and in any
1:32:51posture
1:32:52whether it's doing formal meditation
1:32:54practice relaxing at home how to work or
1:32:56in whatever situation you find yourself
1:32:59keep the meditation and the reflection
1:33:01going at all times
1:33:03just going for a walk and seeing dead
1:33:04leaves on the ground under a tree can
1:33:06provide an opportunity to contemplate
1:33:08impermanence
1:33:10both we and the leaves are the same
1:33:12when we get old we shrivel up and die
1:33:15other people are all the same
1:33:17this is raising the mind to the level of
1:33:20vipassana
1:33:21contemplating the truth of the way
1:33:22things are the whole time
1:33:25whether walking standing sitting or
1:33:27lying down sati is sustained evenly and
1:33:29consistently
1:33:31this is practicing meditation correctly
1:33:33you have to follow the mind closely
1:33:35checking it at all times
1:33:39practicing here and now at seven o'clock
1:33:40in the evening we have sat and meditated
1:33:42together for an hour and now stopped
1:33:45it might be that your mind has stopped
1:33:47practicing completely and hasn't
1:33:48continued with the reflection
1:33:50that's the wrong way to do it
1:33:54when we stop all that should stop is the
1:33:56formal meeting and sitting meditation
1:33:58you should continue practicing and
1:34:00developing awareness consistently
1:34:02without letting up
1:34:05i've often taught that if you don't
1:34:06practice consistently it's like drops of
1:34:09water
1:34:10it's like drops of water because the
1:34:12practice is not a continuous
1:34:13uninterrupted flow
1:34:15sati is not sustained evenly
1:34:18the important point is that the mind
1:34:20does the practice and nothing else
1:34:22the body doesn't do it
1:34:24the mind does the work the mind does the
1:34:27practice
1:34:28if you understand this clearly you will
1:34:30see that you don't necessarily have to
1:34:32do formal sitting meditation in order
1:34:34for the mind to know samadhi
1:34:37the mind is the one who does the
1:34:38practice
1:34:40you have to experience and understand
1:34:41this for yourself in your own mind
1:34:46once you do see this for yourself you'll
1:34:48be developing awareness in the mind at
1:34:50all times and in all postures
1:34:53if you're maintaining sati as an even
1:34:55and unbroken flow it's as if the drops
1:34:57of water have joined to form a smooth
1:34:59and continuous flow of running water
1:35:01sati is present in the mind from moment
1:35:04to moment and accordingly there will be
1:35:06awareness of mind objects at all times
1:35:09if the mind is restrained and composed
1:35:11with uninterrupted sati you will know
1:35:13mind objects at each time that that
1:35:15wholesome and unwholesome mental states
1:35:17arise
1:35:18you will know the mind that is calm and
1:35:20the mind that is confused and agitated
1:35:23if you train the mind in this way your
1:35:25meditation will mature quickly and
1:35:27successfully
1:35:30please don't misunderstand
1:35:32these days it's common for people to go
1:35:34on the passenger courses for three or
1:35:36seven days where they don't even have to
1:35:38speak or do anything but meditate
1:35:40maybe you've gone on a silent meditation
1:35:42retreat for a week or two afterwards
1:35:44returning to your normal daily life you
1:35:46might have left thinking that you've
1:35:48done vipassana quote unquote and because
1:35:51you feel that you know what it's all
1:35:52about then you carry on going to parties
1:35:54discos indulging in different forms of
1:35:56essential delight
1:35:58when you do this
1:35:59you do it like this what happens
1:36:02if there won't be any of the fruits of
1:36:04the pasta left by the end of it
1:36:06if you go and do all sorts of unskillful
1:36:08things which disturb and upset the mind
1:36:10wasting your previous efforts then next
1:36:12year you go back and do another retreat
1:36:14for seven days or a few weeks then come
1:36:16out and carry on with the party's discos
1:36:18and drinking
1:36:19that isn't true practice
1:36:21it isn't pati bada or the path to
1:36:24progress
1:36:26you need to make an effort to renounce
1:36:28you must contemplate until you see the
1:36:30harmful effects which come from such
1:36:32behavior
1:36:34see the harm in drinking and going out
1:36:36on the town
1:36:37reflect and see the harm
1:36:40inherent in all the different kinds of
1:36:41unskillful behavior which you indulge in
1:36:43until it becomes fully apparent
1:36:46this will provide the impetus for you to
1:36:48take a step back and change your ways
1:36:50then you would find some real peace
1:36:54to experience peace of mind you have to
1:36:57clearly see the disadvantages and danger
1:36:59in such forms of behavior
1:37:02this is practicing in the correct way
1:37:04if you do a silent retreat for seven
1:37:06days
1:37:07where you don't have to speak or get
1:37:08involved with anybody and then go
1:37:10chatting gossiping over indulging for
1:37:12another seven months how will you gain
1:37:14any real or lasting benefit from those
1:37:16seven days of practice
1:37:19i would encourage all the laypeople here
1:37:21who are practicing to develop awareness
1:37:23and wisdom to understand this point
1:37:25try to practice consistently
1:37:28see the disadvantages of practicing
1:37:30insincerely and inconsistently and try
1:37:32to sustain a more dedicated and
1:37:34continuous effort in the practice
1:37:36just this much
1:37:38it can then become a realistic
1:37:40possibility that you might put an end to
1:37:42the khilesa the defilements qualities
1:37:44that darken and defile the mind such as
1:37:46greed aversion and delusion
1:37:51but that lifestyle of not speaking and
1:37:53not playing around for seven days
1:37:55followed by six months of complete
1:37:56sensual indulgence without any
1:37:58mindfulness or restraint will just lead
1:38:00to the squandering of any gains made
1:38:02from the meditation
1:38:03there won't be anything left
1:38:05it's like going to work for a day and
1:38:07earning 20 pounds but then going out and
1:38:09spending 30 pounds on food and things in
1:38:11the same day
1:38:13would anybody be saved
1:38:14it would all be gone
1:38:16it's just the same with the meditation
1:38:19this is a form of reminder to you all so
1:38:22i'll ask you for your forgiveness
1:38:24it's necessary to speak in this way so
1:38:26that those aspects of the practice which
1:38:28are at fault will become clear to you
1:38:30and accordingly you'll be able to give
1:38:32them up
1:38:33you could say that the reason why you
1:38:35have come to practice is to learn how to
1:38:37avoid doing the wrong things in the
1:38:39future
1:38:40what happens when you do the wrong
1:38:42things
1:38:43doing wrong things leads you to
1:38:45agitation into suffering
1:38:47when there's no goodness in the mind
1:38:49it's not the way to peace of mind
1:38:52this is the way it is
1:38:53if you practice on a retreat not talking
1:38:55for seven days and then go indulging for
1:38:57a few months no matter how strictly you
1:38:59practice for those seven days you won't
1:39:01derive any lasting value from that
1:39:02practice
1:39:04practicing that way you don't really get
1:39:06anywhere
1:39:08many places where meditation is taught
1:39:10don't really get to grips with or get
1:39:12beyond this problem
1:39:14really you have to conduct your daily
1:39:16life in a consistently calm and
1:39:18restrained way
1:39:21in meditation you have to be constantly
1:39:23turning your attention to the practice
1:39:25it's like planting a tree
1:39:27if you plant a tree in one place and
1:39:29after three days pull it up and plant it
1:39:31in a different spot then after a further
1:39:33three days pull it up again and plant it
1:39:35in yet another place it'll just die
1:39:37without producing anything
1:39:39practicing meditation like this won't
1:39:40bear any fruit either
1:39:42this is something you have to understand
1:39:44for yourselves
1:39:45contemplate it
1:39:47try it out for yourselves when you go
1:39:48home
1:39:49get a sapling and plant it in one spot
1:39:51and every few days go and pull it up and
1:39:53plant it in a different place
1:39:55it will just die without ever bearing
1:39:56any fruit
1:39:58it's the same doing a meditation retreat
1:40:00for seven days followed by seven months
1:40:02of unrestrained behavior
1:40:04allowing the mind to become soiled and
1:40:05then going back to do another retreat
1:40:07for a short period
1:40:08practicing strictly without talking and
1:40:10subsequently coming out and being
1:40:12unrestrained again
1:40:14as with the tree the meditation just
1:40:16dies
1:40:17none of the wholesome fruits are
1:40:19retained
1:40:20the tree doesn't grow the meditation
1:40:22doesn't grow
1:40:23i say practicing this way doesn't bear
1:40:26much fruit
1:40:28actually i'm not fond of giving talks
1:40:30like this
1:40:32it's because i feel sorry for you that i
1:40:33have to speak critically
1:40:35when you're doing the wrong things it's
1:40:37my duty to tell you but i'm speaking out
1:40:39of compassion for you
1:40:41some people might feel really uneasy and
1:40:43think that i'm just scolding them
1:40:45really i'm not just scolding you for its
1:40:47own sake i'm helping to point out where
1:40:49you're going wrong so that you know
1:40:52some people might think long por is just
1:40:54telling us off but it's not like that
1:40:57it's only once in a long while that i'm
1:40:59able to come and give a talk
1:41:00if i were to give talks like this every
1:41:02day you would really get upset
1:41:05but the truth is it's not you who gets
1:41:07upset it's only the kelasa your
1:41:09defilements that are upset
1:41:11i'll say just this much for now
1:41:15this is the sixth talk of this
1:41:17collection
1:41:19entitled about being careful
1:41:22and this was
1:41:24originally
1:41:25published in the uh the book everything
1:41:28is teaching us these are translations by
1:41:31paul breiter and
1:41:33there's no particular record of
1:41:36when the uh the recording was made or
1:41:38what the occasion was
1:41:42the buddha taught to see the body in the
1:41:44body
1:41:45what does this mean
1:41:47we're all familiar with the parts of the
1:41:48body such as hair nails teeth and skin
1:41:51so how do we see the body in the body
1:41:55if we recognize all these things as
1:41:57being impermanent unsatisfactory and not
1:41:59self that's what is called seeing the
1:42:01body in the body then it isn't necessary
1:42:04to go into detail and meditate on the
1:42:06separate parts it's like having fruit in
1:42:08a basket
1:42:09if we have already counted the pieces of
1:42:11fruit
1:42:13then we know what's there
1:42:15and when we need to we can pick up the
1:42:17basket take it away and all the pieces
1:42:20come with it we know the fruit is all
1:42:22there so we don't have to count it again
1:42:25having meditated on the 32 parts of the
1:42:27body and recognized them as something
1:42:29not stable or permanent we no longer
1:42:31need to weary ourselves separating them
1:42:33like this and meditating in such detail
1:42:36just as we don't have to dump all the
1:42:38fruit out of the basket and count it
1:42:39again and again but we do carry the
1:42:42basket along to our destination
1:42:44walking mindfully and carefully
1:42:46taking care not to stumble and fall
1:42:49when we see the body in the body which
1:42:51means we see the dhamma in the body
1:42:53knowing our own and others bodies as in
1:42:55permanent phenomena we don't need
1:42:57detailed explanations
1:42:59sitting here we have mindfulness
1:43:01constantly in control knowing things as
1:43:03they are
1:43:04meditation then becomes quite simple
1:43:07it's the same if we if we meditate on
1:43:09butthole if we understand what buddho
1:43:11really is we don't need to re repeat the
1:43:14word buddho it means having full
1:43:16knowledge and firm awareness
1:43:18this is meditation
1:43:21still meditation is generally not well
1:43:24understood
1:43:25we practice in a group but we often
1:43:27don't know what it's all about
1:43:29some people think meditation is really
1:43:30hard to do i come to the monastery but i
1:43:33can't sit i don't have much endurance my
1:43:35legs hurt my back aches i'm in pain all
1:43:37over
1:43:39so they give up on it and don't come
1:43:41anymore thinking they can't do it
1:43:43but in fact samadhi is not sitting
1:43:45samadhi isn't walking it isn't lying
1:43:48down or standing
1:43:49sitting walking closing the eyes opening
1:43:51the eyes these are all mere actions
1:43:54having your eyes closed doesn't
1:43:56necessarily mean that you're practicing
1:43:57samadhi
1:43:58it could just mean that you're drowsy
1:44:00and dull
1:44:02if you're sitting with your eyes closed
1:44:03but you're falling asleep your head
1:44:05bobbing all over in your mouth hanging
1:44:06open that's not sitting in samadhi
1:44:10it's sitting with your eyes closed
1:44:13samadhi and closed eyes are two separate
1:44:15matters
1:44:16real samadhi can be practiced with eyes
1:44:17open or eyes closed you can be sitting
1:44:20walking standing or lying down
1:44:23samadhi means the mind is firmly focused
1:44:26with all encompassing mindfulness
1:44:28restraint and caution
1:44:30you're constantly aware of right and
1:44:32wrong constantly watching all conditions
1:44:34arising in the mind
1:44:35when it shoots off to think of something
1:44:37having a mood of aversion or longing
1:44:39you're aware of that
1:44:42some people get discouraged i just can't
1:44:44do it as soon as i sit my mind starts
1:44:46thinking at home
1:44:47that's evil
1:44:50hey if he if just that much is evil the
1:44:53buddha never would have become a buddha
1:44:56he spent five years struggling with his
1:44:57mind thinking of his home and his family
1:45:00it was only after six years that he
1:45:02awakened
1:45:03so some people feel that these sudden
1:45:05horizons of thought are wrong or evil
1:45:08you may have an impulse to kill someone
1:45:10but if you are aware of it in the next
1:45:12instant you realize that killing is
1:45:14wrong so you stop and refrain
1:45:16is there harminess
1:45:18what do you think
1:45:20or if you have a thought about stealing
1:45:21something and that is followed by a
1:45:23stronger recollection that to do so is
1:45:25wrong and so you refrain from acting on
1:45:27it is that bad
1:45:28karma it's not that every time you have
1:45:31an impulse you instantly accumulate bad
1:45:33comma otherwise how could there be any
1:45:35weight of liberation
1:45:37impulses are merely impulses
1:45:40thoughts are merely thoughts in the
1:45:42first instance you haven't created
1:45:44anything yet in the second instance if
1:45:46you act upon it with body speech or mind
1:45:48then you are creating something
1:45:50avicia has taken control if you have the
1:45:53impulse to steal then you're aware of
1:45:55yourself and you're aware that this will
1:45:56be wrong this is wisdom and there is
1:45:58vitra instead
1:46:00the mental impulse is not consummated
1:46:04this is timely awareness
1:46:06wisdom arising and informing our
1:46:08experience
1:46:09if there is the first mind moment of
1:46:11wanting to steal something and then
1:46:12react on it that is the dhamma of
1:46:14delusion
1:46:16the actions of body speech and mind that
1:46:18follow the impulse will bring negative
1:46:20results
1:46:21this is how it is merely having the
1:46:23thoughts is not negative kama if we
1:46:25don't have any thoughts how will wisdom
1:46:27develop
1:46:28some people simply want to sit with a
1:46:30blank mind
1:46:31that's wrong understanding
1:46:34i'm talking about samadhi that is
1:46:36accompanied by wisdom in fact the woulda
1:46:38didn't wish for a lot of samadhi he
1:46:40didn't want jana at his mental
1:46:43absorption a state of strong
1:46:44concentration
1:46:46or samapati
1:46:48the attainment of cessation
1:46:50he saw samadhi as one component factor
1:46:52of the path
1:46:54sila samadi and panya are components or
1:46:56ingredients
1:46:57like ingredients used in cooking
1:46:59we use spices in cooking to make food
1:47:01tasty the point isn't the spices
1:47:03themselves but the food we eat
1:47:06practicing samadhi is the same the
1:47:08buddhist teachers udaka and alara put
1:47:11heavy emphasis on practicing the vagina
1:47:13and attaining various kinds of powers
1:47:15like clairvoyance but if you get that
1:47:17far it's hard to undo
1:47:19some places teach this deep tranquility
1:47:22to sit with delight in quietude the
1:47:24meditators then get intoxicated by their
1:47:26samadhi if they have cedar they get
1:47:28intoxicated by their sealer if they walk
1:47:30the path they become intoxicated by the
1:47:32path
1:47:33dazzled by the beauty and wonders they
1:47:35experience and they don't reach the real
1:47:37destination
1:47:39the buddha said that this is a subtle
1:47:40error still it's correct for those on a
1:47:43course level but actually what the
1:47:44buddha wanted was for us to have an
1:47:46appropriate measure of samadhi without
1:47:48getting stuck there after we train in
1:47:51and develop samadhi then samadhi should
1:47:53develop wisdom
1:47:56samadhi that's on the level of samatha
1:47:58tranquility is like a rock covering
1:48:00grass
1:48:02in samadhi that is sure and stable even
1:48:04when the eyes are opened wisdom is there
1:48:06when wisdom has been born it encompasses
1:48:08and knows and rules all things so the
1:48:11teacher didn't want those refined levels
1:48:13of concentration and cessation because
1:48:15they become a diversion and then one
1:48:17forgets the path
1:48:20so it's necessary not to be attached to
1:48:22sitting or any other particular posture
1:48:25samadhi doesn't reside in having the
1:48:26eyes closed the eyes open or in sitting
1:48:29standing walking or lying down
1:48:31samadhi pervades all postures and
1:48:32activities
1:48:34older persons who often can't sit very
1:48:36well can contemplate especially well and
1:48:39practice samadhi easily
1:48:40they too can develop a lot of wisdom
1:48:44how is it that they can develop wisdom
1:48:46everything is rousing them when they
1:48:48open their eyes they don't see things as
1:48:50clearly as they used to
1:48:52their teeth give them trouble and fall
1:48:53out their bodies ache most of the time
1:48:56just that is the place of study
1:48:58so really meditation is easy for old
1:49:00folks
1:49:02meditation is hard for youngsters their
1:49:04teeth are strong so they can enjoy their
1:49:05food they sleep soundly their faculties
1:49:08are intact and the world is fun and
1:49:09exciting to them so they get deluded in
1:49:12a big way
1:49:13when the old ones chew on something hard
1:49:15they're soon in pain right there the
1:49:17devadutta the heavenly messengers are
1:49:19talking to them they're teaching them
1:49:21every day when they open their eyes
1:49:23their sight is fuzzy in the morning
1:49:25they're backaches in the evening their
1:49:27legs hurt
1:49:28that's it
1:49:30this is really an excellent subject to
1:49:31study
1:49:32some of you older people will say you
1:49:34can't meditate what do you want to
1:49:36meditate on
1:49:37who will you learn meditation from
1:49:40this is seeing the body in the body and
1:49:42sensation in sensation are you seeing
1:49:44these or are you running away
1:49:47saying you can't practice because you're
1:49:48too old is only due to wrong
1:49:50understanding
1:49:51the question is are things clear to you
1:49:55elderly persons have a lot of thinking a
1:49:57lot of sensation a lot of discomfort and
1:49:59pain
1:50:00everything appears
1:50:02if they meditate they can really testify
1:50:04to it
1:50:05so i say that meditation is easy for old
1:50:07folks they can do it best
1:50:09everyone says
1:50:10when i'm old i'll go to the monastery
1:50:13if you understand it it's true all right
1:50:16you have to see it within yourself when
1:50:18you sit it's true when you signed up
1:50:20stand up it's true when you walk it's
1:50:22true
1:50:23everything is a hassle everything is
1:50:25presenting obstacles and everything is
1:50:28teaching you
1:50:29isn't this so
1:50:31can you just get up and walk away so
1:50:32easily now
1:50:33when you stand up it's oi
1:50:36or haven't you noticed and it's oi when
1:50:39you walk
1:50:40it's prodding you
1:50:42when you're young you can just stand up
1:50:44and walk going on your way but you don't
1:50:46really know anything
1:50:48when you're old every time you stand up
1:50:50it's oi
1:50:52isn't that what you say
1:50:55every time you move you learn something
1:50:57so how can you say that it's difficult
1:50:59to meditate where else is there to look
1:51:02it's all correct the devadutta are
1:51:04telling you something it's most clear
1:51:07sankara are telling you that they are
1:51:09not stable or permanent not you or yours
1:51:12they're telling you this every moment
1:51:16but we think differently
1:51:18we don't think that this is right we
1:51:20entertain wrong view and our ideas are
1:51:21far from the truth but actually old
1:51:24people can see impermanence suffering
1:51:25and lack of self and give rise to
1:51:27dispassion and disenchantment because
1:51:29the evidence is right there within them
1:51:31all the time
1:51:32i think that's good
1:51:34having the inner sensitivity that's
1:51:36always aware of right and wrong is
1:51:37called butthole
1:51:39it's not necessary to be continually
1:51:41repeating the word but whole
1:51:43you've counted the fruit in your basket
1:51:45every time you sit down you don't have
1:51:47to go to the trouble of spilling out the
1:51:48fruit and counting it again you can
1:51:50leave it in the basket
1:51:52but someone with mistaken attachment
1:51:54will keep counting
1:51:56you'll stop under a tree spill it out
1:51:58and count put it back in the basket then
1:52:00you'll walk on to the next stopping
1:52:01place and do it again
1:52:03but he's just counting the same fruit
1:52:05this is craving itself
1:52:08he's afraid that if he doesn't count
1:52:09there will be some mistake
1:52:11we are afraid that if we don't keep
1:52:13saying buddho we'll be mistaken.
1:52:16how are you mistaken
1:52:18only the person who doesn't know how
1:52:20much fruit there is needs to count
1:52:22once you know you can take it easy and
1:52:24just leave it in the basket
1:52:25when you're sitting you just sit when
1:52:28you're lying down you just lie down
1:52:29because your fruit is all there with you
1:52:32by practicing virtue and creating merit
1:52:34we say nibana pachyo
1:52:37may it be a condition for realizing
1:52:39nirvana
1:52:41as a condition for realizing nirvana
1:52:43making offerings is good keeping
1:52:45precepts is good practicing meditation
1:52:47is good listening to dharma teachings is
1:52:49good
1:52:50may they become conditions for realizing
1:52:52nibana
1:52:54but what is nirvana all about anyway
1:52:59nibana means not grasping
1:53:01nibana means not giving meaning to
1:53:04things
1:53:05nibana means letting go
1:53:08making offerings and doing meritorious
1:53:10deeds observing moral precepts and
1:53:11meditating on loving-kindness all these
1:53:14are for getting rid of defilements and
1:53:15craving for not wishing for anything
1:53:18not wishing to be
1:53:20or not wishing to become anything
1:53:22for making the mind empty
1:53:24empty of self-cherishing empty of
1:53:26concepts of self and other
1:53:30nibana
1:53:32make it become a cause for nibana
1:53:35practicing generosity is giving up
1:53:37letting go
1:53:39listening to teachings is for the
1:53:40purpose of gaining knowledge to give up
1:53:42and let go to uproot clinging to what is
1:53:44good and to what is bad
1:53:46at first we meditate to become aware of
1:53:48the wrong and the bad
1:53:49when we recognize that we give it up and
1:53:51we practice what is good then when some
1:53:54good is achieved don't get attached to
1:53:56that good
1:53:58remain halfway in the good or above the
1:54:00good don't dwell under the good
1:54:02if we are under the good then the good
1:54:05pushes us around and we become slaves to
1:54:07it we become slaves and it forces us to
1:54:10create all sorts of camera and demerit
1:54:11it can lead us into anything and the
1:54:13result will be the same kind of
1:54:14unhappiness and unfortunate
1:54:16circumstances we found ourselves in
1:54:18before
1:54:20give up evil and develop merit give up
1:54:22the negative and develop what is
1:54:23positive
1:54:24developing merit remain above merit
1:54:28remain above merit and demerit above
1:54:30good and evil keep on practicing with a
1:54:32mind that is giving up letting go and
1:54:34getting free it's the same no matter
1:54:36what you're doing if you do it with the
1:54:38mind of letting go it's a cause for
1:54:40realizing nibbana what you do free of
1:54:43desire free of defilement free of
1:54:44craving all merges with the path meaning
1:54:47noble truth meaning such a dhamma or the
1:54:50ultimate truth
1:54:52the four noble truths are having the
1:54:54wisdom that knows tanha craving
1:54:57which is which is the source of dukkha
1:55:00karma tanha sense desire bhavatana the
1:55:02desire to become vibhavatana the desire
1:55:05to get rid of these are the origination
1:55:07the source
1:55:08if you're wishing for anything or
1:55:09wanting to be anything you're nourishing
1:55:11dukkha bringing dukkha into existence
1:55:14because this is what gives birth to
1:55:15dukkha these are the causes
1:55:18if we create the causes of duka then
1:55:21duka will come about
1:55:23the cause is vibawatanha
1:55:25this restless anxious craving
1:55:28one becomes a slave to desire and
1:55:29creates all sorts of kamara and
1:55:31wrongdoing because of it
1:55:34and
1:55:34thus suffering is born
1:55:37speaking simply duka is the child of
1:55:39desire
1:55:40desire is the parent of dukkha
1:55:42when there are parents do can be born
1:55:44when there are no parents dukkha cannot
1:55:47come about there will be no offspring
1:55:50this is where meditation should be
1:55:52focused we should see all the forms of
1:55:54tanha which cause us to have desires
1:55:58but talking about desire can be
1:55:59confusing
1:56:01some people get the idea that any kind
1:56:02of desire such as desire for food and
1:56:04the material requisites for life is ton
1:56:06harm
1:56:07but we can have this kind of desire in
1:56:09an ordinary and natural way
1:56:11when you're hungry and desire food you
1:56:13can take a meal and be done with it it's
1:56:15quite ordinary
1:56:17this is desire that's within boundaries
1:56:18and doesn't have ill effects
1:56:21this kind of desire isn't sensuality
1:56:24if it's sensuality then it becomes
1:56:25something more than desire they'll be
1:56:27craving for more things to consume
1:56:29seeking out flavors seeking out
1:56:31enjoyment in ways that bring hardship
1:56:33and trouble such as drinking liquor and
1:56:35beer
1:56:38some tourists told me about a place
1:56:40where people eat live monkey's brains
1:56:42they put a monkey in the middle of the
1:56:44table and cut open its skull then they
1:56:46spoon out the brain to eat
1:56:49that's eating like demons or hungry
1:56:51ghosts it's not eating in a natural
1:56:53ordinary way
1:56:54doing things like this eating becomes
1:56:57tanha
1:56:58they say that the blood of monkeys makes
1:57:00them strong so they try to get hold of
1:57:01such animals and when they eat them
1:57:03they're drinking liquor and beer too
1:57:06this isn't ordinary eating it's the way
1:57:08of ghosts and demons mired in sensual
1:57:10craving
1:57:11it's eating coals eating fire eating
1:57:14everything everywhere
1:57:16this sort of desire is what is tanha
1:57:18there's no moderation
1:57:20speaking thinking dressing everything
1:57:23such people do
1:57:25speaking thinking dressing everything
1:57:27such people do goes to excess
1:57:30if our eating sleeping and other
1:57:31necessary activities are done in
1:57:32moderation there's no harm in them so
1:57:35you should be aware of yourselves in
1:57:36regard to these things
1:57:38then they won't become a source of
1:57:39suffering
1:57:41if we know how to be moderate and
1:57:42thrifty in our needs we can be
1:57:44comfortable
1:57:46practicing meditation and creating merit
1:57:48and virtue are not really such difficult
1:57:50things to do provided we understand them
1:57:53well
1:57:54what is wrong doing what is merit
1:57:57merit is what is good and beautiful not
1:57:59harming ourselves or others with our
1:58:01thinking speaking and acting
1:58:03if we do this there is happiness nothing
1:58:06negative is being created
1:58:08merit is like this skillfulness is like
1:58:10this
1:58:11it's the same with making offerings and
1:58:13giving charity when we give what is it
1:58:15that we're trying to give away
1:58:18giving us for the purpose of destroying
1:58:19self-cherishing
1:58:21the belief in itself along with
1:58:22selfishness
1:58:24selfishness is powerful extreme
1:58:26suffering selfish people always want to
1:58:28be better than others and to get more
1:58:29than others
1:58:31a simple example is how after they eat
1:58:33they don't want to do their dishes they
1:58:35let someone else do it
1:58:37if they eat in a group they'll leave it
1:58:39to the group
1:58:40after they eat they take off
1:58:42this is selfishness not being
1:58:44responsible and it puts a burden on
1:58:46others
1:58:47what it really amounts to is someone who
1:58:49doesn't care about himself who doesn't
1:58:51help himself and who really doesn't love
1:58:53himself
1:58:54in practicing generosity we're trying to
1:58:56cleanse our hearts of this attitude this
1:58:59is called creating merit through giving
1:59:01in order to have a mind of compassion
1:59:02and caring towards all living beings
1:59:04without exception
1:59:07if we can be free of just this one thing
1:59:10selfishness then we will be like the
1:59:12lord buddha
1:59:14he wasn't out for himself but sought the
1:59:16good of all
1:59:18if we have the path and fruit arising in
1:59:19our hearts like this we can certainly
1:59:21progress
1:59:23with this freedom from selfishness all
1:59:25the activities of virtuous deeds
1:59:27generosity and meditation will lead to
1:59:29liberation
1:59:30whoever practices like this will become
1:59:32free and go beyond beyond all convention
1:59:35and appearance
1:59:37the basic principles of practice are not
1:59:39beyond our understanding
1:59:41for example if we lack wisdom when
1:59:44practicing generosity there won't be any
1:59:46merit
1:59:47without understanding we think that
1:59:48generosity merely means giving things
1:59:51when i feel like giving i'll give if i
1:59:54feel like stealing something i'll steal
1:59:56it then if i feel generous i'll give
1:59:58something
1:59:59it's like having a barrel full of water
2:00:01you scoop out a bucket full then you
2:00:03pour back in a bucket full scoop it out
2:00:05again pour it in again scoop it out and
2:00:07pour it in like this
2:00:09when will you empty the barrel
2:00:11can you see an end to it
2:00:13can you see such practice becoming a
2:00:15cause for realizing nirvana
2:00:17will the barrel become empty
2:00:19one scoop out one scoop in
2:00:21can you see when it'll be finished
2:00:24going back and forth like this is vata
2:00:26the cycle of sangsara itself if we're
2:00:29talking about really letting go giving
2:00:31up good as well as evil there's only
2:00:33scooping out
2:00:35even if there's only a little bit you
2:00:36scoop it out you don't put in anything
2:00:38more and you just keep scooping out even
2:00:40if you only have a small scoop to use
2:00:43you do what you can and in this way the
2:00:45time will come when the barrel is empty
2:00:46if you're scooping out a bucket and
2:00:48pouring back in a bucket scooping out
2:00:49and then pouring back well think about
2:00:52it
2:00:52when will you see an empty barrel
2:00:55this stoma isn't something distant it's
2:00:58right here in the barrel you can do it
2:00:59at home try it
2:01:01can you empty a water barrel like that
2:01:03do it all day tomorrow and see what
2:01:04happens
2:01:06giving up all evil practicing what's
2:01:08good purifying the mind we give up
2:01:10wrongdoing first and then start to
2:01:12develop the good
2:01:15what is the good meritorious
2:01:17where is it
2:01:19it's like fish in the water if we scoop
2:01:21all the water out we'll get the fish
2:01:23that's a simple way to put it
2:01:25if we scoop out and pour back in the
2:01:27fish remain in the barrel
2:01:28if we don't remove all forms of
2:01:30wrongdoing we won't see merit and we
2:01:32won't see what is true and right
2:01:34scooping out and pouring back scooping
2:01:36out and pouring back we only remain as
2:01:38we are
2:01:39going back and forth like this we only
2:01:42waste our time and whatever we do is
2:01:43meaningless
2:01:45listening to teachings is meaningless
2:01:48making offerings is meaningless all our
2:01:50efforts to practice are in vain we don't
2:01:52understand the principles of the
2:01:53buddha's way so our actions don't bear
2:01:55the desired fruit
2:01:57when the buddha taught about practice he
2:01:59wasn't only talking about something for
2:02:00ordained people he was talking about
2:02:02practicing well practicing correctly
2:02:04subati panno means those who practice
2:02:06well udjupatipano means those who
2:02:08practice directly nyaya patipano means
2:02:11those who practice for the realization
2:02:13of the path fruition and nibana
2:02:16samichi
2:02:17are those who practice inclined towards
2:02:20truth
2:02:20it could be anyone these are the sangha
2:02:23true disciples savaka of the lord buddha
2:02:26lay women living at home can be savager
2:02:28layman can be sarvaka bringing these
2:02:30qualities to fulfillment is what makes
2:02:32one a savaka one can be a true disciple
2:02:34of the buddha and realize enlightenment
2:02:37well most of us in the buddhist fold
2:02:39don't have such complete understanding
2:02:41our knowledge doesn't go this far we do
2:02:43our various activities thinking that
2:02:45we'll get some kind of merit from them
2:02:47we think that listening to teachings or
2:02:49making offerings is meritorious
2:02:51that's what we're told but someone who
2:02:53gives offerings to get merit is making
2:02:56bad karma
2:02:58now you can't quite understand this
2:03:00someone who gives in order to get
2:03:01married has instantly accumulated bad
2:03:04karma
2:03:05if you give in order to let go and free
2:03:07the mind that brings you merit if you do
2:03:10it to get something that's bad karma
2:03:14listening to teachings to really
2:03:15understand the buddha's way is difficult
2:03:17the dharma becomes hard to understand
2:03:19when the practice that people do keeping
2:03:21precepts sitting in meditation giving
2:03:24is forgetting something in return
2:03:27we want merit we want something
2:03:29well if something can be obtained who
2:03:32gets it
2:03:33we get it
2:03:34when that's lost whose thing is it
2:03:36that's lost
2:03:38the person who doesn't have something
2:03:40doesn't lose anything and when it's lost
2:03:43who suffers over it
2:03:45don't you think that living your life to
2:03:46get things brings you suffering
2:03:49otherwise you can just go on as before
2:03:51trying to get everything and yet if we
2:03:53make the mind empty then we gain
2:03:56everything
2:03:57higher realms nibana and all their
2:03:58accomplishments we gain all of it
2:04:01in making offerings we don't have any
2:04:02attachment or aim the mind is empty and
2:04:04relaxed we can let go and put it down
2:04:07it's like carrying a log and complaining
2:04:09it's heavy if someone that if someone
2:04:11tells you to put it down you'll say if i
2:04:13put it down i won't have anything
2:04:15well
2:04:16now you do have something you have
2:04:18heaviness
2:04:19but you don't have lightness
2:04:22so you do want lightness or do you want
2:04:24to keep carrying
2:04:26one person says to put it down the other
2:04:28says he's afraid he won't have anything
2:04:30they're talking past each other
2:04:33we want happiness we want ease we want
2:04:35tranquility and peace
2:04:37it means we want lightness
2:04:40we carry the log and then someone sees
2:04:42us doing this and tells us to drop it we
2:04:44say we can't because what we have what
2:04:46will we have then
2:04:47but the other person says that if we
2:04:49drop it we can get something better
2:04:51two have a hard time communicating
2:04:55if we make offerings and practice good
2:04:57deeds in order to get something it
2:04:58doesn't work out
2:05:00what we get is becoming in birth
2:05:03it isn't a cause for realizing nirvana
2:05:06nibana is giving up letting go
2:05:10trying to get to hold on to give meaning
2:05:12to things aren't causes for realizing
2:05:14nibana
2:05:16the buddha wanted us to look here
2:05:18at this empty place of letting go
2:05:21this is merit this is skillfulness
2:05:25once we have done practice any sort of
2:05:26merit and virtue we should feel that our
2:05:29part is done
2:05:30we shouldn't carry it any further
2:05:32we do it for the purpose of giving up
2:05:34defilements and craving we don't do it
2:05:36for the purpose of creating defilements
2:05:38craving an attachment
2:05:39then when where will we go
2:05:42we don't go anywhere
2:05:44our practice is correct and
2:05:46true most of us buddhists though we
2:05:49follow the forms of practice and
2:05:50learning have a hard time understanding
2:05:52this kind of talk
2:05:54it's because mara the evil one the
2:05:56tempter the personification of death
2:05:59meaning ignorance meaning craving
2:06:01is the desire to get to have and to be
2:06:04mara enshrouds the mind
2:06:06we only find temporary happiness for
2:06:08example when we are filled with hatred
2:06:10towards someone it takes over our minds
2:06:12and gives us no peace
2:06:14we think about the person all the time
2:06:16thinking what we can do to strike out at
2:06:17him
2:06:19the thinking never stops
2:06:21then maybe one day we get a chance to go
2:06:23to his house and curse him and tell him
2:06:25off
2:06:26that gives us some release but does that
2:06:28make an end of our defilements we found
2:06:30a way to let off steam and we feel
2:06:32better for it but we haven't rid
2:06:33ourselves of the affliction of anger
2:06:34have we there's some happiness and
2:06:36defilement and craving but it's like
2:06:38this
2:06:39we're still storing the defilement
2:06:41inside when the conditions are right
2:06:43it'll flare up even worse than before
2:06:45then we'll want to find some temporary
2:06:46release again
2:06:47do the defilements ever get finished in
2:06:49this way
2:06:51it's similar when someone's spouse or
2:06:52children die or when people suffer big
2:06:55financial loss they drink to relieve
2:06:57their sorrow
2:06:58they go to a movie to relieve their
2:06:59sorrow
2:07:01does it really relieve the sorrow
2:07:03the sorrow actually grows but for the
2:07:05time being they can forget about what
2:07:07happened so they call it a way to cure
2:07:09their misery it's like if you have a cut
2:07:11on the bottom of your foot that makes
2:07:13walking painful
2:07:14anything that contacts it hurts and so
2:07:16you limp along complaining of the
2:07:17discomfort but if you see a tiger coming
2:07:20your way you'll take off and start
2:07:21running without any thought of your cut
2:07:24fear of the tiger is much more powerful
2:07:26than the pain in your foot so it's as if
2:07:28the pain is gone
2:07:30the fear made it something small
2:07:32you might experience problems at work or
2:07:34at home that seems so big
2:07:36then you get drunk and in that drunken
2:07:38state of more powerful delusion those
2:07:40problems no longer trouble you so much
2:07:42you think it solved your problems and
2:07:44relieved your own happiness
2:07:46but when you sober up the old problems
2:07:48are back
2:07:49so what happened to your solution
2:07:52it keeps suppressing the problems with
2:07:54drink and they keep on coming back
2:07:56you might end up with cirrhosis of the
2:07:57liver but you don't get rid of the
2:07:59problems and then one day you're dead
2:08:04there is some comfort and happiness here
2:08:06it's the happiness of fools
2:08:09it's the way that fools stop their
2:08:10suffering
2:08:11there's no wisdom here
2:08:13these different confused conditions are
2:08:15mixed in the heart that has a feeling of
2:08:17well-being if the mind is allowed to
2:08:19follow its moods and tendencies it feels
2:08:21some happiness
2:08:23but his happiness is always storing
2:08:25unhappiness within it
2:08:27each time it erupts our suffering and
2:08:29despair will be worse it's like having a
2:08:31wound
2:08:32if we treat it on the surface but inside
2:08:34it's still infected it's not cured
2:08:36it looks okay for a while but when the
2:08:39infection spreads we have to start
2:08:40cutting
2:08:42if the inner infection is never cured we
2:08:44can be operating on the surface again
2:08:46and again with no end in sight
2:08:48what can be seen from the outside may
2:08:50look fine for a while but inside is the
2:08:52same as before
2:08:54the way of the world is like this
2:08:56wealthy matters are never finished so
2:08:58the laws of the world in the various
2:09:00societies are constantly resolving
2:09:02issues
2:09:03new laws are always being established to
2:09:05deal with different situations and
2:09:07problems
2:09:08something is dealt with for a while
2:09:10there's always a need for further laws
2:09:12and solutions
2:09:13there's never the internal resolution
2:09:16only surface improvement the infection
2:09:19still exists within so there's always
2:09:21need for more cutting
2:09:23people are only good on the surface in
2:09:25their words and their appearance their
2:09:27words are good and their faces look kind
2:09:29but their minds aren't so good
2:09:32when we get on a train and see some
2:09:33acquaintance there we say oh how good to
2:09:36see you i've been thinking about you a
2:09:37lot lately i've been planning to visit
2:09:39you
2:09:41but it's all just talk we don't really
2:09:43mean it we're being good on the surface
2:09:45but we're not so good inside
2:09:47we say the words but then as soon as
2:09:48we've had a smoke and taken a cup of
2:09:50coffee with him we split
2:09:52then if we run into him another day in
2:09:53the future we'll say the same thing
2:09:55again hey good to see you have you been
2:09:58i'll be meaning to visit you just
2:09:59haven't had the time
2:10:01that's the way it is
2:10:03people are superficially good but
2:10:05they're usually not so good inside
2:10:09the great teacher taught dhamma and
2:10:11vinaya it is complete and comprehensive
2:10:14nothing surpasses it and nothing in it
2:10:16need be changed or adjusted because it
2:10:18is the ultimate it's complete so this is
2:10:21where we can stop
2:10:23there's nothing to add or subtract
2:10:25because it is something of the nature
2:10:27not to be increased or decreased it's
2:10:29just right
2:10:30it's true
2:10:33so we buddhists come to hear dhamma
2:10:34teachings and study and learn these
2:10:36truths if we know them then our minds
2:10:38will enter the dhamma
2:10:40the dhamma will enter our minds whenever
2:10:42a person's mind enters the dhamma that
2:10:44person has well-being that person has a
2:10:46mind at peace
2:10:47the mind then has a way to resolve
2:10:49difficulties but has no way to
2:10:51degenerate when pain and illness have
2:10:53flicked the body the mind has many ways
2:10:55to resolve the suffering
2:10:57it can resolve it naturally
2:10:58understanding this is natural and not
2:11:00falling into depression or fear over it
2:11:03gaining something we don't get lost in
2:11:04delight losing it we don't get
2:11:07excessively upset
2:11:08rather we understand that the nature of
2:11:10things is that having appeared they then
2:11:12decline and disappear
2:11:14with such an attitude we can make our
2:11:16way in the world we are lokaweidu
2:11:19knower of the world
2:11:21knowing the world clearly and samudaya
2:11:24the cause of suffering is not created
2:11:26and tanaha is not born
2:11:28there is vitra knowledge of things as
2:11:30they really are and it illumines the
2:11:32world it illumines praise and blame it
2:11:35illumines gain and loss it illumines
2:11:38rank and and disrepute it clearly
2:11:40illumines birth aging illness and death
2:11:43in the mind of the practitioner
2:11:45that is someone who has reached the
2:11:46dharma
2:11:47such people no longer struggle with life
2:11:49and are no longer constantly in search
2:11:51of solutions they resolve what can be
2:11:54resolved acting as is appropriate
2:11:57that is how the buddha taught he taught
2:11:59those individuals who could be taught
2:12:01those who could not be taught he
2:12:02discarded and let go of
2:12:04even had he not discarded them they were
2:12:06still discarding themselves so he
2:12:08dropped them
2:12:10you might get the idea from this that
2:12:12the buddha must have been lacking in
2:12:13meta to discard people hey if you toss
2:12:16out a rotten mango are you lacking in
2:12:18meta you can't make any use of it that's
2:12:21all
2:12:22there was no way to get through to such
2:12:23people the buddha is praised as one with
2:12:25supreme wisdom he didn't merely gather
2:12:28everyone and everything together in a
2:12:29confused mess he was possessed of the
2:12:31divine eye and could clearly see all
2:12:33things as they really are
2:12:35he was the knower of the world
2:12:37as the knower of the world he saw danger
2:12:39in the round of sangsara
2:12:41for us who are his followers it's the
2:12:43same knowing all things as they are will
2:12:46bring us well-being
2:12:47where exactly are those things that
2:12:49cause us to have happiness and suffering
2:12:52think about it well
2:12:53there are only things that we create
2:12:55ourselves whenever we create the idea
2:12:57that something is us or ours we suffer
2:13:00things can bring us harm or benefit
2:13:02depending on our own understanding
2:13:04so the buddha taught us to pay attention
2:13:06to ourselves to our own actions and to
2:13:08the creations of our minds
2:13:11whenever we have extreme love or
2:13:13aversion to anyone or anything
2:13:15whenever we are particularly anxious
2:13:17that will lead us into great suffering
2:13:20this is important so take a good look at
2:13:22it
2:13:23investigate these feelings of strong
2:13:25love or aversion and then take a step
2:13:27back
2:13:28if you get too close they'll bite
2:13:31do you hear this
2:13:33if you grab out and caress these things
2:13:35they bite and they kick
2:13:37when you feed grass to your buffalo you
2:13:38have to be careful
2:13:40if you're careful when it kicks out it
2:13:42won't kick you you have to feed it and
2:13:45take care of it but you should be smart
2:13:47enough that you do that without getting
2:13:48bitten
2:13:49love for children relatives wealth and
2:13:51possessions will bite
2:13:53do you understand this when you feed it
2:13:55don't get too close
2:13:56when you give it water don't get too
2:13:58close
2:13:59pull on the rope when you need to
2:14:01this is the way of dumb recognizing
2:14:03impermanence unsatisfactoriness and lack
2:14:05of self recognizing the danger and
2:14:07employing caution and restraint in a
2:14:09mindful way
2:14:11arjun tongarat didn't teach a lot he
2:14:14always told us
2:14:15be really careful be really careful
2:14:18that's how he taught
2:14:19be really careful if you're not really
2:14:21careful you'll catch it on the chin
2:14:24this is really how it is even if you
2:14:26didn't say it it's still how it is if
2:14:28you're not really careful you'll catch
2:14:30it on the chin
2:14:32please understand this
2:14:34it's not someone else's concern
2:14:36the problem isn't other people loving or
2:14:38hating us others far away somewhere
2:14:41don't make us create cover and suffering
2:14:44it's our possessions our homes our
2:14:46families where we have to pay attention
2:14:48or what do you think
2:14:50these days where do you experience
2:14:52suffering
2:14:53where are you involved in love and hate
2:14:55and fear
2:14:56control yourselves take care of
2:14:58yourselves
2:15:00watch out you don't get bitten
2:15:02if they don't bite they might kick
2:15:05don't think that these things won't bite
2:15:07or kick if you do get bitten make sure
2:15:10it's only a little bit
2:15:11don't get kicked and bitten to pieces
2:15:13don't try to tell yourselves there's no
2:15:15danger
2:15:16possessions
2:15:18wealth
2:15:19fame loved ones
2:15:21all these can kick and bite if you're
2:15:23not mindful
2:15:25if you're mindful you'll be at ease
2:15:27be cautious and restrained
2:15:30when your mind starts grasping at things
2:15:31and making a big deal out of them you
2:15:33have to stop it
2:15:35it'll argue with you but you have to put
2:15:37your foot down
2:15:39stay in the middle as the mind comes and
2:15:40goes put sensual indulgence away on one
2:15:43side put self-torment away on the other
2:15:46side
2:15:47put love to one side hate to the other
2:15:49side put happiness to one side suffering
2:15:51to the other side
2:15:53remain in the middle without letting the
2:15:55mind go in either direction
2:15:59like these bodies of ours earth water
2:16:01fire and wind
2:16:02where is the person
2:16:06there isn't any person
2:16:08these few different things are put
2:16:10together and it's called a person
2:16:12that's a falsehood it's not real
2:16:15it's only real in the way of convention
2:16:18when the time comes the elements return
2:16:20to their old state
2:16:21we've only come to stay with them for a
2:16:23while so we have to let them go to
2:16:25return
2:16:26the part that is earth sent back to the
2:16:28earth the part that is water send back
2:16:31to be water
2:16:32the part that is fire send back to be
2:16:34fire the part that is wind sent back to
2:16:37be wind
2:16:38or will you try to go with them and keep
2:16:40something
2:16:42we come to rely on them for a while when
2:16:44it's time for them to go let them go
2:16:46when they come let them come all these
2:16:48phenomena sabara
2:16:50the principle or condition of nature
2:16:52things as they truly are
2:16:54they appear and then they disappear
2:16:55that's all we understand that all these
2:16:57things are flowing
2:16:59constantly appearing and disappearing
2:17:03making offerings listening to teachings
2:17:05practicing meditation whatever we do
2:17:07should be done for the purpose of
2:17:08developing wisdom
2:17:11developing wisdom is for the purpose of
2:17:12liberation freedom from all these
2:17:14conditions and phenomena when we are
2:17:16free then no matter what our situation
2:17:18is we don't have to suffer
2:17:20if we have children we don't have to
2:17:22suffer if we work we don't have to
2:17:24suffer
2:17:25if we have a house we don't have to
2:17:27suffer
2:17:28it's like a lotus in the water
2:17:31i grow in the water but i don't suffer
2:17:33because of the water i can't be drowned
2:17:35or burned because i live in the water
2:17:38when the water ebbs and flows it doesn't
2:17:40affect the lotus
2:17:42the water and the lotus can exist
2:17:44together without conflict
2:17:45they are together yet separate
2:17:48whatever is in the water nourishes the
2:17:50lotus and helps it grow into something
2:17:52beautiful
2:17:54it's the same for us
2:17:56wealth home family and all defilements
2:17:59of mind no longer defile us but rather
2:18:01help us to develop bury me the spiritual
2:18:04perfections
2:18:06in a grove of bamboo the old leaves pile
2:18:08up around the trees and when the rain
2:18:09falls they decompose and become
2:18:11fertilizer
2:18:12shoots grow and the trees develop
2:18:14because of the fertilizer and we have a
2:18:16source of food and income
2:18:18but it didn't look like anything good at
2:18:20all
2:18:21so be careful in the dry season if you
2:18:23set fires in the forest they'll burn up
2:18:25all the future fertilizer and the
2:18:26fertilizer will turn in you won't have
2:18:28any bamboo shoots to eat so if you burn
2:18:31the forest you burn the bamboo
2:18:32fertilizer if you burn the fertilizer
2:18:35you burn the trees and the grove dies
2:18:37you understand
2:18:39you and your families can live in
2:18:40happiness and harmony with your homes
2:18:42and possessions free of danger from
2:18:44floods or fire
2:18:46if a family is flooded or burned it's
2:18:48only because of the people in that
2:18:49family it's just like the bamboo's
2:18:51fertilizer the grove can be burned
2:18:53because of it or the grove can grow
2:18:55beautifully because of it
2:18:59things will grow beautifully and then
2:19:00not beautifully and then become
2:19:02beautiful again
2:19:03growing and degenerating and growing
2:19:05again and degenerating again this is the
2:19:07way of worldly phenomena
2:19:09if we know growth and degeneration for
2:19:11what they are we can find the conclusion
2:19:13to them
2:19:14things grow and reach their limit
2:19:16things degenerate and reach their limit
2:19:19but we remain constant
2:19:22it's like when there was a fire in ubon
2:19:23city
2:19:24people bemoaned about the destruction
2:19:26and shared a lot of tears over it
2:19:28but things were rebuilt after the fire
2:19:30and the new buildings are actually
2:19:31bigger and a lot better than what we had
2:19:33before and people enjoy the city more
2:19:35now
2:19:37this is how it is with the cycles of
2:19:38loss and development
2:19:40everything has its limits so the buddha
2:19:42wanted us always to be contemplating
2:19:45while we still live we should think
2:19:46about death
2:19:47don't consider it as something far away
2:19:50if you're poor don't try to harm or
2:19:53exploit others
2:19:54face the situation and work hard to help
2:19:56yourself
2:19:57if you're well off don't become
2:19:59forgetful in your wealth and comfort
2:20:01it's not very difficult for everything
2:20:03to be lost
2:20:05a rich person can become a pauper in a
2:20:06couple of days
2:20:08a pauper can become a rich person
2:20:10it's all owing to the fact that these
2:20:12conditions are impermanent and unstable
2:20:15that's the buddha said pamado machu no
2:20:18padang heedlessness is the way to death
2:20:21the heedless are like the dead
2:20:24don't be heedless
2:20:25all beings in all sankhara are unstable
2:20:27and impermanent don't form any
2:20:29attachment to them
2:20:31happy or sad progressing or falling
2:20:33apart in the end it all comes down to
2:20:35the same place please understand this
2:20:38living in the world and having this
2:20:40perspective we can be free of danger
2:20:42whatever we may gain or accomplish in
2:20:44the world because of our good comer is
2:20:45still of the world and subject to decay
2:20:48and loss so don't get too carried away
2:20:50by it
2:20:52it's like a beetle scratching at the
2:20:53earth
2:20:54it can scratch up a pile that is that's
2:20:56a lot bigger than itself but it's still
2:20:58only a pile of dirt
2:21:00if it works hard it makes a deep hole in
2:21:02the ground but it's still only a hole in
2:21:04the dirt
2:21:05if a buffalo drops a load of dung there
2:21:07it'll be bigger than the beetle's pile
2:21:08of earth
2:21:09but it still isn't anything that reaches
2:21:11to the sky
2:21:12it's all dirt
2:21:14worldly accomplishments are like this
2:21:16no matter how hard the beetles work
2:21:18they're just involved in dirt making
2:21:20holes and piles
2:21:22people who have good worldly camera have
2:21:24the intelligence to do well in the world
2:21:27but no matter how well they do they're
2:21:29still living in the world
2:21:31all the things they do are worldly and
2:21:32have their limits like the beetles
2:21:35scratching away at the earth
2:21:37the hole may go deep but it's in the
2:21:39earth the pile may get high but it's
2:21:41just a pile of dirt
2:21:43doing well getting a lot
2:21:45or just doing well and getting a lot in
2:21:47the world
2:21:49or please understand this and try to to
2:21:51develop detachment if you don't gain
2:21:53much be contented understanding that
2:21:55it's only the worldly if you gain a lot
2:21:57understand that it's only the worldly
2:21:59contemplate these truths and don't be
2:22:01heedless see both sides of things not
2:22:03getting stuck on one side when something
2:22:06delights you hold part of yourself back
2:22:08in reserve because that delight won't
2:22:10last
2:22:11when you are happy don't go completely
2:22:13over to its side because soon enough
2:22:15you'll be back on the other side with
2:22:17unhappiness
2:22:19this is
2:22:20the seventh talk in this collection
2:22:24entitled it can be done
2:22:27and this was also first
2:22:29published in
2:22:31the book everything is teaching us
2:22:33translated by paul breiter but there's
2:22:36no particular indication of what
2:22:39year or what occasion this was this was
2:22:42given
2:22:45at this time please determine your minds
2:22:47to listen to the dhamma
2:22:50today is the traditional day of dhamma
2:22:52sawana which means hearing or studying
2:22:55the dhamma the observance day
2:22:58it is the appropriate time for us the
2:23:00host of buddhists
2:23:01to study the dhamma in order to increase
2:23:03our mindfulness and wisdom
2:23:07giving and receiving the teachings is
2:23:08something we have been doing for a long
2:23:11time
2:23:11the activities we usually perform on
2:23:13this day chanting homage to the buddha
2:23:16taking moral precepts meditating and
2:23:18listening to the teachings should be
2:23:20understood as methods and principles for
2:23:22spiritual development
2:23:24they're not anything more than this
2:23:28when it comes to taking precepts for
2:23:30example a monk will proclaim the
2:23:31precepts and the lay people will vow to
2:23:33undertake them
2:23:35don't misunderstand what's going on
2:23:38the truth is that morality is not
2:23:40something that can be given
2:23:42it can't be really be requested or
2:23:45received from someone
2:23:47we can't give it to someone else
2:23:50in our vernacular we hear people say the
2:23:52venerable monk gave the precepts and we
2:23:56received the precepts
2:23:58we talked like this here in the
2:23:59countryside and so it has become our
2:24:01habitual way of understanding
2:24:04if we think like this
2:24:05that we come to receive the precepts
2:24:07from the monks on the lunar observance
2:24:09days and that if the monks won't
2:24:12give the precepts then we don't have
2:24:13morality that's only a tradition of
2:24:16delusion that we've inherited from our
2:24:17ancestors
2:24:19thinking in this way means that we give
2:24:21up our own responsibility
2:24:23not having firm trust and conviction in
2:24:25ourselves
2:24:27then it gets passed down to the next
2:24:28generation and they too come to receive
2:24:31precepts from the monks
2:24:33and the monks come to believe that
2:24:34they're the ones who give the precepts
2:24:36to the laity
2:24:38in fact morality and precepts are not
2:24:41like that
2:24:42they're not something to be given or
2:24:44received
2:24:45but on ceremonial occasions of making
2:24:47merit and the like we use this as a
2:24:49ritual form according to tradition and
2:24:52employ the terminology
2:24:54in truth morality resides with the
2:24:57intentions of people
2:24:59if you have the conscious determination
2:25:01to refrain from harmful activities and
2:25:02wrongdoing by way of body and speech
2:25:05morality is coming about within you
2:25:09you should know within yourself
2:25:11it is okay to take the vows with another
2:25:13person
2:25:14but you can also recollect the precepts
2:25:15by yourself
2:25:17if you don't know what they are you can
2:25:19request them from someone else
2:25:21it's not something very complicated or
2:25:23distant so really whenever we wish to
2:25:25receive morality and dhamma we have them
2:25:28right then
2:25:29it's just like the air that surrounds us
2:25:31everywhere
2:25:32whenever we breathe we take it in
2:25:34all manner of good and evil is like that
2:25:37if we wish to do good we can do it
2:25:39anywhere at any time
2:25:41we can do it alone or together with
2:25:42others
2:25:43evil is the same we can do it with a
2:25:45large or a small group in a hidden or an
2:25:48open place it's like this
2:25:51these are things that are already in
2:25:52existence but morality is something that
2:25:55we should consider normal for all humans
2:25:57to practice
2:25:59a person who has no morality is no
2:26:01different from an animal
2:26:03if you decide to live like an animal
2:26:05then of course there is no good or evil
2:26:07for you because an animal doesn't have
2:26:09any knowledge of such things
2:26:11a cat catch is nice but we don't say
2:26:13it's doing evil because it has no
2:26:15concepts or knowledge of good or bad
2:26:17right or wrong these beings are outside
2:26:20the circle of human beings it's the
2:26:22animal realm
2:26:24the buddha pointed out that this group
2:26:25is just living according to the animal
2:26:27kind of kama
2:26:28those who understand right and wrong
2:26:30good and evil are humans
2:26:33the buddha taught is dumber for humans
2:26:35if we people don't have morality and
2:26:37knowledge of these things then we're not
2:26:39much different from animals so it is
2:26:41appropriate that we study and learn
2:26:43about morality and make ourselves able
2:26:46this is taking advantage of the precious
2:26:48accomplishment of human existence and
2:26:50bringing it to fulfillment
2:26:53the profound dhamma is the teaching that
2:26:55morality is necessary
2:26:57when there is morazi we have a
2:26:59foundation on which we can progress in
2:27:01dhamma
2:27:02morality means the precepts concerning
2:27:04what is forbidden and what is
2:27:05permissible
2:27:07dhamma refers to nature and to humans
2:27:09knowing about nature
2:27:11how things exist according to nature
2:27:14nature is something we do not compose
2:27:17it exists as it is according to its
2:27:20conditions
2:27:21a simple example is animals
2:27:23a certain species such as peacocks is
2:27:26born with its various patterns and
2:27:28colours
2:27:29they were not created like that by
2:27:31humans or modified by humans
2:27:33they're born just that way according to
2:27:35nature
2:27:36this is a little example of how it is in
2:27:38nature
2:27:41all things of nature are existing in the
2:27:43world this is still talking about
2:27:45understanding from a worldly viewpoint
2:27:47the buddha taught dhamma for us to know
2:27:48nature
2:27:49to let go of it and to let it exist
2:27:51according to its conditions
2:27:53this is talking about the external
2:27:55material world
2:27:57as to nama dhamma mental phenomena
2:28:00meaning the mind it cannot be left to
2:28:02follow its own conditions
2:28:04it has to be trained in the end we can
2:28:06say that mind is the teacher of body and
2:28:08speech so it needs to be well trained
2:28:11letting it go according to its natural
2:28:13urges just makes one an animal
2:28:15it has to be instructed and trained
2:28:17it should come to know nature but should
2:28:19not merely be left to follow nature
2:28:24we're born into this world and all of us
2:28:26will naturally have the afflictions of
2:28:28desire anger and delusion
2:28:31desire makes us crave after various
2:28:33things and causes the mind to be in a
2:28:34state of imbalance and turmoil
2:28:37nature is like that
2:28:38he will just not do to let the mind go
2:28:40after these impulses of craving
2:28:42it only leads to heat and distress
2:28:45it's better to train in dhamma in truth
2:28:49when aversion occurs in us we want to
2:28:51express anger towards people
2:28:53it may even get to the point of
2:28:54physically attacking or killing people
2:28:57but we don't just let it go quote
2:29:00unquote according to its nature
2:29:02we know the nature of what is occurring
2:29:04we see it for what it is and teach the
2:29:06mind about it this is studying dhamma
2:29:11delusion is the same when it happens
2:29:13we're confused about things
2:29:15if we just leave it as it is we remain
2:29:17in ignorance
2:29:19so the buddha told us to know nature to
2:29:21teach nature to train and adjust nature
2:29:24to know exactly what nature is
2:29:27for example people are born with
2:29:29physical form and mind
2:29:31in the beginning these things are born
2:29:33in the middle they change and in the end
2:29:35they are extinguished
2:29:36this is ordinary this is their nature
2:29:39we cannot do much to alter these facts
2:29:42we train our minds as we can and when
2:29:45the time comes we have to let go of it
2:29:47all
2:29:47beyond the ability of humans to change
2:29:49this or get beyond it
2:29:51the dharma that the buddha taught is
2:29:52something to be applied while we're here
2:29:55for making actions words and thoughts
2:29:57correct and proper he was teaching the
2:29:58minds of people so that they would not
2:30:00be deluded in regard to nature
2:30:02conventional reality and supposition
2:30:05the teacher instructed us to see the
2:30:07world his dharma was a teaching that is
2:30:09above and beyond the world
2:30:12we are in the world we're born into this
2:30:13world
2:30:14that he taught us to transcend the world
2:30:16and not be a prisoner to worldly ways
2:30:18and habits
2:30:20it's like a diamond that falls into a
2:30:22muddy pit no matter how much dirt and
2:30:24filth covers it that does not destroy
2:30:26its radiance the hues and the worth of
2:30:28it
2:30:29even though the mud is stuck to it the
2:30:31diamond does not lose anything but is
2:30:34just as it originally was
2:30:36there are two separate things
2:30:38so the buddha taught to be above the
2:30:40world which means knowing the world
2:30:42clearly
2:30:43by the world he does not mean so much
2:30:45the earth and the sky and the elements
2:30:47but rather the mind the wheel of samsara
2:30:52within the hearts of people he meant
2:30:54this wheel this world this is the world
2:30:56the buddha knew clearly
2:30:58when we talk about knowing the world
2:30:59clearly we're talking about these things
2:31:02if it were otherwise the buddha would
2:31:04have had to be flying everywhere to know
2:31:06the world clearly quote unquote it's not
2:31:08like that
2:31:10it's a single point
2:31:11all dumbers come down to one single
2:31:13point
2:31:14for instance people which means men and
2:31:17women
2:31:18if we observe one man and one woman we
2:31:20know the nature of all people in the
2:31:22universe they're not that different
2:31:25another example is learning about heat
2:31:27if we just know this one point the
2:31:29quality of being hot
2:31:30it doesn't matter what source or cause
2:31:32the heat is
2:31:34the condition of hot is such
2:31:37if we know clearly this one point then
2:31:39wherever we there may be hotness in the
2:31:41universe we know it is like this
2:31:44because the buddha knew a single point
2:31:46his knowledge encompassed the world
2:31:48knowing coldness to be a certain way
2:31:50when he encountered coldness anywhere in
2:31:52the world he already knew it
2:31:54he taught a single point for beings
2:31:56living in the world to know the world to
2:31:59know the nature of the world to know
2:32:01people men and women
2:32:02no to know the manner of existence of
2:32:05beings in the world
2:32:06his knowledge was such
2:32:08knowing one point he knew all things
2:32:12the dhamma that the teacher expanded was
2:32:14for going beyond suffering
2:32:16so what is this going beyond suffering
2:32:18all about
2:32:19what should we do to escape from
2:32:20suffering
2:32:23it is necessary for us to do some study
2:32:26we need to come and study the thinking
2:32:27and feeling in our hearts
2:32:29just that
2:32:30it is something that we are presently
2:32:32unable to change
2:32:34we can be free of all suffering and on
2:32:36satisfactionness in life just by
2:32:37changing this one point
2:32:39our habitual worldview our way of
2:32:41thinking and feeling
2:32:43if we come to have a new sense of things
2:32:45a new understanding we transcend the old
2:32:47perceptions and understanding
2:32:50the authentic dhamma of the buddha is
2:32:51not something pointing far away
2:32:54it teaches about atar self and that
2:32:57things are not really self
2:32:59that's all all the teachings of the
2:33:01buddha gave were pointing out that this
2:33:03is not a self this does not belong to a
2:33:05self there is no such thing as ourselves
2:33:07or others
2:33:09now when we contact this we can't really
2:33:12read it we don't translate the number
2:33:15correctly
2:33:16we still think this is me this is mine
2:33:19we attach to things and invest them with
2:33:21meaning
2:33:22when we do this we can't yet disentangle
2:33:24from them the involvement is deepens and
2:33:26the mess gets worse and worse
2:33:28if we know that there is no self the
2:33:30body and mind are really
2:33:32as the buddha taught then when we keep
2:33:34on investigating eventually we will come
2:33:37to the realization of the actual
2:33:39condition of selflessness
2:33:41we will genuinely realize that there is
2:33:43no self or other
2:33:46pleasure is merely pleasure feeling is
2:33:48merely feeling
2:33:49memory is merely memory thinking is
2:33:51merely thinking
2:33:53they're all things that are merely such
2:33:56happiness is merely happiness suffering
2:33:58is merely suffering good is merely good
2:34:01evil is merely evil
2:34:03everything exists merely thus
2:34:07there is no real happiness or real
2:34:09suffering
2:34:11there are just merely existing
2:34:13conditions merely happy merely suffering
2:34:15merely hot merely cold merely a being or
2:34:18a person
2:34:19you should keep looking to see that
2:34:21things are only so much
2:34:24only earth only water only fire only
2:34:26wind
2:34:27we should keep on reading these things
2:34:29and investigating this point
2:34:32eventually our perception will change
2:34:34we will have a different feeling about
2:34:36things the tightly held conviction that
2:34:38there is a self and things belonging to
2:34:40itself will gradually come undone
2:34:42when this sense of things is removed
2:34:44then the opposite perception will keep
2:34:46increasing steadily
2:34:48when the realization of alatar comes to
2:34:50full measure we'll be able to relate to
2:34:52the things of the world
2:34:54to our most cherished possessions and
2:34:56involvements to friends and relations
2:34:58to wealth accomplishments and status
2:35:01just the same as we do to our clothes
2:35:03when shirts and trousers are new we wear
2:35:05them they get dirty and we wash them
2:35:08after some time they're worn out and we
2:35:09discard them
2:35:11there is nothing out of the ordinary
2:35:12there
2:35:13we're constantly getting rid of the old
2:35:15things and starting to need to use new
2:35:17garments
2:35:19we will have exactly the same feelings
2:35:20about our existence in this world
2:35:22we will not cry or moan over things and
2:35:25not be tormented or burdened by them
2:35:28they remain the same things as they were
2:35:29before but our feeling and understanding
2:35:31of them has changed
2:35:34now our knowledge will be exalted and we
2:35:36will see truth
2:35:37we will have attained supreme vision and
2:35:39have learned the authentic knowledge of
2:35:41the dhamma that we ought to know and see
2:35:44where is the dhamma that we ought to
2:35:46know and see
2:35:47it's right here within us within this
2:35:49body in mind we have it already we
2:35:52should come to know and see it
2:35:55all of us have been born into this human
2:35:57realm
2:35:58whatever we gained by that we're gonna
2:36:00lose
2:36:01we've seen people born and seen them die
2:36:04we just see this happening but don't
2:36:06really see clearly when there's a birth
2:36:09we rejoice over it when people die we
2:36:11cry for them
2:36:13there's no end
2:36:14it goes on in this way and there's no
2:36:16end to our foolishness
2:36:18seeing birth we're foolhardy seeing
2:36:20death we are foolhardy
2:36:22there's only this unending foolishness
2:36:25so let's take a look at all this
2:36:28these things are natural occurrences
2:36:31contemplate the dhamma here the dhamma
2:36:33that we should know and see
2:36:35the stoma is existing right now make it
2:36:38make up your minds about this exert
2:36:40restraint and self-control
2:36:42now we are amidst the things of this
2:36:45life we shouldn't have fears of death
2:36:47we should fear the lower realms don't
2:36:50fear dying rather be afraid of falling
2:36:52into hell
2:36:54you should be afraid of doing wrong
2:36:55while you still have life
2:36:57these are old things we're dealing with
2:36:59not new things
2:37:01some people are alive but don't know
2:37:03themselves at all they think what's the
2:37:05big deal about what i do now
2:37:07i can't know what's going to happen when
2:37:08i die
2:37:10they don't think about the new seeds
2:37:11they are creating for the future
2:37:13they only see the old fruit
2:37:16they fixate on present experience not
2:37:18realizing that if there is fruit it must
2:37:21have come from a seed
2:37:22and that within the fruit that we have
2:37:24now are the seeds for future fruit
2:37:27these seeds are just waiting to be
2:37:28planted
2:37:30actions born of ignorance continue the
2:37:32chain in this way but when you're eating
2:37:34the fruit you don't think about all the
2:37:36implications
2:37:38wherever the mind has a lot of
2:37:39attachment we will experience intense
2:37:41suffering intense grief intense
2:37:44difficulty right there the place we
2:37:46experience the most problems is the
2:37:48place we have the most attraction
2:37:50longing and concern
2:37:52please try to to resolve this now while
2:37:54you still have life and breath keep on
2:37:56looking at it and reading it until you
2:37:58are able to translate it and solve the
2:38:01problem
2:38:03whatever we are experiencing as part of
2:38:05our lives now one day we will be parted
2:38:08from it
2:38:09so don't just pass the time
2:38:11practice spiritual cultivation
2:38:14take this parting this separation and
2:38:17loss as your object of contemplation
2:38:19right now in the present until you're
2:38:21clever and skilled in it until you can
2:38:23see that it is ordinary and natural
2:38:26when there is anxiety and regret over it
2:38:29have the wisdom to recognize the limits
2:38:31of this anxiety and regret
2:38:33knowing what they are according to the
2:38:35truth
2:38:37if you can consider things in this way
2:38:39then wisdom will arise
2:38:41whenever suffering occurs wisdom can
2:38:43arise there if we investigate
2:38:46but people generally do not want to
2:38:48investigate
2:38:50wherever pleasant or unpleasant
2:38:52experience happens wisdom can arise
2:38:54there
2:38:55if we know happiness and suffering for
2:38:56what they really are then we know the
2:38:58dharma
2:38:59if we know the dhamma we know the world
2:39:01clearly if we know the world clearly we
2:39:03know the dhamma
2:39:05actually for most of us if something is
2:39:07displeasing
2:39:08we don't really want to know about it
2:39:11we get caught up in the aversion to it
2:39:14if we dislike someone we don't want to
2:39:16look at his face or get anywhere near
2:39:17him
2:39:18this is the mark of a foolish unskillful
2:39:21person
2:39:22this is not the way of a good person
2:39:25if we like someone then of course we
2:39:27want to be close to him and make every
2:39:29effort to be with him taking delight in
2:39:31his company
2:39:32they are actually the same
2:39:34like the palm and the back of the hand
2:39:36when we turn the hand up and see the
2:39:38palm the back of the hand is hidden from
2:39:40sight when we turn it over then the palm
2:39:42is not seen
2:39:45pleasure hides pain pain hides pleasure
2:39:47from our sight
2:39:49wrong covers upright right covers wrong
2:39:52just looking at one side our knowledge
2:39:54is not complete
2:39:56oh let's do things completely while we
2:39:58still have life
2:39:59keep on looking at things separating
2:40:01truth from falsehood
2:40:03noting how things really are getting to
2:40:05the end of it reaching peace
2:40:08when the time comes we'll be able to cut
2:40:10through and let go completely
2:40:12now we have to firmly attempt to
2:40:14separate things and keep trying to cut
2:40:16through
2:40:18the buddha taught about hair nails skin
2:40:21and teeth
2:40:23he taught us to separate them
2:40:25a person who does not know about
2:40:27separating only knows about holding them
2:40:29to himself
2:40:31now while we've not yet parted from
2:40:33these things we should be skillful in
2:40:34meditating on them
2:40:36we've not yet left this world so we
2:40:38should be careful
2:40:40we should contemplate a lot making
2:40:41copious charitable offerings recite the
2:40:44scriptures a lot practice a lot
2:40:46we should develop insight into
2:40:48impermanence and satisfactionness and
2:40:50selflessness
2:40:52even if the mind does not want to listen
2:40:54we should keep on breaking things up
2:40:55like this and come to know in the
2:40:57present
2:40:59this can most definitely be done
2:41:01one can realize knowledge that
2:41:02transcends the world
2:41:05we are stuck in the world
2:41:06and this is a way to destroy quote
2:41:09unquote the world
2:41:10through contemplating and seeing beyond
2:41:13the world so that we can transcend the
2:41:15world in our being
2:41:16even while we're still living in this
2:41:18world our view can be above the world
2:41:23in a worldly existence one creates both
2:41:25good and evil
2:41:27now we try to practice virtue and give
2:41:28up evil when good results come then you
2:41:31should not be under that good
2:41:33but be able to transcend it
2:41:36if you do not transcend it then you will
2:41:37become a slave to virtue and to your
2:41:39concepts of what is good
2:41:42it puts you in difficulty there will not
2:41:44be an end to your tears
2:41:46it doesn't matter how much good you have
2:41:48practiced if you're attached to it then
2:41:50you're still not free and there'll be no
2:41:52end to tears
2:41:54but one who transcends good as well as
2:41:56evil has no more tears to shed they've
2:41:59dried up
2:42:00there can be an end
2:42:02we should learn to use virtue not to be
2:42:04used by virtue
2:42:08in a nutshell the point of the teaching
2:42:10of the buddha is to transform one's view
2:42:14it is possible to change it
2:42:16it only requires looking at things
2:42:19and then it happens
2:42:21having been born will experience aging
2:42:23illness death and separation these
2:42:25things are right here we don't need to
2:42:27look up at the sky or down to the earth
2:42:30the dhamma that we need to see and to
2:42:31know can be seen right here within us
2:42:33every moment every day
2:42:36when there is birth we're filled with
2:42:37joy when there's death we grieve
2:42:39that's how we spend our lives
2:42:42these are the things we need to know
2:42:43about
2:42:44but we've still not really looked into
2:42:46them and seen the truth
2:42:48we're stuck deep in this ignorance we
2:42:50ask
2:42:51when will we see the dhamma but it is
2:42:53right here to be seen in the present
2:42:57this is the dhamma we should learn about
2:42:58and see
2:42:59this is what the buddha taught about
2:43:01he did not teach about gods and demons
2:43:03and nagas protective deities jealous
2:43:06demigods nature spirits and the like
2:43:08he taught the things that one should
2:43:10know and see
2:43:12these are truths that we really should
2:43:14be able to realize
2:43:16external phenomena like this exhibiting
2:43:19the three characteristics
2:43:21of impermanence and satisfactoriness and
2:43:24not self
2:43:26if we really take an interest in all of
2:43:28this and contemplate seriously we can
2:43:30gain genuine knowledge
2:43:32if this was something that could not be
2:43:34done the buddha would not have bothered
2:43:35to talk about it
2:43:37how many tens and hundreds of thousands
2:43:39of his followers have come to
2:43:40realization
2:43:42if one is really keen on looking at
2:43:44things one can come to know
2:43:47the dhamma is like that
2:43:49we're living in this world the buddha
2:43:51wanted us to know the world
2:43:52living in the world we gain our
2:43:54knowledge from the world
2:43:56the buddha is said to be lokavitu one
2:43:58who knows the world clearly it means
2:44:00living in the world but not being stuck
2:44:02in the ways of the world living among
2:44:04attraction and aversion but not stuck in
2:44:07attraction and aversion
2:44:09this can be spoken about and explained
2:44:10in ordinary language this is how the
2:44:12buddha taught
2:44:14normally we speak in terms of
2:44:16self talking about me and mine you and
2:44:19yours
2:44:20but the mind can remain uninterruptedly
2:44:22in the realization of anata selflessness
2:44:26think about it when we talk to children
2:44:28we speak in one way
2:44:30when dealing with adults we speak in
2:44:31another way if we use words appropriate
2:44:34to children to speak with adults or use
2:44:36adults words to speak with children it
2:44:38won't work out
2:44:41we have to know the proper use of
2:44:42conventions when we're talking to
2:44:44children
2:44:45it can be appropriate to talk about me
2:44:47and mine you and yours and so forth but
2:44:49inwardly the mind is dhamma
2:44:52dwelling in realization of anata
2:44:54you should have this kind of foundation
2:44:56so the buddha said that you should take
2:44:58the dhamma as your foundation basis and
2:45:00practice when living in the world
2:45:02it's not right to take your ideas
2:45:04desires and opinions as a basis
2:45:07the dhamma should be your standard
2:45:10if you take yourself as a standard you
2:45:12become self-absorbed
2:45:14if you take someone else as your
2:45:15standard you're merely infatuated with
2:45:17that person
2:45:19being enthralled with ourselves with
2:45:20another person is not the way of dhamma
2:45:24the dharma does not incline to any
2:45:26person or follow personalities
2:45:29it follows the truth
2:45:30it is not simply accord with the likes
2:45:32and dislikes of people
2:45:34such a ritual reactions have nothing to
2:45:36do with the truth of things
2:45:39if we really consider all of this and
2:45:41investigate thoroughly to know the truth
2:45:43then we will enter the correct path
2:45:45our way of living will become correct
2:45:47thinking will be correct our actions and
2:45:49speech will be correct
2:45:51so we really should look into all of
2:45:53this
2:45:54why is it that we have suffering
2:45:57because of lack of knowledge
2:45:59not knowing where things begin and end
2:46:01not understanding the causes this is
2:46:03ignorance
2:46:05when there is this ignorance then
2:46:06various desires arise and being driven
2:46:09by them we create the causes of
2:46:11suffering
2:46:12then the result must be suffering when
2:46:14you gather firewood and light a match to
2:46:16it expecting not to have any heat what
2:46:18are your chances
2:46:20you're creating a fire aren't you
2:46:22this is origination itself
2:46:25if you understand these things morality
2:46:28will be born here
2:46:29dhamma will be born here so prepare
2:46:31yourselves
2:46:33the buddha advised us to prepare
2:46:35ourselves
2:46:36you don't need to have too many concerns
2:46:38or anxieties about things just look here
2:46:41look at the place without desires
2:46:44the place without danger
2:46:46the buddha taught nibana pachayo hoto
2:46:49let it be a cause for nibana if it will
2:46:52be a cause for realization of nirvana it
2:46:54means looking at the place where things
2:46:56are empty
2:46:58where things are done with
2:46:59but they reach their end
2:47:01where they are exhausted
2:47:03look at the place where there are no
2:47:05more causes
2:47:06where there is no more self or other me
2:47:08or mine
2:47:10this looking becomes a cause or
2:47:11condition a condition for attaining
2:47:13nibana
2:47:15practicing generosity becomes the cause
2:47:18for realizing nibana
2:47:20practicing morality becomes a cause for
2:47:23realizing nibana
2:47:25listening to the teachings becomes a
2:47:27cause for realizing nirvana
2:47:29thus we can dedicate all our dharma
2:47:31activities to become causes for nirvana
2:47:35but if we're not looking towards nirvana
2:47:37if we're looking at self and other
2:47:38unattachment and grasping without end
2:47:40this does not become a cause for nibana
2:47:44when we deal with others and they talk
2:47:46about self about me and mine about what
2:47:47is ours we immediately agree with this
2:47:49viewpoint we immediately think yeah
2:47:52that's right
2:47:53but it's not right
2:47:55even if the mind is saying right right
2:47:58we have to exert control over it
2:48:01it's the same as the child who is afraid
2:48:03of ghosts
2:48:04maybe the parents are afraid too but it
2:48:06won't do for the parents to talk about
2:48:08it if they do the child will feel that
2:48:10he has no protection or security
2:48:13no of course daddy is not afraid don't
2:48:16worry daddy's here there are no ghosts
2:48:18there's nothing to worry about
2:48:20well the father might really be afraid
2:48:22too
2:48:23if he starts talking about it they'll
2:48:25all get so worked up about ghosts that
2:48:27they'll jump up and run away father
2:48:28mother and child and end up homeless
2:48:31this is not being clever
2:48:33you have to look at things clearly and
2:48:35learn how to deal with them
2:48:37even when you feel that deluded
2:48:39appearances are real you have to tell
2:48:41yourself they are not
2:48:43go against it like this
2:48:46teach yourself inwardly
2:48:49when the mind is experiencing the world
2:48:50in terms of self saying it's true
2:48:53you have to be able to tell it it's not
2:48:55true
2:48:57you should be floating above the water
2:48:59and not be submerged by the flood waters
2:49:00of worldly habit
2:49:02the water is flooding our hearts if we
2:49:05run after things
2:49:06do we have a look at what's going on
2:49:08will there be anyone watching the house
2:49:13nibana
2:49:15one need not aim at anything or wish for
2:49:18anything at all just aim for nimana
2:49:21or manner of becoming in birth merit and
2:49:23virtue in the worldly way do not lead
2:49:25them
2:49:26we don't need to be wishing for a lot of
2:49:28things making merit and skillful comma
2:49:31hoping it will cause us to attain some
2:49:33better state
2:49:34just aim directly for nirvana
2:49:37wanting sealer wanting tranquility we
2:49:40just end up in the same old place
2:49:42it's not necessary to to desire these
2:49:44things
2:49:45we should just wish for the place of
2:49:47cessation
2:49:50it's like this
2:49:52throughout all our becoming in birth
2:49:54all of us are so terribly anxious about
2:49:56so many things
2:49:58when there is separation when there's
2:49:59death we cry and lament
2:50:02i can only think how utterly foolish
2:50:04this is what are we crying
2:50:06about where do you think people are
2:50:08going anyhow
2:50:10if they're still bound up in becoming in
2:50:12birth they're not really going away
2:50:15when children grow up and move to the
2:50:16big city of bangkok they still think of
2:50:18their parents
2:50:19they won't be missing someone else's
2:50:21parents just their own
2:50:23when they return they will go to their
2:50:24parents home not to somebody else's
2:50:27when they go away again they'll still
2:50:29think about their home here in ubun
2:50:31will they be homesick for some other
2:50:33place
2:50:34what do you think so when the breath
2:50:37ends and we die
2:50:38no matter through how many lifetimes if
2:50:40the causes for becoming in birth still
2:50:42exist the consciousness is likely to try
2:50:45and take birth in a place it is familiar
2:50:47with
2:50:48i think we're just too fearful about all
2:50:50of this so please don't go crying about
2:50:52it too much
2:50:54think about this
2:50:59kama drives beings into their various
2:51:01births they don't go very far spinning
2:51:04back and forth through the rounds of
2:51:05births that's all it's just changing
2:51:08appearances
2:51:09appearing with a different face next
2:51:10time but we don't know it
2:51:12just coming and going going and
2:51:14returning in the loop of sansara not
2:51:16really going anywhere just staying there
2:51:19like a mango that's shaking off the tree
2:51:21like the snare that does not get the
2:51:23wasps nest and falls to the ground it's
2:51:26not going anywhere it's just staying
2:51:28there
2:51:29so the buddha said
2:51:30nibana pachayo hotu
2:51:33let your only aim be nibana strive hard
2:51:35to accomplish this don't end up like the
2:51:38mango falling to the ground and going
2:51:40nowhere
2:51:42transform your sense of things like this
2:51:45if you can change it you will know great
2:51:47peace
2:51:48change please
2:51:50come to see and know
2:51:52these are things one should know indeed
2:51:54if you do see and know
2:51:56then where else do you need to go
2:51:59morality will come to be
2:52:01dharma will come to be
2:52:03it's nothing far away so please
2:52:05investigate this
2:52:07when you transform your view
2:52:09you will realize that it's like watching
2:52:11leaves fall from the trees
2:52:14when they get old and dry they fall from
2:52:16the tree
2:52:17and when the season comes they begin to
2:52:19appear again
2:52:21would anyone cry when leaves fall or
2:52:24laugh when they grow
2:52:26if you did you'd be insane wouldn't you
2:52:28it's just this much
2:52:30if we can see things in this way we'll
2:52:32be okay
2:52:34we will know that this is just the
2:52:35natural order of things
2:52:37it doesn't matter how many births we
2:52:39undergo it'll always be like this when
2:52:42one studies dharma gains clear knowledge
2:52:44and undergoes a change of world view
2:52:45like this one will realize peace and be
2:52:48free of bewilderment about the phenomena
2:52:50of this life
2:52:52but the important point really is that
2:52:54we have life now in the present
2:52:56we are experiencing the results of past
2:52:59deeds right now
2:53:01when beings are born into the world this
2:53:03is the manifestation of past actions
2:53:06whatever happiness or suffering beings
2:53:07have in the present is the fruit
2:53:10of what they have done previously
2:53:12it's born of the past and experienced in
2:53:14the present
2:53:16then this present experience becomes the
2:53:18basis for the future as we create
2:53:20further causes under its influence and
2:53:22so future experience becomes the result
2:53:26the movement from one birth to the next
2:53:28also happens in this way
2:53:30you should understand this
2:53:32by listening to the dummy should resolve
2:53:34your doubts it should clarify your view
2:53:36of things and alter your way of living
2:53:39when doubts are resolved suffering can
2:53:41end stop creating desires and mental
2:53:43afflictions
2:53:44then whatever you experience if
2:53:46something is displeasing to you you'll
2:53:48not suffer over it because you
2:53:50understand its changeability
2:53:52if something is pleasing to you you'll
2:53:54not get carried away and become
2:53:56intoxicated by it because you know the
2:53:58way to let go of things appropriately
2:54:00you maintain a balanced perspective
2:54:02because you understand impermanence and
2:54:04know how to resolve things according to
2:54:06dhamma you know the good and bad
2:54:08conditions are always changing
2:54:10knowing internal phenomena you
2:54:12understand external phenomena
2:54:14not attached to the external you're not
2:54:17attached to the internal
2:54:19observing things within yourself or
2:54:21outside yourself it's all completely the
2:54:23same
2:54:24in this way we can dwell in a natural
2:54:26state which is peaceful and tranquil
2:54:28which is peace and tranquility
2:54:31if we're criticized we remain
2:54:32undisturbed if we are praised we are
2:54:35undisturbed
2:54:36let things be in this way
2:54:38don't be influenced by others
2:54:40this is freedom
2:54:42knowing the two extremes for what they
2:54:44are one can experience well-being
2:54:47one does not stop at either side
2:54:49this is genuine happiness and peace
2:54:51transcending all things of the world
2:54:54one transcends all good and evil one is
2:54:56above cause and effect beyond birth and
2:54:59death
2:55:01born into this world one can transcend
2:55:03the world
2:55:05to be beyond the world knowing the world
2:55:07this is the aim of the buddha's teaching
2:55:09he did not aim for people to suffer
2:55:11he desired people to attain peace know
2:55:14the truth of things and realize wisdom
2:55:16this is dumber knowing the nature of
2:55:18things
2:55:20whatever exists in the world is nature
2:55:22there's no need to be in confusion about
2:55:24it wherever you are the same laws apply
2:55:28the most important point is that while
2:55:30we still have life we should train the
2:55:32mind to be even in regard to things
2:55:35we should be able to share wealth and
2:55:37possessions
2:55:39when the time comes we should give a
2:55:40portion to those in need just as if we
2:55:42were giving things to our own children
2:55:45sharing things like this we'll feel
2:55:47happy if we can give away all our wealth
2:55:49then whenever our breath may stop
2:55:51there'll be no attachment or anxiety
2:55:53because everything is gone
2:55:56the buddha taught to quote die before
2:55:59you die unquote
2:56:00to be finished with things before they
2:56:02are finished
2:56:03then you can be at ease
2:56:06let things break before they're broken
2:56:08let them finish before they are finished
2:56:10this is the buddha's intention in
2:56:11teaching the dhamma
2:56:13even if you listen to teachings for a
2:56:15hundred or a thousand eons if you do not
2:56:17understand these points you won't be
2:56:19able to undo your suffering and you'll
2:56:20not find peace you'll not see the dhamma
2:56:25but understanding these things according
2:56:26to the buddha's intention and being able
2:56:28to resolve things is called seeing the
2:56:30dhamma
2:56:32this view of things can make an end of
2:56:34suffering it can relieve all heat and
2:56:36distress
2:56:38whoever strives sincerely and is
2:56:40diligent in practice who can endure
2:56:43who trains and develops themselves to
2:56:44full measure those persons will attain
2:56:47to peace and cessation
2:56:49wherever they stay they will have no
2:56:51suffering
2:56:52whether they are young or old they'll be
2:56:54free of suffering whatever their
2:56:56situation whatever work they have to
2:56:58perform they'll have no suffering
2:57:00because their minds have reached a place
2:57:02where suffering is exhausted
2:57:04but there is peace
2:57:05it is like this
2:57:07it's a matter of nature
2:57:10the buddha that said to change one's
2:57:11perceptions and they'll be the dhamma
2:57:14when the mind is in harmony with dhamma
2:57:16then dhamma enters the heart
2:57:19the mind and the dhamma become
2:57:21indistinguishable
2:57:22the changing of one's view and
2:57:24experience of things is something to be
2:57:26realized by those who practice
2:57:29the entire dhamma is pachitang to be
2:57:31experienced for oneself to be known
2:57:34personally
2:57:35it cannot be given by anyone
2:57:38that is an impossibility
2:57:40if we hold it to be difficult it will be
2:57:42something difficult if we take it to be
2:57:44easy it's easy
2:57:46whoever contemplates it and sees the one
2:57:48point does not have to know a lot of
2:57:50things
2:57:52seeing the one point
2:57:53seeing birth and death the arising and
2:57:55passing away of phenomena according to
2:57:57nature
2:57:58one will know all things
2:58:00this is a matter of the truth
2:58:04this is the way of the buddha the buddha
2:58:06gave his teachings out of the wish to
2:58:07benefit all beings he wished for us to
2:58:09go beyond suffering and to attain peace
2:58:12it's not that we have to die first in
2:58:14order to transcend suffering
2:58:16we shouldn't think that we'll attain
2:58:17this after death we can go beyond
2:58:20suffering here and now in the present
2:58:22we transcend within our perception of
2:58:24things in this very life
2:58:26through the view that arises in our
2:58:28minds
2:58:29then sitting we're happy lying down
2:58:32we're happy
2:58:33wherever we are we're happy
2:58:35we become without fault experience no
2:58:38ill results and live in a state of
2:58:40freedom
2:58:41the mind is clear bright and tranquil
2:58:44there's no more darkness or defilement
2:58:46this is someone who has reached the
2:58:48supreme happiness of the buddha's way
2:58:50please investigate this for yourselves
2:58:53all of you lay followers please
2:58:55contemplate this to gain understanding
2:58:57and ability
2:58:58if you suffer then practice to alleviate
2:59:01your suffering
2:59:02if it's great make it little if it's
2:59:04little make an end of it
2:59:06everyone has to do this for themselves
2:59:08so please make an effort to consider
2:59:10these words
2:59:11may you prosper and develop
2:59:17this is the eighth talk in the series
2:59:20and it's entitled understanding dukkha
2:59:24and this talk was published elsewhere
2:59:26under the title giving up good and evil
2:59:29and it was first published in everything
2:59:32is teaching us
2:59:34again this was translated by paul
2:59:36breiter the ex
2:59:40it sticks on the skin and goes into the
2:59:43flesh
2:59:44from the flesh it gets into the bones
2:59:46it's like an insect on a tree that eats
2:59:48through the bark into the wood and then
2:59:50into the core until finally the tree
2:59:53dies
2:59:55we've grown up like that
2:59:57it gets buried deep inside
3:00:00our parents taught us grasping an
3:00:02attachment
3:00:03giving meaning to things believing
3:00:05firmly that we exist as a self-entity
3:00:08and that things belong to us from our
3:00:10birth that's what we're taught
3:00:12we hear this over and over again and it
3:00:15penetrates our hearts and it stays there
3:00:17as our habitual feeling
3:00:20we're taught to get things to accumulate
3:00:22and hold on to them to see them as
3:00:24important and ours
3:00:26this is what our parents know and this
3:00:28is what they teach us
3:00:30so it gets into our minds
3:00:32into our bones
3:00:34when we take an interesting meditation
3:00:36and hear the teaching of a spiritual
3:00:38guide it's not easy to understand
3:00:40it doesn't really grab us
3:00:42we're taught not to see and do things
3:00:44the old way but when we hear the
3:00:46teaching it doesn't penetrate the mind
3:00:48we only hear it with our ears
3:00:50people just don't know themselves
3:00:53so we sit and listen to teachings but
3:00:56it's just sound entering the ears
3:00:58it doesn't get inside and affect us
3:01:01it's like we're boxing and we keep
3:01:03hitting the other guy but he doesn't go
3:01:04down we remain stuck in our self-conceit
3:01:09the wise have said that moving a
3:01:10mountain from one place to another is
3:01:12easier than moving the self-conceit of
3:01:14people
3:01:16we can use explosives to level a
3:01:17mountain and then move the earth but the
3:01:20tight grasping of our self-conceit oh
3:01:22man the wise can teach us to our dying
3:01:25day but they can't get rid of it
3:01:27it remains hard and fast
3:01:29our wrong ideas and bad tendencies
3:01:31remain so solid and unbudging and we're
3:01:34not even aware of it
3:01:36so the wise have said that removing this
3:01:38self-conceit and turning wrong
3:01:40understanding into right understanding
3:01:42is about the hardest thing to do
3:01:45for us petuchina that is a worldling or
3:01:48an unenlightened person for us petunia
3:01:50to progress onto being a kaliana janna
3:01:53which is a good person or a virtuous
3:01:55being
3:01:56is so hard
3:01:58putujna means people who are thickly
3:02:00obscured
3:02:01who are in the dark
3:02:03who are stuck deep in this darkness and
3:02:05obscuration
3:02:06the kaliana janna has made things
3:02:09lighter
3:02:10we teach people to lighten but they
3:02:12don't want to do that because they don't
3:02:14understand the situation their condition
3:02:16of obscuration
3:02:18so they keep on wondering in their
3:02:19confused state
3:02:22if we come across a pile of buffalo dung
3:02:24we won't think it's ours and we won't
3:02:26want to pick it up
3:02:27we will just leave it where it is
3:02:29because we know what it is
3:02:31that's what's good in the way of the
3:02:33impure
3:02:34evil is the food of bad people if you
3:02:36teach them about good they're not
3:02:38interested but prefer to stay as they
3:02:40are because they don't see the harm in
3:02:42it without seeing the harm there's no
3:02:44way things can be rectified
3:02:46if you recognize it then you think oh
3:02:49my whole pile of dung doesn't have the
3:02:50value of a small piece of gold
3:02:52and you'll want gold instead you won't
3:02:54want the dung anymore
3:02:56if you don't recognize this you remain
3:02:58the owner of a pile of dung
3:03:00even if you're offered a diamond or a
3:03:02ruby you won't be interested
3:03:04that's the good quote unquote of the
3:03:07impure
3:03:08gold jewels and diamonds are considered
3:03:11something good in the realm of humans
3:03:13the foul and rotten is good for flies
3:03:15and other insects
3:03:16if you put perfume on it they would all
3:03:18flee away
3:03:19what those with wrong view consider good
3:03:21is like that that's the good for those
3:03:24with wrong view for the defiled it
3:03:26doesn't smell good but if we tell them
3:03:28it stinks they'll say it's fragrant
3:03:30they can't reverse this view very easily
3:03:33so it's not easy to teach them
3:03:36if you gather fresh flowers
3:03:38the flies won't be interested in them
3:03:40even if you tried to pay them they
3:03:42wouldn't come
3:03:43but wherever there's a dead animal
3:03:45wherever there's something rotten that's
3:03:46where they'll go
3:03:48you don't need to call them they just go
3:03:50wrong view is like that it delights in
3:03:53that kind of thing
3:03:54the stinking and rotten is what smells
3:03:56good to it bogged down and immersed in
3:03:59that what sweet smelling to a bee is not
3:04:01sweet to a fly
3:04:03lie doesn't see anything good or
3:04:04valuable in it and has no craving for it
3:04:08there is difficulty in practice but in
3:04:10anything we undertake we have to pass
3:04:12through difficulty to reach ease
3:04:15in dharma practice we begin with the
3:04:17truth of dukkha
3:04:18the pervasive unsatisfactoriness of
3:04:20existence but as soon as we experience
3:04:22this we lose heart
3:04:24we don't want to look at it
3:04:26dukkha is really the truth
3:04:28but we want to get around it somehow
3:04:31it's similar to the way we don't like to
3:04:33look at old people but prefer to look at
3:04:35those who are young
3:04:37if we don't want to look at dukkha we
3:04:39will never understand dukkha no matter
3:04:41how many births we go through
3:04:43dukkha is a noble truth if we allow
3:04:46ourselves to face it we will start to
3:04:48seek a way out of it if we're trying to
3:04:50go somewhere and the road is blocked
3:04:51we'll think about how to make a pathway
3:04:54working at it day after day we can get
3:04:56through
3:04:57when we encounter problems we develop
3:04:59wisdom like this
3:05:00without seeing dukkha we don't really
3:05:02look into and resolve our problems
3:05:04we just pass them by indifferently
3:05:08my way of training people involves some
3:05:10suffering
3:05:11because suffering is the buddha's path
3:05:13to enlightenment he wanted us to see
3:05:15suffering and to see origination
3:05:16cessation and the path this is the way
3:05:19out for all the arya the noble ones the
3:05:21awakened ones if you don't go this way
3:05:24there is no way out
3:05:26the only way is knowing suffering
3:05:28knowing the cause of suffering knowing
3:05:30the cessation of suffering and knowing
3:05:32the path of practice leading to the
3:05:33cessation of suffering this is the way
3:05:35that the arya beginning with the stream
3:05:38entry we're able to escape
3:05:40it's necessary to know suffering
3:05:43if we know suffering we will see it in
3:05:44everything we experience
3:05:46some people feel that they don't really
3:05:48suffer so much
3:05:50practice in buddhism is for the purpose
3:05:52of freeing ourselves from suffering what
3:05:54should we do not to suffer anymore
3:05:57when dukkha arises we should investigate
3:05:59to see the causes of its arising
3:06:01then once we know that we can practice
3:06:04to remove those causes
3:06:05suffering origination cessation in order
3:06:08to bring it to cessation we have to
3:06:10understand the path of practice then
3:06:12once we travel the path to fulfillment
3:06:14dukkha will no longer arise
3:06:16in buddhism this is the way out
3:06:21opposing our habits creates some
3:06:23suffering generally we are afraid of
3:06:25suffering if something will make us
3:06:26suffer we don't want to do it
3:06:29we're interested in what appears to be
3:06:30good and beautiful but we feel that
3:06:32anything involving suffering is bad
3:06:35it's not like that
3:06:37suffering is such a dhamma truth if
3:06:40there is suffering in the heart it
3:06:41becomes the cause that makes you think
3:06:43about escaping
3:06:45it leads you to contemplate you won't
3:06:47sleep so soundly because you'll be
3:06:48intent on investigating to find out what
3:06:50is really going on
3:06:52trying to see causes and their results
3:06:56happy people don't develop wisdom
3:06:58they're asleep
3:07:00it's like a dog that eats it fill
3:07:02afterwards it doesn't want to do
3:07:03anything it can sleep all day it won't
3:07:06bark if a boat
3:07:08it won't bark if a burglar comes it's
3:07:10too full too tired
3:07:12but if you only give it a little food
3:07:14it'll be alert and awake
3:07:16if someone tries to come sneaking around
3:07:18it'll jump up and start barking have you
3:07:20seen that
3:07:22we humans are trapped and imprisoned in
3:07:23this world and have troubles in such
3:07:25abundance and we're always full of
3:07:27doubts confusion and worry
3:07:29this is no game
3:07:31it's really something difficult and
3:07:32troublesome so there's something that we
3:07:34need to get rid of
3:07:36according to the way of spiritual
3:07:37cultivation we should give up our bodies
3:07:39give up ourselves
3:07:41we have to resolve to give our lives
3:07:43we can see the examples of great
3:07:45renunciants such as the buddha he was a
3:07:47noble of the warrior caste but he was
3:07:49able to leave it all behind and not turn
3:07:51back he was the heir to riches and power
3:07:54but he could renounce them
3:07:56if we speak the subtle dumber most
3:07:58people will be frightened by it
3:08:00they won't dare turn into it
3:08:02even saying don't do evil most people
3:08:05can't follow this that's how it is
3:08:07so i've sought all kinds of means to get
3:08:09this across
3:08:10one thing i often say is no matter if we
3:08:13are delighted or upset happy or
3:08:15suffering shedding tears or singing
3:08:17songs never mind
3:08:19living in this world we're in a cage
3:08:21we don't get beyond this condition of
3:08:23being in a cage even if you're rich
3:08:25you're living in a cage if you're poor
3:08:27you're living in a cage
3:08:29if you sing and dance you're singing and
3:08:31dancing in a cage
3:08:33if you watch a movie you're watching it
3:08:34in a cage
3:08:37what is this cage it is the cage of
3:08:39birth the cage of aging the cage of
3:08:41illness the cage of death
3:08:44in this way we are imprisoned in the
3:08:46world
3:08:48this is mine that belongs to me
3:08:52we don't know what we really are of what
3:08:53we're doing
3:08:54actually all we are doing is
3:08:56accumulating suffering for ourselves
3:08:58it's not something far away that causes
3:09:00our suffering but we don't look at
3:09:02ourselves
3:09:04however much happiness and comfort we
3:09:05may have having been born we cannot
3:09:08avoid aging
3:09:09we must fall ill and we must die
3:09:12this is dukhar itself here and
3:09:14now we can always be afflicted with pain
3:09:17or illness it can happen at any time
3:09:19it's like we've stolen something
3:09:21they could come to arrest us at any time
3:09:23because we've done the deed that's our
3:09:25situation
3:09:26there is danger and trouble
3:09:29we exist among harmful things birth
3:09:31aging and illness reign over our lives
3:09:34we can't go elsewhere and escape them
3:09:36they can come and catch us at any time
3:09:38it's always a good opportunity for them
3:09:41so we have to see this to them and
3:09:43accept the situation
3:09:44we have to plea
3:09:46when the body is born it doesn't belong
3:09:48to anyone
3:09:49it's like our meditation hall
3:09:51after it's built spiders come and stay
3:09:54in it lizards come to stay in it all
3:09:55sorts of insects and crawling things
3:09:57come to stay in it
3:09:58snakes may come and live in it anything
3:10:00may come and live in it it's not only
3:10:02our hall
3:10:04it's everything's whole
3:10:06these bodies are the same they aren't
3:10:08ours
3:10:10people come to stay in and depend on
3:10:11them
3:10:12illness pain and aging come to reside in
3:10:14them and we're merely residing along
3:10:16with them
3:10:17when these bodies reach the end of pain
3:10:19and illness and finally break up and die
3:10:21that is not us dying
3:10:23so don't hold on to any of this instead
3:10:27you have to contemplate the matter and
3:10:28your grasping will gradually be
3:10:30exhausted
3:10:31when you see correctly wrong
3:10:33understanding will stop
3:10:35birth has created this burden for us but
3:10:38generally we can't accept this
3:10:40we think that not being born would be
3:10:42the greatest evil
3:10:43dying and not being born will be the
3:10:45worst thing of all
3:10:46that's how we view things
3:10:48we usually only think about how much we
3:10:50want in the future
3:10:52and then we desire further in the next
3:10:54life may i be born among the gods may be
3:10:56born as a wealthy person
3:10:58we're asking for an even heavier burden
3:11:01but we think that it'll bring happiness
3:11:03such thinking is an entirely different
3:11:05way from what the buddha teaches that
3:11:07way is heavy
3:11:09the buddha said to let go of it and cast
3:11:11it all away
3:11:12but we think
3:11:13i can't let go
3:11:15so we keep carrying it and it keeps
3:11:17getting heavier
3:11:19because we were born we have this
3:11:20heaviness to really penetrate the dumber
3:11:23purely is that's very difficult
3:11:25we need to rely on serious investigation
3:11:30going a little further
3:11:32do you know if craving has its limits
3:11:35at what point will it be satisfied
3:11:38is there such a thing
3:11:40if you consider it you'll see that tanha
3:11:43blind craving can't be satisfied
3:11:46it keeps on desiring more and more
3:11:49even if this brings such suffering that
3:11:50we're nearly dead tanhara will keep on
3:11:52wanting things because it can't be
3:11:54satisfied
3:11:57this is something very important
3:11:59if we could think in a balanced and
3:12:00moderate way
3:12:02well let's talk about clothes
3:12:05how many sets do we need
3:12:07and food
3:12:08how much do we eat
3:12:10at the most for one meal we might eat
3:12:13two plates and that should be enough for
3:12:14us if we know moderation will be happy
3:12:16and comfortable but this is not very
3:12:19common
3:12:20the buddha taught quote instructions for
3:12:22the rich unquote
3:12:25what this teaching points to is being
3:12:26content with what we have
3:12:29i know is content is a rich person i
3:12:32think this kind of knowledge is really
3:12:33worth studying
3:12:34the knowledge taught in the buddha's way
3:12:36is something worth learning worth
3:12:37reflecting on
3:12:40then the pure dharma of practice goes
3:12:41beyond that it's a lot deeper some of
3:12:44you may not be able to understand it
3:12:46just take the buddha's words that there
3:12:48is no more birth for him that birth and
3:12:50becoming are finished
3:12:53hearing this
3:12:54makes you uncomfortable
3:12:56to state it directly the buddha said
3:12:58that we should not be born because
3:13:00that's suffering
3:13:01just this one thing birth the buddha
3:13:03focused on
3:13:04contemplating it and realizing its
3:13:06gravity
3:13:08all duca comes along with being born
3:13:10it happens simultaneously with birth
3:13:13when we come into this world we get eyes
3:13:15and nose and mouth it all comes along
3:13:17only because of birth
3:13:19but if we hear about dying and not being
3:13:21born again we feel it will be utter
3:13:23ruination we don't want to go there
3:13:26but the deepest teaching of the buddha
3:13:28is like this
3:13:31why are we suffering now
3:13:32because we're born
3:13:34so we're taught to put an end to birth
3:13:36this is not just talking about the body
3:13:38being born and the body dying that much
3:13:40is easy to see a child can understand it
3:13:43the breath comes to an end the body dies
3:13:45and it just lies there
3:13:47this is what we usually mean when we
3:13:49talk about death
3:13:51but a breathing dead person
3:13:53that's something that we don't know
3:13:54about a dead person who can walk and
3:13:57talk and smile is something we haven't
3:13:59thought about
3:14:00we only know about the corpse that's no
3:14:02longer breathing and that's what we call
3:14:04death
3:14:06it's the same with birth
3:14:08when we say someone has been born we
3:14:09mean that a woman went to the hospital
3:14:11and gave birth
3:14:12but the moment of the mind taking birth
3:14:14have you noticed that
3:14:16such as when you get upset over
3:14:17something at home
3:14:20sometimes love is born sometimes
3:14:21aversion is born being pleased being
3:14:24displeased all sorts of states
3:14:26that is all nothing but birth
3:14:30we suffer just because of this
3:14:32when the eyes see something displeasing
3:14:34dukkha is born
3:14:36when the ears hear something that you
3:14:37really like dukkha is also born there is
3:14:40only suffering
3:14:42the buddha summed it all up by saying
3:14:44that there is only a mass of suffering
3:14:47suffering is born and suffering ceases
3:14:49that's all there is
3:14:51we pounce on and grab it again and again
3:14:53pouncing on arising pouncing on
3:14:55cessation never really understanding it
3:14:59when douga arises we call that suffering
3:15:02when it ceases we call that happiness
3:15:04it's all old stuff arising and ceasing
3:15:07we're taught to watch body and mind
3:15:09arising and ceasing there's nothing else
3:15:11outside of this
3:15:12to sum it up there's no happiness
3:15:14there's only dukkha
3:15:16we recognize suffering and suffering
3:15:18when it arises then when it ceases we
3:15:21consider that to be happiness we see it
3:15:23and designate it as such
3:15:25but it isn't
3:15:27it's just dukkha ceasing
3:15:30dukkha arises and ceases arises and
3:15:32ceases and we pounce on it and catch
3:15:33hold of it
3:15:35happiness appears and we're pleased
3:15:37unhappiness appears and we're distraught
3:15:39it's really all the same
3:15:41mere arising and ceasing
3:15:44when there is arising there's something
3:15:46and when there's ceasing it's gone
3:15:49this is where we doubt
3:15:50thus it's taught that dukkha arises and
3:15:52ceases and outside of that there is
3:15:55nothing
3:15:56when you come down to it there is only
3:15:58suffering but we don't see clearly
3:16:01we don't recognize clearly that there is
3:16:03only suffering because when it stops we
3:16:05see happiness there we seize on it and
3:16:07get stuck there we don't really see the
3:16:09truth that everything is just arising
3:16:12and ceasing
3:16:14the buddha sum things up by saying that
3:16:16there is only arising and ceasing and
3:16:18nothing outside of that
3:16:20this is difficult to listen to
3:16:22but one who truly has a feel for the
3:16:24dhamma doesn't need to take hold of
3:16:26anything and dwells in ease
3:16:28that's the truth
3:16:31the truth is that in this world of ours
3:16:33there is nothing that does anything to
3:16:34anybody
3:16:36there is nothing to be anxious about
3:16:38there's nothing worth crying over
3:16:40nothing to laugh at
3:16:42nothing is inherently tragic or
3:16:43delightful but such experiencing is
3:16:46what's ordinary for people
3:16:49our speech can be ordinary
3:16:51we relate to others according to the
3:16:53ordinary way of seeing things that's
3:16:54okay but if we're thinking in the
3:16:56ordinary way
3:16:57that leads to tears
3:17:00in truth if we really know the dhamma
3:17:02and see it continuously nothing is
3:17:04anything at all
3:17:05there's only arising and passing away
3:17:08there's no real happiness or suffering
3:17:11the heart is at peace then when there is
3:17:13no happiness or suffering
3:17:14when there's happiness and suffering
3:17:16there's becoming and birth
3:17:19we usually create one kind of kama which
3:17:21is the attempt to stop suffering and
3:17:24produce happiness that's what we want
3:17:27but what we want is not real peace
3:17:30it's happiness and suffering
3:17:31the aim of the buddha's teaching is to
3:17:33practice to create a time of a type of
3:17:35kama that leads beyond happiness and
3:17:37suffering and that will bring peace
3:17:40but we aren't able to think like that
3:17:42we can only think that having happiness
3:17:45will bring us peace
3:17:46if we have happiness we think that's
3:17:49good enough
3:17:52thus we humans wish for things in
3:17:54abundance
3:17:55if we get a lot that's good
3:17:58generally that's how we think
3:18:00doing good is supposed to bring good
3:18:02results and if we get that we're happy
3:18:04we think that's all we need to do and we
3:18:05stop there
3:18:06but where does good come to conclusion
3:18:10it doesn't remain
3:18:11we keep going back and forth
3:18:12experiencing good and bad trying day and
3:18:15night to seize on to what we feel is
3:18:17good
3:18:19the buddha's teaching is the first we
3:18:20should give up evil and then practice
3:18:22what is good
3:18:24second he said that we should give up
3:18:26evil and give up the good as well
3:18:28not having attachment to it because that
3:18:30is also one kind of fuel
3:18:33fuel will eventually burst into flame
3:18:35good is fuel
3:18:37bad is fuel
3:18:40speaking on this level kills people
3:18:42people aren't able to follow it so we
3:18:44have to turn back to the beginning and
3:18:46teach morality
3:18:48don't harm each other be responsible in
3:18:50your work don't harm or exploit others
3:18:52the buddha taught this but just this
3:18:54much isn't enough to stop
3:18:57why do we find ourselves here in this
3:19:00condition it's because of birth
3:19:03as the buddha said in his first teaching
3:19:04the discourse on the turning of the
3:19:06wheel of dharma birth is ended this is
3:19:08my final existence there is no further
3:19:10birth for the target
3:19:14not many people really come back to this
3:19:15point and contemplate to understand
3:19:17according to the principles of the
3:19:19buddha's way
3:19:20but if we have faith in the buddha's way
3:19:22it will repay us
3:19:23if people genuinely rely on the three
3:19:25jewels then practice is easy
3:19:28this is chapter nine this is entitled
3:19:32the dhamma goes westward and again this
3:19:35is from
3:19:36paul breiter's
3:19:38translations
3:19:40included in the book
3:19:42everything is teaching us
3:19:43so there's no record of exactly when
3:19:45this was recorded but it's in the form
3:19:47of questions and answers and i believe
3:19:50that the questions are coming from paul
3:19:51breiter warupani obikou as he was um he
3:19:54was
3:19:55traveling with longpocha in america as a
3:19:58layman and as an attendant during 1979
3:20:01so i suspect that this recording was
3:20:04made by paul during that
3:20:06particular period
3:20:09the dhamma goes westward
3:20:11question
3:20:13a friend of mine went to practice with a
3:20:15zen teacher
3:20:16he asked him
3:20:17when the buddha was sitting beneath the
3:20:19bodhi tree what was he doing
3:20:21the zen master answered he was
3:20:23practicing zazen
3:20:25my friend said i don't believe it
3:20:28the zen master asked him what do you
3:20:30mean you don't believe it
3:20:32my friend said i asked goenko the same
3:20:34question and he said when the buddha was
3:20:36sitting under the bodhi tree he was
3:20:38practicing vipassana
3:20:41so everybody says the buddha was doing
3:20:43whatever they do
3:20:46answer
3:20:48when the buddha sat out in the open he
3:20:50was sitting beneath the bodhi tree isn't
3:20:52that so
3:20:53when he sat under some other kind of
3:20:55tree he was sitting beneath the bodhi
3:20:57tree
3:20:58there's nothing wrong with those
3:20:59explanations
3:21:01bodhi means the buddha himself the one
3:21:04who knows
3:21:06it's okay to talk about sitting beneath
3:21:07the bodhi tree but lots of birds sit
3:21:09beneath the bodhi tree lots of people
3:21:11sit beneath the bodhi tree but they are
3:21:13far from such knowledge far from such
3:21:15truth
3:21:17yes we can say quote beneath the bodhi
3:21:20tree unquote
3:21:21monkeys play in the bodhi tree people
3:21:24sit there beneath the bodhi tree but
3:21:26this doesn't mean that they have any
3:21:27profound understanding
3:21:30those who have deeper understanding
3:21:31realize that the true meaning of the
3:21:33bodhi tree is the absolute dhamma
3:21:36so in this way it's certainly good for
3:21:38us to try to sit beneath the bodhi tree
3:21:40then we can be buddha
3:21:43but we don't need to argue with others
3:21:45over this question
3:21:46when one person says the buddha was
3:21:48doing one kind of practice beneath the
3:21:49bodhi tree and another person disputes
3:21:51that we needn't get involved
3:21:54we should be looking at it from the
3:21:55viewpoint of the ultimate meaning
3:21:57realizing the truth
3:22:00there is also the conventional idea of
3:22:02bodhi tree which is what most people
3:22:04talk about
3:22:05but when there are two kinds of bodhi
3:22:06tree people can end up arguing and
3:22:08having the most contentious disputes and
3:22:10then there's no bodhi tree at all
3:22:15it's talking about the para mata dhamma
3:22:17the ultimate truth
3:22:20the level of ultimate truth
3:22:21so in that case we can also try to get
3:22:24underneath the bodhi tree that's pretty
3:22:26good then we'll be buddha
3:22:29it's not something to be arguing over
3:22:31when someone says the buddha was
3:22:33practicing a certain kind of meditation
3:22:34beneath the bodhi tree and someone else
3:22:36says no that's not right
3:22:38we needn't get involved
3:22:40we're aiming at paramata dhamma
3:22:43meaning dwelling in full awareness
3:22:46this ultimate truth pervades everything
3:22:49whether the buddha is sitting beneath
3:22:50the bodhi tree or performing other
3:22:52activities in other postures never mind
3:22:55that's just the intellectual analysis
3:22:56people have developed
3:22:59one person has one view of the matter
3:23:00another person has another idea
3:23:03we don't have to get involved in
3:23:04disputes over it
3:23:07where did the buddha enter nibana means
3:23:10extinguished without remainder
3:23:12finished
3:23:14being finished comes from knowledge
3:23:16knowledge of the way things really are
3:23:19that's how things get finished
3:23:21and that is the paramata dhamma
3:23:25there are explanations according to the
3:23:26levels of convention and liberation they
3:23:29are both true but their truths are
3:23:31different
3:23:33for example we say that you are a person
3:23:36but the buddha will say that's not so
3:23:39there's no such thing as a person
3:23:42so we have to summarize the various ways
3:23:44of speaking an explanation into
3:23:47convention and liberation
3:23:49samuthi and vimudi
3:23:52we can explain it like this
3:23:54previously you were a child now you're
3:23:56grown up are you a new person or the
3:23:59same person as before
3:24:02if you're the same as the old person how
3:24:03did you become an adult
3:24:06if you're a new person where did you
3:24:07come from
3:24:09but talking about an old person and a
3:24:11new person doesn't really get to the
3:24:12point
3:24:14this question illustrates the
3:24:15limitations of conventional language and
3:24:17understanding
3:24:18if there is something called big
3:24:20then there is small
3:24:22if there is small there is big
3:24:24we can talk about small and large young
3:24:26and old but there are really no such
3:24:28things in any absolute sense
3:24:31you can't really say somebody or
3:24:33something is big
3:24:36the wise do not accept such designations
3:24:38as real
3:24:39but when ordinary people hear about this
3:24:41that big is not really true and small is
3:24:44not really true they're confused because
3:24:46they're attached to concepts of big and
3:24:48small
3:24:52you plant a sapling and watch it grow
3:24:54after a year it's one metre high
3:24:57after another year it's two meters tall
3:25:00is it the same tree or a different tree
3:25:02if it's the same tree how did it become
3:25:05bigger
3:25:06if it's a different tree how did it grow
3:25:08from a small tree
3:25:10from the viewpoint of someone who's
3:25:11enlightened to the dumber and sees
3:25:12correctly there is no new or old tree no
3:25:15big or small tree
3:25:17one person looks at a tree and thinks it
3:25:19is tall another person will say it's not
3:25:21tall but there is no toll that really
3:25:24exists independently
3:25:26you can't say someone is big and someone
3:25:28is small
3:25:29someone is grown up and someone else is
3:25:31young
3:25:32things end here and problems are
3:25:34finished with if we don't get tired and
3:25:36nuts over these conventional
3:25:38distinctions we won't have doubts about
3:25:39practice
3:25:42i've heard of people who worship their
3:25:44deities by sacrificing animals
3:25:46they kill ducks chickens and cows and
3:25:48offer them to their gods thinking that
3:25:50that will be pleasing to them
3:25:52this is wrong understanding
3:25:54they think they're making merit but it's
3:25:56exactly the exact opposite they're
3:25:58actually making a lot of bad karma
3:26:01someone who really looks into this won't
3:26:02be thinking like that but have you
3:26:04noticed
3:26:06i'm afraid people in thailand are
3:26:07becoming like that
3:26:08they're not applying real investigation
3:26:13question
3:26:14is that the monks meaning investigation
3:26:17or inquiring reviewing
3:26:19yes it means understanding cause and
3:26:21result
3:26:23question then the teachings talk about
3:26:25chanda aspiration virya exertion and
3:26:28chitta mind together with vimanksa these
3:26:31are the four idi pada the basis for
3:26:34accomplishment
3:26:36answer
3:26:38when there is satisfaction is it with
3:26:40something that's correct
3:26:41is exertion correct
3:26:43vimancsa has to be present with these
3:26:45other factors
3:26:48question are chitta and the monks are
3:26:50different
3:26:53answer vimancsa is investigation
3:26:56it means skillfulness or wisdom
3:26:59it's a factor of the mind
3:27:01you can say that chanda is mind virya is
3:27:03mind chitti is mind view amongst his
3:27:05mind they're all aspects of mind they
3:27:07can all be summarized as mind but here
3:27:10they are distinguished for the purpose
3:27:11of pointing out these different factors
3:27:12of the mind
3:27:14if there is satisfaction we may not know
3:27:17if it's right or wrong if there's
3:27:18exertion we don't know if it's right or
3:27:20wrong
3:27:22is what we call mind the real mind
3:27:25there has to be vimanza to discern these
3:27:27things
3:27:28when we investigate the other factors
3:27:30with wise discernment our practice
3:27:32gradually comes to be correct and we can
3:27:34understand the dhamma
3:27:37but dharma doesn't bring much benefit if
3:27:38we don't practice meditation we won't
3:27:40really know what it's all about
3:27:42these factors are always present in the
3:27:44mind of real practitioners
3:27:46then even if they go astray they will be
3:27:48aware of that and be able to correct it
3:27:51so their path of practice is continuous
3:27:56people may look at you and feel your way
3:27:58of life your interest in dhamma makes no
3:28:00sense
3:28:01others may say that if you want to
3:28:03practice dharma you ought to be ordained
3:28:04as a monk
3:28:06being ordained is not really the crucial
3:28:08point it's how you practice
3:28:10as it said one should be one's own
3:28:12witness don't take others as your
3:28:14witness it means learning to trust
3:28:16yourself
3:28:18then there's no loss
3:28:19people may think you're crazy but never
3:28:21mind they don't know anything about
3:28:23dhamma
3:28:26others words can't measure your practice
3:28:29and you don't realize the dhamma because
3:28:31of what others say i mean the real
3:28:33dhamma
3:28:34teaching others
3:28:36the teachings others can give you are to
3:28:38show you the path but that isn't real
3:28:40knowledge
3:28:41when people meet the dharma they realize
3:28:43it specifically within themselves so the
3:28:45buddha said the tatargata is merely one
3:28:48who shows the way
3:28:50when someone is ordained i tell them our
3:28:52responsibility is only this part
3:28:55the reciting i chariot they have done
3:28:56their chanting i've given you the going
3:28:58forth and the vows of ordination now our
3:29:01job is done the rest is up to you to do
3:29:03the practice correctly
3:29:07teachings can be most profound but those
3:29:09who listen may not understand but never
3:29:11mind don't be perplexed or
3:29:14over-profounded to your lack of it
3:29:16just do the practice wholeheartedly and
3:29:18you can arrive at real understanding
3:29:21it'll bring you to the same place the
3:29:22teachings are talking about
3:29:24don't rely on the perceptions of
3:29:25ordinary people
3:29:27have you read the story about the blind
3:29:29men and the elephant is a good
3:29:30illustration
3:29:33suppose there's an elephant and a bunch
3:29:34of blind people are trying to describe
3:29:36it
3:29:36one touches the leg and says it's like a
3:29:38pillar another touches the ear and says
3:29:40it's like a fan
3:29:41another touches the tail and said no
3:29:43it's not a fan it's like a broom
3:29:46another touches the shoulder and says
3:29:47it's something else again from what the
3:29:49others say
3:29:50it's like this
3:29:52there's no resolution no end
3:29:54each blind person touches part of the
3:29:56elephant and has a completely different
3:29:58idea of what it is
3:29:59but it's the same one elephant it's like
3:30:02this in practice
3:30:03with a little understanding or
3:30:05experience you get limited ideas
3:30:07you can go from one teacher to the next
3:30:09seeking explanations and instructions
3:30:11trying to figure out if they're teaching
3:30:12correctly or incorrectly and how their
3:30:14teachings compare to each other
3:30:17some monks are always traveling around
3:30:18with their bowls and umbrellas learning
3:30:20from different teachers
3:30:22they try to judge and measure so when
3:30:24they sit down to meditate they're
3:30:25constantly in confusion about what's
3:30:27right and what's wrong
3:30:28this teacher said this but that teacher
3:30:30said that one guy teaches in this way
3:30:32but the other guy's methods are totally
3:30:34different
3:30:35they don't seem to agree
3:30:37it can lead to a lot of doubt
3:30:41you might hear that certain teachers are
3:30:42really good and so you go to receive
3:30:44teachings from thai ajahn's zen masters
3:30:46and others
3:30:47it seems to me you've probably had
3:30:49enough teaching but the tendency is to
3:30:51always want to hear more to compare and
3:30:54to end up in doubt as a result
3:30:56then each successive teacher increases
3:30:58your confusion further
3:31:00there's a story of a wonder in the
3:31:02buddha's time that was in this kind of
3:31:03situation
3:31:04he went to one teacher after the next
3:31:06hearing their different explanations and
3:31:08learning their methods
3:31:09he was trying to learn meditation was
3:31:11only increasing his perplexity
3:31:14his travels finally brought him to the
3:31:16teacher gautama and he described his
3:31:17predicament to the buddha
3:31:21he said
3:31:22doing as you have been doing will not
3:31:23bring an end to doubt and confusion the
3:31:25buddha told him
3:31:27at this time let go of the past whatever
3:31:29you may or may not have done whether it
3:31:31was right or wrong let go of that now
3:31:34the future has not yet come don't
3:31:36speculate over it at all
3:31:38wondering how things might turn out let
3:31:40go of all such disturbing ideas it is
3:31:42merely thinking
3:31:44letting go of past and future look at
3:31:46the present then you'll know the dumbo
3:31:49you may know the words spoken by various
3:31:51teachers but you still do not know your
3:31:53own mind
3:31:55the present moment is empty
3:31:57look only at arising and ceasing of
3:31:59sankara
3:32:00see that they are impermanent
3:32:01unsatisfactory and empty yourself
3:32:04see that they are really thus then
3:32:06you'll not be concerned with the past or
3:32:08the future
3:32:09you will clearly understand that the
3:32:10past is gone and the future has not yet
3:32:13arrived
3:32:14contemplating in the present you will
3:32:16realize that the present is the result
3:32:18of the past
3:32:19the results of past actions are seen in
3:32:22the present
3:32:25the future has not yet come
3:32:27whatever does occur in the future will
3:32:28arise and pass away in the future
3:32:30there's no point in worrying over it now
3:32:32as it's not yet occurred
3:32:34so
3:32:35contemplate in the present
3:32:37the present is the cause of the future
3:32:40if you want a good future create good in
3:32:42the present
3:32:43increasing your awareness of what you do
3:32:45in the present
3:32:46the future is a result of that
3:32:48the past is the cause and the future is
3:32:50the result of the present
3:32:53knowing the present one knows the past
3:32:55and the future then one lets go of the
3:32:57past and the future knowing they are
3:32:59gathered in the present moment
3:33:04understanding this that wanderer made up
3:33:05his mind to practice as the buddha
3:33:07advised putting things down
3:33:10seeing ever more clearly he realized
3:33:12many kinds of knowledge
3:33:13seeing the natural order of things with
3:33:15his own wisdom
3:33:17his doubts ended
3:33:19he put down the past and the future and
3:33:20everything appeared in the present
3:33:22this was eiko dhammal the one dhamma
3:33:26then it was no longer necessary for him
3:33:28to carry his baking bowl up mountains
3:33:29and into forests in search of
3:33:31understanding
3:33:32if he did go somewhere he went in a
3:33:34natural way not out of desire for
3:33:36something
3:33:38if he stayed put he was staying in a
3:33:40natural way not out of desire
3:33:44practicing in that way he became free of
3:33:45doubt there was nothing to add to his
3:33:47practice nothing to remove he dwelt in
3:33:50peace without anxiety over past or
3:33:52future
3:33:53this was the way the buddha taught
3:33:57but
3:33:57it's not just a story about something
3:33:59that happened long ago
3:34:01if we at this time practice correctly we
3:34:03can also gain realization
3:34:06we can know the past and the future
3:34:07because they are gathered at this one
3:34:09point the present moment
3:34:12if we look to the past we won't know
3:34:14if we look to the future we won't know
3:34:16because that is not where the truth is
3:34:19it is it exists here in the present
3:34:24thus the buddha said i am enlightened
3:34:26through my own efforts without any
3:34:28teacher
3:34:29have you read this story
3:34:30a wonder of another sect asked him who
3:34:32is your teacher
3:34:34the buddha answered i have no teacher i
3:34:37attained enlightenment by myself
3:34:39but that wanderer just shook his head
3:34:40and went away thought the buddha was
3:34:42making up a story and so he had no
3:34:44interest in what he said
3:34:46he thought it was not possible to
3:34:47achieve anything without a teacher and
3:34:49guide
3:34:52it's like this
3:34:53you study with a spiritual teacher and
3:34:55he tells you to give up greed and anger
3:34:57he tells you they're harmful and that
3:34:59you need to get rid of them
3:35:01then you may practice and do that but
3:35:03getting rid of greed and anger didn't
3:35:05come about just because he taught you
3:35:08you had to actually practice and do that
3:35:11through practice you came to realize
3:35:14something for yourself
3:35:16you see greed in your mind and you give
3:35:18it up you see anger in your mind and
3:35:20give it up
3:35:22the teacher doesn't get rid of them for
3:35:23you
3:35:24he tells you about getting rid of them
3:35:26but it doesn't happen just because he
3:35:28tells you
3:35:29you do the practice and come to
3:35:31realization you understand these things
3:35:33for yourself
3:35:36it's like the buddha is catching hold of
3:35:37you and bringing you to the beginning of
3:35:39the path
3:35:40and he tells you
3:35:41here is the path walk on it
3:35:44he doesn't help you to walk you do that
3:35:47yourself
3:35:48when you do travel the path and practice
3:35:50dhamma you meet the real dumber which is
3:35:52beyond anything that anyone can explain
3:35:54to you
3:35:55so one is enlightened by oneself
3:35:58understanding past future and present
3:36:01understanding cause and result then
3:36:03doubt is finished
3:36:07we talk about giving up and developing
3:36:09renouncing and cultivating
3:36:11but when the fruit of practice is
3:36:12realized there's nothing to add and
3:36:14nothing to remove
3:36:17the buddha taught that this is the point
3:36:18we want to arrive at but people don't
3:36:20want to stop there
3:36:22their doubts and attachments keep them
3:36:24on the move keep them confused and keep
3:36:26them from stopping there
3:36:28so when one person has arrived but
3:36:29others are somewhere else they won't be
3:36:31able to make any sense of what he may
3:36:33what he may say about it
3:36:36they might have some intellectual
3:36:37understanding of the words
3:36:38but this is not real understanding or
3:36:40knowledge of the truth
3:36:44usually when we talk about practice we
3:36:46talk about entering and leaving
3:36:48increasing the positive and removing the
3:36:50negative
3:36:51but the final result is that all of
3:36:53these things are done with
3:36:55there is the seika puga lab saker is one
3:36:58in training one who has reached the
3:37:00first stage of enlightenment but not yet
3:37:02at the final goal
3:37:05the person who needs to train in these
3:37:07things and then there is the aseka
3:37:08pugola one who is beyond training an
3:37:11arahant the person who no longer needs
3:37:13to train in anything this is talking
3:37:16about the mind
3:37:18when the mind has reached this level of
3:37:19full realization there is nothing more
3:37:21to practice
3:37:22why is this
3:37:24it's because such a person doesn't have
3:37:26to make use of any of the conventions of
3:37:28teaching and practice
3:37:29this person has abandoned the
3:37:31defilements
3:37:34the seika person has to train in the
3:37:36steps of the path from the very
3:37:38beginning to the highest level
3:37:40when they've completed this they are
3:37:42called aseka meaning they no longer need
3:37:44to train because everything is finished
3:37:48the things to be trained in are finished
3:37:50doubts are finished there are no
3:37:52qualities to be developed there are no
3:37:54defilements to remove
3:37:56such people dwell in peace
3:37:58whatever good or evil there is will not
3:38:00affect them
3:38:01they are unshakable no matter what they
3:38:03meet
3:38:04this is talking about the empty mind
3:38:07now you'll be really confused
3:38:09you don't understand this at all if my
3:38:12mind is empty how can i walk
3:38:16precisely because the mind is empty
3:38:18if the mind is empty how can i eat
3:38:22will i have desire to eat if my mind is
3:38:25empty
3:38:26there's not much benefit in talking
3:38:28about emptiness like this when people
3:38:30haven't trained properly they won't be
3:38:31able to understand it
3:38:34those who use such terms have sought
3:38:36ways to give us some feeling that can
3:38:38lead us to understand the truth for
3:38:40example the buddha said that in truth
3:38:42these samkara that we have been
3:38:44accumulating and carrying from the time
3:38:45of our birth until this moment are not
3:38:47ourselves and do not belong to us
3:38:50why did he say such a thing
3:38:52there's no other way to formulate the
3:38:54truth
3:38:55he spoke in this way for people who have
3:38:56discernment so that they could gain
3:38:59wisdom
3:39:00but this is something to contemplate
3:39:01carefully
3:39:04some people will hear the words nothing
3:39:06is mine
3:39:07and they'll get the idea that they
3:39:08should throw away all their possessions
3:39:10with only a superficial understanding
3:39:12people will get into arguments about
3:39:13what this means and how to apply it
3:39:16this is not myself quote unquote doesn't
3:39:19mean you should end your life or throw
3:39:21away your possessions
3:39:22it means you should give up attachment
3:39:26there is the level of conventional
3:39:27reality and the level of ultimate
3:39:28reality
3:39:30supposition
3:39:31and liberation
3:39:33on the level of convention there is mr a
3:39:35mrs b mr l mrs n and so on
3:39:38we use these suppositions for
3:39:40convenience in communicating and
3:39:42functioning in the world
3:39:44the buddha didn't teach that we
3:39:45shouldn't use these things but rather
3:39:47that we shouldn't be attached to them we
3:39:50should realize that they are empty
3:39:54it's hard to talk about this
3:39:56we must depend on practice and gain
3:39:58understanding through practice if you
3:39:59try to get knowledge and understanding
3:40:01by studying and asking others you won't
3:40:03really understand the truth
3:40:05it's something that you have to see and
3:40:06know for yourself through practicing
3:40:09turn inwards to know within yourself
3:40:12don't always be turning outwards but
3:40:14when we talk about practicing people
3:40:16become argumentative
3:40:18their minds are ready to argue because
3:40:20they've learned this or that approach to
3:40:21the practice no one-sided attachment to
3:40:23what they have learned
3:40:25they haven't realized the truth through
3:40:27practice
3:40:29did you notice the thai people we met
3:40:30the other day they asked irrelevant
3:40:33questions like
3:40:34why do you eat out of your arms bowl
3:40:37i could see that they were far from
3:40:38donna
3:40:39they've had modern education so i can't
3:40:41tell them much
3:40:42but i let the american monk talk to them
3:40:45they might be willing to listen to him
3:40:47thai people these days don't have much
3:40:49interest in dhamma and don't understand
3:40:51it
3:40:51why do i say that
3:40:53if someone hasn't studied something
3:40:55they're ignorant of it
3:40:56they've studied other things but they're
3:40:58ignorant of dhamma i'll admit that i'm
3:41:01ignorant of the things that they have
3:41:02learned
3:41:03the western monk has studied dhamma so
3:41:05he can tell them something about it
3:41:09among thai people in the present time
3:41:11there is less and less interest in being
3:41:12ordained studying and practicing
3:41:15i don't know if it's because they're
3:41:16busy with work because the country is
3:41:18developing materially or what the reason
3:41:20might be
3:41:22in the past when someone was ordained
3:41:24they would stay for at least a few years
3:41:26four or five rains
3:41:28now it's a week or two
3:41:32some are ordained in the morning and
3:41:34disrobe in the evening
3:41:37that's the direction it's going in now
3:41:40one fellow told me if everyone were to
3:41:42be ordained the way you prefer for a few
3:41:44reigns at least there'll be no progress
3:41:46in the world families wouldn't grow
3:41:48nobody would be building things
3:41:50i said to him
3:41:51your thinking is the thinking of an
3:41:53earthworm
3:41:57an earthworm lives in the ground
3:41:59it eats earth for its food eating and
3:42:01eating it starts to worry that it's
3:42:03going to run out of dirt to eat
3:42:05it is surrounded by dirt the whole earth
3:42:07is covering its head but it worries
3:42:09it'll run out of dirt
3:42:12that's the thinking of an earthworm
3:42:14people worry that the world won't
3:42:15progress that it'll come to an end
3:42:18that's an earthworm's view
3:42:20they aren't earthworms but they think
3:42:22like them
3:42:23that's the wrong understanding of the
3:42:24animal realm they are really ignorant
3:42:28there's a story i've often told about a
3:42:30tortoise and a snake
3:42:32the forest was on fire and they were
3:42:33trying to flee the tortoise was
3:42:35lumbering along and then it saw the
3:42:37snake slither by
3:42:39it felt pity for that snake
3:42:41why
3:42:42the snake had no legs so the tortoise
3:42:44figured it wouldn't be able to escape
3:42:46the fire
3:42:47it wanted to help the snake
3:42:49but as the fire kept spreading the snake
3:42:51fled easily while the tortoise couldn't
3:42:53make it even with its four legs and it
3:42:55died there
3:42:57that was the tortoise's ignorance it
3:42:59thought if you have legs you can move if
3:43:02you don't have legs you can't go
3:43:04anywhere
3:43:05so it was worried about the snake
3:43:07it thought that the snake would die
3:43:09because it didn't have legs
3:43:11but the snake wasn't worried it knew it
3:43:13could easily escape the danger
3:43:17this is one way to talk to people who
3:43:19have confused ideas
3:43:20they feel pity for you if you aren't
3:43:22like them and don't have their views and
3:43:24their knowledge
3:43:25so
3:43:26who is ignorant
3:43:28i'm ignorant in my own way
3:43:30there are things i don't know about so i
3:43:32am ignorant on that account
3:43:38meeting different situations can be a
3:43:40cause for tranquility but i didn't
3:43:42understand how foolish and mistaken i
3:43:44was
3:43:45whenever something disturbed my mind i
3:43:48tried to get away from it to escape
3:43:50what i was doing was escaping from peace
3:43:53i was continually running away from
3:43:56peace
3:43:57i didn't want to see this or know about
3:43:58that i didn't want to think about or
3:44:00experience various things i didn't
3:44:02realize that this was defilement
3:44:05i only thought that i needed to remove
3:44:07myself and get far away from people and
3:44:09situations so that i wouldn't meet
3:44:11anything disturbing or hear speech that
3:44:13was displeasing
3:44:15the farther away i could get the better
3:44:19after many years had passed i was forced
3:44:21by the natural progression of events to
3:44:23change my ways
3:44:25having been ordained for some time i
3:44:27ended up with more and more disciples
3:44:28more people seeking me out
3:44:31living and practicing in the forest was
3:44:32something that attracted people to come
3:44:34and pay respects
3:44:35so as the number of followers increased
3:44:37i was forced to start facing things
3:44:40i couldn't run away anymore
3:44:43my ears had to hear sounds my eyes to
3:44:46see
3:44:47and it was then as an ajaan that i
3:44:50started gaining more knowledge
3:44:52led to a lot of wisdom and a lot of
3:44:54letting go
3:44:55there was a lot of everything going on
3:44:57and i learned not to grasp and hold on
3:44:59but to keep letting go
3:45:01it made me a lot more skillful than
3:45:03before
3:45:06when some suffering came about it was
3:45:07okay
3:45:08i didn't add on to it by trying to
3:45:10escape it previously in my meditation i
3:45:13had only desired tranquility
3:45:16i thought that the external environment
3:45:18was only useful insofar as it could be a
3:45:20cause to help me to attain tranquility
3:45:23i didn't think that having right view
3:45:25would be the cause for realizing
3:45:26tranquility
3:45:29i've often said that there are two kinds
3:45:30of tranquility
3:45:32the wise have divided it into peace
3:45:33through wisdom and peace through summit
3:45:36concentration
3:45:38in peace through summit
3:45:39the eye has to be far from sights the
3:45:41ear far from sounds the nose far from
3:45:44smells and so on
3:45:45then not hearing not knowing and so
3:45:47forth one can become tranquil
3:45:50this kind of peacefulness is good in his
3:45:52way
3:45:53is it a value yes it is but it is not
3:45:56supreme
3:45:58it's short-lived
3:46:00it doesn't have a reliable foundation
3:46:02when the senses meet objects that are
3:46:04displeasing the mind changes because it
3:46:06doesn't want those things to be present
3:46:08so the mind always has to struggle with
3:46:10these objects and no wisdom is born
3:46:13since the person always feels that he's
3:46:15not at peace because of those external
3:46:17factors
3:46:19on the other hand if you determine not
3:46:21to run away but to look directly at
3:46:23things
3:46:24you come to realize that lack of
3:46:25tranquility is not due to external
3:46:27objects or situations but only happens
3:46:30because of wrong understanding
3:46:32i often teach my disciples about this
3:46:35i tell them when you are intently
3:46:37devoted to finding tranquility in your
3:46:39meditation you can seek out the quietest
3:46:42most remote place where you won't meet
3:46:43with sights or sounds where there is
3:46:45nothing going on that will disturb you
3:46:48there the mind can settle down and
3:46:49become calm because there is nothing to
3:46:51provoke it
3:46:52then when you experience this examine it
3:46:55to see how much strength it has
3:46:57when you come out of that place and
3:46:58start experiencing sense contact notice
3:47:01how you become pleased and displeased
3:47:03gladdened and dejected and how the mind
3:47:05becomes disturbed
3:47:07then you will understand that this kind
3:47:09of tranquility is not genuine
3:47:14whatever occurs in your field of
3:47:15experience is merely what it is
3:47:19when something pleases us
3:47:20we decide that it is good
3:47:23when something displeases us we say it
3:47:25isn't good
3:47:27that is only our own discriminating
3:47:29minds giving meaning to external objects
3:47:33when we understand this then we have a
3:47:34basis for investigating these things and
3:47:37seeing them as they really are
3:47:39when there is tranquility in meditation
3:47:41it's not necessary to do it to do a lot
3:47:44of thinking
3:47:45this sensitivity has a certain knowing
3:47:47quality that is born of the tranquil
3:47:49mind
3:47:50this isn't thinking it's
3:47:53aya investigation contemplation of
3:47:55dhamma
3:47:56the factor of investigating
3:47:58dhamma
3:48:00this sort of tranquility does not get
3:48:02disturbed by experience of sense contact
3:48:05but then there's the question
3:48:06if it is tranquility why is there still
3:48:09something going on
3:48:11there is something happening within
3:48:12tranquility it's not something happening
3:48:14in the ordinary afflicted way where we
3:48:16make more out of it than it really is
3:48:19when something happens within
3:48:20tranquility the mind knows it extremely
3:48:23clearly
3:48:24wisdom is born there and the mind
3:48:26contemplates ever more clearly
3:48:29we see the way that things actually
3:48:30happen when we know the truth of them
3:48:32then tranquility becomes all-inclusive
3:48:35when the eye sees forms of the ear hears
3:48:37sounds we recognize them for what they
3:48:39are
3:48:40in this latter form of tranquility when
3:48:42the eye sees forms the mind is peaceful
3:48:45when the ear hears sounds the mind is
3:48:47peaceful
3:48:48the mind does not waver whatever we
3:48:50experience the mind is not shaken
3:48:54so where does this sort of tranquility
3:48:56come from
3:48:58it comes from that other other kind of
3:48:59tranquility that unknowing summit
3:49:03that is a cause that enables it to come
3:49:05about
3:49:07it is thought that wisdom comes from
3:49:09tranquility
3:49:10knowing comes from unknowing
3:49:12the mind comes to know from that state
3:49:14of unknowing from learning to
3:49:16investigate like this
3:49:18there'll be both tranquility and wisdom
3:49:21then wherever we are whatever we're
3:49:22doing we see the truth of things we know
3:49:25that the arising and ceasing of
3:49:26experience in the mind is just like that
3:49:29then there is nothing more to do nothing
3:49:31to correct or solve there's no more
3:49:33speculation there's nowhere to go no
3:49:35escape
3:49:37we can only escape through wisdom
3:49:39through knowing things as they are and
3:49:41transcending them
3:49:44in the past when i first established
3:49:46what pong and people started coming to
3:49:48see me some disciples said
3:49:51long pause always socializing with
3:49:52people this isn't a proper place to stay
3:49:54anymore
3:49:56but it wasn't that i got in search of
3:49:57people
3:49:58we established a monastery and people
3:50:00were coming to pay respects to our way
3:50:02of life well i couldn't deny what they
3:50:04were saying but actually i was gaining a
3:50:06lot of wisdom coming to know a lot of
3:50:08things
3:50:09but the disciples had no idea
3:50:12they could only look at me and think my
3:50:13practice was degenerating
3:50:15so many people were coming so much
3:50:16disturbance
3:50:18i didn't have any way to convince them
3:50:20otherwise but as time passed i overcame
3:50:23the various obstacles and i finally came
3:50:25to believe that real tranquility is born
3:50:27of correct view
3:50:30if we don't have right view then it
3:50:32doesn't matter where we stay we won't be
3:50:33at peace and wisdom won't arise
3:50:37our people are trying to practice here
3:50:39in the west
3:50:40i'm not criticizing anyone but from what
3:50:42i can see sila morality is not very well
3:50:45developed
3:50:46well this is a convention
3:50:49you can start by practicing samadhi
3:50:50first
3:50:51it's like walking along and coming
3:50:53across a long piece of wood
3:50:55one person can take hold of it at one
3:50:57end
3:50:58another person can pick it up at the
3:50:59other end but it's the same one piece of
3:51:01wood
3:51:02and taking hold of either end you can
3:51:04move it
3:51:06when there is some calm from somali
3:51:08practice then the mind can see things
3:51:09clearly and gain wisdom and see the harm
3:51:12in certain types of behavior
3:51:14and the person will have restraint and
3:51:15caution
3:51:17you can move the log from either end but
3:51:19the main point is to have firm
3:51:20determination in your practice
3:51:23if you start with sila this restraint
3:51:25will bring calm
3:51:27that is samadhi and it becomes the cause
3:51:29for wisdom and there's wisdom it helps
3:51:32develop samadhi further
3:51:34and samadhi keeps refining sila
3:51:36they're actually synonymous developing
3:51:38together
3:51:40in the end the final result is that they
3:51:42are one and the same they are
3:51:43inseparable
3:51:46we can't distinguish samadhi and
3:51:47classifiers separately we can't classify
3:51:50wisdom as something separate
3:51:52we can't distinguish sila as something
3:51:54separate
3:51:55at first we do distinguish among them
3:51:57there is this level of convention
3:51:59and then there's the level of liberation
3:52:01on the level of liberation we don't
3:52:03attach to good and bad using convention
3:52:05we distinguish good and bad and
3:52:07different aspects of practice
3:52:09this is necessary to do but it isn't yet
3:52:11supreme
3:52:12if we understand the use of convention
3:52:14we can come to understand liberation
3:52:16then we can understand the ways in which
3:52:18different terms are used to bring people
3:52:20to the same thing
3:52:23so in those days i learned to deal with
3:52:25people with all sorts of situations
3:52:28coming into contact with all these
3:52:29things i had to make my mind firm
3:52:32relying on wisdom i was able to see
3:52:34clearly and abide without being affected
3:52:36by whatever i met with
3:52:38whatever others might be saying i wasn't
3:52:40bothered because i had firm conviction
3:52:43those who will be teachers need this
3:52:45firm conviction in what they're doing
3:52:47without being affected by what people
3:52:48say
3:52:50it requires some wisdom and whatever
3:52:51wisdom one has can increase
3:52:54we take stock of all our old ways as
3:52:56they are revealed to us and keep
3:52:57cleaning them up
3:53:01you really have to make your mind firm
3:53:04sometimes there's no ease of body or
3:53:06mind
3:53:07it happens when we live together it's
3:53:08something natural
3:53:10sometimes we have to face illness for
3:53:12example
3:53:13i went through a lot of that
3:53:15how would you deal with it well everyone
3:53:17wants to live comfortably to have good
3:53:19food and plenty of rest but we can't
3:53:21always have that
3:53:22we can't just indulge our wishes
3:53:24but we create some benefit in this world
3:53:26through the virtuous efforts we make
3:53:29we create benefit for ourselves and for
3:53:31others for this life and the next
3:53:33this is the result of making the mind
3:53:35peaceful
3:53:37coming here to england and the us is the
3:53:39same
3:53:40it's a short visit but i'll try to help
3:53:42as i can and offer teaching guidance
3:53:45there are arjans and students here so
3:53:47i'll try to help them out
3:53:48even though monks haven't come to live
3:53:50here yet this is pretty good
3:53:52this visit can prepare people for having
3:53:54monks here
3:53:55if they come too soon it'll be difficult
3:53:58little by little people can become
3:53:59familiar with the practice and with the
3:54:01ways of the bhikkhu sangha
3:54:03then the sasana can flourish here so for
3:54:05now you have to take care of your own
3:54:07mind and make it right
3:54:10this is the
3:54:1210th
3:54:13talk or dialogue
3:54:15in this collection and it's entitled
3:54:18even one word is enough
3:54:20and this is um
3:54:23a talk or rather a dialogue that was
3:54:26first published in the book everything
3:54:28is teaching us again translated by paul
3:54:31breiter and this was given to the
3:54:33western sangha newly arrived in england
3:54:35in 1979 so
3:54:37i'm not quite sure
3:54:39what the occasion would have been
3:54:40because they they moved to england in 77
3:54:43and the longport came back to visit in
3:54:4579 so um whether this was that's a
3:54:49misprinted should say
3:54:50newly arrived in 77
3:54:52or whether it's when long portugal came
3:54:54back to visit them after having been
3:54:56there for a couple of years i'm not
3:54:58quite sure but
3:54:59it's that kind of occasion
3:55:02there
3:55:03here in england
3:55:06even one word is enough
3:55:10whatever you will teach
3:55:11it won't be outside of sila samadhi and
3:55:14panya or to use another standard
3:55:16classification morality meditation and
3:55:20generosity
3:55:22people here are already pretty
3:55:24complicated
3:55:25you have to look at those you are
3:55:27teaching and understand them
3:55:29because they're complicated you have to
3:55:31give them something they can relate to
3:55:34just to say let go let go
3:55:36won't be right
3:55:38put that aside for the time being
3:55:40it's like talking to older people in
3:55:42thailand if you try to speak bluntly
3:55:44they'll resent it
3:55:46if i do that it's okay if they hear it
3:55:48from me it pleases them but otherwise
3:55:50they would get angry
3:55:53you can be able to speak well but still
3:55:56not be skillful right tomato it's like
3:55:59that isn't it agencies
3:56:01it is
3:56:02they some of the other monks speak the
3:56:04truth but they don't do it skillfully
3:56:06and the lay people don't want to listen
3:56:08they don't have the skillful means
3:56:11imagination responds right
3:56:14they don't have a technique
3:56:16they don't have the technique in
3:56:17speaking
3:56:18like construction i can build things but
3:56:22i don't have a technique for
3:56:23construction to make things beautiful
3:56:25and long-lasting
3:56:26i can speak anyone can speak
3:56:28but it's necessary to have the skillful
3:56:30means to know what is appropriate
3:56:33then saying even one word can be of
3:56:35benefit otherwise you can cause trouble
3:56:38with your words
3:56:39for example people here have learned a
3:56:41lot of things
3:56:42don't go extolling your way saying my
3:56:45way is right your way is wrong
3:56:47don't do that
3:56:49and don't merely try to be profound
3:56:50either you can lead people to madness by
3:56:52that
3:56:54just say don't discard other ways you
3:56:56may have learned but for the time being
3:56:59please put them aside and focus on what
3:57:01we're practicing right now
3:57:03for example mindfulness of breathing
3:57:05that's something you can all teach
3:57:07teach to focus on the breath going in
3:57:09and out
3:57:10just keep teaching in the same way and
3:57:12let people get an understanding of this
3:57:15when you become
3:57:16when you become skilled at teaching one
3:57:17thing your ability to teach will develop
3:57:20of its own and you'll be able to teach
3:57:22other things
3:57:24coming to know one thing well people can
3:57:26then know many things
3:57:28it happens of its own
3:57:30but if you try to teach them many things
3:57:32they don't get a real understanding of
3:57:33any one thing
3:57:35if you point out one thing clearly then
3:57:37they can know many things clearly
3:57:40like those christians who came today
3:57:42they just said one thing
3:57:45they said one thing that was full of
3:57:46meaning
3:57:48saying one day we will meet again in the
3:57:50place of ultimate truth
3:57:52just as one statement was enough
3:57:54those were the words of a wise person
3:57:57no matter what kind of dumber we learn
3:57:59if we don't realize the ultimate truth
3:58:01para mata dhamma in our hearts we won't
3:58:04reach satisfaction
3:58:06for example sumatra might teach me
3:58:09i have to take that knowledge and try to
3:58:11put it into practice when sumato is
3:58:13teaching me i understand but it isn't a
3:58:16real or deep understanding because i
3:58:18haven't yet practiced
3:58:20when i do actually practice and realize
3:58:21the fruit of practicing then i will get
3:58:23to know the point and know the real
3:58:25meaning of it
3:58:26then i can say i know tomato
3:58:28i will see tomato in that place
3:58:30that place is tomato
3:58:33because he teaches that that is tomato
3:58:37when i teach about the buddha it's like
3:58:38that also
3:58:40i say the buddha is that place
3:58:42the buddha is not in the teachings
3:58:45when people hear this they'll be
3:58:46startled
3:58:47didn't the buddha teach those things
3:58:50yes he did but this is talking about
3:58:52ultimate truth
3:58:53people don't understand it yet
3:58:56what i gave those people to think about
3:58:58was
3:58:59this apple is something that you can see
3:59:01with your eyes
3:59:02the flavor of the apple isn't something
3:59:04you can know by looking at it
3:59:06but you do see the apple
3:59:09i felt that was as much as they were
3:59:10able to listen to you can't see the
3:59:13flavor but it's there
3:59:15when will you know it
3:59:17when you pick the apple up and eat it
3:59:20the dhamma we teach is like the apple
3:59:22people hear it but they don't really
3:59:23know the flavor of the apple when they
3:59:26practice then it can be known
3:59:28the flavor of the apple can't be known
3:59:30by the eyes
3:59:31and the truth of the dharma can't be
3:59:33known by the ears
3:59:35there is knowledge true but it doesn't
3:59:37really reach the actuality
3:59:40one has to put it into practice then
3:59:42wisdom arises and one recognizes the
3:59:43ultimate truth directly
3:59:45one sees the buddha there
3:59:47this is the profound dumber
3:59:50so i compared it to an apple in this way
3:59:52for them i offered it to that group of
3:59:53christians to hear and think about
3:59:57that kind of talk was a little salty
3:59:59and the note says this uh doesn't have
4:00:02the same connotation in english as it
4:00:03does in thai
4:00:04entire it means something that is hard
4:00:07or direct
4:00:08salty is good
4:00:10sweet is good sour is good
4:00:12many different ways of teaching are good
4:00:15well if you've got something to say any
4:00:17of you please feel free to
4:00:19if you've got something to say any of
4:00:21you please feel free to say it soon we
4:00:23won't have a chance to discuss things
4:00:25tomatoes probably run out of things to
4:00:27say
4:00:29legends tomato says i'm fed up
4:00:31explaining things to
4:00:34people look for char response don't do
4:00:37that you can't be fed up
4:00:41against tomato responds yes i'll cut
4:00:43that off
4:00:45when poor responds the head teacher
4:00:46can't do that there are a lot of people
4:00:48trying to reach nirvana so they're
4:00:50depending on you
4:00:53sometimes teaching comes easily
4:00:55sometimes you don't know what to say
4:00:56you're at a loss for words and nothing
4:00:58comes out or is it that you just don't
4:01:00want to talk
4:01:02it's a good training for you
4:01:05agent cemeter responds people around
4:01:07here are pretty good they aren't violent
4:01:09and mean-spirited or troublesome
4:01:11the christian priests don't dislike us
4:01:14the kind of questions people ask are
4:01:16about things like god
4:01:18they want to know what god is what
4:01:19nibana is
4:01:21some people believe that buddhism
4:01:22teaches nihilism and wants and wants to
4:01:25destroy the world
4:01:28in char responds
4:01:30it means their understanding is not
4:01:31complete or mature
4:01:33they are afraid everything will be
4:01:34finished the world will come to an end
4:01:37they conceive of dhamma as something
4:01:39empty and nihilistic so they're
4:01:41disheartened
4:01:42their way only leads to tears
4:01:45have you seen what it's like when people
4:01:47are afraid of emptiness
4:01:49householders try to gather possessions
4:01:51and watch over them like rats
4:01:53does this protect them from the
4:01:54emptiness of existence
4:01:56they still end up on the funeral pyre
4:01:58everything lost to them but while they
4:02:00are alive they're trying to hold on to
4:02:02things
4:02:03every day afraid they will be lost
4:02:05trying to avoid emptiness
4:02:08do they suffer this way
4:02:09of course they really do suffer
4:02:12it's not real and it's not understanding
4:02:15the real insubstantiality and emptiness
4:02:16of things not understanding this people
4:02:19are not happy
4:02:21because people don't look at themselves
4:02:23they don't really know what's going on
4:02:25in life
4:02:26how do you stop this delusion
4:02:28people believe this is me this is mine
4:02:32if you tell them about not-self that
4:02:34nothing is me or mine
4:02:36they're ready to argue the point until
4:02:37the day they die
4:02:39even the buddha after he attained
4:02:41knowledge felt weary when he considered
4:02:42this
4:02:43when he was first enlightened he thought
4:02:45that it would be extremely troublesome
4:02:47to explain the way to others
4:02:48then he realized that such an attitude
4:02:50was not correct
4:02:53if we don't teach such people who will
4:02:55we teach
4:02:56this is my question which i used to ask
4:02:58myself at those times that i got fed up
4:03:00and i didn't want to teach anymore who
4:03:02should we teach if we don't teach the
4:03:04deluded
4:03:05there's really nowhere else to go
4:03:07when we get fed up and want to run away
4:03:09from disciples to live alone we are
4:03:11deluded
4:03:13one of the because says we could be
4:03:15pacheco buddhas
4:03:18responds that's good but it's not really
4:03:20correct being a pacheco buddha because
4:03:22you simply want to run away from things
4:03:26arjun somato says just living naturally
4:03:29in a simple environment then we can
4:03:30naturally beat pacheco buddhas but these
4:03:33days it's not possible the environment
4:03:35we live in doesn't allow that to happen
4:03:37we have to live as monks
4:03:40arjun char responds
4:03:42sometimes you have to live in a
4:03:43situation like you have here first with
4:03:46some disturbance
4:03:47to explain it in a simple way sometimes
4:03:50you will be an omniscient
4:03:52buddha sometimes you'll be a pacheco
4:03:54buddha one who lives in a solitary way
4:03:56it depends on conditions
4:04:00talking about these kinds of beings is
4:04:02talking about the mind it's not the one
4:04:04is born a pacheco
4:04:06this is what's called explanation by
4:04:08personification of states of mind pugola
4:04:11dittana
4:04:12being a pacheco one abides indifferently
4:04:15and doesn't teach
4:04:16not much benefit comes from that when
4:04:18someone is able to teach others then
4:04:20they are manifesting as an omniscient
4:04:22buddha
4:04:24these are only metaphors
4:04:26don't be anything
4:04:28don't be anything at all
4:04:29being a buddha is a burden being a
4:04:31pachecra is a burden just don't desire
4:04:33to be
4:04:35i am the monks tomato i am the monk
4:04:37anando
4:04:38that way is suffering believing that you
4:04:40really exist thus
4:04:42sumato is merely a convention
4:04:45do you understand
4:04:47believing you really exist brings
4:04:49suffering
4:04:50if there is tomato then when someone
4:04:52criticizes you somato gets angry ananda
4:04:55gets angry that's what happens if you
4:04:57hold on to these things as real
4:04:59arnando and sumaida get involved and are
4:05:01ready to fight if there is no arnando or
4:05:03no tomato then there's no one there no
4:05:05one to answer the telephone ring ring
4:05:08nobody picks it up
4:05:09you don't become anything
4:05:12no one is being anything and there is no
4:05:14suffering
4:05:16if we believe ourselves to be something
4:05:18or someone and every time the phone
4:05:20rings we pick it up and get involved
4:05:23how can we free ourselves of this
4:05:26we have to look at it clearly and
4:05:27develop wisdom so that there is no
4:05:29arnando no tomato to pick up the
4:05:31telephone
4:05:32if you are arnando or somato and you
4:05:34answer the telephone you'll get yourself
4:05:36involved in suffering so don't be somato
4:05:39don't be anando just recognize that
4:05:41these names are on the level of
4:05:43convention
4:05:45if someone calls you good don't be that
4:05:48don't think i am good
4:05:50if someone says you're bad don't think
4:05:52i'm bad
4:05:54don't try to be anything
4:05:56know what is taking place but then don't
4:05:58attach to the knowledge either
4:06:02people can't do this they don't
4:06:04understand what it's all about
4:06:05when they hear about this they're
4:06:07confused and they don't know what to do
4:06:09i've given the analogy before about
4:06:11upstairs and downstairs when you go down
4:06:13from upstairs you're downstairs
4:06:15and you see the downstairs when you go
4:06:17upstairs again you see the upstairs the
4:06:20space in between you don't see
4:06:23the middle
4:06:24it means nibana is not seen
4:06:27we see the forms of physical objects but
4:06:29we don't see the grasping
4:06:31the grasping at upstairs and downstairs
4:06:33becoming in birth becoming in birth
4:06:36continual becoming
4:06:38the place without becoming is empty
4:06:41when we try to teach people about the
4:06:43place that is empty they just say
4:06:45there's nothing there
4:06:47they don't understand
4:06:49it's difficult real practice is required
4:06:51for this to be
4:06:52understood we have been relying on
4:06:55becoming on self-grasping since the day
4:06:57of our birth
4:06:59when someone talks about non-self it's
4:07:01too strange we can't change our
4:07:03perceptions so easily
4:07:05so it's necessary to make the mind see
4:07:07this through practice and then we can
4:07:09believe it oh it's true
4:07:12when people are thinking this is mine
4:07:14this is mine
4:07:15they feel happy
4:07:17but when the thing that is mine is lost
4:07:19they'll cry over it
4:07:21this is the path for suffering to come
4:07:23about
4:07:24we can observe this
4:07:25if there's no mine or me
4:07:28we can make use of things while we're
4:07:29living without attachment to them as
4:07:31being ours if they're lost or broken
4:07:33that's simply natural
4:07:35we don't see them as ours or as anyone's
4:07:37and we don't conceive of self or other
4:07:40this isn't referring to a mad person
4:07:42this is someone who is diligent such a
4:07:45person really knows what is useful in so
4:07:47many different ways but when others look
4:07:49at him and try to figure him out they
4:07:51will see someone who is crazy
4:07:53when tomato looks at lay people he will
4:07:55see them as ignorant
4:07:57like little children when lay people
4:07:58consider sumato they'll think he's
4:08:00someone who's lost it
4:08:03you don't have any interest in the
4:08:04things that they that they live for
4:08:07to put it another way an arahant and an
4:08:09insane person are similar
4:08:11think about it
4:08:12when people look at an arrowhunt they'll
4:08:14think he's crazy
4:08:15if you curse him he doesn't care
4:08:18whatever you say to him he doesn't react
4:08:20like a crazy person
4:08:22but he is crazy and has awareness
4:08:25a truly insane person may not get angry
4:08:28when he's cursed but that's because he
4:08:29doesn't know what's going on
4:08:31someone observing the arrow hunt and the
4:08:32mad person might see them as the same
4:08:35but the lowest is mad the very highest
4:08:38is an arahant
4:08:40highest and lowest are similar if you
4:08:41look at their external manifestation but
4:08:43their inner awareness their sense of
4:08:45things is very different
4:08:48think about this when someone says
4:08:50something that ought to make you angry
4:08:52and you just let it go
4:08:53people might think you're crazy
4:08:56so when you teach others about these
4:08:57things they don't understand it very
4:08:58easily it has to be internalized for
4:09:01them to really understand
4:09:04for example in this country people love
4:09:06beauty
4:09:08if you just say no
4:09:10these things aren't really beautiful
4:09:11they don't want to listen if you talk
4:09:14about aging they're not pleased
4:09:16death they don't want to hear about it
4:09:19it means they aren't really ready to
4:09:20understand
4:09:22if they won't believe you don't fault
4:09:23them for that
4:09:25it's like you're trying to barter with
4:09:26them to give them something new to
4:09:28replace what they have but they don't
4:09:30see any value in the thing that you're
4:09:31offering
4:09:33if what you have is obviously of the
4:09:35highest value of course they'll accept
4:09:36it
4:09:37but now why don't they believe you
4:09:40your wisdom isn't sufficient so don't
4:09:43get angry with them
4:09:44what's wrong with you you're out of your
4:09:45mind don't do that you have to teach
4:09:47yourself first
4:09:49to establish the truth of the number in
4:09:50yourself and develop the proper way to
4:09:52present it to others and then they will
4:09:54accept it sometimes the ajahn teaches
4:09:57the disciples but the disciples don't
4:09:59believe what he says
4:10:00that might make you upset but instead of
4:10:02getting upset it's better to search out
4:10:04the reason for their not believing the
4:10:07thing that you're offering has little
4:10:08value to them if you offer something of
4:10:10more value than the other than what they
4:10:12have of course they will want it
4:10:16when you're about to get angry at your
4:10:17disciples you should think like this and
4:10:19then you can stop your anger
4:10:21it's really not much fun to be angry
4:10:25in order to get his disciples to realize
4:10:26the dhamma the buddha taught a single
4:10:28path but with varying characteristics
4:10:31he didn't use only one form of teaching
4:10:33or present the dhamma in the same way
4:10:35for everyone but he taught for the
4:10:37single purpose of transcending suffering
4:10:40all the meditations he taught were for
4:10:42this one purpose
4:10:44the people of europe already have a lot
4:10:46in their lives
4:10:48if you try to lay something big and
4:10:49complicated on them it might be too much
4:10:52so
4:10:52what should you do
4:10:54any suggestions
4:10:56if anyone has something to talk about
4:10:58now's the time you won't have this
4:10:59chance again
4:11:01or if you don't have anything to discuss
4:11:03if
4:11:03you've exhausted your doubts i guess you
4:11:06can be pacheco buddhas
4:11:08in the future some of you will be dumber
4:11:10teachers
4:11:11you will teach others
4:11:12when you teach others you're also
4:11:14teaching yourselves do any of you agree
4:11:16with this
4:11:17your own skillfulness and wisdom
4:11:19increase your contemplation increases
4:11:22for example you teach someone for the
4:11:24first time and then you start to wonder
4:11:26why it's like that what the meaning is
4:11:29so you start thinking like this and then
4:11:31you'll want to contemplate and find out
4:11:33what it really means
4:11:35teaching others you're also teaching
4:11:37yourself in this way
4:11:39if you have mindfulness if you're
4:11:40practicing meditation it'll be like this
4:11:43don't think that you're only teaching
4:11:44others
4:11:45have the idea that you are also teaching
4:11:47yourself then there is no loss
4:11:52agencies says
4:11:54it looks like people in the world are
4:11:55becoming more and more equal
4:11:57ideas of class and caste are falling
4:11:59away and changing
4:12:01some people who believe in astrology say
4:12:02that in a few years there'll be great
4:12:04natural disasters that will cause a lot
4:12:06of suffering in the world
4:12:07i don't really know if it's true but i
4:12:09think it's something beyond our
4:12:10capabilities to deal with because our
4:12:12lives are too far from nature and we
4:12:14depend on machines for our lives of
4:12:16convenience
4:12:17they say there'll be a lot of changes in
4:12:18nature such as earthquakes that nobody
4:12:21can foresee
4:12:24imagination responds they talk to make
4:12:26people suffer
4:12:28i just made a response right
4:12:31if we don't have mindfulness we can
4:12:32really suffer over this
4:12:36is
4:12:37the buddha taught about the present he
4:12:39didn't advise us to worry about what
4:12:40might happen in two or three years
4:12:42in thailand people come to me and say oh
4:12:45lon paul the communists are coming what
4:12:47do we do
4:12:48i ask
4:12:50where are those communists
4:12:52well they're coming any day now they say
4:12:55we've had communists from the moment we
4:12:57were born
4:12:59i don't try to think beyond that
4:13:01having the attitude that there are
4:13:02always obstacles and difficulties in
4:13:04life kills off but communists quote
4:13:06unquote then we aren't heedless
4:13:09talking about what might happen four or
4:13:11five years is looking too far away they
4:13:14say in two or three years thailand will
4:13:16be communist
4:13:18i've always felt that the communists
4:13:20have been around since i was born and so
4:13:22i've always been contending with them
4:13:23right up to the present moment
4:13:25but people don't understand what i'm
4:13:27talking about
4:13:28it's the truth
4:13:30astrology can talk about what's going to
4:13:31happen in two years but when we talk
4:13:33about the present they don't know what
4:13:35to do
4:13:36buddhism talks about dealing with things
4:13:38right now and making yourself well
4:13:40prepared for whatever might happen
4:13:43whatever might happen in the world we
4:13:44don't have to be too concerned we just
4:13:46practice to develop wisdom in the
4:13:48present and do what we need to do now
4:13:50not tomorrow
4:13:52wouldn't that be better
4:13:53we can wait for an earthquake that might
4:13:55come in three or four years but actually
4:13:57things are quaking now america is really
4:13:59quaking
4:14:01people's minds are so wild
4:14:02that's your quake right there but folks
4:14:05don't re recognize it
4:14:08big earthquakes only occur once in a
4:14:10long while but this earth of our minds
4:14:12is always quaking every day every moment
4:14:16in my lifetime i've never experienced a
4:14:17serious earthquake but this kind of
4:14:19quake is always happening shaking us and
4:14:21throwing us all around
4:14:23this is where the buddha wanted us to
4:14:24look but maybe that's not what people
4:14:27want to hear
4:14:30things happen due to causes they cease
4:14:33due to causes ceasing
4:14:35we don't need to be worrying about
4:14:36astrological predictions we can just
4:14:38know what is occurring now
4:14:41everyone likes to ask these questions
4:14:42though
4:14:44in thailand the officials come to me and
4:14:45say the whole country will be communist
4:14:47what will we do if that happens
4:14:50we were born what do we do about that
4:14:53i haven't thought much about this
4:14:54problem i've always thought since the
4:14:56day i was born the communists have been
4:14:58after me
4:15:00after i reply like this they don't have
4:15:02to anything to say it stops them
4:15:06people may talk about the dangers of
4:15:07communists taking over in a few years
4:15:09but the buddha taught us to prepare
4:15:11ourselves right now to be aware and
4:15:13contemplate the dangers we face that are
4:15:15inherent in this life
4:15:17this is the big issue
4:15:18don't be heedless
4:15:20relying on astrology to tell you what
4:15:21will happen in a couple of years from
4:15:23now doesn't get to the point
4:15:25relying on budology you don't have to
4:15:28chew over the past you don't have to
4:15:30worry about the future but you look at
4:15:31the present
4:15:33causes are arising in the present so
4:15:35observe them in the present
4:15:37people who say those things are only
4:15:39teaching others to suffer
4:15:41but if someone talks the way i do people
4:15:43will say they're crazy
4:15:45in the past there was always a movement
4:15:47but it was only a little bit at a time
4:15:49so it wasn't noticeable
4:15:51for example tomato when you were first
4:15:53born were you this size
4:15:56this is the result of movement and
4:15:57change
4:15:58is change good of course it is if there
4:16:01were no movement or change you never
4:16:03would have grown up
4:16:04so we don't need to fear natural
4:16:06transformation
4:16:08if you contemplate dhamma i don't know
4:16:10what else you would need to think about
4:16:12if someone predicts what will happen in
4:16:14a few years we can't just wait and see
4:16:16what happens before we do anything we
4:16:18can't live like that
4:16:20whatever we need to do we have to do it
4:16:22now without waiting
4:16:24without waiting for anything particular
4:16:26to happen
4:16:28these days the populace is in constant
4:16:30motion the four elements are in motion
4:16:32earth water fire and air are moving but
4:16:35people don't recognize that the earth is
4:16:36moving they only look at the external
4:16:38earth and don't see any movement
4:16:42in the future
4:16:43in this world if people are married and
4:16:45stay together for more than a year or
4:16:46two others will think there's something
4:16:48wrong with them
4:16:49a few months will be the standard
4:16:52things are in constant motion like this
4:16:54it's the minds of people that are moving
4:16:56you don't need to look at astrology look
4:16:58to budology and you can understand this
4:17:02if the communists come where will you go
4:17:06where is there to go
4:17:07we've been born and we face aging
4:17:09sickness and death where can we go
4:17:12we have to stay right here and deal with
4:17:14these things
4:17:15if the communists take over we'll stay
4:17:17in thailand and deal with that
4:17:19won't they have to eat rice too
4:17:21why are you so fearful if you keep
4:17:24worrying about what might happen in the
4:17:25future there's no end to it
4:17:28there is only constant confusion and
4:17:29speculation
4:17:31tomato do you know what will happen in
4:17:33two or three years
4:17:34will there be a big earthquake
4:17:36when people come to ask you about these
4:17:38things you can tell them that they don't
4:17:40really need to look so far ahead to
4:17:41things they can't really know for
4:17:42certain
4:17:43tell them about the moving and quaking
4:17:45that's always going on
4:17:47about the transformation that allowed
4:17:48you to grow up and be as you are now
4:17:52the way people think is that having been
4:17:54born they don't want to die
4:17:56is that correct
4:17:57it's like pouring water into a glass but
4:18:00not wanting it to fill up
4:18:01if you keep pouring the water you can't
4:18:04expect it not to be full
4:18:06but people think like this they're born
4:18:08but they don't want to die
4:18:10is that correct thinking
4:18:12consider it
4:18:14if people are born but never die will
4:18:16that bring happiness
4:18:18if no one who comes into the world dies
4:18:20things will be a lot worse if no one
4:18:22ever dies we'll probably all end up
4:18:23eating excrement
4:18:25where would we all stay
4:18:26it's like pouring water into a glass
4:18:28without ceasing yet not wanting it to be
4:18:30full
4:18:32we really ought to think things through
4:18:33we're born but we don't want to die
4:18:36if we really don't want to die we should
4:18:38realize the deathless the amateurs the
4:18:40buddha taught
4:18:41do you know what amateur means
4:18:45it is the deathless
4:18:46though you die if you have wisdom it's
4:18:48as if you don't die
4:18:50not dying not being reborn
4:18:52that's where things can be finished
4:18:55being born and wishing for happiness and
4:18:57enjoyment without dying is not the
4:18:58correct way at all
4:19:00but that's what people want so there's
4:19:02no end of suffering for them
4:19:04the practitioner of dhamma does not
4:19:06suffer
4:19:08well practitioners such as ordinary
4:19:10monks still suffer because they haven't
4:19:11yet fulfilled the path of practice they
4:19:13haven't realized damma so they still
4:19:16suffer they're still subject to death
4:19:20amateur is the deathless born of the
4:19:22womb can we avoid death
4:19:25apart from realizing that there is no
4:19:27real self there is no way to avoid death
4:19:30i don't die
4:19:32sankara undergo transformation following
4:19:35their nature
4:19:37this is hard to see
4:19:38people can't think like this
4:19:40you need to get free of wealthiness like
4:19:42sumato did you need to leave the big
4:19:45comfortable home and the world of
4:19:47progress like the buddha did
4:19:49if the buddha had remained in his royal
4:19:51palace he wouldn't have become the
4:19:52buddha
4:19:53it was by leaving the palace and going
4:19:55to live in forests that he attained that
4:19:58the life of pleasure and amusement in
4:19:59the palace was not the way to
4:20:01enlightenment
4:20:04who is it that tells you about the
4:20:05astrological predictions
4:20:08agency replies a lot of people talk
4:20:10about it often they're just like a hobby
4:20:12or a cat
4:20:15sorry a lot of people talk about it
4:20:17often just like a hobby or a casual
4:20:19interest
4:20:21in child response
4:20:23if it really is as they say then what
4:20:25should people do
4:20:27are they offering any path to follow
4:20:29from my point of view the buddha taught
4:20:31very clearly he said that the things we
4:20:34can't be sure about are many starting
4:20:36from the time we were born
4:20:38astrology may talk about months or years
4:20:40in the future but the buddha points to
4:20:42the moment of birth
4:20:43predicting the future may make people
4:20:45anxious about what could happen but the
4:20:47truth is that uncertainty is always with
4:20:49us right from birth
4:20:52people aren't likely to believe such
4:20:54talk are they
4:20:56if you he said speaking to a lay person
4:20:58who is present are afraid then consider
4:21:01this
4:21:02suppose that you are convicted of a
4:21:03crime that calls for capital punishment
4:21:05and in seven days you will be executed
4:21:08what will go through your mind
4:21:11this is my question for you if in seven
4:21:13days you'll be executed what will you do
4:21:17if you think about it and take a step
4:21:18further you'll realize that all of us
4:21:20right now are sentenced to die
4:21:24only we don't know when it'll happen
4:21:26it could be sooner than seven days
4:21:28are you aware that you are under a death
4:21:30sentence
4:21:32if you were to violate the law of the
4:21:34land and be sentenced to death you would
4:21:35certainly be most distressed
4:21:38meditation on death is recollecting that
4:21:40death is going to take us and it could
4:21:42be very soon
4:21:44but you don't think about it so you feel
4:21:45you're living comfortably
4:21:47if you do think about it it'll cause you
4:21:49to have devotion to the practice of
4:21:50dhamma
4:21:51so the buddha taught us to practice the
4:21:53recollection of death regularly
4:21:55those who don't recollect it live with
4:21:57fear they don't know themselves
4:21:59but if you do recollect and are aware of
4:22:01yourself it'll lead you to want to
4:22:03practice dumber seriously and be free
4:22:05from such fear
4:22:08if you are aware of this death sentence
4:22:10you will want to find a solution
4:22:13generally people don't like to hear such
4:22:15talk
4:22:16doesn't that mean they're far from the
4:22:17true dumber
4:22:19the buddha urged us to recollect death
4:22:22but people get upset by such talk
4:22:24that's the karma of beings
4:22:26they do have some knowledge of this fact
4:22:28but the knowledge isn't yet clear
4:22:30this is the 11th
4:22:33talk in this collection entitled
4:22:36making the heart good
4:22:38and this was
4:22:40a um a talk that was given on the
4:22:42occasion of a large group of lay people
4:22:44coming to visit wat papong and to make
4:22:46offerings to support the monastery and
4:22:48this was first published in the book
4:22:51living dhamma and was
4:22:53translated by
4:22:54pariso bruce evans
4:22:58these days people are going all over the
4:23:00place looking for merit
4:23:03and they always seem to stop over a
4:23:05whopper pong they didn't stop on over on
4:23:07the way they stop over on the return
4:23:08journey
4:23:09what papong has become a stopover point
4:23:12some people are in such a hurry i don't
4:23:14even get a chance to see or speak to
4:23:16them
4:23:16most of them are looking for merit
4:23:19i don't see many looking for a way out
4:23:20of wrongdoing
4:23:22they're so intent on getting merit they
4:23:24don't know what they can they don't know
4:23:25where they're going to put it it's like
4:23:28trying to dye a dirty unwashed cloth
4:23:32monks talk straight like this but it's
4:23:34hard for most people to put this sort of
4:23:36teaching into practice
4:23:37it's hard because they don't understand
4:23:40if they understood it would be much
4:23:41easier
4:23:43suppose there was a hole
4:23:45and there was something at the bottom of
4:23:47it now anyone who put their hand into
4:23:49the hole and didn't reach the bottom
4:23:50would say that the hole was too deep
4:23:53out of a hundred or out of a thousand
4:23:54people putting their hands down that
4:23:56hole they'd all say the hole was too
4:23:58deep none would say that their arm was
4:24:00too short
4:24:03there are so many people looking for
4:24:05merit
4:24:06sooner or later they'll have to start
4:24:07looking for a way out of wrongdoing but
4:24:10not many people are interested in this
4:24:13the teaching of the buddha is so brief
4:24:15but most people just pass it by just
4:24:17like they pass through wat papong
4:24:19for most people that's what the dhamma
4:24:21is a stopover point
4:24:25only three words hardly anything to it
4:24:30refraining from all wrongdoing that's
4:24:33the teaching of all the buddhas
4:24:35this is the heart of buddhism
4:24:37but people keep jumping over it they
4:24:39don't want this one
4:24:41the renunciation of all wrongdoing great
4:24:43and small from bodily verbal and mental
4:24:44actions this is the teaching of the
4:24:46buddhas
4:24:49if we were to dye a piece of cloth we'd
4:24:51have to wash it first
4:24:53but most people don't do that
4:24:55without looking at the cloth they dip it
4:24:56into the dye straight away
4:24:58if the cloth is dirty dying it makes
4:25:00come out
4:25:01dyeing it makes it come out even worse
4:25:03than before
4:25:04think about it dying a dirty old rag
4:25:07would that look good
4:25:09you see
4:25:11this is how buddhism teaches but most
4:25:13people just pass it by
4:25:15they just want to perform good works but
4:25:17they don't want to give up wrongdoing
4:25:20it's just like saying the hole is too
4:25:21deep
4:25:23everybody says the hole is too deep
4:25:25nobody says their arm is too short
4:25:27we have to come back to ourselves
4:25:30with this teaching you have to take a
4:25:31step back and look at yourself
4:25:36sometimes they go looking for merit by
4:25:38the busload
4:25:39maybe they even argue on the bus or
4:25:41they're drunk
4:25:42ask them where they're going and they
4:25:44say they're looking for merit
4:25:46they want merit but they don't give up
4:25:48vice
4:25:49they'll never find merit that way
4:25:52this is how people are you have to look
4:25:54closely look at yourselves
4:25:57the buddha taught about having
4:25:58recollection and self-awareness in all
4:26:00situations
4:26:01wrongdoing arises in bodily verbal and
4:26:03mental actions
4:26:05the source of all good evil well-being
4:26:07and harm lies with actions speech and
4:26:09thoughts
4:26:11did you bring your actions speech and
4:26:13thoughts with you today
4:26:15or have you left them at home
4:26:18this is where you must look right here
4:26:20you don't have to look very far away
4:26:22look at your actions speech and thoughts
4:26:25look to see if your conduct is faulty or
4:26:27not
4:26:30don't really look at these things
4:26:32like the housewife washing the dishes
4:26:34with a scowl on her face
4:26:35she's so intent on cleaning the dishes
4:26:37she doesn't realize her own mind's dirty
4:26:40have you ever seen this
4:26:42she only sees the dishes she's looking
4:26:44too far away isn't she
4:26:46some of you have probably experienced
4:26:47this i'd say
4:26:49this is where you have to look
4:26:51people concentrate on cleaning the
4:26:52dishes but they let their minds go dirty
4:26:55this is not good they're forgetting
4:26:57themselves
4:27:00because they don't see themselves people
4:27:02can commit all sorts of bad deeds
4:27:05they don't look at their own minds
4:27:07when people are going to do something
4:27:09bad they'll have to look around first to
4:27:11see if anyone is looking will my mother
4:27:13see me will my husband see me will my
4:27:15children see me will my wife see me
4:27:19if there's no one watching then they go
4:27:20right ahead and do it
4:27:23this is insulting themselves
4:27:25they say no one is watching so they
4:27:27quickly finish the job before anyone
4:27:28will see
4:27:30and what about themselves aren't they or
4:27:32somebody
4:27:34you see
4:27:36because they overlook themselves like
4:27:37this people never find what is a real
4:27:39value they don't find the dumbo
4:27:42if you look at yourselves you will see
4:27:43yourselves
4:27:44whenever you're about to do something
4:27:46bad if you see yourself in time you can
4:27:49stop
4:27:50if you want to do something worthwhile
4:27:52look at your mind if you know how to
4:27:54look at yourself then you'll know about
4:27:56right and wrong harm and benefit vice
4:27:59and virtue
4:28:00these are the things that we should know
4:28:02about
4:28:05if i don't talk of these things you
4:28:06won't know about them
4:28:08you have greed and delusion in the mind
4:28:10but don't know it
4:28:11you won't know anything if you're always
4:28:12looking outside
4:28:14this is what this is the trouble with
4:28:16people not looking at themselves
4:28:18looking inwards you will see good and
4:28:20evil seeking goodness we can take it to
4:28:22heart and practice accordingly
4:28:26giving up the bad practicing the good
4:28:28this is the heart of buddhism
4:28:33not committing any wrongdoing either
4:28:35through body speech or mind that's the
4:28:37right practice the teaching of the
4:28:39buddhas
4:28:40now our cloth quote unquote is clean
4:28:44then we have kusala super sampada
4:28:47making the mind virtuous and skillful
4:28:50if the mind is virtuous and skillful we
4:28:52don't have to take a bus all over the
4:28:54countryside looking for merit
4:28:56even sitting at home
4:28:59we can attain to merit
4:29:01but most people just go looking for
4:29:03merit all over the countryside without
4:29:04giving up their vices
4:29:06when they return home it's empty-handed
4:29:08they go back to their old sour faces
4:29:11there they are washing the dishes with a
4:29:12sour face so intent on cleaning the
4:29:14dishes
4:29:16this is where people don't look they're
4:29:18far away from merit
4:29:21and we may know these things but we
4:29:23don't really know if we don't know
4:29:24within our own minds
4:29:26buddhism doesn't enter our heart
4:29:29if our mind is good and virtuous it's
4:29:31happy there's a smile in our heart but
4:29:34most of us can hardly find time to smile
4:29:36can we we can only manage to smile when
4:29:38things go our way
4:29:40most people's happiness depends on
4:29:42having things go to their liking
4:29:45they have to have everybody in the world
4:29:47say only pleasant things
4:29:49is that how you find happiness
4:29:50is it possible to have everybody in the
4:29:52world say only pleasant things
4:29:56if that's how it is when will you ever
4:29:58find happiness
4:30:01we must use dhamma to find happiness
4:30:04whatever it may be whether right or
4:30:06wrong don't blindly cling to it
4:30:08just notice it then lay it down
4:30:11when the mind is at ease then you can
4:30:13smile
4:30:14the minute you become averse to
4:30:15something the mind goes bad then nothing
4:30:18is good at all
4:30:23having cleared away the impurities the
4:30:25mind is free of worries it's peaceful
4:30:27kind and virtuous
4:30:29when the mind is radiant and has given
4:30:31up evil there is ease at all times
4:30:34the serene and peaceful mind is the true
4:30:36epitome of human achievement
4:30:39when others say things to our liking we
4:30:41smile if they say things that displease
4:30:43us we frown
4:30:45how can we ever get others to say things
4:30:47only to our liking every single day
4:30:50is it possible
4:30:51even your own children have they ever
4:30:53said things that displease you have you
4:30:56ever upset your parents
4:30:59not only other people but even our own
4:31:00minds can upset us
4:31:02sometimes i think the things we
4:31:04ourselves think of are not pleasant
4:31:06what can you do
4:31:08you might be walking along and suddenly
4:31:10kick a tree stump thud ouch
4:31:13where's the problem
4:31:14who kicked who anyway
4:31:16who are you going to blame it's your own
4:31:18fault
4:31:19even our own mind can be displeasing to
4:31:21us if you think about it you'll see that
4:31:23this is true
4:31:25sometimes we do things that even we
4:31:27don't like
4:31:28all you can say is damn
4:31:30there's no one else to blame
4:31:34gaining merit or boon in buddhism is
4:31:37giving up that which is wrong
4:31:40when we abandon wrongness then we are no
4:31:42longer wrong
4:31:44when there is no stress there is calm
4:31:46the calm mind is a clean mind one which
4:31:48harbours no angry thoughts
4:31:50one which is clear
4:31:54how can you make the mind clear
4:31:56just by knowing it for example you might
4:31:58think today i'm in a really bad mood
4:32:00everything i look at offends me even the
4:32:03plates in the cupboard
4:32:05you might feel like smashing them every
4:32:06single one of them
4:32:08whatever you look at looks bad the
4:32:10chickens the ducks the cats the dogs you
4:32:12hate them all
4:32:13everything your husband says is
4:32:15offensive
4:32:16even looking into your own mind you
4:32:18aren't satisfied what can you do in such
4:32:21a situation
4:32:22where does this suffering come from
4:32:25this is called having no merit
4:32:28these days in thailand they have a
4:32:29saying that when someone dies his merit
4:32:31is finished
4:32:35in time but that's not the case there
4:32:37are plenty of people still alive who
4:32:38finished their marriage already those
4:32:40people who don't know merit the bad mind
4:32:42just collects more and more badness
4:32:46now going on these merit making tours is
4:32:48like building a beautiful house without
4:32:50preparing the area beforehand
4:32:52in no long time the house will collapse
4:32:54would it
4:32:55the design was no good
4:32:58now you have to try again try a
4:32:59different way
4:33:00you have to look into yourself
4:33:02looking at the faults in your actions
4:33:04speech and thoughts
4:33:06where else are you going to practice
4:33:07other than than at your actions speech
4:33:09and thoughts
4:33:11people get lost they want to go and
4:33:13practice dharma where it's really
4:33:14peaceful in the forest or at wappapong
4:33:17is watbapong peaceful
4:33:19no
4:33:20it's not really peaceful
4:33:21where it's really peaceful is in your
4:33:23own home
4:33:26if you have wisdom wherever you go
4:33:28you'll be carefree the whole world is
4:33:30already fine just as it is
4:33:33all the trees in the forest are already
4:33:35just fine as they are
4:33:37there are tall ones short ones hollow
4:33:38ones all kinds
4:33:40they are simply the way they are
4:33:44through ignorance of their true nature
4:33:45we go and force our opinions on them
4:33:47saying oh this tree's too short this
4:33:50tree is hollow
4:33:52those trees are simply trees
4:33:54they're better off than we are
4:33:57that's why i've had these little poems
4:33:59written up on the trees here
4:34:00let the trees teach you
4:34:02have you learned anything from them yet
4:34:05you should try to learn at least one
4:34:07thing from them there are so many trees
4:34:09all with something
4:34:11with something to teach you
4:34:13dharma is everywhere it's in everything
4:34:15in nature
4:34:16you should understand this point don't
4:34:18go blaming the hole for being too deep
4:34:20turn around and look at your own arm if
4:34:22you can see this you will be
4:34:24happy if you make merit or virtue
4:34:27preserve it in your mind
4:34:29that's the best place to keep it
4:34:31making merit as you have done today is
4:34:33good but it's not the best way
4:34:36constructing buildings is good but it's
4:34:38not the best thing
4:34:40building your own mind into something
4:34:41good is the best way
4:34:43this way you'll find goodness whether
4:34:45you come here or whether you stay at
4:34:46home
4:34:48find this excellence within your mind
4:34:51outer structures like this hall here are
4:34:53just like the bark of the tree they're
4:34:55not the heartwood
4:34:57if you have wisdom wherever you look
4:34:59there will be dhamma
4:35:01if you lack wisdom and even the good
4:35:03things turn bad
4:35:05where does this badness come from
4:35:07just from our own minds that's where
4:35:10look how this mind changes everything
4:35:12changes
4:35:14husband and wife used to get on all
4:35:15right together they could talk to each
4:35:17other quite happily but there comes a
4:35:19day when their mood goes bad
4:35:21everything the spouse says seems
4:35:22offensive
4:35:23mind has gone bad it's changed again
4:35:26this is how it is
4:35:28so in order to give up evil and
4:35:30cultivate the good you don't have to go
4:35:32looking anywhere else
4:35:34if your mind has gone bad don't go
4:35:36looking over at this person or that
4:35:37person
4:35:38just look at your own mind and find out
4:35:40where these thoughts come from
4:35:43why does the mind think such things
4:35:45understand that all things are transient
4:35:48love is transient hate is transient
4:35:51have you ever loved your children
4:35:53of course you have
4:35:54have you ever hated them i'll answer for
4:35:57that i'll answer that for you too
4:35:59sometimes you do don't you
4:36:00can you throw them away
4:36:02no you can't throw them away
4:36:04why not
4:36:06children aren't like bullets are they
4:36:09so this is a
4:36:10a play on words here because the word in
4:36:13thai
4:36:14for child is luke and
4:36:17the word for a bullet is luke
4:36:19is a pistol or gun and so a bullet is a
4:36:23lupine it's like a child of the gun
4:36:26can you throw them away no you can't
4:36:28throw them away why not children aren't
4:36:30like bullets are they bullets are fired
4:36:32outwards but children are fired right
4:36:35back to the parents
4:36:36if they're bad it comes back to the
4:36:38parents
4:36:39you could say that children are your
4:36:40comrades
4:36:42there are good ones and bad ones both
4:36:44good and bad are right there in your
4:36:46children
4:36:47but even the bad ones are precious
4:36:50one may be one may be born with polio
4:36:52crippled and deformed and be even more
4:36:54precious than the others
4:36:56whenever you leave home for a while you
4:36:58have to leave a message look after the
4:37:00little one he's not so strong
4:37:02you love him even more than the others
4:37:06you should then set your minds well half
4:37:08love half hate
4:37:10don't take only the one or the other
4:37:12always have both sides in mind
4:37:14your children are your comrade they are
4:37:16appropriate to their owners
4:37:18they are your kama so you must take
4:37:19responsibility for them
4:37:21if they really give you suffering just
4:37:23remind yourself it's my comma
4:37:25if they please you just remind yourself
4:37:27it's my combo
4:37:30sometimes it gets so frustrating at home
4:37:32you must just want to run away
4:37:34it gets so bad some people even
4:37:36contemplate hanging themselves
4:37:38it's common we have to accept the fact
4:37:41avoid bad actions and you'll be able to
4:37:43see yourself more clearly
4:37:46this is why contemplating things is so
4:37:48important
4:37:49usually when people practice meditation
4:37:51they use a meditation object such as
4:37:54reciting buddho dumbo or sanko
4:37:57but you can make it even shorter than
4:37:59this
4:38:00whenever you feel annoyed
4:38:02whenever your mind goes bad
4:38:04just say so
4:38:07when you feel better just say so it's
4:38:10not a sure thing
4:38:12if you love someone just say so
4:38:15when you're feeling angry just say so
4:38:18do you understand
4:38:20you don't have to go looking into the
4:38:21tapitica the three volumes of the
4:38:23buddha's teachings
4:38:25just so
4:38:27this means it's transient
4:38:29love is transient hate is transient good
4:38:32is transient evil is transient
4:38:34how could they be permanent
4:38:36where is there any permanence in them
4:38:40you could say that they are permanent
4:38:41insofar as they are invariably
4:38:44impermanent
4:38:45they are certain in this respect they
4:38:47never become otherwise
4:38:49one minute there's love the next hate
4:38:51that's how things are
4:38:53in this sense they are permanent
4:38:56that's why i say whenever love arises
4:38:58just tell it so
4:39:00it saves a lot of time
4:39:02you don't have to say ani chengdu
4:39:05if you don't want a long meditation
4:39:07theme just take the simple word
4:39:09if love arises before you really get
4:39:11lost in it just tell yourself so
4:39:14that's enough
4:39:18everything is transient and it's
4:39:19permanent in that it's invariably that
4:39:22way
4:39:23just to see this much is to see the
4:39:25heart of the dominant the true donor
4:39:27now if everybody said so more often and
4:39:31applied themselves to training like this
4:39:33clinging would become less and less
4:39:36people would not be so stuck on love and
4:39:37hate they would not cling to things
4:39:40they would just put their trust in the
4:39:41truth not with other things
4:39:44just to know this much is enough what
4:39:46else you need to know
4:39:49having heard the teaching you should try
4:39:50to remember it also
4:39:52what should you remember
4:39:54meditate do you understand
4:39:56if you understand the dhamma clicks with
4:39:58you the mind will stop
4:40:00if there is anger in the mind just so
4:40:03that's enough it stops straight away
4:40:06if you don't yet understand look deeply
4:40:08into the matter
4:40:10if there's understanding when anger
4:40:12arises in the mind you can just shut it
4:40:14off with
4:40:14so it's impermanent
4:40:19today you have had a chance to record
4:40:20the dhamma both inwardly and outwardly
4:40:22inwardly the sound enters through the
4:40:24ears to be recorded in the mind
4:40:26if you can't do this much it's not so
4:40:28good your time with pong will be wasted
4:40:31record it outwardly and record it
4:40:32inwardly
4:40:34this tape recorder here is not so
4:40:35important the really important thing is
4:40:37the recorder in the mind
4:40:40the tape recorder is perishable but if
4:40:42the dhamma really reaches the mind it's
4:40:44imperishable it's there for good
4:40:46and you don't have to waste your money
4:40:48on batteries
4:40:50this is the 12th
4:40:53talk in this collection
4:40:55entitled
4:40:56why are we here and this was um
4:41:00uh originally published in living dhamma
4:41:03and translated by bruce evans pariso and
4:41:06was the
4:41:07person who originally did the
4:41:09translation and it was a talk given at
4:41:11uh what
4:41:13which means the the monastery of the
4:41:15diamond light cave
4:41:18and it was to a group of visiting lay
4:41:19people and it was during the reigns
4:41:20retreat of 1981 so
4:41:22this was very shortly before ajincha's
4:41:24health broke down it was during that
4:41:26vasa that reigns retreat
4:41:28that um he fell seriously ill was taken
4:41:30off to bangkok and then
4:41:33his um health degenerated steadily over
4:41:36the next few months so
4:41:39this is one of the very last recorded
4:41:41actual dummy talks of imagination
4:41:44if not the last one
4:41:46when he actually gave her like a formal
4:41:47teaching and
4:41:49and it was recorded so it was a very
4:41:51close to his sort of
4:41:53final um
4:41:57expression of guidance and instruction
4:41:59to people
4:42:02why are we here
4:42:05this reigns retreat i don't have much
4:42:06strength i'm not well
4:42:08so i've come up to this mountain here to
4:42:10get some fresh air
4:42:12people come to visit but i can't really
4:42:14receive them like i used to because my
4:42:16voice has just about had it my breath is
4:42:18just about gone
4:42:20you can count it as a blessing that
4:42:21there is still this body sitting here
4:42:23for you all to see now
4:42:25this is a blessing in itself
4:42:26soon you won't see it
4:42:29the breath will be finished the voice
4:42:30will be gone
4:42:32they will fare in accordance with
4:42:33supporting factors like all compounded
4:42:35things
4:42:36the buddha called it
4:42:39the decline and dissolution of all
4:42:40conditioned phenomena
4:42:42how do they decline
4:42:45consider a lump of ice
4:42:47originally it was simply water people
4:42:50freeze it and it becomes ice
4:42:52but it doesn't take long before it's
4:42:54melted take a big lump of ice say as big
4:42:56as this tape recorder here and leave it
4:42:58out in the sun
4:42:59you can see how it declines much the
4:43:01same as the body
4:43:03it will gradually disintegrate
4:43:05after not many hours or minutes all
4:43:07that's left is a puddle of water
4:43:09this is called
4:43:12the decline and dissolution of all
4:43:13compounded things
4:43:16it's been this way for a long time now
4:43:18ever since the beginning of time
4:43:20when we are born we bring this inherent
4:43:22nature into the world with us we can't
4:43:24avoid it
4:43:25at birth we bring old age sickness and
4:43:28death along with us
4:43:30so this is why the buddha said
4:43:33young the decline and dissolution of all
4:43:35compounded things
4:43:37all of us sitting here in this hall now
4:43:39monks novices laymen lay women are
4:43:41without exception lumps of deterioration
4:43:44quote unquote
4:43:46right now the lump is hard just like the
4:43:49lump of ice
4:43:50it starts out as water becomes ice for a
4:43:52while and then it melts again
4:43:54can you see this decline in yourself
4:43:57look at this body it's aging every day
4:44:00hair is aging nails aging everything is
4:44:03aging
4:44:05you weren't like this before were you
4:44:08you were probably much smaller than this
4:44:10now you've grown up and matured from now
4:44:12on you will decline following the way of
4:44:15nature
4:44:17the body declines just like the lump of
4:44:19ice soon just like the lump of ice it's
4:44:21all gone
4:44:23all bodies are composed of the four
4:44:25elements of earth water wind and fire
4:44:29a body is the confluence of earth water
4:44:31wind and fire which we proceed to call a
4:44:33person
4:44:35originally it's hard to say what you
4:44:36could call it but now we call it a
4:44:39person quote unquote
4:44:41we get infatuated with it saying it's a
4:44:43male it's a female giving it names
4:44:46mister misses and so on and so on
4:44:48so that we can identify each other more
4:44:50easily
4:44:51but actually there isn't anybody there
4:44:55there's earth water wind and fire
4:44:59when they come together in this known
4:45:01form we call the result a person
4:45:04now don't get excited over it if you
4:45:06really look into it there isn't anyone
4:45:09there
4:45:12that which is solid in the body the
4:45:14flesh skin bones and so on are called
4:45:16the earth element
4:45:18those aspects of the body which are
4:45:19liquid are the water element
4:45:22the faculty of warmth in the body is the
4:45:24fire element
4:45:25while the winds coursing through the
4:45:26body are the wind element
4:45:29at wappapong we have a body which is
4:45:31neither male nor female
4:45:33it's the skeleton hanging in the main
4:45:34hall
4:45:36looking at it you don't get the feeling
4:45:37that it's a man or a woman
4:45:39people ask each other if it's a man or
4:45:41and all they can do is look blankly at
4:45:43each other
4:45:45it's only a skeleton all the skin and
4:45:47flesh are gone
4:45:50people are ignorant of these things
4:45:52some go to wappapong into the main hall
4:45:54they see the skeletons and then come
4:45:56running right out again they can't bear
4:45:58to look
4:45:59they're afraid of the skeletons
4:46:02i figure these people have never seen
4:46:03themselves before
4:46:05because they're afraid of the skeletons
4:46:06they don't reflect on the great value of
4:46:08a skeleton
4:46:09to get to the monastery they had to ride
4:46:11in a car or walk if they didn't have
4:46:13bones how would they be
4:46:15would they be able to walk about like
4:46:17that
4:46:18but they ride their cars to whopper pond
4:46:19go in the main hall see the skeleton and
4:46:21run straight back out again they've
4:46:23never seen such a thing before
4:46:26they're born with it and yet they've
4:46:28never seen it
4:46:29it's very fortunate that they have a
4:46:31chance to see it now
4:46:33even older people see the skeleton and
4:46:35get scared
4:46:36what's all the fuss about
4:46:39this shows that they're not at all in
4:46:40touch with themselves they don't really
4:46:42know themselves
4:46:44maybe they go home and still can't sleep
4:46:45for three or four days and yet they're
4:46:47sleeping with a skeleton they get
4:46:49dressed with it eat food with it do
4:46:51everything with it and yet they're
4:46:53scared of it
4:46:56this shows how out of touch people are
4:46:57with themselves
4:46:59how pitiful
4:47:01they're always looking outwards the
4:47:02trees of other people external objects
4:47:05saying this one's big that's small
4:47:07that's short that's long
4:47:09they're so busy looking at other things
4:47:11they never see themselves
4:47:12to be honest people are really pitiful
4:47:16they have no refuge
4:47:20in the ordination ceremonies the
4:47:22ordinaise must learn the five basic
4:47:24meditation themes quesa head hair loma
4:47:28body hair
4:47:35some of the students and educated people
4:47:37snigger to themselves when they hear
4:47:38this part of the ordination ceremony
4:47:40what's the agenda trying to teach us
4:47:42here
4:47:43teaching us about hair and we've had it
4:47:45for ages
4:47:46he doesn't have to teach us about this
4:47:48we know it already
4:47:49why bother teaching us about something
4:47:51that we already know
4:47:54dim people are like this
4:47:56they think that they can see the hair
4:47:57already i tell them that when i say to
4:48:00see the hair i mean to see it as it
4:48:02really is
4:48:04see body hair as it really is see nails
4:48:07and teeth and skin as they really are
4:48:09that's what i call seeing
4:48:11not seeing in a superficial way but
4:48:13seeing in accordance with the truth
4:48:16we wouldn't be so sunk up to the ears in
4:48:18things if we could see things as they
4:48:20really are
4:48:21hair nails teeth and skin
4:48:24what are they really like are they
4:48:26pretty
4:48:27are they clean
4:48:29do they have any real substance
4:48:31are they stable
4:48:34no there's nothing to them they're not
4:48:36pretty but we imagine them to be so
4:48:38they're not substantial but we imagine
4:48:40them to be so
4:48:44hair nails teeth skin
4:48:46people are really hooked onto these
4:48:47things
4:48:49the buddha established these things as
4:48:50the basic themes for meditation he
4:48:52taught us to know these things
4:48:55they are transient imperfect and onless
4:48:58they are not me or them
4:49:00we are born with them and
4:49:03sorry we are born with and deluded by
4:49:06these things
4:49:07but really they're foul
4:49:09suppose we didn't bathe for a week could
4:49:11we bear to be close to each other we'd
4:49:13smell really bad
4:49:15when people sweat a lot just as when a
4:49:17lot of people are working hard together
4:49:19the smell is awful
4:49:20we go back home and rub ourselves down
4:49:22with soap and water and the smell abates
4:49:24somewhat the fragrance of the soap
4:49:26replaces it the rubbing soap on the body
4:49:28may make it seem fragrant but actually
4:49:30the bad smell of the body is still there
4:49:32it's just temporarily suppressed
4:49:35when the smell of the soap is gone the
4:49:37smell of the body comes back again
4:49:40now we tend to think these bodies are
4:49:42pretty delightful long lasting and
4:49:45strong
4:49:46we tend to think that we will never age
4:49:48get sick or die
4:49:50we are charmed and fooled by the body
4:49:52and so are ignorant of the true refuge
4:49:54within ourselves
4:49:56the true place of refuge is the mind
4:49:59the mind is our true refuge
4:50:02this hall here may be pretty big but it
4:50:05can't be a true refuge
4:50:06pigeons take shelter here geckos take
4:50:09shelter here lizards take shelter here
4:50:12we may think that the hall belongs to us
4:50:14but it doesn't
4:50:15we live here together with everything
4:50:17else this is only a temporary shelter
4:50:20soon we must leave it
4:50:21people take these shelters for refuge
4:50:26so they would have said to find your
4:50:27refuge that means to find your real
4:50:29heart
4:50:30this heart is very important
4:50:33people don't usually look at important
4:50:35things they spend most of their time
4:50:36looking at unimportant things for
4:50:38example when they do the house cleaning
4:50:40they may be bent on cleaning up the
4:50:41house washing the dishes and so on but
4:50:43they fail to notice their own hearts
4:50:46their heart may be rotten they may be
4:50:47feeling angry washing the dishes with a
4:50:49sour expression on their face
4:50:51they fail to see that their own hearts
4:50:53are not very clean
4:50:55this is what i call taking a temporary
4:50:57shelter for a refuge
4:51:00they beautify the house and home but
4:51:02they don't think of beautifying their
4:51:04own hearts
4:51:05they don't examine suffering
4:51:08the heart is the important thing
4:51:10the buddha taught to find a refuge
4:51:12within your own heart
4:51:16make yourself a refuge unto yourself
4:51:19who else can be your refuge
4:51:22the true refuge is the heart nothing
4:51:24else
4:51:25you may try to depend on other things
4:51:27but they aren't a sure thing
4:51:29you can only really depend on other
4:51:31things if you already have a refuge
4:51:32within yourself
4:51:34you must have your own refuge first
4:51:36before you can depend on anything else
4:51:38be it a teacher family friends or
4:51:40relatives
4:51:43so all of you both lay people and
4:51:45homeless ones who have come to visit
4:51:46today please consider this teaching
4:51:49ask yourselves
4:51:50who am i
4:51:52why am i here
4:51:55ask yourselves why was i born
4:51:58some people don't know
4:52:00they want to be happy with the suffering
4:52:02never stops rich or poor young or old
4:52:04they suffer just the same
4:52:06it's all suffering and why
4:52:09because they have no wisdom
4:52:10the poor are unhappy because they don't
4:52:12have enough and the rich are unhappy
4:52:14because they have too much to look after
4:52:17in the past as a young novice i gave a
4:52:19dumb a discourse
4:52:20i talked about the happiness of wealth
4:52:22and possessions having servants and so
4:52:24on
4:52:24100 male servants 100 female servants
4:52:27100 elephants 100 cows 100 buffaloes 100
4:52:30of everything
4:52:31the laypeople really lapped it up
4:52:34but can you imagine looking after a
4:52:36hundred buffaloes or a hundred cows
4:52:39a hundred male and female servants can
4:52:41you imagine having to look after all of
4:52:43that
4:52:45would that be fun
4:52:47people don't consider this side of
4:52:48things
4:52:49they have the desire to possess to have
4:52:51the cows the buffalos the servants to
4:52:53have hundreds of them
4:52:54but i say fifty buffaloes would be too
4:52:56much
4:52:57just twining the ropes for all those
4:52:59brutes would be too much already
4:53:01but people don't consider this they only
4:53:03think of the pleasure of acquiring they
4:53:05don't consider the trouble involved
4:53:10if we don't have wisdom everything
4:53:11around us will be a source of suffering
4:53:14if we're wise these things
4:53:16eyes ears nose tongue body and mind will
4:53:19lead us out of suffering
4:53:22eyes aren't necessarily good things
4:53:27if you're in a bad mood just seeing
4:53:29other people can make you angry and make
4:53:30you lose sleep
4:53:32or you can fall in love with others love
4:53:34is suffering too if you don't get what
4:53:36you want
4:53:37love and hate are both suffering because
4:53:39of desire
4:53:41wanting is suffering wanting not to have
4:53:43is suffering
4:53:44wanting to acquire things even if you
4:53:46get them it's still suffering because
4:53:49you're afraid you'll lose them
4:53:51there's only suffering
4:53:53how are you going to live with that
4:53:55you may have a large luxurious house
4:53:58but if your heart isn't good it never
4:54:00really works out as you expected
4:54:02therefore you should all take a look at
4:54:04yourselves
4:54:06why were we born
4:54:09do we ever really attain anything in
4:54:10this life
4:54:12in the countryside here people start
4:54:14planting rice right from childhood
4:54:16when they reach 17 or 18 they rush off
4:54:18and get married afraid they won't have
4:54:20enough time to make their fortunes
4:54:22they start working from an early age
4:54:24thinking they'll get rich that way
4:54:26they plant rice until they're 70 or 80
4:54:28or even 90 years old i asked them
4:54:32from the day you were born you've been
4:54:33working now it's almost time to go
4:54:36what are you going to take with you
4:54:38they don't know what to say
4:54:40all they can say is beats me
4:54:43we have a saying in these parts
4:54:45don't tarry picking berries along the
4:54:47way before you know it night falls
4:54:51it's just because of this beats me
4:54:54they're neither here nor there content
4:54:56with just a beats me sitting among the
4:54:58branches of the berry tree gorging
4:55:00themselves with berries beats me
4:55:02beats me
4:55:04when you're still young you think that
4:55:06being single is not so good you feel a
4:55:08bit lonely so you find a partner to live
4:55:10with
4:55:11put two together and there's friction
4:55:13living alone is too quiet but living
4:55:15with others there's friction
4:55:18when children are small the parents
4:55:19think when they get bigger we'll be
4:55:21better off they raise their children
4:55:23three four or five of them thinking that
4:55:25when the children are grown up the
4:55:26burden will be lighter but when the
4:55:28children grow up they get even heavier
4:55:31like two pieces of wood one big and one
4:55:33small you throw away the small one and
4:55:35take the bigger one thinking it'll be
4:55:36lighter but of course it's not
4:55:39children are small they don't bother you
4:55:41very much just a ball of rice and a
4:55:43banana now and then
4:55:51when they grow up they want a motorcycle
4:55:52or a car
4:55:54well you love your children so you can't
4:55:56refuse
4:55:57so you try to give them what they want
4:55:59sometimes the parents get into arguments
4:56:01over it don't go and buy them a car we
4:56:03haven't got enough money
4:56:04but when you love your children you've
4:56:06got to borrow the money from somewhere
4:56:08maybe the parents even have to go
4:56:10without to get the things their children
4:56:11want
4:56:12then there's education
4:56:14when they finish their studies we'll be
4:56:16all right
4:56:17there's no end to the studying
4:56:20what are they going to finish
4:56:22only in the science of buddhism is there
4:56:23a point of completion all the other
4:56:25sciences just go around in circles
4:56:28in the end it's a real headache
4:56:31if there's a house with four or five
4:56:32children in it
4:56:34it has a house with four or five
4:56:35children in it the parents argue every
4:56:38day
4:56:40the suffering that is waiting in the
4:56:41future we fail to see we think it'll
4:56:43never happen when it happens then we
4:56:46know
4:56:47that kind of suffering the suffering
4:56:48inherent in our bodies is hard to
4:56:50foresee
4:56:52when i was a child minding the buffaloes
4:56:54i take charcoal and rub it on my teeth
4:56:56to make them white
4:56:58i go back home and look in the mirror
4:56:59and see them so nice and white
4:57:02i was getting fooled by my own bones
4:57:04that's all
4:57:06when i reached 50 or 60 my teeth started
4:57:08to get loose when the teeth start
4:57:10falling out it hurts so much
4:57:12when you eat it feels as if you've been
4:57:13kicked in the mouth
4:57:15it really hurts
4:57:16i've been through this one already so i
4:57:18just got the dentist to take them all
4:57:20out i've got false teeth my real teeth
4:57:23were giving me so much trouble i just
4:57:24had them taken all out 16 in one go
4:57:29the dentist was reluctant to take out 16
4:57:31teeth at once but i just said to him
4:57:33just take him out i'll take the
4:57:35consequences
4:57:36so he took them all out at once
4:57:38some were still good too
4:57:40at least five of them
4:57:43he took them all out but it really was
4:57:45touch and go after having them out i
4:57:47couldn't eat any food for two or three
4:57:48days
4:57:51before as a young child mining the
4:57:52buffaloes i used to think that polishing
4:57:54the teeth was a great thing to do
4:57:56i loved my teeth
4:57:58i thought they were good things but in
4:58:00the end they had to go
4:58:02the pain almost killed me
4:58:04i suffered from toothache for months
4:58:05years sometimes both my gums were
4:58:07swollen at once
4:58:11some of you may get a chance to
4:58:12experience this for yourself someday
4:58:15if your teeth are still good and you're
4:58:16brushing them every day to keep them
4:58:17nice and white watch out
4:58:20they may start playing tricks with you
4:58:21later on
4:58:23i'm just letting you know about these
4:58:24things the suffering that arises from
4:58:26within that arises within our own bodies
4:58:29there's nothing within the body you can
4:58:31depend on
4:58:33it's not too bad when you're still young
4:58:34but as you get older things begin to
4:58:36break down
4:58:37everything begins to fall apart
4:58:39conditions go their natural way
4:58:42whether we cry or laugh
4:58:44over them they just go on their own way
4:58:47it makes no difference how we live or
4:58:48die makes no difference to them
4:58:51and there's no knowledge or science
4:58:52which can prevent this natural course of
4:58:53things you may get a dentist to look at
4:58:56your teeth but even if you can fix them
4:58:58they still eventually go their natural
4:58:59way
4:59:00eventually even the dentist has the same
4:59:02trouble
4:59:03everything falls apart in the end
4:59:07these are things which we should
4:59:08contemplate while we still have some
4:59:10vigor
4:59:11we should practice while we're young
4:59:13if you want to make merit then hurry up
4:59:14and do so don't just leave it up to the
4:59:16oldies
4:59:18most people just wait until they get old
4:59:19before they'll go to a monastery and try
4:59:21to practice dumber
4:59:23and men say the same thing
4:59:25wait till i get old first
4:59:27i don't know why they say that
4:59:29does an old person have much vigor
4:59:32let them try racing with a young person
4:59:33and see what the difference is
4:59:35why do they leave it till they get old
4:59:38just like they're never gonna die
4:59:41when they get to 50 or 60 years old or
4:59:43more hey grandma let's go to the
4:59:45monastery
4:59:46ah you go ahead my ears aren't so good
4:59:48anymore
4:59:49see what i mean
4:59:51when her ears were good what was she
4:59:52listening to beats me
4:59:54she was just daddying with the berries
4:59:56finally when her ears are gone she goes
4:59:58to the temple that's hopeless
5:00:01she listens to the sermon but she hasn't
5:00:03got a clue what they're saying
5:00:04people wait till they're all used up
5:00:06before they think of practicing the
5:00:07dharma
5:00:10now today's talk may be useful for those
5:00:12of you who can understand it
5:00:13these are things which you should begin
5:00:15to observe they are our inheritance
5:00:18they will gradually get heavier and
5:00:19heavier a burden for each of us to bear
5:00:22in the past my legs were strong i could
5:00:24run
5:00:25now just walking around they feel heavy
5:00:28before my legs carried me now i have to
5:00:30carry them
5:00:32when i was a child i'd see old people
5:00:33getting out from their seat
5:00:36getting up they grown
5:00:38there's always this
5:00:40but they don't know what it is they're
5:00:41making it makes them grown like that
5:00:45even when it gets to this extent people
5:00:47don't see the bane of the body
5:00:49you never know when you're going to be
5:00:50parted from it
5:00:52what's causing all the pain is simply
5:00:54conditions going about their natural way
5:00:57people call it arthritis or rheumatism
5:00:59gout and so on the doctor prescribes
5:01:01medicines but it never completely heals
5:01:04in the end it falls apart
5:01:06even the doctor
5:01:08this is conditions faring along their
5:01:10natural cause this is their way their
5:01:12nature
5:01:15now take a look at this
5:01:17if you see it in advance
5:01:19you'll be better off like seeing a
5:01:21poisonous snake on the path ahead of you
5:01:23if you see it there you can get out of
5:01:25its way and not get bitten
5:01:27if you don't see it you may keep on
5:01:29walking and step on it and then it bites
5:01:33if suffering arises people don't know
5:01:35what to do
5:01:36where to go to treat it
5:01:38they want to avoid suffering they want
5:01:39to be free of it but they don't know how
5:01:41to treat it when it arises and they live
5:01:43on like this until they get old and sick
5:01:45and die
5:01:48in olden times it was said that if
5:01:50someone was mortally ill
5:01:52one other the next of kin should whisper
5:01:54buddho but hoe in their ear
5:01:57what are they going to do with butthole
5:01:59what good is butoh going to be for them
5:02:01when they're almost on the funeral pyre
5:02:04why didn't they learn buddho when they
5:02:05were young and healthy
5:02:06now with the breaths coming fitfully you
5:02:08go up and say mother buddho buddho
5:02:12why waste your time
5:02:14you'll only confuse her let her go
5:02:16peacefully
5:02:19people don't know how to solve problems
5:02:20within their own hearts they don't have
5:02:22a refuge
5:02:24they get angry easily and have lots of
5:02:25desires
5:02:26why is this
5:02:27because they have no refuge
5:02:30when people are newly married they can
5:02:32get on all right but after age 50 or so
5:02:35they can't understand each other
5:02:37whatever the wife says the husband finds
5:02:39intolerable whatever the husband says
5:02:41the wife won't listen they turn their
5:02:43backs on each other
5:02:45now i'm just talking because i've never
5:02:47had a family
5:02:48why haven't i had a family
5:02:50just looking at this word household i
5:02:53knew what it was all about
5:02:55so this is a play on words in the thai
5:02:57language here which is based on the word
5:02:59for family which is krakow
5:03:02which literally means a kitchen frame or
5:03:04a roasting circle
5:03:06in the english translation we've opted
5:03:08for a corresponding english word rather
5:03:10than attempt a literal translation of
5:03:11the thai
5:03:12so i think
5:03:13that
5:03:14the crew is um
5:03:16to to cook and the crop is like a
5:03:19surrounding area so like he said a
5:03:21roasting circle or a kitchen frame
5:03:25what is a house
5:03:27what is a household
5:03:29this is a hold
5:03:31if somebody were to get some rope and
5:03:32tie us up while we were sitting here
5:03:34what would be that what would that be
5:03:35like
5:03:37that's called being held
5:03:39whatever that's like being held
5:03:42is like that
5:03:43there is a circle of confinement
5:03:46the man was lives within his circle of
5:03:48confinement the woman is within her
5:03:50circle of confinement
5:03:52when i read this word household yeah
5:03:54this is a heavy one
5:03:56this word is no trifling matter it's a
5:03:58real killer
5:03:59the word hold is a symbol of suffering
5:04:02you can't go anywhere you got to stay
5:04:04within your circle of confinement
5:04:07now we come to the word house
5:04:09this means that which hassles
5:04:13have you ever toasted chili's
5:04:15the whole house chokes and sneezes this
5:04:18word household spells confusion
5:04:20it's not worth the trouble because of
5:04:22this word i was able to ordain and not
5:04:24disrobe
5:04:25household is frightening you're stuck
5:04:27and you can't go anywhere
5:04:29problems with the children with the
5:04:30money and all the rest where can you go
5:04:32you're tied down
5:04:34there are sons and daughters arguments
5:04:36in profuse profusion until your dying
5:04:38day
5:04:39and there's nowhere else to go
5:04:41no matter how much suffering there is
5:04:43the tears pour out and they keep pouring
5:04:45the tears will never be finished with
5:04:46this household you know
5:04:49if there's no household you might be
5:04:51able to finish with the tears but not
5:04:53otherwise
5:04:55consider this matter
5:04:56if you haven't come across it yet you
5:04:58may later on some people have
5:05:00experienced it already to a certain
5:05:02extent
5:05:03some are already at the end of their
5:05:05tether
5:05:06will i stay or will i go
5:05:09at wapapong there are about 70 or 80
5:05:11couti's huts to for the monastics to
5:05:14live in
5:05:15when they're almost full i tell the monk
5:05:16in charge to keep a few empty just in
5:05:18case somebody has an argument with their
5:05:20spouse
5:05:21sure enough in no long time a lady will
5:05:24arrive with her bags
5:05:25i'm fed up with the world lumpur whoa
5:05:28don't say that those words are really
5:05:30heavy
5:05:31then the husband comes and says he's fed
5:05:32up too
5:05:34after two or three days in the monastery
5:05:35their world weariness disappears
5:05:38they say they're fed up but they're just
5:05:39fooling themselves
5:05:41and they go off to a couti and sit in
5:05:42the quiet by themselves after a while
5:05:44the thoughts come
5:05:46when is the wife going to come and ask
5:05:48me to go home
5:05:50they don't really know what's going on
5:05:52what is this world weariness of theirs
5:05:54they get upset over something and come
5:05:56running to the monastery
5:05:57at home everything looked wrong the
5:05:59husband was wrong the wife was wrong but
5:06:01after three days of quiet thinking hmm
5:06:05yeah the wife was right after all it was
5:06:07i who was wrong
5:06:09uh hubby was right i shouldn't have got
5:06:11so upset
5:06:12they changed sides
5:06:14this is how it is
5:06:15that's why i don't take the world too
5:06:16seriously
5:06:18i know it's ins and outs already that's
5:06:20why i've chosen to live as a monk
5:06:23i would like to present today's talk to
5:06:25you for your homework
5:06:27whether you're in the fields or working
5:06:28in the city take these words and
5:06:30consider them
5:06:32why was i born
5:06:34what can i take with me
5:06:36ask yourselves over and over
5:06:39if you ask yourself these questions
5:06:40often you'll become wise
5:06:42if you don't reflect on these things you
5:06:44will remain ignorant
5:06:46listen to today's talk you may get some
5:06:48understanding if not then maybe when you
5:06:51go home
5:06:52perhaps this evening when you're
5:06:54listening to the talk everything is
5:06:55subdued but maybe things are waiting for
5:06:57you in the car
5:06:58when you get in the car it may get in
5:07:00with you when you get home it may all
5:07:02become clear
5:07:04oh that's what lung poor meant i
5:07:06couldn't see it before
5:07:08i think that's enough for today if i
5:07:10talk too long this old body gets tired
5:07:13this is the
5:07:1413th
5:07:15talk in this
5:07:17collection
5:07:18and it's entitled our real home
5:07:22and this was first published in the book
5:07:24living dhamma
5:07:25that was uh again translated by puriso
5:07:28bruce evans and this was given on the
5:07:30occasion of addressing an aging lay
5:07:33disciple approaching her death
5:07:37so this uh the the scene is uh of uh
5:07:40lumpur in the person's
5:07:42home so he's gone to visit this uh aged
5:07:45uh lay person as she's dying in her own
5:07:47home
5:07:51our real home
5:07:55now determine in your mind to listen
5:07:56respectfully to the dhamma
5:07:58while i'm speaking be as attentive to my
5:08:00words as if it was the lord buddha
5:08:03himself sitting before you
5:08:05close your eyes and make yourself
5:08:06comfortable composing your mind and
5:08:08making it one pointed
5:08:11humbly allow the triple gem of wisdom
5:08:13truth and purity to abide in your heart
5:08:16as a way of showing respect to the fully
5:08:18enlightened one
5:08:20today i have brought nothing of material
5:08:22substance to offer you only the dhamma
5:08:24the teachings of the lord buddha
5:08:27you should understand that even the
5:08:28buddha himself with his great store of
5:08:31accumulated virtue could not avoid
5:08:33physical death
5:08:35when he reached old age he seeded his
5:08:37body and let go of the heavy burden
5:08:40now you too must learn to be satisfied
5:08:42with the many years you've already
5:08:44depended on the body
5:08:45you should feel that it's enough
5:08:48like household utensils that you've had
5:08:50for a long time cups sauces plates and
5:08:53so on
5:08:54when you first had them they were clean
5:08:56and shining but now after using them for
5:08:59so long they've started to wear out
5:09:02some are already broken
5:09:04some have disappeared
5:09:05and those that are left are wearing out
5:09:07they have no stable form
5:09:10and it's their nature to be that way
5:09:13your body is the same
5:09:15it's been continually changing from the
5:09:17day you were born through childhood and
5:09:19youth until now
5:09:21the buddha said that conditions whether
5:09:22internal bodily conditions or external
5:09:24conditions are not self
5:09:27their nature is to change
5:09:29contemplate this truth clearly
5:09:32this very lump of flesh lying here in
5:09:34decline is reality such a dumber the
5:09:37facts of this body are reality they are
5:09:39the timeless teaching of the lord buddha
5:09:42the buddha taught us to contemplate this
5:09:44and to come to terms with its nature
5:09:46we must be able to be at peace with the
5:09:47body no matter what state it's in
5:09:50the buddha taught that we should ensure
5:09:51that it's only the body that is locked
5:09:53up in jail and the mind is not
5:09:54imprisoned along with it
5:09:57now as your body begins to run down and
5:09:58wear out with age don't resist but also
5:10:01don't let your mind deteriorate along
5:10:03with it
5:10:04keep the mind separate
5:10:07give energy to the mind by realizing the
5:10:09truth of the way things are
5:10:10the lord buddha taught that this is the
5:10:12nature of the body it can't be any other
5:10:14way
5:10:15having been born it gets old and sick
5:10:17and then it dies
5:10:19this is a great truth that you are
5:10:20presently witnessing look at the body
5:10:22with wisdom and realize this
5:10:25if your house is flooded or burnt to the
5:10:27ground whatever the threat to it let it
5:10:30concern only the house
5:10:32if there's a flood don't let it flood
5:10:34your mind if there's a fire don't let it
5:10:37burn your heart
5:10:39let it be merely the house that which is
5:10:41outside of you that is flooded or burned
5:10:44now is the time to allow the mind to let
5:10:46go of attachments
5:10:49you've been alive a long time now your
5:10:51eyes have seen any number of forms and
5:10:53colors your ears have heard so many
5:10:55sounds you've had any number of
5:10:57experiences
5:10:58that's all they were
5:10:59experiences
5:11:01you've eaten delicious foods and all
5:11:03those good tastes were just good tastes
5:11:06nothing more
5:11:07the bad tastes but just bad tastes
5:11:10that's all
5:11:11if the eye sees a beautiful form that's
5:11:13all it is a beautiful form
5:11:16an ugly form is just an ugly form
5:11:19the ear hears an entrancing melodious
5:11:22sound and it's nothing more than that
5:11:24a grating discordant sound is simply
5:11:27that
5:11:29the buddha said that rich or poor young
5:11:32or old human or animal
5:11:34no being in this world can maintain
5:11:35itself in any single state for long
5:11:39everything experiences change and
5:11:40deprivation
5:11:42this is a fact of life about which we
5:11:43can do nothing to remedy
5:11:46but the buddha said that what we can do
5:11:48is to contemplate the body and mind to
5:11:50see their impersonality that neither of
5:11:53them is me or mine
5:11:56they have only a provisional reality
5:11:58it's like this house
5:12:00it's only nominally yours
5:12:02you couldn't take it with you anywhere
5:12:04the same applies to your wealth your
5:12:06possessions and your family they are
5:12:07only yours in name they don't really
5:12:10belong to you they belong to nature
5:12:14now this truth doesn't apply to you
5:12:16alone everyone's in the same boat even
5:12:18the lord buddha and his enlightened
5:12:19disciples
5:12:20they differed from us only in one
5:12:21respect and that was their acceptance of
5:12:23the way that things are they saw it
5:12:26could be no other way
5:12:28so the buddha taught us to probe and
5:12:30examine the body from the souls of the
5:12:31feet up to the crown of the head then
5:12:33back down to the feet again
5:12:36just take a look at the body
5:12:38what sort of things do you see
5:12:40is there anything intrinsically clean
5:12:42there
5:12:43can you find any abiding essence this
5:12:45whole bodily is steadily degenerating
5:12:48the buddha taught us to see that it
5:12:49doesn't belong to us
5:12:51it's natural for the body to be this way
5:12:53because all condition phenomena are
5:12:55subject to change
5:12:57how else would you have it
5:12:58in fact there is nothing wrong with the
5:13:00way the body is
5:13:01it's not the body that causes suffering
5:13:04it's wrong thinking
5:13:06when you see things in the wrong way
5:13:07there's bound to be confusion
5:13:10it's like the water of a river
5:13:12it naturally flows downhill it never
5:13:14flows uphill that's its nature
5:13:17if a person was to go and stand on the
5:13:18riverbank and want the water to flow
5:13:20back uphill he would be foolish
5:13:23wherever he went his foolish thinking
5:13:25would allow him no peace of mind
5:13:27he would suffer because of his wrong
5:13:28view his thinking against the stream
5:13:33if he had right view he would see that
5:13:34the water must inevitably flow downhill
5:13:37and until he realized and accepted that
5:13:38fact he would be bewildered and
5:13:40frustrated
5:13:42the river that must flow down the
5:13:43gradient is like your body
5:13:45having been young your body has become
5:13:47old and is meandering towards its death
5:13:50don't go wishing it were otherwise
5:13:52it's not something that you have the
5:13:54power to remedy
5:13:55the buddha told us to see the things the
5:13:57way things are and to then let go of our
5:14:00clinging to them
5:14:01take this feeling of letting go as your
5:14:03refuge
5:14:05keep meditating even if you feel tired
5:14:07and exhausted let your mind be with the
5:14:09breath
5:14:10take a few deep breaths and then
5:14:12establish the attention on the breath
5:14:14using the mantra word butthole
5:14:16make this practice continual
5:14:18the more exhausted you feel the more
5:14:20subtle and focused your concentration
5:14:22must be so that you can cope with any
5:14:24painful sensations that arise
5:14:27when you start to feel fatigued then
5:14:29bring all your thinking to a halt
5:14:31let the mind gather itself together and
5:14:33then turn to knowing the breath
5:14:36just keep up the inner recitation but
5:14:40let go of all externals
5:14:42don't go grasping at thoughts of your
5:14:44children and relatives don't grasp with
5:14:46anything whatsoever let go
5:14:49let the mind unite in a single point and
5:14:51let that composed mind dwell with the
5:14:53breath
5:14:55let the breath be its sole object of
5:14:56knowledge
5:14:58concentrate until the mind becomes
5:14:59increasingly subtle until feelings are
5:15:02insignificant and there is great inner
5:15:03clarity and wakefulness
5:15:05then any painful sensations that arise
5:15:07will gradually cease of their own accord
5:15:11finally you'll look on the breath as if
5:15:13it were some relatives come to visit you
5:15:15when the relatives leave you follow them
5:15:17out to see them off
5:15:19you watch until they've walked up the
5:15:20drive and out of sight and then you go
5:15:22back indoors
5:15:24we watch the breath in the same way
5:15:27if the breath is coarse we know that
5:15:29it's course
5:15:30if it's subtle we know that it's subtle
5:15:33as it becomes increasingly fine we keep
5:15:35following it
5:15:36at the same time awakening the mind
5:15:39eventually the breath disappears
5:15:41altogether and all that remains is that
5:15:43feeling of alertness
5:15:45this is called meeting the buddha
5:15:48we have that clear wakeful awareness
5:15:50called budhol the one who knows the
5:15:53awakened one the radiant one
5:15:56this is meeting and dwelling with the
5:15:58buddha with knowledge and clarity
5:16:01it was only the historical buddha who
5:16:03passed away the true buddha the buddha
5:16:05that is clear radiant knowing can still
5:16:08be experienced and attained today
5:16:10and if we do attain it the heart is one
5:16:14so let go
5:16:16put everything down everything except
5:16:18the knowing
5:16:20don't be fooled if visions or sounds
5:16:21arise in your mind during meditation
5:16:24lay them all down don't take hold of
5:16:26anything at all
5:16:28to stay with this unified awareness
5:16:30don't worry about the past or the future
5:16:32just be still and you will reach the
5:16:34place where there's no advancing no
5:16:36retreating and no stopping
5:16:38there's nothing to grasp
5:16:40nothing to grasp at or cling to
5:16:42why because there's no self no me or
5:16:45mine it's all gone
5:16:48the buddha taught her to empty yourself
5:16:49of everything in this way not to carry
5:16:51anything around
5:16:53he taught us to know
5:16:54and having known let go
5:16:59realizing the dhamma the path of to
5:17:02freedom from the round of birth and
5:17:03death is a task that we all have to do
5:17:05alone
5:17:06so keep trying to let go and understand
5:17:08the teachings
5:17:09put effort into your contemplation
5:17:12don't worry about your family
5:17:14at the moment they are as they are in
5:17:15the future they will be like you
5:17:18there's no one in the world who can
5:17:19escape this fate
5:17:21the buddha thought to lay down those
5:17:22things that lack a real abiding essence
5:17:25if you lay everything down you'll see
5:17:26the truth if you don't
5:17:28you won't
5:17:29that's the way it is and it's the same
5:17:31for everyone in the world so don't grasp
5:17:33it
5:17:34anything even if you find yourself
5:17:37thinking well that's all right too as
5:17:39long as you think wisely don't think
5:17:41foolishly
5:17:42if you think of your children think of
5:17:44them as wisdom not with foolishness
5:17:46whatever the mind turns to think of it
5:17:48with wisdom be aware of its nature
5:17:51to know something with wisdom is to let
5:17:52it go and to have no suffering over it
5:17:55the mind is bright joyful and at peace
5:17:58it turns away from distractions and is
5:18:00undivided right now what you can look to
5:18:02for help and support is your breath
5:18:06this is your own work no one else's
5:18:08leave others to do their own work
5:18:10you have your own duty and
5:18:12responsibility you don't have to take on
5:18:14those of your family
5:18:15don't take on anything else let it all
5:18:18go
5:18:19this letting go will make your mind calm
5:18:22your soul responsibility right now is to
5:18:24focus your mind and bring it to peace
5:18:27leave everything else to the others
5:18:29forms sounds odors tastes leave them to
5:18:32the others to attend to
5:18:35put everything behind you and do your
5:18:36own work fulfill your own responsibility
5:18:40whatever arises in your mind be it fear
5:18:42of pain fear of death anxiety about
5:18:45others or whatever
5:18:46say to it
5:18:48don't disturb me
5:18:49you are no longer any concern of mine
5:18:52just keep this to yourself when you see
5:18:54those dhammas arise
5:18:57now what does this word damma refer to
5:19:00everything is the dhamma
5:19:01there is nothing that is not a dhamma
5:19:04what about the world the world is the
5:19:06very mental state that is agitating you
5:19:08at this present moment
5:19:11what are they going to do when i'm gone
5:19:12who will look after them how will they
5:19:14manage
5:19:16this is all just the world
5:19:18even the mere arising of a thought
5:19:20fearing death or pain is the world
5:19:23throw the world away
5:19:24the world is the way it is if you allow
5:19:26it to dominate your mind it becomes
5:19:28obscured and can't see itself
5:19:30so whatever appears in the mind just say
5:19:32this isn't my business it's impermanent
5:19:35unsatisfactory and not self
5:19:39thinking you'd like to go on living for
5:19:41a long time will make you suffer
5:19:43but thinking that you like to die right
5:19:44away or very quickly isn't right either
5:19:47it's suffering isn't it
5:19:49conditions don't belong to us they
5:19:52follow their own natural laws
5:19:54you can't do anything about the way the
5:19:55body is
5:19:56you can beautify it a little make it
5:19:58attractive and clean it for a while like
5:20:00the young girl who paints her lips and
5:20:01let the nails grow long
5:20:03but when old age arrives everybody's in
5:20:05the same boat
5:20:06that's the way the body is you can't
5:20:09make it any other way
5:20:10what you can improve and beautify is the
5:20:13mind
5:20:15anyone can build a house of wooden
5:20:16bricks
5:20:18but the buddha taught that that sort of
5:20:19home is not our real home it's only
5:20:22nominally ours
5:20:24it's home in the world and it follows
5:20:26the ways of the world
5:20:28our real home is inner peace
5:20:32an external material home may well be
5:20:34pretty but it's not very peaceful
5:20:37there's this worry and then that this
5:20:39anxiety and then that
5:20:41so we say it's not our real home
5:20:43it's external to us
5:20:45sooner or later we'll have to give it up
5:20:48it's not a place we can live in
5:20:50permanently because it doesn't truly
5:20:51belong to us it belongs to the world
5:20:55our body is the same
5:20:57we take it to be a self to be me and
5:20:58mine but in fact it's not really so at
5:21:01all
5:21:02it's just another worldly home
5:21:04your body has followed its natural
5:21:06course from birth and now that it's old
5:21:07and sick you can't forbid it from being
5:21:10that
5:21:11that's the way it is
5:21:13wanting it to be any different will be
5:21:14as foolish as wanting a duck to be like
5:21:16a chicken
5:21:17when you see that that's impossible
5:21:19that a duck must be a duck and a chicken
5:21:20must be a chicken and that the bodies
5:21:22have to get old and die
5:21:24when you see this you will find courage
5:21:26and energy however much you want the
5:21:28body to go on lasting it won't do that
5:21:33the buddha said anichyawata sankhara
5:21:37impermanent alas are all conditions
5:21:42subject to rise and fall
5:21:44upon
5:21:46having arisen they cease
5:21:50to call their stilling is bliss
5:21:56the word sankara refers to this body and
5:21:58mind
5:21:59sankara are impermanent and unstable
5:22:02having come into being they disappear
5:22:05having arisen they pass away and yet
5:22:07everyone wants them to be permanent
5:22:09this is foolishness
5:22:12look at the breath
5:22:14once it's gone in it goes out
5:22:16that's its nature that's how it has to
5:22:18be
5:22:19the inhalations and exhalations have to
5:22:21alternate there must be a change
5:22:24conditions exist through change you
5:22:26can't prevent it
5:22:27just think could you exhale without
5:22:29inhaling would it feel good
5:22:32or could you just inhale
5:22:35you want things to be permanent but they
5:22:36can't be it's impossible
5:22:39once the breath has come in it must go
5:22:41out when it's gone out it comes back in
5:22:43again and that's natural isn't it
5:22:45having been born we get old and then die
5:22:48and that's totally natural and normal
5:22:51it's because conditions have done their
5:22:52job because the in-breaths and the out
5:22:54breaths have alternated in this way that
5:22:56the human race is still here today
5:23:00as soon as we are born we are dead
5:23:03our birth and our death are just one
5:23:05thing
5:23:06it's like a tree when there's a root
5:23:08there must be branches when there are
5:23:10branches there must be a root you can't
5:23:12have the one without the other
5:23:14it's a little funny to see how at death
5:23:16people are so grief stricken and
5:23:17distracted and at birth how happy and
5:23:19delighted
5:23:21it's delusion
5:23:22nobody has ever looked at this clearly
5:23:25i think if you really want to cry it
5:23:27would be better to do so when someone's
5:23:29born
5:23:30birth is death death is birth
5:23:32the branch is the root the root is the
5:23:34branch
5:23:35if you must cry cry at the root cry at
5:23:37the birth
5:23:39look closely if there was no birth there
5:23:41would be no death
5:23:43can you understand this
5:23:46and don't worry about things too much
5:23:48just think this is the way things are
5:23:51this is your work your duty right now
5:23:53nobody can help you
5:23:55there's nothing that your family and
5:23:56possessions can do for you
5:23:58all that can help you now is clear
5:24:00awareness
5:24:01so don't waver let go
5:24:04throw it all away
5:24:07even if you don't let go everything is
5:24:09starting to leave you anyway
5:24:10can you see how all the different parts
5:24:12of your body are trying to slip away
5:24:15take your hair
5:24:16when you were young it was thick and
5:24:18black now it's falling out
5:24:20it's leaving
5:24:23your eyes used to be good and strong but
5:24:25now they're weak your sight is unclear
5:24:28when your organs have had enough they
5:24:30leave
5:24:31this isn't their home
5:24:33when you were a child your teeth were
5:24:34healthy and firm now they're wobbly
5:24:36we've got false ones
5:24:38your eyes ears nose tongue
5:24:41everything is trying to leave because
5:24:43this isn't their home
5:24:45you can't make a permanent home in
5:24:46conditions you can only stay for a short
5:24:48time and then you have to go
5:24:50it's like a tenant watching over his
5:24:52tiny little house with failing eyes his
5:24:54teeth aren't so good his eyes aren't so
5:24:56good his body's not so healthy
5:24:58everything is leaving
5:25:01so you needn't worry about anything
5:25:02because this isn't your real home
5:25:04it's only a temporary shelter
5:25:07having come into this world you should
5:25:09contemplate its nature
5:25:11everything there is is preparing to
5:25:13disappear
5:25:15look at your body
5:25:16is there anything there that's still in
5:25:18its original form
5:25:20is your skin as it used to be
5:25:22your hair
5:25:24they aren't the same are they
5:25:26where has everything gone
5:25:29this is nature the way things are when
5:25:32their time is up conditions go their way
5:25:35in this world there is nothing to rely
5:25:37on it's an endless round of disturbance
5:25:39and trouble pleasure and pain
5:25:42there's no peace
5:25:43when we have no real home we're like
5:25:46aimless travelers out on the road going
5:25:48here and there stopping for a while and
5:25:49then setting off again
5:25:51until we return to our real homes we
5:25:54feel uneasy
5:25:55just like a villager who's left his
5:25:57village
5:25:58only when he gets home can he really
5:25:59relax and be at peace
5:26:02nowhere in the world is there any real
5:26:04peace to be found
5:26:06poor have no peace neither do the rich
5:26:08adults have no peace neither do the
5:26:10highly educated
5:26:11there's no peace anywhere
5:26:13that's the nature of the world
5:26:15those who have few possessions suffer
5:26:18and so do those who have many
5:26:20children adults old and young
5:26:22everyone suffers
5:26:24the suffering of being old the suffering
5:26:25of being young the suffering of being
5:26:27wealthy and the suffering of being poor
5:26:29it's all nothing but suffering
5:26:33when you've contemplated things in this
5:26:34way you'll see ani chang impermanence
5:26:37and
5:26:38unsatisfactoriness
5:26:40why are things impermanent and
5:26:41unsatisfactory because they are anata
5:26:45not self
5:26:48both your body that is lying sick and in
5:26:50pain and the mind that is aware of it
5:26:51its sickness and pain
5:26:53are called dhamma
5:26:55that which is formless the thoughts
5:26:57feelings and perceptions is called nama
5:26:59dhamma
5:27:00that which is wracked with aches and
5:27:02pains is called rupa dhamma
5:27:04the material is dhamma and the
5:27:06immaterial is dharma so we live with
5:27:08dhamma in dhamma and we are dhamma
5:27:12in truth there is no self to be found
5:27:14there are only dhammas continually
5:27:15arising and passing away as is their
5:27:17nature
5:27:18every single moment we're undergoing
5:27:20birth and death this is the way things
5:27:22are
5:27:25when we think of the lord buddha how
5:27:26truly he spoke we feel how worthy he is
5:27:29of reverence and respect
5:27:31whenever we see the truth of something
5:27:33we see his teachings
5:27:35even if we've never actually practiced
5:27:36the demo
5:27:37but even if we have a knowledge of the
5:27:39teachings have studied and practiced
5:27:40them as long as we still haven't seen
5:27:42the truth we are still homeless
5:27:45so
5:27:46understand this point
5:27:48all people or creatures are preparing to
5:27:51leave
5:27:52when beings have lived an appropriate
5:27:54time they must go on their way rich poor
5:27:56young and old must all experience this
5:27:59change
5:28:01when you realize that's the way the
5:28:02world is you'll feel that it's a weary
5:28:05some place
5:28:06when you see that there's nothing real
5:28:08or substantial you can relax that you
5:28:10can rely on you'll feel weary and
5:28:12disenchanted
5:28:14being disenchanted doesn't mean that
5:28:16you're averse
5:28:17the mind is clear
5:28:19it sees that there's nothing to be done
5:28:21to remedy this state of affairs it's
5:28:23just the way the world is
5:28:25knowing in this way you can let go of
5:28:27attachment you can let go with a mind
5:28:29that is neither happy nor sad but at
5:28:31peace with conditions through seeing
5:28:33their changing nature with wisdom
5:28:37all conditions are impermanent
5:28:42to put it simply
5:28:44impermanence is the buddha
5:28:47if we treat if we truly see an
5:28:49impermanent condition we'll see that
5:28:51it's permanent
5:28:53it's permanent in the sense that its
5:28:55subjection to change is unchanging
5:28:58this is the permanence that living
5:29:00beings possess
5:29:01there is continual transformation from
5:29:04childhood through to old age and that
5:29:06very impermanence that propensity to
5:29:08change is permanent and fixed
5:29:12if you look at it like this your heart
5:29:14will be at ease
5:29:15it's not just you who has to go through
5:29:16this everyone has to
5:29:19when you consider things in this way
5:29:21you'll see them as wearysome and
5:29:23disenchantment will arise your delight
5:29:25in the world of sense pleasures will
5:29:26disappear you'll see that if you have
5:29:28many possessions you have to leave a lot
5:29:30behind
5:29:32if you have a few you leave few behind
5:29:35wealth is just wealth long life is just
5:29:37long life they're nothing special
5:29:41what is important is that we
5:29:43is that we should do as the lord buddha
5:29:45taught and build our own home
5:29:47building it by the method that i've been
5:29:49explaining to you
5:29:51build your own home
5:29:52let go
5:29:54let go until the mind reaches the peace
5:29:56that is free from advancing free from
5:29:58retreating and free from stopping still
5:30:02pleasure is not your home pain is not
5:30:04your home
5:30:05pleasure and pain both decline and pass
5:30:07away
5:30:11the great teacher saw that all
5:30:12conditions are impermanent and so he
5:30:14taught us to let go of our attachment to
5:30:16them
5:30:17when we reach the end of our life we'll
5:30:19have no choice anyway we won't be able
5:30:21to take anything with us so wouldn't it
5:30:23be better to put things down before then
5:30:26they're just a heavy burden to carry
5:30:27around why not throw off that load now
5:30:30why bother to drag these things around
5:30:32let go
5:30:34relax
5:30:35let your family look after you
5:30:38those who nurse the sick grow in
5:30:40goodness and virtue the patient who is
5:30:42giving others that opportunity shouldn't
5:30:44make things difficult for them
5:30:46if there's pain or some problem or other
5:30:49let them know and keep the mind in a
5:30:50wholesome state
5:30:52one who is nursing parents should phys
5:30:54should fill his or her mind with warmth
5:30:56and kindness and not get caught up in
5:30:58aversion
5:31:00this is the one time you can repay your
5:31:02debt to them
5:31:03from your birth through to your through
5:31:05your childhood as you've grown up you've
5:31:06been dependent on your parents
5:31:08that you are here today is because of
5:31:10your mother and your father and they
5:31:11have helped you in so many ways
5:31:13you owe them an incredible debt of
5:31:15gratitude
5:31:16so today all of you children and
5:31:18relatives gathered together here observe
5:31:20how your mother has become your child
5:31:23before you were her children now she has
5:31:25become yours
5:31:27she has become older and older until
5:31:29she's become a child again
5:31:31her memory goes her eyes don't see well
5:31:34her ears aren't so good
5:31:36sometimes she garbles her words
5:31:39don't let it upset you
5:31:41you who are nursing the sick must know
5:31:43how to to let go also
5:31:45don't hold on to things just let her
5:31:47have her own way
5:31:49when a young child is disobedient
5:31:51sometimes the parents let it have its
5:31:52own way just to keep the peace just to
5:31:55make it happy
5:31:56now your mother is just like that child
5:32:00her memories and perceptions are
5:32:01confused
5:32:02sometimes she muddles up your names or
5:32:04asks you to bring a cup when she wants a
5:32:06plate
5:32:08it's normal don't be upset by it
5:32:11let the patient bear in mind the
5:32:13kindness of those who nurse and
5:32:14patiently endure the painful feelings
5:32:17exert yourself mentally don't let the
5:32:19mind become scattered and confused and
5:32:21don't make things difficult for those
5:32:23looking after you
5:32:24let those who are nursing fill their
5:32:26minds with virtue and kindness
5:32:28don't be averse to the unattractive side
5:32:30of the job cleaning up the mucus and
5:32:32phlegm you're in an excrement
5:32:34try your best
5:32:36everyone in the family should give a
5:32:37hand
5:32:39as she is the only mother you have she
5:32:42gave you life she's been your teacher
5:32:44your doctor and your nurse
5:32:45she's been everything to you
5:32:47that she's brought you up shared her
5:32:49wealth with you and made you her heir is
5:32:51the great goodness of parents
5:32:52that's why the buddha taught the virtues
5:32:54of katanyu and kataweidi
5:32:57knowing our debt of gratitude and trying
5:32:58to repay it
5:33:00these two dumbers are complementary if
5:33:02our parents are in need and well are in
5:33:04difficulty then we do our best to help
5:33:06them this is katanyu kataweidi
5:33:09the virtue that sustains the world
5:33:12it prevents families from breaking up
5:33:13and makes them stable and harmonious
5:33:17today i have brought you the gift of
5:33:18dhamma in this time of illness i have no
5:33:21material things to offer you there seem
5:33:23to be plenty of those in this house
5:33:24already and so i give you the dhamma
5:33:27something which has lasting worth
5:33:29something which you'll never be able to
5:33:30exhaust
5:33:32having received it you can pass it on to
5:33:34as many others as you like and it'll
5:33:35never be depleted
5:33:37that is the nature of truth
5:33:39i am happy to have been able to give you
5:33:41this gift of dhamma and i hope that it
5:33:43will give you the strength to deal with
5:33:44your pain
5:33:46this is the 14th talk in this collection
5:33:50entitled
5:33:51the four noble truths
5:33:54and this
5:33:55was originally
5:33:56published in the book living dhamma uh
5:33:59again translated by bruce evans
5:34:02and this talk was given at the manjushri
5:34:03institute in cumbria in 1977 so
5:34:07when arjun shah visited there up in the
5:34:10north of england the tibetan centre
5:34:12manjushri institute
5:34:20the four noble truths
5:34:22today i have been invited by the abbot
5:34:24to give you a teaching so i ask you all
5:34:27to sit quietly and compose your minds
5:34:30due to the language barrier we must make
5:34:32use of a translator so if you do not pay
5:34:35proper attention you may not understand
5:34:39my stay here has been very pleasant
5:34:41both the master and you his followers
5:34:43have been very kind all friendly and
5:34:45smiling as befits those who are
5:34:47practicing the true dumber
5:34:49your property too is very inspiring but
5:34:51so big
5:34:55i admire your dedication in renovating
5:34:57it to establish a place for practicing
5:34:59the dumb
5:35:01having been a teacher for many years now
5:35:03i've been through my share of
5:35:04difficulties
5:35:06at present there are altogether about 40
5:35:08branch monasteries of my monastery wat
5:35:10nong bapong
5:35:11but even these days i have followers who
5:35:13are hard to teach
5:35:15as a footnote also at the time of this
5:35:17print of the printing of this book 2011
5:35:20there are over 300
5:35:22branch monasteries large and small of
5:35:23what non-government
5:35:28so even these days i have followers who
5:35:30are hard to teach
5:35:32some know but don't bother to practice
5:35:35some don't know and don't try to find
5:35:36out
5:35:38i don't know what to do with them
5:35:40why do human beings have minds like this
5:35:43being ignorant is not so good but even
5:35:45when i tell them they still don't listen
5:35:49i don't know what more i can do
5:35:51people are so full of doubts in their
5:35:53practice they're always doubting they
5:35:55all want to go to nirvana but they don't
5:35:57want to walk the path
5:35:58it's baffling
5:36:00when i tell them to meditate they're
5:36:02afraid or if not afraid then just plain
5:36:04sleepy
5:36:05mostly they like to do things that i
5:36:07don't teach
5:36:09when i met the venerable abbott here i
5:36:11asked him what his followers were like
5:36:12he said they're the same
5:36:15this is the pain of being a teacher
5:36:19the teaching i will present to you today
5:36:20is a way to solve problems in the
5:36:22present moment in this present life
5:36:25some people say that they have so much
5:36:27work to do that they have no time to
5:36:29practice the dhamma
5:36:30what can we do they ask
5:36:32i ask them
5:36:34don't you breathe while you're working
5:36:36yes of course we breathe
5:36:38so how come you have time to breathe
5:36:40when you're so busy
5:36:42they don't know what to answer if you
5:36:44simply have sati while working you'll
5:36:46have plenty of time to practice
5:36:50practicing meditation is just like
5:36:52breathing
5:36:53while working we breathe while sleeping
5:36:55we breathe while sitting down we breathe
5:36:58why do we have time to breathe because
5:37:00we see the importance of the breath
5:37:02we can always find time to breathe
5:37:05in the same way if we see the importance
5:37:07of meditation practice we will find out
5:37:09we will find the time to practice
5:37:13have any of you ever suffered
5:37:16have you ever been happy
5:37:18right here is the truth this is where
5:37:20you must practice the dharma
5:37:22who is it who is happy
5:37:25the mind is happy
5:37:26who suffers
5:37:28the mind suffers
5:37:30wherever these things arise that's where
5:37:32they cease
5:37:33have you experienced happiness have you
5:37:36experienced suffering
5:37:38this is our problem
5:37:39if we know dukkha the cause of suffering
5:37:42the end of suffering and the way leading
5:37:43to the end of suffering we can solve the
5:37:45problem
5:37:49there are two kinds of suffering
5:37:51ordinary suffering and the extraordinary
5:37:53kind
5:37:55ordinary suffering is the suffering
5:37:57which is the inherent nature of
5:37:58conditions
5:37:59standing is suffering sitting is
5:38:00suffering lying down is suffering
5:38:03this is the suffering that is inherent
5:38:05in all conditioned phenomena
5:38:07even the buddha experienced these things
5:38:10he experienced comfort and pain but he
5:38:12recognized them with conditions in
5:38:14nature
5:38:15he knew how to overcome these ordinary
5:38:17natural feelings of comfort and pain
5:38:19through understanding their true nature
5:38:23because he understood this natural
5:38:24suffering those feelings didn't upset
5:38:27him
5:38:28the important kind of suffering is the
5:38:30second kind
5:38:31the suffering that creeps in from the
5:38:33outside the extraordinary suffering
5:38:35quote unquote
5:38:37if we are sick we may have to get an
5:38:39injection from the doctor
5:38:41when the needle pierces the skin there's
5:38:43some pain which is only natural
5:38:45when the needle is withdrawn that pain
5:38:47disappears
5:38:48this is like the ordinary kind of
5:38:50suffering it's no problem everybody
5:38:52experiences it
5:38:54the extraordinary suffering is the
5:38:56suffering that arises from what we call
5:38:58upadhana
5:39:00clinging on grasping attachment grasping
5:39:03onto things
5:39:04this is like having an injection with a
5:39:06syringe filled with poison
5:39:08this is no longer an ordinary kind of
5:39:10pain it is the pain which ends in death
5:39:13this is similar to the suffering which
5:39:15arises from grasping
5:39:19wrong view
5:39:20not knowing the impermanent nature of
5:39:21all conditioned things is another kind
5:39:23of problem
5:39:25conditioned things are the realm of
5:39:27sansara
5:39:28not wanting things to change if we think
5:39:30like this we must suffer
5:39:33when we think that the body is ourselves
5:39:35or belonging to us we're afraid when we
5:39:37see it change
5:39:39consider the breath
5:39:40once it comes in it must go out having
5:39:42gone out it must come in again
5:39:44this is its nature this is how we manage
5:39:47to live
5:39:48things don't function in that way
5:39:51this is how conditions are but we don't
5:39:53realize it
5:39:55suppose we lost something if we thought
5:39:57that object was really ours we would
5:39:58brood over it if we couldn't see it as a
5:40:01conditioned thing faring according to
5:40:03the laws of nature we would experience
5:40:05suffering
5:40:07but if you breathe in can you live
5:40:10conditioned things must naturally change
5:40:12in this way
5:40:13to see this is to see the dhamma to see
5:40:15ani-chan change
5:40:17we live dependent on this change
5:40:20when we know how things are then we can
5:40:22let go of them
5:40:26the practice of dhamma is to develop an
5:40:28understanding of the way things are so
5:40:30that suffering doesn't arise
5:40:33if we think wrongly we are at odds with
5:40:35the world at odds with the dumber and
5:40:36with the truth
5:40:38suppose you were sick and had to go to
5:40:40the hospital most people think
5:40:42please don't let me die i want to get
5:40:44better
5:40:45this is wrong thinking it will lead to
5:40:47suffering
5:40:48you have to think to yourself
5:40:50if i recover i recover if i die i die
5:40:54this is right thinking because you can't
5:40:57ultimately control conditions
5:40:59if you think like this whether you die
5:41:01or recover you can't go wrong you don't
5:41:03have to worry
5:41:05the mind that wants to get better at all
5:41:07costs and is afraid of the thought of
5:41:08dying is the mind which doesn't
5:41:10understand conditions
5:41:12you should think
5:41:14if i get better that's fine if i don't
5:41:16get better that's fine
5:41:18this way we can't go wrong
5:41:20we don't have to be afraid or cry
5:41:22because we've tuned ourselves in to the
5:41:24way things are
5:41:27the buddha saw clearly his teaching is
5:41:29always relevant never outdated
5:41:32it never changes
5:41:34in the present day it's still the way it
5:41:35is it hasn't changed
5:41:37by taking this teaching to heart we can
5:41:39gain the reward of peace and well-being
5:41:42in the teachings there is a reflection
5:41:43of not self
5:41:45this is not myself this does not belong
5:41:47to me
5:41:48but people don't like to listen to this
5:41:50kind of teaching because they're
5:41:51attached to the idea of self
5:41:54this is the cause of suffering
5:41:56you should take note of this
5:41:59today a woman asked about how to deal
5:42:01with anger
5:42:02i told her that the next time she gets
5:42:04angry
5:42:05she should wind up her alarm clock and
5:42:07put it in front of her
5:42:09then she should give herself two hours
5:42:11for the anger to go away
5:42:14if it was really her anger
5:42:16she could probably tell it to go away
5:42:18like this
5:42:19in two hours be gone
5:42:21but anger isn't really ours to command
5:42:24sometimes in two hours it's still not
5:42:26gone at other times in one hour it's
5:42:28gone already
5:42:30holding on to anger as a personal
5:42:32possession will cause suffering
5:42:35if it really belonged to us it would
5:42:36have to obey us
5:42:38if it doesn't obey us that means it's
5:42:40only a deception
5:42:41don't fall for it
5:42:43whether the mind is happy or sad don't
5:42:45fall for it
5:42:46whether the mind loves or hates don't
5:42:48fall for it it's all a deception
5:42:53have any of you ever been angry
5:42:55when you're angry does it feel good or
5:42:57bad
5:42:59if it feels bad then why don't you throw
5:43:01that feeling away why bother to keep it
5:43:04how can you say that you're wise and
5:43:06intelligent when you hold on to such
5:43:08things
5:43:09since the day you were born how many
5:43:11times has the mind tricked you into
5:43:13anger
5:43:15some days the mind can even cause a
5:43:16whole family to quarrel or cause you to
5:43:18cry all night
5:43:20and yet we still continue to get angry
5:43:22we still hold on to things and suffer
5:43:25if you don't see suffering you'll have
5:43:27to keep suffering indefinitely with no
5:43:29chance for respite
5:43:31the world of samsara is like this if we
5:43:34know the way it is we can solve the
5:43:35problem
5:43:39the buddha's teaching states that there
5:43:41is no better means to overcome suffering
5:43:43than to see that this is not myself this
5:43:46is not mine
5:43:47this is the greatest method
5:43:49but we don't usually pay attention to
5:43:51this
5:43:52when suffering arises we simply cry over
5:43:54it without learning from it
5:43:56why is that so we must take a good hard
5:43:59look at these things to develop the
5:44:00budhole the one who knows
5:44:04now take note
5:44:06some of you may not be aware that this
5:44:07is dhamma teaching
5:44:09i'm going to give you some dhamma that's
5:44:10outside the scriptures
5:44:12most people read the scriptures but
5:44:14don't see the dhamma today i'm going to
5:44:16give you a teaching that's outside the
5:44:18scriptures
5:44:19some people may miss the point or not be
5:44:21able to understand it
5:44:24suppose two people are walking together
5:44:25and they see a duck and a chicken
5:44:28one of them says
5:44:29why isn't that chicken like the duck
5:44:32why isn't the duck like the chicken
5:44:35he wants the chicken to be a duck and
5:44:37the duck to be a chicken
5:44:39it's impossible
5:44:41if it's impossible then even if that
5:44:43person were to wish for the duck to be a
5:44:44chicken and a chicken to be a duck for
5:44:46the rest of his life it would not come
5:44:48to pass because
5:44:50the chicken is a chicken and the duck is
5:44:51a duck
5:44:53as long as that person thought like that
5:44:54he would suffer
5:44:56the other person might see that the
5:44:57chicken is a chicken and the duck is a
5:44:59duck and that's all there is to it
5:45:01there's no problem
5:45:03he sees rightly if you want the duck to
5:45:05be a chicken and the chicken to be a
5:45:07duck you're really going to suffer
5:45:10in the same way the law of honey chung
5:45:13states that all things are impermanent
5:45:16if you want things to be permanent
5:45:18you're going to suffer
5:45:19whenever impermanence shows itself
5:45:21you're going to be disappointed
5:45:23one who sees that things are naturally
5:45:25impermanent will be at ease there'll be
5:45:27no conflict
5:45:28the one who wants things to be permanent
5:45:30is going to have conflict maybe even
5:45:32losing sleep over it
5:45:34this is to be ignorant of anichang
5:45:36impermanence the teaching of the buddha
5:45:41if you want to know the dhamma where
5:45:43should you look
5:45:44you must look within the body and mind
5:45:47you won't find it in the shells of a
5:45:49bookcase
5:45:50to really see the dhamma you have to
5:45:52look within your own body and mind there
5:45:54are only these two things
5:45:57the mind is not visible to the physical
5:45:58eye it must be seen with the mind's eye
5:46:01before the dharma can be realized you
5:46:03must know where to look
5:46:06the dhamma that is in the body must be
5:46:07seen in the body
5:46:09and what do we look at in the body
5:46:11we look at the body within the mind
5:46:14you won't find the done by looking
5:46:15anywhere else because both happiness and
5:46:17suffering arise right here
5:46:20have you seen happiness arising in the
5:46:21trees or from the rivers or the weather
5:46:25happiness and suffering are feelings
5:46:27which arise in our own bodies and minds
5:46:31therefore the buddha tells us to know
5:46:33the dhamma right here
5:46:34the dhamma is right here we must look
5:46:36right here
5:46:38the master may tell you to look at the
5:46:39dhamma in the books but if you think
5:46:41that that's where the dharma really is
5:46:42you'll never see it
5:46:44having looked at the books you must
5:46:46reflect on those teachings inwardly
5:46:48then you can understand the dhamma
5:46:50where does the real dhamma exist
5:46:52it exists right here in this body and
5:46:54mind of ours this is the essence of
5:46:57contemplation practice
5:47:00when we do this wisdom will arise in our
5:47:02minds
5:47:03when there is wisdom in our minds then
5:47:05no matter where we look there is dharma
5:47:07we will see ani chang dukang and anata
5:47:10at all times
5:47:12ani chang means transient
5:47:14if we cling to things that are transient
5:47:16we must suffer
5:47:18dukan because they are not ours
5:47:22but we don't see this we always see them
5:47:24as being ourself and belonging to us
5:47:28this means that you don't see the truth
5:47:30of convention
5:47:32you should understand conventions for
5:47:34example all of us sitting here have
5:47:35names
5:47:37are our names born with us or are they
5:47:39assigned to us afterwards
5:47:41do you understand
5:47:43this is convention
5:47:45is convention useful
5:47:47of course it's useful for example
5:47:49suppose there are four men a b c and d
5:47:52they must all have their individual
5:47:53names for convenience in communicating
5:47:55and working together
5:47:57if we wanted to speak to mr a
5:47:59we could call mr a and he'd come not the
5:48:02others
5:48:03this is the convenience of convention
5:48:05but when we look deeply into the matter
5:48:07we will see that really there isn't
5:48:09anybody there
5:48:10we will see transcendence
5:48:12there's only earth water wind and fire
5:48:15before elements
5:48:16this is all there is to this body of
5:48:18ours
5:48:20but we don't see it in this way because
5:48:21of the clinging power of
5:48:24clinging to the sense of self
5:48:27if we had to if we were to look clearly
5:48:30we would see that there isn't really
5:48:31much to to what we call a person
5:48:34the solid part is the earth element the
5:48:36fluid part is the water element the part
5:48:38which provides heat is called the fire
5:48:40element
5:48:41when we break things down we see that
5:48:43there is only earth water wind and fire
5:48:46where is the person to be found
5:48:48there isn't one
5:48:51that's why the buddha taught that there
5:48:52is no higher practice than to see that
5:48:54this is not myself and does not belong
5:48:56to me
5:48:58they are simply conventions
5:49:00if we understand everything clearly in
5:49:02this way we will be at peace
5:49:04if we realize in the present moment the
5:49:06truth of impermanence that things are
5:49:07not our self or belonging to us then
5:49:10when they disintegrate we are at peace
5:49:12with them
5:49:12because they don't belong to anybody
5:49:14anyway they're merely the elements of
5:49:16earth water wind and fire
5:49:20it's difficult for people to see this
5:49:22but even so it's not beyond our ability
5:49:26if we can see this we will find
5:49:28contentment
5:49:29we will not have so much anger greed or
5:49:31delusion
5:49:32there will always be dumber in our
5:49:33hearts
5:49:35there'll be no need for jealousy and
5:49:36spite because everybody is simply earth
5:49:39water wind and fire
5:49:41there's no more to them than this
5:49:43when we accept this truth we will see
5:49:45the truth of the buddha's teaching
5:49:49if we could see the truth of the
5:49:50buddha's teaching we wouldn't have to
5:49:52use up so many teachers
5:49:54it wouldn't be necessary to listen to
5:49:55teachings every day
5:49:57when we understand then we simply do
5:49:59what's required of us
5:50:01but what makes people so difficult to
5:50:02teach is that they don't accept the
5:50:04teaching and argue with the teachers and
5:50:06the teaching
5:50:07in front of the teacher they behave a
5:50:08little better but behind his back they
5:50:10become thieves
5:50:12people are really difficult to teach the
5:50:14people in thailand are like this that's
5:50:16why they have to have so many teachers
5:50:21be careful
5:50:22if you're not careful you won't see the
5:50:24dhamma
5:50:25you must be circumspect taking the
5:50:27teaching and considering it well
5:50:31is this flower pretty
5:50:33do you see the ugliness within this
5:50:35flower
5:50:36for how many days will it be pretty
5:50:39what will it be like from now on why
5:50:41does it change so
5:50:43in three or four days you have to take
5:50:45it and throw it away right
5:50:47it loses all its beauty
5:50:50people are attached to beauty attached
5:50:52to goodness
5:50:53if anything is good they just fall for
5:50:55it completely
5:50:56the buddha tells us to look at pretty
5:50:58things as just pretty
5:51:00we shouldn't become attached to them
5:51:02if there's a pleasant feeling we
5:51:04shouldn't fall for it
5:51:05goodness is not a sure thing beauty is
5:51:08not a sure thing nothing is certain
5:51:10there is nothing in this world that is a
5:51:12certainty this is the truth
5:51:15the things that aren't true are the
5:51:17things that change such as beauty
5:51:19the only truth it has is in its constant
5:51:22changing
5:51:24if we believe that things are beautiful
5:51:26when their beauty fades our mind loses
5:51:28its beauty too
5:51:30when things are no longer good our mind
5:51:31loses its goodness too
5:51:33when they are destroyed or damaged we
5:51:35suffer because we clung to them as being
5:51:37our own
5:51:39the buddha tells us to see that these
5:51:40things are simply constructs of nature
5:51:42beauty appears and in not many days it
5:51:44fades
5:51:45to see this is to have wisdom
5:51:49therefore we should see impermanence
5:51:52if we think something is pretty we
5:51:53should tell ourselves it isn't
5:51:55if we think something is ugly we should
5:51:57tell ourselves it isn't
5:52:00try to see things in this way constantly
5:52:02reflect in this way
5:52:04we will then see the truth within untrue
5:52:06things and see the certainty within the
5:52:08things that are uncertain
5:52:13today i have been explaining the way to
5:52:14understand suffering what causes
5:52:16suffering the cessation of suffering and
5:52:19the way leading to the cessation of
5:52:20suffering when you know suffering you
5:52:23should throw it out
5:52:24knowing the cause of suffering you
5:52:26should throw it out
5:52:27practice to see the cessation of
5:52:29suffering see anichang dukan and anata
5:52:32and suffering will cease
5:52:34when suffering ceases where do we go
5:52:38what are we practicing for
5:52:41we are practicing to relinquish not in
5:52:44order to gain anything
5:52:46there was a woman this afternoon who
5:52:48told me that she's suffering i asked her
5:52:50what she wants to be
5:52:52and she said she wants to be enlightened
5:52:54i said as long as you want to be
5:52:56enlightened you'll never become
5:52:57enlightened don't want anything
5:53:02when we know the truth of suffering we
5:53:04throw out suffering
5:53:05when we know the cause of suffering then
5:53:07we don't create those causes but instead
5:53:10practice to bring suffering to its
5:53:11cessation
5:53:13the practice leading to the cessation of
5:53:15suffering is to see that this is not a
5:53:17self this is not me or them
5:53:20seeing in this way enables suffering to
5:53:22cease
5:53:23it's like reaching our destination and
5:53:25stopping
5:53:26that's cessation
5:53:28that's getting close to nirvana
5:53:31put it another way
5:53:33going forward is suffering retreating
5:53:35his suffering and stopping his suffering
5:53:38not going forward not retreating and not
5:53:41stopping
5:53:42is anything left
5:53:46and body cease here
5:53:48this is the cessation of suffering
5:53:51hard to understand isn't it
5:53:52if we diligently and consistently study
5:53:54this teaching we will transcend things
5:53:57and reach understanding
5:53:58there will be cessation
5:54:00this is the ultimate teaching of the
5:54:02buddha it's the finishing point
5:54:04the buddha's teaching finishes at the
5:54:06point of total relinquishment
5:54:10today i offer this teaching to you all
5:54:12and to the venerable master also
5:54:14if there's anything wrong in it i ask
5:54:16for your forgiveness
5:54:17but don't be in a hurry to judge whether
5:54:19it's right or wrong just listen to it
5:54:21first
5:54:22if i were to give you all a fruit and
5:54:24tell you it's delicious you should take
5:54:26note of my words but not believe me
5:54:28offhand because you haven't tasted it
5:54:30yet
5:54:31the teaching i give you today is the
5:54:33same if you want to know whether the
5:54:35fruit is sweet or sour you have to slice
5:54:37off a piece and taste it
5:54:39then you'll know it's sweetness or
5:54:40sourness
5:54:41then you could believe me because then
5:54:43you'd have seen for yourself
5:54:45so please don't throw this fruit away
5:54:48keep it and taste it now it's taste for
5:54:50yourself
5:54:53now the buddha didn't have a teacher you
5:54:54know as an ascetic once asked him who
5:54:56his teacher was the buddha answered that
5:54:58he didn't have one the ascetic just
5:55:00walked off shaking his head
5:55:02the buddha was being too honest
5:55:04he was speaking to one who couldn't know
5:55:06or accept the truth
5:55:07that's why i tell you not to believe me
5:55:10the buddha said that to simply believe
5:55:12others is foolish because there's no
5:55:14clear knowing within
5:55:16that's why the buddha said i have no
5:55:18teacher.
5:55:19this is the truth
5:55:20but you should look at it in the right
5:55:22way if you misunderstand it you won't
5:55:24respect your teacher
5:55:26don't go saying i have no teacher
5:55:28you must rely on your teacher to tell
5:55:30you what is right and wrong and then you
5:55:32must practice accordingly
5:55:35today is a fortunate day for all of us
5:55:37i've had a chance to meet with all of
5:55:39you and the venerable master
5:55:41you wouldn't think that we could meet
5:55:42like this because we live so far apart i
5:55:44think there must be some special reason
5:55:46that we've been able to meet in this way
5:55:48the buddha taught that everything that
5:55:50arises must have a cause don't forget
5:55:52this
5:55:53there must be some cause
5:55:55perhaps in a previous existence we were
5:55:56brothers and sisters in the same family
5:55:59it's possible
5:56:00another teacher didn't come but i did
5:56:02why is that
5:56:04perhaps we are creating the causes in
5:56:06the present moment itself this is also
5:56:08possible
5:56:10i leave you all with this teaching may
5:56:12you be diligent and arduous in the
5:56:13practice there is nothing better than
5:56:15the practice of dhamma dhamma is the
5:56:17supporter of the whole world people who
5:56:19are confused these days because they do
5:56:21not know the dharma
5:56:23if we have the dhamma within us we will
5:56:24be content
5:56:26i am happy to have had this opportunity
5:56:28to help you and the venerable teacher in
5:56:29developing the practice of dhamma i
5:56:31leave you with my heartfelt good wishes
5:56:33tomorrow i'll be leaving i'm not sure
5:56:35wherefore
5:56:36this is only natural
5:56:38when there is coming there must be going
5:56:40when there's going there must be coming
5:56:42this is how the world is
5:56:43we shouldn't be overjoyed or upset by
5:56:45the changes in the world
5:56:47there is happiness then there's
5:56:48suffering there is suffering and there's
5:56:50happiness there is gain and then there's
5:56:52loss there's loss and then there's gain
5:56:55this is the way things are
5:56:58in the buddhist time there were
5:56:59disciples of the buddha who didn't like
5:57:01him because the buddha exhorted them to
5:57:02be diligent to be heedful
5:57:05those who were lazy were afraid of the
5:57:06buddha and resented him
5:57:08when he died one group of disciples
5:57:10cried and were distressed that they
5:57:12would no longer have the buddha to guide
5:57:14them
5:57:15those ones were still not clever
5:57:18another group of disciples were pleased
5:57:19and relieved that they would no longer
5:57:21have the buddha on their backs telling
5:57:22them what to do
5:57:24the third group of disciples were
5:57:26equanimous
5:57:27they reflected that what arises passes
5:57:29away as a natural consequence
5:57:32there are these three groups
5:57:33which group do you identify with
5:57:36do you want to be one of the ones who
5:57:37are pleased or what
5:57:40the group of disciples who cried when
5:57:42the buddha passed away had not yet
5:57:43realized the dharma
5:57:45the second group were those who resented
5:57:47the buddha
5:57:48he was always forbidding them from doing
5:57:50things they wanted to do
5:57:52they lived in fear of the buddha's scorn
5:57:53and reprimands so when he passed away
5:57:56they were relieved these days things
5:57:59aren't much different possible that the
5:58:01teacher here has some followers who are
5:58:02resentful towards him
5:58:04they might not show it outwardly but
5:58:06it's there in the mind
5:58:08it's normal for people who still have
5:58:10defilements to feel this way
5:58:12even the buddha had people hating him
5:58:15i myself have followers who resent me
5:58:17also
5:58:18i tell them to give up evil actions but
5:58:20they cherish their evil actions so they
5:58:22hate me
5:58:23there are plenty like this may all of
5:58:26you who are intelligent make yourselves
5:58:28firm in the practice of dumber
5:58:33this is the
5:58:3515th
5:58:36talk in this collection
5:58:38and it's entitled living in the world
5:58:41and this was previously published
5:58:44under the title living in the world
5:58:46with dhamma and it was uh printed in the
5:58:49book living dhamma
5:58:51again translated by bruce evans puriso
5:58:54and this was a talk
5:58:56an informal talk given after an
5:58:58invitation to receive arms food at a lay
5:59:01person's house in ubon the district
5:59:02capital which is close to wat nombre
5:59:05pong
5:59:10living in the world
5:59:14most people still don't know the essence
5:59:16of meditation practice
5:59:18they think that walking meditation
5:59:20sitting meditation and listening to
5:59:22dharma talks are the practice
5:59:25these are only the outer forms of
5:59:26practice
5:59:28the real practice takes place when the
5:59:30mind encounters a sense object
5:59:32that's the place to practice
5:59:34where sense contact occurs
5:59:36when people say things we don't like
5:59:38there's resentment if they say things we
5:59:40like we experience pleasure
5:59:42now this is the place to practice
5:59:46how are we going to practice with these
5:59:47things this is the crucial point if we
5:59:50just run around chasing after happiness
5:59:52and running away from suffering all the
5:59:53time we can practice until the day we
5:59:55die and never see the dhamma this is
5:59:58useless
6:00:00when pleasure and pain arise how are we
6:00:02going to use the dhamma to be free of
6:00:03them this is the point of practice
6:00:06usually when people encounter something
6:00:07disagreeable they don't open up to it
6:00:10for instance when people are criticized
6:00:13don't bother me why blame me
6:00:15this is someone who's closed himself off
6:00:18right there is the place to practice
6:00:21when people criticize us we should
6:00:23listen
6:00:24are they speaking the truth
6:00:26we should be open and consider what
6:00:28they're saying
6:00:29maybe there is something in what they
6:00:30say maybe there is something blameworthy
6:00:33within us
6:00:34they may be right
6:00:35and yet we immediately take offense
6:00:38if people point out our faults we should
6:00:40strive to be rid of these faults and
6:00:42improve ourselves
6:00:43that's how intelligent people practice
6:00:48the place where there is confusion is
6:00:49the place where peace can arise
6:00:52when confusion is penetrated with
6:00:53understanding what remains is peace
6:00:58some people can't accept criticism
6:01:00they're arrogant instead they turn
6:01:02around and argue
6:01:03this is especially so when
6:01:05adults deal with children
6:01:07actually children may say some
6:01:09intelligent things sometimes but if you
6:01:11happen to be their mother for instance
6:01:13you can't give into them
6:01:15if you are a teacher the students may
6:01:17sometimes tell you something that you
6:01:18didn't know but because you are the
6:01:20teacher you can't listen
6:01:22this is not right thinking
6:01:25in the buddhist time there was one
6:01:26disciple who was very astute
6:01:28at one time as the buddha was expanding
6:01:30the dhamma he turned to this monk and
6:01:32asked sorry puta do you believe this
6:01:35venerable sariputa replied no i don't
6:01:38yet believe it
6:01:39the buddha praised his answer that's
6:01:41very good sariputta you are one who is
6:01:43endowed with wisdom
6:01:45one who is wise doesn't readily believe
6:01:48he listens with an open mind and then
6:01:49weighs up the truth of the matter before
6:01:51believing or disbelieving
6:01:54now the buddha here set a fine example
6:01:56for a teacher
6:01:58what vulnerable sariputta said was true
6:02:00he simply expressed his true feelings
6:02:03some people would think that to say that
6:02:04you didn't believe that teaching would
6:02:06be like questioning the teacher's
6:02:07authority they'd be afraid to say such a
6:02:09thing
6:02:10they just go ahead and agree
6:02:12that is how the worldly way goes
6:02:15but the buddha didn't take offense
6:02:17he said that you needn't be ashamed of
6:02:19those things which aren't wrong or bad
6:02:21it's not wrong to say that you don't
6:02:23believe if you don't believe
6:02:25that's why venerable sariputta said i
6:02:27don't yet believe
6:02:29the buddha praised him
6:02:30this monk has much wisdom he carefully
6:02:32considers before believing anything
6:02:36the buddha's actions here are a good
6:02:37example for one who is a teacher of
6:02:39others
6:02:40sometimes you can learn things even from
6:02:42small children
6:02:43don't cling blindly to positions of
6:02:45authority
6:02:48whether you're standing sitting or
6:02:49walking around in various places you can
6:02:51always study the things around you
6:02:54we study in the natural way receptive to
6:02:56all things be they sights sounds smells
6:03:00tastes feelings or thoughts
6:03:03the wise person considers them all in
6:03:05the real practice we come to the point
6:03:07where there are no longer any concerns
6:03:09weighing on the mind
6:03:11if we still don't know like and dislike
6:03:13as they arise there is still con some
6:03:16concern in our minds
6:03:18if we know the truth of these things we
6:03:20reflect oh
6:03:21there's nothing to this feeling of
6:03:22liking here
6:03:24it's just a feeling that arises and
6:03:25passes away
6:03:27dislike is nothing more just a feeling
6:03:30that arises and passes away
6:03:32why make anything out of them
6:03:35if we think that pleasure and pain are
6:03:36personal possessions then we're in for
6:03:38trouble we never get beyond the point of
6:03:40having some concern or other in an
6:03:42endless chain
6:03:44this is how things are for most people
6:03:48but these days teachers don't often talk
6:03:50about the mind when teaching the dharma
6:03:52they don't talk about the truth
6:03:54if you talk about the truth people may
6:03:56take exception
6:03:57they say things like he doesn't know
6:03:59time and place he doesn't know how to
6:04:00speak nicely
6:04:02but people should listen to the truth
6:04:05a true teacher doesn't just talk from
6:04:07memory
6:04:08he speaks the truth
6:04:10people in society usually speak from
6:04:12memory
6:04:13the teacher speaks the truth
6:04:15people in the society usually speak from
6:04:17memory and what's more they usually
6:04:19speak in such a way as to exalt
6:04:20themselves
6:04:21the true monk doesn't speak like that he
6:04:23speaks the truth the way things are
6:04:27no matter how much the teacher explains
6:04:29the truth it's difficult for people to
6:04:30understand
6:04:32it's hard to understand the number
6:04:35if you understand the dhamma you should
6:04:37practice accordingly
6:04:38it may not be necessary to become a monk
6:04:40although amongst life is the ideal form
6:04:42for practice to really practice you have
6:04:45to forsake the confusion of the world
6:04:48give up family and possessions and take
6:04:50to the forests these are the ideal
6:04:51places to practice
6:04:53but if we still have a family and
6:04:55responsibilities how are we to practice
6:04:58some people say it's impossible to
6:05:00practice dharma as a layperson
6:05:02consider which group is larger monks or
6:05:04laypeople
6:05:05there are far more lay people now if
6:05:08only the monks practice and the lay
6:05:09people don't
6:05:10then that means there's going to be a
6:05:12lot of confusion
6:05:13this is wrong understanding
6:05:15i can't become a monk
6:05:17becoming a monk isn't the point being a
6:05:20monk doesn't mean anything if you don't
6:05:21practice
6:05:22if you really understand the practice of
6:05:24dhamma then no matter what position or
6:05:26profession you hold in life be it a
6:05:28teacher a doctor a civil servant or
6:05:29whatever you can practice a dhamma every
6:05:32minute of the day
6:05:34to think you can't practice as a layman
6:05:36is to lose track of the path completely
6:05:40why is it people can find the incentive
6:05:41to do other things
6:05:43if they feel they are lacking something
6:05:45they make an effort to obtain it
6:05:47if there is sufficient desire people can
6:05:49do anything
6:05:50some say
6:05:51ah i haven't got the time to practice
6:05:53the dhanma
6:05:54i say then how come you've got time to
6:05:56breathe
6:05:58breathing is vital to people's lives if
6:06:00they saw dharma practice as vital to
6:06:02their lives they would see it as
6:06:04important as their breathing
6:06:07the practice of dumb isn't something
6:06:08that you have to go running around for
6:06:10or exhaust yourself over
6:06:12just look at the feelings which arise in
6:06:14your mind
6:06:15when the eye sees form ear hears sounds
6:06:18nose smells odors and so on they all
6:06:21come to this one mind
6:06:22the one who knows
6:06:24now when the mind perceives these things
6:06:26what happens
6:06:28if we like that object we experience
6:06:30pleasure if we dislike it we experience
6:06:33displeasure that's all there is to it
6:06:36so where are you going to find happiness
6:06:38in this world
6:06:40do you expect everybody to say only
6:06:41pleasant things to you all your life
6:06:43is that possible
6:06:45no it's not
6:06:47if it's not possible then where are you
6:06:50going to go
6:06:52the world is simply like this we must
6:06:54know the world loka vidu
6:06:57know the word know the truth of this
6:06:58world
6:07:00the world is something we should clearly
6:07:02understand the buddha lived in this
6:07:04world he didn't live anywhere else
6:07:06he experienced family life but he saw
6:07:09its limitations and detached himself
6:07:11from them now how are you as laypeople
6:07:13going to practice
6:07:15if you want to practice you must make an
6:07:17effort to follow the path
6:07:19if you persevere with the practice you
6:07:21too will see the limitations of this
6:07:22world and be able to let go
6:07:26people who drink alcohol sometimes say
6:07:29i just can't give it up
6:07:31why can't they give it up
6:07:33because they don't yet see the liability
6:07:35in it
6:07:36if they clearly saw the liability they
6:07:38wouldn't have to wait to be told to give
6:07:40it up
6:07:41if you don't see the liability of
6:07:42something that means you also can't see
6:07:45the benefit of giving it up
6:07:47your practice becomes fruitless you're
6:07:49just playing at practice
6:07:51if you clearly see the liability and the
6:07:53benefit of something you won't have to
6:07:55wait for others to tell you about it
6:07:59consider the story of the fisherman who
6:08:00finds something in his fish trap
6:08:03he knows something is in there he can
6:08:05hear it flapping about inside
6:08:08thinking it's a fish he reaches his hand
6:08:10into the trap only to find a different
6:08:12kind of animal you can't yet see it so
6:08:15he's in two minds about it
6:08:17it could be an eel
6:08:19considered a delicacy in some parts of
6:08:20thailand
6:08:22but then again it could be a snake
6:08:25if he throws it away it may he may
6:08:27regret it it could be an eel
6:08:29on the other hand if he keeps holding on
6:08:30to it and it turns out to be a snake it
6:08:32might bite him
6:08:34he's caught in a state of doubt
6:08:36his desire is so strong he holds on just
6:08:38in case it's an eel but the minute he
6:08:40brings it out and sees the striped skin
6:08:42he throws it down straight away he
6:08:44doesn't have to wait for someone to call
6:08:45out it's a snake it's a snake let go
6:08:48the sight of the snake tells him what to
6:08:50do much more clearly than words could do
6:08:53why because he sees the danger snakes
6:08:56can bite
6:08:57nobody has to tell him about it
6:08:59in the same way if we practice till we
6:09:01see things as they are we won't meddle
6:09:03with the things that are harmful
6:09:06people don't usually practice in this
6:09:08way they usually do other things
6:09:10they don't contemplate things they don't
6:09:12reflect on old age sickness and death
6:09:15they only talk about non-aging and
6:09:17non-death so they never develop the
6:09:19right feeling for dumber practice
6:09:21they go and listen to dumb talks but
6:09:23they don't really listen
6:09:25sometimes i get invited to give talks at
6:09:27important functions but it's a nuisance
6:09:30for me to go
6:09:31why so
6:09:33because when i look at the people
6:09:34gathered there i can see that they
6:09:36haven't come to listen to the dhamma
6:09:38some are smelling of alcohol some are
6:09:40smoking cigarettes some are chatting
6:09:42they don't look at all like people who
6:09:44have come out of faith in the dhamma
6:09:46giving talks at such places is of little
6:09:48fruit
6:09:49people who are sunk in heedlessness tend
6:09:51to think things like yeah when's he ever
6:09:53going to stop talking you can't do this
6:09:55can't do that
6:09:57their minds just wander all over the
6:09:59place
6:10:01sometimes they even invite
6:10:03sometimes they even invite me to give a
6:10:05talk just for the sake of formality
6:10:07please give us just a small dumber talk
6:10:09principle sir
6:10:11they don't want me to talk too much it
6:10:12might annoy them
6:10:14as soon as i hear people say this i know
6:10:16what they're about
6:10:17these people don't like listening to
6:10:19dumber it annoys them
6:10:21if i give just a small talk they won't
6:10:23understand
6:10:24if you take only a little food is it
6:10:26enough
6:10:27of course not
6:10:30sometimes i'm giving a talk just warming
6:10:32up to the subject and some drunkard will
6:10:34call out okay make way make way for the
6:10:36venerable sir he's coming out now
6:10:39trying to drive me away
6:10:41if i meet this kind of person i get a
6:10:43lot of food for reflection
6:10:47i get an insight into human nature
6:10:50it's like a person having a bottle full
6:10:51of water and then asking for more
6:10:53there's nowhere to put it
6:10:55it isn't worth the time and energy to
6:10:57teach them because their minds are
6:10:58already full
6:10:59pull pour anymore in and it just
6:11:02overflows uselessly
6:11:03if their bottle was empty there would be
6:11:05somewhere to put the water both the
6:11:07giver and the receiver would benefit
6:11:11in this way when people are really
6:11:12interested in dumber they sit quietly
6:11:14listening carefully i feel much more
6:11:16inspired to teach
6:11:18if people don't pay attention it's just
6:11:20like the man with a bottle full of water
6:11:21there's no room to put anymore
6:11:24it's hardly worth my while talking to
6:11:26them in situations like this i just
6:11:28don't find any energy arising to teach
6:11:31you can't put much energy into giving
6:11:32when no one's putting much energy into
6:11:34receiving
6:11:37these days giving talks tends to be like
6:11:40this and it's getting worse all the time
6:11:43people don't search for truth they
6:11:44simply study to find the necessary
6:11:46knowledge to make a living raise
6:11:48families look after themselves
6:11:50they study for a livelihood
6:11:52there may be some study of dhamma but
6:11:54not much
6:11:56students nowadays have much more
6:11:58knowledge than students of previous
6:11:59times they have all the requisites at
6:12:01their disposal everything is more
6:12:02convenient
6:12:04but they also have a lot more confusion
6:12:05and suffering than before
6:12:07why is this
6:12:08because they only look for the kind of
6:12:10knowledge used to make a living
6:12:13even the monks are like this sometimes i
6:12:15hear them say yeah i didn't become a
6:12:16monk to practice a dumber i only
6:12:18ordained to study
6:12:20these are the words of someone who has
6:12:22completely cut off the path of practice
6:12:24there's no way ahead it's a dead end
6:12:28when these monks teach it's only from
6:12:30memory
6:12:30they may teach one thing but their minds
6:12:32are in a completely different place
6:12:34there's no truth in such teachings
6:12:37this is how the world is
6:12:39if you try to live simply practicing the
6:12:41dumb and living peacefully they say that
6:12:42you're weird and anti-social
6:12:45they say you're obstructing progress in
6:12:46society
6:12:48they even intimidate you
6:12:50eventually you might even start to
6:12:51believe them and revert to worldly ways
6:12:54sinking deeper and deeper into the world
6:12:55until it's
6:12:56completely impossible to get out
6:12:58some people say i can't get out now i've
6:13:01gone in too deeply
6:13:02this is how society tends to be
6:13:05it doesn't appreciate the value of
6:13:06dhamma
6:13:09the value of dhamma isn't to be found in
6:13:11books
6:13:12those are just the external appearances
6:13:14of dhamma they're not the realization of
6:13:16dhamma as a personal experience
6:13:19if you realize the dhamma you realize
6:13:21your own mind
6:13:22you see the truth there
6:13:24when the truth becomes apparent it cuts
6:13:26off the stream of delusion
6:13:30the teaching of the buddha is the
6:13:31unchanging truth whether in the present
6:13:33or any other time
6:13:35the buddha revealed this truth two and a
6:13:36half thousand years ago it's been the
6:13:38truth ever since
6:13:40nothing should be added or taken away
6:13:41from it
6:13:43the buddha said what the tatargata has
6:13:45laid down should not be discarded and
6:13:47what has not been laid down by the
6:13:48targeter should not be added to the
6:13:50teachings
6:13:51he sealed off the teachings
6:13:54why did the buddha seal them off because
6:13:56these teachings are the words of one who
6:13:58has no defilements
6:13:59no matter how the world may change these
6:14:01teachings are unaffected they don't
6:14:03change with it
6:14:05if something is wrong even if people say
6:14:06it's right it doesn't make it any of the
6:14:08less wrong
6:14:10if something is right that doesn't
6:14:11change just because people say it's not
6:14:14generation after generation may come and
6:14:16go but these things don't change because
6:14:18these teachings are the truth
6:14:21now who created this truth
6:14:24the truth created the truth did the
6:14:26buddha create it no he didn't the buddha
6:14:29only discovered the truth the way things
6:14:31are and then he set out to declare it
6:14:35the truth is constantly true whether a
6:14:37buddha arises in the world or not
6:14:39the buddha only owns the dhamma in this
6:14:41sense he didn't actually create it it's
6:14:43been here all the time
6:14:46no one had previously searched for and
6:14:48found the deathless when he taught it as
6:14:50the dhamma
6:14:51but the buddha didn't invent it it was
6:14:53already there
6:14:55at some point in time the truth is
6:14:57illuminated in the practice of dhamma
6:14:59flourishes as time goes on and
6:15:00generations pass away the practice
6:15:02degenerates until the teaching fades
6:15:04away completely
6:15:06after a time the teaching is refounded
6:15:08and flourishes once more
6:15:09as time goes on he sets in and once more
6:15:12the teaching begins to follow the
6:15:13darkness of the world and so once more
6:15:16it degenerates until such a time as it
6:15:18can no longer hold ground
6:15:20confusion reigns once more
6:15:22then it's time to re-establish the truth
6:15:25in fact the truth doesn't go anywhere
6:15:27when buddhas pass away the dhamma
6:15:29doesn't disappear with them
6:15:34the world revolves like this
6:15:36it's something like a mango tree
6:15:38the tree matures blossoms and fruits
6:15:40appear and grow to ripeness
6:15:43they become rotten and the seed goes
6:15:44back into the ground to become a new
6:15:46mango tree the cycle starts once more
6:15:50eventually there are more ripe fruits
6:15:52which proceed to fall rot sink into the
6:15:54ground as seeds and grow once more into
6:15:55trees
6:15:56this is how the world is it doesn't go
6:15:58very far
6:16:00it just revolves around the same old
6:16:01things
6:16:03our lives these days are the same
6:16:05today we're simply doing the same old
6:16:07things we've always done people think
6:16:10too much
6:16:11there are so many things to get
6:16:13interested in but none of them leads to
6:16:15completion
6:16:18there are other sciences like
6:16:19mathematics physics psychology and so on
6:16:21you can delve into any of these but you
6:16:23can only finalize things with the truth
6:16:29suppose there was a cart being pulled by
6:16:31an ox
6:16:32as long as the ox pulls the cart the
6:16:34tracks will follow
6:16:36the wheels are round yet the tracks are
6:16:38long
6:16:40the tracks are long yet the wheels are
6:16:42merely circles
6:16:44just looking at a stationary cart you
6:16:46can't see anything long about it
6:16:48but once the ox starts moving you see
6:16:50the tracks stretching out behind you
6:16:53as long as the arcs pulls the wheels
6:16:55keep on turning
6:16:56but there comes a day when the ox tires
6:16:59and throws off its harness
6:17:00the ox walks off and leaves the empty
6:17:02cart sitting there the wheels no longer
6:17:04turn in the time in time the cart falls
6:17:08apart its components go back into the
6:17:09four elements earth water wind and fire
6:17:14searching for peace within the world
6:17:16the cartwheel tracks stretch out
6:17:18endlessly behind you as long as you
6:17:20follow the world there is no stopping no
6:17:23rest
6:17:24if you simply stop following it
6:17:26the card comes to a rest
6:17:29the wheels no longer turn
6:17:31following the world turns the wheel
6:17:33ceaselessly
6:17:35creating bad camera is like this
6:17:37as long as you follow the old ways
6:17:39there's no stopping
6:17:40if you stop
6:17:42there is stopping
6:17:43this is how we practice the dhamma
6:17:47well this is the
6:17:4816th
6:17:50talk in the series and this is called
6:17:52tucho potila
6:17:55and this talk has been
6:17:57published before
6:17:58in the book living dhamma
6:18:00and it's a title there was uh tuccio
6:18:04potila venerable empty scripture
6:18:06and this was a
6:18:08an informal talk
6:18:09given that ajahn charles kuti to a group
6:18:11of lay people one evening in
6:18:141978 again this was published in living
6:18:17dhamma
6:18:18and was translated by bruce evans
6:18:21pariso
6:18:25tucho potila
6:18:28there are two ways to support buddhism
6:18:31one is known as amisa puja
6:18:34supporting through material offerings
6:18:36the four requisites of food clothing
6:18:38shelter and medicine
6:18:40there are material offerings that are
6:18:41given to the sangha of monks and nuns
6:18:43enabling them to live in a reasonable in
6:18:46reasonable comfort for the practice of
6:18:47dhamma
6:18:49this fosters the direct realization of
6:18:51the buddha's teaching in turn bringing
6:18:53continued prosperity to the buddhist
6:18:55religion
6:18:57buddhism can be likened to a tree a tree
6:19:00has roots a trunk branches twigs and
6:19:02leaves
6:19:03all the leaves and branches including
6:19:05the trunk depend on the roots to absorb
6:19:08nutrient from the soil
6:19:10just as the tree depends on the roots to
6:19:12sustain it our actions in our speech are
6:19:14like branches and leaves which depend on
6:19:17the mind the root
6:19:19absorbing nutriment
6:19:21which it then sends out to the trunk
6:19:22branches and leaves
6:19:24these in turn bear fruit as our speech
6:19:26and actions
6:19:28whatever state the mind is in skillful
6:19:30or unskillful it expresses that quality
6:19:32outwardly through our actions and speech
6:19:35therefore the support of buddhism
6:19:37through the practical application
6:19:39of the teaching is the most important
6:19:40kind of support
6:19:42for example in the ceremony of
6:19:44determining the precepts on observance
6:19:46days the teacher describes those
6:19:48unskillful actions which should be
6:19:50avoided
6:19:51but if you simply go through the
6:19:52ceremony without reflecting on their
6:19:54meaning progress is difficult and you'll
6:19:56be unable to find the true practice
6:19:59the real support of buddhism must
6:20:01therefore be done through patipati puja
6:20:04the offering of practice
6:20:06cultivating true restraint concentration
6:20:09and wisdom
6:20:10then you'll know what buddhism is all
6:20:11about
6:20:12if you don't understand through practice
6:20:14you still won't know even if you learn
6:20:16the whole tipitica
6:20:20in the time of the buddha there was a
6:20:21monk known as tuccio potila
6:20:23tucho potila was very learned thoroughly
6:20:25versed in the scriptures and texts
6:20:28he was so famous that he was revered by
6:20:29people everywhere and had 18 monasteries
6:20:32under his care
6:20:35when people heard the name tucho potila
6:20:38they were awestruck and nobody would
6:20:39dare question anything he taught
6:20:42so much did they reveal his command of
6:20:44the teachings
6:20:46was one of the buddha's most learned
6:20:47disciples
6:20:49one day he went to pay respects to the
6:20:51buddha as he was paying his respects the
6:20:53buddha said ah hello venerable empty
6:20:55scripture
6:20:57just like that
6:20:58they conversed for a while until it was
6:21:00time to go and then as he was taking
6:21:02leave of the buddha the buddha said oh
6:21:04leaving now venerable empty scripture
6:21:07that was all the buddha said
6:21:09on arriving oh hello venerable empty
6:21:11scripture when it was time to go ah
6:21:13leaving now venerable empty scripture
6:21:17the buddha didn't expand on it
6:21:19that was all the teaching he gave
6:21:22tu potila the imminent teacher was
6:21:24puzzled why did the buddha say that what
6:21:26did he mean
6:21:28he thought and thought turning over
6:21:30everything he'd learned until eventually
6:21:32he realized it's true
6:21:35venerable empty scripture
6:21:37a monk who studies but doesn't practice
6:21:40when he looked into his heart he saw
6:21:41that really he was no different from
6:21:42laypeople
6:21:44whatever they aspired to he also aspired
6:21:46to whatever they enjoyed he also enjoyed
6:21:49there was no real summoner no
6:21:51contemplative who's abandoned the life
6:21:54of worldly goals there was no real
6:21:56summoner within him no truly profound
6:21:58quality capable of firmly establishing
6:22:01him in the noble way and providing true
6:22:03peace
6:22:05so he decided to practice
6:22:07but there was nowhere for him to go to
6:22:09all the teachers around were his own
6:22:10students no one would dare accept him
6:22:13usually when people meet their teacher
6:22:15they become timid and deferential and so
6:22:17no one would dare become his teacher
6:22:20finally he went to see a certain young
6:22:22novice who was enlightened and asked to
6:22:24practice under him
6:22:26the novice said yes sure you can
6:22:28practice with me but only if you're
6:22:30sincere
6:22:31if you're not sincere then i won't
6:22:33accept you
6:22:34tucho potila pledged himself as a
6:22:36student of the novice
6:22:38the novice then told him to put on all
6:22:40his robes
6:22:41now there happened to be a muddy bog
6:22:43nearby
6:22:44when tuccio portilla had neatly put on
6:22:46all his robes expensive ones they were
6:22:48too the novice said okay now run down
6:22:52into this muddy bog
6:22:54if i don't tell you to stop don't stop
6:22:56if i don't tell you to come out don't
6:22:58come out okay run
6:23:01to chopotilla neatly robed plunged into
6:23:03the bog
6:23:04the novice didn't tell him to stop until
6:23:06he was completely covered in mud
6:23:08finally he said you can stop now so he
6:23:11stopped
6:23:12okay come out now and so he came out
6:23:16this clearly showed the novice that
6:23:18tucho potila had given up his pride
6:23:21he was ready to accept the teaching if
6:23:23he wasn't ready to learn he wouldn't
6:23:24have run into the bog like that being
6:23:26such a famous teacher but he did it
6:23:30the young novice seeing this knew that
6:23:32tucho potila was sincerely determined to
6:23:34practice
6:23:36when tuccio potida had come out of the
6:23:37bog the novice gave him the teaching
6:23:40he taught him to observe the sense
6:23:41objects to know the mind and to know the
6:23:43sense objects using the simile of a man
6:23:46catching a lizard hiding in a termite
6:23:48mound
6:23:50if the mound had six holes in it how
6:23:52would he catch it
6:23:53he would have to seal off five of the
6:23:55holes and leave just one open
6:23:57then he would simply have to watch and
6:23:59wait
6:24:00guarding that one hole when the lizard
6:24:02ran out he could catch it
6:24:05observing the mind is like this
6:24:07closing off the eyes ears nose tongue
6:24:10and body we leave only the mind
6:24:12to close off quote unquote the senses
6:24:15means to restrain and compose them
6:24:18observing only the mind meditation is
6:24:21like catching the lizard
6:24:22we use sati to note the breath
6:24:25sati is the quality of recollection as
6:24:27in asking yourself what am i doing
6:24:30sampagenya is the awareness that now i
6:24:32am doing such and such we observe the in
6:24:35and out breathing with sati and
6:24:36sampajanya
6:24:39this quality of recollection is
6:24:41something that arises from practice it's
6:24:43not something that can be learned from
6:24:44books
6:24:46now the feelings that arise
6:24:48the mind may be fairly inactive for a
6:24:50while and then a feeling arises
6:24:53sati works in conjunction with these
6:24:55feelings recollecting them
6:24:57there is sati the recollection that i
6:24:59will speak i will go i will sit and so
6:25:02on
6:25:03and then there is some virginia the
6:25:04awareness that now i'm walking i'm lying
6:25:07down i'm experiencing such and such a
6:25:09mood
6:25:11with satya and sam virginia we can know
6:25:13our minds in the present moment and we
6:25:15will know how much the mind reacts to
6:25:16sense impressions
6:25:19that which is aware of sense objects is
6:25:21called mind
6:25:22sense objects wander into the mind for
6:25:25instance there is a sound like the
6:25:28electric drill here it enters through
6:25:30the ear and travels inwards to the mind
6:25:33which acknowledges that this is the
6:25:34sound of an electric drill
6:25:37that which acknowledges the sound is
6:25:38called mind
6:25:40now this mind which acknowledges that
6:25:42this that's
6:25:44sorry now this mind which acknowledges
6:25:46that sound is quite basic
6:25:48it's just the average mind
6:25:51perhaps annoyance arises within the one
6:25:53who acknowledges
6:25:54we must further train the one who
6:25:56acknowledges quote unquote to become the
6:25:58one who knows quote unquote in
6:26:01accordance with the truth
6:26:02known as butthole
6:26:06if we don't clearly know in accordance
6:26:07with the truth then when we get annoyed
6:26:09at the sounds of people cars electric
6:26:11drills and so on
6:26:12this is just the ordinary untrained mind
6:26:14acknowledging the sound with annoyance
6:26:16it knows in accordance with its
6:26:18preferences not in accordance with the
6:26:20truth
6:26:21we must further train it to know with
6:26:23vision and insight nyana nyanadasana
6:26:26the power of the refined mind
6:26:28so that it knows the sound of simply
6:26:30sound
6:26:32if we don't cling to sound there's no
6:26:34annoyance
6:26:36the sound arises and we simply note it
6:26:38this is called truly knowing the arising
6:26:40of sense objects
6:26:42if we develop butthole
6:26:44clearly realizing the sound is sound
6:26:47then it doesn't deny us
6:26:48it arises according to conditions
6:26:51it's not a being an individual a self an
6:26:54us or a them
6:26:56it's just sound
6:26:57the mind lets go
6:27:00this knowing is called bud ho
6:27:02the knowledge that is clear and
6:27:04penetrating with this knowledge we can
6:27:06let the sound simply be sound
6:27:08it doesn't disturb us unless we disturb
6:27:10it by thinking i don't want to hear that
6:27:12sound it's annoying
6:27:16suffering arises because of this
6:27:17thinking
6:27:18right here is the cause of suffering
6:27:21that we don't know the truth of this
6:27:22matter we haven't developed the buddha
6:27:25we're not yet clear not yet awake not
6:27:26yet aware this is the raw untrained mind
6:27:31this mind is not yet truly useful to us
6:27:34therefore the buddha taught that this
6:27:35mind must be trained and developed
6:27:38we must develop the mind just like we
6:27:40develop the body but we do it in a
6:27:42different way
6:27:43to develop the body we must exercise it
6:27:46jogging in the morning and evening and
6:27:47so on this is exercising the body
6:27:50as a result the body becomes more agile
6:27:52stronger
6:27:53their respiratory and nervous systems
6:27:55become more efficient
6:27:56to exercise the mind we don't have to
6:27:58move it around but bring it to a halt
6:28:02bring it to rest
6:28:04for instance when we practice meditation
6:28:06we take an object such as the in and out
6:28:09breathing as our foundation this becomes
6:28:11the focus of our attention and
6:28:12reflection
6:28:13we look at the breathing
6:28:15to look at the breathing means to follow
6:28:16the breathing with awareness noting its
6:28:18rhythm it's coming and going we put
6:28:21awareness into the breath
6:28:23following the natural in and out
6:28:24breathing and letting go of all else
6:28:27as a result of staying on one object of
6:28:29awareness our mind becomes refreshed if
6:28:32we let the mind think of this of that or
6:28:33the other there are many objects of
6:28:35awareness
6:28:36the mind doesn't unify it doesn't come
6:28:38to rest
6:28:41to say the mind stops means that it
6:28:43feels as if it's stopped
6:28:45it doesn't go running here and there
6:28:47it's like having a sharp knife if we use
6:28:50the knife to cut at things
6:28:51indiscriminately such as stones bricks
6:28:53and grass our knife will quickly become
6:28:56blunt
6:28:56we should use it for cutting only the
6:28:58things that it was meant for
6:29:01our mind is the same if we let the mind
6:29:03wander after thoughts and feelings which
6:29:05have no value or use the mind becomes
6:29:07tired and weak
6:29:09if the mind has no energy wisdom will
6:29:11not arise because the mind without
6:29:13energy is the mind without samadhi
6:29:16if the mind hasn't stopped you can't
6:29:19clearly see the sense objects for what
6:29:20they are
6:29:22the knowledge that the mind is the mind
6:29:24sense objects are merely sense objects
6:29:26is the route from which buddhism has
6:29:27grown and developed this is the heart of
6:29:29buddhism
6:29:32we must cultivate this mind develop it
6:29:35training it in calm and insight we train
6:29:37the mind to have restraint and wisdom by
6:29:39letting the mind stop and allowing
6:29:41wisdom to arise
6:29:42by knowing the mind as it is
6:29:45you know the way we human beings are the
6:29:48way we do things are just like little
6:29:50children
6:29:51a child doesn't know anything
6:29:53to an adult observing the behavior of a
6:29:55child the way it plays and jumps around
6:29:57its actions don't seem to have much
6:29:59purpose
6:30:01if our mind is untrained it's just like
6:30:03a child
6:30:04we speak without awareness and act
6:30:05without wisdom
6:30:07we may fall to ruin or cause untold harm
6:30:09and not even know it
6:30:11a child is ignorant
6:30:12it plays as children do
6:30:14our ignorant mind is the same
6:30:18so we should train this mind the border
6:30:20taught us to train the mind to teach the
6:30:22mind even if we support buddhism with
6:30:25the four requisites our support is still
6:30:27superficial
6:30:28it reaches only the bark or the sapwood
6:30:31of the tree
6:30:32the real support of buddhism must be
6:30:34done through the practice nowhere else
6:30:37training our actions speech and thoughts
6:30:38according to the teachings
6:30:40this is much more fruitful
6:30:42if we are straight and honest possessed
6:30:44of restraint and wisdom our practice
6:30:46will bring prosperity
6:30:48there'll be no cause for spite and
6:30:49hostility this is how our religion
6:30:52teaches us
6:30:54if we determine the precepts simply out
6:30:56of tradition then even though the ajahn
6:30:58teaches the truth our practice will be
6:31:00deficient
6:31:02we may be able to study the teachings
6:31:04and repeat them but we have to practice
6:31:05them if we really want to understand
6:31:08if we do not develop the practice this
6:31:10may well be an obstacle to our
6:31:11penetrating to the heart of buddhism for
6:31:13countless lifetimes to come but not
6:31:15understand the essence of the buddhist
6:31:16religion
6:31:18therefore the practice is like a key
6:31:21the key of meditation
6:31:23if we have the right key in our hand no
6:31:25matter how tightly the lock is closed
6:31:27when we take the key and turn it the
6:31:29lock falls open
6:31:31if we have no key we can't open the lock
6:31:34we will never know what's in the trunk
6:31:38actually there are two kinds of
6:31:40knowledge
6:31:41one who knows the dhamma doesn't simply
6:31:42speak from memory he speaks the truth
6:31:45worldly people usually speak with
6:31:47conceit
6:31:49for example suppose there were two
6:31:50people who hadn't seen each other for a
6:31:52long time
6:31:53maybe they'd gone to live in different
6:31:55provinces or countries for a while and
6:31:57then one day they happened to meet on
6:31:58the train oh what a surprise i was just
6:32:02thinking of looking you up
6:32:03perhaps it's not true
6:32:05really they haven't thought of each
6:32:06other at all but they say it out of
6:32:08excitement and so it becomes a lie
6:32:11yes it's lying out of heedlessness
6:32:14this is lying without knowing it
6:32:16it's a subtle form of defilement and it
6:32:18happens very often
6:32:21so with regard to the mind tuccio potila
6:32:24followed the instructions of the novice
6:32:26breathing in breathing out mindfully
6:32:28aware of each breath until he saw the
6:32:30liar within him
6:32:31the lying of his own mind
6:32:33he saw the defilements as they came up
6:32:36just like the lizard coming out of the
6:32:37termite mound
6:32:39he saw them and perceived their true
6:32:40nature as soon as they arose
6:32:42he noticed how one minute the mind would
6:32:44concoct one thing the next moment
6:32:46something else
6:32:49thinking is a sankata dhamma a
6:32:52conditioned thing conventional reality
6:32:54as contrasted with the unconditioned
6:32:57it's a sanka to dhamma something which
6:32:59is created or concocted from supporting
6:33:01conditions
6:33:02it is not asanka dhamma the
6:33:04unconditioned
6:33:06the well-trained mind one with perfect
6:33:08awareness does not concoct mental states
6:33:11this kind of mind penetrates to the
6:33:13noble truths and transcends any need to
6:33:15depend on externals
6:33:17to know the noble truths is to know the
6:33:20truth
6:33:22the proliferating mind tries to avoid
6:33:24this truth saying that's good or this is
6:33:26beautiful
6:33:28but if there is buddho in the mind it
6:33:30can no longer deceive us because we know
6:33:32the mind as it is
6:33:35the mind can no longer create deluded
6:33:36mental states because there's the clear
6:33:38awareness
6:33:39that all mental states are unstable
6:33:41imperfect and a source of suffering to
6:33:44one who clings to them
6:33:47fortula the one who knows was constantly
6:33:50in his mind wherever he went
6:33:52he observed the various creations and
6:33:54proliferations of the mind with
6:33:56understanding
6:33:57he saw how the mind lied in so many ways
6:34:00he grasped the essence of the practice
6:34:02seeing that this lying mind is the one
6:34:05to watch
6:34:06this is the one which leads us into the
6:34:08extremes of happiness and suffering and
6:34:10causes us to endlessly spin around in
6:34:12the cycle of sansara
6:34:15with his pleasure and pain good and evil
6:34:17all because of this lying mind
6:34:20tu chopotilla realized the truth and
6:34:22grasped the essence of the practice just
6:34:24like a man grasping the tail of a lizard
6:34:26he saw the workings of the deluded mind
6:34:31for us it's the same
6:34:32only this mind is important
6:34:34that's why we need to train the mind
6:34:37now if the mind is the mind what are we
6:34:40going to train it with
6:34:42by having continuous sati and sampdanya
6:34:45will be able to know the mind
6:34:47this is one who
6:34:49this one who knows is a step beyond the
6:34:51mind it's that which knows the state of
6:34:54the mind
6:34:56the mind is the mind that which knows
6:34:57the mind is simply mind is the one who
6:35:00knows
6:35:01it is above the mind
6:35:03the one who knows is above the mind and
6:35:05that is how it is able to look after the
6:35:07mind to teach the mind to know what is
6:35:09right and what's wrong
6:35:11in the end everything comes back to this
6:35:13proliferating mind
6:35:15if the mind is caught up in its
6:35:16proliferations there is no awareness and
6:35:19the practice is fruitless
6:35:22so we must train this mind to hear the
6:35:24dhamma to cultivate the buddha the clear
6:35:26and radiant awareness
6:35:28that which exists above and beyond the
6:35:30ordinary mind and knows all that goes on
6:35:32within it this is why we meditate on the
6:35:34word but whole so that we can know the
6:35:36mind beyond the mind
6:35:39just observe all the mind's movements
6:35:41whether good or bad until the one who
6:35:43knows realizes that the mind is simply
6:35:45mind not a self or a person
6:35:48this is called chitanopasana
6:35:50contemplation of mind
6:35:53this is one of the four foundations of
6:35:54mindfulness
6:35:56and the third one of that group
6:35:58seeing in this way we will understand
6:36:00that the mind is transient imperfect and
6:36:02onless
6:36:04the mind does not belong to us
6:36:08we can summarize thus
6:36:10the mind is that which acknowledges
6:36:12sense objects sense objects are sense
6:36:15objects as distinct from the mind
6:36:18the one who knows knows both the mind
6:36:20and the sense objects what they are
6:36:23we must use sati to constantly cleanse
6:36:25the mind
6:36:26everybody has sati even a cat has it
6:36:28when it's going to catch a mouse
6:36:30a dog has it when it barks at people
6:36:33that is a form of sati
6:36:35but it's not sati according to the
6:36:36dhamma
6:36:37everybody has sati but there are
6:36:39different levels of it just as there are
6:36:41different levels of looking at things
6:36:43for instance when i say to contemplate
6:36:45the body some people say
6:36:47what's there to contemplate in the body
6:36:49anybody can see it
6:36:51quesar we can see already hair of the
6:36:53head loma hair of the body we can see
6:36:55already hair nails teeth and skin
6:36:58we can see already so what
6:37:02this is how people are
6:37:04they can see the body all right but
6:37:05they're seeing is faulty
6:37:07they don't see with the butthole the one
6:37:10who knows the awakened one
6:37:12they only see the body in the ordinary
6:37:14way they see it visually
6:37:17simply to see the body is not enough
6:37:19if we only see the body there is trouble
6:37:21you must see the body within the body
6:37:24then things become clearer
6:37:26just seeing the body you get fooled by
6:37:28it charmed by its appearance
6:37:30not seeing transience imperfection and
6:37:32oneness karma chanda since desire arises
6:37:37you become fascinated by forms sounds
6:37:39odors flavors and feelings
6:37:42seeing in this way is to see with the
6:37:43mundane eye of the flesh
6:37:45causing you to love and hate and
6:37:46discriminate into pleasant and
6:37:48unpleasant feeling
6:37:50the buddha taught that this is not
6:37:52enough
6:37:53you must see with the mind's eye
6:37:55see the body within the body
6:37:58if you really look into the body look
6:38:00it's so repulsive
6:38:02there are today's things and yesterday's
6:38:03things all mixed up there
6:38:07you can't tell what's what
6:38:09seeing in this way is much clearer than
6:38:11to see with the carnal eye
6:38:13contemplate see with the eye of the mind
6:38:16with the wisdom eye
6:38:19people understand this in different ways
6:38:21some people don't know what there is to
6:38:22contemplating the five meditations of
6:38:25head hair body hair nails teeth and skin
6:38:27they say they can see all those things
6:38:29already but they can only see them with
6:38:31the carnal eye with this crazy eye
6:38:34which only looks at things that it wants
6:38:36to look at
6:38:38to see the body in the body you have to
6:38:40look more clearly
6:38:42this is the practice that can uproot the
6:38:44clinging to the five kundas
6:38:47to uproot attachment is to uproot
6:38:49suffering because attachment to the five
6:38:51kundas is the cause of suffering
6:38:54if suffer right if suffering arises it
6:38:56is here
6:38:57it's not that the five condors are in
6:38:59themselves suffering but the clinging to
6:39:01them as being one's own that's the
6:39:03suffering
6:39:05if you see the truth of these things
6:39:07clearly through meditation practice then
6:39:09suffering becomes unwound like a screw
6:39:12or a bolt
6:39:13when the bolt is unwound it withdraws
6:39:16the mind unwinds in the same way
6:39:19letting go withdrawing from the
6:39:21obsession with good and evil
6:39:23possessions praise and status
6:39:26happiness and suffering
6:39:28if we don't know the truth of these
6:39:30things it's like tightening the screw
6:39:31all the time
6:39:33it gets tighter and tighter until it's
6:39:34crushing you and you suffer over
6:39:36everything
6:39:37when you know how things are then you
6:39:39unwind the screw
6:39:41in dhamma language we call this the
6:39:43arising of nipita disenchantment world
6:39:46weariness
6:39:49you become weary of things and lay down
6:39:51the fascination with them if you unwind
6:39:53in this way you will find peace
6:39:57the cause of suffering is clinging to
6:39:59things so we should get rid of the cause
6:40:02cut off its root and not allow it to
6:40:03cause suffering again
6:40:06people have only one problem the problem
6:40:08of clinging
6:40:10just because of this one thing people
6:40:11will kill each other
6:40:13all problems be the individual family or
6:40:15social arise from this one route
6:40:19nobody wins
6:40:20they kill each other but in the end no
6:40:22one gets anything it's all pointless i
6:40:25don't know why people keep on killing
6:40:26each other
6:40:29power
6:40:30possessions status praise
6:40:33happiness and suffering
6:40:35these are the worldly dumbest
6:40:37these worldly dumbest engulf worldly
6:40:39beings
6:40:41wealthy beings are led around by the
6:40:42worldly dumbest gain and loss
6:40:45acclaim and slander
6:40:47status and loss of status happiness and
6:40:49suffering
6:40:51these dumbers are troublemakers if you
6:40:53don't reflect on their true nature you
6:40:55will suffer
6:40:56people even commit murder for the sake
6:40:58of wealth status or power
6:41:01why
6:41:02because they take this too seriously
6:41:05they get appointed to some position and
6:41:07it goes to their heads like the man who
6:41:09became the headman of the village
6:41:11after his appointment he became power
6:41:13drunk
6:41:14if any of his old friends came to see
6:41:15him he'd say don't come around so often
6:41:18things aren't the same anymore
6:41:22the buddha taught us to understand the
6:41:23nature of possessions status praise and
6:41:26happiness
6:41:27take these things as they come but let
6:41:29them be
6:41:31don't let them go to your head
6:41:33if you don't really understand these
6:41:34things you become fooled by your power
6:41:37your children your relatives by
6:41:38everything
6:41:40if you understand them clearly you know
6:41:42they're all impermanent conditions if
6:41:44you cling to them they become defiled
6:41:49all of these things arise afterwards
6:41:51when people are first born they are
6:41:53simply nama and rupa mind and body
6:41:55that's all
6:41:56we add on the business of mr jones miss
6:41:59smith or whatever later on
6:42:02this is done according to convention
6:42:04still later there are the appendages of
6:42:07colonel general and so on
6:42:09if we don't really understand these
6:42:11things we think they're real carry them
6:42:12around with us
6:42:14we carry possessions status name and
6:42:17rank around
6:42:18if you have power you can call all the
6:42:20tunes
6:42:21take this one and execute him take that
6:42:23one and throw him in jail
6:42:25rank gives power
6:42:27clinging here takes hold of the word
6:42:29rank
6:42:30as soon as people have rank they start
6:42:32giving orders
6:42:34right or wrong they just act on their
6:42:35moods so they go on making the same old
6:42:38mistakes deviating further and further
6:42:40from the true path
6:42:43one who understands the dhamma won't
6:42:44behave like this good and evil have been
6:42:47in the world since who knows when
6:42:49if possessions and status come your way
6:42:51then let them simply be possessions and
6:42:53status
6:42:54don't let them become your identity
6:42:56just use them to fulfill your
6:42:57obligations and leave it at that
6:43:00you remain unchanged
6:43:02if we have meditated on these things no
6:43:04matter what comes our way will not be
6:43:06misled by it we will be untroubled
6:43:09unaffected and constant
6:43:11everything is pretty much the same after
6:43:13all
6:43:14this is how the buddha wanted us to
6:43:16understand things no matter what you
6:43:18receive the mind does not add anything
6:43:20to it
6:43:22they appoint you a city councillor okay
6:43:24so i'm a city councillor
6:43:26but i'm not they appoint you the head of
6:43:29the group
6:43:30sure i am but i'm not
6:43:33whatever they make of you yes i am but
6:43:36i'm not
6:43:38in the end what are we anyway
6:43:40we all just die in the end no matter
6:43:42what they make you in the end it's all
6:43:44the same
6:43:45what can you say
6:43:47if you can see things in this way you
6:43:49will have a solid abiding and true
6:43:50contentment nothing has changed
6:43:54don't be fooled by things whatever comes
6:43:56your way is just conditions there's
6:43:58nothing which can entice a mind like
6:44:00this to create or proliferate to seduce
6:44:02it into greed aversion or delusion
6:44:05this is what it is to be a true
6:44:07supporter of buddhism
6:44:09whether you are among those who are
6:44:10being supported i.e the sangha or those
6:44:12who are supporting the laity
6:44:15please consider this thoroughly
6:44:17cultivate the sila danma the moral
6:44:19teachings of buddhism within you
6:44:21this is the surest way to support
6:44:23buddhism
6:44:24to support buddhism with the offerings
6:44:26of food shelter and medicine is good
6:44:28also
6:44:29but such offerings only reach the
6:44:30sapwood of buddhism
6:44:32please don't forget this a tree has bark
6:44:35sapwood and heartwood and these three
6:44:37parts are interdependent
6:44:39the heartwood must rely on the bark and
6:44:41the sapwood the sapwood relies on the
6:44:43bark and the heartwood they all exist
6:44:45interdependently just like the teachings
6:44:47of moral discipline concentration and
6:44:49wisdom
6:44:51a teaching on moral discipline is to
6:44:52establish your speech and actions in
6:44:54rectitude
6:44:55the teaching on concentration is to
6:44:57firmly fix the mind
6:44:59the teaching on wisdom is the thorough
6:45:01understanding of the nature of all
6:45:02conditions
6:45:03study this practice
6:45:05and you will understand buddhism in the
6:45:06most profound way
6:45:08if you don't realize these things you
6:45:10will be fooled by possessions fooled by
6:45:13rank fooled by anything you come in
6:45:15contact with
6:45:16simply supporting buddhism in the
6:45:17external way will never put an end to
6:45:19the fighting and squabbling the grudges
6:45:21and animosity the stabbing and shooting
6:45:25if these things are to cease we must
6:45:26reflect on the nature of possessions
6:45:29rank praise happiness and suffering
6:45:32we must consider our lives and bring
6:45:34them in line with the teaching
6:45:36we should reflect that all beings in the
6:45:37world are part of one whole
6:45:40we are like them they are like us
6:45:42they have happiness and suffering just
6:45:44like we do
6:45:45it's all much the same
6:45:47if we reflect in this way peace and
6:45:49understanding will arise
6:45:50this is the foundation of buddhism
6:45:54this is the
6:45:5617th talk in the collection
6:46:00this is entitled transcendence
6:46:02and this was originally published in the
6:46:04book food for the heart that's the um
6:46:07the original small one printed in
6:46:08thailand rather than the the large
6:46:11book
6:46:11printed by wisdom publications um so
6:46:14food for the heart and this was
6:46:17translated by bruce evans pariso
6:46:20and it was a talk given on a lunar
6:46:22observance night
6:46:23at wat papong in 1975
6:46:28transcendence when the group of five
6:46:31ascetics abandoned the buddha he saw it
6:46:33as a stroke of luck
6:46:35because he will be able to continue his
6:46:36practice unhindered
6:46:38with the five ascetics living with him
6:46:40things weren't so peaceful he had
6:46:42responsibilities
6:46:44now the five ascetics had abandoned him
6:46:46because they felt that he had slackened
6:46:48his practice and reverted to indulgence
6:46:51previously he had been intent on his
6:46:53ascetic practices and his
6:46:55self-mortification
6:46:57in regards to eating sleeping and so on
6:46:59he had tormented himself severely but it
6:47:01came to a point where looking into it
6:47:03honestly he saw that such practices just
6:47:06weren't working
6:47:07it was simply a matter of views
6:47:09practicing out of pride and clinging he
6:47:12had mistaken worldly values and mistaken
6:47:15himself for the truth
6:47:18for example if one decides to throw
6:47:20oneself into ascetic practices with the
6:47:23intention of gaining praise
6:47:25this kind of practice is all world
6:47:27inspired practicing for adulation and
6:47:30fame
6:47:31practicing with this kind of intention
6:47:33is called mistaking worldly ways for
6:47:35truth
6:47:37another way to practice is to mistake
6:47:40one's own views for truth
6:47:43you only believe in yourself in your own
6:47:45practice no matter what others say you
6:47:47stick to your own preferences
6:47:49you don't carefully consider the
6:47:50practice this is called mistaking
6:47:52oneself for truth
6:47:55whether you take the world or you take
6:47:57yourself to be truth it's all simply
6:47:59blind attachment the buddha saw this and
6:48:01saw that there was no adhering to the
6:48:03dhamma
6:48:04no practicing for the truth
6:48:06so his practice had been fruitless he
6:48:09still hadn't given up defilements
6:48:12then he turned around and reconsidered
6:48:14all the work that he put into practice
6:48:16right from the beginning in terms of
6:48:17results
6:48:19what were the results of all that
6:48:20practice
6:48:22looking deeply into it he saw that it
6:48:25just wasn't right
6:48:26it was full of conceit and full of the
6:48:28world
6:48:29there was no dhamma no insight into
6:48:31not-self
6:48:33no emptiness or letting
6:48:34go there me there may have been a kind
6:48:37of letting go but it was the kind that
6:48:39still hadn't let go
6:48:42looking carefully at the situation the
6:48:44buddha saw that even if he were to
6:48:45explain these things to the five
6:48:47ascetics they wouldn't be able to
6:48:49understand it wasn't something he could
6:48:51easily convey to them because those
6:48:53ascetics were still firmly entrenched in
6:48:55the old way of practice and seeing
6:48:57things
6:48:58the buddha saw that you could practice
6:49:00like that until your dying day maybe
6:49:02even starved to death and achieve
6:49:04nothing
6:49:05because such practice is inspired by
6:49:07worldly values and by pride
6:49:11considering deeply he saw the right
6:49:13practice
6:49:15the mind is the mind the body is the
6:49:17body
6:49:18the body isn't
6:49:20desire or defilement
6:49:22even if you were to destroy the body you
6:49:23wouldn't destroy defilements that's not
6:49:26their source
6:49:27even fasting and going without sleep
6:49:29until the body was a shoulder shriveled
6:49:31up wraith wouldn't exhaust the
6:49:33defilements
6:49:34but the belief the defilements could be
6:49:36dispelled in that way
6:49:38the teaching of self-mortification was
6:49:40deeply ingrained into the five ascetics
6:49:43the buddha then began to take more food
6:49:45eating as normal practicing in a more
6:49:47natural way
6:49:49when the five ascetics saw the change in
6:49:51the buddhist practice they figured that
6:49:52he'd given up and reverted to sensual
6:49:54indulgence
6:49:56one person's understanding was shifting
6:49:57to a higher level
6:49:59transcending appearances
6:50:01while the other saw that that person's
6:50:02view was sliding downwards reverting to
6:50:05comfort
6:50:07self-mortification was deeply ingrained
6:50:08into the minds of the five ascetics
6:50:10because the buddha had previously taught
6:50:12and practiced like that now he saw the
6:50:14fault in it
6:50:16by seeing the fault in it clearly he was
6:50:18able to let go
6:50:21when the five ascetics saw the buddha
6:50:23doing this they left him feeling that
6:50:25because he was practicing wrongly they
6:50:27would no longer follow him
6:50:29just as birds abandon a tree which no
6:50:31longer offers sufficient shade or fish
6:50:33leave a pool of water that's too small
6:50:35too dirty or not cool
6:50:37just so did the five ascetics abandon
6:50:39the buddha
6:50:41so now the buddha concentrated on
6:50:42contemplating the dhamma
6:50:44he ate more comfortably and lived more
6:50:45naturally he let the mind be simply the
6:50:48mind the body simply the body
6:50:50he didn't force his practice in excess
6:50:53just enough to loosen the grip of greed
6:50:55aversion and delusion
6:50:59previously he had walked the two
6:51:01extremes
6:51:02kamusu kalikanu yogo
6:51:04if happiness or love arose he would be
6:51:06aroused and attached to them
6:51:08he would identify with them and he
6:51:09wouldn't let go
6:51:11if he encountered pleasantness he would
6:51:13stick to that
6:51:14if he encountered suffering he would
6:51:16stick to that
6:51:17these two extremes he called
6:51:19kamusukalikanuyoko and atakila
6:51:21matanuyogo
6:51:24the buddha had been stuck on conditions
6:51:26he saw clearly that these two ways are
6:51:28not the ways for a summoner
6:51:31clinging to happiness clinging to
6:51:32suffering a summoner is not like this
6:51:37to cling to those things is not the way
6:51:40clinging to those things he was stuck in
6:51:42the views of the world and the self
6:51:44if he were to flounder in these two ways
6:51:46he would never become one who clearly
6:51:48knew the world
6:51:49he would be constantly running from one
6:51:51extreme to the other
6:51:53now the buddha fixed his attention on
6:51:54the mind itself and concerned himself
6:51:57with training that
6:52:00all facets of nature proceed according
6:52:02to their supporting conditions
6:52:04they aren't any problem in themselves
6:52:07for instance
6:52:08illnesses in the body
6:52:10the body experiences pain sickness fever
6:52:13and colds and so on these all naturally
6:52:15occur
6:52:16actually people worry about their bodies
6:52:18too much they worry about and cling to
6:52:21their bodies so much because of wrong
6:52:22view they can't let go
6:52:25look at this hall here
6:52:27we build the hall and we say it's ours
6:52:30but lizards come and live here rats and
6:52:32geckos come and live here
6:52:34and we're always driving them away
6:52:36because we see that the hall belongs to
6:52:38us not the rats and lizards
6:52:41it's the same with illnesses in the body
6:52:43we take this body to be our home
6:52:46something that really belongs to us if
6:52:48we happen to get a headache or a stomach
6:52:50ache we get upset
6:52:51we don't want the pain and suffering
6:52:54these legs are our legs
6:52:56we don't want them to hurt these arms
6:52:58are our arms
6:53:00we don't want anything to go wrong with
6:53:01them
6:53:02we've got to cure all pains and
6:53:04illnesses at all costs
6:53:07this is where we are fooled and stray
6:53:08from the truth
6:53:10we are simply visitors to this body
6:53:13just like this hall here it's not really
6:53:15ours
6:53:16we are simply temporary tenants like the
6:53:19rats lizards and geckos
6:53:21but we don't know this
6:53:23the body is the same
6:53:25actually the buddha taught that there is
6:53:26no abiding self within this body but we
6:53:29go and grasp onto it as being ourself
6:53:31as really being us and then
6:53:34when the body changes we don't want it
6:53:36to do so no matter how much we are told
6:53:39we don't understand
6:53:41if i say it straight you get even more
6:53:43fooled this isn't yourself i say and you
6:53:47go even more astray you get even more
6:53:49confused and your practice just
6:53:50reinforces the self
6:53:54so most people don't really see the self
6:53:57one who sees the self is one who sees
6:53:59that this is neither the self nor
6:54:00belonging to self
6:54:02he sees the self as it is in nature
6:54:05seeing the self through the power of
6:54:07clinging is not real seeing
6:54:10clingy interferes with the whole
6:54:11business
6:54:12not easy to realize this body as it is
6:54:14because upadhana clings fast to it all
6:54:19therefore it's said that we must
6:54:20investigate to clearly know with wisdom
6:54:23this means to investigate the sankhara
6:54:25according to their true nature use
6:54:27wisdom
6:54:28knowing the true nature of sankara is
6:54:30wisdom
6:54:31if you don't know the true nature of
6:54:32sankara you are at odds with them always
6:54:35resisting them
6:54:37now it's better to let go of the sankara
6:54:40than to try to oppose or resist them and
6:54:42yet we plead with them to comply with
6:54:44our wishes
6:54:46we look for all sorts of means to
6:54:47organize them or make a deal with them
6:54:50if the body gets sick and is in pain we
6:54:52don't want it to be so we look for
6:54:53various suitors to chant such as bojango
6:54:56or the tamachaka
6:54:59and so on
6:55:00we don't want the body to be in pain we
6:55:02want to protect it control it
6:55:05these suitors become some form of
6:55:07mystical ceremony getting us even more
6:55:09entangled in clinging
6:55:11this is because they chart them in order
6:55:12to ward off illness to prolong life and
6:55:15so on
6:55:16actually the buddha gave us these
6:55:17teachings in order to see clearly but we
6:55:20end up chanting them to increase our
6:55:22delusion
6:55:31the body is impermanent feelings
6:55:32impermanent perception is impermanent
6:55:34mental formations are impermanent
6:55:36consciousness is impermanent
6:55:38we don't chart these words for
6:55:39increasing our delusion their
6:55:41recollections to help us know the truth
6:55:43of the body so that we can let it go and
6:55:45give up our longing
6:55:47this is called chanting to cut things
6:55:49down but we tend to chant in order to
6:55:52extend them all
6:55:53or if we feel they're too long we try
6:55:55chanting to shorten them to force nature
6:55:57to conform to our wishes
6:55:59it's all delusion
6:56:01all the people sitting here in the hall
6:56:02are deluded every one of them
6:56:04the ones chanting are deluded the ones
6:56:06listening are deluded they're all
6:56:07deluded
6:56:09all they can think is how can we avoid
6:56:11suffering
6:56:12when are they ever going to practice
6:56:18whenever illnesses arise those who know
6:56:20see nothing strange about it
6:56:22getting born into this world entails
6:56:24experiencing illness however even the
6:56:26buddha and the noble ones contracting
6:56:28illness in the course of things would
6:56:30also in the course of things treat it
6:56:32with medicine for them it was simply a
6:56:34matter of correcting the elements
6:56:36they didn't blindly cling to the body or
6:56:38grasp of mystic ceremonies and such
6:56:41they treated illnesses with right view
6:56:42they didn't treat them with delusion
6:56:45if it heals it heals if it doesn't then
6:56:47it doesn't that's how they saw things
6:56:52they say that nowadays buddhism in
6:56:54thailand is thriving but it looks to me
6:56:57like it's sunk as far as it can go
6:56:59the dhamma halls are full of attentive
6:57:01ears but they're attending wrongly
6:57:03even the senior members of the community
6:57:05are like this so everybody just leads
6:57:07each other into more delusion
6:57:10one who sees this will know that the
6:57:11true practice is almost opposite from
6:57:13where most people are going
6:57:15the two sides can barely understand each
6:57:17other
6:57:18how are those people going to transcend
6:57:20suffering
6:57:22they have chance for realizing the truth
6:57:24but they turn around and use them to
6:57:26increase their delusion
6:57:27they turn their backs on the right path
6:57:30one goes eastward the other goes west
6:57:32how are they ever going to meet
6:57:34they're not even close to each other
6:57:37if you've looked into this you'll see
6:57:38that this is the case
6:57:40most people are lost but how can you
6:57:42tell them
6:57:44everything has become rights and rituals
6:57:45and mystic ceremonies
6:57:47they chant for their chant with foolish
6:57:49foolishness
6:57:50they don't chant with wisdom they study
6:57:52but they study with foolishness not with
6:57:54wisdom they know but they know foolishly
6:57:57not with wisdom
6:57:59so they end up going with foolishness
6:58:01living with foolishness knowing with
6:58:03foolishness
6:58:04that's how it is
6:58:05and regarding teaching all they do these
6:58:07days is teach people to be stupid they
6:58:10say they're teaching people to be clever
6:58:11giving them knowledge but when you look
6:58:13at it in terms of truth you see that
6:58:15they're really teaching people to go
6:58:16astray and grasp at deceptions
6:58:19the real foundation of the teaching is
6:58:21in order to see
6:58:23the sense of self as being empty having
6:58:26no fixed identity
6:58:27it's void of intrinsic being
6:58:29but people come to the study of dhamma
6:58:31to increase their self-view they don't
6:58:33want to experience suffering or
6:58:34difficulty they want everything to be
6:58:36cozy they may want to transcend
6:58:39suffering but if there's still a self
6:58:41how can they ever do so
6:58:44suppose we came to possess a very
6:58:46expensive object
6:58:48the minute that thing comes into our
6:58:49possession our mind changes now
6:58:52where can i keep it if i leave it there
6:58:54somebody might steal it
6:58:56we worry ourselves into a state trying
6:58:59to find a place to keep it
6:59:01and when did the mind change
6:59:02it changed the minute we obtained that
6:59:05object suffering arose right then
6:59:08no matter where we leave that object we
6:59:10can't relax so we're left with trouble
6:59:12whether sitting walking or lying down
6:59:14we're lost in worry
6:59:17this is suffering
6:59:18and when did it arise it arose as soon
6:59:21as we understood that we had obtained
6:59:23something
6:59:24that's where the suffering lies
6:59:26before we had that object there was no
6:59:28suffering it hadn't yet arisen because
6:59:30there wasn't yet an object for us to
6:59:32cling to
6:59:35the self is the same
6:59:37if we think in terms of myself then
6:59:40everything around us becomes mine
6:59:42confusion follows
6:59:44why so
6:59:45the cause of it all is that there is a
6:59:47self
6:59:48we don't peel off the apparent in order
6:59:50to see the transcendent
6:59:52you see
6:59:53the self is only an appearance
6:59:56you have to peel away the appearances in
6:59:58order to see the heart of the matter
7:00:00which is transcendence
7:00:03upturn the apparent to find the
7:00:05transcendent
7:00:07you could compare it to unthreshed rice
7:00:09can unthreshed rice be eaten
7:00:12sure it can but you must thrash it first
7:00:14get rid of the husks and you will find
7:00:16the grain inside
7:00:18now if you don't thresh the husks you
7:00:20won't find the grain
7:00:22like a dog sleeping on the pile of
7:00:23unthreshed grain its stomach is rumbling
7:00:26your job
7:00:28but all it all it can do is lie there
7:00:30thinking where can i get something to
7:00:31eat
7:00:33when it's hungry it bans off the pile of
7:00:35rice grain and runs off looking for
7:00:37scraps of food
7:00:38even though it's sleeping right on top
7:00:40of a pile of food it knows nothing of it
7:00:43why it can't see the rice
7:00:46dogs can't eat unthreshed rice
7:00:48the food is there but the dog can't eat
7:00:50it
7:00:53we may have learning but if we don't
7:00:54practice accordingly we still don't
7:00:56really know
7:00:57we're just as oblivious as the dog
7:00:59sleeping on the pile of rice grain
7:01:01it's sleeping on a pile of food but it
7:01:03knows nothing of it
7:01:05when it gets hungry it's got to jump off
7:01:07and go trotting around elsewhere for
7:01:08food
7:01:09it's a shame isn't it there is rice
7:01:12grain but what's hiding it
7:01:15the husk hides the grain so the dog
7:01:17can't eat it
7:01:19and there is the transcendent
7:01:20what hides it
7:01:22the apparent conceals the transcendent
7:01:24making people simply sit on top of the
7:01:26pile of rice unable to eat it
7:01:29unable to practice unable to see the
7:01:31transcendent and so they simply get
7:01:33stuck in appearances time and time again
7:01:36if you're stuck in appearances suffering
7:01:38is in store
7:01:39you'll be beset by becoming birth old
7:01:42age sickness and death
7:01:45so there isn't anything else blocking
7:01:47people off they're blocked right here
7:01:50people who study the dharma without
7:01:51penetrating to its true meaning just
7:01:53like the dog on the pile of unthreshed
7:01:55rice who doesn't know the rice
7:01:57he might even starve and still find
7:01:59nothing to eat
7:02:00a dog can't eat unthreshed rice it
7:02:03doesn't even know there's food there
7:02:05after a long time without food it may
7:02:07even die on top of that pile of rice
7:02:10people are like this
7:02:12no matter how much we study the dhamma
7:02:13of the buddha we won't see it if we
7:02:15don't practice
7:02:16if we don't see it then we don't know it
7:02:20don't go thinking that by learning a lot
7:02:22and knowing a lot
7:02:23you'll know the buddha dhamma
7:02:25that's like saying you've seen
7:02:26everything there is to see just because
7:02:28you've got eyes or that you've got ears
7:02:31you may see but you don't see fully
7:02:34you see only with the outer eye not with
7:02:36the inner eye
7:02:37you hear with the outer ear not with the
7:02:40inner ear
7:02:42if you upturn the apparent and reveal
7:02:44the transcendent you will reach the
7:02:45truth and see clearly you will uproot
7:02:47the apparent and uproot clinging
7:02:51but this is just like some sort of sweet
7:02:53fruit
7:02:54even though the fruit is sweet we must
7:02:56rely on contact with an experience of
7:02:58that fruit before we will know what the
7:03:00taste is like
7:03:02know that fruit now that fruit even
7:03:04though no one tastes it is sweet all the
7:03:06same
7:03:07but nobody knows it
7:03:09the dhamma of the buddha is like this
7:03:11even though it's the truth it isn't true
7:03:13for those who don't really know it
7:03:15no matter how excellent or fine it may
7:03:17be it's worthless to them
7:03:22so why do people grab after suffering
7:03:25who in this world wants to inflict
7:03:27suffering on themselves
7:03:29no one of course
7:03:31nobody wants suffering and yet people
7:03:32keep creating the causes of suffering
7:03:35just as if they were wandering around
7:03:36looking for suffering
7:03:38within their hearts people are looking
7:03:40for happiness they don't want suffering
7:03:42then why is it that this mind of ours
7:03:44creates so much suffering
7:03:47just seeing this much is enough
7:03:49we don't like suffering and yet why do
7:03:51we create suffering for ourselves
7:03:54it's easy to see but it can only be
7:03:56because we don't know suffering we don't
7:03:58know the end of suffering that's why
7:04:00people behave in the way they do
7:04:02how could they not suffer when they
7:04:03continue to behave in this way
7:04:07these people have michael ditty wrong
7:04:09view but they don't see that it is
7:04:11michael ditty
7:04:13whatever we say believe in or do which
7:04:14results in suffering it's all wrong view
7:04:17if it wasn't wrong view it wouldn't
7:04:19result in suffering
7:04:20we couldn't cling to suffering or to
7:04:22happiness or to any condition at all
7:04:24we would leave things be in their
7:04:25natural way like a flowing stream of
7:04:27water
7:04:29we don't have to damn it up we should
7:04:30just let it flow along its natural
7:04:32course
7:04:34flow of dhamma is like this but the flow
7:04:36of the ignorant mind tries to resist
7:04:38donor in the form of wrong view
7:04:42suffering is there because of wrong view
7:04:44this people don't see
7:04:46this is worth looking into
7:04:48whenever we have wrong view we will
7:04:49experience suffering if we don't
7:04:51experience in the present it will it
7:04:53will manifest later on
7:04:57people go astray right here what is
7:04:59blocking them off
7:05:01the apparent blocks off the transcendent
7:05:04preventing people from seeing things
7:05:06clearly
7:05:07people study they learn they practice
7:05:09but they practice with ignorance just
7:05:11like a person who's lost his bearings he
7:05:13walks to the west but thinks he's
7:05:15walking east
7:05:16or walks to the north thinking he's
7:05:18walking south
7:05:20this is how far people have gone astray
7:05:22this kind of practice is really only the
7:05:24dregs of practice
7:05:26in fact it's a disaster
7:05:28it's a disaster because they turn around
7:05:31and go in the opposite direction
7:05:33they fall from the objective of true
7:05:35dharma practice
7:05:37actually this is a pun that hashem cha
7:05:39was very fond of using so the word for
7:05:41practice is patibat
7:05:43and the word for disaster is
7:05:46so he would often say
7:05:48how rather than developing the practice
7:05:50rather than developing the patti part
7:05:52people are instead developing the vibe
7:05:55developing this is not called developing
7:05:57the practice this is called developing
7:05:59disaster
7:06:01this state of affairs causes suffering
7:06:03yet people think that doing this
7:06:05memorizing that studying such and such
7:06:07will be a cause for the cessation of
7:06:08suffering
7:06:09just like a person who wants to get a
7:06:11lot of things
7:06:12he tries to amass as much as possible
7:06:14thinking if he gets enough his suffering
7:06:16will evade
7:06:18this is how people think but their
7:06:20thinking goes astray of the true path
7:06:22just like one person going northward
7:06:24another going southward and yet both
7:06:26believing they're going the same way
7:06:29most people are still stuck in the mass
7:06:31of suffering still wandering in sansara
7:06:33just because they think like this
7:06:36if illness or pain arise all they can do
7:06:38is wonder how they can get rid of it
7:06:40they want it to stop as fast as possible
7:06:42they've got to cure it at all costs
7:06:44they don't consider that this is the
7:06:46normal way of sankara
7:06:48nobody thinks like this
7:06:50the body changes and people can't endure
7:06:52it they can't accept it
7:06:54they've got to get rid of it at all
7:06:55costs
7:06:57however in the end they can't win they
7:06:59can't beat the truth it all collapses
7:07:01this is something people don't want to
7:07:03look at they continually reinforce their
7:07:05wrong views
7:07:09now practicing to realize the dhamma is
7:07:11the most excellent of things
7:07:13why do the buddha develop all the
7:07:14perfections so that he could realize
7:07:17this and enable others to see the dhamma
7:07:19know the dharma practice the dhamma and
7:07:21be the dhamma
7:07:22so that they could let go and not be
7:07:24burdened
7:07:26don't cling to things or to put it
7:07:28another way hold but don't hold fast
7:07:31this is also right
7:07:33if we see something we pick it up oh
7:07:36it's this
7:07:38then we lay it down
7:07:40we see something else pick it up and
7:07:42hold it but not fast
7:07:44we hold it just long enough to consider
7:07:46it to know it than to let it go
7:07:50if you hold without letting go
7:07:52carrying without laying down the burden
7:07:54then you're going to be heavy
7:07:56if you pick something up and carry it
7:07:57for a while then when it gets heavy you
7:07:59should lay it down throw it off
7:08:01don't make suffering for yourself
7:08:04this we should know as the cause of
7:08:06suffering
7:08:07if we know the cause of suffering
7:08:08suffering cannot arise
7:08:11for either happiness or suffering to
7:08:12arise there must be the atta the self
7:08:15there must be the i and mine
7:08:18there must be this appearance
7:08:20if when all these things arise the mind
7:08:22goes straight to the transcendent it
7:08:24removes the appearances it removes the
7:08:26delight the aversion and the clinging
7:08:28from those things just as when something
7:08:30that we value gets lost
7:08:32when we find it again our worries
7:08:34disappear
7:08:37even before we see that object our
7:08:38worries may be relieved
7:08:40at first we think it's lost and suffer
7:08:42over it but there comes a day when we
7:08:44suddenly remember oh that's right i put
7:08:46it over there now i remember
7:08:50as soon as we remember this as soon as
7:08:52we see the truth even if we haven't laid
7:08:54eyes on that object we feel happy
7:08:57this is called seeing within
7:08:59seeing with the mind's eye not seeing
7:09:01with the outer eye
7:09:03if we see with the mind's eye then even
7:09:05though we haven't laid eyes on an object
7:09:07we are already relieved
7:09:10similarly when we cultivate dharma
7:09:12practice and attain the dhamma see the
7:09:14dhamma then whenever we encounter a
7:09:16problem we solve the problem instantly
7:09:18right then and there it disappears
7:09:20completely it's laid down released
7:09:24the buddha wanted us to contact the
7:09:26dhamma but people only contact the words
7:09:28the books and the scriptures about
7:09:30dhamma not contacting the actual dhamma
7:09:33as taught by our great teacher
7:09:36how can people say they are practicing
7:09:38well and properly they are a long way
7:09:39off
7:09:42the buddha was known as loka vidu having
7:09:44clearly realized the world
7:09:46right now we see the world all right but
7:09:48not clearly
7:09:49the more we know the darker the world
7:09:51becomes because our knowledge is murky
7:09:53it's not clear knowledge
7:09:56it's faulty
7:09:57this is called knowing through darkness
7:10:00lacking in light and radiance
7:10:04people are only stuck here
7:10:06but it's no trifling matter
7:10:08it's important most people want goodness
7:10:10and happiness but they just don't know
7:10:12what the causes for that goodness and
7:10:13happiness are
7:10:15whatever it may be if we haven't yet
7:10:16seen the harm of it we can't give it up
7:10:19no matter how bad it may be we still
7:10:21can't give it up if we haven't truly
7:10:23seen the harm of it
7:10:25however if we really see the heart of
7:10:27something beyond a doubt then we can let
7:10:29it go
7:10:30as soon as we see the harm of something
7:10:32and the benefit of giving it up there's
7:10:34an immediate change
7:10:38why is it we are still unattained still
7:10:41cannot let go
7:10:43it's because we still don't see the harm
7:10:45clearly our knowledge is faulty it's
7:10:47dark
7:10:49that's why we can't let go
7:10:51if we knew clearly like the lord buddha
7:10:52or the arahant disciples we would surely
7:10:55let go
7:10:56our problems would dissolve completely
7:10:57with no difficulty at all
7:11:00when your ears hear sound let them do
7:11:02their job
7:11:03when your eyes perform their function
7:11:05with forms let them do so
7:11:07when your nose works with smells let it
7:11:09do its job
7:11:10when your body experiences sensations
7:11:12then
7:11:13it performs its natural functions
7:11:16where will problems arise
7:11:18there are no problems
7:11:22in the same way all those things which
7:11:23belong to the apparent leave them with
7:11:25the apparent and acknowledge that which
7:11:28is the transcendent
7:11:30simply be
7:11:31the one who knows
7:11:33knowing without fixation knowing and
7:11:35letting things be in their natural way
7:11:37all things are just as they are
7:11:42all our belongings
7:11:44does anybody really own them
7:11:47does our father own them or our mother
7:11:49or our relatives
7:11:51nobody really gets anything
7:11:55that's why the buddha said to let all
7:11:56those things be let them go
7:11:59know them clearly
7:12:00know them by holding but not fast
7:12:03use things in a way that is beneficial
7:12:05not in a harmful way by holding fast to
7:12:07them until suffering arises
7:12:10to know dhamma is
7:12:12to know in such a way as to transcend
7:12:14suffering
7:12:15this sort of knowledge is important
7:12:17knowing about how to make things to use
7:12:19tools knowing all the various sciences
7:12:21the world and so on they all have their
7:12:23place
7:12:24but they are not the supreme knowledge
7:12:27the dhamma must be known of isaac as i
7:12:29have explained it here
7:12:31you don't have to know a whole lot
7:12:33just as much is enough for the dhamma
7:12:35practitioner to know and then let go
7:12:39it's not that you have to die before you
7:12:41can transcend suffering you know
7:12:43you transcend suffering in this very
7:12:45life because you know how to solve
7:12:47problems
7:12:48you know the apparent you know the
7:12:50transcendent do it in this lifetime
7:12:53while you're here practicing you won't
7:12:55find it anywhere else don't think of
7:12:57things
7:12:58hold but don't cling
7:13:00you may wonder
7:13:02why does the ajahn keep saying this
7:13:05how could i teach otherwise how could i
7:13:07say otherwise when the truth is just as
7:13:09i've said it
7:13:10even though it's the truth don't hold
7:13:12fast even to that
7:13:13if you cling to it blindly it becomes a
7:13:15falsehood
7:13:17like a dog if you grab its leg if you
7:13:19don't let go the dog will spin around
7:13:20and bite you just try it out
7:13:23all animals behave like this
7:13:25if you don't let go it's got no choice
7:13:27but to bite
7:13:28the apparent is the same
7:13:30we live in accordance with conventions
7:13:33they are here for our convenience in
7:13:34this life but they're not things to be
7:13:36clung to so hard that they cause
7:13:38suffering
7:13:39just let things pass
7:13:42whenever we feel that we are definitely
7:13:44right so much so that we refuse to open
7:13:46up to anything or anybody else right
7:13:48there we are wrong
7:13:50it becomes wrong view
7:13:52when suffering arises where does it
7:13:54arise from
7:13:56the cause is wrong view
7:13:58the fruit of that being suffering
7:14:00if it was right view it wouldn't cause
7:14:02suffering
7:14:04so i asked so i say
7:14:06allow space don't cling to things
7:14:10right is just another supposition just
7:14:12let it pass
7:14:14wrong
7:14:14is another apparent condition just let
7:14:17it be that
7:14:19if you feel that you are right and yet
7:14:21others contend the issue don't argue
7:14:24just let it go
7:14:25as soon as you know let go
7:14:27this is the straight way
7:14:30usually it's not like this
7:14:32people don't often give in to each other
7:14:34that's why some people even dumber
7:14:36practitioners who still don't know
7:14:37themselves may say things that are utter
7:14:39foolishness and yet think they're being
7:14:41wise
7:14:42they may say something that's so stupid
7:14:44that others can't even bear to listen
7:14:46yet they think they're being cleverer
7:14:48than the others
7:14:49other people can't even listen to it yet
7:14:51they think they're smart that they're
7:14:53right
7:14:54they're simply advertising their own
7:14:56stupidity that's why the wise say
7:14:59whatever speech disregards ani chang is
7:15:02not the speech of a wise person
7:15:04it's the speech of a fool it's deluded
7:15:06speech it's the speech of one who
7:15:08doesn't know that suffering is going to
7:15:10arise right there
7:15:13for example suppose you had decided to
7:15:14go to bangkok tomorrow and someone were
7:15:16to ask
7:15:17are you going to bangkok tomorrow
7:15:20i hope to go to bangkok if there are no
7:15:22obstacles
7:15:23i'll probably go
7:15:25this is called speaking with the dhamma
7:15:27in mind
7:15:28speaking with ani chang in mind taking
7:15:31into account the truth the transient
7:15:33uncertain nature of the world
7:15:35you don't say yes i'm definitely going
7:15:38tomorrow if it turns out you don't go
7:15:41what are you going to do send news to
7:15:43all the people who you told you were
7:15:44going
7:15:45you'd just be talking nonsense
7:15:49there's still much more to the practice
7:15:50of dhamma it becomes more and more
7:15:52refined but if you don't see it you may
7:15:55think you're speaking right even when
7:15:56you're speaking wrongly and straying
7:15:58from the true nature of things with
7:15:59every word
7:16:00and yet you may think you're speaking
7:16:02the truth
7:16:03to put it simply anything that we say or
7:16:06do that causes suffering to arise should
7:16:08be known as michael ditti it's delusion
7:16:11and foolishness
7:16:13most practitioners don't reflect in this
7:16:15way
7:16:16whatever they like they think is right
7:16:18and they just go on believing themselves
7:16:20for instance they may receive some gift
7:16:23or title
7:16:24be it an object rank or even words of
7:16:26praise and they think it's good
7:16:28they take it as some sort of permanent
7:16:30condition
7:16:31so they get puffed up with pride and
7:16:33conceit
7:16:34they don't consider who am i
7:16:37where is this so-called goodness
7:16:40where did it come from
7:16:42do others have the same things
7:16:45the buddha taught that we should conduct
7:16:46ourselves normally
7:16:48if we don't dig in chew over and look
7:16:50into this point it means it's still sunk
7:16:52within us it means these conditions are
7:16:55still buried within our hearts
7:16:57we're still sunk in wealth rank and
7:16:59praise
7:17:00so we become someone else because of
7:17:02them
7:17:02we think we're better than before there
7:17:04was something special and so all sorts
7:17:07of confusion arises
7:17:10actually in truth there isn't anything
7:17:11to human beings
7:17:13whatever we may be it's only in the
7:17:15realm of appearances
7:17:17if we take away the apparent and see the
7:17:19transcendent we see that there isn't
7:17:21anything there
7:17:24there are simply the universal
7:17:25characteristics
7:17:26birth in the beginning change in the
7:17:28middle and cessation in the end
7:17:30this is all there is if we see that all
7:17:33things are like this
7:17:34then no problems arise
7:17:36if we understand this we will have
7:17:38contentment and peace
7:17:41where trouble arises is when we think
7:17:43like the five ascetic disciples of the
7:17:45buddha they followed the instruction of
7:17:47their teacher but when he changed his
7:17:48practice they couldn't understand what
7:17:50he thought or knew
7:17:52they decided that the buddha had given
7:17:53up his practice and reverted to
7:17:55indulgence
7:17:56if we were in that position we'd
7:17:58probably think the same thing and they'd
7:18:00be there'd be no way to correct it
7:18:02we'd be holding on to the old ways
7:18:04thinking in the lower way yet believing
7:18:07it's higher
7:18:08we'd see the buddha and think he'd given
7:18:10up the practice and revert it to
7:18:11indulgence just like those five ascetics
7:18:15consider how many years they had been
7:18:16practicing at that time and yet they
7:18:18still went astray they still weren't
7:18:20proficient
7:18:23so i say to practice and also to look at
7:18:25the results of your practice
7:18:27look especially when you refuse to
7:18:29follow where there is friction
7:18:31where there is no friction there's no
7:18:32problem things flow if there's friction
7:18:35they don't flow
7:18:37you set up a self and things become
7:18:38solid like a massive clinging there's no
7:18:41give and take
7:18:43most monks and cultivators tend to be
7:18:45like this however they've thought in the
7:18:47past
7:18:48however they've thought in the past they
7:18:50continue to think
7:18:52they refuse to change they don't reflect
7:18:54they think they're right so they can't
7:18:56be wrong but actually wrongness is
7:18:59buried within rightness
7:19:01even though most people don't know that
7:19:03how is it so
7:19:05this is right
7:19:06but if someone else says it's not right
7:19:08you won't give in you've got to argue
7:19:12what is this
7:19:16views
7:19:18ditty means views mana is the attachment
7:19:20to those views
7:19:21if we attach even to what is right
7:19:23refusing to concede to anybody then it
7:19:25becomes wrong
7:19:27to cling faster rightness is simply the
7:19:29arising of self there is no letting go
7:19:33this is a point which gives people a lot
7:19:35of trouble
7:19:36except for those dumber practitioners
7:19:38who know this that this matter at this
7:19:40point is a very important one
7:19:42they'll take note of it
7:19:44if it arises while they're speaking
7:19:46clinging comes racing onto the scene
7:19:48maybe it'll linger for some time perhaps
7:19:50one or two days three or four months a
7:19:52year or two
7:19:54this is for the slow ones that is
7:19:56for the quick the response is instant
7:19:58they just let go
7:20:00clinging arises and immediately there is
7:20:02letting go
7:20:03they force the mind to let go right then
7:20:05and there
7:20:08you must see these two functions
7:20:09operating
7:20:10here there is clinging now who is the
7:20:13one who resists that clinging
7:20:15whenever you experience a mental
7:20:17impression you should observe these two
7:20:18functions operating
7:20:20there's clinging
7:20:21and there is one who prohibits the
7:20:23clinging now just watch these two things
7:20:26maybe you will cling for a long time
7:20:28before you let go
7:20:30reflecting and constantly practicing
7:20:32like this clinging gets lighter it
7:20:34becomes less and less
7:20:36right view increases as wrong view
7:20:37gradually wanes
7:20:39clinging decreases non-clinging arises
7:20:42this is the way it is for everybody
7:20:44that's why i say to consider this point
7:20:46learn to solve problems in the present
7:20:48moment

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